Omitting Elihu's speeches does not disrupt the flow of the Book of Job. Job remains silent in response to him, and Elihu’s words are cut short by the emergence of the Lord. The style of Elihu’s speech differs from that of Job and his friends. The overall coherence and structural integrity of the book as a poetic work further suggest that Elihu’s speeches could be viewed as intrusive. However, these interpretations arise from a misguided perspective on the Book of Job as merely a poem. By understanding the historical significance of the text, we can offer simpler and more plausible explanations for the seemingly odd inclusion of Elihu's speeches. Being the youngest among the speakers, Elihu explains that he refrained from speaking while the elders were engaged in conversation. As the youngest, he may not have been considered a friend of Job, which would explain his absence in earlier mentions. It can be conjectured that he, as someone nearest to Job's home, was present throughout the discourse and perhaps even authored the text, thus omitting any reference to himself in the introduction or conclusion. The style of Elihu's speeches cannot be dismissed as belonging to a different era; it exhibits the same distinct expressions and varied tonalities found in the other speeches, sometimes forceful and animated, at other times vague and monotonous. Regarding Job’s silence during Elihu’s discourse and the interruption by the Lord’s presence: Job had already articulated and affirmed his innocence sufficiently. Job likely recognized, at least somewhat, the validity of Elihu's rebuke that he had presumptuously demanded a ruling from the Almighty. The Lord would echo this same criticism toward Job. Elihu's speeches accuse Job solely for this arrogance, without casting doubt on Job's integrity, unlike Job’s friends. Thus, Elihu serves as a mediator between Job and his friends. By reproaching Job for his bold claim of seeking divine judgment, he effectively silences him; conversely, by challenging his friends for their baseless suspicions of hidden sins, Elihu more definitively highlights the innocence of Job the sufferer. Therefore, Elihu's discourse is neither superfluous nor inappropriate but is essential for the completion and structure of the entire work. Until this point, Elihu had remained silent as a younger man, believing that Job's friends, along with Job himself, being his elders, were more adept at interpreting the divine will and its implications. Following the societal norms that discouraged the youth from speaking in the presence of elders, he chose to remain a listener. Yet, upon witnessing the inability of Job's friends to substantiate their accusations against him, he became enraged, both at them and at Job; thus, contrary to custom, he resolved to voice his thoughts.
THEOSIS