Elihu, Saint or Satan?

[tttallison]

Whose team does Elihu belong on, God's, or Satan's?

Mat 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Elihu claimed to be speaking at the request of Job, in God's place. Is this true or false? If false, can you list the statements by Elihu that are false, and your reasons for believing they are false?

 

[Deuteronomy]

Whose team does Elihu belong on, God's, or Satan's?

Hello tttallison, I think that's made clear for us by the words of the Text, yes For instance,

Job 32 (NKJV)​

1 So, these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. ​

2 Then the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, was aroused against Job; his wrath was aroused because he [Job] justified himself rather than God. ​

3 Also against his three friends his wrath was aroused, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.​

Satan, and any who are on his "team", would NEVER find fault with anyone for justifying themselves instead of God!

God bless you!!

~Deuteronomy

 

[Deuteronomy]

Hello again @tttallison, I just found a short, well-written online article about Elihu and Job (which is a summary, of sorts). You can find it here: https://www.gotquestions.org/Elihu-Job.html (if you'd care to read it).

There are several more articles (about Job and his various companions) linked at the bottom of the page too

God bless you!!

~Deuteronomy

 

[tablet123]

Whose team does Elihu belong on, God's, or Satan's?

Mat 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Elihu claimed to be speaking at the request of Job, in God's place. Is this true or false? If false, can you list the statements by Elihu that are false, and your reasons for believing they are false?

Job 32:1 So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.

2 Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God.

3 Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.

4 Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken, because they were elder than he.

5 When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, then his wrath was kindled.

11 Behold, I waited for your words; I gave ear to your reasons, whilst ye searched out what to say.

12 Yea, I attended unto you, and, behold, there was none of you that convinced Job, or that answered his words:

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

15 They were amazed, they answered no more: they left off speaking.

Elihu spoke what was right and Job's 3 friends did not.

Job 42:7 And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.

8 Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.

9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded them: the LORD also accepted Job.

God told Job to make a burnt offering sacrifice only for his three friends—Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar.

God was angry with the three friends because they had not spoken what was right about Him, unlike Job.

God did not include Elihu in this rebuke, nor did He command Job to offer a sacrifice or pray on Elihu's behalf.

Elihu spoke right and that is why God did not command Job to offer a sacrifice for him and did not need to pray for him.

So I would have to say that Elihu is a saint and spoke right where Job's 3 friends spoke wrong.

Why do people think that Elihu spoke wrong and question him when it is plain he spoke right and God was not displeased with him like Job's 3 friends.

Whatever Elihu said was not displeasing to God and he was speaking the ways of Him.

Elihu's wrath was kindled against Job because Job justified himself not Elihu justified himself if someone thought that.

 

[tttallison]

Hello again @tttallison, I just found a short, well-written online article about Elihu and Job (which is a summary, of sorts). You can find it here: https://www.gotquestions.org/Elihu-Job.html (if you'd care to read it).

There are several more articles (about Job and his various companions) linked at the bottom of the page too

God bless you!!

~Deuteronomy

Thank you for the article. It is one of the few that is not completely negative about Elihu, though I found it to be from one who has not completed an in-depth study. Take a look at the first paragraph.

The first phrase was that Elihu was one of Job's friends. You will not find one jot or tittle to substantiate that statement. As a matter of fact, just the opposite is indicated. Elihu does not include himself as one of Job's friends when he directs his speech to them. Elihu indicates that he is much younger than Job, and fearful to even speak to him. Job himself said, Job 29:8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.

Then the writer of the article states that "Elihu is identified only as the son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram”. He does not state that Elihu is more identified than anyone in the book. Job was least identified, and then, only as to where he lived.

Thirdly, in that first paragraph, the writer states that Elihu condemns the three friends, but only confronts Job. Which sin of Job was greater, condemning man condemning God? God put it this way to Job. Job 40:8 Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?

 

[tttallison]

Job 32:1 So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.

2 Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God.

3 Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.

4 Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken, because they were elder than he.

5 When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, then his wrath was kindled.

11 Behold, I waited for your words; I gave ear to your reasons, whilst ye searched out what to say.

12 Yea, I attended unto you, and, behold, there was none of you that convinced Job, or that answered his words:

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

15 They were amazed, they answered no more: they left off speaking.

Elihu spoke what was right and Job's 3 friends did not.

Job 42:7 And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.

8 Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.

9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded them: the LORD also accepted Job.

God told Job to make a burnt offering sacrifice only for his three friends—Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar.

God was angry with the three friends because they had not spoken what was right about Him, unlike Job.

God did not include Elihu in this rebuke, nor did He command Job to offer a sacrifice or pray on Elihu's behalf.

Elihu spoke right and that is why God did not command Job to offer a sacrifice for him and did not need to pray for him.

So I would have to say that Elihu is a saint and spoke right where Job's 3 friends spoke wrong.

Why do people think that Elihu spoke wrong and question him when it is plain he spoke right and God was not displeased with him like Job's 3 friends.

Whatever Elihu said was not displeasing to God and he was speaking the ways of Him.

Elihu's wrath was kindled against Job because Job justified himself not Elihu justified himself if someone thought that.

Why do you think it is that almost every major preacher and teacher speaks negatively about Ellhu?

 

[Revelation1v8]

Why do you think it is that almost every major preacher and teacher speaks negatively about Ellhu?

When I read the text that Tablet123 posted, I thought that the story mirrored other characters and events in the Bible. When I asked my A.I. assistant to show me how this might correlate to other scriptures, this is what it told me:

Elihu's negative portrayal echoes several recurring biblical patterns:

The False Prophets (1 Kings 22)
The 400 prophets who unanimously told Ahab "go, the LORD will give the city into your hand" mirror Elihu: confident, authoritative-sounding, and ultimately wrong. In both cases, the unpopular truth-teller (Micaiah / God's own whirlwind speech) is the one who actually carries divine authority, while the polished speaker does not.

The Pharisees and Scribes
Elihu's use of "correct" theology stripped of covenantal love (chesed) to judge a sufferer's heart is the same move Jesus condemned in the Pharisees. They had the right doctrines but weaponized them, missing mercy. Elihu similarly reduces God to a judge and Job to a defendant, never to a friend in pain.

The "Fool" Who Answers Before He Hears (Proverbs archetype)
Proverbs 18:13 — "One who gives an answer before he hears, it is foolishness and shame to him" — describes Elihu precisely. He interrupts, claims to be "perfect in knowledge," and delivers a systematized lecture without ever truly listening to what Job is actually saying or feeling. This is the same figure as the "fool" in Proverbs who is full of words but empty of wisdom.

The Sons of Eli (1 Samuel 2:12–17)
Young, arrogant, speaking with an authority they have not been given. The sons of Eli took their priestly position as license to exploit; Elihu takes his youth and his "fullness of words" as license to override the older men and the sufferer alike.

The Accuser Pattern (Satan in Job 1–2)
Elihu functions as a human echo of the heavenly accuser. Satan says, "Job only fears God for what you've given him." Elihu says, "Job is justifying himself rather than God." Both reduce a complex, suffering person to a single verdict.

The common thread: confidence without divine commission. In each case, the character speaks as if they carry God's authority, but the narrative (and often God directly) reveals they do not.

 

[Revelation1v8]

This might be a little off topic, but while taking the time to read the book of Job again, there are so many parallels that point to a much larger picture. This is how most prophecy works. A small picture of things that take place to show us the bigger picture of how things will unfold in the future.

Here is the overall big picture that I see and I'm going to use A.I. to describe it more detail so I don't have to pull every verse out myself to make the comparison. In this comparison below, Elihu is considered a "transitional voice".


How the Book of Job Parallels the History & Future of God's People
Unjust suffering and total loss → Exile, dispersion, and centuries of Gentile dominion

• Job 42:7–8 (ESV): "Then the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, 'My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. So take seven bulls and seven rams and seven male goats, and go to my servant Job, and make a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job shall pray for you, for him I will accept, lest I do according to your faces— for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.'"
• Job 42:9–10 (ESV): "So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and came to Job, and they had not returned the evil that they had spoken, for the LORD had accepted Job in favor. And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job, and the LORD had compassion on Job when he prayed for his friends. The LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before."
• Elihu's role (Job 32–37): Elihu, the fourth and youngest speaker, is the only one of the four counselors who is neither rebuked by God nor included in Job's intercessory prayer (Job 42:7–10). He rebuked both Job (for justifying himself rather than God, Job 32:2) and the three friends (for their failure to answer Job adequately, Job 32:12–13), positioning himself as a bridge figure who prepared the way for God's own theophany (Job 37:1–5, 22). In Job 33:23–24 he introduces the concept of a mediator/intercessor ("If there is an angel on his side, a messenger, one in a thousand, to show man his uprightness, and he is gracious to him and says, 'Spare him from going down to the Pit; I have found a ransom'"), which directly foreshadows the intercessory pattern fulfilled in Job 42:8 and ultimately in Christ. God's silence regarding Elihu—neither rebuking nor explicitly affirming him—marks him as a transitional voice whose words "prepared the way for the final, decisive words of God" (Job 38–41), distinguishing him from the three friends whose retributive theology was explicitly condemned.

• The Accuser's challenge before the divine court → Israel's rejection and vindication
  
  • Job 1:6 (ESV): "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them."
  • Job 1:9 (ESV): "And the LORD said to Satan, 'Where do you come from?' Satan answered the LORD, 'From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down in it.'"
  • Zechariah 3:1 (ESV): "Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him."
  • Zechariah 3:2 (ESV): "And the LORD said to Satan, 'The LORD rebuke you, O Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?'"

• God's vindication of Job (Job 42:7–8) → God's vindication of Israel
  
  • Isaiah 52:5–6 (ESV): "Therefore my people know my name; therefore they shall know in that day that it is I who am answering. How the enemy raved! How the oppressor reviled! He turned back his foot; he was shut up in the gate. But my people shall know my name in that day, when I am being answered, says he who does it."

• Job prays for his friends; they are restored → Christ intercedes; all Israel is saved
  
  • Job 42:8 (ESV): "So take seven bulls and seven rams and seven male goats, and go to my servant Job, and make a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job shall pray for you, for him I will accept, lest I do according to your faces—for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has."
  • Romans 11:26 (ESV): "And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: 'The Deliverer will come from Zion; he will banish ungodliness from Jacob:'"

• Restoration exceeds former state (Job 42:10–12) → New covenant, new creation, millennial peace exceed all prior blessing
  
  • Job 42:10–12 (ESV): "The LORD restored the fortunes of Job, and the LORD had compassion on Job when he prayed for his friends. The LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. All his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before came to him and ate bread with him in his house. They comforted him and condoled with him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him, and they each brought him a piece of silver, and each of them a ring of gold. The LORD blessed the latter part of Job's life more than his former."

• Job's hope for a Redeemer on earth (Job 19:25) → Resurrection and the Messiah's earthly reign
  
  • Job 19:25 (ESV): "For I know that my Redeemer is living, and at the last he will stand on the earth."
  • Ezekiel 37:12–14 (ESV): "I will open your graves and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you, O my people, will know that I am the LORD. I will open your graves and bring you up from your graves, and I will bring you into the land of Israel, declares the LORD GOD. I will put my Spirit within you, and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. And you will know that I am the LORD, who has spoken and will do it, declares the LORD."
  • Daniel 12:2 (ESV): "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt."

• Job sees God "face to face" (Job 19:26–27) → "They will see My face"
  
  • Job 19:26–27 (ESV): "and in my flesh I shall see God, I shall see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. Though my skin be destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God."
  • Zechariah 14:9 (ESV): "And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one."

• Peace and security in old age (Job 29:21–25) → Covenant of peace, no more enemies
  
  • Job 29:21–25 (ESV): "Men listened to me and waited and kept silence for my counsel. After I spoke they did not speak again, and my word dropped upon them. They waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouths as for the spring rain. If I mocked at them, they did not believe it, and the light of my countenance they did not cast down. I chose the way for them and sat as chief; so I dwelt as a king in the army, as one who comforts mourners."
  • Ezekiel 37:26–28 (ESV): "I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. I will settle them firmly and increase them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them forever. My dwelling place shall be with them. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God, who scattered them among the nations and will gather them to their land, and who will not again leave them unvisited, and who will put my holy place among them forever."
  • Zechariah 9:10 (ESV): "and he shall strike the nations with his rod, and the Chaldeans with his staff. He shall establish peace for the nations, and he shall rule from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth."

 

[Burn1986]

Whose team does Elihu belong on, God's, or Satan's?

Mat 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Elihu claimed to be speaking at the request of Job, in God's place. Is this true or false? If false, can you list the statements by Elihu that are false, and your reasons for believing they are false?

Well, the interaction was that Job’s friends were saying all the right things but their pious condescending attitude was wrong. Which is why God had Job pray for them and then God restored him.

Not sure if they were Satan, but maybe their flesh (pride arrogance) was stirred by Satan. They were definitely a hindrance to him, similar to an attack from well meaning Christians.

 

[tttallison]

When I read the text that Tablet123 posted, I thought that the story mirrored other characters and events in the Bible. When I asked my A.I. assistant to show me how this might correlate to other scriptures, this is what it told me:

Elihu's negative portrayal echoes several recurring biblical patterns:

The False Prophets (1 Kings 22)
The 400 prophets who unanimously told Ahab "go, the LORD will give the city into your hand" mirror Elihu: confident, authoritative-sounding, and ultimately wrong. In both cases, the unpopular truth-teller (Micaiah / God's own whirlwind speech) is the one who actually carries divine authority, while the polished speaker does not.

The Pharisees and Scribes
Elihu's use of "correct" theology stripped of covenantal love (chesed) to judge a sufferer's heart is the same move Jesus condemned in the Pharisees. They had the right doctrines but weaponized them, missing mercy. Elihu similarly reduces God to a judge and Job to a defendant, never to a friend in pain.

The "Fool" Who Answers Before He Hears (Proverbs archetype)
Proverbs 18:13 — "One who gives an answer before he hears, it is foolishness and shame to him" — describes Elihu precisely. He interrupts, claims to be "perfect in knowledge," and delivers a systematized lecture without ever truly listening to what Job is actually saying or feeling. This is the same figure as the "fool" in Proverbs who is full of words but empty of wisdom.

The Sons of Eli (1 Samuel 2:12–17)
Young, arrogant, speaking with an authority they have not been given. The sons of Eli took their priestly position as license to exploit; Elihu takes his youth and his "fullness of words" as license to override the older men and the sufferer alike.

The Accuser Pattern (Satan in Job 1–2)
Elihu functions as a human echo of the heavenly accuser. Satan says, "Job only fears God for what you've given him." Elihu says, "Job is justifying himself rather than God." Both reduce a complex, suffering person to a single verdict.

The common thread: confidence without divine commission. In each case, the character speaks as if they carry God's authority, but the narrative (and often God directly) reveals they do not.

How do the words of Elihu compare to the words of God?

 

[Revelation1v8]

How do the words of Elihu compare to the words of God?

In this case, Elihu's words align with God's.

• Elihu’s unique role: He is the only comforter not explicitly rebuked by God in Job 42:7-8, and Job does not respond to him with the same hostility shown to the other three friends.
• Mediator language: In Job 33:23, Elihu refers to a "messenger" or "angel out of a thousand" who acts as a mediator; some interpret this as Elihu describing himself or implying a supernatural connection.
• Divine inspiration: Elihu claims his wisdom comes from the "Spirit of God" (Job 32:8), and his speeches bridge the gap between the friends' flawed theology and God’s direct response, preparing Job for the theophany.

It just goes to show how easy it can be to mistake what's of God and apply it to Satan, since Satan tries to copy him as much as possible.

 

[tttallison]

Well, the interaction was that Job’s friends were saying all the right things but their pious condescending attitude was wrong. Which is why God had Job pray for them and then God restored him.

Not sure if they were Satan, but maybe their flesh (pride arrogance) was stirred by Satan. They were definitely a hindrance to him, similar to an attack from well meaning Christians.

Are you implying that Elihu was a friend of Job's?

In this case, Elihu's words align with God's.

• Elihu’s unique role: He is the only comforter not explicitly rebuked by God in Job 42:7-8, and Job does not respond to him with the same hostility shown to the other three friends.
• Mediator language: In Job 33:23, Elihu refers to a "messenger" or "angel out of a thousand" who acts as a mediator; some interpret this as Elihu describing himself or implying a supernatural connection.
• Divine inspiration: Elihu claims his wisdom comes from the "Spirit of God" (Job 32:8), and his speeches bridge the gap between the friends' flawed theology and God’s direct response, preparing Job for the theophany.

It just goes to show how easy it can be to mistake what's of God and apply it to Satan, since Satan tries to copy him as much as possible.

Not sure what your stance is on Elihu. Do you see anything negative in regards to Elihu?

 

[Revelation1v8]

Not sure what your stance is on Elihu. Do you see anything negative in regards to Elihu?

If like Elihu suggests, that his words to Job came from the Holy Spirit, they are not negative.

It appears to me in Job 32, that Elihu is saying that wisdom doesn't always come with age and that as a young man, He was able to give Job a message through the Holy Spirit.

But, how many times do we see people proclaim that they've received word from the Holy Spirit when they really haven't?! This is probably why it's hard to tell sometimes and this might just be a lesson on trying to learn how to know when God is really speaking to us through His Spirit or when He's not.

 

[Davidstarr]

Whose team does Elihu belong on, God's, or Satan's?

Mat 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Elihu claimed to be speaking at the request of Job, in God's place. Is this true or false? If false, can you list the statements by Elihu that are false, and your reasons for believing they are false?

Job had done nothing wrong (not that we know of anyway). It was Satan that was tormenting Job because he was a righteous.

His three friends were trying to tell Job that it was God that was tormenting him. Like Job's wife they wanted him to curse God and die.

But throughout his troubles not once did Job sin against God.

In the end he was blessed, by God, with greater wealth than before, more beautiful children and a long life.

 

[tttallison]

If like Elihu suggests, that his words to Job came from the Holy Spirit, they are not negative.

It appears to me in Job 32, that Elihu is saying that wisdom doesn't always come with age and that as a young man, He was able to give Job a message through the Holy Spirit.

But, how many times do we see people proclaim that they've received word from the Holy Spirit when they really haven't?! This is probably why it's hard to tell sometimes and this might just be a lesson on trying to learn how to know when God is really speaking to us through His Spirit or when He's not.

Thank you for your reply. I take it you see Elihu in a positive light, but with the reservation that what is seen is not always what is.

 

[tttallison]

Job had done nothing wrong (not that we know of anyway). It was Satan that was tormenting Job because he was a righteous.

His three friends were trying to tell Job that it was God that was tormenting him. Like Job's wife they wanted him to curse God and die.

But throughout his troubles not once did Job sin against God.

In the end he was blessed, by God, with greater wealth than before, more beautiful children and a long life.

I asked this once to another, and I will ask it to you, in what way does Elihu's speech differ from God's speech?

 

[Burn1986]

Are you implying that Elihu was a friend of Job's?


Not sure what your stance is on Elihu. Do you see anything negative in regards to Elihu?

I don’t know. Sounds like you’ve got something there though.

 

[Davidstarr]

I asked this once to another, and I will ask it to you, in what way does Elihu's speech differ from God's speech?

God did not condemn Job for disobedience. Elihu and his friends.

 

[tttallison]

God did not condemn Job for disobedience. Elihu and his friends.

Was God condemning Job when he said Job was reproving God, striving with God, instructing God, and condemning God? Was God condemning Job when he said he was without knowledge? Was God condemning Job when he asked Job if he was taking the king over the children of pride for a servant forever?

 

[Davidstarr]

Was God condemning Job when he said Job was reproving God, striving with God, instructing God, and condemning God? Was God condemning Job when he said he was without knowledge? Was God condemning Job when he asked Job if he was taking the king over the children of pride for a servant forever?

Job needed a lesson in humility. I got that.

But before Job's trials God told Satan (twice actually) that Job was a righteous man.