Job 2:12

Job 2:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And when they raised their eyes from afar, and did not recognize him, they lifted their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe and sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven.

Context of Job 2:12

10But he said to her, “You speak as one of the [spiritually] foolish women speaks [ignorant and oblivious to God’s will]. Shall we indeed accept [only] good from God and not [also] accept adversity and disaster?” In [spite of] all this Job did not sin with [words from] his lips. 11Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; for they had made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and to comfort him. When they looked from a distance and did not recognize him [because of his disfigurement], they raised their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe [in grief] and they threw dust over their heads toward the sky [in sorrow]. 13So they sat down on the ground with Job for seven days and seven nights and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.

Job 2:12 word by word

וַיִּשְׂא֨וּ אֶת־עֵינֵיהֶ֤ם מֵרָחוֹק֙ וְלֹ֣א הִכִּירֻ֔הוּ וַיִּשְׂא֥וּ קוֹלָ֖ם וַיִּבְכּ֑וּ וַֽיִּקְרְעוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ מְעִל֔וֹ וַיִּזְרְק֥וּ עָפָ֛ר עַל־רָאשֵׁיהֶ֖ם הַשָּׁמָֽיְמָה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And when they lifted upנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: lookH5375
• their eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: seeingH5869
• afar offרָחֹקrâchôq râchôq · distantH7350
• and knewנָכַרnâkar · to recognizeH5234
• him not, they lifted upנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: loudH5375
• their voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
• and weptבָּכָהbâkâh · to weepH1058
• and they rentקָרַעqâra‛ · to tearH7167
• every oneאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• his mantleמְעִילme‛îyl · robeH4598
• and sprinkledזָרַקzâraq · to scatterH2236
• dustעָפָר‛âphâr · dustH6083
• upon their headsרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
• toward heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064

Cross-references for Job 2:12

• Job 19:14My relatives have failed [me], And my intimate friends have forgotten me.
• Ruth 1:19So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole city was stirred because of them, and the women asked, “Is this Naomi?”
• Lamentations 4:7Her princes were purer than snow, They were whiter than milk [in appearance]; They were more ruddy in body than rubies, Their polishing was like lapis lazuli (sapphire).
• Genesis 27:34When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with a great and extremely bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, O my father!”
• Judges 2:4When the Angel of the Lord had spoken these words to all the Israelites, the people raised their voices and wept.
• 1 Samuel 11:4Then the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and told the news to the people; and all the people raised their voices and wept aloud.
• 1 Samuel 30:4Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they were too exhausted to weep [any longer].
• 2 Samuel 13:36And when he finished speaking, the king’s sons came, and they raised their voices and wept; and the king and all his servants also wept very bitterly.
• Esther 4:1Now when Mordecai learned of everything that had been done, he tore his clothes [in mourning], and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the center of the city and cried out loudly and bitterly.
• Job 1:20Then Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head [in mourning for the children], and he fell to the ground and worshiped [God].
• Nehemiah 9:1Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the Israelites assembled with fasting and in sackcloth and with dirt on their heads.
• Lamentations 2:10The elders of the Daughter of Zion Sit on the ground keeping silent; They have thrown dust on their heads, They have covered themselves with sackcloth. The virgins of Jerusalem Have bowed their heads to the ground.
• Ezekiel 27:30And they will make their voice heard [as they wail loudly] over you And they will cry bitterly. They will throw dust on their heads; They will wallow in ashes.
• Revelation 18:19And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, for the great city, where all who had ships at sea grew rich from her great wealth, because in one hour she has been laid waste!’

Commentaries on Job 2:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12They rent every one his mantle - I have already had frequent occasions to point out and illustrate, by quotations from the ancients, the actions that were used in order to express profound grief; such as wrapping themselves in sackcloth, covering the face, strewing dust or ashes upon the head, sitting upon the bare ground, etc., etc.; significant actions which were in use among all nations.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12And when they lifted up their eyes afar off - “When they saw him at the distance at which they could formerly recognize him without difficulty, disease had so altered his appearance that at first sight they knew him not” - Noyes. They lifted up their voice - This is a common expression in the Scriptures, to denote grief; Genesis 27:38; Genesis 29:11; Judges 2:4; Rth 1:9 ; 1 Samuel 24:16, “et soepe al.” We learn to suppress the expressions of grief. The…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-13Verses 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 godliness. Many look upon it…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12They could barely recognize Job: This expression shows how much Job had suffered (compare Isaiah 52:14; 53:3). Job’s friends showed their grief and began to weep aloud, as if Job was dead. Throwing dust sometimes showed anger or hate (see 2 Samuel 16:13; Acts 22:23). But here it showed grief (see Joshua 7:6; 1 Samuel 4:12; Nehemiah 9:1; Lamentations 2:10).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. toward heaven--They threw ashes violently upwards, that they might fall on their heads and cover them--the deepest mourning (Jos 7:6; Ac 22:23).Read the comment

Topics related to Job 2:12

• Dust
• Friendship
• Job
• Mantle
• Mourning
• Rending
• Sympathy

In the dictionaries

• Cloak
• Comfort
• Hannah
• Lip
• Mantle
• Mourn
• Potsherd
• Receive
• Scrape
• Speak

Commentaries on Job 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings