Hearing of Job's catastrophes, three men gathered together "to go and sympathize with him and comfort him" (Job 2:11). They were Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For seven full days, they did not speak to him out of respect for his suffering (2:13). When Job lifted the silence by speaking, they took turns sharing with Job their understanding of the root of his problem (chs. 3-31). A fourth friend, Elihu, was apparently present, but did not speak until later (chs. 32-37).
