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Monday, July 21st, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Legacy Standard Bible

Job 32:7

I thought age should speak,And increased years should make wisdom known.

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

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.'
King James Version
I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.
English Standard Version
I said, ‘Let days speak, and many years 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.'
Amplified Bible
"I thought age should speak, And a multitude of years should teach wisdom.
New American Standard Bible
"I thought age should speak, And increased years should teach wisdom.
World English Bible
I said, 'Days should speak, And multitude of years should teach wisdom.'
Geneva Bible (1587)
For I said, The dayes shall speake, and the multitude of yeeres shall teach wisedome.
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;
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.'
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.
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.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
for I thought thus within my self: It becometh olde men to speake, & the aged to teach wy?dome.
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.
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.
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:
English Revised Version
I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For Y hopide that lengere age schulde speke, and that the multitude of yeeris schulden teche wisdom.
Update Bible Version
I said, Days should speak, And multitude of years should teach wisdom.
Webster's Bible Translation
I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.
New King James Version
I said, 'Age [fn] should speak,And multitude of years should teach wisdom.'
New Living Translation
I thought, ‘Those who are older should speak, for wisdom comes with age.'
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.'
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.'
Young's Literal Translation
I said: Days do speak, And multitude of years teach wisdom.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"I thought age should speak, And increased years should teach wisdom.

Contextual Overview

6So Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said,"I am young in years and you are old;Therefore I was shy and afraid to tell you my knowledge. 7I thought age should speak,And increased years should make wisdom known. 8But it is a spirit in man,And the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding. 9The abundant in years may not be wise,Nor may elders understand justice. 10So I say, ‘Listen to me,I too will tell my knowledge.' 11"Behold, I waited for your words,I gave ear to your reasonings,While you searched out what to say. 12I even carefully considered you;And behold, there was no one who reproved Job,Not one of you who answered his words. 13Lest you say,‘We have found wisdom;God will drive him away, not man.' 14Now he has not arranged his words against me,Nor will I respond to him with your words.

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
He also commanded them saying, "Thus you shall say to my lord, to Esau: ‘Thus says your servant Jacob, "I have sojourned with Laban and have been delayed until now;
Genesis 32:5
and I have oxen and donkeys and flocks and male and female slaves; and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight."'"
Genesis 32:8
And he said, "If Esau comes to the one camp and strikes it, then the camp which remains will escape."
Genesis 32:10
I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness and of all the truth which You have shown to Your slave; for with my staff only I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps.
Genesis 32:11
Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and strike me down with the mothers and the children.
Genesis 35:3
and let us arise and go up to Bethel, and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone."
Exodus 14:10
Now Pharaoh drew near, and the sons of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very afraid; so the sons of Israel cried out to Yahweh.
Psalms 31:13
For I have heard the bad report of many,Terror is on every side;While they took counsel together against me,They schemed to take my life.
Psalms 61:2
From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint;Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
Psalms 107:6
Then they cried out to Yahweh in their trouble;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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