seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Job 32:1 So these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. 2 But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God. 3 He was also angry with the three friends, because they had found no way to refute Job, and yet had condemned him.[a] 4 Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job because they were older than he. 5 But when he saw that the three men had nothing more to say, his anger was aroused.
6 So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite said:
“I am young in years,
and you are old;
that is why I was fearful,
not daring to tell you what I know.
7 I thought, ‘Age should speak;
advanced years should teach wisdom.’
8 But it is the spirit[b] in a person,
the breath of the Almighty, that gives them understanding.
9 It is not only the old[c] who are wise,
not only the aged who understand what is right.
and you are old;
that is why I was fearful,
not daring to tell you what I know.
7 I thought, ‘Age should speak;
advanced years should teach wisdom.’
8 But it is the spirit[b] in a person,
the breath of the Almighty, that gives them understanding.
9 It is not only the old[c] who are wise,
not only the aged who understand what is right.
10 “Therefore I say: Listen to me;
I too will tell you what I know.
11 I waited while you spoke,
I listened to your reasoning;
while you were searching for words,
12 I gave you my full attention.
But not one of you has proved Job wrong;
none of you has answered his arguments.
13 Do not say, ‘We have found wisdom;
let God, not a man, refute him.’
14 But Job has not marshaled his words against me,
and I will not answer him with your arguments.
I too will tell you what I know.
11 I waited while you spoke,
I listened to your reasoning;
while you were searching for words,
12 I gave you my full attention.
But not one of you has proved Job wrong;
none of you has answered his arguments.
13 Do not say, ‘We have found wisdom;
let God, not a man, refute him.’
14 But Job has not marshaled his words against me,
and I will not answer him with your arguments.
15 “They are dismayed and have no more to say;
words have failed them.
16 Must I wait, now that they are silent,
now that they stand there with no reply?
17 I too will have my say;
I too will tell what I know.
18 For I am full of words,
and the spirit within me compels me;
19 inside I am like bottled-up wine,
like new wineskins ready to burst.
20 I must speak and find relief;
I must open my lips and reply.
21 I will show no partiality,
nor will I flatter anyone;
22 for if I were skilled in flattery,
my Maker would soon take me away.
words have failed them.
16 Must I wait, now that they are silent,
now that they stand there with no reply?
17 I too will have my say;
I too will tell what I know.
18 For I am full of words,
and the spirit within me compels me;
19 inside I am like bottled-up wine,
like new wineskins ready to burst.
20 I must speak and find relief;
I must open my lips and reply.
21 I will show no partiality,
nor will I flatter anyone;
22 for if I were skilled in flattery,
my Maker would soon take me away.
a. Job 32:3 Masoretic Text; an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition Job, and so had condemned God
b. Job 32:8 Or Spirit; also in verse 18
c. Job 32:9 Or many; or great
Well.... time for the young guy in the crowd..... So far I've read about Job and his three compatriots.... now there is a young buck willing to join the discussion. He's apparently been biting his tongue....
This is from the enduringword.com.
For I am full of words; the spirit within me compels me: Elihu certainly was full of words; for this and the next five chapters he will drone on and on, unable to shut up and unable to let anyone else speak. It is by far the longest single speech in the Book of Job, longer than even God’s speech in later chapters.
We notice already that Elihu has spent a chapter simply introducing his speech. He hasn’t even gotten to the real points he wants to make. Such long introductions and wordy methods are characteristic of Elihu, and he was not the last man on this earth to use too many words.
“Almost all modern interpreters have found Elihu to be insufferably wordy. MacKenzie says that it takes him twenty-four verses to say, ‘Look out! I’m going to speak!’” (Smick)
Let me not, I pray, show partiality to anyone; nor let me flatter any man. For I do not know how to flatter, else my Maker would soon take me away: Elihu was determined to flatter no man, except himself. In this obviously self-flattering introduction to the speech, Elihu has clearly presented himself as smarter, wiser, and having more understanding than any of the four other men with him. Elihu seemed painfully unaware of how he sounded and looked.
This is from bible-studys.org.Job’s final defense provoked a response from a fourth friend, the young man “Elihu.” These might be called the “intrusive speeches of Elihu”, a young sage who was silent until this time. Job and his friends had been resolute in their opposing opinions; Elihu’s speeches prepare the way for the even more “intrusive” speeches of the Lord!
Elihu took a new approach to the issue of Job’s suffering. Angry with the other 3, he had some new thoughts, but was very hard on Job. Elihu was angry, full of self-importance and verbose, but his approach was refreshing after listening repetitiously to the others, though not really helpful to Job. Why was it necessary to record and read those 4 blustering speeches by this man? Because they happened as part of the story, while Job was still waiting for God to disclose Himself.
This is from the easy English site.Job had finished his speech. And his friends were silent. But a young man called Elihu wanted to speak.
People have different opinions about Elihu. Some people say that Elihu was foolish. And, they say that his words merely repeat ideas from the speeches of Job’s friends. We do not agree. We think that Elihu was wise. His speech was fair and accurate. And in the end, Elihu introduced God himself.
Elihu’s main idea was that God is fair. Job’s other friends said that they believed this. But they themselves were unfair to Job. However, Job was not always sure that God is fair. If God was always fair, Job could not explain his troubles. But Job felt sure that God would be a fair judge.
In the Book of Job, Elihu acts like this lawyer. It is as if Elihu arranged for Job to meet God. Elihu was just an ordinary young man (Job 33:6). But his words were special because he spoke by the Holy Spirit,
I'm not quite sure what to think of this young buck. He's waited his turn.... that's respectful. I wonder if he was a friend of Job's kids..... maybe that's why he was there. Maybe all this talk by Job and the other three old codgers got this young buck fired up. I have grandchildren who are in their late teens and twenties. I am lucky.... they are respectful.... since I'm old. I can see it in their eyes..... you've heard of mansplaining.... it's a thing now..... but I get the youthsplaining..... "grandma.... that's not the way it is anymore"..... like I got put out to pasture twenty years ago..... Oh.... I'm not angry..... I think it's interesting.... I use to think 30 was ancient and now ..... well wait until you're going on 69.... you'll see... those young kids are so "brilliant".
I think my grandchildren have a lot more "experience" than I had. When I was their age, we were in Vietnam. There were riots on the college campuses. Our high school football games were interrupted by a moment of silence for the death of our friends and classmates who had been drafted off to war. It was a time of "free love" and "peace". The nightly news was split between war pictures and "smoke in"s on the mall.
They on the other hand..... consider themselves lucky that they didn't have to dodge any bullets in their schools before they graduated. None of them have gone to college.... it's too expensive and it doesn't guarantee employment..... one is in construction, one is in health care, and the other is in insurance. They are fine kids....their other grandmother put two of them thru catholic school......I kept the third one in public school and took her to church myself.... they happen to think the world is a different place.....
I listen to them tho.... they have an interesting take on current events..... I've gotten use to that "grandma are you awake?" glance they give me while they're talking..... he he.... I have to admit... I do toy with them some.... they think I'm old ..... I hope they make it to 68.... but I'm not sure.... that earth clock is getting really close to midnight....
