📄 Daily Tanach – Iyov (Job) Chapter 32: The Arrival of Elihu
Chapter 32 marks a major transition in the book.
Until now, the debate has involved only:
- Iyov
- Eliphaz
- Bildad
- Zophar
At the end of Chapter 31, we read:
“The words of Iyov are ended.”
The three friends have run out of arguments, Iyov has completed his defense, and the courtroom seems silent.
Then suddenly a new figure appears:
Elihu ben Barachel the Buzite.
He will speak continuously from Chapters 32-37, immediately before God Himself appears.
The Friends Stop Answering (32:1)
The chapter begins:
“These three men ceased answering Iyov.”
Why?
“Because he was righteous in his own eyes.”
They can no longer refute him.
This does not necessarily mean they concede he is right.
Rather:
they have exhausted their arguments.
This explains why Bildad’s final speech was so short and why Zophar never gives a third speech at all.
Elihu Is Angry at Everyone (32:2-3)
Unlike the friends, Elihu is displeased with both sides.
Angry at Iyov
“His anger burned against Iyov.”
Why?
Because:
“He justified himself rather than God.”
Elihu believes Iyov has crossed a line.
While defending his innocence, Iyov has increasingly questioned God’s treatment of him.
Angry at the Friends
Elihu is also furious with Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar.
Why?
“They found no answer.”
Yet:
“They condemned Iyov.”
This is important.
Elihu sees the same weakness the reader has seen:
The friends failed to prove their case.
Nevertheless, they continued treating Iyov as guilty.
Why Elihu Has Been Silent (32:4-7)
Elihu explains that he has been listening quietly.
He remained silent because:
they were older than he.
He assumed:
“Days should speak.”
“Many years should teach wisdom.”
In other words:
Age deserves respect.
So he waited.
Wisdom Does Not Depend on Age Alone (32:8-10)
Then Elihu makes a crucial observation:
“It is the spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives understanding.”
Therefore:
“It is not the great who are wise.”
“Nor the aged who understand justice.”
Age can bring wisdom.
But wisdom ultimately comes from God.
This becomes one of Elihu’s main themes.
I Listened Carefully (32:11-14)
Elihu insists:
I paid attention.
He listened to every argument.
Then he reaches his conclusion:
“None of you proved Iyov wrong.”
This is a remarkable admission.
From Elihu’s perspective:
- the friends failed,
- Iyov was never truly refuted.
Yet Elihu also believes Iyov is mistaken.
Thus he intends to offer a different answer.
Their Words Have Ended (32:15-16)
Elihu observes:
They are stunned.
They have no response.
Their words are finished.
The debate has exhausted itself.
Someone new must speak.
Elihu Can No Longer Remain Silent (32:17-20)
He describes an almost physical pressure to speak.
“I also will declare my opinion.”
His spirit is overflowing.
One of the most memorable images in the chapter:
“My belly is like wine that has no vent.”
“Like new wineskins ready to burst.”
The idea is:
Thoughts and words have built up inside him.
He feels compelled to release them.
I Will Speak Without Favoritism (32:21-22)
Elihu concludes with a pledge:
“I will show no partiality.”
He will not flatter:
- Iyov
- the friends
- anyone else
Why?
Because:
His Maker would quickly remove him.
He believes honesty before God requires absolute fairness.
Why Elihu Matters
Elihu is a complicated character.
He agrees with the friends that:
âś… God is just.
But he rejects their conclusion that:
❌ suffering automatically proves great guilt.
He agrees with Iyov that:
âś… the friends failed to answer him.
But he rejects Iyov’s implication that:
❌ God’s conduct can be judged by human standards.
Thus Elihu stands between the two sides.