Job 8:20

Context of Job 8:20

Job 8:20 is spoken by Bildad the Shuhite, one of Job's three friends who come to comfort him in his suffering. Bildad, like Eliphaz and Zophar, operates from a traditional understanding of divine justice prevalent in his era: that God blesses the righteous and punishes the wicked. In this verse, Bildad is attempting to persuade Job that if he were truly blameless, God would not have abandoned him, and conversely, God would not support evildoers. This assertion is part of his argument to Job that his immense suffering must be a consequence of some hidden sin, urging him to repent.

The entire chapter 8 of Job features Bildad's discourse, emphasizing the swift punishment of the wicked and the restoration of the righteous. His words reflect a common theological framework that the Book of Job itself challenges and ultimately refines through Job's experience and God's final revelation.

Key Themes and Messages

• Retributive Justice: The primary theme is Bildad's firm belief in a straightforward system of divine retribution, where good deeds are immediately rewarded and bad deeds are immediately punished. He argues that God will not "cast away a perfect man" but will also not "help the evil doers," implying a clear and predictable moral order.
• The Nature of "Perfection": For Bildad, a "perfect man" (Hebrew: tam) is one who is blameless, upright, and innocent of serious sin. His statement suggests that if Job were truly this, his suffering would cease or not have begun. This contrasts with Job's own description as "perfect and upright" in Job 1:1, setting up the central tension of the book.
• God's Impartiality (as perceived by Bildad): Bildad presents God as an impartial judge who consistently upholds righteousness and condemns wickedness, aligning with his understanding of divine character.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word translated "perfect" in "perfect man" is tam (תָּם), which signifies integrity, blamelessness, or completeness of character, rather than absolute moral flawlessness. It denotes sincerity and uprightness in one's walk with God and others. The phrase "cast away" comes from the Hebrew yim'as (יִמְאַס), meaning to reject, despise, or abhor. This emphasizes Bildad's belief that God would never abandon someone of true integrity. Conversely, "help" is from yachaziq (יַחֲזִיק), meaning to strengthen, uphold, or support, which Bildad states God will not do for the wicked (ra'im).

Related Scriptures

While Bildad's perspective is firm, the Book of Job ultimately demonstrates that suffering is more complex than a simple cause-and-effect relationship with sin. Other Scriptures also grapple with the prosperity of the wicked and the suffering of the righteous:

• Psalm 73:3-12 describes the psalmist's struggle with seeing the wicked prosper.
• Ecclesiastes 9:2 states that "all things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked."
• The New Testament provides a deeper understanding of suffering and God's grace, often unrelated to personal sin, such as in John 9:3 where Jesus explains a man's blindness was "not that this man did sin, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him."

Practical Application

Job 8:20, though spoken from a flawed human perspective, serves as a vital point for reflection on how we understand God's justice and suffering. It cautions against simplistic theological frameworks that quickly attribute suffering to sin or prosperity to righteousness, as the world's complexities often defy such easy explanations. For believers today, this verse encourages:

• Empathy Over Judgment: To approach those who suffer with compassion rather than quick judgment, recognizing that we do not always know the reasons for their trials.
• Trust in God's Character: To trust in God's ultimate goodness and sovereignty, even when circumstances are confusing or seemingly unjust. God's ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9).
• Humility in Theology: To maintain humility in our theological explanations, acknowledging the mystery of God's ways and the limits of human understanding concerning divine justice and the problem of evil.