1 And these three men cease from answering Job, for he `is' righteous in his own eyes,
For Thou knowest that I am not wicked, And there is no deliverer from Thy hand.
`Pure `am' I, without transgression, Innocent `am' I, and I have no iniquity.
I say unto God, `Do not condemn me, Let me know why Thou dost strive `with' me.
Lo, He doth slay me -- I wait not! Only, my ways unto His face I argue.
My lips do not speak perverseness, And my tongue doth not utter deceit. Pollution to me -- if I justify you, Till I expire I turn not aside mine integrity from me. On my righteousness I have laid hold, And I do not let it go, My heart doth not reproach me while I live.
For the ear heard, and declareth me happy, And the eye hath seen, and testifieth `to' me. For I deliver the afflicted who is crying, And the fatherless who hath no helper. The blessing of the perishing cometh on me, And the heart of the widow I cause to sing. Righteousness I have put on, and it clotheth me, As a robe and a diadem my justice. Eyes I have been to the blind, And feet to the lame `am' I. A father I `am' to the needy, And the cause I have not known I search out. And I break the jaw-teeth of the perverse, And from his teeth I cast away prey.
A covenant I made for mine eyes, And what -- do I attend to a virgin? And what `is' the portion of God from above? And the inheritance of the Mighty from the heights? Is not calamity to the perverse? And strangeness to workers of iniquity? Doth not He see my ways, And all my steps number? If I have walked with vanity, And my foot doth hasten to deceit, He doth weigh me in righteous balances, And God doth know my integrity. If my step doth turn aside from the way, And after mine eyes hath my heart gone, And to my hands cleaved hath blemish, Let me sow -- and another eat, And my products let be rooted out. If my heart hath been enticed by woman, And by the opening of my neighbour I laid wait, Grind to another let my wife, And over her let others bend. For it `is' a wicked thing, and a judicial iniquity; For a fire it `is', to destruction it consumeth, And among all mine increase doth take root, If I despise the cause of my man-servant, And of my handmaid, In their contending with me, Then what do I do when God ariseth? And when He doth inspect, What do I answer Him? Did not He that made me in the womb make him? Yea, prepare us in the womb doth One. If I withhold from pleasure the poor, And the eyes of the widow do consume, And I do eat my morsel by myself, And the orphan hath not eat of it, (But from my youth He grew up with me as `with' a father, And from the belly of my mother I am led.) If I see `any' perishing without clothing, And there is no covering to the needy, If his loins have not blessed me, And from the fleece of my sheep He doth not warm himself, If I have waved at the fatherless my hand, When I see in `him' the gate of my court, My shoulder from its blade let fall, And mine arm from the bone be broken. For a dread unto me `is' calamity `from' God, And because of His excellency I am not able. If I have made gold my confidence, And to the pure gold have said, `My trust,' If I rejoice because great `is' my wealth, And because abundance hath my hand found, If I see the light when it shineth, And the precious moon walking, And my heart is enticed in secret, And my hand doth kiss my mouth, It also `is' a judicial iniquity, For I had lied to God above. If I rejoice at the ruin of my hater, And stirred up myself when evil found him, Yea, I have not suffered my mouth to sin, To ask with an oath his life. If not -- say ye, O men of my tent, `O that we had of his flesh, we are not satisfied.' In the street doth not lodge a stranger, My doors to the traveller I open. If I have covered as Adam my transgressions, To hide in my bosom mine iniquity, Because I fear a great multitude, And the contempt of families doth affright me, Then I am silent, I go not out of the opening. Who giveth to me a hearing? lo, my mark. The Mighty One doth answer me, And a bill hath mine adversary written. If not -- on my shoulder I take it up, I bind it a crown on myself. The number of my steps I tell Him, As a leader I approach Him. If against me my land doth cry out, And together its furrows weep, If its strength I consumed without money, And the life of its possessors, I have caused to breathe out, Instead of wheat let a thorn go forth, And instead of barley a useless weed! The words of Job are finished.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Job 32
Commentary on Job 32 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 32
Job 32:1-37:24. Speech of Elihu.
1-6. Prose (poetry begins with "I am young").
because, &c.—and because they could not prove to him that he was unrighteous.
2. Elihu—meaning "God is Jehovah." In his name and character as messenger between God and Job, he foreshadows Jesus Christ (Job 33:23-26).
Barachel—meaning "God blesses." Both names indicate the piety of the family and their separation from idolaters.
Buzite—Buz was son of Nahor, brother of Abraham. Hence was named a region in Arabia-Deserta (Jer 25:23).
Ram—Aram, nephew of Buz. Job was probably of an older generation than Elihu. However, the identity of names does not necessarily prove the identity of persons. The particularity with which Elihu's descent is given, as contrasted with the others, led Lightfoot to infer Elihu was the author of the book. But the reason for particularity was, probably, that Elihu was less known than the three called "friends" of Job; and that it was right for the poet to mark especially him who was mainly to solve the problem of the book.
rather than God—that is, was more eager to vindicate himself than God. In Job 4:17, Job denies that man can be more just than God. Umbreit translates, "Before (in the presence of) God."
3. Though silenced in argument, they held their opinion still.
4. had spoken—Hebrew, "in words," referring rather to his own "words" of reply, which he had long ago ready, but kept back in deference to the seniority of the friends who spoke.
6. was afraid—The root meaning in Hebrew is "to crawl" (De 32:24).
7. Days—that is, the aged (Job 15:10).
8. Elihu claims inspiration, as a divinely commissioned messenger to Job (Job 33:6, 23); and that claim is not contradicted in Job 42:4, 5. Translate: "But the spirit (which God puts) in man, and the inspiration … is that which giveth," &c.; it is not mere "years" which give understanding (Pr 2:6; Joh 20:22).
9. Great—rather, "old" (Job 32:6). So Hebrew, in Ge 25:23. "Greater, less" for the older, the younger.
judgment—what is right.
10. Rather, "I say."
opinion—rather, "knowledge."
11. Therefore Elihu was present from the first.
reasons—literally, "understandings," that is, the meaning intended by words.
whilst—I waited until you should discover a suitable reply to Job.
13. This has been so ordered, "lest you should" pride yourselves on having overcome him by your "wisdom" (Jer 9:23, the great aim of the Book of Job); and that you may see, "God alone can thrust him down," that is, confute him, "not man." So Elihu grounds his confutation, not on the maxims of sages, as the friends did, but on his special commission from God (Job 32:8; 33:4, 6).
14. I am altogether unprejudiced. For it is not I, whom he addressed. "Your speeches" have been influenced by irritation.
15. Here Elihu turns from the friends to Job: and so passes from the second person to the third; a transition frequent in a rebuke (Job 18:3, 4).
they left off—Words were taken from them.
17. my part—for my part.
opinion—knowledge.
18. "I am full of words," whereas the friends have not a word more to say.
the spirit—(Job 32:8; 33:4; Jer 20:9; Ac 18:5).
19. belly—bosom: from which the words of Orientalists in speaking seem to come more than with us; they speak gutturally. "Like (new) wine (in fermentation) without a vent," to work itself off. New wine is kept in new goatskin bottles. This fittingly applies to the young Elihu, as contrasted with the old friends (Mt 9:7).
20. refreshed—literally, "that there may be air to me" (1Sa 16:23).
21. "May I never accept," &c. Elihu alludes to Job's words (Job 13:8, 10), wherein he complains that the friends plead for God partially, "accepting His person." Elihu says he will not do so, but will act impartially between God and Job. "And I will not give flattery," &c. (Pr 24:23).
22. take me away—as a punishment (Ps 102:24).