Job 32:2

Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God.

The verse marks the moment Elihu enters the dispute after Job and his three friends have finished arguing, as Elihu himself begins to speak. It stands at the opening of the section containing Elihu's speeches, running from Job 32 through Job 37. That section, the account of Elihu's argument and reproof of Job, is one of the five main parts of the book.

Elihu's wrath was kindled against Job because Job justified himself rather than God, defending himself instead of God. Job thought too highly of himself while God is everything. He had defended himself because he believed he had committed no open sin, and he longed for God to make Himself known. He had maintained his integrity so that his friends could not convict him, but the objection was to his claim to be righteous while treating his suffering as undeserved, which made his own righteousness seem greater than God's.

The word translated as himself represents the Hebrew word nephesh and can be rendered as his soul. It expresses the person himself, showing that soul can refer to the whole person or person rather than to a separate entity. As part of the book of Job, the verse is best understood by reading the whole book in its connected sequence rather than in isolated fragments.

Job's persistent self-justification was his mistake, though it was provoked by his friends' false accusations. Elihu's discourse did little to help Job. There may be times to defend oneself, but self-justification is easy to do too often.

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