What is "Esh"?
Rashi citing Targum Yonasan: A camp of angels of fire.
What is "Kol Demamah Dakah"?
Rashi citing Targum Yonasan: It is a voice praising [Hashem] quietly.
Radak (13): It is a low voice.
Malbim: This is Nogah (brightness), and in it is like Chashmal - Chash Memalel (speaking in a whisper).
It says about Iyov's friend Elifaz "Demamah va'Kol Eshma" (Iyov 4:16). Did a Navi of the other nations merit to hear like Eliyahu did?!
Rashi #1: For Elifaz 1 , the praise was that he heard the Demamah. (Eliyahu heard the Demamah, and then a voice speaking to him; this was a greater praise.)
Rashi #2: I heard that [Elifaz heard] a voice that comes amidst Demamah, i.e. an echo, but not the voice (Demamah) itself.
Every opinion in Bava Basra 15b, except for one, holds that Iyov lived after Moshe. If so, Elifaz was Jewish, for Hashem granted Moshe's request not to give prophecy to Nochrim from then and onwards! However, the primary opinion holds that Iyov was a Nochri (and presumably, also his friends were); he lived while Bnei Yisrael were in Egypt. (PF)
What is the significance that Hashem was only in quiet, at the end?
Malbim: This was a lesson for Sheluchim and Nevi'im of Hashem - they should not make a storm and a great noise like Eliyahu did amidst his Kin'ah for Hashem, and withheld [rain from] Shamayim and killed Nevi'ei ha'Ba'al. Hashem sends his Nevi'im and comes to them in a soft voice, and they should draw people [to serve Hashem] with ropes of love and soft words.
Lev Eliyahu (Shemos p.154): This episode (Ru'ach, noise, fire, quiet) hints to the order of Tefilah. Birkos ha'Shachar correspond to the world of Asiyah, Pesukei d'Zimrah correspond to the world of Yetzirah, Birkos Keri'as Shma correspond to the world of Beriyah, and Shemoneh Esre corresponds to the world of Atzeilus. Rashi, citing Targum Yonasan - Kol Demamah Dakah is a voice praising [Hashem] quietly.
