Job 8
Job 8 begins with Bildad, the second of Job’s three friends, presenting his viewpoint. Bildad emphasizes that God is just and that human suffering is the result of one’s actions before God. He advises Job to trust in the God of justice and asserts that the suffering Job is experiencing is because of the sins of either Job himself or his children. Bildad’s argument is based on traditional wisdom and teachings that have been handed down, along with the experiences of their ancestors.
1verseThen Bildad the Shuhite answered,
2verse“How long will you speak these things? Shall the words of your mouth be a mighty wind?
3verseDoes God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert righteousness?
4verseIf your children have sinned against him, he has delivered them into the hand of their disobedience.
5verseIf you want to seek God diligently, make your supplication to the Almighty.
6verseIf you were pure and upright, surely now he would awaken for you, and make the habitation of your righteousness prosperous.
7verseThough your beginning was small, yet your latter end would greatly increase.
8verse“Please inquire of past generations. Find out about the learning of their fathers.
9verse(For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days on earth are a shadow.)
10verseShall they not teach you, tell you, and utter words out of their heart?
11verse“Can the papyrus grow up without mire? Can the rushes grow without water?
12verseWhile it is yet in its greenness, not cut down, it withers before any other reed.
13verseSo are the paths of all who forget God. The hope of the godless man will perish,
14versewhose confidence will break apart, whose trust is a spider’s web.
15verseHe will lean on his house, but it will not stand. He will cling to it, but it will not endure.
16verseHe is green before the sun. His shoots go out along his garden.
17verseHis roots are wrapped around the rock pile. He sees the place of stones.
18verseIf he is destroyed from his place, then it will deny him, saying, ‘I have not seen you.’
19verseBehold, this is the joy of his way. Out of the earth, others will spring.
20verse“Behold, God will not cast away a blameless man, neither will he uphold the evildoers.
21verseHe will still fill your mouth with laughter, your lips with shouting.
22verseThose who hate you will be clothed with shame. The tent of the wicked will be no more.”
Flow and Structure of the Body
- Verses 1-7: Bildad argues to Job that God is righteous and does not allow the innocent to be harmed for no reason. He encourages Job by saying that Job’s children were ruined by sin and that if Job earnestly seeks God, his blessings will be restored.
- Verses 8-10: He urges Job to pay attention to the wisdom of the ancestors and tries to persuade Job by citing past precedents.
- Verses 11-19: Using plants with shallow roots or weak roots (reeds, vines, etc.) as an analogy, he explains by illustration that the life of an evildoer who departs from God collapses easily.
- Verses 20-22: He concludes by stating his firm belief that God will not abandon the blameless, and ultimately that Job’s situation will be restored and that evildoers will be put to shame.
Overall Meaning and Reflection
Bildad’s argument is based on the idea that God is never unjust and that human suffering is a result of one’s life, an outlook of “cause and effect.” This way of thinking was also the dominant religious view of society at the time. However, there are aspects of Bildad’s approach that do not match Job’s real circumstances, and there are limitations to the perspective that sees suffering endured by someone simply as the result of sin. We need to think deeply about the deep mystery between God’s justice and human suffering—namely, that the suffering we experience in life is not necessarily always the result of our actions.
Points to Ponder
- When we encounter neighbors who are going through suffering, with what perspective do we approach them?
- Reflect on the possibility that our judgments or convictions may add to the other person’s deep pain.
- Could we humbly confess that there is a mystery between God’s justice and human life that I do not fully know?
Apply It to Yourself
- When someone is suffering, I resolve to have a heart of empathy and attentive listening rather than rushing to judge.
- When I look at the difficulties that happen in my life, I strive to have a balanced perspective that does not simply blame my own sins or mistakes too easily, and that does not misunderstand the world or God.
