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Contemporary English Version

Job 2:12

When they came near enough to see Job, they could hardly recognize him. And in their great sorrow, they tore their clothes, then sprinkled dust on their heads and cried bitterly.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Dust;   Friendship;   Job;   Mantle;   Mourning;   Rending;   Sympathy;   Thompson Chain Reference - Ashes;   Dust;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Mourning;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Greatness of God;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Cloak;   Hannah;   Mantle;   Mourn;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Poor;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Job, the Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Mourning Customs;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Leper;   Mourning;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Boil (1);   Dust;   Earth;   Hair;   Job, Book of;   Joshua (3);   Number;   Sprinkle;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Attitudes;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Ashes;   Bareheadedness;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When they looked from a distance, they could barely recognize him. They wept aloud, and each man tore his robe and threw dust into the air and on his head.
Hebrew Names Version
When they lifted up their eyes from a distance, and didn't recognize him, they raised their voices, and wept; and they each tore his robe, and sprinkled dust on their heads toward the sky.
King James Version
And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.
English Standard Version
And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven.
New Century Version
They saw Job from far away, but he looked so different they almost didn't recognize him. They began to cry loudly and tore their robes and put dirt on their heads to show how sad they were.
New English Translation
But when they gazed intently from a distance but did not recognize him, they began to weep loudly. Each of them tore his robes, and they threw dust into the air over their heads.
Amplified Bible
When they looked from a distance and did not recognize him [because of his disfigurement], they raised their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe [in grief] and they threw dust over their heads toward the sky [in sorrow].
New American Standard Bible
When they looked from a distance and did not recognize him, they raised their voices and wept. And each of them tore his robe, and they threw dust over their heads toward the sky.
World English Bible
When they lifted up their eyes from a distance, and didn't recognize him, they raised their voices, and wept; and they each tore his robe, and sprinkled dust on their heads toward the sky.
Geneva Bible (1587)
So when they lift vp their eyes a farre off, they knewe him not: therefore they lift vp their voyces and wept, and euery one of them rent his garment, and sprinkled dust vpon their heads toward the heauen.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then they lifted up their eyes at a distance and did not recognize him, and they lifted up their voices and wept. And each of them tore his robe, and they threw dust over their heads toward the sky.
Berean Standard Bible
When they lifted up their eyes from afar, they could barely recognize Job. They began to weep aloud, and each man tore his robe and threw dust into the air over his head.
Complete Jewish Bible
When they saw him from a distance, they couldn't even recognize him. They wept aloud, tore their coats and threw dust over their heads toward heaven.
Darby Translation
And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice and wept. And they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward the heavens.
Easy-to-Read Version
But his friends didn't even recognize him when they first saw him in the distance! They began to cry loudly. They tore their clothes and threw dirt in the air over their heads to show how sad they were.
George Lamsa Translation
And when they lifted up their eyes from afar, they did not recognize him, and they lifted up their voices, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and threw dust upon their heads toward the heaven.
Good News Translation
While they were still a long way off they saw Job, but did not recognize him. When they did, they began to weep and wail, tearing their clothes in grief and throwing dust into the air and on their heads.
Lexham English Bible
Thus they lifted up their eyes from afar, but they did not recognize him, so they raised their voice, and they wept, and each man tore his outer garment and threw dust on their heads toward the sky.
Literal Translation
And when they lifted up their eyes from a distance and did not recognize him, they lifted up their voice and wept then. And each one tore his robe. And they sprinkled dust on their heads toward the heavens.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
So when they lifte vp their eyes a farre off, they knewe him not. Then they cried, and wepte: then euery one off them rente his clothes, and sprynckled dust vpon their heades in the ayre.
American Standard Version
And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his robe, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.
Bible in Basic English
And lifting up their eyes when they were still far off, it did not seem that the man they saw was Job because of the change in him. And they gave way to bitter weeping, with signs of grief, and put dust on their heads.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
So when they lift vp their eyes a farre of, they knew him not: then they cryed and wept, and euery one of them rent his clothes, and sprinckled dust vpon their heades in the ayre.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and threw dust upon their heads toward heaven.
King James Version (1611)
And when they lift vp their eyes afarre off, and knew him not, they lifted vp their voice, and wept; and they rent euery one his mantle, and sprinckled dust vpon their heades toward heauen.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And when they saw him from a distance they did not know him; and they cried with a loud voice, and wept, and rent every one his garment, and sprinkled dust upon their heads,
English Revised Version
And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne thei hadden reisid afer `her iyen, thei knewen not hym; and thei crieden, and wepten, and to-renten her clothis, and spreynten dust on her heed `in to heuene.
Update Bible Version
And when they lifted up their eyes far off, and didn't know him, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his robe, and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven.
Webster's Bible Translation
And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they raised their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads towards heaven.
New King James Version
And when they raised their eyes from afar, and did not recognize him, they lifted their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe and sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven.
New Living Translation
When they saw Job from a distance, they scarcely recognized him. Wailing loudly, they tore their robes and threw dust into the air over their heads to show their grief.
New Life Bible
And when they looked up from far away and saw how different he looked, they cried in loud voices. They tore their clothing and threw dust over their heads toward the sky.
New Revised Standard
When they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him, and they raised their voices and wept aloud; they tore their robes and threw dust in the air upon their heads.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept - and rent, every one his robe, and sprinkled dust upon their heads, toward the heavens.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when they had lifted up their eyes afar off, they knew him not, and crying out, they wept, and rending their garments, they sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.
Revised Standard Version
And when they saw him from afar, they did not recognize him; and they raised their voices and wept; and they rent their robes and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.
Young's Literal Translation
and they lift up their eyes from afar and have not discerned him, and they lift up their voice and weep, and rend each his robe, and sprinkle dust on their heads -- heavenward.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
When they lifted up their eyes at a distance and did not recognize him, they raised their voices and wept. And each of them tore his robe and they threw dust over their heads toward the sky.

Contextual Overview

11 Eliphaz from Teman, Bildad from Shuah, and Zophar from Naamah were three of Job's friends, and they heard about his troubles. So they agreed to visit Job and comfort him. 12 When they came near enough to see Job, they could hardly recognize him. And in their great sorrow, they tore their clothes, then sprinkled dust on their heads and cried bitterly. 13 For seven days and nights, they sat silently on the ground beside him, because they realized what terrible pain he was in.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

knew him: Job 19:14, Ruth 1:19-21, Lamentations 4:7, Lamentations 4:8

their voice: Genesis 27:34, Judges 2:4, 1 Samuel 11:4, 1 Samuel 30:4, 2 Samuel 13:36, Esther 4:1

they rent: Job 1:20

sprinkled dust upon: Nehemiah 9:1, Lamentations 2:10, Ezekiel 27:30, Revelation 18:19

Reciprocal: Genesis 33:4 - embraced Genesis 37:34 - General Exodus 33:4 - and no Numbers 5:17 - of the dust Joshua 7:6 - put dust 1 Samuel 4:12 - with earth 2 Samuel 13:19 - put ashes Ezra 9:3 - sat Job 14:20 - changest Job 18:20 - were affrighted Job 21:5 - be astonished Psalms 137:1 - the rivers Ezekiel 26:16 - come Acts 20:37 - wept

Cross-References

Exodus 28:20
and in the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. Mount the stones in delicate gold settings
Exodus 39:13
and a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper were in the fourth row. They were mounted in a delicate gold setting,
Numbers 11:7
The manna was like small whitish seeds
Job 28:16
or precious stones.
Ezekiel 28:13
You lived in the garden of Eden and wore jewelry made of brightly colored gems and precious stones. They were all set in gold and were ready for you on the day you were born.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when they lifted up their eyes afar off,.... Either when at some distance from Job's house, and he being without in the open air, as some think; or as they entered his house, he being at the further part of the room, or in another further on, which they could see into:

and knew him not; at first sight; until they came nearer to him, his garments being rent, and his head shaved, and his body covered all over with boils; so that he was so deformed and disfigured that they could not know him at first, and could scarcely believe him to be the same person:

they lifted up their voice and wept: they wept and cried aloud, being greatly affected with the sight of him, and their hearts sympathizing with him under his afflictions, being his cordial friends, and of that disposition, to weep with those that weep:

and they rent everyone his mantle, or "cloak"; in token of mourning, as Job had done before, :-;

and sprinkled dust upon their heads towards heaven; that is, they took up handfuls of dust from off the ground, and threw it up in the air over their heads, which fell upon them and covered them; which was another rite or ceremony used by mourners, as Jarchi observes, and showed the vehemence of their affections and passions, and the confusion they were in at seeing their friend in such a miserable condition; see Joshua 7:6.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And when they lifted up their eyes afar off - “When they saw him at the distance at which they could formerly recognize him without difficulty, disease had so altered his appearance that at first sight they knew him not” - Noyes.

They lifted up their voice - This is a common expression in the Scriptures, to denote grief; Genesis 27:38; Genesis 29:11; Judges 2:4; Rth 1:9; 1 Samuel 24:16, “et soepe al.” We learn to suppress the expressions of grief. The ancients gave vent to their sorrows aloud. - They even hired persons to aid them in their lamentations; and it became a professional business of women to devote themselves to the office of making an outcry on occasions of mourning. The same thing prevails in the East at present. Friends sit around the grave of the dead, or go there at different times, and give a long and doleful shriek or howl, as expressive of their grief.

And they rent every one his mantle - See the notes at Job 1:20.

And sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven - Another expression of sorrow; compare Lamentations 2:10; Nehemiah 9:1; 1 Samuel 4:12; Joshua 7:6; Ezekiel 27:30. Thc indications of grief here referred to, were such as were common in ancient times. They resemble, in a remarkable manner, the mode in which Achilles gave utterance to his sorrow, when informed of the death of Patroclus. Iliad xviii. 21-27.

A sudden horror shot through all the chief,

And wrapp’d his senses in the cloud of grief;

Cast on the ground, with furious hands he spread

The scorching ashes o’er his graceful head,

His purple garments, and his golden hairs,

Those he deforms with dust, and these he tears:

On the hard soil his groaning breast he threw,

And roll’d and grovell’d as to earth he grew.

Pope

Thus far the feelings of the three friends were entirely kind, and all that they did was expressive of sympathy for the sufferer.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 2:12. They rent every one his mantle — I have already had frequent occasions to point out and illustrate, by quotations from the ancients, the actions that were used in order to express profound grief; such as wrapping themselves in sackcloth, covering the face, strewing dust or ashes upon the head, sitting upon the bare ground, c., &c. significant actions which were in use among all nations.


 
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