Job 32 and 33: Elihu Gets It Right

December 26, 2023Posted inJob
There is a lot of judging going on in the first few verses of chapter 34. Job’s friends judge that it is useless to continue to argue with Job because he is righteous in his own eyes. Job judges that he is righteous and his friends are unjust. Elihu judges both Job and his friends;…

Job 29 to 31: Job’s Last Words

December 18, 2023Posted inJob
Chapters 29 to 31 are the third and last part of Job’s final speech. In chapter 26 he had answered Bildad, and in chapters 27 and 28 all of his friends. But in these chapters, though he speaks in their presence, he is really engaged more in soliloquy than arguing with them. Each chapter has…

Job 27 and 28: Where Can Wisdom Be Found?

December 11, 2023Posted inJob
Job 27 and 28 make up the second of three parts in Job’s final speech. In the first part he responded directly to Bildad; he used the singular form of the pronoun you in verses 2–4. In these two chapters he responds to all the friends; he uses the plural form of the pronoun you…

Job 25 and 26: What Does the Greatness of God Mean for Men?

December 5, 2023Posted inJob
Chapters 25 and 26 are the last interchange between Job and his three friends. Eliphaz has already spoken three times, Bildad now speaks for the third time very briefly, and there is no third speech of Zophar. Clearly the friends are giving up on persuading Job that they are right, that his suffering is due…