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Sunday, December 21st, 2025
the Fourth Week of Advent
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Read the Bible

The NET Bible®

Job 29:9

the chief men refrained from talking and covered their mouths with their hands;

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.
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;
King James Version (1611)
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 city gate and secured my seat in the public square, 8 the young men would see me and step aside, and the old men would get up and remain standing; 9 the chief men refrained from talking and covered their mouths with their hands; 10 the voices of the nobles fell silent, and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths. 11 "As soon as the ear heard these things, it blessed me, and when the eye saw them, it bore witness to me, 12 for I rescued the poor who cried out for help, and the orphan who had no one to assist him; 13 the blessing of the dying man descended on me, and I made the widow's heart rejoice; 14 I put on righteousness and it clothed me, my just dealing was like a robe and a turban; 15 I was eyes for the blind and feet for the lame; 16 I was a father to the needy, and I investigated the case of the person I did not know;

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
Before he had finished praying, there came Rebekah with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah (Milcah was the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor).
Genesis 29:7
Then Jacob said, "Since it is still the middle of the day, it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. You should water the sheep and then go and let them graze some more."
Genesis 29:8
"We can't," they said, "until all the flocks are gathered and the stone is rolled off the mouth of the well. Then we water the sheep."
Genesis 29:15
Then Laban said to Jacob, "Should you work for me for nothing because you are my relative? Tell me what your wages should be."
Genesis 29:16
(Now Laban had two daughters; the older one was named Leah, and the younger one Rachel.
Exodus 2:21
Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.

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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