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Job 6:29
Return, I pray you, let it not be iniquity; yea, return again, my righteousnessis in it.

Job 10:2,7
I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me…

Job 13:15
Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

because he was righteous in his own eyes
This phrase suggests that Job maintained his integrity and self-perception of righteousness despite his friends' accusations. In the cultural and historical context of the Ancient Near East, righteousness was often associated with adherence to social and religious norms. Job's insistence on his innocence challenges the retributive justice theology held by his friends. This self-perception is not necessarily prideful but reflects Job's honest assessment of his life and actions. Theologically, this sets up a tension between human understanding of righteousness and divine perspective, which is later addressed by God. This phrase also foreshadows the New Testament theme of righteousness through faith, as seen inRomans 3:22, where righteousness is apart from the law and through faith in Jesus Christ.

– The “three men” are Job’s long-time companions: Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar (Job 2:11).

– Earlier they had come to comfort Job, but their speeches gradually turned accusatory (Job 4–25).

– Their background as respected elders made their silence notable (cf.Job 15:9-10; 32:6-7).

– Scripture frequently shows counselors reaching a limit when hearts grow unreceptive (Proverbs 26:4-5).

– Their withdrawal sets the stage for Elihu’s fresh voice and, ultimately, for God’s direct reply (Job 32:6; 38:1).

– They had offered three full cycles of arguments, yet Job’s replies dismantled their assumptions (Job 27:1-6).

– Fatigue and frustration silenced them; they could no longer press their flawed theology of retribution (Job 32:15-16).

– In moments when human wisdom fails, Scripture points to the need for divine revelation (Isaiah 55:8-9;1 Corinthians 1:25).

– Their silence underscores that debates without true insight cannot resolve deep spiritual questions (Ecclesiastes 3:7).

– Job steadfastly maintained his integrity: “I will maintain my righteousness and never let go of it” (Job 27:6).

– His self-defense was understandable in light of false accusations, yet it edged toward self-vindication (Job 31:35-37).

– Scripture warns that even genuine sufferers can slip into self-righteousness when pressed (Proverbs 16:2;Luke 18:9-14).

– The friends misread Job’s stance as arrogance, but God would later affirm Job’s truthfulness while correcting his perspective (Job 42:7-9).

– Ultimately, true righteousness is measured by God alone, a theme echoed throughout Scripture (Romans 3:10;Philippians 3:9).

Job 32:1 marks a critical pause: the friends—out of arguments and convinced Job was self-righteous—fall silent. Their silence reveals the limits of human reasoning and the danger of both accusatory counsel and self-defense that leans toward self-righteousness. The verse prepares readers for Elihu’s intervention and God’s forthcoming revelation, reminding us that only the Lord can rightly diagnose hearts and bring resolution to suffering.

(1)So these three men ceased.--The next six chapters are taken up with the reply of a fourth person not before mentioned, but who appears to have been present during the discussion, and who is described as Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram. The name appears to mean,He is my God.The person from whom he was descended seems to have been the son of Nahor, Abraham's brother (Genesis 22:21); and a city of the like name is mentioned inJeremiah 25:23. There is a Ram mentioned inRuth 4:19, who was the great grandson of Judah; but we can hardly suppose this was the Ram of whose kindred Elihu was. On the other hand, we have no clue to the identification; for even if, with some, we suppose him to have been the same as Aram, the son of Kemuel, and great nephew of Abraham, it is not easy to see how a descendant of Buz, his uncle, should have been described as of the kindred of Ram. One tradition identifies Ram with Abraham, but this is mere conjecture, and in this case highly improbable; the only inference we can draw is that this specification of Elihu serves to show that he was a real, and not an imaginary, personage. The Targum speaks of Elihu as a relative of Abraham. If we are right in putting the life of Elihu so far back, the whole position and surroundings of Job's history become the more probable, because what is told us of Abraham and the patriarchs corresponds with the description and character of Job; and then, also, the traditional Mosaic origin of the Book of Job becomes the more probable.

Because he was righteous in his own eyes.--This appears fromJob 3:26;Job 6:10;Job 6:29;Job 10:7;Job 13:15;Job 19:6, &c.,Job 23:7;Job 23:10-12;Job 27:6;Job 29:12, &c. . . .