1656 B.C.

Job 2)

1 Again there came to be a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and the Adversary came also among them to present himself before the LORD.

2 And the LORD said to Satan, "Where did you come from?" And Satan answered the LORD, and said, "From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it."

3 And the LORD said to Satan, "Have thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, an inoffensive and an upright man, one that reveres God, and stands against evil? and still he holds fast his integrity, although you moved Me against him, to destroy him without cause."

4 And Satan answered the LORD, and said, "Skin for skin (put for the body as a whole), yes, all that a man has will he give for his soul. (Heb. nephesh.
5 However put forth your hand now, and touch bone to his bone and his flesh, and he will curse You to Your face."

6 And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your hand; but save his soul."

7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD,

and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to his crown.

8 And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he was sitting among the ashes.
9 Then said his wife to him, "Do you still remain firm in your integrity? curse God, and die."
10 But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. What? shall we receive good from of the [true] God, and shall we not receive evil?"

2:11-13. THE THREE FRIENDS. THEIR ARRIVAL.
C  E  j  11-. Their visit. Hearing of Lobs calamities.
       k  -11. The reason.
        F  12-. Their sorrow. [Real.]
        F  -12. Their sorrow. [Symbolical.]
   E  j  13-. Their visit. Seeing Job's calamity.
       k  -13. The reason.

In all these calamities did not Job sin with his lips.

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 (= God is his strength. From Teman, which is connected with Esau and Edom [Gen. 36:4,11. 1 Chron. 35,36,53,&c.]. Temanites famed for wisdom. He argued from the standpoint of Human expience) the Temanite, and Bildad (= son of contention. Probably descended from Shuah, youngest son of Keturah by Abraham [Gen. 25:2]. Settled east of Palestine [Gen. 25:6]. He argued from human tradition) the Shuhite, and Zophar (= sparrow. Probably from Naamah, southern frontier of Judah. He argued from the ground of human merit) the Naamathite:

for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.

12 And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept;

and they tore every one his mantle (they were probably bishops, but not from God), and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven. (Sounds so religious right?)

13 So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights (7 = spiritual perfection), and none spoke a word to him:

for they saw that his grief was very great.

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