Job 2:12

12 And when they had raised afar their eyes, they knew not him; and they cried [out], and wept, and rent their clothes, and sprinkled dust on their head(s) into heaven. (And when they had raised up their eyes from afar, they did not know him, or they could not recognize him; and they cried out, and wept, and tore their clothes, and sprinkled dust on their heads toward the heavens.)

Job 2:12 Meaning and Commentary

Job 2:12

And when they lifted up their eyes afar off
Either when at some distance from Job's house, and he being without in the open air, as some think; or as they entered his house, he being at the further part of the room, or in another further on, which they could see into:

and knew him not;
at first sight; until they came nearer to him, his garments being rent, and his head shaved, and his body covered all over with boils; so that he was so deformed and disfigured that they could not know him at first, and could scarcely believe him to be the same person:

they lifted up their voice and wept:
they wept and cried aloud, being greatly affected with the sight of him, and their hearts sympathizing with him under his afflictions, being his cordial friends, and of that disposition, to weep with those that weep:

and they rent everyone his mantle,
or "cloak"; in token of mourning, as Job had done before, (See Gill on Job 1:20);

and sprinkled dust upon their heads towards heaven;
that is, they took up handfuls of dust from off the ground, and threw it up in the air over their heads, which fell upon them and covered them; which was another rite or ceremony used by mourners, as Jarchi observes, and showed the vehemence of their affections and passions, and the confusion they were in at seeing their friend in such a miserable condition; see ( Joshua 7:6 ) ( Ezekiel 27:30 ) ( Lamentations 2:10 ) .

Job 2:12 In-Context

10 And Job said to her, Thou hast spoken as one of the fond women; if we have taken goods of the hand of the Lord, why forsooth suffer we not evils? In all these things Job sinned not in his lips. (And Job said to her, Thou hast spoken like the foolish woman that thou art; if we have received good from the Lord's hand, then why should we not also suffer evil? And so in all these things Job did not sin with his lips.)

11 And then three friends of Job heard (of) all the evil that had befallen to him, and they came to him, each of them from his place, Eliphaz (the) Temanite, and Bildad (the) Shuhite, and Zophar (the) Naamathite; for they had said together to themselves, that they would come together, and visit Job, and comfort him.

12 And when they had raised afar their eyes, they knew not him; and they cried [out], and wept, and rent their clothes, and sprinkled dust on their head(s) into heaven. (And when they had raised up their eyes from afar, they did not know him, or they could not recognize him; and they cried out, and wept, and tore their clothes, and sprinkled dust on their heads toward the heavens.)

13 And they sat with him in the earth seven days and seven nights, and no man spake a word to him; for they saw, that his sorrow was great. (And then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him; for they saw, that his sorrow was great.)