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Commentary on Job 2 verses 11–13
We have here an account of the kind visit which Job's three friends paid him in his affliction. The news of his extraordinary troubles spread into all parts, he being an eminent man both for greatness and goodness, and the circumstances of his troubles being very uncommon. Some, who were his enemies, triumphed in his calamities, Job 16:10; Job 19:18; Job 30:1, etc. Perhaps they made ballads on him. But his friends concerned themselves for him, and endeavoured to comfort him. A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Three of them are here named (Job 2:11), Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. We shall afterwards meet with a fourth, who it should seem was present at the whole conference, namely, Elihu. Whether he came as a friend of Job or only as an auditor does not appear. These three are said to be his friends, his intimate acquaintance, as David and Solomon had each of them one in their court that was called the king's friend. These three were eminently wise and good men, as appears by their discourses. They were old men, very old, had a great reputation for knowledge, and much deference was paid to their judgment, Job 32:6. It is probable that they were men of figure in their country-princes, or heads of houses. Now observe,
I. That Job, in his prosperity, had contracted a friendship with them. If they were his equals, yet he had not that jealousy of them - if his inferiors, yet he had not that disdain of them, which was any hindrance to an intimate converse and correspondence with them. to have such friends added more to his happiness in the day of his prosperity than all the head of cattle he was master of. Much of the comfort of this life lies in acquaintance and friendship with those that are prudent and virtuous; and he that has a few such friends ought to value them highly. Job's three friends are supposed to have been all of them of the posterity of Abraham, which, for some descents, even in the families that were shut out from the covenant of peculiarity, retained some good fruits of that pious education which the father of the faithful gave to those under his charge. Eliphaz descended from Teman, the grandson of Esau (Gen 36:11), Bildad (it is probable) from Shuah, Abraham's son by Keturah, Gen 25:2. Zophar is thought by some to be the same with Zepho, a descendant from Esau, Gen 26:11. The preserving of so much wisdom and piety among those that were strangers to the covenants of promise was a happy presage of God's grace to the Gentiles, when the partition-wall should in the latter days be taken down. Esau was rejected; yet many that came from him inherited some of the best blessings.
II. That they continued their friendship with Job in his adversity, when most of his friends had forsaken him, Job 19:14. In two ways they showed their friendship: -
1.By the kind visit they paid him in his affliction, to mourn with him and to comfort him, Job 2:11. Probably they had been wont to visit him in his prosperity, not to hunt or hawk with him, not to dance or play at cards with him, but to entertain and edify themselves with his learned and pious converse; and now that he was in adversity they come to share with him in his griefs, as formerly they had come to share with him in his comforts. These were wise men, whose heart was in the house of mourning, Ecc 7:4. Visiting the afflicted, sick or sore, fatherless or childless, in their sorrow, is made a branch of pure religion and undefiled (Jam 1:27), and, if done from a good principle, will be abundantly recompensed shortly, Mat 25:36.
(1.)By visiting the sons and daughters of affliction we may contribute to the improvement, [1.] Of our own graces; for many a good lesson is to be learned from the troubles of others; we may look upon them and receive instruction, and be made wise and serious. [2.] Of their comforts. By putting a respect upon them we encourage them, and some good word may be spoken to them which may help to make them easy. Job's friends came, not to satisfy their curiosity with an account of his troubles and the strangeness of the circumstances of them, much less, as David's false friends, to make invidious remarks upon him (Psa 41:6-8), but to mourn with him, to mingle their tears with his, and so to comfort him. It is much more pleasant to visit those in affliction to whom comfort belongs than those to whom we must first speak conviction.
(2.)Concerning these visitants observe, [1.] That they were not sent for, but came of their own accord (Job 6:22), whence Mr. Caryl observes that it is good manners to be an unbidden guest at the house of mourning, and, in comforting our friends, to anticipate their invitations. [2.] That they made an appointment to come. Note, Good people should make appointments among themselves for doing good, so exciting and binding one another to it, and assisting and encouraging one another in it. For the carrying on of any pious design let hand join in hand. [3.] That they came with a design (and we have reason to think it was a sincere design) to comfort him, and yet proved miserable comforters, through their unskilful management of his case. Many that aim well do, by mistake, come short of their aim.
2.By their tender sympathy with him and concern for him in his affliction. When they saw him at some distance he was so disfigured and deformed with his sores that they knew him not, Job 2:12. His face was foul with weeping (Job 16:16), like Jerusalem's Nazarites, which had been ruddy as the rubies, but were now blacker than a coal, Lam 4:7, Lam 4:8. What a change will a sore disease, or, without that, oppressing care and grief, make in the countenance, in a little time! Is this Naomi? Rut 1:19. So, Is this Job? How hast thou fallen! How is thy glory stained and sullied, and all thy honour laid in the dust! God fits us for such changes! Observing him thus miserably altered, they did not leave him, in a fright or loathing, but expressed so much the more tenderness towards him. (1.) Coming to mourn with him, they vented their undissembled grief in all the then usual expressions of that passion. They wept aloud; the sight of them (as is usual) revived Job's grief, and set him a weeping afresh, which fetched floods of tears from their eyes. They rent their clothes, and sprinkled dust upon their heads, as men that would strip themselves, and abase themselves, with their friend that was stripped and abased. (2.) Coming to comfort him, they sat down with him upon the ground, for so he received visits; and they, not in compliment to him, but in true compassion, put themselves into the same humble and uneasy place and posture. They had many a time, it is likely, sat with him on his couches and at his table, in his prosperity, and were therefore willing to share with him in his grief and poverty because they had shared with him in his joy and plenty. It was not a modish short visit that they made him, just to look upon him and be gone; but, as those that could have had no enjoyment of themselves if they had returned to their place while their friend was in so much misery, they resolved to stay with him till they saw him mend or end, and therefore took lodgings near him, though he was not now able to entertain them as he had done, and they must therefore bear their own charges. Every day, for seven days together, at the house in which he admitted company, they came and sat with him, as his companions in tribulation, and exceptions from that rule, Nullus ad amissas ibit amicus opes - Those who have lost their wealth are not to expect the visits of their friends. They sat with him, but none spoke a word to him, only they all attended to the particular narratives he gave of his troubles. They were silent, as men astonished and amazed. Curae leves loquuntur, ingentes stupent - Our lighter griefs have a voice; those which are more oppressive are mute.
So long a time they held their peace, to show
A reverence due to such prodigious woe.
- Sir R. Blackmore
They spoke not a word to him, whatever they said one to another, by way of instruction, for the improvement of the present providence. They said nothing to that purport to which afterwards they said much - nothing to grieve him (Job 4:2), because they saw his grief was very great already, and they were loth at first to add affliction to the afflicted. There is a time to keep silence, when either the wicked is before us, and by speaking we may harden them (Psa 39:1), or when by speaking we may offend the generation of God's children, Psa 73:15. Their not entering upon the following solemn discourses till the seventh day may perhaps intimate that it was the sabbath day, which doubtless was observed in the patriarchal age, and to that day they adjourned the intended conference, because probably then company resorted, as usual, to Job's house, to join with him in his devotions, who might be edified by the discourse. Or, rather, by their silence so long they would intimate that what they afterwards said was well considered and digested and the result of many thoughts. The heart of the wise studies to answer. We should think twice before we speak once, especially in such a case as this, think long, and we shall be the better able to speak short and to the purpose.
47. All heretics, in contemplating the deeds of Holy Church, lift up their eyes, in that they are themselves down below, and when they look at her works, the objects, which they are gazing at, are set high above them. Yet they do not know her in her sorrow, for she herself covets to ‘receive evil things’ here, that so being purified she may attain to the reward of an eternal recompence, and for the most part she dreads prosperity, and joys in the hard lessons of her training. Therefore heretics, who aim at present things as something great, know her not amidst her wounds. For that, which they see in her, they recognise not in the reading of their own hearts. While she then is gaining ground even by her adversities, they themselves stick fast in their stupefaction, because they know not by experiment the things they see. And they rent everyone his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.
48. Like as we take the garments of the Church for the whole number of the faithful; (and it is hence that the Prophet saith, Thou shalt clothe thee with them all as with an ornament; [Is. 49, 18]) so the garments of heretics are all they that attaching themselves with one accord to them are implicated in their errors. But heretics have this point proper to themselves, that they cannot remain stationary for long in that stage wherein they leave the Church, but they are day by day precipitated into further extremes, and by hatching worse opinions they split into manifold divisions, and are in most cases parted the wider from one another by their contention and disorderment. Thus because all those, whom they attach to their ill faith [perfidiae], are further torn by them in endless splitting, it may well be said that the friends who come rend their garments [rumpunt], but when the garments are rent, the body is shown through; for it oftentimes happens, that when the followers are rent and torn, the wickedness of their imaginings is disc1osed, for discord to lay open the artifices, which their great guilt in agreeing together had heretofore kept close.
49. But now, they ‘sprinkle dust upon their heads to heaven.’ What is represented by dust, saving earthly senses; what by the head, saving that which is our leading principle, viz. the mind? What is set forth by ‘heaven,’ but the law of heavenly revelation? So, to ‘sprinkle dust upon the head to heaven,’ is to corrupt the mind with an earthly perception, and to put earthly senses upon heavenly words. Now they generally canvas the words of God more than they take them in, and for this reason they sprinkle dust upon their heads, forasmuch as they strain themselves in the precepts of God, following an earthly sense, beyond the powers of their mind.
67. For the vices do not know us in our afflictions, in that so soon as they have knocked at the dejected heart, being reproved they start back, and they, which as it were knew us in our joy, because they made their way in, cannot know us in our sadness, in that they break their edge on our very rigidity itself. But our old enemy, the more he sees that he is himself caught out in them, and that with a good courage, cloaks them with so much the deeper disguise under the image of virtues; and hence it is added, They lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.
20. Because the scourge had altered the appearance of the stricken man, his friends ‘lift up their voice and weep,’ ‘rend their garments,’ ‘sprinkle dust upon their heads;’ that seeing him altered to whom they had come, their voluntary grief might likewise alter the very appearance even of the comforters also. For the order in consolation is, that when we would stay one that is afflicted from his grief, we first essay to accord with his sorrow by grieving. For he can never comfort the mourner who does not suit himself to his grief, since from the very circumstance that his own feelings are at variance with the mourner's distress, he is rendered the less welcome to him, from whom he is parted by the character of his feelings; the mind therefore must first be softened down, that it may accord with the distressed, and by according attach itself, and by attaching itself draw him. For iron is not joined to iron, if both be not melted by the burning effect of fire, and a hard substance does not adhere to a soft, unless its hardness be first made soft by tempering, so as in a manner to become the very thing, to which our object is that it should hold. Thus we neither lift up the fallen, if we do not bend from the straightness of our standing posture. For, whereas the uprightness of him that standeth disagreeth with the posture of one lying, he never can lift him to whom he cares not to lower himself; and so the friends of blessed Job, that they might stay him under affliction from his grief, were of necessity solicitous to grieve with him, and when they beheld his wounded body, they set themselves to rend their own garments, and when they saw him altered, they betook themselves to defiling their heads with dust, that the afflicted man might the more readily give ear to their words, that he recognised in them somewhat of his own in the way of affliction.
21. But herein be it known, that he who desires to comfort the afflicted, must needs set a measure to the grief, to which he submits, lest he should not only fail of soothing the mourner, but, by the intemperance of his grief, should sink the mind of the afflicted to the heaviness of despair. For our grief ought to be so blended with the grief of the distressed, that by qualifying it may lighten it, and not by increasing weigh it down. And hence perhaps we ought to gather, that the friends of blessed Job in administering consolation gave themselves up to grief more than was needed, in that while they mark the stroke, but are strangers to the mind of him that was smitten, they betake themselves to unmeasured lamentation, as if the smitten man who was of such high fortitude, under the scourge of his body, had fallen in mind too.
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SUMMARY
Job 2:12 vividly portrays the dramatic arrival of Job's three friends—Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar—who, having heard of his calamities, are utterly overwhelmed by the sight of his ravaged condition. From a distance, they are unable to recognize him, a testament to the extreme physical disfigurement and abject misery that has befallen him. Their immediate and intense expressions of grief—weeping aloud, tearing their garments, and sprinkling dust upon their heads—underscore the profound depth of Job's suffering and the initial shock and empathy of his companions, setting the stage for the subsequent theological discourse.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Job 2:12 is exceptionally rich in Pathos, effectively evoking deep pity and sorrow from the reader by vividly portraying the friends' overwhelming emotional response to Job's suffering. The description of their inability to recognize Job due to his extreme disfigurement employs Hyperbole, emphasizing the unimaginable extent of his physical deterioration and the radical change in his appearance. The friends' ritualistic actions—tearing their mantles and sprinkling dust on their heads—are powerful instances of Symbolism, where culturally understood gestures convey profound internal states of grief, despair, and solidarity. These actions are not merely literal but carry deep cultural and emotional weight, signifying a complete surrender to sorrow and an identification with the sufferer's humiliation. The verse also masterfully utilizes Sensory Imagery, appealing directly to sight ("lifted up their eyes afar off," "knew him not," "rent every one his mantle," "sprinkled dust") and sound ("lifted up their voice, and wept"), immersing the reader in the raw, immediate, and visceral experience of the scene.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse offers a profound theological insight into the nature of suffering and the initial human response to it. Before any words of counsel or theological debate are exchanged, the friends are confronted with a reality of suffering so immense that it transcends recognition and demands a primal, empathetic response. Their immediate, wordless actions demonstrate that true compassion often begins not with explanations or advice, but with a shared experience of grief and a willingness to enter into the other's pain, even if it means being shocked into silence. It highlights the mystery of suffering that can render a person unrecognizable, challenging conventional understandings of divine justice and human prosperity. The friends' initial solidarity, though later marred by their flawed theology, underscores the biblical call to "weep with those who weep" (Romans 12:15), emphasizing the profound importance of presence and shared lament in the face of overwhelming sorrow.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 2:12 serves as a powerful and timeless reminder of how we are called to respond to profound suffering in others. In a world that often rushes to offer solutions, explanations, or platitudes, the initial, raw response of Job's friends—one of shock, overwhelming emotion, and wordless solidarity—offers a crucial lesson in genuine compassion. It teaches us the profound importance of simply being present with those who suffer, allowing ourselves to be genuinely affected by their pain, even to the point of being overwhelmed and speechless. True empathy begins with truly seeing and acknowledging the other's pain, even when it is so severe that it defies our understanding or recognition, transforming the familiar into the unrecognizable. Before we offer theological frameworks, practical advice, or comforting clichés, our first and most vital response should be to lament with them, to sit in their ashes, and to bear compassionate witness to their brokenness. This verse challenges us to cultivate a heart that prioritizes shared human connection and silent presence over intellectual answers in the immediate aftermath of tragedy, recognizing that sometimes, the greatest comfort is simply to be present in the pain.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why couldn't Job's friends recognize him from afar?
Answer: Job's friends couldn't recognize him because his physical appearance had been drastically altered by the severe boils and the overall devastation he had experienced. Job 2:7 states that Satan struck Job with "sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown." This agonizing affliction, combined with his sitting among ashes and scraping himself with a potsherd (Job 2:8), would have rendered him a grotesque and unrecognizable figure, a mere shadow of his former prosperous and dignified self. Their inability to recognize him underscores the extreme nature of his suffering and the profound impact it had on his physical being, stripping him of his former identity in their eyes.
What was the significance of tearing clothes and sprinkling dust upon their heads in ancient times?
Answer: Tearing clothes and sprinkling dust or ashes on the head were deeply symbolic and widely practiced expressions of intense grief, mourning, and despair in the ancient Near East. Tearing one's mantle, as seen in numerous biblical accounts (e.g., Jacob's profound sorrow for Joseph, David's lament for Saul and Jonathan), signified profound internal anguish, horror, or a sense of irreparable loss. It was a public, visible, and often dramatic act that conveyed the tearing of one's inner being. Sprinkling dust or ashes on the head, as also seen in passages like Lamentations 2:10, symbolized deep humility, abject sorrow, self-abasement, and identification with mortality (the idea of returning to dust, as in Genesis 3:19). These actions were not merely performative but genuine, culturally understood rituals that allowed individuals to outwardly express overwhelming inner pain and communal solidarity with the bereaved.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job 2:12, with its raw depiction of unrecognizable suffering and the initial empathetic response of friends, finds profound Christ-centered fulfillment. Jesus, the ultimate Suffering Servant, was also prophesied to be "marred beyond human semblance" (Isaiah 52:14) and to have "no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him" (Isaiah 53:2). Like Job, Christ experienced suffering that rendered him unrecognizable, not just physically during his crucifixion (Matthew 27:32-56), but in his profound humiliation and self-emptying, taking on the very nature of a servant (Philippians 2:7). Yet, unlike Job's friends who eventually faltered in their understanding and offered misguided counsel, Christ perfectly embodies the empathy shown in Job 2:12. He is the one who truly "knows" our suffering, having experienced it fully and been tempted in every way, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). He calls us to "weep with those who weep" (Romans 12:15), mirroring the initial, pure compassion of Job's friends, but with perfect understanding and unfailing love. Ultimately, the comfort that Job's friends could not provide, and the answers they failed to grasp, are found in Christ, who through his own suffering, death, and resurrection, conquers sin and death, offering true solace, eternal hope, and ultimate restoration to all who are afflicted (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).