Job 32 14

Job 32:14 kjv

Now he hath not directed his words against me: neither will I answer him with your speeches.

Job 32:14 nkjv

Now he has not directed his words against me; So I will not answer him with your words.

Job 32:14 niv

But Job has not marshaled his words against me, and I will not answer him with your arguments.

Job 32:14 esv

He has not directed his words against me, and I will not answer him with your speeches.

Job 32:14 nlt

If Job had been arguing with me,
I would not answer with your kind of logic!

Job 32 verses

Job 32 14 Meaning

Job 32:14 expresses Elihu’s firm intention not to mimic the failed argumentative style of Job’s three friends nor to use their inadequate reasoning when addressing Job. He distinguishes his approach, asserting that his discourse will stem from a different source of wisdom and be presented in a different manner than the previous exchanges.

Job 32 14 Context

Job 32:14 is uttered by Elihu, a young man who has listened silently to the entire, exhaustive debate between Job and his three friends (Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar). At this point in the book of Job, the older friends have failed to convince Job of his sin, and Job has remained self-righteous, convinced of his own innocence and even challenging God. Elihu bursts onto the scene (Job 32:1-5) filled with anger: against the friends for their inability to answer Job effectively and for their condemnation of Job, and against Job for justifying himself rather than God.

In chapter 32, Elihu defends his decision to speak despite his youth (vv. 6-7), explaining that wisdom does not belong exclusively to the aged but comes from the Spirit of God (v. 8). He explicitly states that the friends’ words failed to impress or convince him (vv. 11-13). Verse 14 serves as a pivotal declaration of intent. Elihu declares that his discourse will be different from the repetitive and unproductive arguments already presented. He is not just entering the same debate; he claims a new, divinely-inspired perspective that will move beyond the rhetorical traps and false assumptions that plagued the previous discussions. This sets the stage for Elihu's long speech, which attempts to clarify God's character and purpose in suffering, bridging the gap between the friends' flawed theology and God's ultimate self-revelation.

Job 32 14 Word analysis

• I (אֲנִי - 'ani): The Hebrew pronoun is an emphatic "I," underscoring Elihu’s personal assertion and distinct position from the preceding speakers. It highlights his individual resolve to approach the matter differently.

• have not (לֹא - lo): A strong negative particle, reinforcing the complete rejection of the method previously used. It's an absolute "not."

• arranged / set forth (עָרַךְ - 'arak): This verb means "to arrange," "to set in order," often in a combative sense like arraying an army for battle or preparing arguments in a legal contest. Elihu states he did not prepare his arguments in the same confrontational, adversarial, or rhetorically strategic manner as the friends. His intention is not to simply counter-argue within their framework.

• my words (מִלָּי - millay): Refers to his discourse, his sayings, or the specific points he is about to make. This refers to the content and form of his speech.

• against him (נֶגֶד לוֹ - neged lo): "Against him" refers to Job. Elihu states he is not merely "against" Job in the same way the friends were, implying his intention is not primarily to refute Job personally but to speak truth.

• nor (וְלֹא - velo): Another negation, linking the two clauses and reinforcing the twofold distinction Elihu makes.

• will I answer (וְהַשִּׁיב - vehasshiyb): A Hiphil participle from the root שׁוּב (shuv), meaning "to return," or in this Hiphil form, "to answer," "reply," "refute." It carries the nuance of responding to, often with the intent of refuting. Elihu means he won't use the friends' tactics of refutation.

• him with your sayings (בְּאִמְרֵיכֶם - bə'imreyḵem): This is a crucial phrase. "Your sayings" is plural and uses the 2nd person plural suffix (-khem), directly addressing the three friends. Elihu explicitly distances himself from the arguments, theological frameworks, or rhetorical approaches used by Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. He is stating that he will not use their flawed arguments or engage in the same fruitless intellectual wrestling. This signifies his claim to a superior or alternative source of truth, namely the Spirit of God.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "I have not arranged my words against him": This initial clause distinguishes Elihu from the adversarial, debate-centric approach of Job's friends. Their arguments were often tailored to find fault with Job and box him into a theological corner. Elihu signals he won't adopt this manipulative or overly contentious style.
  • "nor will I answer him with your sayings": This directly contrasts Elihu's intended approach with that of the friends. The friends had a particular "set" of traditional wisdom, sometimes rigid and often misapplied, which they used to condemn Job. Elihu disavows their particular arguments (their "sayings") as his basis for refutation or instruction. He implies their words were insufficient, incorrect, or counterproductive. His words will derive from a different origin, independent of the friends' logic.

Job 32 14 Bonus section

Elihu, despite being younger than Job and his friends (Job 32:6), positions himself as one filled with the "spirit of the Almighty" (Job 32:8). His arrival introduces a dynamic shift in the book's narrative, acting as a crucial interlude before God's own direct address to Job from the whirlwind. He emphasizes that wisdom is not solely a matter of age or experience, but of divine revelation (Job 32:9-10). His rejection of the friends' arguments in verse 14 highlights the theological dead-end they had reached, being confined to a retributive theology that failed to explain innocent suffering. Elihu believes that the breath of the Almighty has inspired him to speak, thereby creating an expectation of new and profound truths, a bridge from human argumentation to divine wisdom. He is the first character in the book to effectively silence Job's self-justification, by providing a framework of God's disciplinary and instructional purpose in suffering.

Job 32 14 Commentary

Job 32:14 serves as Elihu's strategic declaration of independence within the protracted dialogue of Job. It's a statement of differentiation and elevated purpose. By disavowing the methods and "sayings" of the three friends, Elihu effectively positions himself as an unencumbered truth-teller, free from their errors and biases. His assertion implies that the prior arguments were not only fruitless but also flawed in their very foundation and execution. Elihu intends to engage Job, not by recycling the friends' tired and often accusatory traditional wisdom, but by presenting a fresh perspective rooted in divine understanding, which he believes has been neglected. This verse acts as a prologue to his extensive discourse, signaling to Job and to the reader that a new, more discerning, and ultimately Spirit-led voice is about to speak, preparing the way for a deeper revelation that precedes God’s direct intervention.