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Elihu Challenges Job and Questions his Innocence
v. 1. Wherefore, Job, I pray thee, hear my speeches, the special summons being directed to Job as the one in need of correction, and hearken to all my words.
v. 2. Behold, now I have opened my mouth, my tongue hath spoken in my mouth. Elihu announces the beginning of his discourse in a circumstantial and pompous manner agreeing with his entire form of discourse.
v. 3. My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart, the honest and open expression of his frank opinion, and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly, literally, "and the knowledge of my lips, purely they speak out," with. out hypocrisy.
v. 4. The Spirit of God hath made me, He is his Creator, who gave him not only his body, but also his soul, his mind and reason, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life, he is endowed with understanding given to him from above and is willing to use this in defense of God. Note that not only creative power, but also the creative act is here ascribed to the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, that He is placed on a level with the Almighty.
v. 5. If thou canst answer me, endowed as Elihu was by the act of his creation, set thy words in order before me, stand up, drawing up in the attitude of defense, taking his stand for the combat of wits, the entire statement being a haughty challenge.
v. 6. Behold, I am according to thy wish in God's stead, like Job, Elihu was God's creature, dependent upon God, in the same relation to God; I also am formed out of the clay, literally, "out of clay was I nipped off," as when a potter takes a piece of clay to form a vessel, a reference both to the original creation of man and to God's freedom in creating all men alike. For that reason no special horror of his appearance would overawe Job and therefore cause him to bow down to Elihu.
v. 7. Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, since he was a genuinely human and earthly being, neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee, in pressing Job down unduly, in taking a mean advantage of him.
v. 8. Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing, loudly and distinctly, so that there could be no mistake about it, and I have heard the voice of thy words, saying,
v. 9. I am clean without transgression, pure in character and life and altogether without wickedness; I am innocent, not a single blame attaching to him; neither is there iniquity in me, Elihu understanding this statement of Job as insisting upon his absolute sinlessness.
v. 10. Behold, He findeth occasions, oppositions, hostilities, against me; He counteth me for His enemy.
v. 11. He putteth my feet in the stocks; He marketh all my paths, penning him in like a prisoner. Elihu summarized some of the statements of Job, especially that criticism which was directed against the justice of God, 13:27, at which he had taken particular offense. Elihu purposely made his introduction long, wishing to add to the impressiveness of the arguments which he intended to bring against Job.