Elihu son of Barachel
Overview
- Testament: Old
- Role: Younger speaker who responds after Job and the three friends fall silent
- Family: Son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram
- Key Books: Job
Biography
Elihu becomes angry both at Job for justifying himself and at the three friends for failing to answer him. His speeches argue that God may use suffering for instruction, warning, and rescue rather than only as punishment.
Unlike Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, Elihu is not explicitly rebuked in the epilogue. Even so, he does not know the heavenly-council context, so his speeches are partial rather than final.
Key Events
- Elihu’s speeches
- Transition toward God’s whirlwind answer
Relationships
Important Verses
- Job 32:2-5
- Job 33:14-30
- Job 37:23-24
Cross-References
- Mentioned in: Job
Notes
Elihu widens the book’s theology of suffering but still gives way to the LORD’s own answer from the whirlwind.