Job 2 · Verse 13

Job 2:13

So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.
Job 2:13, King James Version

Job 2:13 in other translations

BSBThen 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.
WEBSo they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.
ASVSo they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.
YLTAnd they sit with him on the earth seven days and seven nights, and there is none speaking unto him a word when they have seen that the pain hath been very great.
DARBYAnd they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights; and none spoke a word to him; for they saw that his anguish was very great.
BBEAnd they took their seats on the earth by his side for seven days and seven nights: but no one said a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.
WebsterSo they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spoke a word to him: for they saw that his grief was very great.

What does Job 2:13 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
13. seven days ... nights--They did not remain in the same posture and without food, &c., all this time, but for most of this period daily and nightly. Sitting on the earth marked mourning (La 2:10). Seven days was the usual length of it (Ge 50:10; 1Sa 31:13). This silence may have been due to a rising suspicion of evil in Job; but chiefly because it is only ordinary griefs that find vent in language; extraordinary griefs are too great for utterance.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 13 They sat down with him upon the ground seven days - They were astonished at the unprecedented change which had taken place in the circumstances of this most eminent man; they could not reconcile his present situation with any thing they had met with in the history of Divine providence. The seven days mentioned here were the period appointed for mourning. The Israelites mourned for Jacob seven days, Gen 50:10. And the men of Jabesh mourned so long for the death of Saul, 1Sam 31:13; 1Chr 10:12. And Ezekiel sat on the ground with the captives at Chebar, and mourned with and for them seven days. Eze 3:15. The wise son of Sirach says, "Seven days do men mourn for him that is dead;" Sirach 22:12. So calamitous was the state of Job, that they considered him as a dead man: and went through the prescribed period of mourning for him. They saw that his grief was very great - This is the reason why they did not speak to him: they believed him to be suffering for heavy crimes, and, seeing him suffer so much, they were not willing to add to his distresses by invectives or reproach. Job himself first broke silence.

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…

Read the full comment on Job 2:11-13 →

Job 2:13 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.

וַיֵּשְׁב֤וּvai.ye.she.Vuand they satH3427
אִתּוֹ֙'i.Towith himH854
לָאָ֔רֶץla.'A.retzto the groundH776
שִׁבְעַ֥תshiv.'AtsevenH7651
יָמִ֖יםya.MimdaysH3117
וְשִׁבְעַ֣תve.shiv.'Atand sevenH7651
לֵיל֑וֹתlei.LotnightsH3915
וְאֵין\־ve.'ein-and notH369
דֹּבֵ֤רdo.Ver[anyone was] speakingH1696
אֵלָיו֙'e.Lavto himH413
דָּבָ֔רda.Vara wordH1697
כִּ֣יkiforH3588
רָא֔וּra.'Uthey sawH7200
כִּֽי\־ki-thatH3588
גָדַ֥לga.Dalit was greatH1431
הַכְּאֵ֖בha.ke.'Evthe painH3511
מְאֹֽד\׃me.'OdexceedinglyH3966

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

Cross references for Job 2:13

  • Genesis 50:10

    And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days.

  • Nehemiah 1:4

    And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,

  • Ezekiel 3:15

    Then I came to them of the captivity at Tel–abib, that dwelt by the river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.

  • Isaiah 3:26

    And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.

  • Job 4:2

    If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking?

  • Genesis 1:8

    And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

  • Genesis 1:5

    And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

  • Psalms 77:4

    Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak.

  • Ezra 9:3

    And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied.

  • Isaiah 47:1

    Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
they sat.
Ezr 9:3; Ne 1:4; Isa 3:26; 47:1
seven days.
Ge 1:5,8; 50:10
none spake.
4:2; Ps 77:4

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

Context

  • 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.

  • Job 2:13

    So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.

Read all of Job 2

Job 2:13 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Así se sentaron con él en tierra por siete días y siete noches, y ninguno le hablaba palabra, porque veían que el dolor era muy grande.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et ils s’assirent avec lui à terre sept jours et sept nuits, et nul ne lui dit une parole, car ils voyaient que sa douleur était très grande.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und sie saßen mit ihm auf der Erde sieben Tage und sieben Nächte lang; und keiner redete ein Wort zu ihm, denn sie sahen, daß der Schmerz sehr groß war.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et sederunt cum eo in terra septem diebus et septem noctibus: et nemo loquebatur ei verbum: videbant enim dolorem esse vehementem.