Job 15:10
in Job 15Both the gray-haired and the aged are on our side—men much older than your father.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men, Much elder than thy father.
KJV
With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father.
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This verse in Job 15
Commentary
9 notes on this verseWith us are both the gray-headed - One copy of the Chaldee Targum paraphrases the verse thus: “Truly Eliphaz the hoary-headed, and Bildad the long-lived, are among us; and Zophar, who in age surpasseth thy father.” It is very likely that Eliphaz refers to himself and his friends in this verse, and not either to the old men of their tribes, or to the masters by whom they themselves were instructed. Eliphaz seems to have been the eldest of these sages; and, therefore, he takes the lead in each part of this dramatic poem.
This site's exposition
Both the gray-haired and the aged
on Job 15:10-11
"Both the gray-haired and the aged are on our side" appeals to age as the guarantor of wisdom. "Are the consolations of God not enough for you" recasts the friends' speeches as divine comfort Job has despised. Gill notes the irony that Job will call these consolations miserable at 16:2.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Eliphaz is just about to say, did you by any chance exist before the entire world, so that you learned about the most ancient times? Or did you learn anything from the mouth of God? You are not superior to us in knowledge at all. Since you had said that "wisdom is found in a long time," are you not caught in a trap now? In fact, you are not aged at all, nor were you born before the universe. But Job said that so that his friends might show their pride.
The Medieval Church2 voices
But since Job could boast of knowledge received from others, he then says, "Both old men," in dignity of knowledge and life, "and the elders," in time, "are much older among us than your fathers," than your teachers from whom you received knowledge, or according …
Ver. 10. With us are both the gray headed and very aged men, much elder than thy father. That all Heretics are gone out of the Holy Church Universal, John testifies, when he says, They went out from us, but they were not of us.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
This also serves contenders to make a noise with to very little purpose. If they are older than their adversaries, and can say they knew such a thing before their opponents were born, this will not serve to justify them in being arrogant and overbearing; for the oldest are not always the wisest, ch. xxxii.
With us are both the grayheaded,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
On our side, thinking with us are the aged. Job had admitted that wisdom is with them (Job 12:12). Eliphaz seems to have been himself older than Job; perhaps the other two were also (Job 32:6).
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
With us are both the gray headed - That is, some of us who are here are much older than thy father; or we express the sentiments of such aged men. Job had admitted Job 12:12, that with the aged was wisdom, and in length of days understanding; and Eliphaz here urges that on that principle he and his friends had a claim to be heard. It would seem from this, that Job was very far from being regarded as an old man, and would probably be esteemed as in middle life. The Targum (Chaldee) refers this to Eliphaz himself and his two friends. “Truly Eliphaz, who is hoary-headed (דסיב) and Bildad, the long-lived (דקשיש) are with us, and Zophar, who is older than thy father.” But it is not certain that he meant to confine the remark to them. It seems to me probable that this whole discussion occurred in the presence of others, and perhaps was a public contest. It is clear, I think, that Elihu was present, and heard it all (see Job 32:4), and it would accord well with Oriental habits to suppose that this was a trim of skill, which many were permitted to witness, and which was continued for a considerable time. Eliphaz may, therefore, have meant to say that among his friends who had assembled to hear this debate, there were not a few who coincided with him in sentiment, who were much more aged than Job, and who had had much longer experience in the world.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Are God’s consolations little for you with which the Rock benefited you until now for many days, and His good thing that He gave you with pleasantness and gentleness, viz. His fatness [i.e., plenty].
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
8 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| גַּם־ | gam- | both | H1571 → | 769 times |
| שָׂ֣ב | sav | [the] gray haired | H7867 → | |
| גַּם־ | gam- | as well as | H1571 → | 769 times |
| יָשִׁ֣ישׁ | yashish | [the] aged | H3453 → | 4 times |
| בָּ֑נוּ | banu | [are] among us | ||
| כַּבִּ֖יר | kabir | [those] old | H3524 → | 10 times |
| מֵאָבִ֣יךָ | meavikha | more than father your | H1 → | 1212 times |
| יָמִֽים׃ | yamim | days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
גַּם־both
gam-H1571 →769 times
שָׂ֣ב[the] gray haired
savH7867 →
גַּם־as well as
gam-H1571 →769 times
יָשִׁ֣ישׁ[the] aged
yashishH3453 →4 times
בָּ֑נוּ[are] among us
banu
כַּבִּ֖יר[those] old
kabirH3524 →10 times
מֵאָבִ֣יךָmore than father your
meavikhaH1 →1212 times
יָמִֽים׃days
yamimH3117 →2304 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 16:31Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is attained along the path of righteousness.
it leads to
- Proverbs 20:29
The glory of young men is their strength, and gray hair is the splendor of the old.
- Leviticus 19:32
You are to rise in the presence of the elderly, honor the aged, and fear your God. I am the LORD.
- Proverbs 3:1–2
My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments;
- 1 Samuel 12:2–5
Now here is the king walking before you, and I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day.
- Proverbs 17:6
Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of a son is his father.
- Proverbs 20:29
Through
Job 12:12Wisdom is found with the elderly, and understanding comes with long life.
it leads to
- Job 32:7
I thought that age should speak, and many years should teach wisdom.
- Job 32:7
Through
Job 12:20He deprives the trusted of speech and takes away the discernment of elders.
it leads to
About Job
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Job; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book XII; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, COMMENTARY ON JOB 15:7A-10B; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.