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Commentary on Job 18 verses 1–4
1 ¶ Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,
2 How long will it be ere ye make an end of words? mark, and afterwards we will speak.
3 Wherefore are we counted as beasts, and reputed vile in your sight?
4 He teareth himself in his anger: shall the earth be forsaken for thee? and shall the rock be removed out of his place?
Bildad here shoots his arrows, even bitter words, against poor Job, little thinking that, though he was a wise and good man, in this instance he was serving Satan's design in adding to Job's affliction.
I. He charges him with idle endless talk, as Eliphaz had done (Job 15:2, Job 15:3): How long will it be ere you make an end of words? Job 18:2. Here he reflects, not only upon Job himself, but either upon all the managers of the conference (thinking perhaps that Eliphaz and Zophar did not speak so closely to the purpose as they might have done) or upon some that were present, who possibly took part with Job, and put in a word now and then in his favour, though it be not recorded. Bildad was weary of hearing others speak, and impatient till it came to his turn, which cannot be observed to any man's praise, for we ought to be swift to hear and slow to speak. It is common for contenders to monopolize the reputation of wisdom, and then to insist upon it as their privilege to be dictators. How unbecoming this conduct is in others every one can see; but few that are guilty of it can see it in themselves. Time was when Job had the last word in all debates (Job 29:22): After my words they spoke not again. Then he was in power and prosperity; but now that he was impoverished and brought low he could scarcely be allowed to speak at all, and every thing he said was as much vilified as formerly it had been magnified. Wisdom therefore (as the world goes) is good with an inheritance (Ecc 7:11); for the poor man's wisdom is despised, and, because he is poor, his words are not heard, Ecc 9:16.
II. With a regardlessness of what was said to him, intimated in that, Mark, and afterwards we will speak. And it is to no purpose to speak, though what is said be ever so much to the purpose, if those to whom it is addressed will not mark and observe it. Let the ear be opened to hear as the learned, and then the tongues of the learned will do good service (Isa 50:4) and not otherwise. It is an encouragement to those that speak of the things of God to see the hearers attentive.
III. With a haughty contempt and disdain of his friends and of that which they offered (Job 18:3): Wherefore are we counted as beasts? This was invidious. Job had indeed called them mockers, had represented them both as unwise and as unkind, wanting both in the reason and tenderness of men, but he did not count them beasts; yet Bildad so represents the matter, 1. Because his high spirit resented what Job had said as if it had been the greatest affront imaginable. Proud men are apt to think themselves slighted more than really they are. 2. Because his hot spirit was willing to find a pretence to be hard upon Job. Those that incline to be severe upon others will have it thought that others have first been so upon them.
IV. With outrageous passion: He teareth himself in his anger, Job 18:4. Herein he seems to reflect upon what Job had said (Job 13:14): Wherefore did I take my flesh in my teeth? "It is thy own fault," says Bildad. Or he reflected upon what he said Job 16:9, where he seemed to charge it upon God, or, as some think, upon Eliphaz: He teareth me in his wrath. "No," says Bildad; "thou alone shalt bear it." He teareth himself in his anger. Note, Anger is a sin that is its own punishment. Fretful passionate people tear and torment themselves. He teareth his soul (so the word is); every sin wounds the soul, tears that, wrongs that (Pro 8:36), unbridled passion particularly.
V. With a proud and arrogant expectation to give law even to Providence itself: "Shall the earth be forsaken for thee? Surely not; there is no reason for that, that the course of nature should be changed and the settled rules of government violated to gratify the humour of one man. Job, dost thou think the world cannot stand without thee; but that, if thou art ruined, all the world is ruined and forsaken with thee?" Some make it a reproof of Job's justification of himself, falsely insinuating that either Job was a wicked man or we must deny a Providence and suppose that God has forsaken the earth and the rock of ages is removed. It is rather a just reproof of his passionate complaints. When we quarrel with the events of Providence we forget that, whatever befals us, it is, 1. According to the eternal purpose and counsel of God. 2. According to the written word. Thus it is written that in the world we must have tribulation, that, since we sin daily, we must expect to smart for it; and, 3. According to the usual way and custom, the track of Providence, nothing but what is common to men; and to expect that God's counsels should change, his method alter, and his word fail, to please us, is as absurd and unreasonable as to think the earth should be forsaken for us and the rock removed out of its place.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–4. Public domain.
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Hesychius of JerusalemAD 450
HOMILIES ON JOB 21.18.2-3
It seems that Bildad ignores Job when he draws his resolutions, or when the logic of his words comes to him or when the power of his words comes to him, and where his will leads him, because the fighter “continues” to fight. The more Job sees his enemies increase, the more he grows strong against them. The more he sees the number of the slanderers grow, the more he renews himself to fight back in favor of truth. It is not only by exhorting but also by becoming firmer that Job makes the truth appear. But Bildad ignores that, and that is why he has said, “How long will you continue?” It is necessary that Job respond, and since he has not said that, we will say it instead of him, “He will continue until his spirit animates you, until he makes sources spring, until he blows wisdom into sincere vases, until you are tortured by his words as by the strikes of a whip. For you do not understand the wisdom of God and do not know his economy with regard to the righteous and the sinners.”
Gregory the DialogistAD 604
1. In a former part of this work we have handled the point, that Almighty God, in order to amend the hearts of those under the law, brought forward the life of blessed Job for a testimony, who knew not the law and yet kept it, who observed the precepts of life, which he had not received in writing. This man’s conduct is first extolled by God’s bearing witness to it, and is afterwards suffered to be put to the proof by the devil’s plotting against it, that he might prove by the trials of tribulation, how much he had attained before in a state of peace. This man’s life the adversary of the human race, evil disposed after his manner, both knew to be commended by the attestation of God, and yet asked for to prove it. And when he could not succeed in bringing him to the ground, smitten with so many losses in his substance, so many bereavements, he set on his wife against him in the goading of mispersuasion, that at all events by the words of his own household he might ruin him, whom he could never bring down by so many torments of tidings. But whereas what by woman’s aid he won against Adam first in paradise, he could not make good against this second man sitting on a dunghill, he betook himself to other appliances of tempting, that he should bring in his friends as if administering consolation, and yet stir up their feelings in bitterness of upbraiding, that him whose patience scourges had failed to subdue, at least bitter words in the midst of those scourges might succeed in overcoming. But the adversary, while laying his plots with craft, was a victim to the deceit, which he had contrived against the holy man, in that for all the occasions of ruin that he brought upon the holy man, he supplied him with as many occasions of victory. For against torments he maintained patience, against words, wisdom, in that he at once sustained the pains of stripes with resignation, and restrained the foolishness of ill advisers with wisdom. But whereas in those very sufferings and well-instructed speeches he bears a figure of Holy Church, by his friends, as we have already often said, uttering some things right and some foolish, heretics are not unjustly represented who in respect of this, that they are friends of the holy man, say many things right of the wicked, but in respect of this, that they bear a likeness of heretics, very often transgress in the excesses of the lips, and they smite the breast of the holy man with the darts of their words, but are tired out by their very own smiting against his indomitable spirit. So then it is our business to distinguish with exact discrimination, both what there is in their words that they think aright concerning the lost, and what that they sound that is foolish as directed against blessed Job.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Job 18:1 serves as a concise but pivotal transitional verse, signaling the commencement of Bildad the Shuhite's second discourse in the escalating debate with Job. Following Job's impassioned and often despairing lamentations in response to his friends' initial accusations, this verse marks the continuation of the cycle of speeches, with Bildad now taking his turn to reassert the traditional, retributive theology that suffering is a direct consequence of sin, thus intensifying the theological and emotional conflict.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Job 18:1, though brief, functions as a crucial literary device within the book's overall structure. It primarily serves as a Transitional Marker, clearly indicating the shift in speaker and the continuation of the poetic dialogue. This verse maintains the cyclical Dialogue Structure of the book, where each of Job's friends (Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar) speaks, followed by Job's response, before the next friend takes their turn. This predictable pattern highlights the repetitive and ultimately unhelpful nature of the friends' arguments. Furthermore, the simple act of Bildad "answering" after Job's profound suffering and desperate cries serves as a subtle form of Characterization through Action, revealing the friends' unwavering commitment to their rigid theological framework over genuine empathy. Their continued engagement in debate, rather than offering silent comfort or listening, underscores their intellectual pride and their failure as comforters.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 18:1, as a transitional verse, is pregnant with theological implications, primarily highlighting the ongoing conflict between Job's lived experience of suffering and his friends' rigid, conventional theology of retribution. The friends, represented here by Bildad, operate under the assumption that God's justice is always immediately discernible and that suffering is invariably a direct punishment for sin. This perspective, while containing a partial truth (sin does have consequences), fails to account for the complexities of divine sovereignty, the purpose of suffering in sanctification, or the existence of evil in a fallen world. The verse thus sets the stage for a continued theological wrestling match, where human wisdom attempts to confine God's actions within predictable, mechanistic rules. It implicitly raises the question of whether God's justice can be fully comprehended by human reason, and whether true wisdom lies in rigid adherence to dogma or in humble submission and trust in a God whose ways are higher than our own.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 18:1, though seemingly insignificant, serves as a powerful reminder of the human tendency to offer simplistic answers to complex suffering. Bildad's immediate "answer" after Job's raw outpouring of grief and confusion illustrates how often we, as friends or counselors, rush to speak rather than truly listen. In our own lives, when confronted with the pain of others, or even our own inexplicable trials, there is a temptation to quickly categorize, diagnose, and offer "solutions" based on our limited understanding or theological frameworks. This verse challenges us to cultivate a posture of humility, empathy, and active listening, recognizing that true comfort often involves sitting in silence with someone's pain rather than offering unhelpful platitudes or judgmental accusations. It also encourages us to question our own assumptions about God's ways, especially when they seem to contradict the reality of suffering, and to resist the urge to reduce divine justice to a simple cause-and-effect formula.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why is Bildad speaking again, and what does his continued "answering" signify?
Answer: Bildad is speaking again because the Book of Job is structured as a series of three cycles of dialogue between Job and his three friends. Job 18:1 marks the beginning of Bildad's second speech. His continued "answering" signifies the friends' unwavering commitment to their traditional, retributive theology, despite Job's passionate and desperate pleas. It shows their inability to move beyond their fixed ideas that suffering is always a direct consequence of sin. Each friend, including Bildad, takes his turn to reiterate and often intensify his arguments, demonstrating a lack of empathy and a rigid adherence to a simplified view of divine justice, as seen in Bildad's first speech in Job 8 and Job's preceding laments in Job 16-17.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Job 18:1 itself is a simple transitional verse, its significance lies in its place within the larger narrative of Job, which profoundly foreshadows Christ. Bildad's unwavering adherence to a rigid, works-based understanding of justice, where suffering is always punishment for sin, highlights the inadequacy of human wisdom and the Law to truly comprehend divine righteousness or to save humanity. This flawed perspective, which Job's friends embody, ultimately points to the necessity of a perfect, divine mediator. Job's longing for an "umpire" or "redeemer" (Job 9:33, Job 19:25) finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Jesus, the true Lamb of God, suffered innocently, not for His own sin, but as a substitute for the sins of humanity (Isaiah 53:4-6, 1 Peter 2:24). Unlike Bildad and the friends who offered only condemnation, Christ offers true comfort, understanding, and redemption, demonstrating a divine wisdom and love that transcends human logic and legalism (Colossians 2:3, John 14:6). The failure of Job's friends to provide true comfort underscores humanity's deep need for the perfect High Priest who can truly sympathize with our weaknesses, having been tempted in every way, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15).