Job 32 11

Job 32:11 kjv

Behold, I waited for your words; I gave ear to your reasons, whilst ye searched out what to say.

Job 32:11 nkjv

Indeed I waited for your words, I listened to your reasonings, while you searched out what to say.

Job 32:11 niv

I waited while you spoke, I listened to your reasoning; while you were searching for words,

Job 32:11 esv

"Behold, I waited for your words, I listened for your wise sayings, while you searched out what to say.

Job 32:11 nlt

"I have waited all this time,
listening very carefully to your arguments,
listening to you grope for words.

Job 32 verses

Job 32 11 Meaning

Job 32:11 details Elihu's claim of having patiently and attentively listened to the extended dialogue between Job and his three friends. He declares that he deliberately waited for their arguments and reasoning to be fully articulated, allowing them ample time to search for and present their most considered thoughts before he chose to speak. This verse serves as his justification for entering the conversation, emphasizing his careful and respectful, yet critical, observation of their discourse.

Job 32 11 Context

Job chapter 32 introduces Elihu, a previously silent bystander who becomes exasperated by the unproductive dialogue between Job and his three friends (Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar). The preceding chapters covered their exhaustive exchanges where Job maintained his innocence while the friends repeatedly accused him of sin as the cause of his suffering, basing their arguments on traditional wisdom. With the main characters now silent, Elihu, despite being younger, feels compelled to speak. Job 32:1-5 describes his dual anger: at Job for justifying himself instead of God, and at the friends for their inability to convincingly refute Job while still condemning him. Verse 11 provides Elihu's personal preamble, establishing his credibility not through age or social standing, but through diligent attention. He asserts that he maintained a posture of respect and patience, meticulously observing the entirety of their elaborate intellectual efforts to understand Job's plight. This patient listening is his groundwork for presenting what he believes to be a more complete and accurate perspective.

Job 32 11 Word analysis

• Behold (הִנֵּה - hinnēh): An interjection that serves to draw immediate and strong attention to the speaker's statement. It often signals a significant declaration or introduces a new, important aspect, much like saying "Lo!" or "Indeed!" It underscores the solemnity and importance Elihu attaches to his explanation.
• I waited (יָחַלְתִּי - yaḥaltî): From the Hebrew root yāḥal (יָחַל), meaning "to wait, hope, be patient, tarry." This term conveys an active and intentional period of expectation and patient endurance. Elihu emphasizes his deliberate choice to withhold comment, indicating respect for the protocol of allowing elders to speak first and fully.
• for your words (לְדִבְרֵיכֶם - ləḏiḇrêḵem): Dāḇār (דָּבָר) signifies "word, speech, matter, affair, message, or argument." The plural form here encompasses the collective content of the three friends' entire discourse and propositions. Elihu highlights that he waited for the entirety of their verbal output, not just isolated statements.
• I listened (אַקְשִׁיב - 'aqšîḇ): Derived from qāšab (קָשַׁב), meaning "to pay attention, to give ear, to listen intently or carefully." This verb implies more than just auditory reception; it indicates active and focused discernment, a critical engagement with what was being said, signifying intellectual absorption.
• to your reasonings (עַד־תְּבוּנֹתֵיכֶם - 'aḏ-təḇûnôṯêḵem): Təḇûnāh (תְּבוּנָה) refers to "understanding, insight, discernment, skill, or reasoning." Elihu specifies that he paid attention to the depth of their thought processes and their perceived wisdom, not just the surface of their words. The preposition 'aḏ (עַד), "until," signifies the completion of their intellectual process, not merely hearing, but hearing fully.
• while you searched out (עַד־תַּחְקְרוּן - 'aḏ-taḥqərûn): From ḥāqar (חָקַר), "to search, examine, investigate, probe, inquire." This verb points to the meticulous and investigative effort put forth by Job's friends in formulating their arguments. Elihu implies he waited throughout their arduous intellectual exertion, allowing them to thoroughly research and articulate their deepest convictions.
• what to say (מִלִּין - millîn): An Aramaic loanword, millâ (מִלָּה), synonymous with Hebrew dāḇār, means "word, speech." In this context, it specifies the exact utterances or points the friends aimed to convey after their process of investigation. Elihu waited for the very final output of their detailed internal and external verbalizations.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Behold, I waited for your words": This opening phrase underscores Elihu's initial posture of patience and respect. It establishes his claim to a legitimate voice by first demonstrating due diligence in observing the established order of discourse, emphasizing a period of anticipation for their comprehensive message.
• "I listened to your reasonings": This part expands on the depth of Elihu's attention. He asserts he wasn't merely present, but intellectually engaged, seeking to grasp the underlying wisdom, insight, and logical structures of their arguments. It suggests a critical analysis that went beyond superficial hearing, aiming for the heart of their understanding.
• "while you searched out what to say": This concluding segment highlights Elihu's comprehensive observation of their entire speech process. By waiting through their laborious "searching out," he implies he heard their most refined and thoroughly investigated points. This implies that their wisdom was fully expended, and their arguments had run their full course, providing a justification for his now essential intervention.

Job 32 11 Bonus section

Elihu's role in the Book of Job is often seen as a critical transitional voice between the purely human-centric arguments of Job and his friends, and the ultimate divine intervention. His emphasis on thorough listening in verse 11 not only establishes his decorum but also sets him apart as one who understands the limits of human wisdom and intellectual searching, irrespective of age. This prepares the reader for the concept that true understanding and discernment come from a higher source, foreshadowing God's direct revelation from the whirlwind. Elihu presents his subsequent speech as not merely more human wisdom, but as an outflowing of the "Spirit in man" (Job 32:8), making his patient absorption of prior arguments a demonstration that he has truly assessed the inadequacy of what came before.

Job 32 11 Commentary

Job 32:11 acts as Elihu's crucial preamble, laying the groundwork for his unprecedented discourse. His statement of diligent patience—having attentively listened to the complete arguments and considered reasonings of the elder men—is central to his authority. It highlights his adherence to cultural norms of deference while simultaneously building a case for his unique insight. Elihu claims he absorbed every argument, every counter-argument, and every nuance of their protracted debate, thus giving his subsequent intervention moral and intellectual weight. This painstaking attention signifies that his impending speech is not born of youthful impetuosity or a desire for contention, but from a considered judgment that the previous exchanges were deficient and had failed to grasp the deeper, divine truth concerning Job's suffering. By stressing that he waited for them to "search out what to say," Elihu implicitly argues that they had exhausted their human wisdom without reaching a satisfactory conclusion, thereby creating the necessary space for his own Spirit-inspired revelation.