Three of job s friends, eliphaz, bildad, and zophar, come to visit him, sitting with job in silence for seven days out of respect for his mourning. The old testament book of job and the 17th chapter. These men ostensibly come to comfort him, but wind up first gently suggesting and eventually forcefully arguing that gods justice or lack thereof is not for mere human beings to question. The problem is that the three friends, zophar, eliphaz and bildad, claim that god. Elihu was also angry at eliphaz, bildad, and zophar because they had failed to solve the controversy they had found no answer, while at the same time they were in elihus opinion too harsh against job and yet had condemned job. With his three friends job discussed the problem why a righteous god allows that a righteous man has to suffer innocently. Eliphaz the temanite is the symbol of human experience or history. The symposium, consisting of speeches by job and by each of his three friends, tells a very different story. He suggests that job s suffering could be divine punishment, and goes into great detail about the consequences of living a life of sin. And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. Job begins his response with remarkable sarcasm directed at his friends, whose approach has been impervious to his suffering 26. Bildad, along with eliphaz and zophar, visit job after they heard of the calamity that had befallen him. Job overview james burton coffman commentaries on the bible.
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. Addressing the problem of theodicy the vindication of the justice of god in the light of humanitys suffering it is a rich. These guys have plenty to say, and job isnt their biggest fan. Why was god angry about what eliphaz, bildad, and zophar said to. Jobs three friends eliphaz, bildad and zophar sermon index. In job 3237 elihu offers a response to job that lifts up the lord, condemns job s three friends, and rightly confronts job.
Eliphaz, bildad, and zopharfalse accusers book of job. Now, after eliphaz and bildad struck out, its a good thing that job has one more friend who is ready to help job understand gods ways. Eliphaz felt job had deceived himself by trusting in his ritual piety what he had done for god while his real sin was what he failed to do for his fellow man note on verses 411. Job, on the other hand, recognizes that the system is more randomized and thus more scary, hence 6. After eliphaz and bildad, zophar spoke third in offering advice to job. He is the most impetuous and dogmatic of the three. This begins a third and shortened round of debate between job and his three friends eliphaz, bildad, and zophar. But job said the lord gives, and the lord takes away, blessed be the name of the lord now when job s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, eliphaz the temanite, bildad the shuhite, and zophar the naamathite. But eliphaz, bildad, and zophar are sinners also as before god, and yet they are not afflicted. And hes going to finish this first of three cycles of speeches in which each of job s friends has spoken followed by a rebuttal from job.
Describe eliphaz and tell what he thought about job. On the seventh day, job speaks, beginning a conversation in which each of the four men shares his thoughts on job s afflictions in. Elihu was also angry at eliphaz, bildad, and zophar because they had failed to solve the controversy they. Although most of the book consists of the words of job and his friends, job himself was not the author. But the writer of the book of job is not satisfied to live that way. The other names associated with elihu meaning he is my god are not. In verse 6, he states, know then that god exacts of you less than your guilt deserves esv. The play unfolds as each man gives a long speech, and job responds to each with a speech of his own. In job 2 the satan afflicts job with severe boils in order to test his piety. Not only do they incur the indignation of job and his other friend elihu, but god himself rebukes them, saying to eliphaz, i am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my. Job 32 scofield reference bible commentary bible study tools.
It is the authors effort to share his insights about gods. Zophar the naamathite is the symbol of human merit or moral law. Describe bildad and tell what he thought about job. Unlike friends bildad and eliphaz, zophar only speaks twice to job. Ridiculed job s integrity and claimed that god had no faith in his servants job 4, 5 called job presumptuous and wicked and claimed that job had no fear of god. Job s three friends eliphaz, bildad and zophar were not able to understand these ways of god. In job 32 elihu focuses his response on rebuking job s three friends, eliphaz, bildad, and zophar. And there, in chapter 16, job had ended there speaking of how he despaired of life. Interpretations of elihu in job biblical hermeneutics stack exchange. The difference between job and his three friends knowable word. God allowed satan to take away from job his wealth, his family, and his health.
His comments can be found in job chapter 11 and 20. Job with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. For a whole week after arriving they said nothing, but sat silently with him, because they saw how great his suffering was. Giving the strongest of the three initial speeches, zophar declares that job deserved even worse than what he got. Now when jobs three friends heard of all this evil that had come on him, they each came from his own place. Job made his last speech in rebuttal to eliphaz, bildad, and zophar. What did jobs three friends have wrong, and what did they. Despite minor differences, eliphaz, bildad, and zophar have one view of the problem of jobs afflictions. Now when job s three friends heard of all this evil that had come on him, they each came from his own place. Job had 3 friends that showed up for him in his time of need. The word temanite probably indicates that he was an edomite, or member of a palestinian people descended from esau.
Here the poetic portion of the book ends, and yahweh, in prose, chastises eliphaz, bildad and zophar for not speaking the truth about him, as job did. When bildad first arrives, he cannot believe the horrific nature of jobs condition. Much of the drama in this section comes from the interaction between job and his four supposed friends. Likely the oldest and most influential of the comforters, eliphaz was the first to speak. Three friends eliphaz the temanite, bildad the shuhite, and zophar the naamathite come from afar and express their sympathy by remaining silent and by clothing themselves in sackcloth and sitting in ashes. God was angered with eliphaz, bildad, and zophar because of their false accusations against job. 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. Describe zophar and tell what he thought about job 6. Their names were eliphaz the temanite, bildad the shuhite, and zophar the naamathite. Instead of giving comfort, jobs three companions added to his distress with unkind, false accusations. Eliphaz spoke to job with the most respect and restraint, bildad was more direct and less courteous, and zophar was the most blunt and brutal. The three friends of job represent three ways of solving the mysterious problems of divine government in the affairs of men. It was a custom, at that time, that the afflicted or grieving person should be allowed to speak first. And since job s sufferings were the worst ever seen, his sins must have been particularly severesocial oppression.
Bildad the shuhite is the symbol of human tradition or philosophy. His three friends, eliphaz the temanite, bildad the shuhite and zophar the naamathite, console him. Job refutes the theory of the three that he is a secret sinner as against the common moralities, but the real problem, why are the righteous afflicted remains. What did jobs three friends have wrong, and what did they have. The most hurtful comments of jobs friends bible study. Though eliphaz, bildad, and zophar made many barbed remarks through the three cycles of their discourse with job that impugned his character, questioned his faith, and mocked his knowledge, perhaps. In the first cycle the friends are content to talk generalities, without venturing to apply their doctrine directly to job. At the end of the chapter job s three friends, eliphaz, bildad, and zophar come to. Eliphaz, bildad, and zophar get no more than three speeches apiece.
Interpretations of elihu in job biblical hermeneutics. Three of job s friends, eliphaz, bildad, and zophar, hear about his misfortune and came from afar to visit. Eliphaz and job would agree that god gives and god takes away, but eliphaz believes that this system corresponds to who does evil and who does good. I have personally come to the conclusion that, basically, elihu was used by yahweh, and thats why he didnt include elihu in his scolding. When job s three friends eliphaz, bildad and zophar heard of his adversity, they came to visit him, saying they wanted to comfort him job 2. Through these three rounds, a certain movement can be detected. Elihu is identified only as the son of barakel the buzite, of the family of ram job 32. Bildad, also spelled baldad, in the old testament, one of the three principal comforters of job. Eliphaz the temanite, bildad the shuhite, and zophar the naamathite are often.
Eliphaz the temanite was one of jobs three friends who showed up to comfort job but ended up adding to his misery by asserting that jobs suffering was a punishment for secret sin. Like the other two comforters, bildad and eliphaz, zophar emphasizes an old hebrew conceptsuffering is the inevitable lot of the evil man. He gave three speeches and spoke longer than the other two men. And in their great sorrow, they tore their clothes, then sprinkled dust on their heads and cried bitterly. When jobs three friends eliphaz, bildad and zophar heard of his adversity, they. Commentary on the book of job bible study notes and comments by david e. Verses 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. News of the sorrow that had befallen job has spread, and three of his friends eliphaz, bildad and zophar decide to visit him to offer their wisdom and condolences 2. Eliphaz the temanite, in the old testament book of job chapters 4, 5, 15, 22, one of three friends who sought to console job, who is a biblical archetype of unmerited suffering. Job was a wealthy but righteous and godfearing man. We studied job, chapter 16 last time where job was responding to eliphaz.
Also against his three friends his wrath was aroused. At the end of job 2, eliphaz, bildad, and zophar enter stage left. They thought god was punishing job for any sins and could not see that god uses suffering also to refine and to teach believers. Job s buddies eliphaz, zophar, and bildad come to visit and chill with him while he rolls around in ash and sackcloth. The bible says that all who live godly in christ jesus will be persecuted. So eliphaz, bildad, and zophar were not able to sustain their theory in the face. The book of job and the paradox of suffering my jewish. Job s three friends, eliphaz, bildad, and zophar, have historically been known for offering lengthy speeches that resulted in their being condemned by god job 42. Job and his friends eliphaz, bildad, zophar, and elihu divisions of the book. In the book of job, it becomes clear that the first three of job s friends eliphaz, blidad, and zophar speak wrongly. He then compares his own weakness with the limitless power, majesty, and wonder of yahweh. 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. Contextual overview 11 eliphaz from teman, bildad from shuah, and zophar from naamah were three of job s friends, and they heard about his troubles. The friends do not waver in their belief that job s suffering is a punishment for sin, for god causes no one to suffer innocently, and they advise him to repent and seek gods mercy.