Job 32:3

3 He was also angry with the three friends, because they had found no way to refute Job, and yet had condemned him.[a]

Job 32:3 in Other Translations

KJV
3 Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.
ESV
3 He burned with anger also at Job's three friends because they had found no answer, although they had declared Job to be in the wrong.
NLT
3 He was also angry with Job’s three friends, for they made God appear to be wrong by their inability to answer Job’s arguments.
MSG
3 He was also angry with the three friends because they had neither come up with an answer nor proved Job wrong.
CSB
3 He was also angry at Job's three friends because they had failed to refute [him], and yet had condemned him.

Job 32:3 Meaning and Commentary

Job 32:3

Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled
He did not take part with either side, but blamed both, and took upon him to be a moderator between them, and deal impartially with them: what highly displeased him, and raised his spirit against the three friends of Job, was,

because they had found no answer;
they were at a loss for one, for a sufficient one; they had all of them been answering him in their turns again and again, but with nothing to the purpose, not with anything conclusive and convincing; and particularly they could find and give no answer to Job's last vindication of himself:

and [yet] had condemned Job;
as a very wicked man, and an hypocrite, for no other reason but because he was afflicted; and they still persisted in their sentiment, though Job had so fully cleared himself, and put them to entire silence; this exasperated Elihu, to observe these men to retain so unreasonable a sentiment, to pronounce such a rash sentence, and yet could make no reply to Job's defence of himself. Jarchi says, this place is one of the corrections of the Scribes, it having been formerly written "God" instead of "Job"; as if the sense was, that Elihu was provoked with them, because by their silence they had condemned the Lord, not vindicating his honour and glory as became them; but Aben Ezra declares his ignorance of that correction, and observes, that they that say so knew what was hid from him.

Job 32:3 In-Context

1 So these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.
2 But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God.
3 He was also angry with the three friends, because they had found no way to refute Job, and yet had condemned him.
4 Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job because they were older than he.
5 But when he saw that the three men had nothing more to say, his anger was aroused.

Cross References 3

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Masoretic Text; an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition "Job, and so had condemned God"
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