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Elihu

Biblical
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Young friend of Job who offered a different perspective on suffering

Detailed Definition
Elihu, younger than Job’s other friends, argued that suffering purifies and instructs, avoiding their errors while affirming God’s justice and mercy. In poetry, Elihu symbolizes fresh insight amid stale debate, the voice of youthful wisdom that bridges human complaint and divine mystery, and the humility that speaks only after listening—often representing mediating truth in theological discourse.
Example
Example in poetry:
In William Blake’s "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell," Elihu’s speeches in Job are referenced as an example of youthful wisdom challenging elder dogma; In Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s "A Drama of Exile," Elihu symbolizes the voice of divine correction outside established authority; In George Herbert’s "The Church-porch," Elihu’s insistence on God’s justice models reverent argument; In John Keble’s "Lyra Apostolica," Elihu represents the bold yet humble interlocutor in spiritual debate; In Christina Rossetti’s "Later Life," Elihu’s sudden appearance in Job illustrates how truth may come from unexpected sources; In T.S. Eliot’s "Four Quartets," Elihu’s critique of Job’s friends echoes the need for fresh revelation beyond tradition.
Additional Notes
Elihu: A younger speaker in the Book of Job (chapters 32–37) who enters after Job’s three friends fall silent; he claims divine inspiration and emphasizes God’s transcendence and justice. Unlike the other friends, Elihu is not rebuked by God, suggesting his perspective holds partial truth—though still incomplete compared to God’s final speeches. In poetry, Elihu offers a model for impassioned, self-assured rhetoric that straddles human wisdom and prophetic fervor; useful for exploring the limits of theological argument, youthful certainty, or the tension between empathy and dogma. His name (“My God is He”) underscores his theocentric focus, making him ideal for dramatic monologues or meditations on the role of the “fourth voice” in dialogic structures.
Also Known As
Elihu son of Barachel Elihu the Buzite
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