| Back to Home Page | Back
to Book Index |
Job Chapter
Eight
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO JOB 8
In
this chapter Bildad enters the discussion with Job; proceeding upon the same
lines as Eliphaz
he reproves him for his long and loud talk
Job 8:1; asserts
the justice of God in his providence
of which the taking away of Job's
children by death for their transgression was an instance and proof
Job 8:3; and
suggests
that if Job
who had not sinned so heinously as they had
and
therefore was spared
would make his submission to God
and ask forgiveness of
him
and behave for the future with purity and uprightness
he need not doubt
but God would immediately appear and exert himself on his behalf
and bless him
and his with prosperity and plenty
Job 8:5; for this
was his ordinary way of dealing with the children of men
for the truth of
which he refers him to the records of former times
and to the sentiments of
ancient men
who lived longer
and were more knowing than he and his friends
on whose opinion he does not desire him to rely
Job 8:8; and then
by various similes used by the ancients
or taken from them by Bildad
or which
were of his own inventing and framing
are set forth the short lived
enjoyments
and vain hope and confidence
of hypocrites and wicked men; as by
the sudden withering of rushes and flags of themselves
that grow in mire and
water
even in their greenness
before they are cut down
or cropped by any
hand
Job 8:11; and by
the spider's web
which cannot stand and endure when leaned upon and held
Job 8:14; and by a
flourishing tree destroyed
and seen no more
Job 8:16; and the
chapter is concluded with an observation and maxim
that he and the rest of his
friends set out upon
and were tenacious of; that God did not afflict good men
in any severe manner
but filled them with joy and gladness; and that he would
not long help and prosper wicked men
but bring them and their dwelling place
to nought; and this being the case of Job
he suggests that he was such an one
Job 8:20.
Job 8:1 Then
Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:
YLT
1And Bildad the Shuhite
answereth and saith: --
Then answered Bildad the Shuhite
and said. This was the
second of Job's friends that came to visit him
Job 2:11; and is
mentioned next to Eliphaz there
and takes his turn in this controversy in the
same side; which no doubt was agreed upon among themselves
as well as the part
each should bear
and the general sentiment they should pursue
which was the
same in them all. Some have observed
that Job's friends were like the
messengers that brought him the tidings of his losses
before one had done
speaking another came; and so as soon as one of his friends had delivered his
discourse
and before Job could well finish his reply
up starts another to
charge him afresh
as here Bildad did
who said as follows.
Job 8:2 2 “How long will you speak
these things
And the words of your mouth be like a strong wind?
YLT
2Till when dost thou speak
these things? And a strong wind -- sayings of thy mouth?
How long wilt thou speak these things?.... Either
what he had delivered in the "third" chapter in cursing the day of
his birth
and wishing for death
in which sentiments he still continued
and
resolutely defended; or those expressed in the "two" preceding
chapters
in answer to Eliphaz; this he said
as wondering that he should be
able to continue his discourse to such a length
and to express himself with
such vehemence
when his spirits might be thought to be so greatly depressed by
his afflictions
and his body enfeebled by diseases; or as angry with him for
his blasphemy against God
as he was ready to term it
his bold and daring
speeches of him
and charge of unrighteousness on him
and for his disregard to
what Eliphaz had said
his contempt of in and opposition to it; or as impatient
at his long reply
wanting him to cease speaking
that he might return an
answer
and therefore breaks in upon him before he had well done
see Job 18:2; or as
despising what he had said
representing it as idle talk
and as mere trifling;
and so some render the words
"how long wilt thou trifle after this
sort?"F7תמלל אלה
"nugaberis haec"
Cocceius; "talia"
Tigurine version;
"talk after this sort?" Broughton. or throw out such nonsense and
fabulous stuff as this?
and how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a
strong wind? blustering
boisterous
and noisy
to which passionate words
expressed in a loud and sonorous manner
may be compared; and so we say of a
man in a passion and rage
that he "storms". Bildad thought that his
speeches were hard and rough
and stout against God
and very indecent and
unbecoming a creature to his Maker
and not kind and civil to them his friends;
and yet they were like wind
vain and empty
great swelling words
but words of
vanity; they were spoken
and seemed big
but had nothing solid and substantial
in them
as Bildad thought.
Job 8:3 3 Does God subvert judgment?
Or does the Almighty pervert justice?
YLT
3Doth God pervert judgment?
And doth the Mighty One pervert justice?
Doth God pervert judgment?.... In his dealings with
men in the way of his providence; no
he does not; here Bildad opposes himself
to Job
who he thought had charged God with injustice in dealing with him
and
his children
in the manner he had done: the same thing is intended in the
following question:
or doth the Almighty pervert justice? for judgment
and justice are the same
and often go together in Scripture
as being done
either by God or men
when righteousness is executed by them
and this is never
perverted by the Lord; there is no unrighteousness in him
neither in his
nature
nor in his ways and works
either of providence or of grace; he is the
Judge of all the earth
that does and will do right; to subvert a man in his
cause
he approves not of in others
and will never do it himself; to justify
the wicked
and condemn the just
are both an abomination to him
and therefore
neither of these can ever be thought to be done by him; for though he justifies
the ungodly
he does not justify their ungodliness
nor them in it
but from
it
and that by the perfect righteousness of his Son; whereby the law is
fulfilled
and justice satisfied
and so he is just while he is the justifier
of him that believes in Jesus; though he is gracious and merciful
he is also
righteous
and will not clear the guilty
or pardon sin without satisfaction to
his justice; and such as are truly just or righteous
he never condemns here or
hereafter; he may afflict them
but he delivers them out of their afflictions
nor are they ever forsaken by him; and
on the contrary
he punishes wicked men
in this world
and in that to come
as he has the angels that sinned
the old
world
Sodom and Gomorrah
and many others
and all wicked men will be punished
with everlasting destruction; yea
even so strict is his punitive justice
that
the sins of his own people being laid and found on his Son as their surety
he
has most severely punished him for them; he awoke the sword of justice against
him
spared him not
but delivered him to death for us all; and though he
forgives the iniquities of his children
he takes vengeance on their
inventions
and chastises them for their sins
that they may not be condemned
with the world; and
on the other hand
he is not unrighteous to forget their
work and labour of love
which he rewards in a way of grace
as well as it is a
righteous thing with him to render tribulation to them that trouble them: the
righteousness of God is known by the judgments he executes on wicked men
and
especially will be manifest in his judgments on antichrist; and though the
justice of God in the course of his providence
in some instances
may not now
be so clear
his judgments will be made manifest
and especially at the great
day of judgment
when everything shall be brought to account
and God will
judge the world in righteousness; all which
we may be assured of
is and will
be executed by him
from the consideration of his nature and perfections
and
particularly from the name he goes by in this passage
being El
the mighty
God
who is able to save and to destroy
to save the righteous
and destroy the
wicked; and is Shaddai
all sufficient
stands in need of nothing; nor can he
receive anything that is not his own
and therefore incapable of being bribed
to the perversion of justice and judgment.
Job 8:4 4 If your sons have sinned
against Him
He has cast them away for their transgression.
YLT
4If thy sons have sinned
before Him
And He doth send them away
By the hand of their transgression
If thy children have sinned against him
.... As no
doubt they had
and
as Bildad thought
in a very notorious manner
and
therefore were righteously punished for them; this instance is produced as a
proof of God's not perverting
but doing justice
and the rather
because it
was on account of this that it was supposed that Job charged
or was ready to
charge
God with injustice; this was so far from it
that it was a righteous
thing to do it
"if" or "seeing" his children had sinned;
or "because" they have sinned
or "though" they have
sinned
as the wordsF8אם
"quandoquidem"
Michaelis; "quia"
Vatablus;
"etiamsi"
V. L. are by some differently rendered; and either way
shows that God did not pervert justice
but acted agreeably to it. Mr.
Broughton renders them
"as thy children have sinned against him
so hath
he sent them into the hand of their trespass"; as a righteous retaliation
for it: that Job's children had sinned
there is no question to be made of it;
they were born in sin
though born of godly parents; and though they had a
religious education
yet no doubt were guilty of sin in their younger years
as
well as when grown up; and even though good men
as there may be reason to
conclude they were
yet daily sinning
for there are none without sin; and also
it is true
that all sin is against God
contrary to his nature and will
a
breach and transgression of his law
and an act of hostility against himself
and a trampling under foot
or at least a neglect
of his legislative power and
authority
which is an aggravation of it; yet it does not appear that Job's
children were guilty of any notorious sins or atrocious crimes
or lived a
sinful course of life
for which the judgments of God came upon them; nor is it
a clear case that they were taken away by death in the manner they were on
account of their sins
but rather purely for the trial of Job's integrity
faith
and patience:
and he have cast them away for their transgression; or "by
the hand of it"F9ביד פשעם "in manu iniquitatis suae"
V. L. so
Montanus
Cocceius. ; by means of it
because of it
being provoked with it.
Bildad represents them as abandoned sinners
as castaways and reprobates
rejected of God with abhorrence
and utterly ruined. Some render it
"hath
sent them into the hand of their transgression"F11"In
manum transgressionis ipsorum"
Piscator
Beza
Schmidt
Michaelis
Schultens; "in potestatem defectionis ipsorum"
Junius &
Tremellius.
or trespass; that is
delivered them up to the power and dominion
of sin
gave them up to their hearts' lusts
and to vile affections
to do
things not convenient
and which they pursued to their ruin; the Targum
is
"he sent them into the place of their transgressionF12So
Munster ;'into hell
which their transgressions deserved
and for which they
were fitted by them. Some a little more mildly render the words
"he sent
them away"F13וישלחמ "et dimisit
eos"
Drusius; "e mundo"
Pagninus
Vatablus; so Gersom. ; that
is
dismissed them out of the world
took them out of it by death; which
dismission is sometimes in peace
as good old Simeon prayed for
and sometimes
in wrath
as Saul was taken away
see Luke 2:29; the
latter is the meaning here.
Job 8:5 5 If you would earnestly
seek God And make your supplication to the Almighty
YLT
5If thou dost seek early
unto God
And unto the Mighty makest supplication
If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes
.... Here
Bildad seems to think more mildly
and speak more kindly to Job
that though he
had sinned
yet not in so gross a manner as his children
since he was spared
and they were not; and therefore if he would apply himself to God
and
supplicate his grace and mercy
and live a godly life
it might yet be well
with him
and he be restored to his former or to better circumstances; his
sense is
that he would advise him
as Eliphaz had done before
Job 5:8; to seek
unto God "by prayer"
as the Targum adds
and of which it is
explained in the next clause
and that he would do this "betimes"
or
"in the morning"F14תשחר
"mane quaesieris"
Pagninus
Piscator
Mercerus. ; which is a proper
time for prayer
and was one of the seasons good men in former times made use
of for that purpose; see Psalm 5:3; or that
he would seek him in the first place
and above all things
take the first
opportunity to do it
without any procrastination of it
and that with
eagerness and earnestness
with his whole heart and soul; for God is a rewarder
of them that diligently seek him
and those that seek him early shall find him:
and make thy supplication to the Almighty: not pleading
any merit of his own
as deserving of any blessing on account of what he had
done; but ask what he should as a favour
as a free gift
in a way of grace and
mercy
as the wordF15So Schmidt in loc. signifies; call for the pity
of the Almighty
as Broughton renders it.
Job 8:6 6 If you were pure
and upright
Surely now He would awake for you
And prosper your rightful
dwelling place.
YLT
6If pure and upright thou
[art]
Surely now He waketh for thee
And hath completed The habitation of thy
righteousness.
If thou wert pure and upright
.... By which
he tacitly intimates that he was neither; though the character given of him is
that he was perfect and upright
feared God and eschewed evil
and which is
confirmed by God himself
and even after he had been tried by sore afflictions.
Bildad's meaning is
if he was pure in heart
and upright in his life and
conversation
then things would be well with him. Men's hearts are naturally
impure; no man is pure of himself
or can make his heart pure; nor is there any
good man that is so pure as to be entirely free from sin; but such are pure in
heart
who have clean hearts created
and right spirits renewed in them; or
have new hearts and new spirits given them; have their hearts sprinkled from an
evil conscience
and so keep the faith in a pure conscience; having their
hearts purified by faith in the blood of Christ
whose blood cleanses from all
sin; and in this sense Job was pure
having an interest in a living Redeemer
and in his blood
and a partaker of his grace; and that he was upright is
before testified of him
though now called in question
an if being put upon
it
as well as on the former
having in the course of his life walked
uprightly
according to the will of God revealed unto him:
surely now; directly at once
without delay
as Sephorno interprets it; it
need not be doubted of
verily so it would be:
he would awake for thee; who though he neither
slumbers nor sleeps
yet seems to be asleep when he suffers his people to be
afflicted
distressed
and oppressed
and therefore they cry unto him to awake
to their judgment
and their cause; see Psalm 7:8; the
sense is
that he would stir up and exert himself
and show himself strong on
his behalf
and appear to be on his side
and work deliverance and salvation
for him; or awake his mercy
grace
and goodness
as some Jewish commentatorsF16Gersom
Simeon Bar Tzemach
Sephorno. interpret it; that is
bestow his favours upon
him:
and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous; which some
understand of his body
the earthly house of his tabernacle
which if his soul
was pure and upright that dwelt in it
might be called the habitation of
righteousness; which
were this the case
would become healthful that was now
covered with worms
and clods of dust: others interpret it of the soul
as Aben
Ezra and Ben Gersom
the seat of righteousness
and of all the graces of the
Spirit; which is in a prosperous condition when these graces are in lively
exercise
and the presence of God
and the light of his countenance
and
communion with him
are enjoyed; but rather his dwelling house in a literal
sense
and all his domestic affairs
are here meant; and it is signified that
all would be again in peace and prosperity
and he should enjoy great plenty of
good things should he behave well; and here is a tacit intimation as if his
habitation had not been an habitation of righteousness
but had been filled
with the mammon of unrighteousness
with goods ill gotten
such as were
obtained by rapine and oppression
and neither he nor his family righteous; a
very unjust and iniquitous insinuation: the Targum paraphrases it
"and
shall make the beauty of thy righteousness perfect"F17נות צדקך "pulchritudinent
justitiae tuae"
Bolducius. ; but Job had a more beautiful righteousness
than his own; his was but as rags
and neither pure nor perfect; even the
righteousness of Christ
which is perfect and beautiful
and makes such so
that are arrayed with it; see Psalm 50:2.
Job 8:7 7 Though your beginning was
small
Yet your latter end would increase abundantly.
YLT
7And thy beginning hath been
small
And thy latter end is very great.
Though thy beginning was small
.... When
he first set
out in the world; and which though it greatly increased
and he was the
greatest man in all the east
yet Bildad suggests
should he behave well
that
was comparatively small to what it would be with him hereafter; and which was fact
for he had double of what he before enjoyed; so Mr. Broughton renders the
words
"and thy former state should be little to thy latter": or
rather the sense and meaning is
"though thy beginning should be
small"F18והיה "etsi
fuerit"
so some in Michaelis. ; be it so that it is; or rather that
though he should begin again in the world with very little
as indeed at
present he had nothing to begin with
and when he did it was but with little;
one gave him a piece of money
and another an earring of gold:
yet thy latter end should greatly increase; as it did
for the Lord blessed his latter end
and he had more than at the beginning
even double to what he had in his most flourishing circumstances; see Job 42:11
&c.
Bildad seems to have spoken under a spirit of prophecy
without being sensible
of it
and not imagining in the least that so it would be in fact; for he only
affirms it on supposition of Job's good behaviour for the future
putting it
entirely upon that condition
which he had no great expectation of it ever
being performed.
Job 8:8 8 “For inquire
please
of
the former age
And consider the things discovered by their fathers;
YLT
8For
ask I pray thee of a
former generation
And prepare to a search of their fathers
For inquire
I pray thee
of the former age
.... With
respect to the truth of what he had said
or should say; he does not desire Job
to take his word for it
but inquire how it was in former times; by which it
would appear
that when good men have been in affliction and trouble
and have
behaved well under it
as became them
they have been delivered out of it
and
have been afterwards in more flourishing and comfortable circumstances
as
Noah
Abraham
Lot
and others; and that wicked men and hypocrites
though they
have flourished for a while
yet destruction has sooner or later come upon
them
and they have utterly perished
as the descendants of Cain
the builders
of Babel
and the men of Sodom
and others; whereas good and upright men are
never cast away by the Lord
no instance can be given of it; all which would
appear
if inquiry was made into what had happened in the "former
age" not the "first age"
as the Septuagint version
the age or
generation in which the first man and woman lived; for who were "their
fathers"
mentioned in the next clause? but the age or generation
preceding that in which Job and his friends lived; and the knowledge of things
done in that might with some application and diligence be more easily obtained:
and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers; of the
fathers of the men of the former age
who lived in the age preceding that
and
from whom their posterity had received the knowledge of many things by
tradition
as they had received from their fathers that lived before them and
so upwards; things being handed down in a traditionary way from father to son;
and though these fathers were dead
yet
by their traditions that were
preserved
they were capable of teaching and instructing men; and their sayings
and sentiments deserved regard
and were had in much esteem; but yet being
uninspired and fallible men
were not to be received without examination; for
though truth is of the greatest antiquity
and to be revered on that account
yet error is almost as old as that; and therefore great care is to be taken how
any thing is received purely upon the score of antiquity; and great pains
diligence
and circumspection
are necessary to a due search of the fathers
and coming at their sense and sentiments; and so as to distinguish between
truth and error
and get a true knowledge of facts done in ancient times; such
a search is to be made in like manner as one would search for gold and silver
and hidden treasures.
Job 8:9 9 For we were born
yesterday
and know nothing
Because our days on earth are a shadow.
YLT
9(For of yesterday we [are]
and we know not
For a shadow [are] our days on earth.)
For we are but of yesterdayF19 επαμεροι
Pindar.
Pythia
Ode 8.
.... Which is not to be understood strictly of the day last past
but of a short space of time backward; and especially when compared with the
antediluvian fathers
who lived the far greater part of them upwards of nine
hundred years; otherwise Bildad and his two friends were men in years; Eliphaz
says
that with them were the gray headed and very aged men
much older than
the father of Job
and Elihu speaks of himself as a young man
and of them as
very old; see Job 15:10
and know nothing; which is not to be taken in an absolute
sense
for they knew much of the things of nature
providence
and grace; they
were men of great understanding in things natural
civil
and religious
as
appears by their discourses; but in a comparative sense
or when compared with
the long lived patriarchs
who through the length of their days had much time
and opportunity to make their observations on things
to learn the arts and
sciences
and improve themselves in all useful knowledge
human and divine; for
which reason Job is sent to inquire of them; whereas they had been but a little
while in the world
and knew but little
to whom might be applied that saying
as now to men since
"ars longa
vita brevis"; and they knew nothing
as it is to be known
or perfectly
or in comparison of the saints in heaven;
for they that know most here know but in part
see through a glass darkly; but
in the other world they see face to face
and know as they are known. Moreover
Bildad might say this of himself and his friends
in a modest manner
having
learned to know themselves
their weakness
and their folly; and the first and
great lesson of wisdom is to become fools in men's own apprehension
in order
to be truly wise
having the like sense of themselves as Agur had
Proverbs 30:2; see 1 Corinthians 3:18;
or rather this might be said as being the sense of Job concerning them
who had
a very mean and indifferent opinion of them; see Job 12:2; and
therefore Bildad would not have him take their sense of things
but inquire of
persons older and wiser:
because our days upon earth are a shadow; man's time is
rather measured by days than by months and years
being so short; and these are
called "days" on earth
to distinguish them from the days of heaven
which are one everlasting day
in which there is no night of darkness
either
in a literal or figurative sense
and which will never end; but the days of
this life are like a "shadow"
dark and obscure; full of the darkness
of adversity and trouble
as well as greatly deficient in the light of
knowledge; there is nothing in them solid and substantial; the greatest and best
things of this life are but a vain show; in heaven there is a better and more
enduring substance: every thing is mutable and uncertain here; man is subject
to a variety of changes in his mind and body
in family and outward estate and
circumstances: and life itself is but a vapour
which appears a while and soon
vanishes away; or rather like a shadow
that declines
is fleeting
and quickly
gone; see 1 Chronicles 29:15.
Job 8:10 10 Will they not teach you
and tell you
And utter words from their heart?
YLT
10Do they not shew thee --
speak to thee
And from their heart bring forth words?
Shall not they teach thee
and tell thee
.... That is
the men of the former age
and their fathers before them
Job is directed to
inquire of
and to prepare for a search into their records and traditions; from
whom he might reasonably expect to be taught and told things that would be very
instructive and useful to him in his present circumstances:
and utter words out of their heart? such as were the effect
of mature judgment and long observation
and which they had laid up in their
hearts
and brought out from their treasure there; and
with the greatest
faithfulness and sincerity
had either committed them to writing
or delivered
them in a traditionary way to their posterity
to be communicated to theirs;
and which might be depended upon as true and genuine
being men of probity
uprightness
and singleness of heart; who declared sincerely what they knew
and spoke not with a double heart
having no intention to deceive
as it cannot
be thought they would impose upon their own children; and therefore Job might
safely receive what they uttered
and depend upon it as truth and fact; and
what they said
as Jarchi observes
is as follows; or what follows Bildad
collected from them
and so might Job
and think he heard them
"saying"
as Piscator supplies the text
what is expressed in the
following verses
if not in their words
yet as their sense.
Job 8:11 11 “Can the papyrus grow up
without a marsh? Can the reeds flourish without water?
YLT
11`Doth a rush wise without
mire? A reed increase without water?
Can the rush grow up without mire?.... No
at least not
long
or so as to lift up his head on high
as the word signifiesF1היגאה "an attollit se"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator
Cocceius; "an superbiet"
so some; Beza
Schultens. ; the
rush or bulrush
which seems to be meant
delights in watery places
and has
its name in Hebrew from its absorbing or drinking up water; it grows in moist
and watery clay
or in marshy places
which Jarchi says is the sense of the
word here used; the Septuagint understands it of the "paper reed"
which
as PlinyF2Nat. Hist. l. 13. c. 11. observes
grows in the
marshy places of Egypt
and by the still waters of the river Nile:
can the flag grow without water? or "the sedge"F3אחו "carectum"
V. L. "ulva"
Junius
& Tremellius
Piscator
Schmidt
Michaelis
Schultens. ; which usually
grows in moist places
and on the banks of rivers; this unless in such places
or if without water
cannot grow long
or make any very large increase
or come
to maturity; so someF4Sic Bar Tzemach & Belgae. render it
"if the rush should grow up without"
&c. then it would be with
it as follows.
Job 8:12 12 While it is yet
green and not cut down
It withers before any other plant.
YLT
12While it [is] in its
budding -- uncropt
Even before any herb it withereth.
Whilst it is yet in its greenness
.... Before it
is come to its full height
or to a proper ripeness; when as yet it has not
flowered
or is about it; before the time usual for it to turn and change; it
being without moisture
water
or watery clay
will change:
and not cut down; by the
scythe
or cropped by the hand of man:
it withereth before any other herb; of itself;
rather sooner than such that do not require so much moisture; or in the sight
and presence of them
they looking on as it were
and deriding it; a poetical
representation
as Schultens observes: next follows the accommodation of these
similes to wicked and hypocritical men.
Job 8:13 13 So are the paths of
all who forget God; And the hope of the hypocrite shall perish
YLT
13So [are] the paths of all
forgetting God
And the hope of the profane doth perish
So are the paths of all that forget God
.... Who
forget that there is a God; he is not in all
and scarce in any of their
thoughts
and they live without him in the world; who forget the works of God
of creation and providence
in which there is a glorious display of his being
and perfections; who forget the benefits and blessings of his goodness they are
every day partakers of
and are not thankful for them; and who forget the word
worship
and ordinances of God
and follow after and observe lying vanities
idols
and the works of men's hands
and worship them
being unmindful of the
rock of their salvation: now such men
as well as the hypocrites in the next
clause
are like bulrushes and flags
or sedge
being unfruitful
useless
and
unprofitable; and
for their sensuality and worldly mindedness
standing in the
mire and clay of an unregenerate state
and of carnal and worldly lusts; and
though
especially the latter
may carry their heads high in a profession of
religion
and make a fair show in the flesh while it is a time of outward
prosperity with them
but when tribulation arises on the account of religion
they are presently offended
and apostatize; being destitute of the true grace
of God
and having the root of the matter in them
they wither of themselves;
they soon drop their profession in the view of all good men
comparable to
herbs and green grass
which abide in their verdure
when the other are gone
and are seen no more:
and the hypocrite's hope shall perish; who are
either the same with those before described
who
being in prosperous
circumstances
forget the God of their mercies they make a profession of
like
Jeshurun of old
or different persons
as Bar Tzemach thinks
the former
designing open profane sinners
these secret ones
under the appearance of good
men: an "hypocrite" is one whose inside is not as his outside
as the
Jews say; who is outwardly righteous
but inwardly wicked; has a form of
godliness
but not the power of it; a name to live
but dead; that makes a show
of religion and devotion
attending the worship and ordinances of God in an
external way
as if he had great delight in him and them
when his heart is
removed far from him: and such have their "hope"
for the present
of
being in the favour of God
and of future happiness
which is founded on their
outward prosperity their esteem among men
and more especially their external righteousness
and profession of religion; but this will "perish"
even both the
ground of their hope
the riches and righteousness
which come to nothing
and
the hope that is built thereupon sinks into despair; if not in life
as it
sometimes does
yet always at death
see Job 11:20; Bildad
seems to have Job in view here
whom he esteemed an hypocrite.
Job 8:14 14 Whose confidence shall be
cut off
And whose trust is a spider’s web.
YLT
14Whose confidence is
loathsome
And the house of a spider his trust.
Whose hope shall be cut off
.... The same thing as
before
expressed in different words
and repeated for the certainty of it;
signifying that it should be of no manner of use
should be wholly lost
and
issue in black despair: the word has the signification of loathing
and is
differently rendered
either
"whom his hope shall loathe"F5אשר יקוט כסלז
"quem abominabitur spes ejus"
Montanus; "fastidit"
Junius
& Tremellius
Piscator; "cum taedio rejectabit"
Schultens. or
"who shall loathe his hope"F6"Quippe abominabitur
spem suam"
Schmidt. ; he shall fret and tease
and vex himself that he
should be such a fool to entertain such a vain hope
or to place hope and
confidence in such vain things
finding himself most sadly disappointed:
and whose trust shall be a spider's web; or "a
spider's house"F7בית עכביש "domus araneae
vel aranei"; Pagninus
Montanus
&c. ; and such its web is to it; having made it
it encloses
itself in it
and dwells securely: very fitly is the hope and confidence of an
hypocrite compared to a spider's web
which is a very nice and curious piece of
workmanship
as are the outward works of righteousness
done by hypocrites they
are wrought out and set off to the best advantage
to be seen of men; yet very
slight and thin
and will bear no weight; such are the best works of carnal
professors; they make a fine appearance
but have no substance
do not flow
from principles of grace
nor are done in the strength of Christ
or to the
glory of God; are but "splendida peccata"
as one calls them
and
fall infinitely short of bearing the weight of the salvation of the soul: as
the spider's web is spun out of its own bowels
so the works of such persons
are wholly of themselves; they are their own
done without the grace of God and
spirit of Christ; and such webs are not fit for garments
are too thin to cover
naked souls; insufficient to shelter from divine wrath and vengeance; cannot
bear the besom of justice
one stroke of which will sweep them all away; and
though they may think themselves safe enclosed in them as in a house
they will
find themselves in the issue wretchedly mistaken; for there is no shelter
safety
and security
in such cobwebs; there is none but in Christ and his
righteousness.
Job 8:15 15 He leans on his house
but
it does not stand. He holds it fast
but it does not endure.
YLT
15He leaneth on his house --
and it standeth not: He taketh hold on it -- and it abideth not.
He shall lean upon his house
.... Either the spider or
the hypocrite
or the hypocrite as the spider; that is
that which is the
ground of his confidence
which is as the spider's house
on that he shall
depend
either on his riches and outward prosperity
which he promises himself
a long continuance of
and from whence he concludes himself to be high in the
favour and good will of God; or on his works of righteousness
his outward profession
of religion
attendance on external worship
and a round of duties performed by
him; in these he trusts
on these he depends
in such webs he enwraps himself
in such a house he dwells
and imagines himself safe; which is only making
flesh his arm
leaning upon a broken reed
and building an house upon the sand:
the Septuagint version is
"if he prop up his house"
by repeated
outward acts of religion:
but it shall not stand: whether it be riches
these are uncertain things
of no continuance; there are no riches durable but
the unsearchable riches of Christ and his grace; or whether it be a man's own
righteousness
which he endeavours to establish
or "make to stand"
as the phrase is in Romans 10:3; but in
vain; it is but a sandy foundation to build on; or the hope and confidence laid
upon it is like a house built on the sand
and
when rain falls
floods come
and winds beat upon it
it falls; and great is the fall of it
Matthew 7:26
he shall hold it fast; as the worldling does
his wealth
his gold and his silver; but it is snatched out of his hand by one
providence or another
or however at last death obliges him to part with it;
and the self-righteous man holds fast his righteousness
it is his own
he is
fond of
an house of his own building
and cannot bear to have it demolished;
an idol of his own setting up
and to take it away is to take away his gods;
and what has he more? wherefore he holds it as fast as he can
and will not let
it go till he can hold it no longer; or
"he shall fortify himself in
it"F8יחזיק "roborabit in
eam"
Montanus
Bolducius; "firmat se"
Vatablus; so the Targum
and Ben Gersom.
as in a castle or strong hold
which he thinks impregnable
yet will soon and easily be battered down by divine justice:
but it shall not endure; gold perishes
riches
come to nought
wealth is no enduring substance
nor is a man's righteousness
lasting; only Christ's righteousness is everlasting; true grace endures to
eternal and issues in it; but external gifts
speculative and rational
knowledge
and a mere profession of religion
fail
cease
and vanish away.
Job 8:16 16 He grows green in the sun
And his branches spread out in his garden.
YLT
16Green he [is] before the
sun
And over his garden his branch goeth out.
He is green before the sun
.... Which some
understand of the rush or flag
of which a further account is given
as setting
forth more fully the case of wicked men and hypocrites; but to either of these
do not agree the situation of it in a garden
the shooting forth of its
branches
and the height of it
and its striking its roots deep in stony
places: Cocceius interprets it of the "herb" or grass before which
the flag withers
Job 8:12; but the
same objections
or most of them
lie against that also; rather
from the
description of it
a tall large tree is designed
to which hypocrites in their
most flourishing circumstances are compared
and yet come to nothing
Psalm 37:35; that
is "green" in its leaves
and looks beautiful
so they in a
profession of religion
which is like green leaves without fruit; they make in
it a fair show in the flesh
take up and him the lamp of a profession
and
retain it bright and fair for a time; or
like a tree full of sap
or
"juicy"F9רטוב
"succosus"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator
Schultens;
"viridis quidem et succi plenus"
Michaelis. ; or
as Mr. Broughton
renders it
"juiceful"; denoting
not a fulness of the spirit and his
grace
or of faith
hope
love
&c. and of righteousness and goodness
but
of
outward prosperity
having as much as heart could wish
and great plenty of
good things laid up for many years: and this tree is said to be green and juicy
"before the sun"; either in the presence and through the influence of
it
as hypocrites flourish
even in a religious way
while the sun of
prosperity shines upon them
and no longer; or openly and publicly
in the
sight of all men
as this phrase is used
2 Samuel 12:11; and
as such men do
in the view of all men
professors and profane
doing all they
do to be seen of men
and before whom they are outwardly righteous
and
reckoned good men; or
"before the sun" rises
as the Targum and Aben
Ezra
so hypocrites flourish
before the sun of persecution arises and smites
them
because of their profession
and then they drop it; see Matthew 13:6
and his branch shooteth forth in his garden; or
"over"F11על "supra"
Junius & Tremellius
Mercerus
Codurcus; "super"
Montanus
Piscator
Schmidt
Schultens. it; and branch may be put branches
which in a
flourishing tree spread themselves to cover a considerable piece of ground: Mr.
Broughton renders it
"and his suckers sprout over his orchard"; all
which may denote the increase of a wicked man
in his family
in his wealth and
substance
and particularly in his posterity
which are as branches and suckers
from him; and Bildad
if these are his own words
may have respect to Job
and
to his large substance and number of children he had in his prosperity
when he
had an hedge set about him
and was enclosed as in a garden: and whereas the
church of God is sometimes compared to a garden
Song of Solomon 4:12;
it agrees very well with hypocrites
who have a place there
and are called
hypocrites in Sion
where they have a name
and flourish for a while: many
interpreters
both JewishF12Saadiah Caon
R. Levi
Ben Gersom. and
ChristianF13Vatablus
Beza
Diodati
Cocceius
Gussetius
p. 247.
interpret this
and what follows
of truly righteous and good men under
afflictive providences
who notwithstanding continue
and are not the worse
but the better for them; their leaf of profession is always green
and withers
not; and that "before the sun"
even of adversity and affliction; and
though that beats upon them
and smites them severely
they are like green
olive trees
or the cedars of God
full of sap
full of the grace of God
and
continually supplied with it; and so patiently endure temptation and
affliction
bear the heat and burden of the day
and are not careful in the
year of drought; see Song of Solomon 1:6;
such are planted in the garden and house of the Lord by himself and shall never
be rooted up; where their branches spread
and they grow in grace
and in the
knowledge of all divine things
and are filled with the fruits of
righteousness.
Job 8:17 17 His roots wrap around the
rock heap
And look for a place in the stones.
YLT
17By a heap his roots are
wrapped
A house of stones he looketh for.
His roots are wrapped about the heap
.... The heap
of stones where the tree stands; it strikes its roots among them
and
implicates and twists them about them
and secures itself and grows up notwithstanding
them: and this expresses the seeming stable state and condition of hypocrites
for a season
who not only flourish
but seem to take root; and who maintain
their ground amidst some difficulties; this fitly agrees with and describes
such hearers of the word
and professors of religion
comparable to the seed
sown on stony ground
Matthew 13:5
and seeth the place of stones; or
"the
house of stones"F14בית אבנים "domum lapidum"
Montanus
Cocceius
Schmidt
Michaelis
Schultens; so Tigurine version
Codurcus
Junius &
Tremellius. ; a house built of stones
high and stately; yet this tree rises
higher than that
overtops and overlooks it; and is represented as viewing it
thoroughly
or looking down upon it
and all around it
being so high and so
spreading; the Targum renders it
implicateth the house of stones;
"platteth"
as Mr. Broughton
or twists about them
and so many of
the Jewish writers; but this seems to be designed in the former clause: all
this suits very well with good men
whose "roots are wrapped about the
fountain"F15על גל
"juxta fontem"
Pagninus
Mercerus; so Vatablus
Piscator
Gersom
and Bar Tzemach. ; as the words may be rendered; about the love of God
in
which they are rooted and grounded
and are like trees planted by rivers of
water
the river of divine love
which refreshes
revives
and makes them
fruitful; and about Christ
the fountain of gardens and well of living waters;
in whom they are rooted and built up
increase
flourish
and are established;
and though they are among stones
and attended with many difficulties
yet they
abide and surmount all; believe in hope against hope
and see and enjoy
yea
even dwell in the house of stones
the church of God
built on a rock
against
which the gates of hell cannot prevail.
Job 8:18 18 If he is destroyed from
his place
Then it will deny him
saying
‘I have not seen you.’
YLT
18If [one] doth destroy him
from his place
Then it hath feigned concerning him
I have not seen thee!
If he destroy him from his place
.... If the sun when he
is risen strikes the tree with such vehement heat that it withers and utterly
perishes from the place where it grew; or roots it up
so the Targum and
Nachmanides; or
if God destroys the hypocrite from his place
or he is by one
means or another removed out of the garden
the church
being detested and
rejected by good men; or from all his worldly enjoyments
his honour
credit
and esteem with men
which are all precarious
fickle
and inconstant; or out
of the world
being cut down as a cumber ground:
then it shall deny him
saying
I have not seen thee; that is
either the tree shall deny that it ever was planted in such a place
or rather
the place shall deny that the tree ever was planted there; the sense is
that
it shall be so utterly destroyed
that neither root nor branch shall be left
nor anything to show that it ever grew there; its place shall know it no more
see Job 7:10; or God
shall deny the hypocrite
and say he never saw him nor knew him; he never
belonged to him
nor was under his care; he never looked upon him with a look
of love
grace
and mercy; he never had any delight and pleasure in him
nor
regarded him as one of his; he was no tree of his planting
watering
and
keeping
see Matthew 7:23; this
seems most difficult to accommodate to a good man
and those who carry it that
way seem to be most puzzled with this; some render it
"shall he be
swallowed?" or
"shall anyone in
allow him up?"F16אם יבלענז "num absorbebitur
a loco suo?" Beza; "num absorbebit cum quisquam e loco suo"
Diodatus. destroy or root him out of his place? none shall: the root of the
righteous cannot be moved
nor they from that; not from the everlasting love of
God
in which they are rooted
nor from Christ
in whom they are fixed: others
understand this of the digging up of a tree
and transplanting it to another
place
where it grows as well
or better; and so the people of God
though they
have many stripping providences
and are removed from place to place
and from
one condition to another
so that their former state and place know them no
more; yet all things work together for their good.
Job 8:19 19 “Behold
this is the joy
of His way
And out of the earth others will grow.
YLT
19Lo
this [is] the joy of
his way
And from the dust others spring up.'
Behold
this is the joy of his way
.... Of the
state and condition of the hypocrite
who
while he is in outward prosperity
exults and rejoices
but his joy is but short
it is but for a moment
Job 20:5; and this
is what it comes to at last
and issues in
even entire destruction from his
place; which
because it may seem strange and wonderful
and is worthy of
notice and consideration
as well as to express a certainty of it
the word
"behold" is prefixed; though this also is understood
by some
of
good men who have much spiritual joy in their present state and condition
be
it what it will; they have joy and peace in believing
even joy unspeakable
and full of glory; they have joy in the Lord
and in his ways in which they
walk
when they have trouble in the world; they rejoice and even glory in
tribulation
and are cheerful be they where they will
though removed from
their native place and country; and especially this will be their case when
they are transplanted from earth to heaven
the better and heavenly country:
and out of the earth shall others grow; in their room
and stead; where the tall flourishing tree once stood
but now utterly
destroyed
other trees should grow; signifying
either the children of the
hypocrites and wicked men
that should spring up in their place and imitate
them
and come to the same end; or rather such as were strangers to them
that
should inherit their substance and estates; and it may be good men that should
succeed them
and come into the possession of all their wealth
even such as
were before in mean circumstances
and so may be said to come "out of the
earth": it may be rendered
"out of another dust" or "earth
shall they grow"F17מעפר אחר "de pulvere alio"
Montanus
Bolducius
Cocceius; so the Targum; "de terra alia"
Pagninus
Mercerus. ;
signifying
that the wicked should be utterly destroyed
they and theirs; and
that such as were of another family
and as it were of another earth and
country
should stand in their place; see Job 27:16; this may
be interpreted of good men
who
though they die
others are raised up in their
stead; God will have a seed to serve him as long as the sun and moon endure;
though they are forced to fly from their native place
being persecuted
to
strange cities
or removed into the heavenly regions
yet God raises up others
to till up their places
and oftentimes out of other families
even of the
ungodly
to support his cause and interest; and understanding the whole of
truly righteous persons seems best to connect the sense with the following
words.
Job 8:20 20 Behold
God will not cast
away the blameless
Nor will He uphold the evildoers.
YLT
20Lo
God doth not reject the
perfect
Nor taketh hold on the hand of evil doers.
Behold
God will not cast away a perfect man
.... A
sincere
upright
good man; one that is truly gracious; who
though he is not
"perfect" in himself
yet in Christ; and though not with respect to
sanctification
which is as yet imperfect in him
yet with respect to
justification
being perfectly justified by the righteousness of Christ
and
all his sins pardoned for his sake: such an one God will never "cast
away"; not out of his sight
being engraven on the palms of his hands
nor
out of his heart's love; or will not "loath"F18ימאס "abominatur"
Vatablus;
"aversatur"
Beza
Mercerus
Drusius
Piscator. him
as the Targum
or reject him with abhorrence and contempt; he will not cast him out of his
covenant
which is ordered in all things and sure; nor out of the hands of his
son
where he has put him
and from whence none can pluck; nor out of his
family
where the son abides for ever; or so as to perish eternally
this would
be contrary to his love
to his foreknowledge
and to his covenant; so far is
he from it
that he has the greatest regard for such
delights in them
admits
thereto nearness to himself
sets them as a seal on his heart
keeps them as
the apple of his eye
and preserves them safe to his kingdom and glory:
neither will he help the evil doers; meaning
not everyone
that does evil
or sins
but such who live in sin
make a trade of sinning
are
frequent and constant in the commission of it; such God will not help
or
"take by the hand"F19לא יחזיק ביד "nec apprehendit
manum"
Pagninus
Vatablus
Mercerus
Piscator
Cocceius
Michaelis.
in
order to deliver from evil
as Gersom observes; to help them out of mischief
and trouble their sins have brought upon them; or to strengthen them
support
and uphold them
in their present circumstances
and much less so as to admit
them to fellowship and communion with him: these words
with what follow
are
Bildad's conclusion upon the sayings and sentiments of the ancients
which may
be supposed
and are thought by some
to end at the preceding Job 8:19.
Job 8:21 21 He will yet fill your
mouth with laughing
And your lips with rejoicing.
YLT
21While he filleth with
laughter thy mouth
And thy lips with shouting
Till he fill thy mouth with laughing
and thy lips with rejoicing. Directing
himself to Job; and suggesting
that if he was a perfect
sincere
and upright
man. God would not cast him away utterly
but help him out of his present
circumstances
and restore him to prosperity; and not leave him until he had
filled his heart with so much joy
that his mouth and lips
being also full of
it
should break forth in strong expressions of it
and in the most exulting
strains
as if it was a time of jubilee with him; see Psalm 126:2; but
Bildad tacitly insinuates that Job was not a perfect and good man but an evil
doer
whom God had cast away and would not help; and this he concluded from the
distressed circumstances he was now in; which was no rule of judgment
and a
very unfair way of reasoning
since love and hatred are not to be known by
outward prosperity and adversity
Ecclesiastes 9:1.
Bar Tzemach interprets "laughing" as at his own goodness
and
"rejoicing" as at the evil of the wicked.
Job 8:22 22 Those who hate you will be
clothed with shame
And the dwelling place of the wicked will come to nothing.”[a]
YLT
22Those hating thee do put on
shame
And the tent of the wicked is not!
They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame
.... The
Chaldeans and Sabeans
who had plundered him of his substance
when they should
see him restored to his former prosperity
beyond all hope and expectation
and
themselves liable to his resentment
and under the displeasure of Providence:
the phrase denotes utter confusion
and such as is visible as the clothes upon
a man's back; see Psalm 132:18
and the dwelling place of the wicked shall come to naught; or
"shall not be"F20איננו "non
erit"
Pagninus
Mercerus
Drusius
Michaelis. ; shall be no more; be utterly
destroyed
and no more built up again; even such dwelling places they fancied
would continue for ever
and perpetuate their names to the latest posterity;
but the curse of God being in them
and upon them
they come to nothing
and
are no more: thus ends Bildad's speech; Job's answer to it follows.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)