Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.
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Didymus the Blind
AD 398
Job’s friends came to do both things, since he had suffered both. On the one hand, Job’s possessions and his children were taken from him, and on the other hand his entire body was covered with leprosy. They arrived “together” at Job’s place. Their simultaneous arrival was either due to their great zeal or because they who lived in different places had agreed to meet. They wanted to arrive together to comfort him. They realized that the evil had not yet ceased but was active at that time. - "Commentary on Job 2.11"
In the meantime, while the friends investigated Job’s case and made preparations for their journey, there is no doubt that many days passed. They were all lords and men of princely rank. Job’s three friends signified the class of the high priests, the priests and the prophets, who flourished among the Jews. And Job’s seven sons represented the priests of the church, the apostles, the prophets, and those people endowed with the gift of miracles and healing, the assistants of the moderators, the presbyters and the deacons. - "Commentary on Job 2:11"
66. For vices make an appointment together under the cloak of virtues; in that there are certain ones, which are banded together against us by a kind of agreement, such as pride and anger, remissness and fear. For anger is neighbour to pride, and remissness to cowardice. Those then come together by agreement, which are allied to one another in opposition to us, by a kind of kinship in iniquity; but if we acknowledge the toilsomeness of our captivity, if we grieve in our inmost soul from love of our eternal home, the sins that steal upon the inopportunely joyful, will not be able to prevail against the opportunely sad.
42. In the Preface to this work we said that the friends of blessed Job, though they come together to him with a good purpose, yet do for this reason bear the likeness of heretics, in that they fall away into sin by speaking without discretion; and hence it is said to them by blessed Job, Surely I would speak to the Almighty, I desire to reason with God; but ye are forgers of lies, and followers of corrupt doctrines. [Job 13, 3. 4.] Thus Holy Church, which is set in the midst of tribulation all this time of her pilgrimage, whilst she suffers wounds, and mourns over the downfall of her members, has other enemies of Christ besides to bear with, under Christ's name. For to the increasing of her grief, heretics also meet together in dispute and strife, and they pierce her with unreasonable words like as with a kind of dart.
43. And it is well said, they came every one from his own place. For ‘the place’ of heretics is very pride itself. For except they first swelled with pride in th...
19. We have it proved to us how great a love they entertained both for each other, and for the smitten man, in that they came by agreement to administer consolation to him when afflicted. Though even by this circumstance, viz. that Scripture bears witness they were the friends of so great a man, it is made appear that they were men of a good spirit and right intention; though this very intention of mind, when they break forth into words, upon indiscretion arising, becomes clouded in the sight of the strict Judge.
