Job 32:3

3 he was angry also at Job's three friends because they had found no answer, though they had declared Job to be in the wrong.

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 ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.
2 Then Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became angry. He was angry at Job because he justified himself rather than God;
3 he was angry also at Job's three friends because they had found no answer, though they had declared Job to be in the wrong.
4 Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job, because they were older than he.
5 But when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouths of these three men, he became angry.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Another ancient tradition reads [answer, and had put God in the wrong]
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.