Job 29:10
Translations
King James Version (KJV)
The nobles held their peace, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
American King James Version (AKJV)
The nobles held their peace, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
American Standard Version (ASV)
The voice of the nobles was hushed, And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
Basic English Translation (BBE)
The chiefs kept back their words, and their tongues were joined to the roofs of their mouths.
Webster's Revision
The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
World English Bible
The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.
English Revised Version (ERV)
The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.
Clarke's Job 29:10 Bible Commentary
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.
Barnes's Job 29:10 Bible Commentary
The nobles - Margin, "The voice of the nobles was hid." Literally, this may be rendered, "as to the voice the nobles hid themselves;" or the phrase here employed (נגידים קול נחבאו nechâbâ'û qôl nāgı̂ydiym) may be rendered, "the voice of the nobles was hid" - it being common in the Hebrew when two nouns come together, of different numbers and gender, for the verb to conform to the latter. Rosenmuller. The word "nobles" here is to be understood in the sense of "counsellors," or men of rank. They would now be called "Emirs," or "Sheiks."
And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth - They were so awed by my presence that they could not speak.
Wesley's Job 29:10 Bible Commentary
29:10 Cleaved - It lay as still as if he had done so.