Jump to: Hitchcock's • Smith's • ATS • ISBE • Easton's • Concordance • Thesaurus • Hebrew • Library • Subtopics • Terms Topical Encyclopedia Zophar is one of the three friends of Job who visit him during his time of suffering, as recorded in the Book of Job. He is identified as Zophar the Naamathite, suggesting he hailed from Naamah, a location whose exact historical and geographical context remains uncertain. Zophar's role in the narrative is significant as he represents a particular theological perspective on suffering and divine justice.Biblical Account Zophar first appears in Job 2:11, where he is introduced alongside Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite. The three friends come to "sympathize with him and comfort him" (Job 2:11) after hearing of Job's calamities. However, their attempts at consolation quickly turn into a series of debates and discourses on the nature of God, suffering, and righteousness. Zophar's speeches are found in Job 11 and Job 20. In his first speech (Job 11), Zophar is the most direct and blunt of Job's friends. He accuses Job of speaking too much and suggests that Job's words are empty. Zophar asserts that Job's suffering is a result of his sin and implies that Job deserves even worse than what he has received. He challenges Job to repent and seek God's mercy, promising that if Job does so, he will be restored: "If you would direct your heart and lift up your hands to Him, if you would put away the iniquity in your hand and allow no injustice to dwell in your tents, then indeed you will lift up your face without shame; you will stand firm and unafraid" (Job 11:13-15). In his second speech (Job 20), Zophar reiterates his belief in the swift and certain downfall of the wicked. He describes the fleeting nature of their prosperity and the inevitable judgment they face. Zophar's words are filled with vivid imagery of the destruction that awaits those who turn away from God. He emphasizes the moral order of the universe, where wickedness leads to suffering and righteousness to blessing. Theological Perspective Zophar's theology is rooted in a retributive justice framework, where suffering is seen as a direct consequence of sin, and prosperity as a reward for righteousness. This perspective is consistent with the wisdom literature of the time, which often emphasized the cause-and-effect relationship between human behavior and divine response. However, the Book of Job challenges this simplistic view by presenting Job as a righteous man who suffers not because of his sin, but as part of a divine test. Zophar's failure to recognize the complexity of Job's situation and his insistence on a rigid moral order highlight the limitations of his understanding of God's ways. Character Analysis Zophar is characterized by his zeal and confidence in his understanding of divine justice. He is less patient and more confrontational than Eliphaz and Bildad, often speaking with a tone of moral superiority. His approach lacks the empathy and compassion that Job's situation demands, and his rigid adherence to traditional wisdom blinds him to the deeper truths of Job's experience. Despite his shortcomings, Zophar's presence in the narrative serves to underscore the diverse perspectives on suffering and divine justice that existed in the ancient world. His interactions with Job invite readers to reflect on the complexities of human suffering and the mystery of God's governance of the world. Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary ZopharSmith's Bible Dictionary Zophar(sparrow), one of the three friends of Job. (Job 2:11; 11:1; 20:1; 42:9) ATS Bible Dictionary ZopharOne of Job's three friends, a native of some unknown place called Naamah. He appears but twice in the dialogue, once less than his two associates, whose general sentiments he shares, with perhaps more severity of judgment against Job, Job 2:11; 11:1-20; Job 20:1 29. Easton's Bible Dictionary Chirping, one of Job's friends who came to condole with him in his distress (Job 2:11. The LXX. render here "king of the Mineans" = Ma'in, Maonites, Judges 10:12, in Southern Arabia). He is called a Naamathite, or an inhabitant of some unknown place called Naamah. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia ZOPHARzo'-far (tsphar, meaning doubtful, supposed from root meaning "to leap"; Sophar): One of the three friends of Job who, hearing of his affliction, make an appointment together to visit and comfort him. He is from the tribe of Naamah, a tribe and place otherwise unknown, for as all the other friends and Job himself are from lands outside of Palestine, it is not likely that this place was identical with Naamah in the West of Judah (Joshua 15:41). He speaks but twice (Job 11; Job 20); by his silence the 3rd time the writer seems to intimate that with Bildad's third speech (Job 25; see under BILDAD) the friends' arguments are exhausted. He is the most impetuous and dogmatic of the three (compare Job 11:2, 3; Job 20:2, 3); stung to passionate response by Job's presumption in maintaining that he is wronged and is seeking light from God. His words are in a key of intensity amounting to reckless exaggeration. He is the first to accuse Job directly of wickedness; averring indeed that his punishment is too good for him (11:6); he rebukes Job's impious presumption in trying to find out the unsearchable secrets of God (11:7-12); and yet, like the rest of the friends, promises peace and restoration on condition of penitence and putting away iniquity (11:13-19). Even from this promise, however, he reverts to the fearful peril of the wicked (11:20); and in his 2nd speech, outdoing the others, he presses their lurid description of the wicked man's woes to the extreme (20:5-29), and calls forth a straight contradiction from Job, who, not in wrath, but in dismay, is constrained by loyalty to truth to acknowledge things as they are. Zophar seems designed to represent the wrong-headedness of the odium theologicum. Strong's Hebrew 6691. Tsophar -- one of Job's friends... 6690, 6691. Tsophar or Tsophar. 6692 . one of Job's friends. Transliteration: Tsophar or Tsophar Phonetic Spelling: (tso-far') Short Definition: Zophar. ... Zophar ... /hebrew/6691.htm - 6k Library Job. Job The Story of Job Job --Groping 'The End of the Lord' "And we all do Fade as a Leaf, and Our Iniquities, Like the Wind ... Brief Directions How to Read the Holy Scriptures once Every Year ... Letter xxxviii. To his Brother Gregory, Concerning the Difference ... Here Followeth the History of Job How to Make Use of Christ as the Truth, for Growth in Knowledge. Thesaurus Zophar (4 Occurrences)... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ZOPHAR. ...Zophar seems designed to represent the wrong-headedness of the odium theologicum. John Franklin Genung. ... /z/zophar.htm - 10k Naamathite (4 Occurrences) Na'amathite (3 Occurrences) Bildad (5 Occurrences) Job's (11 Occurrences) Temanite (8 Occurrences) Shuhite (5 Occurrences) Eliphaz (14 Occurrences) Zophim (2 Occurrences) Zophai (1 Occurrence) Resources What was Eliphaz the Temanite's message to Job? | GotQuestions.orgWhat was Bildad the Shuhite's message to Job? | GotQuestions.org What is retribution theology? | GotQuestions.org Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Concordance Zophar (4 Occurrences)Job 2:11 Job 11:1 Job 20:1 Job 42:9 Subtopics Zophar: One of Job's Three Friends Related Terms |
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