18 Heb “days.”
19 The imperfect here is to be classified as an obligatory imperfect.
20 Heb “abundance of years.”
21 This is the word נְשָׁמָה (néshamah, “breath”); according to Gen 2:7 it was breathed into Adam to make him a living person (“soul”). With that divine impartation came this spiritual understanding. Some commentators identify the רוּחַ (ruakh) in the first line as the Spirit of God; this “breath” would then be the human spirit. Whether Elihu knew that much, however, is hard to prove.

In other versions

I said, ‘Let days speak,

and many years teach wisdom.’

But it is the spirit in man,

the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand.

I thought, ‘Age should speak;

advanced years should teach wisdom.’

But it is the spirit in a person,

the breath of the Almighty, that gives them understanding.

I thought that age should speak

and maturity should teach wisdom.

But it is the spirit in a person—

the breath from the Almighty—

that gives anyone understanding.

I thought, ‘Those who are older should speak,

for wisdom comes with age.’

But there is a spirit within people,

the breath of the Almighty within them,

that makes them intelligent.

I thought, ‘Let days speak,

and let many years teach wisdom.’

“Truly, it is a spirit in a human being,

and the breath of Shaddai teaches them.

I said, Days should speak,

And multitude of years should teach wisdom.

But there is a spirit in man:

And the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.

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