Who was Zophar in the bible?

Zophar (Tsophar) is presented as “a friend of Job,” one of the three companions who came to him in the time of his suffering. The name is glossed as meaning “departing.”

Zophar in Scripture

Zophar appears in the book of Job as one of “Job’s three friends,” introduced in the immediate aftermath of Job’s intense affliction and the exchange between Job and his wife.

“Then his wife said to him, ‘Do you still maintain your integrity? Renounce God, and die.’” (Job 2:9, WEB)

“But he said to her, ‘You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?’ In all this Job didn’t sin with his lips.” (Job 2:10, WEB)

It is within this setting—Job maintaining his integrity and acknowledging both “good” and “evil” as received “at the hand of God”—that Zophar is named. The text explains that the three friends heard “of all this evil that had come on him,” and then they came from their respective places with a shared purpose.

“Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come on him, they each came from his own place: Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and to comfort him.” (Job 2:11, WEB)

This verse supplies Zophar’s identifying designation: he is “Zophar the Naamathite.” Alongside Eliphaz and Bildad, he participates in an intentional act of companionship: they “made an appointment together” and came “to sympathize with him and to comfort him.”

The narrative continues by describing the friends’ first encounter with Job from a distance. Their response is communal and expressive: they do not recognize him, they weep, and they enact visible signs of mourning.

“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.” (Job 2:12, WEB)

Zophar is included among those who “raised their voices, and wept,” who “tore his robe,” and who “sprinkled dust on their heads toward the sky.” The narrative then emphasizes the length and solemnity of their initial companionship with Job.

“So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.” (Job 2:13, WEB)

In this opening movement, Zophar is portrayed as present with Job, sharing silence for “seven days and seven nights,” and refraining from speech because they perceived that Job’s grief “was very great.”

Later, at the close of the book’s narrative, Zophar is again referenced, this time in the aftermath of Yahweh’s words to Job. Yahweh addresses Eliphaz and refers to “your two friends,” a group that includes Zophar, and speaks of divine displeasure regarding what they have said about God in contrast with Job.

“It was so, that after Yahweh had spoken these words to Job, Yahweh said to Eliphaz the Temanite, ‘My wrath is kindled against you, and against your two friends; for you have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job has.’” (Job 42:7, WEB)

Yahweh then gives a directive involving sacrificial offerings and a journey to Job, stating that Job will pray on their behalf and that Yahweh will accept Job’s prayer so that the friends will not be treated according to their “folly.”

“Now therefore, take to yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept him, that I not deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me the thing that is right,” (Job 42:8, WEB)

Zophar’s final explicit action in the narrative is grouped with the other two friends: they obey Yahweh’s command.

“So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did what Yahweh commanded them, and Yahweh accepted Job.” (Job 42:9, WEB)

The acceptance described here is stated as Yahweh accepting Job, in the context of the friends doing what Yahweh commanded. Immediately following, the narrative reports that “Yahweh turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends,” connecting Job’s intercession with a change in Job’s circumstances.

“Yahweh turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends. Yahweh gave Job twice as much as he had before.” (Job 42:10, WEB)

The concluding context also describes comfort that came to Job from his wider circle—“all his brothers,” “all his sisters,” and acquaintances—who “comforted him, and consoled him concerning all the evil that Yahweh had brought on him.” This scene forms part of the broader restoration setting in which Zophar’s obedience to Yahweh’s command and Job’s prayer “for his friends” are placed.

“Then came there to him all his brothers, and all his sisters, and all those who had been of his acquaintance before, and ate bread with him in his house. They comforted him, and consoled him concerning all the evil that Yahweh had brought on him.” (Job 42:11, WEB)

“So Yahweh blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning.” (Job 42:12, WEB)

Name and Meaning

The name is written in Hebrew as צוֹפַר, transliterated Tsowphar and pronounced “tso-far’.” The lexicon derivation traces it to a root glossed as “departing,” linked to a component verb (צָפַר, tsaphar) described as “to skip about, i.e. return.”

Observation

Within the verses that name him, Zophar is depicted first as one who “made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and to comfort him” (Job 2:11), and later as one who “did what Yahweh commanded them” (Job 42:9) in response to Yahweh’s assessment of the friends’ words (Job 42:7–8).

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the name Zophar mean?

Zophar means “departing.”

How many times does Zophar appear in the Bible?

Zophar appears 2 times.

Who was Zophar?

Zophar was one of Job’s friends (Job 2:11). He is also called “Zophar the Naamathite” (Job 42:9).

What did Zophar do in Job 42:9?

Zophar the Naamathite went with Eliphaz and Bildad and did what Yahweh commanded them, and Yahweh accepted Job (Job 42:9).

Explore Further

If you found this page about Zophar interesting and would like to discover more about other biblical characters, explore our comprehensive Encyclopedia of Biblical Characters. For those looking to delve deeper into the Greek origins of these names and terms, our Greek Lexicon is an invaluable resource.

Sources: Name and occurrence data from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and STEPBible reference data (CC BY). Scripture quotations from the World English Bible (public domain).