Chapter Overview
Summary
Job 33 contains Elihu's first-substantive-speech-content. Elihu introduces the MEDIATOR-ANGEL concept (vv. 23–28) — 'if there is a messenger for him, an angel, a mediator, one of the thousand … he is gracious to him, and says: Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom.' This passage with its-RANSOM-FOUND theology is one of the OT's strongest mediator/atonement-anticipations.
Notable Variants
33:23–24 'mediator … I have found a ransom' — atonement-Christology anticipation; 33:4 'the Spirit of God has made me' creation-by-Spirit.
Structural Notes
MT Job 33 = LXX Job 33. 33 verses.
But now, Job — hear my words. Listen to everything I say.
'But now, hear my speech, O Job, and listen to all my words' tracks MT. ELIHU'S DIRECT-ADDRESS to Job begins.
Look — I have opened my mouth; my tongue speaks against my palate.
'Behold, I open my mouth; the tongue in my mouth speaks' tracks MT.
My words come from an upright heart, and my lips speak knowledge sincerely.
'My words declare the uprightness of my heart, and what my lips know they speak sincerely' tracks MT.
The spirit of God made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
'The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life' tracks MT. SPIRIT-AND-BREATH creation. Genesis 2:7 echo. John 20:22 (Jesus 'breathed on them and said: Receive the Holy Spirit') Christologically extends.
If you can, answer me. Set your case in order before me; take your stand.
'Answer me, if you can; set your words in order before me; take your stand' tracks MT.
I stand before God just as you do. I too was pinched from clay.
'Behold, I am toward God as you are; I too was pinched off from a piece of clay' tracks MT. PINCHED-OFF-FROM-CLAY — same anthropology, equal-creature.
My presence will not terrify you, and my pressure on you will not be heavy.
'Behold, no fear of me need terrify you; my pressure will not be heavy upon you' tracks MT.
But you have said in my hearing — yes, I heard the very sound of your words:
'Surely you have spoken in my ears, and I have heard the sound of your words' tracks MT.
'I am pure, without transgression. I am clean; there is no guilt in me.'
'You say: I am pure, without transgression; I am clean, and there is no iniquity in me' tracks MT.
'But God finds pretexts against me; he counts me as his enemy.'
'Behold, he finds occasions against me, he counts me as his enemy' tracks MT.
'He puts my feet in the stocks; he watches all my paths.'
'He puts my feet in the stocks and watches all my paths' tracks MT.
In this you are not right — let me answer you: God is greater than any mortal.
'Behold, in this you are not right; I will answer you, for God is greater than man' tracks MT. GOD-GREATER-THAN-MAN — Elihu's-thesis.
Why do you contend against him? He does not answer for any of his actions.
'Why do you contend against him, saying: He will answer none of man's words?' tracks MT.
For God speaks in one way, and in two — though no one perceives it.
'For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it' tracks MT. GOD-SPEAKS-IN-MULTIPLE-WAYS theology — divine-communication-modes (dreams, suffering, the mediator-angel).
In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon people, in slumber on the bed —
'In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, while they slumber on their beds' tracks MT. DREAM-VISIONS first-mode.
then he opens people's ears and seals his instruction upon them,
'Then he opens the ears of men and terrifies them with warnings' tracks MT.
to turn a person from a deed, to cut away pride from a man.
'That he may turn man aside from his deed and conceal pride from a man' tracks MT.
He holds his soul back from the pit and his life from crossing over into death.
'He keeps back his soul from the pit, his life from perishing by the sword' tracks MT.
Or a person is rebuked with pain on the sickbed, with unceasing conflict in the bones —
'Man is also rebuked with pain on his bed and with continual strife in his bones' tracks MT. SUFFERING-AS-DIVINE-SPEECH — Elihu's distinctive contribution. Pain-as-pedagogy. Hebrews 12:5–11 extends.
so that his life loathes bread and his appetite recoils from choice food.
'So that his life loathes bread, and his appetite the choicest food' tracks MT.
His flesh wastes away until it cannot be seen, and his bones, once hidden, protrude.
'His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen, and his bones that were not seen stick out' tracks MT.
His soul draws near the pit, his life approaches the realm of death.
'His soul draws near the pit, and his life to those who bring death' tracks MT.
If there is an angel beside him, a mediator, one among a thousand, to declare to a person what is right for him —
Masoretic (WLC)
אִם־יֵשׁ עָלָיו מַלְאָךְ מֵלִיץ אֶחָד מִנִּי־אָלֶף לְהַגִּיד לְאָדָם יָשְׁרוֹ
If there is a messenger for him, a mediator, one of the thousand, to declare to a man what is right for him
Septuagint (LXX)
ἐὰν ὦσιν χίλιοι ἄγγελοι θανατηφόροι εἷς αὐτῶν οὐ μὴ τρώσῃ αὐτόν ἐὰν νοήσῃ τῇ καρδίᾳ ἐπιστραφῆναι ἐπὶ κύριον ἀναγγείλῃ δὲ ἀνθρώπῳ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ μέμψιν τὴν δὲ ἄνοιαν αὐτοῦ δείξῃ
If there should be a thousand death-bringing angels, not one of them shall wound him, if he should think in his heart to turn to the Lord, and he should declare to a man his fault, and show him his folly
MEDIATOR-CHRISTOLOGY ANTICIPATION. The MT speaks of a 'messenger / mediator' (mal'akh melitz) — one-of-a-thousand-angels who interprets-and-declares. The Christian-tradition reads this Christologically: Christ-the-mediator-and-interpreter (Heb 8:6, 9:15, 12:24). 1 Tim 2:5 ('one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus') Christologically-fulfills.
LXX-DIVERGENCE: The LXX significantly-rewrites this verse, turning the-mediator-angel into a-rejected-killing-angel scenario. The Greek-translator may-not-have-grasped the Hebrew-mediator-figure or-deliberately-rewrote. The MT reading is what later-Christian-tradition reads-Christologically; the LXX takes-a-different-direction.
then God is gracious to him and says, 'Deliver him from going down to the pit — I have found a ransom.'
'And he is gracious to him and says: Deliver him from going down into the pit; I have found a ransom' tracks MT. RANSOM-FOUND. The KOPHER (atonement-price) — a major-OT term. Mark 10:45's 'the Son of Man came … to give his life as a RANSOM for many' (lytron anti pollōn) Christologically-fulfills. 1 Tim 2:6's 'who gave himself as a ransom for all' extends.
His flesh becomes fresher than a child's; he returns to the days of his youth.
'Let his flesh become fresh with youth; let him return to the days of his youthful vigor' tracks MT. RESTORATION-AFTER-RANSOM. The new-creation theology in seed-form.
He prays to God, and God accepts him. He sees God's face with a shout of joy, and God restores his righteousness to him.
'Then man prays to God, and he accepts him; he sees his face with a shout of joy, and he restores to man his righteousness' tracks MT. SEES-HIS-FACE-WITH-JOY. Matthew 5:8's 'pure in heart shall see God' extends. Restoration-of-righteousness — proto-justification theology.
He sings before others and says, 'I sinned and twisted what was right, but it was not repaid to me.'
'He sings before men and says: I sinned and perverted what was right, and it was not repaid to me' tracks MT. PUBLIC-CONFESSION-AFTER-DELIVERANCE — testimony-of-grace pattern.
He redeemed my soul from crossing into the pit, and my life will see the light.
'He has redeemed my soul from going down into the pit, and my life shall look upon the light' tracks MT. REDEEMED-FROM-PIT — Christologically Christ's-descent-and-deliverance theology. Ephesians 4:9 ('he descended into the lower regions of the earth') extends.
God does all these things two or three times with a person —
'Behold, God does all these things, twice, three times, with a man' tracks MT.
to bring his soul back from the pit, to be illuminated by the light of the living.
'To bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be lighted with the light of life' tracks MT. LIGHT-OF-LIFE. John 8:12 ('I am the light of the world; whoever follows me … will have the light of life') Christologically extends.
Pay attention, Job — listen to me. Be silent, and let me speak.
'Pay attention, O Job, listen to me; be silent, and I will speak' tracks MT.
If you have words, answer me. Speak — for I want to see you vindicated.
'If you have any words, answer me; speak, for I desire to justify you' tracks MT. DESIRE-TO-JUSTIFY-YOU — Elihu sympathetic to Job's-vindication, despite-his-anger.
If not, listen to me. Be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.
'If not, listen to me; be silent, and I will teach you wisdom' tracks MT.