They were amazed, they answered no more: they left off speaking.
Ver. 15. They were amazed] As if they had seen Medusa's head, Gr. Myth. One of the three Gorgons whose head, with snakes for hair, turned him who looked upon it into stone; she was slain by Perseus, and her head fixed on the ægis or shield of Athene. or some such terrible spectacle, that had rendered them dumb. Talkative enough they have been when there was no such necessity; but now that they might speak to some purpose they stand like stocks, and are mute as fishes, whereby they bewray their ignorance and folly. Silence in some cases is sepes sapientiae, as the Rabbis speak (Pirkeaboth), the fruit and sense of wisdom, Amos 5:13; See Trapp on " Amo 5:13 " But in addition there is a sinful silence, which Luther wished never to be found guilty of, Modo impii silentii non arguar. And it is the devil, doubtless, that gaggeth people when being called to speak of, or for, God, as these friends of Job were at this time, they answer no more.
They leave speaking] They desert a good cause, or betray it by a cowardly silence. It may be feared the spirit of faith is no indweller, where the door of the lips move not right, 2 Corinthians 4:13. He speaks thus of those three seniors in a third person, by way of irony and contempt, turning his talk to the bystanders, whereof it is likely there were many; or (as Tremellius thinketh) to Job, with whom he seeketh to ingratiate.