איוב, פרק כ״ט, פסוק י׳

Job commanded an immense level of awe and respect from his community, creating an atmosphere so powerful that even the most distinguished individuals lost their ability to speak in his presence. These individuals were senior ministers, holding a status far above ordinary officials and sometimes even rivaling kings [מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The primary approach among commentators is that the voices of these powerful men completely vanished. Overcome by shame and reverence for Job, they simply fell silent [רלב״ג]. While it is typical for such leaders to boast about their wealth and high standing, standing before Job stripped them of their pride, leaving them afraid to speak at all [מלבי״ם, תקות אנוש].

Another perspective suggests a different source for the silence. It was not the leaders who quieted down, but rather the people who normally sang their praises. Witnessing Job's extraordinary greatness and the deep admiration he commanded, these followers abandoned their flattery of the ministers and fell silent instead [תקות אנוש]. Taking a different approach, another view proposes that the sound that disappeared was not speech at all. Instead, it was the physical noise of the leaders rushing to hide. In this view, their overwhelming fear did not stem from Job as a man, but from the clear presence of God that rested upon him, striking terror into anyone who looked at him [אלשיך].

The absolute nature of this silence is emphasized by the physical sensation of their tongues sticking to the roofs of their mouths. The leaders were completely muted, unable to utter a single sound [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This vivid imagery goes beyond a simple metaphor for keeping quiet. It represents a profound, total inability to speak, a muteness far stronger and more paralyzing than merely placing a hand over one's mouth [מלבי״ם].