Job 34:1

Elihu’s Second Speech ¹ 

34:1 Elihu answered:

Job 35:1

Elihu’s Third Speech ² 

35:1 Then Elihu answered:

Job 36:1

Elihu’s Fourth Speech ³ 

36:1 Elihu said further: ⁴ 

Job 32:4-5

32:4 Now Elihu had waited before speaking ⁵  to Job, because the others ⁶  were older than he was. 32:5 But when Elihu saw ⁷  that the three men had no further reply, ⁸  he became very angry.

Job 32:2

32:2 Then Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry. ⁹  He was angry ¹⁰  with Job for justifying ¹¹  himself rather than God. ¹² 

Job 32:6

Elihu Claims Wisdom

32:6 So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite spoke up: ¹³ 

“I am young, ¹⁴  but you are elderly;

that is why I was fearful, ¹⁵ 

and afraid to explain ¹⁶  to you what I know.

[34:1]  ¹ sn This speech of Elihu focuses on defending God. It can be divided into these sections: Job is irreligious (2-9), God is just (10-15), God is impartial and omniscient (16-30), Job is foolish to rebel (31-37).

[35:1]  ² sn This short speech falls into two sections: Elihu refutes Job’s claim that goodness avails nothing (35:2-8), asserting that when the cry of the afflicted goes unanswered they have not learned their lesson (35:9-16).

[36:1]  ³ sn This very lengthy speech can be broken down into the following sections: the discipline of suffering (36:2-25), the work and wisdom of God (36:26–37:24).

[36:1]  ⁴ tn The use of וַיֹּסֶף (vayyosef) is with the hendiadys construction: “and he added and said,” meaning “and he said again, further.”

[32:4]  ⁴ tc This reading requires repointing the word בִּדְבָרִים (bidbarim, “with words”) to בְּדָבְּרָם (bÿdabbÿram, “while they spoke [with Job]”). If the MT is retained, it would mean “he waited for Job with words,” which while understandable is awkward.

[32:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the other friends) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:5]  ⁵ tn The first clause beginning with a vav (ו) consecutive and the preterite can be subordinated to the next similar verb as a temporal clause.

[32:5]  ⁶ tn Heb “that there was no reply in the mouth of the three men.”

[32:2]  ⁶ tn The verse begins with וַיִּחַר אַף (vayyikhar ’af, “and the anger became hot”), meaning Elihu became very angry.

[32:2]  ⁷ tn The second comment about Elihu’s anger comes right before the statement of its cause. Now the perfect verb is used: “he was angry.”

[32:2]  ⁸ tn The explanation is the causal clause עַל־צַדְּקוֹ נַפְשׁוֹ (’al-tsaddÿqo nafsho, “because he justified himself”). It is the preposition with the Piel infinitive construct with a suffixed subjective genitive.

[32:2]  ⁹ tc The LXX and Latin versions soften the expression slightly by saying “before God.”

[32:6]  ⁷ tn Heb “answered and said.”

[32:6]  ⁸ tn The text has “small in days.”

[32:6]  ⁹ tn The verb זָחַלְתִּי (zakhalti) is found only here in the OT, but it is found in a ninth century Aramaic inscription as well as in Biblical Aramaic. It has the meaning “to be timid” (see H. H. Rowley, Job [NCBC], 208).

[32:6]  ¹⁰ tn The Piel infinitive with the preposition (מֵחַוֹּת, mekhavvot) means “from explaining.” The phrase is the complement: “explain” what Elihu feared.