Ayub 32:2

32:2 Then Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry. ¹  He was angry ²  with Job for justifying ³  himself rather than God. ⁴ 

Ayub 32:4-6

32:4 Now Elihu had waited before speaking ⁵  to Job, because the others ⁶  were older than he was. 32:5 But when Elihu saw ⁷  that the three men had no further reply, ⁸  he became very angry.

Elihu Claims Wisdom

32:6 So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite spoke up: ⁹ 

“I am young, ¹⁰  but you are elderly;

that is why I was fearful, ¹¹ 

and afraid to explain ¹²  to you what I know.

[32:2]  ¹ tn The verse begins with וַיִּחַר אַף (vayyikhar ’af, “and the anger became hot”), meaning Elihu became very angry.

[32:2]  ² tn The second comment about Elihu’s anger comes right before the statement of its cause. Now the perfect verb is used: “he was angry.”

[32:2]  ³ tn The explanation is the causal clause עַל־צַדְּקוֹ נַפְשׁוֹ (’al-tsaddÿqo nafsho, “because he justified himself”). It is the preposition with the Piel infinitive construct with a suffixed subjective genitive.

[32:2]  ⁴ tc The LXX and Latin versions soften the expression slightly by saying “before God.”

[32:4]  ⁵ tc This reading requires repointing the word בִּדְבָרִים (bidbarim, “with words”) to בְּדָבְּרָם (bÿdabbÿram, “while they spoke [with Job]”). If the MT is retained, it would mean “he waited for Job with words,” which while understandable is awkward.

[32:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the other friends) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[32:5]  ⁷ tn The first clause beginning with a vav (ו) consecutive and the preterite can be subordinated to the next similar verb as a temporal clause.

[32:5]  ⁸ tn Heb “that there was no reply in the mouth of the three men.”

[32:6]  ⁹ tn Heb “answered and said.”

[32:6]  ¹⁰ tn The text has “small in days.”

[32:6]  ¹¹ tn The verb זָחַלְתִּי (zakhalti) is found only here in the OT, but it is found in a ninth century Aramaic inscription as well as in Biblical Aramaic. It has the meaning “to be timid” (see H. H. Rowley, Job [NCBC], 208).

[32:6]  ¹² tn The Piel infinitive with the preposition (מֵחַוֹּת, mekhavvot) means “from explaining.” The phrase is the complement: “explain” what Elihu feared.