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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)When they saw Job from a distance, they scarcely recognized him. Wailing loudly, they tore their robes and threw dust into the air over their heads to show their grief.

Context of Job 2:12

10He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. 11When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. 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. 13Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great 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

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 gone away; my closest friends have forgotten me.
• Ruth 1:19So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”
• Lamentations 4:7Their princes were brighter than snow and whiter than milk, their bodies more ruddy than rubies, their appearance like lapis lazuli.
• Genesis 27:34When Esau heard his father’s words, he burst out with a loud and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me—me too, my father!”
• Judges 2:4When the angel of the Lord had spoken these things to all the Israelites, the people wept aloud,
• 1 Samuel 11:4When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and reported these terms to the people, they all wept aloud.
• 1 Samuel 30:4So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep.
• 2 Samuel 13:36As he finished speaking, the king’s sons came in, wailing loudly. The king, too, and all his attendants wept very bitterly.
• Esther 4:1When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly.
• Job 1:20At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship
• Nehemiah 9:1On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads.
• Lamentations 2:10The elders of Daughter Zion sit on the ground in silence; they have sprinkled 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 voice and cry bitterly over you; they will sprinkle dust on their heads and roll in ashes.
• Revelation 18:19They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: “ ‘Woe! Woe to you, great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin!’

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