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168 in his judgment Job did not say that he himself is more just than God, but that these things had been done to him. He did not, however, charge God with injustice, but Elihu assumed this. But he justly accused them, who had betrayed God's side and denied it. 32,4a But Elihu, it says, waited to give an answer to Job, 4b because they were older than him in days. 32,5a And Elihu saw that there was no answer 5b in the mouth of the three men, 5c and his anger was kindled. He said well: he waited, showing that although he was angry, he did not dare to say anything until Job had poured everything out. And yet, behold his understanding, how from the very beginning he launched forth, how he keeps the proper order.

32,6a AND ELIHU THE SON OF BARACHEL THE BUZITE, ANSWERING, SAYS: 32,6b

I am indeed younger in time, but you are older. 6c Therefore I kept quiet, being afraid 6d to declare to you my knowledge. Lest anyone should say: "And for what reason did you not fight with us on behalf of God from the beginning?" He took refuge in his age and, "expecting," he says, "something noble and wonderful to be said by you." See how unambitious he was, how he yielded the first place to them, how he showed that he would not even have spoken now, if they had not placed him under necessity. 32,7a But I said, it says, that: It is not time that speaks, 7b but in many years do they not know wisdom? 32,8a And not so, but there is a spirit in mortals, 8b and it is the breath of the Almighty that teaches me. We may conjecture his understanding from both sides, from his silence and from his speech. For he neither jumped ahead before the proper time and said any of these things, nor did he keep silent when the time called for it. 169 Then he also states a just reasoning: 32,9a For the long-lived are not wise, 9b nor do the aged understand judgment. "For it is not necessary," he says, "that only the elders be wise, but it is also possible to hear something noble from youth. For if time makes men wise, much more does God." 32,10a Therefore I said: Listen to me, 10b and I will declare to you what I know. 32,11a Give ear to my words; φ1f1fβφ for I will speak in your hearing. 11b Behold, I have heard your words, I have given ear to your understanding, 11c until you examined your words, 32,12a and until I should understand you. 12b And behold, there was no one among you who reproved Job, 12c answering his words. Or he means this, that "not even when you were reproving, did you reprove as you ought," or that "afterwards you fell silent." 32,13 But lest you should say: We have found wisdom, by applying ourselves to the Lord; 32,14 But you have permitted a man to speak such words. 32,15a They were dismayed, they answered no more, 15b they removed speech from themselves. 32,16a I waited, for they did not speak, 16b because they stood still, they did not answer.

32,17 AND ELIHU, ANSWERING, SAYS: 32,18a Again I will speak; for I am full

of words, 18b and the spirit of my belly constrains me, 32,19a and my belly is like a wineskin full of new wine, bound up, 19b or like a blacksmith's bellows that is bound and has burst. He shows that long ago, being in travail to say these things, he waited and endured and was about to burst; so that great patience was needed, which is above all the work of wisdom, to be able to hold back words. And he suffered this from his zeal for God, to be so inflamed. 170 32,20 I will speak, he says, that I may find relief, opening my lips. 32,21a I will not be ashamed of any man, 21b nor will I be in awe of any mortal. 32,22a For I do not know how to show partiality. This alludes to them, that for this reason they were silent, being ashamed before him. 32,22b But if not, he says, moths will also eat me. just as they do to those who show partiality, and especially when God is in the midst and we honor men more.

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168 γνώμῃ ὁ Ἰὼβ εἶπεν, ὅτι αὐτὸς δικαιότερός ἐστι τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀλλ' ὅτι ταῦτα μὲν αὐτῷ πέπρακτο. οὐ μὴν ἀδικίαν ἐνεκάλει τῷ θεῷ, ὁ δὲ Ἐλιοῦς τοῦτο ὑπέλαβεν. ἐκείνοις δὲ δικαίως ἐνεκάλει προδεδωκόσι τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ μέρος καὶ ἠρνημένοις. 32,4a ˉ̓Ελιοῦς δέ, φησίν, ὑπέμεινε δοῦναι ἀπόκρισιν τῷ Ἰώβ, 4b ὅτι πρεσβύτεροι αὐτοῦ εἰσιν ἡμέραις. 32,5a καὶ εἶδεν Ἐλιοῦς, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἀπόκρισις 5b ἐν τῷ στόματι τῶν τριῶν ἀνδρῶν, 5c καὶ ἐθυμώθη ὀργὴ αὐτοῦ. καλῶς εἶπεν· ὑπέμεινεν, δεικνύς, ὅτι ὠργίζετο μέν, οὐκ ἐτόλμα δὲ οὐδὲν εἰπεῖν, ἕως ἂν πάντα κενώσῃ ὁ Ἰώβ. καίτοι θέα αὐτοῦ τὴν σύνεσιν, πῶς ἐκ προοιμίων εὐθέως ἐπέβαλεν, πῶς τὴν προσήκουσαν φυλάττει τάξιν.

32,6a ΥΠΟΛΑΒΩΝ ∆Ε ΕΛΙΟΥΣ Ο ΤΟΥ ΒΑΡΑΧΙΗΛ Ο ΤΟΥ ΒΟΥΖΙ ΛΕΓΕΙ· 32,6b

νεώτερος μέν εἰμι τῷ χρόνῳ, ὑμεῖς δέ ἐστε πρεσβύτεροι. 6c διὸ ἡσύχασα φοβηθεὶς 6d τοῦ ἀναγγεῖλαι ὑμῖν τὴν ἐμὴν ἐπιστήμην. ἵνα μή τις εἴπῃ· «καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν μὴ παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν μεθ' ἡμῶν ἐμαχήσω ὑπὲρ τοῦ θεοῦ;» ἐπὶ τὴν ἡλικίαν κατέφυγε καὶ «προσδοκῶν», φησίν, «παρ' ὑμῶν γενναῖόν τι καὶ θαυμαστὸν λέγεσθαι». ὅρα, πῶς ἀφιλότιμος ἦν, πῶς παρεχώρει τῶν πρωτείων ἐκείνοις, πῶς ἔδειξεν, ὅτι οὐδ' ἂν νῦν ἐφθέγξατο, εἰ μὴ εἰς ἀνάγκην αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνοι κατέστησαν. 32,7a εἶπον δέ, φησίν, ὅτι· οὐχ ὁ χρόνος ἐστὶν ὁ λαλῶν, 7b ἐν πολλοῖς δὲ ἔτεσιν οὐκ οἴδασι σοφίαν; 32,8a καὶ οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλὰ πνεῦμά ἐστιν ἐν βροτοῖς, 8b πνοὴ δὲ παντοκράτορός ἐστιν ἡ διδάσκουσά με. ἑκατέρωθεν αὐτοῦ τὴν σύνεσιν στοχαζόμεθα, ἀπό τε τῆς σιγῆς ἀπό τε τῆς διαλέξεως. οὔτε γὰρ πρὸ καιροῦ προπηδήσας εἶπέ τι τούτων οὔτε καλοῦντος τοῦ καιροῦ ἡσύχασεν. 169 εἶτα καὶ λογισμόν φησι δίκαιον· 32,9a οὐ γὰρ οἱ πολυχρόνιοί εἰσι σοφοὶ 9b οὐδὲ οἱ γέροντες οἴδασι κρίμα. «οὐ γὰρ ἀνάγκη», φησίν, «τοὺς πρεσβύτας μόνον εἶναι σοφούς, ἀλλ' ἔστι καὶ ἀπὸ νεότητος ἀκοῦσαί τι γενναῖον. εἰ γὰρ χρόνος ποιεῖ σοφούς, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὁ θεός.» 32,10a διὸ εἶπον· ἀκούσατέ μου, 10b καὶ ἀναγγελῶ ὑμῖν, ἃ οἶδα. 32,11a ἐνωτίζεσθε τὰ ῥήματά μου· φ1f1fβφ ἐρῶ γὰρ ὑμῶν ἀκουόντων. 11b ἰδοὺ ἤκουσα τοὺς λόγους ὑμῶν, ἠνωτισάμην μέχρι συνέσεως ὑμῶν, 11c ἄχρις οὗ ἐτάσητε τοὺς λόγους ὑμῶν 32,12a καὶ ἕως ὑμῶν συνήσω. 12b καὶ ἰδοὺ οὐκ ἦν τῷ ˉ̓Ιὼβ ὁ ἐλέγχων 12c ἀνταποκρινόμενος ῥήμασιν αὐτοῦ ἐξ ὑμῶν. ἢ τοῦτό φησιν, ὅτι «οὐδὲ τότε, ὅτε ἠλέγχετε, ὡς ἔδει ἠλέγξατε», ἢ ὅτι «ὕστερον ἐσιωπήσατε». 32,13 ἵνα δὲ μὴ εἴπητε· εὕρομεν σοφίαν προσθέμενοι κυρίῳ· 32,14 ἀνθρώπῳ δὲ ἐπετρέψατε λαλῆσαι τοιαῦτα ῥήματα. 32,15a ἐπτοήθησαν, οὐκ ἀπεκρίθησαν ἔτι, 15b ἐπαλαίωσαν ἐξ αὐτῶν λόγον. 32,16a ὑπέμεινα· οὐ γὰρ ἐλάλησαν, 16b ὅτι ἔστησαν, οὐκ ἀπεκρίθησαν.

32,17 ΥΠΟΛΑΒΩΝ ∆Ε ΕΛΙΟΥΣ ΛΕΓΕΙ· 32,18a πάλιν λαλήσω· πλήρης γάρ εἰμι

ῥημάτων, 18b ὀλέκει δέ με τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς γαστρός, 32,19a καὶ ἡ γαστήρ μου ὥσπερ ἀσκὸς γλεύκους γέμων δεδεμένος 19b ἢ ὥσπερ φυσητὴρ χαλκέως δεδεμένος καὶ κατερρωγώς. δείκνυσιν, ὅτι πάλαι ταῦτα ὠδίνων εἰπεῖν ὑπέμεινε καὶ ἐκαρτέρει καὶ διαρραγῆναι εἶχεν· ὥστε πολλῆς τῆς ὑπομονῆς χρεία, ὅπερ ἐστὶ μάλιστα πάντων σοφίας ἔργον δύνασθαι ῥήματα κατασχεῖν. τοῦτο δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ ζήλου τοῦ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἔπασχεν, τὸ οὕτω πυρωθῆναι. 170 32,20 λαλήσω, φησίν, ἵνα ἀναπαύσωμαι ἀνοίξας τὰ χείλη μου. 32,21a ἄνθρωπον οὐ μὴ αἰσχυνθῶ, 21b ἀλλὰ μὴν οὐδὲ βροτὸν οὐ μὴ ἐντραπῶ. 32,22a οὐ γὰρ ἐπίσταμαι θαυμάσαι πρόσωπον. τοῦτο ἐκείνους αἰνίττεται, ὅτι διὰ τοῦτο ἐσίγησαν αἰσχυνθέντες αὐτόν. 32,22b εἰ δὲ μή, καὶ ἐμέ, φησίν, σῆτες ἔδονται. ὥσπερ τοὺς προσωπολήπτας, καὶ μάλιστα, ὅταν ὁ θεὸς ἐν τῷ μέσῳ ᾖ καὶ ἀνθρώπους μᾶλλον τιμῶμεν.