Bible Strands
Job 32:5
But when he saw that the three men had no further reply, his anger was kindled.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Elihu speaks to Job and the three friends at the precise moment they cease their arguments. He addresses them after waiting because the others were older than he.
The words — The Hebrew יָרַא (yar') means "he saw," and אֵין מַעֲנֶה בְּפִי (ein ma'aneh be-fi) translates literally as "there was no answer in the mouth of." The text states that Elihu observed the three men's silence before his anger was kindled.
The thread — This sudden anger follows the earlier declaration in Job 32:2 that Elihu's wrath was already burning against Job for justifying himself rather than God. The pattern of anger at visible provocation also runs to Exodus 32:19.
Why it lands — The verse records a factual transition from prolonged debate to complete silence, demanding the reader note the exact moment Elihu decides to intervene. It asks the reader to observe how unresolved human argument directly precedes a new speaker's emotional 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 Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, then his wrath was kindled.
Cross-references
- Exodus 32:19 As Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, he burned with anger and threw the tablets out of his hands, shattering them at the base of the mountain.
- Job 32:2 This kindled the anger of Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram. He burned with anger against Job for justifying himself rather than God,