‏ Job 32

Summary for Job 32:1-22: 32:1–37:24  ^a Having completed three cycles of speeches between Job and his three friends, we now hear from a new voice. Elihu has not been previously introduced, but he is a young man who has listened to everything the others have said. 32:1  ^b Job’s three friends (see 2:11  ^c) failed to comfort him (6:14-30  ^d; 13:4  ^e; 16:2  ^f; 19:21  ^g; 42:10  ^h).
32:2  ⁱ the Buzite: Buz had connections with Aram (Gen 22:21  ^j) and Arabia (Jer 25:23  ^k), as did Uz (Job 1:1  ^l).

• Elihu repeatedly stated that he was angry; he probably regarded his anger as righteous zeal (Ps 69:9  ^m).
Summary for Job 32:4-7: 32:4-7  ⁿ Elihu’s deference to elders followed a well-known principle (see also 12:12  ^o; 15:10  ^p; Lev 19:32  ^q; 1 Tim 5:1  ^r; 1 Pet 5:5  ^s).
Summary for Job 32:8-9: 32:8-9  ^t The spirit within people might not be the prophetic Spirit that Elihu later appeals to (33:14-15  ^u), as Eliphaz had done (4:12-17  ^v; cp. 32:18-20  ^w). This spirit might simply exist by virtue of creation (33:4  ^x; Gen 2:7  ^y; Acts 17:25  ^z).
Summary for Job 32:15-16: 32:15-16  ^aa As translated, the phrase you sit there ... you are silent is addressed to Job’s friends. An alternate translation is they sit there ... they are silent, in which case Elihu is speaking to Job about his friends.
Summary for Job 32:18-20: 32:18-20  ^ab The length of Elihu’s speech (32:1–37:24  ^ac) demonstrates that he truly was full of pent-up words.

• Elihu probably thought the spirit (Hebrew ruakh) within him was prophetic urgency (32:8  ^ad, 19-20  ^ae; Ps 39:3  ^af), but the reader might find him full of wind (Hebrew ruakh; see study note on Job 15:2-3).

• Like Zophar, Elihu must speak to find relief (cp. 20:2  ^ag).

‏ Job 33

33:1  ^ah Listen: Elihu begged to be heard (33:1  ^ai; 34:2  ^aj, 16  ^ak), which is what Job had also sought (13:6  ^al).
33:5  ^am By inviting Job to make his case, Elihu acted as though he were God, or at least the arbiter that Job had been seeking (9:32-35  ^an).
33:7  ^ao you don’t need to be afraid of me (literally my terror shall not make you afraid): God’s terrors (6:4  ^ap; 7:14  ^aq; 9:34  ^ar; 13:21  ^as; 23:15  ^at) had been thrown in Job’s face by Eliphaz (15:21  ^au, 24  ^av; 22:10  ^aw), Bildad (18:11  ^ax, 14  ^ay), and Zophar (20:25  ^az).

• Elihu promised not to come down hard on Job, but later he broke his word (34:7-9  ^ba, 33-37  ^bb).
33:9  ^bc You said: Job claimed to be pure and without sin, using various terms (9:21  ^bd; 10:6-7  ^be; 11:4  ^bf; 13:23-24  ^bg; 15:14-16  ^bh; 16:17  ^bi; 31:1-40  ^bj).
33:11  ^bk Job frequently complained about God’s surveillance (7:20  ^bl; 10:14  ^bm; 13:27  ^bn); he wanted relief from having his every move scrutinized (14:16  ^bo; 29:2  ^bp).
33:13  ^bq Job’s central complaint was that God does not respond (9:16  ^br; 19:7  ^bs; 23:2-7  ^bt).
33:15  ^bu He speaks in dreams: See, e.g., Gen 15:12  ^bv; 20:3  ^bw; 31:24  ^bx; 40:1–41:36  ^by; Dan 2:1-45  ^bz; Joel 2:28  ^ca; Acts 16:9-10  ^cb.
33:18  ^cc from crossing over the river of death: This phrase may also be translated from passing [i.e., dying] by the sword. Both translations fit the context (cp. 36:12  ^cd).
33:22  ^ce angels of death wait for them: Cp. Exod 12:23  ^cf; 2 Sam 24:16  ^cg; 1 Cor 10:10  ^ch.
33:23  ^ci An angel from heaven would intercede, taking the role of the mediator Job longed for (see 5:1  ^cj; 9:33-34  ^ck; 16:18-21  ^cl).
33:24  ^cm The ransom is ultimately found in Christ (Matt 20:28  ^cn; Rom 3:24-25  ^co; 1 Tim 2:6  ^cp; 1 Pet 1:18-19  ^cq).
33:26  ^cr God will receive him with joy: Cp. Num 6:24-26  ^cs; Ps 67:1  ^ct; Acts 2:28  ^cu; Jude 1:24  ^cv.
33:32  ^cw For Elihu to say that he was anxious to see Job justified sounds ironic; he had entered the discussion in the first place “because Job refused to admit that he had sinned” (32:1-5  ^cx).

‏ Job 34

Summary for Job 34:3-4: 34:3-4  ^cy ear tests ... mouth distinguishes: Elihu echoed Job’s earlier complaint about the other counselors’ weak argument that “wisdom belongs to the aged” (12:11-12  ^cz; see 6:30  ^da; Heb 5:14  ^db).
Summary for Job 34:5-6: 34:5-6  ^dc Job had claimed to be innocent: See 9:20-21  ^dd; 13:18  ^de; 27:6  ^df.
34:6  ^dg Eliphaz had accused Job of being a liar (15:5  ^dh), fulfilling Job’s earlier worry (6:28-29  ^di).

• My suffering (literally My arrow): For the link with the Lord’s arrows, see 6:4  ^dj; 16:13  ^dk; Jer 10:19  ^dl; 15:18  ^dm; 30:12  ^dn, 15  ^do; Lam 3:12  ^dp; Mic 1:9  ^dq; Nah 3:19  ^dr.
34:9  ^ds Elihu later repeated this accusation (35:3  ^dt; cp. Ps 73:13  ^du; Zeph 1:12  ^dv; Mal 3:14  ^dw), but he misrepresented Job’s words (Job 9:22-23  ^dx; 21:15  ^dy). Job had actually condemned those who held this view (21:14-16  ^dz).
Summary for Job 34:10-15: 34:10-15  ^ea The passage attaches three ideas to the truth that God can do no wrong (34:10  ^eb, 12  ^ec): (1) God pays back all people according to their behavior (34:11  ^ed); (2) as the Creator, God is not answerable to anyone (34:13  ^ee); and (3) every living being depends upon God for its existence, and God can withdraw that gift without doing anything wrong (34:14-15  ^ef; cp. Rom 9:19-29  ^eg).
34:11  ^eh according to their deeds: Cp. Ps 62:12  ^ei; Prov 24:12  ^ej; Jer 32:19  ^ek; Ezek 33:20  ^el; Matt 16:27  ^em; Rom 2:6  ^en; Gal 6:7-8  ^eo; 1 Pet 1:17  ^ep. The ultimate harvest will take place at the end of time (2 Cor 5:10  ^eq; Rev 2:23  ^er; 22:12  ^es).
34:17  ^et The implied answer was that God could not govern if he hated justice (cp. Rom 3:4-7  ^eu; 7:7  ^ev, 13  ^ew; 9:14  ^ex; Gal 2:17  ^ey; 6:14  ^ez).

• Later, God also asked if Job was going to condemn the almighty judge (Job 40:8  ^fa).
34:19  ^fb doesn’t care how great a person may be: Impartiality flows from God’s justice (Acts 10:34  ^fc; Rom 2:11  ^fd; Gal 2:6  ^fe; Eph 6:9  ^ff; Col 3:25  ^fg; 1 Pet 1:17  ^fh).
34:22  ^fi The wicked might try to hide in darkness (Jer 23:24  ^fj), but they will fail (Ps 139:11-12  ^fk; cp. Amos 9:2-3  ^fl). God brings everything to light (1 Cor 4:5  ^fm).
34:23  ^fn We don’t set the time: Elihu rejected Job’s wish for a quick (21:19  ^fo), published time of judgment (24:1  ^fp).
34:24  ^fq God knows everything without asking anyone (34:25  ^fr).

• sets up others in their place: Dan 2:21  ^fs; 5:28-30  ^ft.
34:26  ^fu When God renders justice openly, it leads to proper fear among the wicked (Deut 21:21  ^fv; 1 Tim 5:20  ^fw) and to public rejoicing among the righteous (cp. Exod 14:30-31  ^fx).
34:31  ^fy Why don’t people say? Elihu was indirectly asking, “Job, why won’t you admit it?”
34:36  ^fz deserve the maximum penalty: Zophar had also said that Job was being punished less than he deserved (11:6  ^ga).

‏ Job 35

Summary for Job 35:4-8: 35:4-8  ^gb Elihu attempted to answer his own question (35:2  ^gc), but his answer did not add to what Zophar (11:8-9  ^gd), Eliphaz (22:12  ^ge), Bildad (25:5-6  ^gf), and Job (9:8-10  ^gg) had already said. Elihu failed to recognize that all sin wrongs God (Gen 39:9  ^gh; Matt 25:41-46  ^gi; cp. Prov 19:17  ^gj).
Summary for Job 35:15-16: 35:15-16  ^gk Elihu echoed and then rejected Job’s words (9:24  ^gl; 12:6-10  ^gm; 21:7-15  ^gn, 17  ^go).
35:16  ^gp Elihu echoed his earlier accusation (34:35  ^gq); later, God would agree (38:2  ^gr).

‏ Job 36

36:4  ^gs I am a man of great knowledge (literally one who is perfect in knowledge is with you): Elihu was probably claiming to be completely sincere or saying that his logic was flawless.
36:7  ^gt The biblical principle that God never takes his eyes off the innocent (2 Chr 16:9  ^gu; Pss 33:18  ^gv; 34:15  ^gw; 1 Pet 3:12  ^gx) answered Job’s frustration about divine surveillance (Job 7:17-21  ^gy).
36:11  ^gz If they listen and obey God, they will be blessed: This is a valid biblical principle of repentance (see 11:13-19  ^ha; 22:21-25  ^hb; Deut 4:30  ^hc; Jer 7:23  ^hd; 26:13  ^he).
36:12  ^hf dying from lack of understanding: See also 4:21  ^hg; Prov 5:23  ^hh; 10:21  ^hi.
36:31  ^hj The Hebrew yadin can mean he governs or he nourishes, which parallels food in abundance (38:26  ^hk; Pss 65:9-13  ^hl; 104:13-15  ^hm, 27-28  ^hn). The more common meaning for yadin is “judge,” which would mean that God does all things to bless his people and judge his enemies (Job 37:11-13  ^ho; 38:22-23  ^hp; see Gen 6:17  ^hq; 19:24  ^hr; Exod 9:23-25  ^hs; Josh 10:11-14  ^ht; 1 Sam 12:18  ^hu).

‏ Job 37

37:2  ^hv The Old Testament often associates thunder with God’s voice (36:29  ^hw, 33  ^hx; 37:5  ^hy; 38:1  ^hz; Exod 19:16-19  ^ia; Ps 104:7  ^ib).
37:7  ^ic everyone stops working ... watch his power: The ending of the agricultural work season gave people time to meditate on God’s providential control.
37:13  ^id The same act by God can serve more than one function, such as storms that both destroy enemies and give God’s people victory (Josh 10  ^ie; Judg 4  ^if; 1 Sam 7:10-11  ^ig; Pss 18:7-15  ^ih; 105:32-33  ⁱⁱ).
37:17  ^ij The hot south wind caused the sweltering conditions.
37:20  ^ik speak when they are confused? Or speak without being swallowed up? Punishment as severe as death might result from contesting God’s judgment (cp. 13:14  ^il).
37:22  ^im the mountain of God (Hebrew from Zaphon): In the literature of the ancient city of Ugarit, Zaphon was the northern mountainous abode of Baal; here it figuratively refers to God’s lofty home in the heavens (see Isa 14:13-14  ⁱⁿ).
37:23  ^io cannot imagine the power of the Almighty: Cp. 11:7  ^ip; 26:14  ^iq; Rom 11:33  ^ir; 1 Tim 6:16  ^is.

• he is just and righteous: Cp. Job 9:4  ^it, 19  ^iu; 12:13  ^iv; Pss 62:11  ^iw; 66:3  ^ix; 93:1  ^iy; 99:4  ^iz.