Job 29:10

“The nobles held their peace, etc.] These may be in some respects inferior to the others; not princes of the blood, or sons of kings, who were properly princes, and yet great personages, of a noble extraction, and of considerable families: some think the leaders and generals of armies are meant, commanders and captains, and such like military officers, those sons of Mars, who are generally bold and daring, boisterous and blustering, and full of talk; and yet even these held their peace in the presence of Job:, or their “voice [was] hid” f1030; it could not be heard: and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth; so that they had no use of it, and it was as if they had none, (see…”

“Margin, "voice--hid," that is, "hushed" (Eze 3:26). Tongue cleaved, &c.--that is, awed by my presence, the emirs or sheiks were silent.”

“The nobles - Margin, “The voice of the nobles was hid.” Literally, this may be rendered, “as to the voice the nobles hid themselves;” or the phrase here employed (נגידים קול נחבאו nechâbâ'û qôl nāgı̂ydiym) may be rendered, “the voice of the nobles was hid” - it being common in the Hebrew when two nouns come together, of different numbers and gender, for the verb to conform to the latter. Rosenmuller. The word “nobles” here is to be understood in the sense of “counsellors,” or men of rank. They would now be called “Emirs,” or “Sheiks.” And their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth - They were so awed by my presence that they could not speak. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Cleaved - It lay as still as if he had done so. Job 29:11”

“nobles held their peace: Heb. voice of the nobles was hid, their tongue. Psa 137:6; Eze 3:26 Job 29:11”