Job 32:2

"Elihu": (eh LIE hew). "The son of Barachel": (BAR ah kell). "The Buzite of the family of Ram": "His genealogy is longer than that of any other character in the book" (Zuck p. 142). As. "Buzite" he may have been related to Abraham, for Buz was. brother of UZ and. son of Nahor, who was Abraham's brother (Genesis 22:20-21). Buz, Tema, and Dedan are also Arabic locations (Jeremiah 25:23). The name "Ram" may infer that Elihu was an ancestor of king David (Ruth 4:19-22).

The reader should note that some commentators do not like Elihu or his speeches. To them he is. "brash and spoiled aristocratic kid on an ego trip. In their opinion, he talks too much and contributes nothing to the content of the debate. Many scholars feel as if the Book of Job would have more integrity if Elihu and his speeches were wiped from its pages" (McKenna p. 235). Yet at the end of the book, God rebukes Job and his three friends (Job 42:6-9), but God never rebukes Elihu, indicating that God liked what this young man had to say. In addition, Job never responds to Elihu nor do any of the three friends.

Job 32:2 "The anger of Elihu….burned": His anger grew and grew as he had listened to both sides in this debate. This anger was directed to two directions: towards Job for seeking to justify himself before God (Job 32:2), and toward the three friends because they had pronounced him guilty without any real proof (Job 32:3). "He seemed to burst in as if he had an answer to the wrongs on both sides and. solution to the impasse" (Zuck p. 142). Elihu's view of God and suffering is going to be much higher than that of the three friends, and he will make an honest effort to provide answers to Job's questions without claiming that Job is suffering because he is. sinner. While the other friends claimed that Job was suffering because he had sinned, Elihu will argue that Job is sinning (due to pride) because Job is suffering. His suffering had led him to an attitude of pride before God and. questioning of God's ways. He will point out that God can use suffering to benefit people (Job 33:17; Job 36:16). Job will not answer Elihu, because Job may have been silenced by this set of speeches and perhaps his arguments had really made Job think. In addition, Elihu's final words prepare the scene for God's answer (38-41).

Job 32:2 "Because he justified himself before God": That is, had basically pronounced his own vindication, rather than humbly allowing God to vindicate him. Job had defended himself against all wrongdoing while accusing God of doing wrong (Job 40:2). Job had been more willing to question God's moral government of the world than his own moral choices.