Job 2

"Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come and mourn with him, and to comfort him." v.11

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This verse can help gives us a clue to when Job took place as many would say between the Tower of Babel and Abraham, so in Genesis.  How we can get this is from some details of who these friends were.  Teman was the son of Eliphaz, the son of Esau, to whose family this Eliphaz is probably to be referred (Genesis 36:4; Genesis 36:10-11).  Shuah was the name of a son of Abraham, by Keturah, and also of an Arabian tribe, descended from him, Genesis 25:2.

Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar appear to be Job's closest friends.  Much of the comfort of this life lies in friendship with the prudent and virtuous. Coming to mourn with him, they vented grief which they really felt. Coming to comfort him, they sat down with him.  But is their wisdom we will soon read about godly wisdom?  Keep your eyes and mind peeled to compare their words with Job's words and with God's words at the end of this book.  What is the difference between advice from your Christian friends and advice from your nonChristian friends?