Study notes
Job 32
32:1–22
After three rounds of speeches between Job and his friends, a new voice speaks. Elihu, a young man, has listened to everything the others said.
32:1–37:24 Section
Elihu was younger than Job’s other friends. It’s thought that he was also from Edom. Elihu was angry at Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar. They hadn’t fully answered Job or shown how Job was wrong.
Elihu thought that it was wrong for Job to question God. He thought that Job believed he was right and that God was wrong. This made Elihu angry. But the answer he gave about Job’s suffering was like the answers of the others. Elihu believed that God allowed Job to suffer in order to correct him. The suffering was seen as a warning to keep Job from sinning. Elihu thought that this would save Job from being put to death for his sins.
Elihu understood that God never does anything evil, wrong or unfair. So he thought it was wrong for Job to think that God treated him unfairly. He thought that this showed that Job was full of pride. Elihu understood that God has complete power over everything. God is the Creator who made the world and everything in it. God is the only one able to keep the life of the world going. For Elihu, this meant that people can’t understand God’s reasons for doing something. So he thought that people shouldn’t ask questions about God’s reasons.
32:2
The Buzite: Buz had ties with Aram and Arabia, similar to Uz (Genesis 22:21; Jeremiah 25:23; Job 1:1).
Elihu often said he was angry. He probably considered his anger as righteous "zeal" (Psalm 69:9).
32:4–7
Elihu respected elders, following a common principle (see also 12:12; 15:10; Leviticus 19:32; 1 Timothy 5:1; 1 Peter 5:5).
32:8–9
The spirit in a man might not be God's Spirit of prophecy that Elihu later mentions, as Eliphaz had done (33:14–15; 4:12–17; compare 32:18–20). This spirit might simply exist because of creation (33:4; Genesis 2:7; Acts 17:25).
32:15–16
Some translations read, "you are silent, now that you stand and no longer reply." Thus, Elihu addresses Job's friends. The Berean Standard Bible translates they are silent, now that they stand and no longer reply. This interprets Elihu talking to Job about his friends.
32:18–20
The length of Elihu’s speech shows he had many words to share (32:1–37:24).
Elihu probably believed the spirit (Hebrew ruakh) within him urged him to speak (32:8, 19–20; Psalm 39:3). But the reader might regard him as just full of wind (an alternate meaning of the Hebrew ruakh; see study note on Job 15:2–3).
Like Zophar, Elihu needed to speak to find relief (compare 20:2).
Verse notes: Adapted by Mission Mutual (Aquifer Open Study Notes) from Tyndale Open Study Notes © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. CC BY-SA 4.0. Section notes: Biblica Study Notes © 2023 Biblica, Inc. CC BY-SA 4.0, via BibleAquifer. About the sources