Job
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After Job’s three friends run out of things to say, a younger man steps forward — Elihu, son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram. He is the only person in the book of Job with a Hebrew name, and the fourth person to give reasoning to Job’s suffering. He has waited this whole time, giving his elders the chance to speak first, out of respect (or perhaps out of fear) even though he was dying to speak. And now, with the three friends silenced and no closer to convincing Job of anything, Elihu finally lets out his…
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After all three friends have exhausted their arguments, Job takes the floor one last time and starts a lengthy monologue, opening with an oath. As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice, the Almighty, who has made me taste bitterness of soul, as long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my nostrils, my lips will not say anything wicked, and my tongue will not utter lies. I will never admit you are in the right; till I die, I will not deny my integrity. Job 27:2-5 (NIV) Job swears this oath on the…
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Zophar is the third and final friend to speak to Job, and though he speaks the least, he carries the most intensity. He is introduced simply as “Zophar the Naamathite” — a name that may trace back to Tubal-Cain, several generations down from Cain in the early chapters of Genesis, though we cannot be certain of his ancestry or origin; we are clear on his intent, as Zophar doesn’t beat around the bush. Are all these words to go unanswered? Is this talker to be vindicated? Will your idle talk reduce others to silence?Job 11:2-3 (NIV) This is not the…
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Bildad was the second of Job’s three friends to speak, coming forward right after Job answered Eliphaz. If Eliphaz was the gentle opening argument, Bildad is the one who tightens the screws. He appears to be younger than Job, someone who has waited through the seven days of silent mourning and has now heard enough of Job’s protest to feel he must correct him. How long will you say such things? Your words are a blustering wind. Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert what is right? Job 8:2-3 (NIV) For Bildad, there is no mystery here. If Job’s…
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After Eliphaz finishes laying out his accusations, Job finally speaks. What follows is a long, unbroken outpouring that moves between arguing with his friend, wrestling with his own despair, and crying out to God. In Job’s response to Eliphaz, we see how much pain he is in, what it reveals about his hidden grief, and why it still matters for anyone who has ever wanted to say, in their own words, you do not know what I am going through. You Don’t Know My Pain Oh that my vexation were weighed, and all my calamity laid in the balances! Job…
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Eliphaz was one of Job’s three friends who came to sympathize with him in his lowest moment. He hailed from Teman, a region in Edom, and his name means “my God is strength,” suggesting that he had family roots that proclaimed Yahweh as their strength. Perhaps the writer of Job chose a name already tied to the lineage of Esau for a friend hailing from Edom, as Eliphaz was also the name of Esau’s firstborn. Eliphaz addresses Job first and continues to do so in every round of the dialogue, suggesting he is likely the eldest of Job’s three friends.…
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No one can definitively say when or where Job lived or who recorded his story. Some suggest he was a contemporary of Abraham, while others argue he existed long before the patriarch of Israel. There are even those who believe Job flourished much later, within the territory of Edom. What is certain is that the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel reflect on his laments during the exilic period of Israel, indicating that both the name and story were recognized across generations. It’s possible that Job’s tale began as an oral tradition, much like the narratives of Abraham and Jacob, long before…
The Jordan Valley 