Elihu directs himself to the sages of the world by announcing “Hearken to Me! O ye wise men!”

He then - mirroring Job’s prior appeals - desires to take Job to a forum where disputes will inevitably be decided in the favor of the one who called for it and thinks himself most right.  Elihu also announces the intention to engage in open discussion with Job, saying: Let us debate and agree among ourselves, who is good and right.

Elihu then summarizes Job’s argument in a mocking sense, noting how Job claims to be faultless.  Elihu proclaims sarcastically that God has diverted, wounded and lied about Job. Eilhu then asserts that Job erroneously argued that it profits a man little to delight in God. However, Job’s arguments can be better-characterized as complaining of the disproportionality of his punishment.  Job hasn’t declared himself perfect and has left room for occasions where he may have fallen short.  Even though the text says Job was upright and made the correct sacrifices, Job is not meant to symbolize divinity.  While he may be an ideal man, he is still a man nonetheless, with our limitations. 

Elihu continues, in poetic language, that Job drinketh up the waters that scorn  and consorts with the wicked.  Elihu argues that Job went from embracing God’s majesty to rejecting his sovereignty.

Elihu then moves on to exhorting God’s magnificence, somewhat resembling Job’s friends. He proclaims it is impossible for God to reign wickedly and that God will render to man based on his works.  For a man’s acts he pays him back &  and by a person’s path – He provides.  After all, nobody gave the universe to God to govern. Rather the Almighty came up with the whole thing out of the primordial chaos.

Our world is His domain and His order reigns, even if we do not understand it.   Elihu takes it as a given that God rules with a sense of justice.

 Relating to God’s power, if hypothetically, God set his eyes on man to destroy us -- he could do it in an instant.  To dust we would we return. 

As to the wicked, there is no darkness or shadow in which they can hide with respect to facing consequences - for His eyes are on the ways of Man.   The Lord knows our deeds and divine justice will become apparent to those who turn away from him. His justice is unquestioned by virtue of His status.

While the wicked may seem to prosper, they don’t escape consequences. The Lord also hears the pleas of the poor man as well as the call of the lonely.   He has no limits and can smash any barrier.  Ultimately, God’s grandeur is ineffable and many of His ways we simply can’t understand.

Elihu is scolding Job for blaming God for his problems rather than looking to within.  He notes that Job insults the Most High and has the audacity to call the Heavenly King a scoundrel.  Instead, what is due is awe and reverence.

Elihu then advices Job on what he should have done; namely to have approached God with a sense of reverence. He asks Job if he has ever asked, in prayer, what he did wrong – with an open heart trying to understand. He should have made such an exploration in repentance and demonstrated a willingness to bear his punishment.

This chapter teaches: You have to accept the Lord's discipline and come out saying “I have borne my punishment and will offend no more.”

Then Elihu ponders if Job thinks he can provide more Justice than God.  He is asking, in essence, if man could even fathom doing a fraction of the orchestrating that God does.  Men need to admit that we can’t see the whole picture; so for better vision we must ask for His help.

Elihu summarizes Jobs plight.  He finds that Job committed some undetermined sins, then compounded his mistakes. He finds Job’s defense as a clamor of empty rhetoric.  Elihu concludes that Job likely deserves even more punishment.