Job 2 · Verse 11

Job 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, King James Version

Job 2:11 in other translations

BSBNow 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.
WEBNow when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come on him, they each came from his own place: 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.
ASVNow 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; and they made an appointment together to come to bemoan him and to comfort him.
YLTAnd three of the friends of Job hear of all this evil that hath come upon him, and they come in each from his place--Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite--and they are met together to come in to bemoan him, and to comfort him;
DARBYAnd three friends of Job heard of all this evil that was come upon him. And they came each one from his place: Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to condole with him and to comfort him.
BBEAnd Job's three friends had word of all this evil which had come on him. And they came every one from his place, Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. So they came together to a meeting-place, in order that they might go and make clear to Job their grief for him, and give him comfort.
WebsterNow when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that had 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.

What does Job 2:11 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
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 (Ge 36:4); and Teman, son of Eliphaz (Ge 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 (Am 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 (Jr 49:7). Baruch mentions them as "authors of fables" (namely, proverbs embodying the results of observation), and "searchers out of understanding." Bildad the Shuhite--Shuah ("a pit"), son of Abraham and Keturah (Ge 25:2). Ptolemy mentions the region Syccea, in Arabia-Deserta, east of Batanea. 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.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 11 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. 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. 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.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Job 2:11-13
The friends of Job seem noted for their rank, as well as for wisdom and piety. Much of the comfort of this life lies in friendship with the prudent and virtuous. Coming to mourn with him, they vented grief which they really felt. Coming to comfort him, they sat down with him. It would appear that they suspected his unexampled troubles were judgments for some crimes, which he had vailed under his professions of godliness. Many look upon it only as a compliment to visit their friends in sorrow; we must look life. And if the example of Job's friends is not enough to lead us to pity the afflicted, let us seek the mind that was in Christ.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Job 2:11 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֞וּvai.yish.me.'Uand they heardH8085
שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת\׀she.Lo.shet[the] threeH7969
רֵעֵ֣יre.'Ei[the] friends ofH7453
אִיּ֗וֹב'i.YovJobH347
אֵ֣ת'et<obj.>H853
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
הָרָעָ֣הha.ra.'Ahthe evilH7451
הַזֹּאת֮ha.zoT<the> thisH2063
הַבָּ֣אָהha.Ba.'ahthat it had comeH935
עָלָיו֒'a.Lavon himH5921
וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙vai.ya.Vo.'uand they cameH935
אִ֣ישׁ'isheach oneH376
מִמְּקֹמ֔וֹmi.me.ko.Mofrom own place hisH4725
אֱלִיפַ֤ז'e.li.FazEliphazH464
הַתֵּימָנִי֙ha.tei.ma.Nithe TemaniteH8489
וּבִלְדַּ֣דu.vil.Dadand BildadH1085
הַשּׁוּחִ֔יha.shu.Chithe ShuhiteH7747
וְצוֹפַ֖רve.tzo.Farand ZopharH6691
הַנַּֽעֲמָתִ֑יha.na.'a.ma.Tithe NaamathiteH5284
וַיִּוָּעֲד֣וּvai.yi.va.'a.Duand they met by appointmentH3259
יַחְדָּ֔וyach.DavtogetherH3162
לָב֥וֹאla.Vo'to comeH935
לָנֽוּד\־la.nud-to show sympathyH5110
ל֖וֹloto him
וּֽלְנַחֲמֽוֹ\׃u.le.na.cha.moand to comfort himH5162

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Job 2:11

  • Romans 12:15

    Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

  • Job 42:11

    Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.

  • Job 6:14

    To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend; but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty.

  • Jeremiah 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?

  • Genesis 25:2

    And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.

  • Proverbs 17:17

    A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

  • 1 Corinthians 12:26

    And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

  • John 11:19

    And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

  • Genesis 36:11

    And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz.

  • Job 16:2

    I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.

  • Genesis 36:15

    These were dukes of the sons of Esau: the sons of Eliphaz the firstborn son of Esau; duke Teman, duke Omar, duke Zepho, duke Kenaz,

  • 1 Chronicles 1:32

    Now the sons of Keturah, Abraham’s concubine: she bare Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. And the sons of Jokshan; Sheba, and Dedan.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
friends.
6:14; 16:20; 19:19,21; 42:7; Pr 17:17; 18:24; 27:10
Temanite.
6:19; 15:1; Ge 36:11,15; Jer 49:7
Shuhite.
8:1; 18:1; Ge 25:2; 1Ch 1:32
to come.
42:11; Ge 37:35; Isa 51:19; Joh 11:19; Ro 12:15; 1Co 12:26
Heb 13:3
to comfort.
13:4; 16:2

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Job 2:10

    But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

  • Job 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 2:12

    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.

Read all of Job 2

Job 2:11 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y tres amigos de Job, Eliphaz Temanita, y Bildad Suhita, y Sophar Naamathita, luego que oyeron todo este mal que le había sobrevenido, vinieron cada uno de su lugar; porque habían concertado de venir juntos á condolecerse de él, y á consolarle.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et trois amis de Job apprirent tout ce mal qui lui était arrivé et vinrent chacun de son lieu, Éliphaz, le Thémanite, et Bildad, le Shukhite, et Tsophar, le Naamathite; et ils s’entendirent ensemble pour venir le plaindre et le consoler.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und die drei Freunde Hiobs hörten all dieses Unglück, das über ihn gekommen war; und sie kamen, ein jeder aus seinem Orte: Eliphas, der Temaniter, und Bildad, der Schuchiter, und Zophar, der Naamathiter; und sie verabredeten sich miteinander zu kommen, um ihm ihr Beileid zu bezeugen und ihn zu trösten.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Igitur audientes tres amici Job omne malum quod accidisset ei, venerunt singuli de loco suo, Eliphaz Themanites, et Baldad Suhites, et Sophar Naamathites. Condixerant enim ut pariter venientes visitarent eum, et consolarentur.