Job 32: Elihu is angry, and begins to speak
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What happens?
The three men stop answering Job because he was righteous in his own eyes. Elihu, who has waited because the others are older, is angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God, and angry with the three because they found no answer and yet condemned Job. Elihu then speaks: he says he held back because of their age, that there is a spirit in man and the breath of the Almighty gives understanding, and that he is full of words and will speak without flattering anyone.
Who is speaking?
God does not speak in this chapter, so nothing is in gold. The narrator tells verses 1 to 5. From verse 6 Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite speaks: "Elihu ... answered". He speaks to the older men ("you are very old"), and from verse 15 he speaks of the three as "they". Inside his words he repeats what he says he said earlier (verses 7 and 10) and what he warns them not to say (verse 13, "We have found wisdom"). Job is spoken about in verses 12 and 14 but does not speak. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.
In plain English: So these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.
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2Then the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel, the Buzite, of the family of Ram, was kindled against Job. His wrath was kindled because he justified himself rather than God.
In plain English: Then the anger of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, burned against Job. His anger burned because he justified himself (the Hebrew says: his soul) more than (or: rather than) God.
The Hebrew words: "Elihu" is Eliyhu, which the dictionary gives as "Elihu, the name of one of Job's friends, and of three Israelites". In Job his name is in 7 verses: 32:2, 32:4, 32:5, 32:6, , and . His father's name, Barakel (the WEB writes Barachel), is in 2 verses, here and , and nowhere else in the Bible. "Buzite" is Buzi, also in 2 verses, these two. "Ram" is in 6 verses of the Bible, and the other 5 are in 1 Chronicles and Ruth. The text gives no more about where Elihu comes from.
How it is translated: "Justified" is tsadaq, which the dictionary gives as "to be (causatively, make) right (in a moral or forensic sense)". It is in 17 verses of Job, and the WEB says "righteous" in 8 of them, a form of "justify" in 5 and "just" in 4.
What changes: Word by word the end of the verse is "more than God". The WEB says "rather than God". With "more than God" the line reads as Job justifying himself over against God. With "rather than God" it reads that he justified himself and not God. The text gives this as the reason for Elihu's anger and says no more.
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3Also his wrath was kindled against his three friends, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.
In plain English: His anger also burned against his three friends, because they had found no answer and yet had condemned Job.
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4Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job, because they were older than he.
In plain English: Elihu had waited to speak to Job (or: had waited for Job with words), because they were older than he in days (that is, in years).
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5When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was kindled.
In plain English: When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his anger burned.
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6Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered, “I am young, and you are very old. Therefore I held back, and didn’t dare show you my opinion.
In plain English: Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered, "I am young, and you are very old. That is why I held back, and I was afraid to show you my opinion (the Hebrew word is: knowledge).
The Hebrew words: "Held back" is zachal, which the dictionary gives as "to crawl; by implication, to fear". It is in 3 verses of the Bible, and only here in Job. The other two are and , where the WEB says "glide" and "crawling things". "Show" is chavah, which the dictionary gives as "properly, to live; by implication (intensively) to declare or show". It is in 6 verses of the Bible, and the WEB says "show" in 5 of them. In Job it is in , 32:6, , and . "Opinion" is dea, which the dictionary gives as "knowledge".
How it is translated: Dea is in 5 verses of the Bible, all in Job: 32:6, 32:10, 32:17, and . The WEB says "opinion" in the first 3 and "knowledge" in the last 2.
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7I said, ‘Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.’
In plain English: I said, 'Days should speak, and a multitude of years should make wisdom known.'
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8But there is a spirit in man, and the Spirit of the Almighty gives them understanding.
In plain English: But there is a spirit in a person, and the Spirit (or: breath) of the Almighty gives them understanding.
The Hebrew words: "The Almighty" is Shaddai, which the dictionary gives as "the Almighty". It is in 48 verses of the Bible, 31 of them in Job, and the WEB says "Almighty" in all 48. In these three chapters Elihu says it in 32:8, , and . "Spirit" at the start of the verse is ruach. The second "Spirit" is neshamah, which the dictionary gives as "a puff, i.e. wind, angry or vital breath, divine inspiration, intellect. or (concretely) an animal". It is in 7 verses of Job, and the WEB says "spirit" in 5 of them and "breath" in 4.
What changes: The WEB says "the Spirit of the Almighty". The same Hebrew word is printed "breath" in , so the line can also read "the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding".
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9It is not the great who are wise, nor the aged who understand justice.
In plain English: It is not the great (or: the many) who are wise, nor the aged who understand justice.
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10Therefore I said, ‘Listen to me; I also will show my opinion.’
In plain English: So I said, 'Listen to me. I also will show my opinion (my knowledge).'
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11“Behold, I waited for your words, and I listened for your reasoning, while you searched out what to say.
In plain English: Look, I waited for your words. I gave ear to your reasoning, until (or: while) you searched out what to say.
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12Yes, I gave you my full attention, but there was no one who convinced Job, or who answered his words, among you.
In plain English: Yes, I gave you my full attention, but look, there was no one among you who convinced (or: reproved) Job, or who answered his words.
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13Beware lest you say, ‘We have found wisdom. God may refute him, not man;’
In plain English: Beware of saying, 'We have found wisdom. God may drive him away (or: refute him), not a man.'
The Hebrew word: "Refute" is nadaph, which the dictionary gives as "to shove asunder, i.e. disperse". It is in 8 verses of the Bible, and in Job only here and , where the WEB says "driven" ("a driven leaf"). The WEB says "refute" only here.
What changes: The Hebrew has no quotation marks. The WEB ends the friends' imagined words after "not man". The line can also be read so that their words stop at "We have found wisdom", and "God may drive him away, not a man" is Elihu's own word. With "drive away" the line says God scatters Job. The dictionary does not give "refute" for this word: it is the WEB's choice. The text does not rule between the readings.
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14for he has not directed his words against me; neither will I answer him with your speeches.
In plain English: For he has not lined up his words against me, and I will not answer him with your speeches.
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15“They are amazed. They answer no more. They don’t have a word to say.
In plain English: They are amazed. They answer no more. Words have moved away from them: they have not a word to say.
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16Shall I wait, because they don’t speak, because they stand still, and answer no more?
In plain English: Shall I wait, because they do not speak, because they stand still and answer no more?
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17I also will answer my part, and I also will show my opinion.
In plain English: I also will answer my part. I also will show my opinion (my knowledge).
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18For I am full of words. The spirit within me constrains me.
In plain English: For I am full of words. The spirit of my belly (the WEB says: within me) constrains me.
The Hebrew word: "Within me" in verse 18 and "breast" in verse 19 are the same Hebrew word, beten, which the dictionary gives as "the belly, especially the womb; also the bosom or body of anything". Word by word both verses say "belly".
How it is translated: Beten is in 16 verses of Job, and the WEB says "womb" in 7, "belly" in 3, "within" in 2 and "breast" in 1.
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19Behold, my breast is as wine which has no vent; like new wineskins it is ready to burst.
In plain English: Look, my belly (the WEB says: my breast) is like wine that has no opening. Like new wineskins it is ready to burst.
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20I will speak, that I may be refreshed. I will open my lips and answer.
In plain English: Let me speak, so that I may be refreshed. Let me open my lips and answer.
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21Please don’t let me respect any man’s person, neither will I give flattering titles to any man.
In plain English: Please, may I not respect any man's person (the Hebrew says: lift up the face of anyone), and I will not give flattering titles to any man.
The Hebrew word: "Flattering titles" is kanah, which the dictionary gives as "to address by an additional name; hence, to eulogize". It is in 4 verses of the Bible: 32:21, 32:22, and . In Job the WEB says "flattering titles" in both verses, and in Isaiah 45:4 it says "I have given you a title".
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22For I don’t know how to give flattering titles, or else my Maker would soon take me away.
In plain English: For I do not know how to give flattering titles. If I did, my Maker would soon take me away (the Hebrew says: like a little).
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