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the Week of Proper 24 / Ordinary 29
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Read the Bible

King James Version

Job 32:7

I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Children;   Humility;   Modesty;   Old Age;   Reverence;   Wisdom;   Thompson Chain Reference - Experience (Knowledge Experimental);   Knowledge;   Knowledge, Experimental;   Knowledge-Ignorance;   Wisdom;   Wisdom-Folly;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Children, Good;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Elihu;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Job, the Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Age, Aged, Old Age;   Ethics;   Wisdom;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Elihu;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Age;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Age, Old;   Wisdom;  

Parallel Translations

New Living Translation
I thought, ‘Those who are older should speak, for wisdom comes with age.'
English Revised Version
I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.
Update Bible Version
I said, Days should speak, And multitude of years should teach wisdom.
New Century Version
I thought, ‘Older people should speak, and those who have lived many years should teach wisdom.'
New English Translation
I said to myself, ‘Age should speak, and length of years should make wisdom known.'
Webster's Bible Translation
I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.
World English Bible
I said, 'Days should speak, And multitude of years should teach wisdom.'
Amplified Bible
"I thought age should speak, And a multitude of years should teach wisdom.
English Standard Version
I said, ‘Let days speak, and many years teach wisdom.'
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For Y hopide that lengere age schulde speke, and that the multitude of yeeris schulden teche wisdom.
Berean Standard Bible
I thought that age should speak, and many years should teach wisdom.
Contemporary English Version
I once believed age was the source of wisdom;
American Standard Version
I said, Days should speak, And multitude of years should teach wisdom.
Bible in Basic English
I said to myself, It is right for the old to say what is in their minds, and for those who are far on in years to give out wisdom.
Complete Jewish Bible
I said, ‘Age should speak; an abundance of years should teach wisdom.'
Darby Translation
I said, Let days speak, and multitude of years teach wisdom.
Easy-to-Read Version
I thought to myself, ‘Older people should speak first. They have lived many years, so they have learned many things.'
JPS Old Testament (1917)
I said: 'Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.'
King James Version (1611)
I said, Dayes should speake, and multitude of yeeres should teach wisedome.
New Life Bible
I thought the older men should speak, and that the many years should teach wisdom.
New Revised Standard
I said, ‘Let days speak, and many years teach wisdom.'
Geneva Bible (1587)
For I said, The dayes shall speake, and the multitude of yeeres shall teach wisedome.
George Lamsa Translation
For I said, Days should speak, and the multitude of years should teach wisdom.
Good News Translation
I told myself that you ought to speak, that you older men should share your wisdom.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
I said, Days, should speak, - and, the multitude of years, should make known wisdom.
Douay-Rheims Bible
For I hoped that greater age would speak, and that a multitude of years would teach wisdom.
Revised Standard Version
I said, 'Let days speak, and many years teach wisdom.'
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For I thought thus within my selfe: It becommeth old men to speake, and the aged to teache wysdome.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And I said, It is not time that speaks, though in many years men know wisdom:
Christian Standard Bible®
I thought that age should speakand maturity should teach wisdom.
Hebrew Names Version
I said, 'Days should speak, And multitude of years should teach wisdom.'
Lexham English Bible
I thought, ‘Let days speak, and let many years teach wisdom.'
Literal Translation
I said, Days will speak, and many years will make wisdom known.
Young's Literal Translation
I said: Days do speak, And multitude of years teach wisdom.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
for I thought thus within my self: It becometh olde men to speake, & the aged to teach wy?dome.
New American Standard Bible
"I thought age should speak, And increased years should teach wisdom.
New King James Version
I said, 'Age [fn] should speak,And multitude of years should teach wisdom.'
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"I thought age should speak, And increased years should teach wisdom.
Legacy Standard Bible
I thought age should speak,And increased years should make wisdom known.

Contextual Overview

6 And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said, I am young, and ye are very old; wherefore I was afraid, and durst not shew you mine opinion. 7 I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom. 8 But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding. 9 Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment. 10 Therefore I said, Hearken to me; I also will shew mine opinion. 11 Behold, I waited for your words; I gave ear to your reasons, whilst ye searched out what to say. 12 Yea, I attended unto you, and, behold, there was none of you that convinced Job, or that answered his words: 13 Lest ye should say, We have found out wisdom: God thrusteth him down, not man. 14 Now he hath not directed his words against me: neither will I answer him with your speeches.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Job 8:8-10, Job 12:12, 1 Kings 12:6-8, Psalms 34:11, Psalms 34:12, Proverbs 1:1-4, Proverbs 16:31, Hebrews 5:12

Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 10:6 - took counsel Job 8:10 - Shall not Job 12:2 - ye are the people Job 15:10 - the grayheaded Job 20:4 - thou not Psalms 37:25 - I have Acts 6:3 - full Galatians 2:6 - it maketh

Cross-References

Genesis 32:4
And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now:
Genesis 32:5
And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.
Genesis 32:8
And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape.
Genesis 32:10
I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.
Genesis 32:11
Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children.
Genesis 35:3
And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.
Exodus 14:10
And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord .
Psalms 31:13
For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life.
Psalms 61:2
From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
Psalms 107:6
Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

I said, days should speak,.... That is, men of days, of many days, who have lived many days and years in the world: man in common is but of few days, even the most that men arrive to are but few; and some indeed are very few, in comparison of whom others may be said to be men of days, or to have lived many days; and to such it belongs to speak, it is their place, nor should they be prevented or interrupted; it should be allowed them to speak, nor should they be hindered; and it is their duty to speak and instruct juniors, and all that are under them; and it might be reasonably expected, that when they speak it will be to the purpose, and to profit and edification:

and multitude of years should teach wisdom; that is, such over whom many have passed; these it may be thought, having had an opportunity of making their observation on things, and of increasing experience, and of treasuring up a stock of knowledge, they should be very capable of, and indeed the only fit persons to teach others wisdom; either natural wisdom, or the knowledge of natural things; or divine wisdom, the knowledge of God, of his perfections and providences; and inward, spiritual, and evangelical wisdom, which lies in the knowledge of a man's self; in the knowledge of God in Christ; in the knowledge of Christ and of the Gospel of Christ, and the truths of it: this was a sentiment Elihu had entertained of ancient men, and this had restrained him from entering sooner into this debate between Job and his friends; they all being his superiors in age, and, as from thence he judged, in wisdom and knowledge also.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

I said, Days should speak - The aged ought to speak. They have had the advantage of long observation of the course of events; they are acquainted with the sentiments of past times; they may have had an opportunity of conversing with distinguished sages, and it is to them that we look up for counsel. This was eminently in accordance with the ancient Oriental views of what is right; and it is a sentiment which accords with what is obviously proper, however little it is regarded in modern times. It is one of the marks of urbanity and true politeness; of the prevalence of good breeding, morals, and piety, and of an advanced state of society, when respect is shown to the sentiments of the aged. They have had the opportunity of long observation. They have conversed much with people. They have seen the results of certain courses of conduct, and they have arrived at a period of life when they can look at the reality of things, and are uninfluenced now by passion. Returning respect for the sentiments of the aged, attention to their counsels, veneration for their persons, and deference for them when they speak, would be an indication of advancement in society in modern times; and there is scarcely anything in which we have deteriorated from the simplicity of the early ages, or in which we fall behind the Oriental world, so much as in the lack of this.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 32:7. Days should speak — That is, men are to be reputed wise and experienced in proportion to the time they have lived. The Easterns were remarkable for treasuring up wise sayings: indeed, the principal part of their boasted wisdom consisted in proverbs and maxims on different subjects.


 
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