Job 2:12 - Barnes' Notes

Job 2:12

10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. ^aShall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” ^bIn all this Job did not ^csin with his lips.

Job’s Three Friends

11 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 ^aTemanite, Bildad the ^bShuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come ^cand mourn with him, and to comfort him.

12 And when they raised their eyes from afar, and did not recognize him, they lifted their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe and ^asprinkled dust on his head toward heaven.

13 So they sat down with him on the ground ^aseven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.

Commentaries:

Barnes' Notes

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Job 2:12

And when they lifted up their eyes afar off - " When they saw him at the distance at which they could formerly recognize him without difficulty, disease had so altered his appearance that at first sight they knew him not" - Noyes.

They lifted up their voice - This is a common expression in the Scriptures, to denote grief; Genesis 27:38; Genesis 29:11; Judges 2:4; Ruth 1:9; I Samuel 24:16, " et soepe al ." We learn to suppress the expressions of grief. The ancients gave vent to their sorrows aloud. - They even hired persons to aid them in their lamentations; and it became a professional business of women to devote themselves to the office of making an outcry on occasions of mourning. The same thing prevails in the East at present. Friends sit around the grave of the dead, or go there at different times, and give a long and doleful shriek or howl, as expressive of their grief.

And they rent every one his mantle - See the notes at Job 1:20.

And sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven - Another expression of sorrow; compare Lamentations 2:10; Nehemiah 9:1; I Samuel 4:12; Joshua 7:6; Ezekiel 27:30. Thc indications of grief here referred to, were such as were common in ancient times. They resemble, in a remarkable manner, the mode in which Achilles gave utterance to his sorrow, when informed of the death of Patroclus. Iliad xviii. 21-27.

A sudden horror shot through all the chief,

And wrapp' d his senses in the cloud of grief;

Cast on the ground, with furious hands he spread

The scorching ashes o' er his graceful head,

His purple garments, and his golden hairs,

Those he deforms with dust, and these he tears:

On the hard soil his groaning breast he threw,

And roll' d and grovell' d as to earth he grew.

Pope

Thus far the feelings of the three friends were entirely kind, and all that they did was expressive of sympathy for the sufferer.

Other Barnes' Notes entries containing Job 2:12:

Isaiah 36:22
Isaiah 47:1
Amos 2:7
Matthew 11:21
Revelation 18:19

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Job’s Three Friends

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