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Then Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry.[a] He was angry[b] with Job for justifying[c] himself rather than God.[d] With Job’s[e] three friends he was also angry, because they could not find[f] an answer, and so declared Job guilty.[g] Now Elihu had waited before speaking[h] to Job, because the others[i] were older than he was.

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Footnotes

  1. Job 32:2 tn The verse begins with וַיִּחַר אַף (vayyikhar ʾaf, “and the anger became hot”), meaning Elihu became very angry.
  2. Job 32:2 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.”
  3. Job 32:2 tn The explanation is the causal clause עַל־צַדְּקוֹ נַפְשׁוֹ (ʿal-tsaddeqo nafsho, “because he justified himself”). It is the preposition with the Piel infinitive construct with a suffixed subjective genitive.
  4. Job 32:2 tc The LXX and Latin versions soften the expression slightly by saying “before God.”
  5. Job 32:3 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Job) has been specified in the translation to indicate whose friends they were.
  6. Job 32:3 tn The perfect verb should be given the category of potential perfect here.
  7. Job 32:3 tc This is one of the eighteen “corrections of the scribes” (tiqqune sopherim); it originally read, “and they declared God [in the wrong].” The thought was that in abandoning the debate they had conceded Job’s point.
  8. Job 32:4 tc This reading requires repointing the word בִּדְבָרִים (bidevarim, “with words”) to בְּדַבְּרָם (bedabberam, “while they spoke [with Job]”). If the MT is retained, it would mean “he waited for Job with words,” which while understandable is awkward.
  9. Job 32:4 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the other friends) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite,(A) of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself(B) rather than God.(C) He was also angry with the three friends,(D) because they had found no way to refute Job,(E) and yet had condemned him.[a](F) Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job because they were older than he.(G)

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Footnotes

  1. Job 32:3 Masoretic Text; an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition Job, and so had condemned God