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

10“You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept from God only good and not adversity?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. 11Now when Job’s three friends—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite—heard about all this adversity that had come upon him, each of them came from his home, and they met together to go and sympathize with Job and comfort him. When they lifted up their eyes from afar, they could barely recognize Job. They began to weep aloud, and each man tore his robe and threw dust in the air over his head. 13Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights, but no one spoke a word to him because they saw how intense his suffering was.

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

• When they lifted upנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: lookH5375
• ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
• their eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: seeingH5869
• from afarרָחֹקrâchôq râchôq · distantH7350
• they could barelyלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
• recognizeנָכַרnâkar · to recognizeH5234
• They began to weepבָּכָהbâkâh · to weepH1058
• aloudנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: loudH5375
• aloudקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
• and each manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• toreקָרַעqâra‛ · to tearH7167
• his robeמְעִילme‛îyl · robeH4598
• and threwזָרַקzâraq · to scatterH2236
• dustעָפָר‛âphâr · dustH6083
• in the airשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
• overעַל‛al · uponH5921
• his headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218

Cross-references for Job 2:12

• Job 19:14My kinsmen have failed me, and my friends have forgotten me.
• Ruth 1:19So Naomi and Ruth traveled until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women of the town exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”
• Lamentations 4:7Her dignitaries were brighter than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than rubies, their appearance like sapphires.
• Genesis 27:34When Esau heard his father’s words, he let out a loud and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me too, O my father!”
• Judges 2:4When the angel of the LORD had spoken these words to all the Israelites, the people lifted up their voices and wept.
• 1 Samuel 11:4When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and relayed these words in the hearing of the people, they all wept aloud.
• 1 Samuel 30:4So David and the troops with him lifted up their voices and wept until they had no strength left to weep.
• 2 Samuel 13:36And as he finished speaking, the sons of the king came in, wailing loudly. Then the king and all his servants also wept very bitterly.
• Esther 4:1When Mordecai learned of all that had happened, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, wailing loudly and bitterly.
• Job 1:20Then Job stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and worshiped,
• Nehemiah 9:1On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth, with dust on their heads.
• Lamentations 2:10The elders of the Daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence. They have thrown dust on their heads and put on sackcloth. The young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground.
• Ezekiel 27:30They will raise their voices for you and cry out bitterly. They will throw dust on their heads and roll in ashes.
• Revelation 18:19Then they will throw dust on their heads as they weep and mourn and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, where all who had ships on the sea were enriched by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been destroyed.”

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