vii. 8). They oame every one from hill own ment, and, perhaps, in pa.rt, to a want or plaoe. They had separate homes, and pro- love. bablr lived at some considerable dista.noe Ver. 12.-And when they lifted up their from· one another. Eliphu the Temanite. eyes afar off, and knew him not. Job was There w&B an Eliphaz, the son of Esan by seated on an ash-heap outside his dwell- his wife Adah, who had a son Teman (Gen. ing (ver. 8). The three friends, who had xxni. 4; 1 Chron. i. 35, 36); but it is probably met by o.greement at some point not supposed tb at this can be the pereon near his residence, and drew nigh together, here intended. The name Teman did not saw the figure at some distance, and looked beoorue geographical until the descendants to see who it wns. But Job was so dis- of this Eliphaz·s son had multiplied into a figured by the disease that they failed to tribe. when they gave name to the portion recognize him. They lifted np their voioe, of Al'llbia which they inhabited. This tract and wept. In the clamorous manner of 11eems to have been either a part of Edom, Orientals (comp. Herod., ii. 14; iii. 119; viii. or in its immediate ,·icinity (Gen. x.x.xvi. 42, 99; ix. 24 ; and 1Eschylus, • Persm,' passim). 43; Jer. xlix. 7, 8, 20; Ezek. x:i::v. 13; Obad. And they rent every one his me.utle (see the 8. 9), but cannot be loco.ted with accuracy. comment on eh. i. 20), and sprinkled dnst The Temouites were celebrated for their upon their heads toward heaven (comp. wisdom, as we learn from Jeremiah, who Josh. vii. 6; 1 8nm. iv. 12; 2 Sam. i. 2; BBys (xl ix. 7), "Concerning Edom, thus saith xiii. 19; Neh. ix. I; Ezek. xxvii. 30; Lam. the Lord of hosts ; Is wisdom no more in ii. 10; and see also Homer, 'II.,' xviii. 22- Teman? is counsel perished from the pru- 24; Helioder, • Hist. 1Eth.; i.). dent? is their wisdom vanished?" Job's Ver. 13.-So they sat down with him npon friend ww, probably among their wisest men the ground seven days and seven nights. at the time ; and his discourses certainly Professor Lee supposes that this is not to be show a oonsiderable knowledge of human taken literally. "It means," he says, "that nature. They do not, however, solve the they se.t with him a considerable length of riddle of the universe. And 11ildad the time before they opened the question dis- Shuhite. Bildad is a name which does not cussed in this book, not the.t they sat pre- occur elsewhere in Scripture, neither is there cisely seven days and seven nights, and said any other mention of Shuhites. Conjecture not so much as one word to him" (' The has identified the Shuhites with the Sacc&li Book of the Patriarch Job,' p. 194). But of Ptolemy (' Geograph.,' v. 15), whom be the period of " seven days" we.a appropriate places in the neighbourhood of Batanrea and to mournings (Gen. i. 10; 2 Sam. xx.xi. 13 ; Trnchonitis. But the Saccmi a.re unheard Ezek. iii. 15), and if they could stay with of till Ptolemy's time, aud seem to be a him one day and one night without speak- tribe of very small importance. Perhaps ing, why not seven? Food would be brought Bildad belonged to the people known to them, and they might sleep rolled up in the Assyrians as the Tsnkhi, or Snkhi their begeds. The long silence may be (' Records of the Pe.at,' voL i. p. 14), who accounted for by the fact that "among the dwelt on tbe Middle Eupbre.tes from about Jews," and among Orientals genera.By, "it Ane.b to Bit (' Ancient Monarchies,' vol. ii. is a point of decorum, e.nd one dictated by pp. 66, ol). And Zophe.r the 1'a.a.me.tbite. e. fine and true feeling, not to speak to a Zopbar, or rather Tsophe.r, is another un- person in deep affliction until he gives an known name. There was a NBBme.b, a city, intimation of a desire to be comforted" in south-western Judma (Josh. xv. 41), to (Cook). So long as Job kept 1silence they which Zophe.r may he.ve belonged, though had to keep silence, at least 110 fe.r as probably a region, rather than a city, is here he we.a concerned. They might speak to intended. For they had made an appoint- any attendants who drew near, and they ment together; or,agreed together, by message might speak one to another. Note the or letter probably. To oome to mourn with words which follow: And none spe.ke a word him and to oomfort him. A good intention, unto him. None spa.ke to him; but no eti- nt any rate, and one agreeable to the apos- quette imposed complete silence on them. tolic injunction to us to "weep with them For they saw that his grief wu very great, that weep " (Rom. xiL 15). The.t they So great that he could not as yet .bee.r to failed to carry out their intention (eh. xvi. be spoken to. 2; ni 34) we.a owing to a want of judg-
HOMILETICS. Vers. l-6.-.A ,UW trial moved for. I. THE OLD OOOABION BETUBNED, 1. 7716 gathering of the sons of_ God. The recurrence of this. celestinl scene _reminds us of: (1) the immutable sovereignty of Jehovah, who, on thlB second occas1on as on the firat, OH, II, 1-18,] THE BOOK OF JOB 37