These friends didn't just show up; they "made an appointment together." This wasn't a casual drop-in, but a deliberate, planned journey undertaken with a shared purpose: to offer sympathy and comfort. It highlights their intention to honor Job, even before their words would prove less than perfect.
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. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Job's three friends, wise men from surrounding regions, hear about his devastating losses and personal affliction. They decide to travel from their own homes to meet together and visit Job, intending to offer him comfort and commiseration for his suffering. This visit marks the beginning of their extended dialogue with Job, which will unfold into a complex theological debate about suffering and divine justice.
These weren't just any guys; Job's friends were leaders in their communities, renowned for their wisdom and likely their faith. What does that tell us about the kind of people we should seek out as friends?
The text identifies Job's three friends: Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. The commentaries highlight that these men were not only prominent in their own regions but also likely descendants of Abraham and known for their wisdom and piety.
This background isn't just trivia. It underscores that Job, a man of great standing, associated with other men of similar caliber. Their wisdom and status meant their counsel carried weight, and their decision to visit was a significant act of solidarity.
Job's friends didn't just stumble upon him. They heard the news, made plans, and journeyed to be with him. What does this deliberate commitment reveal about true friendship?
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The narrative emphasizes that the visit of Job's friends was not accidental but a planned and purposeful act. They heard about his immense suffering, and their response was immediate and coordinated.
This intentionality is a powerful model. True friendship isn't passive; it requires effort, planning, and a commitment to show up for others when they are hurting, even when it's inconvenient or requires travel.
Understand the original words
ra'ah · Hebrew Noun
An adverse state, calamity, or catastrophe. In the context of Job, it refers to the physical and personal disasters he suffered, often viewed through the lens of God's sovereign permission.
nud · Hebrew Noun
Deep compassion or fellow-feeling for someone in distress. It often involves sharing in another's pain and providing emotional or physical support.
nacham · Hebrew Verb
The act of bringing relief, solace, or encouragement to someone in mourning or hardship. It implies coming alongside to strengthen or lighten the burden of the afflicted.
This passage echoes the sentiment of Job's friends by calling believers to 'rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.' It highlights the importance of genuine empathy and shared experience in community, which was the initial intention of Job's visitors.
Galatians 6:2The instruction to 'bear one another's burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ' directly relates to the purpose of Job's friends coming to him. Their coming was an attempt to share in his immense suffering and offer comfort.
Proverbs 17:17This verse states that 'a friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.' Job's friends, by traveling to be with him in his time of extreme hardship, exemplify this ideal of steadfast friendship, even though their counsel later falters.
Job 42:11This later verse provides a crucial counterpoint and resolution: 'Then came to him all his brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before, and ate bread with him in his house.' It shows that true comfort and restoration come from genuine relationships, mirroring the initial intent of the three friends.
bensonJob 2:11: "Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; 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."
Job 2:11 . When Job’s three friends heard of all this, &c. — Who were persons eminent for birth and quality, for wisdom and knowledge, and for the profession of the true religion, being probably, as has been ob…
jfbJob 2:11: "Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; 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."
- Eliphaz—The view of Rawlinson that "the names of Job's three friends represent the Chaldean times, about 700 B.C.," cannot be accepted. Eliphaz is an Idumean name, Esau's oldest son (Ge 36:4); and Teman, so…
These friends didn't just show up; they "made an appointment together." This wasn't a casual drop-in, but a deliberate, planned journey undertaken with a shared purpose: to offer sympathy and comfort. It highlights their intention to honor Job, even before their words would prove less than perfect.
Job's three friends, wise men from surrounding regions, hear about his devastating losses and personal affliction. They decide to travel from their own homes to meet together and visit Job, intending to offer him comfort and commiseration for his suffering. This visit marks the beginning of their extended dialogue with Job, which will unfold into a complex theological debate about suffering and divine justice.
Job's three friends, wise men from surrounding regions, hear about his devastating losses and personal affliction. They decide to travel from their own homes to meet together and visit Job, intending to offer him comfort and commiseration for his suffering. This visit marks the beginning of their extended dialogue with Job, which will unfold into a complex theological debate about suffering and divine justice.
"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. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympa…" — These friends didn't just show up; they "made an appointment together." This wasn't a casual drop-in, but a deliberate, planned journey undertaken with a shared purpose: to offer sympathy and comfort…
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Last reviewed October 2026
