The answer is: Seven days

Job 2:13 - Seven days was the usual time of mourning. Perhaps they joined him in this period, not that they stayed in one posture for the entire seven days.

The story of Job is indeed a profound journey into suffering and the human experience. When Job’s friends came, they observed a traditional act of mourning by sitting with him in silence for seven days. This time alone is significant—it illustrates respect for his pain and acknowledges the limits of words in the face of deep grief. Interestingly, the number seven often symbolizes wholeness or completeness in the Bible, found frequently throughout scripture.

Do you know that in ancient cultures, including those in the Biblical world, such mourning practices were crucial? They showed solidarity, and the act of silence often spoke louder than any words could. In fact, in the Talmud, a rich collection of Jewish teachings, the importance of sitting in silence with the grieving is infused with deep symbolism.

Job's friends' silent company sets the stage for the complex dialogues that follow, and it serves to remind us all how sometimes, simply being there for someone in their suffering is the best thing we can offer. Isn’t it fascinating how those three figures reflect types of responses to suffering that we're all familiar with? Throughout history, we can see echoes of this motif in literature and culture, where the act of simply being present is celebrated as a significant form of comfort and support—a touchstone of human connection amidst life’s trials.