Now when Job’s three friends—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite—heard about all this adversity that had come upon him, each of them came from his home, and they met together to go and sympathize with Job and comfort him.
Parallel translations
- WEB Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come on him, they each came from his own place: Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and to comfort him.
- KJV 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: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.
- NKJV Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come and mourn with him, and to comfort him.
- NASB Now when Job’s three friends heard about all this adversity that had come upon him, they came, each one from his own place—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and comfort him.
- NLT When three of Job’s friends heard of the tragedy he had suffered, they got together and traveled from their homes to comfort and console him. Their names were Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Three friends come to comfort Job in his grief. Their arrival shifts the book toward extended dialogue about suffering.
Overview
Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar travel from afar with the genuine intention to sympathize and console. Their initial compassion is commendable, even if their later speeches go astray. The verse introduces the human attempts to explain Job's suffering that will occupy the heart of the book.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 26
- Rom 12:15Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.
- Job 42:11All his brothers and sisters and prior acquaintances came and dined with him in his house. They consoled him and comforted him over all the adversity that the LORD had brought upon him. And each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring.
- Job 6:14A despairing man should have the kindness of his friend, even if he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
- Prov 17:17A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
- Gen 25:2and she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.
- Jer 49:7Concerning Edom, this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Is there no longer wisdom in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom decayed?
- 1 Cor 12:26If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
- Job 6:19The caravans of Tema look for water; the travelers of Sheba hope to find it.
- Gen 36:11The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz.
- Job 19:21Have pity on me, my friends, have pity, for the hand of God has struck me.
- 1 Chr 1:32The sons born to Keturah, Abraham’s concubine: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. The sons of Jokshan: Sheba and Dedan.
- John 11:19and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them in the loss of their brother.
- Gen 36:15These are the chiefs among the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau: Chiefs Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz,
- Gen 37:35All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said. “I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him.
- Job 16:2“I have heard many things like these; miserable comforters are you all.
- Heb 13:3Remember those in prison as if you were bound with them, and those who are mistreated as if you were suffering with them.
- Job 13:4You, however, smear with lies; you are all worthless physicians.
- Job 15:1Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
- Prov 18:24A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother.
- Job 18:1Then Bildad the Shuhite replied:
- Job 16:20My friends are my scoffers as my eyes pour out tears to God.
- Prov 27:10Do not forsake your friend or your father’s friend, and do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity; better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.
- Isa 51:19These pairs have befallen you: devastation and destruction, famine and sword. Who will grieve for you? Who can comfort you?
- Job 8:1Then Bildad the Shuhite replied:
- Job 19:19All my best friends despise me, and those I love have turned against me.
- Job 42:7After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, He said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and your two friends. For you have not spoken about Me accurately, as My servant Job has.
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Christ at the center
Job's cry for a mediator who can lay his hand on both God and man, and his confidence that 'my Redeemer lives' and will stand on the earth, reaches forward to Jesus the living Redeemer.
How Job 2:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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