Bible Strands
Job 32:16
Must I wait, now that they are silent, now that they stand and no longer reply?
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Elihu speaks to Job and his three friends at the exact moment they have exhausted their arguments and fallen silent.
The words — וְהוֹחַלְתִּי (wəhōḥaltî) translates literally as "and I will wait," while יְדַבֵּרוּ (yəḏabbērû) means "they speak."
The thread — The dynamic of silence appears in Job 13:5, Proverbs 17:28, and Amos 5:13, where restraint is either commanded or praised depending on the context.
Why it lands — The passage requires a reader to distinguish between wise restraint and the point where silence from opponents signals the end of dialogue and the start of a new response.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
When I had waited, (for they spake not, but stood still, and answered no more;)
Cross-references
- Job 13:5 If only you would remain silent; for that would be your wisdom!
- Proverbs 17:28 Even a fool is considered wise if he keeps silent, and discerning when he holds his tongue.
- Amos 5:13 Therefore, the prudent keep silent in such times, for the days are evil.
- James 1:19 My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,