Behold, I am according to thy wish in God’s stead: I also am formed out of the clay.
The words are spoken by Elihu, a younger man, in his intervention in chapters 32 to 34 after the dispute between Job and his friends closes in chapter 31. He steps in thinking his superior wisdom will correct Job, follows about the same line as the other friends, and no answer is made to him. His speeches in chapters 32 to 37 form the third of the four parts of the book of Job, coming after the prologue and the debate between Job and his three friends and before the speeches of the Lord out of the storm-cloud.
The verse belongs to the instructive discourses of Elihu in chapters 32 to 36. In it Elihu tells Job that he stands before him as God's representative in line with Job's wish, yet is himself formed from clay. He thus presents himself as Job's equal before God, emphasizing that they share the same human nature, weakness, and lowly origin and are made from the same clay.
The wish stated here that the Almighty would come and speak to Job as a man is met when the great God condescends to speak to His servant in chapters 38 to 41. There He sets before him familiar everyday things constantly before him which he could not understand, to show his folly in questioning God's providences. While appealing to his understanding, He discloses many wonderful revelations.
Because the one who approaches a sufferer is himself only formed out of clay and shares the same frail human nature as the afflicted, no one should add terror, contempt, suspicion, condemnation, or sorrow to pain and fever already felt. All should remember their common clay and enter into the trouble with needed counsel and sympathy. They should act with the pity of the compassionate Redeemer by strengthening the afflicted with the mouth and easing grief with words.
The words are spoken by Elihu, a younger man, in his intervention in chapters 32 to 34 after the dispute between Job and his friends closes in chapter 31. He steps in thinking his superior wisdom will correct Job, follows about the same line as the other friends, and no answer is made to him. His speeches in chapters 32 to 37 form the third of the four parts of the book of Job, coming after the prologue and the debate between Job and his three friends and before the speeches of the Lord out of the storm-cloud.
The verse belongs to the instructive discourses of Elihu in chapters 32 to 36. In it Elihu tells Job that he stands before him as God's representative in line with Job's wish, yet is himself formed from clay. He thus presents himself as Job's equal before God, emphasizing that they share the same human nature, weakness, and lowly origin and are made from the same clay.
The wish stated here that the Almighty would come and speak to Job as a man is met when the great God condescends to speak to His servant in chapters 38 to 41. There He sets before him familiar everyday things constantly before him which he could not understand, to show his folly in questioning God's providences. While appealing to his understanding, He discloses many wonderful revelations.
Because the one who approaches a sufferer is himself only formed out of clay and shares the same frail human nature as the afflicted, no one should add terror, contempt, suspicion, condemnation, or sorrow to pain and fever already felt. All should remember their common clay and enter into the trouble with needed counsel and sympathy. They should act with the pity of the compassionate Redeemer by strengthening the afflicted with the mouth and easing grief with words.