Eliphaz ( ’Ělīp̄āz, "El is pure gold") is called a Temanite (). He is one of the friends or comforters of Job in the Book of Job in the Hebrew Bible. The first of the three visitors to Job (), he was said to have come from Teman, an important city of Edom (; . Thus Eliphaz appears as the representative of the wisdom of the Edomites, which, according to , , and , was famous in antiquity. As an alternative to the interpretation "El is pure gold", or "My God is pure gold", it has also been suggested that the name might mean something along the lines of "My God is separate" or "My God is remote". Name The name "Eliphaz" for the spokesman of Edomite wisdom may have been suggested to the author of Job by the tradition which gave the name Eliphaz to Esau's eldest son, the father of Teman (; ). Book of Job In the arguments that pass between Job and his friends, it is Eliphaz who opens each of the three series of discussions: Chapters 4-5, with Job's reply in chapters 6-7 Chapter 15, with Job's reply in chapters 16-17 Chapter 22, with Job's reply in chapters 23-24. American theologian Albert Barnes suggests that, because he spoke first each time, Eliphaz may have been the eldest of the friends. Eliphaz appears mild and modest. In his first reply to Job's complaints, he argues that those who are truly good are never entirely forsaken by Providence, but that punishment may justly be inflicted for secret sins. He denies that any man is innocent and censures Job for asserting his freedom from guilt. Eliphaz exhorts Job to confess any concealed iniquities to alleviate his punishment. His arguments are well supported but God declares at the end of the book that Eliphaz has made a serious error in his speaking. Job offers a sacrifice to God for Eliphaz's error. His primary belief was that the righteous do not perish; the wicked alone suffer, and in measure as they have sinned (). Eliphaz' dream Eliphaz' argument is, in part, rooted in what he believes to have been a personal revelation which he received through a dream (Job 4:12-16): "an elusive word [stealed] past, quiet like a whisper", and after a silence he heard a voice saying: Eliphaz feels empowered to confront Job because of his dream. Crenshaw notes