My desire is that Job may be tried unto the end because of his answers for wicked men.
The verse stands in the poetic portion of the book, with only the opening narrative and the closing statement in prose and all the rest poetry. Within the book it belongs to the third of five parts, the argument of Elihu and reproof to Job in chapters 32-37, coming after the colloquies between Job and his three friends on the cause and object of human suffering in chapters 3-31 and before the address of God with Job's confession and penitence and the closing narrative in chapter 42. It is part of the speech of Elihu to Job, who was a younger man stepping in after the argument between Job and his friends was closed at the end of chapter 31, thinking his superior wisdom would correct Job, and who follows about the same line as Job's friends.
His argument tries to convince Job that Job himself is not very great while God is everything. His discourse does not seem to help Job, and Job's persistent self-justification arose from his friends' false accusations. No answer is made to Elihu and no comment is given upon his plea before the Lord answers Job in chapter 38, pointing out God's mighty works in creation to show God's infinite power and wisdom and by contrast how exceedingly small Job is. The book gives facts about the real character Job and must be studied as a whole.
The verse stands in the poetic portion of the book, with only the opening narrative and the closing statement in prose and all the rest poetry. Within the book it belongs to the third of five parts, the argument of Elihu and reproof to Job in chapters 32-37, coming after the colloquies between Job and his three friends on the cause and object of human suffering in chapters 3-31 and before the address of God with Job's confession and penitence and the closing narrative in chapter 42. It is part of the speech of Elihu to Job, who was a younger man stepping in after the argument between Job and his friends was closed at the end of chapter 31, thinking his superior wisdom would correct Job, and who follows about the same line as Job's friends.
His argument tries to convince Job that Job himself is not very great while God is everything. His discourse does not seem to help Job, and Job's persistent self-justification arose from his friends' false accusations. No answer is made to Elihu and no comment is given upon his plea before the Lord answers Job in chapter 38, pointing out God's mighty works in creation to show God's infinite power and wisdom and by contrast how exceedingly small Job is. The book gives facts about the real character Job and must be studied as a whole.