But when he saw that the three men had no further reply, his anger was kindled.
Parallel translations
- WEB When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was kindled.
- KJV When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, then his wrath was kindled.
- NKJV When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was aroused.
- NASB But when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of the three men, his anger burned.
- NLT But when he saw that they had no further reply, he spoke out angrily.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
When Elihu saw the three friends had no answer, his anger was kindled. Their silence prompts him to finally speak.
Overview
Observing that the three friends were now speechless and unable to reply to Job, Elihu can no longer restrain his indignation. Their failure to resolve the debate becomes his occasion to enter it. This moment marks a turning point in the book, introducing speeches that, while imperfect, raise important themes about God's justice and discipline that prepare the reader for God's own voice from the whirlwind.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- Job 32:2This 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,
- Exod 32:19As 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.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Job's cry for a mediator who can lay his hand on both God and man, and his confidence that 'my Redeemer lives' and will stand on the earth, reaches forward to Jesus the living Redeemer.
How Job 32:5 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.