Charles Ellicott Commentary Job 32:8

"But there is a spirit in man, And the breath of the Almighty giveth them understanding." — Job 32:8 (ASV)

But there is a spirit in man. —Rather, But it is the spirit in man.

And the inspiration of the Almighty. —Rather, And the breath of the Almighty that gives them understanding. It is the expression used in the Mosaic narrative of the origin of man, and may perhaps show the writer's familiarity with that narrative (Genesis 2:7). Elihu means to say that it is not years so much as the spirit and illumination of the Almighty that makes a man pre-eminent in wisdom.