King James Bible
"So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great."
Job's three friends demonstrate profound solidarity by assuming the traditional mourning posture alongside him for an extended period. The seven-day duration reflects the customary Jewish mourning period (shiva), showing they recognized the magnitude of Job's losses as equivalent to death itself. Their initial silence represents ancient Near Eastern wisdom about grief—that premature words cannot heal fresh wounds. This restraint contrasts sharply with their later speeches, making this moment of wordless presence their most compassionate act. The friends' perception of Job's overwhelming suffering governs their response, suggesting that some pain transcends language. Their visual assessment leads to respectful silence, acknowledging that Job's agony demanded witness rather than explanation.