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having an injury to justly accuse the just man, he was also angry against the three friends, because they condemned the just man for impiety, as one enduring punishments because of sins. From this arises a question of this sort: if Elihu is angry against the friends because they judged Job impious, then Job is just. But if he is just, how does he also make a rebuke against him? But to these things Elihu will say that Job is pious and just, and no one will contradict it; but he has given cause against himself by wishing to be judged with God. The intention of Elihu, then, is not blameworthy; for he did not vehemently strike Job as they did, condemning him for impiety, yet he did not understand, as we have said, the thought of the just man and from what sort of love and confidence towards God he longed to plead his case before Him. Whence we reckon that God neither praised Elihu, since he did not understand the words of Job, nor indeed condemned him, since he did not judge Job for impiety nor declared that he suffered because of injustice as the friends did; for because of this God wrought the rebuke against them. 271 The words 32, 2 But Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram, from the land of Ausitis, was angry. Elihu was the son of Barachel, and "the Buzite" from the kinship of Buz, whence Hiram also was, or even from some city of the land of Ausitis. The Jews then say he was from the kindred of Judah. But the argument is not plausible; for scripture says he is from the land of Ausitis. Yet it is not very necessary to elaborate on such things. 32, 2 And he was very angry with Job, because he declared himself righteous before the Lord. Elihu was moved, as he thought, with good reason, not because Job said he was righteous, for he knew well that Job was righteous, but because it was before the Lord, as though condemning God for injustice, because He did not bring the punishments upon him justly. But he has not understood, as we have said, the pious and God-loving thought of Job. For not accusing God, but refuting the friends, he wished to be judged with God, trusting with unbreakable faith in the just judgment of God. 32, 3 And he was also very angry against the three friends, because they were not able to give a contrary answer to Job and had made him out to be impious. Elihu was angry with the friends for two reasons: first, because they judged the just man for impiety, saying, that by all means according to retribution the certain 272 punishments are brought upon the unjust, and because, having undertaken the advocacy for God, they were defeated by the words of Job and fell silent, having utterly betrayed the one for whom they were advocating, and by their silence having given Job the victory over God. 32, 45 But Elihu waited to give an answer to Job, because they were older than him in days. And Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of the three men, and he burned with his anger. The character of Elihu is praiseworthy, on the one hand having been silent at the right time—for it was necessary for the elders in age to speak first—and on the other hand having answered at the right time when the older men were held by perplexity. For to interrupt the thought of the elders brought a charge of rashness, and to be silent in matters where he believed justice was being wronged, he rightly supposed not to be good. So *waited* instead of: he waited; and *burned with anger* instead of: he was zealous. He was moved with good reason; for blameworthy anger is an irrational motion, but praiseworthy is that which happens for the sake of justice, which is natural against the unjust, anointing the soul for courage. 32, 6 Then Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said. *Answered* instead of: taking up after the words that had been spoken. 32, 6 I am younger in time, but you are elders; therefore I was silent, fearing to announce my own knowledge to you. He well added: *in time*. For there is someone younger in age, but having gray-haired wisdom, and another old in time, but younger in thought. But see how not only with respect, but also with 273 fear and reverence, he awaited the dialogue of the elders, and if they had not first ceased, he himself would not have said what he reckoned and knew to be good. 32, 78 But I said: It is not time that is

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ἔχων ἀδίκημα τοῦ δικαίου κατηγορεῖν ἐνδίκως, ὠργίσθη καὶ κατὰ τῶν τριῶν φίλων, ὅτι τὸν δίκαιον ἀσεβείας κατεδίκασαν, ὡς δι' ἁμαρτήματα τὰς τιμωρίας ὑπομένοντα. ἐντεῦθεν ἀνακύπτει ζήτημα τοιόνδε· εἰ ὀργίζεται κατὰ τῶν φίλων ὁ Ἐλιούς, ὅτι ἀσεβῆ τὸν Ἰὼβ ἔκριναν, δίκαιος ἄρα ὁ Ἰώβ. εἰ δὲ δίκαιος, πῶς καὶ κατ' αὐτοῦ ποιεῖται τὴν ἐπιτίμησιν; ἀλλ' ἐρεῖ πρὸς ταῦτα ὁ Ἐλιούς, ὡς εὐσεβὴς μὲν καὶ δίκαιος ὁ Ἰώβ, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀντερεῖ· αἰτίαν δὲ δέδωκε κατ' αὐτοῦ τὸ θέλειν πρὸς θεὸν δικάζεσθαι. ὁ μὲν οὖν σκοπὸς τοῦ Ἐλιοὺς οὐ ψεκτός· οὐ γὰρ σφοδρῶς ἔπληξε τὸν Ἰὼβ ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνοι ἀσέβειαν αὐτοῦ καταψηφιζόμενοι, πλὴν οὐκ ἐνόησεν, ὥσπερ ἔφημεν, τοῦ δικαίου τὴν διάνοιαν καὶ ἐξ οἵας ἀγάπης καὶ πεποιθήσεως τῆς πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἐπ' αὐτοῦ τὴν δίκην λέγειν ἐπόθει. ὅθεν λογιζόμεθα καὶ τὸν θεὸν μήτε ἐπαινέσαι τὸν Ἐλιούς, ἐπειδὴ μὴ νενόηκε τοῦ Ἰὼβ τοὺς λόγους, μήτε μὴν καταδικάσαι, ἐπειδὴ μὴ ἀσεβείας κατέκρινε τὸν Ἰὼβ μηδὲ ἀπεφήνατο δι' ἀδικίας αὐτὸν πάσχειν ὥσπερ οἱ φίλοι· διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο τὴν κατ' ἐκείνων ἐπιτίμησιν θεὸς εἰργάσατο. 271 Αἱ λέξεισ 32, 2 ὠργίσθη δὲ Ἐλιοὺς ὁ τοῦ Βαραχιὴλ ὁ Βουζίτης ἐκ τῆς συγγενείας Ῥὰμ τῆς Αὐσίτιδος χώρας. τοῦ μὲν Βαραχιὴλ υἱὸς ἦν ὁ Ἐλιούς, τὸ δὲ Βουζίτης ἀπὸ συγγενείας τῆς τοῦ Βουζί, ὅθεν ἦν καὶ Ἠράμ, ἢ καὶ ἀπό τινος πόλεως τῆς Αὐσίτιδος χώρας. Ἰουδαῖοι μὲν οὖν φασιν αὐτὸν εἶναι ἐκ τῆς συγγενείας τοῦ Ἰουδά. ἔστι δὲ οὐ πιθανὸς ὁ λόγος· τῆς γὰρ Αὐσίτιδος χώρας ἡ γραφὴ αὐτὸν λέγει. πλὴν οὐ σφόδρα ἀναγκαῖον τὰ τοιαῦτα λεπτολογεῖν. 32, 2 ὠργίσθη δὲ τῷ Ἰὼβ σφόδρα, ὅτι ἀπέφηνεν ἑαυτὸν δίκαιον ἔναντι κυρίου. κατὰ τὸ εὔλογον μὲν ἐκινεῖτο, ὡς ἐνόμιζεν, ὁ Ἐλιούς, οὐχ ὅτι δίκαιον ἑαυτὸν ἔλεγεν ὁ Ἰώβ, συνηπίστατο γὰρ ὅτι δίκαιος ἦν ὁ Ἰώβ, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἔναντι κυρίου ὡς ἀδικίαν θεοῦ καταψηφιζόμενος, ὅτι μὴ δικαίως αὐτῷ τὰς τιμωρίας ἐπάγει. οὐ νενόηκεν δέ, ὡς ἔφημεν, τὴν εὐσεβῆ καὶ φιλόθεον τοῦ Ἰὼβ διάνοιαν. οὐ γὰρ θεὸν κατηγορῶν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς φίλους διελέγχων πρὸς θεὸν ἤθελε κρίνεσθαι, ἀρραγεῖ πίστει πεποιθὼς τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ δικαιοκρισίᾳ. 32, 3 καὶ κατὰ τῶν τριῶν δὲ φίλων ὠργίσθη σφόδρα, ὅτι οὐκ ἠδυνήθησαν ἀποκριθῆναι ἀντίθετα Ἰὼβ καὶ ἔθεντο αὐτὸν εἶναι ἀσεβῆ. διπλῇ κατὰ τῶν φίλων ὠργίσθη Ἐλιούς, πρῶτα μέν, ὅτι ἀσεβείας ἔκριναν τὸν δίκαιον, λέγοντες, ὡς πάντως κατὰ ἀνταπόδοσιν αἱ τι 272 μωρίαι τοῖς ἀδίκοις ἐπάγονται, καὶ ὅτι τὴν ὑπὲρ θεοῦ συνηγορίαν ἀνειληφότες ἡττήθησαν τοῖς τοῦ Ἰὼβ λόγοις καὶ ἐσιώπησαν, τὸν ὑπ' αὐτῶν συνηγορούμενον καταπροδεδωκότες καὶ τῇ σιωπῇ τῷ Ἰὼβ δεδωκότες κατὰ θεοῦ τὰ νικητήρια. 32, 45 Ἐλιοὺς δὲ ὑπέμεινε δοῦναι ἀπόκρισιν τῷ Ἰώβ, ὅτι πρεσβύτεροί εἰσιν αὐτοῦ ἡμέραις. καὶ εἶδεν Ἐλιούς, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἀπόκρισις ἐν στόματι τῶν τριῶν ἀνδρῶν, καὶ ἐθυμώθη ὀργῇ αὐτοῦ. ἐπαινετὸν τὸ ἦθος τοῦ Ἐλιοὺς ἐν καιρῷ μὲν σιωπήσαντοςἔδει γὰρ πρώτους τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους καθ' ἡλικίαν λαλεῖν, ἐν καιρῷ δὲ ἀποκριναμένου τῶν παλαιωτέρων ἀπορίᾳ συσχεθέντων. τό τε γὰρ διακόπτειν τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τὸν νοῦν προπετείας ἔφερεν ἔγκλημα, τό τε σιωπᾶν, ἐν οἷς ἀδικεῖσθαι τὸ δίκαιον ἐνόμιζε, οὐ καλὸν εἶναι δικαίως ὑπέλαβεν. τὸ ὑπέμεινεν οὖν ἀντὶ τοῦ· ἀνέμεινεν, τὸ δὲ ἐθυμώθη ἀντὶ τοῦ· ἐζήλωσεν. κατὰ τὸ εὔλογον ἐκινήθη· ἔστι γὰρ ψεκτὴ ὀργὴ ἡ ἄλογος κίνησις καὶ ἐπαινετὴ ἡ τῷ δικαίῳ συμβαίνουσα, ἥτις κατὰ φύσιν ἐστι κατὰ τῶν ἀδίκων εἰς ἀνδρείαν τὴν ψυχὴν ἐπαλείφουσα. 32, 6 ὑπολαβὼν δὲ Ἐλιοὺς ὁ τοῦ Βαραχιὴλ ὁ Βουζίτης εἶπεν. ὑπολαβὼν ἀντὶ τοῦ· τῶν εἰρημένων λόγων διαδεξάμενος. 32, 6 νεώτερος μέν εἰμι τῷ χρόνῳ, ὑμεῖς δέ ἐστε πρεσβύτεροι· διὸ ἡσύχασα φοβηθεὶς τοῦ ὑμῖν ἀναγγεῖλαι τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ ἐπιστήμην. καλῶς προσέθηκε· τῷ χρόνῳ. ἔστι γάρ τις νεώτερος μὲν καθ' ἡλικίαν, πολιὰν δὲ ἔχων φρόνησιν, καὶ ἄλλος γέρων μὲν τὸν χρόνον, νεώτερος δὲ τὴν διάνοιαν. ὅρα δέ, ὅπως οὐ μόνον αἰδοῖ, ἀλλὰ καὶ 273 φόβῳ καὶ εὐλαβείᾳ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τὴν διάλεξιν περιέμεινεν, καὶ εἰ μὴ πρότερον ἐπαύσαντο, οὐκ εἶπεν αὐτός, ἃ καλῶς ἔχειν ἐλογίζετο καὶ ἠπίστατο. 32, 78 εἶπα δέ· οὐχ ὁ χρόνος ἐστὶν ὁ