“But in this you are not right.
I will answer you.
God is greater than any mortal man.
Why do you contend against him?
You say.
‘He will answer none of my words.’
God speaks in one way.
God speaks in two ways,
Although people do not perceive it.
In a dream,
In a vision of the night,
When deep sleep falls on mortals,
While they slumber on their beds,
Then he opens the ears of men.
He terrifies them with warnings.
So that he may turn man aside from their deeds.
He tries to keep them from pride.
He wants to spare their souls from the pit.
He wants to spare their lives from traversing the river.
They are also chastened with pain upon their beds.
They have continual strife in their bones.
Their lives loathe bread.
Their appetites loathe dainty food.
Their flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen.
Their bones, once invisible, now stick out.
Their souls draw near the pit.
Their lives draw near to those who bring death.”
Elihu felt that Job was wrong. He cannot contend against God, since God is greater than any mortal. Job was complaining that God was not listening and communicating with him. Elihu explained that God communicated in 1 or 2 ways but people do not understand it. Sometimes, he communicates via a dream when people are asleep with terrifying results. Other times, God strikes mortals with painful illness while they are in their beds also. This painful experience may be a learning experience. They get so sick that they do not want to eat anything. They waste away so that all that you see are their bones sticking out through their skin as they get close to death. So God does communicate but we mortals do not hear or understand dreams and illness. The pit may mean a burial place or Sheol, but probably just a burial place.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 