Job 32 19

Job 32:19 kjv

Behold, my belly is as wine which hath no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles.

Job 32:19 nkjv

Indeed my belly is like wine that has no vent; It is ready to burst like new wineskins.

Job 32:19 niv

inside I am like bottled-up wine, like new wineskins ready to burst.

Job 32:19 esv

Behold, my belly is like wine that has no vent; like new wineskins ready to burst.

Job 32:19 nlt

I am like a cask of wine without a vent,
like a new wineskin ready to burst!

Job 32 verses

Job 32 19 Meaning

Elihu, entering the discussion with Job and his friends, declares an intense internal pressure to speak. He compares this urgency to new wine fermenting inside a container with no outlet, causing the vessel to swell and be on the verge of bursting. This analogy underscores the overwhelming quantity and power of his thoughts and the compulsion he feels to articulate them, presenting himself as a fresh voice full of divine insight that must be released.

Job 32 19 Context

Job 32 marks a significant turning point in the book. After seven chapters (Job 25-31) of silence from Job's three friends and Job's final impassioned defense, a younger man named Elihu suddenly interjects (Job 32:2). Elihu expresses his anger: at Job for justifying himself rather than God, and at the three friends for failing to adequately answer Job. He claims to have waited because of his youth, out of respect for the elders. However, their failure to resolve the dispute, coupled with his own powerful conviction, has created an overwhelming inner compulsion. Job 32:19 is Elihu's vivid explanation of this irresistible urge to speak. He believes his words are filled with insight, perhaps from God (Job 32:8), and must be articulated without further delay.

Job 32 19 Word analysis

• Behold (הִנֵּה - hinnēh): An interjection demanding attention, emphasizing the importance or surprising nature of what follows. It draws the listeners into the intensity of Elihu's declaration.
• my belly (בִטְנִי - biṭnī): Literally "my belly" or "my inner being/womb." In Hebrew thought, the "belly" or "bowels" often referred to the innermost self, the seat of emotions, thoughts, and spiritual sensation, not merely the physical stomach. It signifies the depth from which Elihu's compulsion arises.
• is like wine (כְּיַיִן - kĕyaʻin): "Like" introduces a vivid simile. "Wine" symbolizes potent, active, often fermenting liquid. It represents Elihu's words, his burgeoning insights, or the "spirit" (רוּחַ - rūaḥ, from 32:18) within him, which is alive and dynamic.
• that has no vent (לֹא־תִפָּתֵחַ - lo’-tipātēaḥ): Literally "not opened" or "no opening/release." This signifies suppression or confinement. Elihu feels his words have been pent up, lacking an opportunity for expression. The lack of a vent prevents the natural expansion and release of gases during fermentation, creating extreme pressure.
• it is ready to burst (יִבָּקֵעַ - yivvāqēaʻ): "It will surely burst" or "it is breaking forth." This verb emphasizes the inevitability and explosive nature of the release. The pressure is so great that a rupture is imminent, highlighting the urgency and uncontrollable force Elihu experiences.
• like new wineskins (כְּאֹבֹת חֲדָשִׁים - kĕ’ōbōt ḥădāshīm): "Like new wineskins." This second simile clarifies the container. New wineskins were traditionally flexible and could expand with the fermentation of new wine (unlike old, hardened ones that would tear). Elihu comparing himself to new wineskins that are already bursting suggests an exceptional and overwhelming internal pressure. It implies that the sheer volume or potency of his words is so great that even a supple, expansive vessel cannot contain them without rupturing, signifying an extraordinary divine impartation or compelling truth. It also subtly introduces Elihu's "new" perspective, contrasted with the "old" arguments.

Job 32 19 Bonus section

Elihu's passionate imagery could be interpreted as a portrayal of prophetic burden or divine inspiration. Prophets in the Bible often describe an overwhelming compulsion to speak God's word, feeling that it is like a "fire" in their bones if suppressed. While Elihu is not explicitly stated to be a prophet, his language here aligns with such a sense of urgent, divinely impressed utterance. This also anticipates the biblical principle that genuine spiritual truth often creates an unstoppable momentum, unable to be confined by human restraint or conventional societal norms.

Job 32 19 Commentary

Job 32:19 provides a profound psychological and spiritual portrait of Elihu's state, setting the stage for his subsequent speeches. His analogy of a wineskin about to burst under immense internal pressure conveys not just eagerness, but an almost painful and irresistible compulsion to speak. This suggests a divinely inspired urgency or a conviction so strong that remaining silent is impossible. Unlike Job's friends, who offered conventional wisdom, Elihu implies his words are fresh and full of untapped truth, similar to potent new wine. The impending "bursting" underscores the critical need for immediate articulation, framing his intervention as both inevitable and necessary, a release of accumulated spiritual and intellectual conviction that could no longer be contained. It emphasizes that Elihu is not speaking merely for pride or contention, but from a profound, irresistible internal necessity to disclose what he perceives as ultimate truth or divine wisdom in a situation where the elders had failed.