Job 29:10

10 The voices of the important men were quiet, as if their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.

Job 29:10 Meaning and Commentary

Job 29:10

The nobles held their peace
These may be in some respects inferior to the others; not princes of the blood, or sons of kings, who were properly princes, and yet great personages, of a noble extraction, and of considerable families: some think the leaders and generals of armies are meant, commanders and captains, and such like military officers, those sons of Mars, who are generally bold and daring, boisterous and blustering, and full of talk; and yet even these held their peace in the presence of Job:, or their "voice [was] hid" {r}; it could not be heard:

and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth;
so that they had no use of it, and it was as if they had none, see ( Ezekiel 3:26 ) . Here are various expressions made use of, signifying the profound silence of great personages while Job was present; and this silence was owing either to a consciousness of their own weakness, and lest they should, by speaking before him, betray it, and he should expose them; or to the desire they had of hearing Job's opinion first, which was as an oracle to them, and usually determined matters in debate before them; such high sentiments did they entertain of Job's good sense and abilities.

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FOOTNOTES:

F18 (wabxn) "occultabatur", Drusius; "occultabat se", Piscator.

Job 29:10 In-Context

8 When the young men saw me, they would step aside, and the old men would stand up in respect.

9 The leading men stopped speaking and covered their mouths with their hands.

10 The voices of the important men were quiet, as if their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.

11 Anyone who heard me spoke well of me, and those who saw me praised me,

12 because I saved the poor who called out and the orphan who had no one to help.