Zophar

For other uses, seeZophar (disambiguation).

Illustration ofJoband his friends from theKiev Psalter of 1397

In theHebrew Bible/Old TestamentBook of Job(c. 6th century BCE?),Zophar(Hebrew:צוֹפַר‎Ṣōp̄ar,"chirping; rising early"; alsoTzofar)the Naamathiteis one of the three friends ofJobwho visit to comfort him during his illness. His comments can be found inJob 11:1–20andJob 20:1–29.He suggests that Job's suffering could bedivine punishment,and goes into great detail about the consequences of living a life of sin.

"Naamathite" (na'-a-ma-thit) is a Gentile name,suggesting he was from a city called Naamah, perhaps inArabia.

Speeches

Unlike friendsBildadandEliphaz,Zophar only speaks twice to Job. He is the most impetuous and dogmatic of the three. Zophar is the first to accuse Job directly of wickedness; averring indeed that his punishment is too good for him (Job 11:6), he rebukes Job's impious presumption in trying to find out the unsearchable secrets of God (Job 11:7–12); and yet, like Job's other friends, he promises peace and restoration on condition of penitence and putting away iniquity (Job 11:13–19).Zophar's second speech is a lecture on the fate of the wicked, ending with a summary appraisal in the style of his friend Bildad,

This is the portion of the wicked, the heritage appointed him by God.

See also

• Bildad
• Eliphaz
• Elihu

Attribution

This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Easton, Matthew George(1897). "Naamathite".Easton's Bible Dictionary(New and revised ed.). T. Nelson and Sons.