INTRODUCTION TO JOB 32 Job's three friends being silenced, and having no more to say in reply to him, Elihu, of whose descent some account is given, a bystander and hearer of the whole dispute between them, rises up as a moderator, and expresses some anger both against them and Job, Job 32:1; he ma... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THESE THREE MEN CEASED TO ANSWER JOB,.... His three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, who came to visit and comfort him under his afflictions; but unawares were led into a controversy with him, occasioned by some rash and impatient expressions of his; w... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN WAS KINDLED THE WRATH OF ELIHU THE SON OF BARACHEL THE BUZITE,.... Both against Job and his three friends, for reasons after given; who this person was is not easy to say; they debase him too much, who make him to be Balaam the soothsayer, according to the tradition of the Jews g; for neither t... [ Continue Reading ]
ALSO AGAINST HIS THREE FRIENDS WAS HIS WRATH KINDLED,.... He did not take part with either side, but blamed both, and took upon him to be a moderator between them, and deal impartially with them: what highly displeased him, and raised his spirit against the three friends of Job, was, BECAUSE THEY H... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW ELIHU HAD WAITED TILL JOB HAD SPOKEN,.... Made an end of speaking, until he had thus expressed himself, "the words of Job are ended", Job 31:40: and waited likewise until his three friends had said all they had to say, and which is here supposed and implied, as appears by what follows: BECAUSE... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN ELIHU SAW THAT [THERE WAS] NO ANSWER IN THE MOUTH OF [THESE] THREE MEN,.... That could be called an answer; nay, when he perceived they were quite nonplussed and silenced, though men of years and experience, and reputed wise and knowing: THEN HIS WRATH WAS KINDLED; his spirit was stirred up; h... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ELIHU THE SON OF BARACHEL THE BUZITE ANSWERED AND SAID,.... Since there was no answer in them, he takes upon him to give one himself; but first makes an apology on account of his youth: I [AM] YOUNG, AND YE [ARE] VERY OLD; or "few of days"; a few days, comparatively speaking, had he lived in th... [ Continue Reading ]
I SAID, DAYS SHOULD SPEAK,.... That is, men of days, of many days, who have lived many days and years in the world: man in common is but of few days, even the most that men arrive to are but few; and some indeed are very few, in comparison of whom others may be said to be men of days, or to have liv... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT [THERE IS] A SPIRIT IN MAN,.... This seems to be a correction of his former sentiment; the consideration of which gave him encouragement, though young, to declare his opinion, since there is a spirit in men, both young and old; and wherever that be, there is an ability to speak and a capacity of... [ Continue Reading ]
GREAT MEN ARE NOT [ALWAYS] WISE,.... Men of grandeur and dignity, as Job's friends might be, the rich, the honourable, and noble; the apostle is thought to refer to this, at least to express the sentiment contained in it, 1 Corinthians 1:26; or the great in quantity, the many, the multitude; and the... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE I SAID, HEARKEN TO ME,.... Thou O Job, and every one of you his friends, for the word is singular; though I am but a young man, yet if I have the Spirit of God, and am under the inspiration of the Almighty, I may be able to say something to you worth your hearing: I ALSO WILL SHOW MINE OP... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, I WAITED FOR YOUR WORDS,.... With great desire, with great eagerness and earnestness, in hope of meeting with arguments fully satisfying and convincing; he waited for them, as for the rain, and the latter rain, to be revived, refreshed, and edified therewith; and he patiently waited until th... [ Continue Reading ]
YEA, I ATTENDED UNTO YOU,.... Very closely, with great application and diligence, endeavouring to get, as it were, within them, and thoroughly understand the meaning of what they said: AND, BEHOLD, [THERE WAS] NONE OF YOU THAT CONVINCED JOB; which was not owing to his obstinacy, but to want of proo... [ Continue Reading ]
LEST YE SHOULD SAY, WE HAVE FOUND OUT WISDOM,.... They were left to themselves, and not directed to take the proper methods of convincing Job, and answering his arguments; lest they should be wise in their own conceits, and attribute too much to themselves; or Elihu told them this, that they had not... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW HE HATH NOT DIRECTED [HIS] WORDS AGAINST ME,.... That is, Job had not directed his speech to him, or levelled his arguments against him; he had not set himself and his words in battle array against him, as the word signifies; he had not lashed and irritated him as he had them; and therefore he c... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY WERE AMAZED,.... They were like persons thunderstruck, quite surprised and astonished to hear a young man talk after this manner: THEY ANSWERED NO MORE; as they had ceased to answer Job, they did not undertake to answer Elihu, who had plainly told them their arguments were not convincing, thei... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN ONE HAD WAITED,.... To observe whether they would make any reply to what he had said, or any objection to his engaging in the controversy: FOR THEY SPAKE NOT; were as mute as fishes: BUT STOOD STILL; like statues, had no power to move, neither to sit down nor to depart, but were as if all lif... [ Continue Reading ]
[I SAID], I WILL ANSWER ALSO MY PART,.... Or take his turn in giving an answer to Job; what they had given being quite insufficient and unsuitable: I ALSO WILL SHOW MINE OPINION; knowledge, or sentiment; this for a while he was fearful of doing, but, upon a thorough and serious consideration of thi... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR I AM FULL OF MATTER,.... Or "full [of] words" y; not of mere words, such that have nothing solid and substantial in them; this is the character of a fool, Ecclesiastes 10:14; nor was Elihu a loquacious talkative man, as Job is charged to be, a man full of talk, Job 11:2; but he was full of words... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, MY BELLY [IS] AS WINE, [WHICH] HATH NO VENT,.... Or, "is not opened" a, like a bottle of wine, as Ben Gersom, which is stopped close, and the wine in it new; which is most apt to ferment, and should have vent given it; so the Targum, "as new wine, which is not opened:'' in the same manner... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL SPEAK, THAT I MAY BE REFRESHED,.... That his mind might be made easy; the matter it was full of lay with much weight upon it, pressed him hard, and gave him pain; and therefore he determines to speak his mind, and disburden himself: so a minister of the word speaks sometimes to the refreshmen... [ Continue Reading ]
LET ME NOT, I PRAY YOU, ACCEPT ANY MAN'S PERSON,.... Neither the person of Job, because of his poverty and affliction, indulging too much to pity and commiseration, and affecting to get a good name from others for it; nor the persons of his three friends, on account of their wealth and grandeur; for... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR I KNOW NOT TO GIVE FLATTERING TITLES,.... He had not been brought up in such a manner, nor taught to use them; he had not been inured to them, nor did he know or approve of them; nor could he in conscience give them; [IN SO DOING], MY MAKER WOULD SOON TAKE ME AWAY; it being such a piece of wick... [ Continue Reading ]