Elihu: Audacity

Updated September 2026 with background on Elihu in Job 32-37, reflection questions, and how to speak up with both courage and respect.

Tonight I finally finished up Job on my quest to read the entire bible chronologically in a year. After getting though his friends arguments, and Job’s final discourse, we hear from this character named, Elihu. To be honest, I didn’t know there was another guy in this audience besides Job and his three friends, but here comes this young guy who makes sense of everything.

It is not only the old who are wise, not only the aged who understand what is right.

— Job 32:9 (New International Version)

Since I was young, I believe my parents really instilled this belief in me. They taught me how to be audacious. No wonder I got a 7% on that freshmen personality test for respect for authority. I mean, I do believe in respecting your elders, and a position, but I’m not against opposing it either. When I was four, we were driving through the neighborhood we used to live in, and my then, seven year old brother, Wesley, said, “Man, things sure have changed.” To which my parents say I said, “Change is inevitable.”

I’m sticking by that belief, because my life’s motto is: I do what I say, and I say what I mean.

Change is inevitable. Are you ready?

Our Father,
Christ, you know how I stumble. How I mess up. How I freak out. How I worry. How I stutter. You; however, do none of these things. May I be more like you, and less like me. God you taught me to let my light shine so others can do the same. Have it Your way.
In His name, Amen.

Who is Elihu in the book of Job?

If you’ve never noticed him either, you’re not alone. Elihu shows up in Job 32 and speaks all the way through Job 37. He’s introduced as the son of Barachel the Buzite (Job 32:2), and he’s younger than everyone else in the room.

Here’s what stands out about him. He waited. He sat through every round of the debate without saying a word because he assumed age would bring wisdom (Job 32:4-7). Then he realized understanding comes from the breath of the Almighty, not from gray hair (Job 32:8-9). So he finally spoke.

He was frustrated with both sides. He was angry with Job for defending himself more than he defended God, and angry with the three friends for condemning Job without actually answering him (Job 32:2-3). Elihu argues that God speaks in more ways than we notice, even through dreams and pain, to turn people back from the pit (Job 33:14-19). He ends by pointing to God’s power in the storm (Job 37), and right after that, God Himself answers Job out of the whirlwind (Job 38:1).

To be fair, Bible teachers don’t all agree on Elihu. Some see him as preparing the way for God’s speech. Others think he’s just one more confident young voice. God rebukes the three friends at the end (Job 42:7) but never mentions Elihu at all. I still think there’s something worth learning from how he spoke up.

Audacity with respect

Elihu’s audacity wasn’t rudeness. He listened first. Proverbs warns that answering before you listen is foolish and shameful (Proverbs 18:13), and James tells us to be quick to listen and slow to speak (James 1:19). Elihu did both before he said a word.

Paul told young Timothy not to let anyone look down on him for being young, but to set an example in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity (1 Timothy 4:12). Peter also tells younger people to submit to their elders and tells everyone to clothe themselves with humility (1 Peter 5:5). Both are true. Respect and courage aren’t opposites. The goal is to honor people and still say what is true.

Questions to sit with

Is there something you’ve been holding back because you think you’re too young or too new?
Have you listened long enough to really understand the people you disagree with?
When you speak up, are you defending God’s name or your own?
Does what you say match what you do?

How to speak up well

If you’re the youngest person on the team, at church, or around the table, here’s what I’d recommend. Listen all the way through first. Ask questions before you make statements. Come with solutions, not just judgments. Then say what you mean, kindly and clearly, and leave the results to God.

You don’t need permission to be wise. You need humility, a listening ear, and the courage to open your mouth when it matters.