Job 2:11-13

8. Three friends come, and a further great trial begins (their insinuations). (Job 2:11-13)

TEXT 2:11-13

(11) Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place: Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to bemoan him and to comfort him. (12) And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his robe, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven. (13) So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights and no one spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.

COMMENT 2:11-13

Job 2:11The passage in Job 2:11-13 prepares for the coming dialogue. Job's three comforters are professional wise men from Edom (the proverbial home of wise men, Obadiah 1:8; Jeremiah 49:7). Their concern is both genuine and charitable. They find Job's condition worse than they had expected and begin expressing the ritual gestures for mourning for the dead by a week long silence.[42] They wait for Job to break his silence before attempting to comfort him. Silence is often the deepest comfort. Our mere presence is frequently the most powerful therapy for broken hearts. Three concerned wise men come to console Job: (1) Eliphaz, (probably means God is fine goldGenesis 36:11; Genesis 36:15; Genesis 36:42; 1 Chronicles 1:36; 1 Chronicles 1:53) the Temanite. Teman is from a root meaning the right hand of southland, because when one faces the rising sun his right hand is to the south. Teman is probably located in Nabatean territory about 15 miles from Petra (Jeremiah 49:7; Ezekiel 25:13; Amos 1:12 f; Obadiah 1:9Teman is always a principal location of Edom). (2) Bildad, (meaning uncertain[43]) the Shuhite. Shuah is mentioned as a son of Abraham and QeturahGenesis 25:2; 1 Chronicles 1:32. The geographical location is, in all probability, also to be found in Edom or Arabia. (3) Zophar, (means young dove,the name appears only in Job) the Naamathite. The most likely location is that of Jebel el Na-'ameh, approximately 40 miles east of Tebuk.[44] The three made an appointment with Job for the purpose of consoling him. The verb means to move to and fro, i.e., to move the body as a sign of mutual grief.

[42] N. Lohfink, Vetus Testamentum 12 (1962), pp. 260-77.

[43] See suggestions of Speiser and Albright. Speiser, Archiv fur Orientalforschung, 6 (1930), p. 23; and W. F. Albright, Journal of Biblical Literature, 54 (1935), p. 174, N. 3.

[44] For major possibilities see F. M. Abel, Geographie de la Palestine Tome I, Paris, 1933, p. 287, N. 4.

Job 2:12Job was so disfigured by the disease that they did not recognize him. To this extent Job is similar to the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53:3, Job's vindicator, and our Saviour. Each of the three sheikhs wore a robe as a badge of nobility, like JobJob 1:20. As a sign of torturous grief one tore his robe and sprinkled dust upon his head (Joshua 7:6; Ezekiel 27:30).

Job 2:13The three wise men sat down with him on the ground. This was the Near Eastern custom for mourners (Lamentations 2:10). The seven days and nights was also the custom for mourning the dead. Surely they thought Job would die, so aggravated was his condition. Sympathy and grief comingled between the sufferer and the mourners. (Ezekiel sat seven days and nights among the exilesJob 3:15.)