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.

In the Book of Job, when we hear about those seven days of silence, we're diving deep into the heart of ancient customs and beliefs surrounding grief. Job's friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, came to him in a time of profound suffering—knowing that mourning was more than just an expression of sorrow; it was a ritual in which one participated actively. They sat with him "on the ground" (Job 2:13) for a whole week, a gesture of solidarity and empathy that not only shows their intention to be with Job but reminds us of the importance of presence in relationships.

In ancient Near Eastern culture, this was more than a tradition; it was a way to honor the deep emotions tied to loss. Seven days—not coincidentally—reverberates throughout Scripture, symbolizing completeness or perfection. Think about the Creation narrative in Genesis, where God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh, or Easter's thematic echoes of the seventh day, when Christ's resurrection is commemorated.

Job’s story reflects universal themes of suffering and the quest for understanding, pushing us to ponder our identity and purpose amid hardships. Interestingly, while they entered into silence, that hardly remained the entirety of their encounter. What began as stillness eventually morphed into dialogues laced with assertions about suffering, justice, and divine retribution—transforming their initial empathy into something much more complex. These dialogues delve us into another vivid layer of exploration: the nature of friendship in suffering, questioning if mere words can provide solace when silence speaks so loudly.