John Trapp on Job 32:2

Verſe 2. Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu] Or, Then burnt the noſe of Elihu; a Periphraſis of anger, which appeareth in the noſe, eyes, and other parts of the body; — Qun enim celaverit ignem? Who can hide fire? The Rabbins have a ſaying, that a man ſhewes what he is becos, bechis, becagnas, by his purſe, his cups, and his anger; which if it be raſh and unadviſed, is a mortal ſin, and not venial, (as the Papiſts falſely infer from Matth 5.22.) diſpoſſeſſing a man of his wit and reaſon, and disfiguring his body with fierineſſe of the face, ſwelling of the veines, ſtammering of the tongue, gnaſhing of the teeth, and many other impotent and unmanly behaviours. Hence angry men were counſelled, in the hear of their fit, to look themſelves in a glaſſe, where they may ſee themſelves ſwolne like a toad, glowing like a divel, &c. But Elihues anger was not of this kind. A fire it was, but the [illegible: 1 word] of God, as holy Zeal is called, Cant. 8.6. a moſt vehement flame, (as it is there rendred) kindled upon the hearth of his heart by the ſpirit of judgement and of burning, Iſai. 4.4. and ſuch as many waters could not quench, for this zeal is the extreme heat of all the affections; and the coales thereof are coales of fire, Cant. 8.6. only we muſt ſee that it burn clear and quick, without all ſmoak of ſin; wherein, though Elihu ſomewhat faulted, yet, becauſe he was right for the main, all was well taken. We are apt to mingle ſin with our beſt actions, and ſo to plow with an Oxe and an Aſſe. But God conſiders whereof we are made, and graciouſly layes the finger of mercy on the ſcars of our ſinnes, as that Limner in the Story.

Of Elihu the ſon of Barachel the Buzite] Deſcended he was of good parents (Fortes creantur fortibus & bonis) who gave him a good name, ſignifying, He is my God, or, My God is Jehovah; to inmind him of his duty, whereunto we have need of all helps that may be. His fathers name Barachel, ſignifyeth, One whom God hath bleſſed: He had bleſſed him indeed in ſo good a ſon, as could not but make him a glad father, Prov. 10.1. The Buzite he is called, either from his Progenitor Buz, the ſon of Nahor, who was the brother of Abraham, and had by Milcah, Huz his firſt-born (of whom ſome think Job came) and Buz his brother, Gen. 22. 21.Tradit in Gen. Or elſe from his country, the City of Buz, a City of Idumea, Jer. 25.23. Hierom will have this Elihu to be the ſame with Balaam, who whiles young, was a Prophet of God, and dealt thus divinely with Job, but afterwards being corrupted by Balac, he became the Divels Spelman. This I look upon as a Jewiſh tradition, not much to be credited. His pedigree is here more fully deſcribed, Ʋt certitudo h[illegible: 1 letter]ſt ria oſtenderetur, ſaith Mercer; That we might not doubt of the truth and certainty of the hiſtory ſo circumſtanced: as alſo, becauſe Elihu did better then the reſt of Jobs friends, who proved no better then Satans inſtruments. How he came to make one amongſt them, we know not. It is conceived, that hearing of the going of the other three by conſent to viſit Job, he alſo went to hear their conferences, not doubting but that he ſhould thereby very much benefit his underſtanding But failing in ſome ſort of his expectation, and finding both parties out in their diſcourſes, he ſteps forth, and takes the boldneſſe to interpoſe as an Arbiter, or Moderator, blaming both ſides, and beginning, in the ſix following Chapters, that determination of the difference betwixt them, which God himſelf will afterwards finiſh. Mean-while it is well obſerved by learned Beza, Beza [illegible: 1 letter]rafa[illegible: 2 letters] this chap. that Elihu in blaming Job (as there was cauſe) doth for the moſt part interpret Jobs words far otherwiſe then he meant them; and moreover, that even in finding fault with thoſe things that were juſtly to be found fault withal, he kept not alwayes that moderation that was meet; which is evident to godly men, and eſpecially ſuch as are of a more earneſt nature and diſpoſition; ſo hard a thing is it even when we do well, not to offend on the one ſide or on the other. But if we conſider how far Job, being thereto driven by the importunity of his Accuſers, and his moſt intolerable calamity, did range out of the right way, and how we are all given, even to the uttermoſt, to defend and maintain our credit and eſtimation, eſpecially when we are therein touched by thoſe men, who ought, leaſt of all others to have done the ſame: We ſhall confeſſe, that it was very requiſite and neceſſary for Job rather to be cenſured in this ſharp manner, as he was, then after any milder ſort; to the end he might the better acknowledg and humble himſelf before God; as alwayes he had done, till through the ſlanderous ſpeeches of his friends, he was drawn into theſe altercations.

Of the kindred of Ram [illegible: 1 letter] E familia Syra, ſo Tremellius; as if Ram were put for Aram. The Chaldee ſaith, it is put for Abraham, who was firſt called R[illegible: 1 letter]m. ſecondly Abram, thirdly, Abraham. But Elihu was of the family of N[illegible: 1 letter]hor, rather then of Abraham; and Ram ſeemeth to have been ſome famous man of that family.

Becauſe he juſtified himſelf rather then God] This he did not directly, & totidem verbis; but by conſequence; and Elihu was kindled at it. It is a bleſſed thing to have a ſtomack for God, and to be blown up in his Cauſe, as was Moſes Exod. 22. Eliah with his Zelando zelavi, Phinehas, David, Chriſt, Job. 3.17. the Angel of Epheſus, Rev 22. To be all on a light fire, with love to God, and indignation againſt all that do him any diſhonour by word or deed. J[illegible: 1 letter]b had uttered ſome diſcontented ſpeeches againſt God; which reflected upon his Juſtice and Goodneſſe; he had alſo deſpaired of a reſtauration, and moſt earneſtly wiſhed for death, &c. and thereby ſeemed to juſtifie himſelfe rather then God; this good Elihu could not brook.