Job 32:11

“Behold, I waited for your words, etc.] With great desire, with great eagerness and earnestness, in hope of meeting with arguments fully satisfying and convincing; he waited for them, as for the rain, and the latter rain, to be revived, refreshed, and edified therewith; and he patiently waited until they had done speaking: I gave ear to your reasons, or “understandings” f1168; endeavoured to get into the sense and meaning of their words; not only attended to what they did say, but to what he thought they meant to say: some are not so happy in their expressions; and yet, by what they do say, with close attention it may be understood what they aim at, what is their drift and design; this Elihu…”

“Therefore Elihu was present from the first. reasons--literally, "understandings," that is, the meaning intended by words. whilst--I waited until you should discover a suitable reply to Job.”

“I gave ear to your reasons - Margin, “understandings.” The meaning is, that he had given the most respectful attention to the views which they had expressed, implying that he had been all along present, and had listened to the debate. Whilst ye searched out what to say - Margin, as in Hebrew, words. It is implied here that they had bestowed much attention on what they had said. They had carefully sought out all the arguments at their command to confute Job, and still had been unsuccessful. return to 'Top of Page'”

“I waited for: Job 32:4, Job 29:21, Job 29:23 reasons: Heb. understandings, Instead of tevoonotheychem, nine manuscripts read techoonotheychem, "your arguments;" but the sense is nearly the same. whilst: Ad tachkeroon millin, "whilst ye were searching for words;" a fine irony, which they must have felt. Job 5:27; Pro 18:17, Pro 28:11; Ecc 12:9, Ecc 12:10 what to say: Heb. words Job 32:12”

“11 Behold, I waited upon your words, Hearkened to your perceptions, While ye searched out replies. 12 And I attended closely to you, Yet behold: there was no one who refuted Job, Who answered his sentences, from you. 13 Lest ye should say: "We found wisdom, God is able to smite him, not man!" 14 Now he hath not arranged his words against me, And with your sentences I will not reply to him. He has waited for their words, viz., that they might give utterance to such words as should tend to refute and silence Job. In what follows, עד still more emphatically than ל refers this aim to that to which Elihu had paid great attention: I hearkened to your understandings, i.e., explanations of the…”