translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: JOB

label: NET study note

text: H. H. Rowley ( Job [NCBC], 210) says, “The self-importance of Elihu is boundless, and he is the master of banality.” He adds that whoever wrote these speeches this way clearly intended to expose the character rather than exalt him.


text: See Job 9:21; 10:7; 23:7; 27:4 ; ch. .


text: See Job 10:13 ff.; 19:6 ff.; and 13:24 .


text: See Job 13:27 .


text: The verse is describing the way God can preserve someone from dying by sending a messenger (translated here as “angel”), who could be human or angelic. This messenger will interpret/mediate God’s will. By “one … out of a thousand” Elihu could have meant either that one of the thousands of messengers at God’s disposal might be sent or that the messenger would be unique (see Eccl 7:28 ; and cp. Job 9:3 ).


text: This verse and v. 28 should be compared with Ps 49:7-9, 15 (8-10, 16 HT) where the same basic vocabulary and concepts are employed.


text: See note on “him” in v. 24 .


text: Elihu will repeat these instructions for Job to listen, over and over in painful repetition. See note on the heading to 32:1 .