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.
When they looked up from far away and didn't recognize him, they cried out loudly and wept. Each of them tore their clothes and threw dust on their heads toward the sky.
Job's three friends were so shocked by how terrible he looked after all his suffering that they didn't even recognize him at first, and they immediately began mourning with him.
📚 Historical Context
This verse describes the arrival of Job's three friends - Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar - who had traveled to comfort him after hearing about his disasters. In ancient Middle Eastern culture, tearing one's clothes and putting dust or ashes on one's head were traditional expressions of deep grief and mourning. The fact that they didn't recognize Job shows how drastically his physical appearance had changed due to his painful skin disease and overall suffering.
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