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⇱ Job 32:3 and he burned with anger against Job's three friends because they had failed to refute Job, and yet had condemned him.

Bible > Job > Chapter 32 > Verse 3
◄ Job 32:3 ►
New International Version
He was also angry with the three friends, because they had found no way to refute Job, and yet had condemned him.

New Living Translation
He was also angry with Job’s three friends, for they made God appear to be wrong by their inability to answer Job’s arguments.

English Standard Version
He burned with anger also at Job’s three friends because they had found no answer, although they had declared Job to be in the wrong.

Berean Standard Bible
and he burned with anger against Job’s three friends because they had failed to refute Job, and yet had condemned him.

King James Bible
Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.

New King James Version
Also against his three friends his wrath was aroused, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.

New American Standard Bible
And his anger burned against his three friends because they had found no answer, yet they had condemned Job.

NASB 1995
And his anger burned against his three friends because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.

NASB 1977
And his anger burned against his three friends because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.

Legacy Standard Bible
And his anger burned against his three friends because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.

Amplified Bible
Elihu’s anger burned against Job’s three friends because they had found no answer [and were unable to determine Job’s error], and yet they had condemned Job and declared him to be in the wrong [and responsible for his own afflictions].

Christian Standard Bible
He was also angry at Job’s three friends because they had failed to refute him and yet had condemned him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He was also angry at Job’s three friends because they had failed to refute him and yet had condemned him.

American Standard Version
Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.

Contemporary English Version
He was also angry with Job's three friends for not being able to prove that Job was wrong.

English Revised Version
Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Elihu was also very angry with Job's three friends because they had found no answer. They made it look as if God were wrong.

Good News Translation
He was also angry with Job's three friends. They could not find any way to answer Job, and this made it appear that God was in the wrong.

International Standard Version
Furthermore, he was furious with his three friends because they had not answered Job, but instead had condemned him.

NET Bible
With Job's three friends he was also angry, because they could not find an answer, and so declared Job guilty.

New Heart English Bible
Also his wrath was kindled against his three friends, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.

Webster's Bible Translation
Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.
Majority Text Translations
Majority Standard Bible
and he burned with anger against Job’s three friends because they had failed to refute Job, and yet had condemned him.

World English Bible
Also his wrath was kindled against his three friends, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and his anger has burned against his three friends, because that they have not found an answer, and condemn Job.

Young's Literal Translation
and against his three friends hath his anger burned, because that they have not found an answer, and condemn Job.

Smith's Literal Translation
And against his three friends was his anger kindled, because they, found not an answer, and they will condemn Job.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he was angry with his friends because they had not found a reasonable answer, but only had condemned Job.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Moreover, he was indignant with his friends because they had not found a reasonable response, except in so far as they condemned Job.

New American Bible
He was angry also with the three friends because they had not found a good answer and had not condemned Job.

New Revised Standard Version
he was angry also at Job’s three friends because they had found no answer, though they had declared Job to be in the wrong.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
His wrath also kindled against his three friends, because they had found no answer to Job so that they might condemn him.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he was provoked against his three fellows because they were not able to give an answer to Job and to condemn him
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he was also very angry with his three friends, because they were not able to return answers to Job, yet set him down for an ungodly man.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Elihu Rebukes Job's Three Friends
…2This kindled the anger of Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram. He burned with anger against Job for justifying himself rather than God, 3and he burned with anger against Job’s three friends because they had failed to refute Job, and yet had condemned him. 4Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because the others were older than he.…

Cross References
Job 13:4-5
You, however, smear with lies; you are all worthless physicians. / If only you would remain silent; for that would be your wisdom!

Job 42:7-8
After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, He said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and your two friends. For you have not spoken about Me accurately, as My servant Job has. / So now, take seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. Then My servant Job will pray for you, for I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken accurately about Me, as My servant Job has.”

Proverbs 17:28
Even a fool is considered wise if he keeps silent, and discerning when he holds his tongue.

Proverbs 18:13
He who answers a matter before he hears it—this is folly and disgrace to him.

Proverbs 26:12
Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Isaiah 5:21
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.

Isaiah 29:13-14
Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men. / Therefore I will again confound these people with wonder upon wonder. The wisdom of the wise will vanish, and the intelligence of the intelligent will be hidden.”

Jeremiah 8:8-9
How can you say, ‘We are wise, and the Law of the LORD is with us,’ when in fact the lying pen of the scribes has produced a deception? / The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what wisdom do they really have?

Matthew 15:8-9
‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. / They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’”

Matthew 23:24-28
You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. / Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. / Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, so that the outside may become clean as well. ...

Mark 7:6-7
Jesus answered them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. / They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’

Luke 11:52
Woe to you experts in the law! For you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”

John 9:40-41
Some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard this, and they asked Him, “Are we blind too?” / “If you were blind,” Jesus replied, “you would not be guilty of sin. But since you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”

Romans 1:22
Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools,

Romans 2:17-24
Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; / if you know His will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; / if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those in darkness, ...


Job 32:1
So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.

Job 24:25
And if it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?

Job 25:2-6
Dominion and fear are with him, he maketh peace in his high places…

and yet

Job 8:6
If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.

Job 15:34
For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery.

Job 22:5
Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?

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Although Anger Angry Burned Clear Condemn Condemned Declared Found Friends Job Job's Kindled Refute Sin Three Unable Way Wrath Wrong
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Although Anger Angry Burned Clear Condemn Condemned Declared Found Friends Job Job's Kindled Refute Sin Three Unable Way Wrath Wrong
Job 32
1. Elihu is angry with Job and his three friends
6. Because wisdom comes not from age, he excuses the boldness of his youth
11. He reproves them for not satisfying Job
16. His zeal to speak














and he burned with anger against Job’s three friends
Elihu's anger is significant as it highlights the intense emotions involved in the dialogues. Anger in biblical terms often indicates a deep sense of injustice or moral outrage. Elihu, a younger man, is frustrated with the older friends of Job, which reflects the cultural expectation of wisdom and understanding being associated with age. This anger also sets the stage for Elihu's speeches, which aim to address what he perceives as the failures of the friends and Job. The friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, represent traditional wisdom, which Elihu finds lacking.

because they had failed to refute Job
The friends' inability to refute Job's arguments is crucial. Throughout the dialogues, Job maintains his innocence and questions the simplistic retribution theology that the friends espouse. Their failure to provide a satisfactory answer to Job's suffering challenges the prevailing understanding of divine justice. This reflects a broader biblical theme where human wisdom is often shown to be inadequate in comprehending God's ways, as seen in Isaiah 55:8-9, where God's thoughts and ways are higher than human understanding.

and yet had condemned him
The condemnation of Job by his friends, despite their inability to prove him wrong, underscores the theme of unjust judgment. This reflects a common biblical motif where the righteous suffer unjustly, as seen in the experiences of figures like Joseph and David. The friends' condemnation without evidence also prefigures the wrongful accusations faced by Jesus Christ, who, despite being sinless, was condemned by the religious leaders of His time. This phrase highlights the danger of relying on human judgment without divine insight, a lesson echoed in Matthew 7:1-2, where Jesus warns against judging others.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Elihu
A young man who becomes angry with Job's three friends for their inability to provide a satisfactory answer to Job's suffering and for unjustly condemning him.

2. Job
A righteous man who suffers immense trials and questions God's justice, yet remains faithful.

3. Job's Three Friends (Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar)
They attempt to explain Job's suffering through traditional wisdom, suggesting it is due to sin, but fail to provide true comfort or understanding.

4. Uz
The land where Job lived, often associated with the region east of Israel.

5. The Dialogue
The ongoing conversation between Job and his friends, which Elihu interrupts to offer his perspective.
Teaching Points
The Importance of Righteous Judgment
Elihu's anger reflects a desire for justice and truth. We must seek to understand situations fully before passing judgment on others.

The Role of Youth in Wisdom
Elihu, though young, demonstrates that wisdom is not confined to age. God can use anyone, regardless of age, to speak truth.

The Dangers of Misguided Counsel
Job's friends, despite their intentions, fail to provide true comfort. We must be cautious in offering advice, ensuring it aligns with God's truth.

Listening Before Speaking
Elihu listens before speaking, exemplifying the biblical principle of being quick to hear and slow to speak. This is crucial in understanding and addressing others' struggles.

Righteous Anger
Elihu's anger is directed at injustice and false accusations. Righteous anger can motivate us to seek truth and justice, but it must be controlled and aligned with God's will.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1. What is the meaning of Job 32:3?

2. How does Elihu's anger in Job 32:3 guide our response to injustice?

3. What lessons can we learn from Elihu's reaction to Job's friends' silence?

4. How does Job 32:3 connect with Proverbs on speaking truth and wisdom?

5. In what ways can we ensure our anger aligns with righteous principles?

6. How can Elihu's example in Job 32:3 inspire us to defend truth today?

7. Why did Elihu become angry with Job's friends in Job 32:3?

8. How does Job 32:3 challenge the integrity of Job's friends?

9. What does Job 32:3 reveal about the nature of divine justice?

10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Job 32?

11. In the context of Job 33 as a whole, why should readers trust Elihu's self-proclaimed divine insight when there is no independent confirmation of his authority?

12. Did Job's words contain any sin?

13. Job 32:2 - Does Elihu's accusation that Job 'justified himself rather than God' conflict with God's earlier testimony that Job was blameless (Job 1:1)?

14. In Job 22:12-14, Eliphaz suggests God may not see everything; how does this align with other scriptures asserting God's omniscience?
What Does Job 32:3 Mean
He burned with anger

• The speaker is Elihu, a younger bystander who has listened patiently (Job 32:4).

• His “burning” is not a sinful outburst but righteous indignation—a reaction that can be godly when aimed at injustice (Ephesians 4:26; Psalm 4:4; Mark 3:5).

• Anger here highlights zeal for truth and fairness; complacency toward error is never commended in Scripture (Proverbs 14:35).

Against Job’s three friends

• The target is Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, who had dominated the conversation since Job 4.

• They originally came to comfort (Job 2:11) but slid into accusation.

• Their role as “friends” carries responsibility: “Faithful are the wounds of a friend” (Proverbs 27:6), yet their wounds were neither faithful nor truthful.

Because they had failed to refute Job

• Job’s central claim—that he was suffering without hidden sin—stood unchallenged by sound argument (Job 27:5–6).

• Scripture values reasoned, evidence-based correction (Deuteronomy 19:15; Proverbs 18:17).

• The friends relied on recycled slogans:

– “Those who plow iniquity reap trouble” (Job 4:8).

– “Surely God does not reject a blameless man” (Job 8:20).

– “If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored” (Job 22:23).

• Their inability to dismantle Job’s defense exposed the weakness of their theology—that suffering always equals divine punishment (cf. John 9:2–3).

And yet had condemned him

• Condemnation without proof violates God’s standard of justice (Proverbs 17:15; Isaiah 5:23).

• The friends spoke as if they sat in God’s seat (Job 13:4; 19:2), turning consolation into condemnation.

• Ultimately, God Himself rebuked them: “You have not spoken the truth about Me as My servant Job has” (Job 42:7).

• Elihu’s anger foreshadows God’s verdict, showing that even before the divine whirlwind, the failure of the friends’ arguments was apparent (Job 32:9–10).

summary

Job 32:3 shows Elihu’s righteous anger because Job’s three friends had offered no solid refutation yet still condemned him. His reaction underscores biblical priorities: truth must precede judgment, anger can be righteous when defending justice, and condemning the innocent is an offense to God.

(3) They had found no answer.--They could not reply unto Job, nor deny that he had been in conduct such as he said he had been, and yet they concluded that he must be wicked because God had smitten him.Verse 3. - Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer. Elihu thought that Job's reasonings and complaints admitted of being satisfactorily answered, and was vexed that the three "friends" had not made the right replied It is the main object of his speech to supply them. And yet had condemned Job. They had condemned him on wrong grounds and of sins that he had not committed (Job 22:6-9). Elihu condemns him as much (Job 33:9-12; Job 34:7-9, etc.), but for entirely different reasons.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And his anger
אַ֫פּ֥וֹ (’ap·pōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 639: The nose, nostril, the face, a person, ire

burned
חָרָ֪ה (ḥā·rāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2734: To glow, grow warm, to blaze up, of anger, zeal, jealousy

against Job’s three
וּבִשְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת (ū·ḇiš·lō·šeṯ)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Number - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7969: Three, third, thrice

friends,
רֵעָיו֮ (rê·‘āw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7453: Friend, companion, fellow

because
עַ֤ל (‘al)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

they had failed
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

to refute [Job],
מַעֲנֶ֑ה (ma·‘ă·neh)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4617: An answer, response

and yet had condemned
וַ֝יַּרְשִׁ֗יעוּ (way·yar·šî·‘ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7561: To be, wrong, to disturb, violate

him.
אִיּֽוֹב׃ (’î·yō·wḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 347: Job -- a patriarch


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OT Poetry: Job 32:3 Also his wrath was kindled against his (Jb)