CAN THE BLAMELESS SUFFER?
Key verse: 3
NIV
Bildad
8 Then Bildad the Shuhite(A) replied:
2 “How long will you say such things?(B)
Your words are a blustering wind.(C)
3 Does God pervert justice?(D)
Does the Almighty pervert what is right?(E)
4 When your children sinned against him,
he gave them over to the penalty of their sin.(F)
5 But if you will seek God earnestly
and plead(G) with the Almighty,(H)
6 if you are pure and upright,
even now he will rouse himself on your behalf(I)
and restore you to your prosperous state.(J)
7 Your beginnings will seem humble,
so prosperous(K) will your future be.(L)
8 “Ask the former generation(M)
and find out what their ancestors learned,
9 for we were born only yesterday and know nothing,(N)
and our days on earth are but a shadow.(O)
10 Will they not instruct(P) you and tell you?
Will they not bring forth words from their understanding?(Q)
11 Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh?(R)
Can reeds(S) thrive without water?
12 While still growing and uncut,
they wither more quickly than grass.(T)
13 Such is the destiny(U) of all who forget God;(V)
so perishes the hope of the godless.(W)
14 What they trust in is fragile[a];
what they rely on is a spider’s web.(X)
15 They lean on the web,(Y) but it gives way;
they cling to it, but it does not hold.(Z)
16 They are like a well-watered plant in the sunshine,
spreading its shoots(AA) over the garden;(AB)
17 it entwines its roots around a pile of rocks
and looks for a place among the stones.
18 But when it is torn from its spot,
that place disowns(AC) it and says, ‘I never saw you.’(AD)
19 Surely its life withers(AE) away,
and[b] from the soil other plants grow.(AF)
Footnotes
Cross references
- Job 8:1 : S Ge 25:2; Job 18:1; 25:1
- Job 8:2 : Job 11:2; 18:2
- Job 8:2 : S 2Ch 36:16; S Job 6:26
- Job 8:3 : S Job 4:17; 34:12; Isa 29:15; Ro 3:5
- Job 8:3 : S Ge 18:25; S Jer 12:1
- Job 8:4 : Job 1:19
- Job 8:5 : Job 9:15
- Job 8:5 : S Job 5:8, 27
- Job 8:6 : S Job 5:15; 22:27; 33:26; 34:28; Isa 58:9; 65:24
- Job 8:6 : S Job 5:24
- Job 8:7 : Job 21:13; 22:21; 36:11; Ps 25:13
- Job 8:7 : S Job 1:10; Jer 29:11; 31:17
- Job 8:8 : S Dt 32:7; S Ps 71:18
- Job 8:9 : S Ge 47:9
- Job 8:9 : S 1Ch 29:15; S 2Ch 10:6; S Ps 39:6
- Job 8:10 : Pr 1:8
- Job 8:10 : Pr 2:1-2; 4:1
- Job 8:11 : Job 40:21
- Job 8:11 : S Ex 2:3; Isa 19:6; 35:7
- Job 8:12 : ver 19; S 2Ki 19:26; Job 18:16; 20:5; Ps 90:5-6; 102:11; Isa 34:4; 40:7, 24
- Job 8:13 : Ps 37:38; 73:17
- Job 8:13 : Ps 9:17; 50:22; Isa 51:13; Jer 17:6
- Job 8:13 : Job 6:9; 11:20; 13:16; 15:34; 20:5; 27:8; 34:30; Ps 37:1-2; 112:10; Pr 10:28; 11:7; Jer 15:9
- Job 8:14 : ver 15; Job 27:18; Isa 59:5
- Job 8:15 : S ver 14
- Job 8:15 : Ps 49:11; Mt 7:26-27
- Job 8:16 : Ps 80:11; Isa 16:8
- Job 8:16 : Ps 37:35; Jer 11:16
- Job 8:18 : Job 20:9; Ps 103:16
- Job 8:18 : S Job 7:8; S 14:20
- Job 8:19 : S ver 12; S Job 15:30
- Job 8:19 : Ps 119:90; Ecc 1:4
- Job 8:20 : Job 1:1
- Job 8:20 : S Ge 18:25
- Job 8:21 : S Job 5:22
- Job 8:21 : S Ezr 3:13; Job 35:10; Ps 47:5; 107:22; 118:15; 126:2; 132:16; Isa 35:6
- Job 8:22 : Job 27:7; Ps 6:10; 35:26; 44:7; 53:5; 71:13; 86:17; 109:29; 132:18; Eze 7:27; 26:16
- Job 8:22 : S Job 4:21
- Job 8:22 : S 1Sa 8:3; Job 18:6, 14, 21; 21:28; 27:8, 18; 34:26; 36:6; 38:13; Ps 52:5; Pr 14:11
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway
ESV
Bildad Speaks: Job Should Repent
8 Then (A)Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:
2 “How long will you say these things,
and the words of your mouth be a (B)great wind?
3 (C)Does God pervert justice?
Or does the Almighty pervert the right?
4 If your (D)children have sinned against him,
he has delivered them into the hand of their transgression.
5 If you will seek God
and (E)plead with the Almighty for mercy,
6 if you are pure and upright,
surely then he will (F)rouse himself for you
and (G)restore your rightful habitation.
7 And though your beginning was small,
(H)your latter days will be very great.
8 “For (I)inquire, please, of bygone ages,
and consider what (J)the fathers have searched out.
9 For we are but of yesterday and know nothing,
for our days on earth are (K)a shadow.
10 Will they not teach you and tell you
and utter words out of their understanding?
11 “Can papyrus grow where there is no marsh?
Can reeds flourish where there is no water?
12 While yet in flower and not cut down,
they (L)wither before any other plant.
13 Such are the paths of all who (M)forget God;
(N)the hope of (O)the godless shall perish.
14 His confidence is severed,
and his trust is (P)a spider's web.[a]
15 He leans against his (Q)house, but it does not stand;
he lays hold of it, but it does not endure.
16 He is a lush plant before the sun,
and his (R)shoots spread over his garden.
17 His roots entwine the stone heap;
he looks upon a house of stones.
18 If he is destroyed from his (S)place,
then it will deny him, saying, ‘I have never (T)seen you.’
19 Behold, this is the joy of his way,
and out of (U)the soil others will spring.
20 “Behold, God will not reject a blameless man,
nor take the hand of evildoers.
21 He will yet (V)fill your mouth with laughter,
and your lips with shouting.
22 Those who hate you will be (W)clothed with shame,
and the tent of the wicked will be no more.”
Footnotes
- Job 8:14 Hebrew house
Cross references
- Job 8:1 : ch. 2:11
- Job 8:2 : 1 Kgs. 19:11; [ch. 15:2]
- Job 8:3 : ch. 34:12; [Gen. 18:25; Deut. 32:4; 2 Chr. 19:7; Ezra 9:15; Dan. 9:14; Rom. 3:5]
- Job 8:4 : ch. 1:5, 18, 19
- Job 8:5 : ch. 9:15
- Job 8:6 : See Ps. 7:6
- Job 8:6 : [Prov. 3:33]
- Job 8:7 : [ch. 42:12; James 5:11]
- Job 8:8 : Deut. 4:32; 32:7; [ch. 15:18]
- Job 8:8 : ch. 15:18
- Job 8:9 : ch. 14:2; 17:7; 1 Chr. 29:15; Ps. 102:11; 109:23; 144:4; Eccles. 6:12
- Job 8:12 : [Ps. 37:2; 129:6]
- Job 8:13 : See Ps. 9:17
- Job 8:13 : Prov. 10:28; 11:7
- Job 8:13 : ch. 13:16; 15:34; 27:8
- Job 8:14 : [Isa. 59:5, 6]
- Job 8:15 : ch. 27:18
- Job 8:16 : Ps. 80:11
- Job 8:18 : See ch. 7:10
- Job 8:18 : ch. 7:8
- Job 8:19 : [1 Sam. 2:7, 8; Ps. 103:16; 113:7]
- Job 8:21 : Ps. 126:2
- Job 8:22 : Ps. 35:26; 132:18; [Ps. 109:29]
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
Bildad is a horrible comforter! Immediately, he dismisses Job’s words as being “blustering wind” and brings up the death of Job’s children in a very insensitive way. Bildad’s premise is that God never perverts justice. He always gets it right. Therefore, Bildad argues, their sin was the reason Job’s children died. It was their due penalty from God for what they had done. That is a huge assumption, isn’t it? Aren’t we all sinners and deserving of death? Bildad’s argument moves to encircle Job himself. If Job was really blameless, God would restore his prosperity. If not, then maybe he, too, is getting what he deserved. We must reject Bildad’s way of thinking. We know that trials come to the lives of the godly and ungodly alike. God uses them for his purposes and glory.
Bildad uses several images to illustrate the destiny of those who forget God. They are like reeds without water and the worldly things they prop themselves up with are no stronger than spider webs. The implication was that Job had forgotten God. If he were truly blameless, none of this would be happening. Jesus is the only truly blameless person who ever lived and he suffered more than we could ever imagine as he bore the penalty for our sins on the cross. Bildad is wrong. Sometimes the righteous do suffer.
Prayer: Father, help us to glorify you even in trials.
One Word: Even the blameless endure suffering