Adam Clarke's Bible Commentary Verse 2. Then was kindled the wrath ] This means no more than that Elihu was greatly excited, and felt a strong and zealous desire to vindicate the justice and providence of God, against the aspersions of Job and his friends.
Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite ] Buz was the second son of Nahor, the brother of Abram, Gen. xxii. 21.
Of the kindred of Ram ] Kemuel was the third son of Nahor; and is called in Genesis (see above) the father of Aram, which is the same as Ram. A city of the name of Buz is found in Jeremiah xxv. 23, which probably had its name from this family; and, as it is mentioned with Dedan and Tema, we know it must have been a city in Idumea, as the others were in that district. Instead of the kindred of Ram, the Chaldee has of the kindred of Abraham. But still the question has been asked, Who was Elihu? I answer, He was "the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram:" this is all we know of him. But this Scriptural answer will not satisfy those who are determined to find out mysteries where there are none. Some make him a descendant of Judah; St. Jerome, Bede, Lyranus, and some of the rabbins, make him Balaam the son of Beor, the magician; Bishop Warburton makes him Ezra the scribe; and Dr. Hodges makes him the second person in the glorious Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ, and supposes that the chief scope of this part of the book was to convict Job of self-righteousness, and to show the necessity of the doctrine of justification by faith! When these points are proved, they should be credited.
Because he justified himself rather than God. ] Literally, he justified his soul, wpn naphhso, before God. He defended, not only the whole of his conduct, but also his motives, thoughts, &c.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-5 - Job's friends were silenced, but not convinced. Others had bee present. Elihu was justly displeased with Job, as more anxious to clea his own character than the justice and goodness of God. Elihu wa displeased with Job's friends because they had not been candid to Job Seldom is a quarrel begun, more seldom is a quarrel carried on, in which there are not faults on both sides. Those that seek for truth must not reject what is true and good on either side, nor approve of defend what is wrong.
Original Hebrew ויחר2734 אף639 אליהוא453 בן1121 ברכאל1292 הבוזי940 ממשׁפחת4940 רם7410 באיוב347 חרה2734 אפו639 על5921 צדקו6663 נפשׁו5315 מאלהים׃430
