Zophar in the Bible — Hidden Meaning & Symbolism

Zophar, zo'–phär (Heb.)-- chirping; peeping; twittering; hopping; moving swiftly; small bird; sparrow."The Naamathite," one of Job's three friends (Job 2: 11). Meta. Job's three friends represent phases of intellectual and mental thought and reason; that which is less than spiritual understanding. This is why they could not help him to find any remedy for his afflictions. They could show him to be wrong, but could not reveal to him the right way. Intellect only points out evil appearances and condemns the sinner. Spiritual understanding alone gives the remedy and leads the individual into life and peace. The world today is full of people who continually find fault with and call attention to the limitations and errors of present seeming conditions, but only the spiritually enlightened can point out a way really to make people and conditions better. Jesus Christ came not to condemn the world but to save it; even so the true Christian will seek always to lift up a right standard for those whom he wishes to help, instead of calling attention to, and thereby magnifying, apparent evil. Zophar signifies a plane of darkened, limited thought or reason such as is suggested in Isaiah 8:19. (See ZIPPOR, in relation to this.) The understanding that God gives, spiritual understanding, is alive, alert, progressive; when man holds to old, obsolete ideas, and reasons from their standpoint, he is seeking unto the dead."