Big Idea: Zophar dismisses Job’s complaints as illogical.

Understanding the Text

In their first responses to Job, Eliphaz appeals to experience and personal revelation (Job 4–5), Bildad adduces traditional teaching (Job 8), and Zophar applies strict deductive logic to evaluate Job’s situation (Job 11). Zophar seems to be the most curt and insensitive of the three friends in speaking to Job. By taking the retribution principle to its logical conclusion, Zophar insists that suffering necessarily proceeds from sin. Sounding very confident of his reasoning, as though speaking for God (11:6), Zophar observes that since Job is suffering, he necessarily must have sinned (11:1–6). He praises God’s unlimited wisdom, implying Job’s foolishness by comparison (11:7–12). If Job would just repent, the…