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Sunday, April 12th, 2026
Second Sunday after Easter
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Read the Bible

King James Version (1611 Edition)

Job 29:9

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

Bible Study Resources

Dictionaries:

- Holman Bible Dictionary - Gestures;   Job, the Book of;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Interesting facts about the bible;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Gesture;   Mouth;   Prince;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Adoration;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
City officials stopped talkingand covered their mouths with their hands.
Hebrew Names Version
The princes refrained from talking, And laid their hand on their mouth;
King James Version
The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.
English Standard Version
the princes refrained from talking and laid their hand on their mouth;
New Century Version
The leading men stopped speaking and covered their mouths with their hands.
New English Translation
the chief men refrained from talking and covered their mouths with their hands;
Amplified Bible
The princes stopped talking And put their hands on their mouths;
New American Standard Bible
"The leaders stopped talking And put their hands on their mouths;
World English Bible
The princes refrained from talking, And laid their hand on their mouth;
Geneva Bible (1587)
The princes stayed talke, and layde their hand on their mouth.
Legacy Standard Bible
The princes stopped talkingAnd put their hands on their mouths;
Berean Standard Bible
The princes refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands.
Contemporary English Version
while the older ones stood
Complete Jewish Bible
leaders refrained from speaking — they would lay their hands on their mouths;
Darby Translation
Princes refrained from talking, and laid the hand on their mouth;
Easy-to-Read Version
The leaders of the people stopped talking and put their hands over their mouths.
George Lamsa Translation
The nobles held their peace, and laid their hands on their mouth.
Good News Translation
The leaders of the people would stop talking;
Lexham English Bible
Officials refrained from talking, and they laid their hand on their mouth.
Literal Translation
the rulers held back with words, and they laid a hand on their mouth;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
whe the princes left of their talkinge, & laied their hade to their mouth:
American Standard Version
The princes refrained from talking, And laid their hand on their mouth;
Bible in Basic English
The rulers kept quiet, and put their hands on their mouths;
JPS Old Testament (1917)
The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth;
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The princes left of their talking, and layed their hand to their mouth:
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the great men ceased speaking, and laid their finger on their mouth.
English Revised Version
The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth;
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
princes ceessiden to speke, and puttiden the fyngur on her mouth;
Update Bible Version
The princes refrained from talking, And laid their hand on their mouth;
Webster's Bible Translation
The princes refrained talking, and laid [their] hand on their mouth.
New King James Version
The princes refrained from talking, And put their hand on their mouth;
New Living Translation
The princes stood in silence and put their hands over their mouths.
New Life Bible
The leaders stopped talking, and put their hands on their mouths.
New Revised Standard
the nobles refrained from talking, and laid their hands on their mouths;
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Rulers, restrained speech, and, a hand, laid they on their mouth;
Douay-Rheims Bible
The princes ceased to speak, and laid the finger on their mouth.
Revised Standard Version
the princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth;
Young's Literal Translation
Princes have kept in words, And a hand they place on their mouth.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"The princes stopped talking And put their hands on their mouths;

Contextual Overview

7 When I went out to the gate, through the citie, when I prepared my seate in the street. 8 The yong men saw me, and hid themselues: and the aged arose, and stood vp. 9 The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth. 10 The Nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaued to the roofe of their mouth. 11 When the eare heard mee, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw me, it gaue witnesse to me: 12 Because I deliuered the poore that cried, and the fatherlesse, and him that had none to helpe him. 13 The blessing of him that was readie to perish, came vpon me: and I caused the widowes heart to sing for ioy. 14 I put on righteousnesse, and it clothed me: my iudgement was as a robe and a diademe. 15 I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. 16 I was a father to the poore: and the cause which I knewe not, I searched out.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

refrained: Job 4:2, Job 7:11, Proverbs 10:19, James 1:19

laid: Job 21:5, Job 40:4, Judges 18:19, Proverbs 30:32

Reciprocal: Job 1:3 - greatest Job 29:21 - gave ear Proverbs 31:8 - Open Isaiah 52:15 - kings Micah 7:16 - lay

Cross-References

Genesis 24:15
And it came to passe before hee had done speaking, that behold, Rebekah came out, who was borne to Bethuel, sonne of Milcah, the wife of Nahor Abrahams brother, with her pitcher vpon her shoulder.
Genesis 29:7
And hee said, Loe, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattell should be gathered together: water yee the sheepe, and goe and feed them.
Genesis 29:8
And they said, We cannot, vntill all the flockes bee gathered together, and till they rolle the stone from the welles mouth: then wee water the sheepe.
Genesis 29:15
And Laban said vnto Iacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serue me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be?
Genesis 29:16
And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the yonger was Rachel.
Exodus 2:21
And Moses was content to dwel with the man, and he gaue Moses Zipporah his daughter.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The princes refrained talking,.... Who were in court before Job came in, and were either talking with one another about indifferent matters, or were giving their opinion in a case before them; but no sooner did Job make his appearance, but they left off talking, and would not proceed any further; they laid a restraint upon their words, and curbed themselves from speaking any more till they had heard his opinion:

and laid [their] hand on their mouth; as a token of silence,

Judges 18:19.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The princes refrained talking - As a mark of respect, or in awe of his presence.

And laid their hand on their mouth - To lay the finger or the hand on the mouth is every where an action expressive of silence or respect; Notes, Job 21:5. “In one of the subterranean vaults of Egypt, where the mummies lie buried, they found in the coffin an embalmed body of a woman, before which was placed a figure of wood, representing a youth on his knees, laying a finger on his mouth, and holding in his other hand a sort of chafing dish, which was placed on his head, and in which, without doubt, had been some perfumes.” Maillet.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 29:9. The princes refrained talking — They never ventured an opinion in opposition to mine; so fully were they persuaded of the justice and integrity of my decision.


 
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