The Three Friends

Job chapter two introduces three of Job’s friends: Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. Through their response to news of Job’s suffering we can see evidence of Biblical friendships (Job 2:11).

• They acted. When they heard about Job’s situation, they came to see him.
• They served together. Visiting Job together strengthened the three friends rather than exhausting their resources by coming and serving alone.
• They had a purpose. They came to show Job “sympathy and comfort him”.
• They showed up. They initially responded with compassion by sitting with him and being silent for seven days and nights “for they saw that his suffering was very great” (Job 2:13).

Their initial verbal responses to Job’s suffering spoke of love and care for Job because they wanted him to be forgiven by God. If Job asked for forgiveness for his sin, God would remove his suffering.

But the three friends did not listen to Job’s responses to their pleas.

---

Comforters to Confronters

Job’s friends were convinced that they knew how to end his suffering. In fact, it was so simple they could not understand why Job did not just ask God for forgiveness. Despite their initial desire to comfort Job in his suffering, they changed from comforters to confronters. 

Job’s friends frustrated him. They offered unwise counsel, would not relent, would not really hear his replies, and smeared his reputation. They made insinuations about his character, calling him unrighteous, wicked, and not knowing God (Job 18:21; 22:5). They made claims that were not true (Job 33:9; 34:8; 35:3). They did not draw from their personal experiences with suffering and consider that Job might be correct. They did not pause to consider that if their views were correct, then all the wicked should suffer on earth, but they do not.

---

More to about relationships in the Book of Job coming next week!