Zophar
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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,[1]suggesting he was from a city called Naamah, perhaps inArabia.
Speeches
[edit]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).[2]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.[3]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^"Bibler.org - Dictionary - Naamathite".Archived fromthe originalon 2016-11-04.Retrieved2020-02-17.
- ^"Bibler.org - Dictionary - Zophar".2012-08-28.
- ^Job 20:29,cf.Job 18:19andfootnote bat Job 20:29 in theNew American Bible Revised Edition
Attribution
[edit]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.