Job 2:13

Job 2:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words.

Context of Job 2:13

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. 12When 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. Then 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 2:13 word by word

וַיֵּשְׁב֤וּ אִתּוֹ֙ לָאָ֔רֶץ שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִ֖ים וְשִׁבְעַ֣ת לֵיל֑וֹת וְאֵין־דֹּבֵ֤ר אֵלָיו֙ דָּבָ֔ר כִּ֣י רָא֔וּ כִּֽי־גָדַ֥ל הַכְּאֵ֖ב מְאֹֽד׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• So they sat downיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• with him upon the groundאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: soilH776
• sevenשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
• daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• nightsלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915
• and none spakeדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• a wordדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• unto him: for they sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• griefכְּאֵבke'êb · painH3511
• was veryמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966
• greatגָּדַלgâdal · to magnifyH1431

Cross-references for Job 2:13

• Ezra 9:3When I heard this, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled.
• Nehemiah 1:4When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.
• Isaiah 3:26The gates of Zion will lament and mourn; destitute, she will sit on the ground.
• Isaiah 47:1“Go down, sit in the dust, Virgin Daughter Babylon; sit on the ground without a throne, queen city of the Babylonians. No more will you be called tender or delicate.
• Genesis 1:5God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
• Genesis 50:10When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, near the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly; and there Joseph observed a seven-day period of mourning for his father.
• Job 4:2“If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient? But who can keep from speaking?
• Psalms 77:4You kept my eyes from closing; I was too troubled to speak.

Commentaries on Job 2:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13They sat down with him upon the ground seven days - They were astonished at the unprecedented change which had taken place in the circumstances of this most eminent man; they could not reconcile his present situation with any thing they had met with in the history of Divine providence. The seven days mentioned here were the period appointed for mourning. The Israelites mourned for Jacob seven days, Genesis 50:10. And the men of Jabesh mourned so long for…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13So they sat down with him upon the ground; - see Job 1:20, note; Job 2:8, note; compare Ezra 9:3, “I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head, and my beard, and sat down astonished.” Seven days and seven nights - Seven days was the usual time of mourning among the Orientals. Thus, they made public lamentation for Jacob seven days, Genesis 50:10. Thus, on the death of Saul, they fasted seven days, 1 Samuel 31:13. So the author of…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. 13Job’s friends sat on the ground to share in Job’s suffering (see 2:8). People usually showed grief for seven days and nights when an important person died or to acknowledge other bad news (Genesis 50:10; 1 Samuel 31:13; see also Ezekiel 3:14–15).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1313. seven days ... nights--They did not remain in the same posture and without food, &c., all this time, but for most of this period daily and nightly. Sitting on the earth marked mourning (La 2:10). Seven days was the usual length of it (Ge 50:10; 1Sa 31:13). This silence may have been due to a rising suspicion of evil in Job; but chiefly because it is only ordinary griefs that find vent in language; extraordinary griefs are too great for utterance.Read the comment

Topics related to Job 2:13

• Friendship
• Job
• Seven
• Sympathy

In the dictionaries

• Comfort
• Lip
• Potsherd
• Receive
• Scrape
• Speak
• Grief; Grieve
• Job, Book of
• Joshua (3)

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