Job 2:12

Grief Friendship

¹⁰ “You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept from God only good and not adversity?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

¹¹ 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.

When they lifted up their eyes from afar, they could barely recognize Job. They began to weep aloud, and each man tore his robe and threw dust in the air over his head.

¹³ Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights, but no one spoke a word to him because they saw how intense his suffering was.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: When they lifted up their eyes from afar, they could barely recognize Job. They began to weep aloud, and each man tore his robe and threw dust in the air over his head.
KJV: 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 mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.
WEB: When they lifted up their eyes from a distance, and didn’t recognize him, they raised their voices, and wept; and they each tore his robe, and sprinkled dust on their heads toward the sky.
ASV: 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.
DARBY: 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 mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward the heavens.
BLB: And they lifted their eyes from afar, and they did not recognize him. And they lifted their voices and wept, and each man tore his robe, and they scattered dust upon their heads toward the heavens.

ÅB: Men da de så opp et stykke ifra, kjente de ham ikke, og de brast i gråt og sønderrev sine kapper og kastet støv opp imot himmelen, ned over sine hoder.
OTB: Da de så ham på avstand, kunne de knapt kjenne ham igjen; de hevet sine stemmer og gråt høyt, rev sine kapper og strødde støv på hodene sine mot himmelen.
B1930: Men da de så op et stykke ifra, kjente de ham ikke, og de brast i gråt og sønderrev sine kapper og kastet støv op imot himmelen, ned over sine hoder.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Lamentations 2:10
The elders of the Daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence. They have thrown dust on their heads and put on sackcloth. The young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground.
Read in context
Ezekiel 27:30
They will raise their voices for you and cry out bitterly. They will throw dust on their heads and roll in ashes.
Read in context
Joshua 7:6
Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown before the ark of the LORD until evening, as did the elders of Israel; and they all sprinkled dust on their heads.
Read in context
Nehemiah 9:1
On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth, with dust on their heads.
Read in context
Job 1:20
Then Job stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and worshiped,
Read in context
Judges 2:4
When the angel of the LORD had spoken these words to all the Israelites, the people lifted up their voices and wept.
Read in context
1 Samuel 30:4
So David and the troops with him lifted up their voices and wept until they had no strength left to weep.
Read in context
Esther 4:1
When Mordecai learned of all that had happened, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, wailing loudly and bitterly.
Read in context