Elihu Rebukes Job
1 Elihu offered himself instead of God, with sincerity and meekness, to reason with Job. 8 He excused God from giving man an account of his ways, by his greatness. 14 God called man to repentance by visions, 19 by afflictions, 23 and by his ministry. 31 He incited Job to attention.
Job 33:1 “But now, Job, listen to my words; pay attention to everything I say.
The discourse in this chapter is directed to Job. The main purpose of the chapter is to convince Job that he has erred in his views regarding affliction. The friends of Job consider affliction as punishment. Job disagreed; he seemed to consider affliction as merely an expression of divine sovereignty.
Elihu feels that neither Job nor his friends have the correct answer. He believes that the true object of affliction is to purify, strengthen, improve, prove, enlighten, develop faith, and save.
Job 33:2 I am about to open my mouth; my words are on the tip of my tongue.
Job 33:3 My words come from an upright heart; my lips sincerely speak what I know.
Job 33:4 The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
Divine energy created him and animated him (see Gen. 2:7).
Job 33:5 Answer me then, if you can; stand up and argue your case before me.
Elihu promises that the controversy between himself and Job will be conducted along fair lines. He promises not to attempt to overwhelm Job with reproaches. He acknowledges Job’s right to answer him and disagree with him.
Job 33:6 I am the same as you in God’s sight; I too am a piece of clay.
Elihu lays claim to no superiority or nobility. He effaces himself as he attempts to build the background of his message.
Job 33:7 No fear of me should alarm you, nor should my hand be heavy on you.
Elihu urges Job not to be afraid of him. My hand be heavy. Elihu does not intend to promote the argument by coercion.
Job 33:8 “But you have said in my hearing— I heard the very words—
Elihu is reminding Job of statements he is alleged to have made. His plan seems to be to convict Job based on his own statements.
Job 33:9 ‘I am pure, I have done no wrong; I am clean and free from sin.
This is an overstatement. Job had not claimed absolute perfection (see chs. 7:20, 21; 9:28; 13:26; 14:4, 17). It is true that he maintained his innocence of the charges of gross iniquity that his friends brought against him, but he did not go to the extreme of claiming to be free from all sin.
Job 33:10 Yet God has found fault with me; he considers me his enemy.
His enemy. See chs. 16:9; 19:11.
Job 33:11 He fastens my feet in shackles; he keeps close watch on all my paths.’
Job 33:12 “But I tell you, in this you are not right, for God is greater than any mortal.
In vs. 8–11 Elihu summarizes Job’s argument. Now he challenges Job’s position. His first rebuttal statement is, “God is greater than man.” Might does not constitute right, and it is a poor way of justifying God to urge that He is all-powerful and hence may do what He pleases.
Job 33:13 Why do you complain to him that he responds to no one’s words?
Elihu emphasizes the uselessness of contending with God. God does as He thinks best, and He does not need to explain the reasons for His actions. God is like a father, who may see reasons for his actions that he does not consider wise to disclose to his child. Job 33:14 For God does speak—now one way, now another— though no one perceives it.
God has more than one way of speaking to man, but man does not always recognize God’s voice. Job requested an answer from God (chs. 10:2; 13:22; 23:5). Elihu maintains that God is speaking to Job in various ways, which he explains in the verses to follow.
Job 33:15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber in their beds,
In a dream. See Gen. 20:3–7; 31:11, 24; 41:1–7, 25; Num. 12:6; 1 Kings 3:5; Dan. 2:1, 29; Dan. 4:5–18; Matt. 1:20; 2:13, 19).
Job 33:16 he may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings,
God is endeavoring to turn man aside from wrongdoing and to cure his pride.
Job 33:17 to turn them from wrongdoing and keep them from pride,
Job 33:18 to preserve them from the pit, their lives from perishing by the sword.
This verse reveals yet further the purpose of divine warnings. By them, God may save a man from ruin.
Job 33:19 “Or someone may be chastened on a bed of pain with constant distress in their bones,
Elihu is coming closer to Job’s problem. He expresses his own comprehension of the ministry of pain. He conceives of God as being kind and loving in inflicting pain, not as a punishment but as a discipline.
There seems to be a certain progression in Elihu’s discourse. First, he mentions dreams, then warnings, then pain. The idea of pain as a mode of discipline was not altogether new. Eliphaz had alluded to it in ch. 5:17. Elihu, however, expanded and developed the idea as Eliphaz had not done. Regarding the discipline of affliction, see Ps. 119:67, 71, 75.
Job 33:20 so that their body finds food repulsive and their soul loathes the choicest meal.
The seriousness of the affliction is here alluded to. Job’s suffering had led him to the place where things that would ordinarily bring pleasure, like dainty food, had lost all their appeal.
Job 33:21 Their flesh wastes away to nothing, and their bones, once hidden, now stick out.
This verse continues to describe affliction in terms understood by Job.
Job 33:22 They draw near to the pit, and their life to the messengers of death
Job repeatedly expresses his feeling that death is near. Destroyers.
Job 33:23 Yet if there is an angel at their side, a messenger, one out of a thousand, sent to tell them how to be upright,
This passage (vs. 23, 24) may be considered Messianic. The language is descriptive of His work and is so used His uprightness. That is, the way he ought to go (see John 16:8). Job 33:24 and he is gracious to that person and says to God, ‘Spare them from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom for them—
Ransom. Heb. kopher, from which is derived the verb kaphar, generally rendered “to make atonement.”
Job 33:25 let their flesh be renewed like a child’s; let them be restored as in the days of their youth’—
This text may be considered as a continuation of the words of the “messenger,” begun in v. 24, “Let his flesh become,” etc. (RSV). The chastisement having done its work, the restoration to health follows. The recovered flesh, fresher than a child’s stands in contrast with Job’s affliction (see 2 Kings 5:14).
Job 33:26 then that person can pray to God and find favor with him, they will see God’s face and shout for joy; he will restore them to full well-being.
Elihu is endeavoring to paint an encouraging picture of the results of the discipline of suffering. Communion with God, joy, righteousness, follow the bitter experience of pain and sorrow.
Job 33:27 And they will go to others and say, ‘I have sinned, I have perverted what is right, but I did not get what I deserved.
The passage would then describe the joy of the restored and forgiven soul. If any say. Preferably, “he will say.”
Job 33:28 God has delivered me from going down to the pit, and I shall live to enjoy the light of life.’
The verse is a continuation of man’s song of praise.
Job 33:29 “God does all these things to a person— twice, even three times—
Elihu claims that God frequently brings affliction that glorious deliverance may result. His inference is that Job’s afflictions are disciplinary, and that they likewise can work for Job’s benefit.
Job 33:30 to turn them back from the pit, that the light of life may shine on them.
Job 33:31 “Pay attention, Job, and listen to me; be silent, and I will speak.
Perhaps Job at this point showed some inclination to break the silence and answer Elihu. Not wishing to be interrupted, Elihu checked Job’s utterance. Then, wishing to be courteous, as well as to present his argument, he made the concession of the next verse.
Job 33:32 If you have anything to say, answer me; speak up, for I want to vindicate you.
Elihu seems to have a sincere desire that Job be declared righteous.
Job 33:33 But if not, then listen to me; be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”