Teks -- Job 2:11 (NET)

The Visit of Job’s Friends

2:11 When Job’s three friends heard about all this calamity that had happened to him, each of them came from his own country– Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They met together to come to show sympathy for him and to console him.

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Wesley: Job 2:11 - They

Who were persons eminent for birth and quality, for wisdom and knowledge, and for the profession of the true religion, being probably of the posterity of Abraham, a - kin to Job, and living in the same country. Eliphaz descended from Teman, the grandson of Esau, Gen 36:11. Bildad probably from Shuah, Abraham's son by Keturah, Gen 25:2. Zophar is thought to be same with Zepho, (Gen 36:11.) a descendant from Esau. The preserving of so much wisdom and piety among those who were not children of the promise, was an happy presage of God's grace to the Gentiles, when the partition wall should be taken down.

JFB: Job 2:11 - 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 (Gen 36:4); and Teman, son of Eliphaz (Gen 36:15), called "duke." EUSEBIUS places Teman in Arabia-Petræa (but see on Job 6:19). Teman means "at the right hand"; and then the south, namely, part of Idumea; capital of Edom (Amo 1:12). Hebrew geographers faced the east, not the north as we do; hence with them "the right hand" was the south. Temanites were famed for wisdom (Jer 49:7). BARUCH mentions them as "authors of fables" (namely, proverbs embodying the results of observation), and "searchers out of understanding."

JFB: Job 2:11 - Bildad the Shuhite

Shuah ("a pit"), son of Abraham and Keturah (Gen 25:2). PTOLEMY mentions the region Syccea, in Arabia-Deserta, east of Batanea.

JFB: Job 2:11 - Zophar the Naamathite

Not of the Naamans in Judah (Jos 15:41), which was too distant; but some region in Arabia-Deserta. FRETELIUS says there was a Naamath in Uz.

Clarke: Job 2:11 - Job’ s three friends

Job’ s three friends - The first was Eliphaz the Temanite; or, as the Septuagint has it, Ελιφαζ ὁ Θαιμανων βασιλευς, Eliphaz the king on the Thaimanites. Eliphaz was one of the sons of Esau; and Teman, of Eliphaz, Gen 36:10, Gen 36:11. Teman was a city of Edom, Jer 49:7-20; Eze 25:13; Amo 1:11, Amo 1:12

Clarke: Job 2:11 - Bildad the Shuhite

Bildad the Shuhite - Or, as the Septuagint, Βαλδαδ ὁ Συχεων τυραννος, Baldad, tyrant of the Suchites. Shuah was the son of Abraham by Keturah: and his posterity is reckoned among the Easterns. It is supposed he should be placed with his brother Midian, and his brother’ s sons Sheba and Dedan. See Gen 25:2, Gen 25:3. Dedan was a city of Edom, see Jer 49:8, and seems to have been situated in its southern boundary, as Teman was in its western. Eze 25:13

Clarke: Job 2:11 - Zophar the Naamathite

Zophar the Naamathite - Or, according to the Septuagint, Σωφαρ Μιναιων Βασιλευς, Sophar king of the Minaites. He most probably came from that Naamah, which was bordering upon the Edomites to the south and fell by lot to the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:21-41. These circumstances, which have already been mentioned in the introduction, prove that Job must have dwelt in the land of Edom, and that all his friends dwelt in Arabia Petraea, or in the countries immediately adjacent. That some of those Eastern people were highly cultivated, we have at least indirect proof in the case of the Temanites, Jer 49:7 : Concerning Edom thus saith the Lord of hosts, Is wisdom no more in Teman? Is counsel perished from the prudent? Is their wisdom vanished? They are celebrated also in Baruch 3:22, 23. Speaking of wisdom he says: It hath not been heard of in Chanaan; neither hath it been seen in Theman. The Agarenes that seek wisdom upon earth, the merchants of Meran and of Theman, the expounders of fables, and searchers out of understanding, none of these have known the way of wisdom. It is evident enough from these quotations that the inhabitants of those districts were celebrated for their knowledge; and the sayings of Job’ s three friends are proofs that their reputation for wisdom stood on a very solid foundation.

Defender: Job 2:11 - his own place

Job was a famous man, and the news concerning his calamity spread rapidly, reaching three nearby tribal kingdoms and, apparently, the three men who occupied positions similar to Job's in Uz. These three "friends" gathered as quickly as they could to learn what had happened and to "comfort" him.

Defender: Job 2:11 - Temanite

Eliphaz, the chief spokesman of the three, was from Teman, an ancient city later prominent among the Edomites who eventually took over that whole region.

Defender: Job 2:11 - Shuhite

Bildad was from Shuhu, an Aramaean city south of Haran, on the middle Euphrates.

Defender: Job 2:11 - Naamathite

Zophar was from Naamah, a city believed to be in Arabia."

TSK: Job 2:11 - friends // Temanite // Shuhite // to come // to comfort

friends : Job 6:14, Job 16:20, Job 19:19, Job 19:21, Job 42:7; Pro 17:17, Pro 18:24, Pro 27:10

Temanite : Job 6:19, Job 15:1; Gen 36:11, Gen 36:15; Jer 49:7

Shuhite : Job 8:1, Job 18:1; Gen 25:2; 1Ch 1:32

to come : Job 42:11; Gen 37:35; Isa 51:19; Joh 11:19; Rom 12:15; 1Co 12:26; Heb 13:3

to comfort : Job 13:4, Job 16:2

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: Job 2:11

They were persons then eminent for birth and quality, for wisdom and knowledge, and for the profession of the true religion, being probably of the posterity of Abraham, and akin to Job, and living in the same country with him.

Gill: Job 2:11 - Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him // they came everyone 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

Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him,.... Of the loss of his substance, servants, and children, and of his own health; the news of which soon spread in the adjacent countries, Job being a person of great note, and his calamity so very extraordinary and uncommon: who these three friends were is after observed; they living at some distance from him, held a correspondence with him, and he with them, being good men; and now act the friendly part in paying him a visit under such circumstances; Pro 17:17;

they came everyone from his own place; from the country, city, town, or habitations where they lived; whether they walked or rode is not said, their names are as follow:

Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; the first of these, Eliphaz, was either from Teman, a city in Edom, on the borders of Arabia Deserta, as the Targum; or a descendant of Teman, a grandson of Esau; not Eliphaz the son of Esau, Gen 36:11 as the Targum on that place says; for he was the father of Teman, from whom this Eliphaz sprang: the second, Bildad, was a descendant from Shuah, a son of Abraham, by Keturah, Gen 25:2; whose posterity with geographers are called Sauchites, Sauchaeans, Sacceans, and settled in Arabia Deserta, from whence Bildad came: the third, Zophar the Naamathite, who he was, and why so called, is not certain; there is nothing but conjectures concerning him; it is most probable that he lived in Arabia Deserta, or on the borders of it, near to Job's country and that of his other two friends ⁿ; there was a Naamath in the land of Uz, which was Job's country according to Fretelius ^o: the Septuagint version calls Eliphaz the king of the Temanites, and Bildad the tyrannus, or governor, of the Sauchaens, and Zophar king of the Minaeans ^p:

for they had made an appointment together; upon hearing of Job's trouble, they got together, and fixed upon a time and place to meet together and proceed on in their journey to Job's house:

to come to mourn with him, and to comfort him; the first word signifies to "move to him" ^q not as Sephorno explains it, to go with him from place to place, that he might not lay hands on himself; but rather, as the Latin interpreter of the Targum, to move their heads at him; as persons, to show their concern for, and sympathy with, the afflicted, shake their heads at them: the meaning is, that they came to condole his misfortunes, and to speak a word of comfort to him under them; and no doubt but they came with a real and sincere intent to do this, though they proved miserable comforters of him; Job 16:2.