Job 32:6-22 | KingComments | STEP | The word “so” ( ) indicates that Elihu responds to the inability of his friends. Because the ancients failed to answer Job, and now are silent, Elihu begins to speak. First he explains why he has remained silent so far. He apologizes for his age, for he is young compared to these old men. In various ways, he expressed his respect for them before giving his vision of the matter, in which he did not aspire to his own honor, but to the honor of God. He is only so short in the world and they have been for so long; he has had so little experience and they already have so much; they already know so much and he knows so little. In their presence he felt shy and afraid to tell his feelings about what he saw and heard from them. So with Elihu there is not only a good attitude outwardly, but there is also inner respect. He looks up to them and does not dare to compete with them. He has deliberately given priority to the elderly, because he assumed wisdom with them ( ). “Age should speak, and increased years should teach wisdom” is a saying that expresses his tribute to the elders. They had had many days of experience in life and had made many observations in the multitude of years. It was only natural that they had stored a large stock of wisdom that they could reveal in giving answers to life’s questions. They are far above Elihu in age and therefore he judged that they would also be in wisdom and knowledge. But Elihu came to a different conclusion because of what he heard and saw. He has discovered that only the Spirit of God working in him, a man, gives him the ability to speak a wisdom that is not bound by age ( ). Through the breath, or rather the inspiration, of the Almighty, men are made wise and can understand what God is doing. The answers to questions of life must come from Him. Man is only “man”, while God is “the Almighty”. Elihu emphasizes that man, including himself, is dependent on God in everything. Only God has the wisdom necessary to answer the problem of Job. Wisdom is therefore not necessarily linked to old age ( ). The understanding of “justice”, of what is good and evil in God’s eyes, is also not only reserved for old people. The old friends of Job, to whom Elihu addresses, are themselves an example of this. We can also think of some kings in Israel who showed wisdom in their younger years, but who fell into folly in their old age, such as Solomon, Asa and Joash. Old age is no guarantee of wisdom. After Elihu has said this, he no longer feels any hesitation in calling them to listen to him ( ). He feels free to tell his feelings about what happened to and was said by Job. There is also no arrogance in his words. What he does is to present his view of the matter to Job, without passing judgment on it. He offers his thoughts to him and leaves the judgment to him.

‏ Job 32:6-22

Reason to be Silent

The word “so” (Job 32:6) indicates that Elihu responds to the inability of his friends. Because the ancients failed to answer Job, and now are silent, Elihu begins to speak. First he explains why he has remained silent so far. He apologizes for his age, for he is young compared to these old men. In various ways, he expressed his respect for them before giving his vision of the matter, in which he did not aspire to his own honor, but to the honor of God.

He is only so short in the world and they have been for so long; he has had so little experience and they already have so much; they already know so much and he knows so little. In their presence he felt shy and afraid to tell his feelings about what he saw and heard from them. So with Elihu there is not only a good attitude outwardly, but there is also inner respect. He looks up to them and does not dare to compete with them.

He has deliberately given priority to the elderly, because he assumed wisdom with them (Job 32:7). “Age should speak, and increased years should teach wisdom” is a saying that expresses his tribute to the elders. They had had many days of experience in life and had made many observations in the multitude of years. It was only natural that they had stored a large stock of wisdom that they could reveal in giving answers to life’s questions. They are far above Elihu in age and therefore he judged that they would also be in wisdom and knowledge.

But Elihu came to a different conclusion because of what he heard and saw. He has discovered that only the Spirit of God working in him, a man, gives him the ability to speak a wisdom that is not bound by age (Job 32:8). Through the breath, or rather the inspiration, of the Almighty, men are made wise and can understand what God is doing. The answers to questions of life must come from Him. Man is only “man”, while God is “the Almighty”. Elihu emphasizes that man, including himself, is dependent on God in everything. Only God has the wisdom necessary to answer the problem of Job.

Wisdom is therefore not necessarily linked to old age (Job 32:9). The understanding of “justice”, of what is good and evil in God’s eyes, is also not only reserved for old people. The old friends of Job, to whom Elihu addresses, are themselves an example of this. We can also think of some kings in Israel who showed wisdom in their younger years, but who fell into folly in their old age, such as Solomon, Asa and Joash. Old age is no guarantee of wisdom.

After Elihu has said this, he no longer feels any hesitation in calling them to listen to him (Job 32:10). He feels free to tell his feelings about what happened to and was said by Job. There is also no arrogance in his words. What he does is to present his view of the matter to Job, without passing judgment on it. He offers his thoughts to him and leaves the judgment to him.

The Failure of the Friends

As a youngster Elihu patiently waited for the words of the friends and listened attentively to them (Job 32:11; cf. Pro 18:13). He did so in the hope that they would give Job a satisfactory answer. It is good that young people first listen to what the elders have to say (cf. Jam 1:19). As has already been pointed out, the elderly, generally speaking, by experience know more than young people. Because they are older, they have experienced more. Yet that is not decisive for the correct understanding of things. The right insight can only be given by the Spirit of God and He can give it to young people as well (Job 32:8).

Elihu listened to their insights about what happened to Job and why. He did not do this passively, but with the intention of understanding the meaning of their insights. Until they had to “ponder what to say”, which means that he noticed that they chose their words carefully. They proceeded with thoughtfulness and consultation in making their statements.

Not only did he listen carefully, but also paid close attention to them (Job 32:12), how they spoke, whether what they said came from the heart, or only from memory. They had repeatedly hammered on the same anvil and without any sympathy, fired their ‘theological’ views at Job. They had not really listened to Job, but had kept telling him their own righteous views in different words over and over again. As a result, none of them were able to convince him that they had the right answer to the question of why he was suffering, an answer he was so desperately seeking.

With his words, Elihu wants to take away from the friends the thought that they reacted very wisely to Job (Job 32:13). It is as if they are now sitting with Job as if they are unhappy, looking sullenly because Job has so stubbornly ignored their wise words. But they should not imagine anything. Only God can tell him why all this has happened to him, for He “will rout him”, that is what these disasters have brought upon him. No man has done this and therefore no man can claim with certainty that he knows why God has done this.

Why He Must Speak

Job did not speak to Elihu, nor did he challenge him as he did his three friends (Job 32:14). Elihu does not respond from personal agitation, as the friends did. Job cannot accuse him of partiality. Elihu will speak to Job in a different way, not with unfounded, vehement accusations, but with the words of God.

The friends look “dismayed” (Job 32:15). They look like people who marvel at the despicable rejection of their so well-intentioned advice. Their mouths fall open with amazement, and they can no longer utter a word. They are defeated. They also know nothing more to say. Their words have failed them, because they can’t think of any more. Fervently, they had begun to express their opinions. They were going to convince Job. But gradually the fire disappeared from their speeches until they finally came to a complete standstill.

Elihu waited for a reaction, but they didn’t make themselves heard anymore (Job 32:16). Shrouded in silence they stand there. They stopped speaking. They can no longer sit down, but neither can they leave. They look like statues, without strength to move, paralyzed as it were by the awareness of their defeat.

Elihu has clearly shown that the friends have failed in their approach to Job. This clears the way for him to respond to Job in turn and tell his feelings, his opinion, about him (Job 32:17). Elihu says this not in pride and with contempt for their failure. He does not speak before his turn and only speaks when the others really cannot say anything anymore.

It is more that now, because the others, the elders, are completely out of words, he has the opportunity to put his thoughts into words. The conversation is completely deadlocked and the participants find themselves in a stalemate. His performance is not premature and inappropriate, but courteous and with a proper sense of the status of the conversation or even more of the status of silence. He does not speak because he wants to assert himself, but out of zeal for God.

Elihu sees the silence that arises as an indication from God that it is his turn to tell what is on his heart (Job 32:18). And that is no small thing, for he is “full of words”. This is another indication that he has waited in self-control until it was his turn to speak. But when it is his turn, he can no longer hold back, he has to speak, so much so that the spirit in his innermost being constrains him. He feels like someone who has held back his breath for so long that his lungs burst.

Just as Jeremiah and Paul could not keep silent in certain situations, he cannot keep silent now either; he feels the need to speak as something imposed upon him (Jer 4:19 ; Jer 20:9; 1Cor 9:16; Psa 39:2-3; 2Cor 5:14). It is also important for us to be “full of words” to speak them at the right time and at the right opportunity. This will be so when “the word of Christ” richly dwells within us (Col 3:16).

Elihu says that his belly, which means his inner feelings, is about to burst, so great is the pressure he feels (Job 32:19). He compares the feeling he has with new leather wineskins. When the wine is fermenting, the pressure on the wineskin can become so great that it bursts. Elihu experiences this pressure in his inner being. Therefore he has to speak (Job 32:20). Then the inner pressure will disappear and he will get relief. By opening his lips he can answer Job. The opening of his lips refers to the opening of the new wineskins to prevent them from bursting. This way opening his lips prevents him from being torn inside.

What Elihu says in Job 32:21, he does not say to anyone in particular, but is more a loudly expressed sigh. He does not want to take sides with anyone, and he does not intend to do so. Nor does he want to speak to anyone in order to win that person’s favor. He does not want to speak flattering words, but he wants to speak without regard for the person. Thus he acts the same as God and as Paul (Gal 1:10 ; Gal 2:6; Deu 1:17 ; Deu 10:17 ; Deu 16:19; 2Chr 19:7; 1Tim 5:21).

He is also unable to flatter anyone at all, because he lives in fellowship with God and is filled with respect for his Maker (Job 32:22). That determines his speaking. Because God is his Maker, he must fulfill God’s purpose with him. God made him with the purpose of representing Him. If he does not, he knows, God will take him away immediately. Then He will no longer use him. Elihu fears God more than men. That’s why he has so much more wisdom than his friends to answer Job wisely.