Logos Bible Study

Job 33:1–7

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Elihu Invites Job’s Attention

33:1“But now, O Job, listen to my words,

and hear1 everything I have to say!2

33:2See now, I have opened3 my mouth;

my tongue in my mouth has spoken.4

33:3My words come from the uprightness of my heart,5

and my lips will utter knowledge sincerely.6

33:4The Spirit of God has made me,

and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.7

33:5Reply to me, if you can;

set your arguments8 in order before me

and take your stand!

33:6Look, I am just like you in relation to God;

I too have been molded9 from clay.

33:7Therefore no fear of me should terrify you,

nor should my pressure10 be heavy on you.11

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Heb “give ear,” the Hiphil denominative verb from “ear.”
  2. 2 Heb “hear all my words.”
  3. 3 The perfect verbs in this verse should be classified as perfects of resolve: “I have decided to open … speak.”
  4. 4 H. H. Rowley (Job [], 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.
  5. 5 This expression is unusual; R. Gordis (Job, 371) says it can be translated, “the purity of my heart [is reflected] in my words,” but that is far-fetched and awkward. So there have been suggestions for emending יֹשֶׁר (yosher, “uprightness”). Kissane’s makes the most sense if a change is desired: “shall reveal” (an Arabic sense of yasher), although Holscher interpreted “shall affirm” (yasher, with a sense). Dhorme has “my heart will repeat” (יָשׁוּר, yashur), but this is doubtful. If Kissane’s view is taken, it would say, “my heart will reveal my words.” Some commentators would join “and knowledge” to this colon, and read “words of knowledge”—but that requires even more emendations.
  6. 6 More literally, “and the knowledge of my lips they will speak purely.”
  7. 7 Some commentators want to put this verse after v. 6, while others omit the verse entirely. Elihu is claiming here that he is inspired by God. The verb תְּחַיֵּנִי (tékhayyeni) is the Piel imperfect of the verb “to live.” It can mean “gives me life,” but it can also me “quickens me, enlivens me.”
  8. 8 The Hebrew text does not contain the term “arguments,” but this verb has been used already for preparing or arranging a defense.
  9. 9 The verb means “nipped off,” as a potter breaks off a piece of clay when molding a vessel.
  10. 10 The noun means “my pressure; my burden” in the light of the verb אָכֲף (’akhaf, “to press on; to grip tightly”). In the parallel passages the text used “hand” and “rod” in the hand to terrify. The has “hand” here for this word. But simply changing it to “hand” is ruled out because the verb is masculine.

Cross references

  1. 11 See Job 9:34 and 13:21.

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“But now, hear my speech, O Job,

and listen to all my words.

Behold, I open my mouth;

the tongue in my mouth speaks.

My words declare the uprightness of my heart,

and what my lips know they speak sincerely.

The Spirit of God has made me,

and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

Answer me, if you can;

set your words in order before me; take your stand.

Behold, I am toward God as you are;

I too was pinched off from a piece of clay.

Behold, no fear of me need terrify you;

my pressure will not be heavy upon you.

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“But now, Job, listen to my words;

pay attention to everything I say.

I am about to open my mouth;

my words are on the tip of my tongue.

My words come from an upright heart;

my lips sincerely speak what I know.

The Spirit of God has made me;

the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

Answer me then, if you can;

stand up and argue your case before me.

I am the same as you in God’s sight;

I too am a piece of clay.

No fear of me should alarm you,

nor should my hand be heavy on you.

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

But now, Job, pay attention to my speech,

and listen to all my words.

I am going to open my mouth;

my tongue will form words on my palate.

My words come from my upright heart,

and my lips speak with sincerity what they know.

The Spirit of God has made me,

and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

Refute me if you can.

Prepare your case against me; take your stand.

I am just like you before God;

I was also pinched off from a piece of clay.

Fear of me should not terrify you;

no pressure from me should weigh you down.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

“Listen to my words, Job;

pay attention to what I have to say.

Now that I have begun to speak,

let me continue.

I speak with all sincerity;

I speak the truth.

For the Spirit of God has made me,

and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

Answer me, if you can;

make your case and take your stand.

Look, you and I both belong to God.

I, too, was formed from clay.

So you don’t need to be afraid of me.

I won’t come down hard on you.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

“But now, please hear my speeches, Job,

and hear all my words.

Please look, I open my mouth;

my tongue in my mouth speaks.

My words declare my heart’s uprightness,

and my lips sincerely speak what my lips know.

The Spirit of God has made me,

and the breath of Shaddai gives life to me.

“If you are able, answer me.

Present your argument before me; take your stand.

Look, before God I am like you;

I myself was also formed from clay.

Look, dread of me should not terrify you,

and my hand will not be heavy upon you.

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

Wherefore, Job, I pray thee, hear my speeches,

And hearken to all my words.

Behold, now I have opened my mouth,

My tongue hath spoken in my mouth.

My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart:

And my lips shall utter knowledge clearly.

The Spirit of God hath made me,

And the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.

If thou canst answer me,

Set thy words in order before me, stand up.

Behold, I am according to thy wish in God’s stead:

I also am formed out of the clay.

Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid,

Neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee.

Public Domain