Job 2:13

13 So they sat down [yashab] with him upon the ground ['erets] seven [sheba`] days [yowm] and seven [sheba`] nights [layil], and none spake [dabar] a word [dabar] unto him: for they saw [ra'ah] that his grief [ka'eb] was very [ma`od] great [gadal]. KJV-Interlinear

13 Then they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights with no one speaking a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great. NASB

Job's three friends thought they were visiting a friend in need of words of encouragement. When they saw Job, he looked like he was but minutes away from certain death.

They sat down with Job and remained there for seven days and nights. This is the traditional grieving period, when a loved one has died, Gen. 50:10, 1 Sam. 31:13. This was a death wait.

Their initial intention of offering comfort was nullified into silence. Job had, had several great losses. That was for certain. However, his condition seemed to imply that there was a greater wretchedness about him.

The friends could have offered Job some encouragement. They could have asked him how he was feeling. They could have made an attempt at helping him feel better. They could have offered to help his wife in her chores. They could have done something. After all, they traveled quite some distance to see Job.

Yet they remained silent, because, when they actually saw him, their whole perception as to what they expected, was shattered. Their intentions will change from sympathy to guarded apprehension, wondering just what evil lurked in Job's life. This will become apparent when they begin to speak their minds.

Job will be the first to speak, not his friends.

Job's wife was prone to impatient and false judgments of God.

Job's friends will look for the fault of all of these events, in Job.

Job won't condemn God, and won't find any fault in God, but he will be searching for an explanation as to why all of these things have happened to himself.

Times of adversity, are times which prove who are and who are not, our real friends. When times are good, friends come out of the woodwork. When times are lean, you will be hard pressed to find a true friend.

The remainder of the Book of Job, will present an endless barrage of human viewpoint woven into many principles of truth. All of the opinions will arrive at the wrong conclusions.

We will however, learn a phenomenal amount of doctrine with respect to the angelic conflict, with respect to human behavior, with respect to the realities that surround us throughout our daily lives, and with respect to the unreasonable expectations that people generally have in life.

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