Job 32 - Introduction

The speeches of Elihu

Ch. 32. Introduction of Elihu, a new speaker; with his reasons for taking part in the controversy

The Chapter contains three parts:

First, Job 32:1. The reason why Job's three friends refrained from speaking further they failed to make any impression on Job: he was right in his own eyes.

Second, Job 32:2. The Author in his own words introduces Elihu, stating the reasons which constrained this speaker to take part in the dispute. The anger of Elihu was kindled, first, against Job, because he justified himself as against God, held himself in the right at the expense of God's righteousness; and second, against the three friends because they failed to bring forward such arguments as effectively to condemn Job, that is, shew him to be in the wrong in his complaints of God. In other words, the sole point which Elihu has in view is justification of God, and towards this point all his reasoning is directed. Job is guilty of wrong against God, and the three friends are to blame because they have not been able to bring this wrong home to Job.

These five verses are in prose, though curiously enough they are pointed with the Poetical Accentuation.

Third, Job 32:6. Elihu is then introduced speaking in his own person, and stating the reasons which hitherto have kept him from speaking, and those which induce him now to take part in the controversy. He would have spoken sooner had he not been a youth in the midst of aged and presumably wise men. But he reflects, and indeed present events shew it, that wisdom is not the prerogative of mere age; it is a gift of God, and therefore he will advance his opinion. It is intolerable to him (Job 32:19) that a man like Job, who utters such perverse and godless sentiments (ch. Job 34:7), should not be put to silence; and he is conscious of ability (Job 32:8; Job 32:18) to answer him and all his class (ch. Job 35:4).