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{{Short description|Biblical figure, an associate of Job}}
{{other uses|Zophar (disambiguation)}}
{{More citations needed|date=September 2012}}
[[File:Kievskaya psaltir iov 02.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Illustration of [[Job (biblical figure)|Job]] and his friends from the [[Kiev Psalter of 1397]]]]

'''Zophar''' ({{langx|he|{{Script/Hebrew|צוֹפַר}}}} ''Ṣōp̄ar'', "chirping"; "rising early"; also ''Tzofar'') '''the Naamathite''' is one of the three friends of [[Job (Biblical figure)|Job]] who visit him during his illness in the ''[[Book of Job]]'' ({{circa|6th century BCE?}}), [[Hebrew Bible]] / [[Old Testament]]. "Naamathite" (na'-a-ma-thit) is a [[Gentile]] name,<ref>{{cite web |title=Naamathite |series=Glossary |website=Bibler.org |url=http://www.bibler.org/glossary/naamathite.html |access-date=2020-02-17 |df=dmy-all |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104005224/http://www.bibler.org/glossary/naamathite.html |archive-date=2016-11-04 }}</ref> suggesting he was from a city called Naamah, perhaps in [[Arabia]]. 

Zophar's comments can be found in {{bibleverse||Job|11:1-20|NIV}} and {{bibleverse||Job|20:1-29|NIV}}. He suggests that Job's suffering could be [[divine punishment]], and goes into great detail about the consequences of living a life of sin.

==Speeches==
Zophar only speaks twice to Job, unlike friends [[Bildad]] and [[Eliphaz (Job)|Eliphaz]] who each give three speeches. Zophar is the most impetuous and dogmatic of Job's three visitors:
He is the first to accuse Job directly of wickedness; claiming that God might have forgotten some of Job’s iniquity ([http://www.bibler.org/versions/american_standard/asv_job11_sml.htm#job_11:6 Job 11:6]), and he rebukes Job's impious presumption in trying to find out the unsearchable secrets of God ({{bibleverse||Job|11:7-12|NIV}}). Despite his dogmatic speech, Zophar promises Job peace and restoration, on condition of penitence and putting away iniquity ({{bibleverse||Job|11:13-19|ASV}}), redoubling the promises of Job's other visitors.<ref>{{cite web |title=Zophar |website=Bibler.org |series=Glossary |url=http://www.bibler.org/glossary/zophar.html |access-date=2012-08-28}}</ref>

Zophar's second speech is a lecture on the fate of the wicked, ending with a summary appraisal, in the same style as his friend Bildad,
: This is the portion of the wicked, the heritage appointed him by God.<ref>{{bibleverse||Job|20:29|NABRE}}, <br/>cf. {{bibleverse||Job|18:19|NABRE}}, <br/>and {{cite web |title=footnote&nbsp;(b) at Job&nbsp;20:29 |department=[[New American Bible Revised Edition]] |url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job+20&version=NABRE#fen-NABRE-15423b |via=biblegateway.com}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Bildad]]
* [[Eliphaz (Job)|Eliphaz]]
* [[Elihu (Job)|Elihu]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Attribution==
{{EBD|title=Naamathite}}

{{Book of Job}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Book of Job people]]

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