Job 32:1

JOB 32

ELIHU'S LONG DISCOURSE:

THE FIRST OF ELIHU'S SIX-CHAPTER SPEECH

There is a dramatic interruption in the Book of Job at this spot; and, of course, many modern scholars explain Elihu's speech variously as, "the work of another author,"[1] "a later addition,"[2] and as, "speeches (of Elihu) that violently disturb the original structure of the book."[3] This writer is unwilling to accept such interpretations of the speeches of Elihu (Job 32-37) for the following reasons.

(1) The ancient versions of the Bible contain all of these chapters exactly where they are in our text. "They are found in the Septuagint, the Syriac, the Chaldee, the Arabic, the Ethiopic, the Vulgate, etc."[4] Unless we are willing for present-day unbelievers to rewrite the Holy Bible, we should retain these chapters exactly where they are.

(2) "Many great scholars have argued for the placement of these speeches by Elihu in Job as originally written, including: Budde, Cornill, Kamphausen, Wildeboer, Sellin, Baur, and Peters."[5]

(3) Practically all of the arguments against Elihu's words being part of the original book are based on modern views of literary structure, etc. "And all such considerations are, in the end, matters of taste; and we must hesitate about imposing standards of taste, especially modern ones, upon the creations of antiquity."[6]

(4) Then, there is the fact that there is no consensus whatever among critical scholars regarding this question. "It is astonishing how divided the scholars are concerning the arguments about this. Opinions are so diverse that they cancel each other out.. We do not have the space to line up the names of the scholars on this side or that side of the question."[7]

Job 32:1-5

THE INTRODUCTION (IN PROSE) OF ELIHU

"So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God. Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job. Now Elihu had waited to speak unto Job, because they were older than he. And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was kindled."

"Elihu the son of Barachel, the Buzite" (Job 32:2). "This name Elihu (or Eliab) was fairly common in the times of David, four persons of that name being mentioned, including a brother of David (1 Chronicles 27:8)."[8] "The name means, `He is my God'; and Barachel means, `Bless, O God,' or `God will bless.' Both names imply that Elihu came of a family of monotheists."[9] David's brother was named Eliab, a variant of the name Elihu.

"They had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job" (Job 32:3). Andersen gave the meaning here as, "They didn't find an answer, and they didn't prove Job wrong."[10] The same scholar also referred to Elihu's speech here as, "quite a rigmarole."[11] We do not reject that evaluation of Elihu's words, because God Himself, when he finally interrupted his long tirade, asked, "Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? (Job 38:2); and, although God was speaking directly to Job, there is no way to avoid the application of his words to the speech of Elihu.