Albert Barnes Commentary Job 37:19

"Teach us what we shall say unto him; [For] we cannot set [our speech] in order by reason of darkness." — Job 37:19 (ASV)

Teach us what we shall say unto him — This seems to be addressed to Job. It is the language of Elihu, implying that he was overawed with a sense of the majesty and glory of such a God. He did not know how, or with what words, to approach such a Being, and he asks Job to inform him, if he knew.

We cannot order our speech by reason of darkness — Job had repeatedly expressed a desire to present his case directly before God and to argue it in His presence. He felt confident that if he could do that, he would be able to present it so as to obtain a judgment in his favor (see Job 13:3, note; Job 13:18–22, notes).

Elihu now intends, indirectly, to censure that confidence. He says that he and his friends were so overawed by the majesty of God, and felt themselves so ignorant and so poorly qualified to judge Him and His works, that they would not know what to say. They were in darkness. They could not understand even the works of His hands that were directly before them, and the most common operations of nature were inscrutable to them.

How then could they presume to arraign God? How could they manage a case before Him with any hope of success?

It is hardly necessary to say that the state of mind Elihu refers to here is one that should be cultivated, and that the feelings he expresses are those with which we should approach the Creator.

We need someone to teach us. We are surrounded by mysteries that we cannot comprehend, and we should, therefore, approach our Maker with profound reverence and submission.