Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 32:21
Let me not, I pray you, accept any man’s person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man.
21. neither let me give ] Rather, neither will I give flattery. The words express the speaker’s resolution to be sincere and fearless, to have regard to the question itself solely, and not to allow himself to be influenced by respect to the persons interested in it. Elihu does not refer here to impartiality between Job and the three friends. There is no allusion to the friends. He speaks generally, saying that he will have respect to truth only; comp. the language, ch. Job 33:3, Job 34:2-4. Coverdale goes far enough when he renders: “no man wil I spare.” Hitzig oversteps the line when he says that Elihu “intimates his intention of being rude to Job.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Let me not, I pray you – This is not to be regarded as an address to them, or a prayer to God, but as an expression of his determination. It is similar to the phrase which we use when we say, may I never do this; implying the strongest possible purpose not to do it. Elihu means to say that on no account would he use partiality or flattery in what he said.
Accept any mans person – Treat any with partiality. That is, I will not be influenced by rank, age, wealth, or personal friendship, in what I say. I will state the truth impartially, and will deliver my sentiments with entire freedom; see the phrase explained in the notes at Job 13:8.
Neither let me give flattering titles unto man – The word used here ( kanah – not used in the Qal, but found only in the Piel), means to address in a friendly and soothing manner; to speak kindly to anyone, Isa 44:5; Isa 45:4; and then to flatter. That is, undoubtedly, its meaning here. Elihu says he did not know how to flatter anyone. He meant to state the exact truth; to treat each one impartially; and not to be influenced by the rank or wealth of those whom he addressed. He meant to deal in plain and simple truth.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 21. Let me not – accept any man’s person] I will speak the truth without fear or favour.
Neither let me give flattering titles] I will not give epithets to any man that are not descriptive of his true state. I will not beguile him by telling him he is what he is not. acanneh, from canah, is generally supposed to signify to surname, to put a name to or upon a name, as the French word surnom implies. It means to give proud titles to persons who are worthless. It is well known that the Arabs make court to their superiors by carefully avoiding to address them by their proper names, instead of which they salute them with some title or epithet expressive of respect. – SCOTT. See below. Titles expressive of office, ecclesiastical, civil, or military, are always proper, and never forbidden, because they serve for distinction; but the Asiatic titles are in general bombastically and sinfully complimentary. The reader will find several specimens at the end of this chapter. See Clarke on Job 32:22.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Do not expect that I should out of fear or respect to any of you speak partially, but bear with my free and plain dealing with you all. As I shall not censure and reproach Job as a hypocrite or profane person, which you have done; so neither shall I flatter him, but faithfully reprove him for his exorbitant speeches of God.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
21. “May I never accept,”c. Elihu alludes to Job’s words (Job 13:8Job 13:10), wherein he complainsthat the friends plead for God partially, “accepting Hisperson.” Elihu says he will not do so, but will act impartiallybetween God and Job. “And I will not give flattery,” &c.(Pr 24:23).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Let me not, I pray you, accept any man’s person,…. Neither the person of Job, because of his poverty and affliction, indulging too much to pity and commiseration, and affecting to get a good name from others for it; nor the persons of his three friends, on account of their wealth and grandeur; for neither the persons of the poor, nor of the rich, are to be regarded in judgment, or in the decision of any matter between them, but truth and justice are to be attended to; see
Ex 23:3. Elihu was determined with himself not to respect the person of any, and he hopes that Job and his friends would bear with him, and excuse him on that account:
neither let me give flattering titles unto men; he does not mean titles of civil honour and respect, which belong to men, and are in common use among men, according to the different stations of life, men are in; for honour is to be given to whom it is due; and it is no piece of flattery to give men their proper and usual titles, as it was not in the Evangelist Luke, and in the Apostle Paul, Lu 1:3; but he means such titles that do not belong to men, and are unsuitable unto them, and only given them by way of flattery; as to call a man wise and prudent when he is the reverse; or a holy, just, and good man, when he is a very wicked one. Elihu was resolved not to act such a part, and he hopes the persons he had to deal with would not take it amiss that he spake his mind plainly and freely, and called a spade a spade; not must they or any other expect to be complimented by him with the characters of wise and prudent, just and good, if they did not appear to him to be so. According to Ben Gersom the sense is, that he would not hide a man’s name under epithets, but call him by his proper name; he would not do as they had done by Job, who, under covert names, meant him; as when they described a wicked man, and an hypocrite, designed him, but did not say so express words; now Elihu suggests, that, should Job or they appear to him to have acted a wrong part, he should tell them plainly of it, and say, thou art the man.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
21. Accept any man’s person. See note Job 13:8. Young as he is, Elihu will regard no one, but strive to be impartial. Job charged the friends with perverting the truth that they might please God, and thus “accept His person.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Job 32:21. Let me not, I pray you Elihu’s apology for himself is, that he would not presume to interpose in the debate till they who were his elders had done speaking: I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom, Job 32:7. But however, as God had given to every one their share of understanding, and as he then found in himself a strong impulse to speak, he would deliver his opinion with all freedom, and without flattery, or a partial inclination to either side. Let me not, I pray you, accept any man’s person. Let me not be partial to any man; for know I not, if I should be partial, that my Maker would destroy me in a moment? Heath and Peters.
REFLECTIONS.1st, The warm dispute was closed. A silent pause ensued: Job’s friends ceased to answer; counting him obstinate against conviction, and righteous in his own eyes, they forebore to reply: but now a new personage appears. With silence he had listened to the knotty controversy, perceives the fallacy and falsehood of the arguments on the one side, and the rashness and impatience on the other; and therefore, rising with warmth, he prepares to reprove both for their perverseness; Job’s friends, that they condemned him without evidence; and Job himself, that he justified himself rather than God; was more careful about his own reputation than God’s glory, and seemed more solicitous to vindicate himself than to justify God in the dispensations of his providence. Note; (1.) In angry disputes there is usually much to reprove on both sides. (2.) When we have a fault to find, it should be done to men’s faces, and not behind their backs. (3.) A gracious heart is jealous for the honour of God, and cannot, unmoved, see him slighted. (4.) A holy indignation against evil, and a temperate warmth in the cause of truth, are so far from being to be condemned, that they are highly commendable. We have,
1. The name and family of this moderator, Elihu, My God is he. Hence some have supposed him to be Christ, the son of Barachel, Blessed of God, of the kindred of Ram, the High and lofty One, the Buzite, despised and rejected of men; and to him other things in his speech and character may be applicable: but more generally he is supposed to be a descendant of Buz, the son of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, Gen 22:21.
2. He was a young man; had sat silent till his elders had spoken; and waited till none made any further reply. Note; Young men owe their elders deference; and, though they must not yield implicit faith, or sacrifice truth to any difference of years, yet they should wait respectfully till with propriety they may state their objections.
2nd, Elihu, having taken up the cause,
1. With great humility and modesty prefaces his discourse. He speaks of himself as diffident because of his youth, and afraid to speak before his elders. He had attentively heard them out, in hopes that every new speech would throw light on the argument, and rectify the mistakes of the former; but he owns that he was disappointed, and therefore hopes that he may, without presumption, beg an audience, and venture to speak his opinion on the subject. Note; (1.) In matters of doubtful disputation, it becomes us to be diffident of our own opinion, and more ready to hear the sentiments of our elders than forward to broach our own. (2.)
By-standers, who hear, cool and unprejudiced, often see farther than those, who, in the heat of dispute, have their judgment blinded by passion. (3.) If we have given others a long and patient hearing, it is but reasonable that we should be heard in our turn.
2. He mentions several reasons that emboldened him now to speak. [1.] Because there is a spirit in man, a rational spirit, capable of judging and thinking; or rather God puts his Spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth him understanding; and then the youngest may be wiser than the aged. Note; (1.) Since we have rational souls, the greater obligation lies on us to cultivate this distinguishing privilege. (2.) The wisdom of fallen man in spiritual matters is darkness, till the Spirit of God enlightens his understanding. [2.] Because neither greatness nor grey hairs are always repositories of wisdom; it is right that they should be, but we frequently see that they are not. [3.] Because, as the matter stood, the dispute was as far as ever from being settled; and their conceit of their wise arguments was groundless; for, though what they pleaded was allowed to be true, God thrusteth him down, not man; yet it would not be at all evident from thence, that Job was a wicked man, or a hypocrite, as they inferred. Note; They who call God to sanction the conclusions of their folly, or censoriousness, deserve a sharp rebuke. [4.] Because he came cool and unprejudiced to the dispute: Job’s speeches were not directed against him, neither was he partial to either party, but spake simply, with a view to the glory of God, and the elucidation of the truth. In order to which, he would not answer Job with their inconclusive arguments, accusing him as wicked, or pleading his sufferings as a proof of guilt; but, admitting his claim, and presuming his integrity, he intended to shew how unbecomingly he had spoken of God, and how unjustifiable were his complaints and hard speeches, which reflected upon the mercy, justice, and providence of God. Note; They have a right to speak, who can set the cause of truth in a light more convincing and striking than those who have gone before. Be it our care, that, like Elihu, we act up to the expectations that we have raised.
3rdly, Silent with amaze, Job’s friends attempted not to speak; attentive to what so young an orator could offer, when their store of argument was exhausted; while he, after waiting a while, proceeded,
1. To declare how full he was of the subject; as wine fermenting, he must speak or burst. Much he had to say; it was a burden to him to be longer silent; and, for relief of his own spirit, as well as their conviction, he was compelled to open his mouth. Note; They who speak for God should be earnest in their discourses, out of a heart big with zeal for God’s glory, and the good of men’s souls.
2. He professes to speak with impartial freedom, not sacrificing truth to compliment; neither because of Job’s distress, through false compassion dealing unfaithfully with him; nor because of his friend’s greatness, fearing to blame what was blameworthy in them: and thus he resolves to speak with an eye to God, who hates falsehood, and flattery. Note; (1.) The fear of God will set us above the fear of man. (2.) Compassion for the poor must no more influence us to be partial to them, than respect for the rich. Truth and justice must ever be the great considerations.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Job 32:21 Let me not, I pray you, accept any man’s person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man.
Ver. 21. Let me not, I pray you, accept any man’s person] q.d. This leave you must give me, or at least wise I must take it, since my life lieth upon it to be impartial and plain dealing, laying the blame where it lights, and sparing the pains of pleasing and parasitical poems of oratorical and rhetorical insinuations. Nihil loquar ad gratiam, &c. I shall know no man after the flesh in this business, nor look on any face. If Job found this fault with his other three friends, Job 13:7 , he shall have no cause so to do with me; but, as a right moderator, I will hear arguments speak, and not persons; I will shut out my friend, or my senior, and speak the truth in love. Diem hominis non desideravi, saith Jeremiah, Jer 17:16 . And, if I yet please men, I am no more the servant of Christ, Gal 1:10 ; See Trapp on “ Gal 1:10 “
Neither let me give flattering titles
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
accept: Job 13:8, Job 34:19, Lev 19:15, Deu 1:17, Deu 16:19, Pro 24:23, Mat 22:16
flattering: 2Sa 14:17, 2Sa 14:20, Act 12:22, Act 12:23, Act 24:2, Act 24:3
Reciprocal: Job 13:7 – General Job 17:5 – He that Psa 5:9 – they Psa 15:4 – a vile Mat 23:9 – call 1Th 2:5 – used
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Job 32:21-22. Let me not accept any mans person So as, either from fear of, or respect to, any man, to speak otherwise than I think. Do not expect me to speak partially, or by way of flattery, to any one, but bear with my free and plain dealing. As he found himself under a strong impulse to speak, so he would deliver his opinion with all freedom, and without partial inclination to either side. For I know not to give flattering titles That is, I have neither skill nor inclination to flatter Job nor any man, so as to corrupt the truth, or speak falsely for his sake. In so doing, &c. If I should be guilty of that sin; my Maker would soon take me away Namely, out of this world: God would quickly and sorely punish me for it. Or, without supplying the words, in so doing, which are not in the Hebrew, the sense is, I dare not flatter any man, because I must shortly die and go to judgment, to give an account of all my words and actions. The more closely we eye the majesty of God, says Henry, as our Maker, and the more we dread his wrath and justice, the less danger shall we be in of a sinful fearing or flattering of men.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
32:21 Let me not, I pray you, accept any man’s person, {m} neither let me give flattering titles unto man.
(m) I will neither have regard for riches, credit, nor authority but will speak the very truth.