Job 29 · Verse 10

Job 29:10

The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
Job 29:10, King James Version

Job 29:10 in other translations

BSBThe voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths.
WEBThe voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
ASVThe voice of the nobles was hushed, And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
YLTThe voice of leaders hath been hidden, And their tongue to the palate hath cleaved.
DARBYThe voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue cleaved to their palate.
BBEThe chiefs kept back their words, and their tongues were joined to the roofs of their mouths.
WebsterThe nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.

What does Job 29:10 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 29:7-10

7-10. The great influence Job had over young and old, and noblemen. through ... street!--rather, When I went out of my house, in the country (see Job 1:1, prologue) to the gate (ascending), up to the city (which was on elevated ground), and when I prepared my (judicial) seat in the market place. The market place was the place of judgment, at the gate or propylæa of the city, such as is found in the remains of…

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Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 10 The nobles held their peace - Princes שרים sarim, and Nobles, נגידים negidim, must have been two different classes of the great men of Idumea. שר sar, Prince, director, or ruler, was probably the head of a township, or what we would call a magistrate of a particular district. נגיד nagid, a Noble, or one of those who had the privilege of standing before, or in the presence of, the chief ruler. The participle נגד neged is frequently used to signify before, in the presence of, publicly, openly. And on this account, it is most likely that the noun means one of those nobles or counsellors who were always admitted to the royal presence. Mr. Good thinks that renowned speakers or eminent orators are meant: and others have embraced the same opinion. Job here intimates that his judgment was so sound, his decisions so accredited, and his reasoning power so great, that every person paid him the utmost deference.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Job 29:7-17

All sorts of people paid respect to Job, not only for the dignity of his rank, but for his personal merit, his prudence, integrity, and good management. Happy the men who are blessed with such gifts as these! They have great opportunities of honouring God and doing good, but have great need to watch against pride. Happy the people who are blessed with such men! it is a token for good to them. Here we see what Job…

Read the full comment on Job 29:7-17 →

Job 29:10 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

קוֹל\־kol-[the] voice ofH6963
נְגִידִ֥יםne.gi.DimnoblesH5057
נֶחְבָּ֑אוּnech.Ba.'uthey were hiddenH2244
וּ֝לְשׁוֹנָ֗םu.le.sho.Namand tongue theirH3956
לְחִכָּ֥םle.chi.Kamto palate theirH2441
דָּבֵֽקָה\׃da.Ve.kahit stuckH1692

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Job 29:10

  • Psalms 137:6

    If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.

  • Ezekiel 3:26

    And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover: for they are a rebellious house.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
nobles held their peace. Heb. voice of the nobles was hid.their tongue.
Ps 137:6; Eze 3:26

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Job 29:9

    The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.

  • Job 29:10

    The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.

  • Job 29:11

    When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:

Read all of Job 29

Job 29:10 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		La voz de los principales se ocultaba, y su lengua se pegaba á su paladar:
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		La voix des nobles s’éteignait, et leur langue se collait à leur palais.
German
Elberfelder 1871		die Stimme der Vornehmen verstummte, und ihre Zunge klebte an ihrem Gaumen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Vocem suam cohibebant duces, et lingua eorum gutturi suo adhærebat.