Job 11:1

Zophar’s First Speech to Job ¹ 

11:1 Then Zophar the Naamathite spoke up and said:

Job 20:1

Zophar’s Second Speech ² 

20:1 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered:

Job 42:9

42:9 So they went, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, and did just as the Lord had told them; and the Lord had respect for Job. ³ 

[11:1]  ¹ sn Zophar begins with a strong rebuke of Job with a wish that God would speak (2-6); he then reflects for a few verses on the unsearchable wisdom of God (7-12); and finally, he advises Job that the way to restoration is repentance (13-20).

[20:1]  ² sn Zophar breaks in with an impassioned argument about the brevity and prosperity of the life of the wicked. But every statement that he makes is completely irrelevant to the case at hand. The speech has four sections: after a short preface (2-3) he portrays the brevity of the triumph of the wicked (4-11), retribution for sin (12-22), and God’s swift judgment (23-29). See further B. H. Kelly, “Truth in Contradiction, A Study of Job 20 and 21,” Int 15 (1961): 147-56.

[42:9]  ³ tn The expression “had respect for Job” means God answered his prayer.