Now he hath not directed his words against me: neither will I answer him with your speeches.
Elihu steps in after Job's argument with his friends. The verse stands within his instructive discourses, which run from chapter 32 through chapter 36, before God speaks to Job in chapters 38 through 41. Those speeches in chapters 32 to 37 form the third of the four parts of Job, coming after the debate between Job and his three friends in chapters 4 to 31 and before the speeches of the Lord out of the storm-cloud.
The verse draws a distinction between Job's dispute with his friends and Elihu's own response, in that Job had not directed his words against Elihu, so Elihu would not answer Job by repeating the friends' arguments. Elihu expects his wisdom to correct Job, yet he follows much the same line as the other speakers. His discourse to Job is admirable, but it did not help Job much.
Elihu steps in after Job's argument with his friends. The verse stands within his instructive discourses, which run from chapter 32 through chapter 36, before God speaks to Job in chapters 38 through 41. Those speeches in chapters 32 to 37 form the third of the four parts of Job, coming after the debate between Job and his three friends in chapters 4 to 31 and before the speeches of the Lord out of the storm-cloud.
The verse draws a distinction between Job's dispute with his friends and Elihu's own response, in that Job had not directed his words against Elihu, so Elihu would not answer Job by repeating the friends' arguments. Elihu expects his wisdom to correct Job, yet he follows much the same line as the other speakers. His discourse to Job is admirable, but it did not help Job much.