New Books in Biblical Studies Cooper Smith, "Allusive and Elusive: Allusion and the Elihu Speeches of Job 32-37" (Brill, 2022)
Oct 5, 2025
Cooper Smith, a biblical scholar and author of *Allusive and Elusive*, dives into the complexities of Elihu's character in the Book of Job. He discusses the divergent scholarly interpretations of Elihu's significance, raising questions about his role in the narrative. Cooper reveals his methodology for uncovering 23 allusions in Elihu's speeches that either support or challenge his arguments. These allusions subtly shift reader sympathy from Job toward Elihu, preparing the audience for the ultimate speeches of Yahweh.
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Personal Journey To Job Scholarship
- Cooper Smith first encountered Job during personal suffering and found it a resource for faith and hope.
- His graduate work and advanced Hebrew study later shifted him to scholarly interest in Elihu and allusion.
Elihu Sparked The Research Focus
- Elihu caught Smith's attention because he appears suddenly in Job 32 and disappears in 37, sparking interpretive debate.
- That curiosity became the focus of Smith's doctoral work and this book.
Job's Narrative Frames Big Questions
- The Book of Job compresses a complex argument into a story of a righteous man who suffers, debates, and meets God.
- That interpersonal arc supplies multiple thematic questions rather than a single lesson.
