Job 8
In Job 8, Bildad the Shuhite responds to Job’s lament, defending God's justice and arguing that suffering is a result of sin. He urges Job to repent and return to God, suggesting that Job’s suffering is due to the sins of his children. Bildad believes that God rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked, implying that Job must have done something wrong to deserve his suffering.
Job 8:1-5 (NKJV)
1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:
2 “How long will you speak these things,
And the words of your mouth be like a strong wind?
3 Does God subvert judgment?
Or does the Almighty pervert justice?
4 If your sons have sinned against Him,
He has cast them away for their transgression.
5 If you would earnestly seek God
And make your supplication to the Almighty,
Bildad begins by criticizing Job's complaints, likening his words to a strong wind—empty and baseless. He affirms God’s justice, stating that God does not pervert judgment, and suggests that Job's children were punished for their sins. Bildad implies that if Job were truly righteous, he would humble himself, seek God’s favor, and pray for restoration. He assumes that repentance will lead to God’s mercy.
Job 8:6-7 (NKJV)
6 If you were pure and upright,
Surely now He would awake for you,
And prosper your rightful dwelling place.
7 Though your beginning was small,
Yet your latter end would increase abundantly.
Bildad continues, telling Job that if he were blameless, God would immediately restore his fortunes and bless him again. He reassures Job that, despite the humble beginnings of his recovery, the end result would be abundant prosperity. Bildad's argument is based on the belief that God always rewards righteousness with material blessings.
Job 8:8-10 (NKJV)
8 “For inquire, please, of the former age,
And consider the things discovered by their fathers;
9 For we were born yesterday, and know nothing,
Because our days on earth are a shadow.
10 Will they not teach you and tell you,
And utter words from their heart?
Bildad encourages Job to look to the wisdom of the ancestors, who had more knowledge and experience than they did. He emphasizes the brevity of their own lives and their lack of understanding, suggesting that the ancient wisdom of the past will support his argument that God is just and that suffering comes from sin. He believes that Job should listen to this inherited wisdom.
Job 8:11-13 (NKJV)
11 “Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh?
Can the reeds flourish without water?
12 While it is yet green and not cut down,
It withers before any other plant.
13 So are the paths of all who forget God;
And the hope of the hypocrite shall perish,
Bildad uses a metaphor, comparing the life of the wicked to papyrus and reeds that cannot thrive without water. Just as these plants wither without the marsh, so too do those who forget God perish without His sustaining presence. He is suggesting that Job’s current plight is like that of someone who has forgotten God, implying hypocrisy in Job’s former righteousness.
Job 8:14-15 (NKJV)
14 Whose confidence shall be cut off,
And whose trust is a spider’s web.
15 He leans on his house, but it does not stand.
He holds it fast, but it does not endure.
Bildad continues his metaphor by describing the confidence of the wicked as fragile as a spider’s web. Just as a web is easily destroyed, so is the hope of someone who trusts in their own strength rather than in God. He compares this to a house that is unstable, falling apart when leaned upon, illustrating how misplaced trust leads to destruction.
Job 8:16-19 (NKJV)
16 He grows green in the sun,
And his branches spread out in his garden.
17 His roots wrap around the rock heap,
And look for a place in the stones.
18 If he is destroyed from his place,
Then it will deny him, saying, ‘I have not seen you.’
19 “Behold, this is the joy of His way,
And out of the earth others will grow.
Bildad compares the prosperity of the wicked to a lush plant that thrives temporarily but is eventually uprooted. The plant represents a life that seems fruitful but is fragile because it lacks true foundation in God. When it is removed, it leaves no trace, as if it never existed. Bildad warns that the wicked may appear prosperous for a time, but they will ultimately be forgotten.
Job 8:20-22 (NKJV)
20 Behold, God will not cast away the blameless,
Nor will He uphold the evildoers.
21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughing,
And your lips with rejoicing.
22 Those who hate you will be clothed with shame,
And the dwelling place of the wicked will come to nothing.”
Bildad concludes by reaffirming that God does not forsake the righteous or uphold the wicked. He assures Job that if he repents and returns to righteousness, God will restore his joy and honor. Those who opposed or despised Job will ultimately be shamed, and the homes of the wicked will be destroyed. This reveals Bildad's confidence in the principle of retribution—blessings for the righteous and destruction for the wicked.