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Commentary on Job 8 verses 20–22
Bildad here, in the close of his discourse, sums up what he has to say in a few words, setting before Job life and death, the blessing and the curse, assuring him that as he was so he should fare, and therefore they might conclude that as he fared so he was. 1. On the one hand, if he were a perfect upright man, God would not cast him away, Job 8:20. Though now he seemed forsaken of God, he would yet return to him, and by degrees would turn his mourning into dancing (Psa 30:11) and comforts should flow in upon him so plentifully that his mouth should be filled with laughing, Job 8:21. So affecting should the happy change be, Psa 126:2. Those that loved him would rejoice with him; but those that hated him, and had triumphed in his fall, would be ashamed of their insolence, when they should see him restored to his former prosperity. Now it is true that God will not cast away an upright man; he may be cast down for a time, but he shall not be cast away for ever. It is true that, if not in this world, yet in another, the mouth of the righteous shall be filled with rejoicing. Though their sun should set under a cloud, yet it shall rise again clear, never more to be clouded; though they go mourning to the grave, that shall not hinder their entrance into the joy of their Lord. It is true that the enemies of the saints will be clothed with shame when they see them crowned with honour. But it does not therefore follow that, if Job were not perfectly restore to his former prosperity, he would forfeit the character of a perfect man. 2. On the other hand, if he were a wicked man and an evil-doer, God would not help him, but leave him to perish in his present distresses (Job 8:20), and his dwelling-place should come to nought, (Job 8:22). And here also it is true that God will not help the evil-doers; they throw themselves out of his protection, and forfeit his favour. He will not take the ungodly by the hand (so it is in the margin), will not have fellowship and communion with them; for what communion can there be between light and darkness? He will not lend them his hand to pull them out of the miseries, the eternal miseries, into which they have plunged themselves; they will then stretch out their hand to him for help, but it will be too late: he will not take them by the hand. Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed. It is true that the dwelling-place of the wicked, sooner or later, will come to nought. Those only who make God their dwelling-place are safe for ever, Psa 90:1; Psa 91:1. Those who make other things their refuge will be disappointed. Sin brings ruin on persons and families. Yet to argue (as Bildad, I doubt, slyly does) that because Job's family was sunk, and he himself at present seemed helpless, therefore he certainly was an ungodly wicked man, was neither just nor charitable, as long as there appeared no other evidence of his wickedness and ungodliness. Let us judge nothing before the time, but wait till the secrets of all hearts shall be made manifest, and the present difficulties of Providence be solved to universal and everlasting satisfaction, when the mystery of God shall be finished.
88. For the ‘mouth’ of the righteous will then be ‘filled with laughing’ when the tears of their pilgrimage being done, their hearts shall be filled to the full with exulting in eternal joy. Concerning this laughing ‘Truth’ saith to His disciples, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice; and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. [John 16, 20] And again, But I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. [ver. 23] Concerning this laughing of Holy Church, Solomon saith, And she shall laugh in the last day. [Prov. 31, 25] Of this it is said again, Whoso feareth the Lord, it shall go well with him at the last. [Ecclus. 1, 3] Not that there shall be laughter of the body, but laughter of the heart. For now from rioting in dissipation there springs a laughter of the body, but then from joy in security there will arise a laughter of the heart. Therefore when all the Elect are replenished with the delight of open vision, they spring forth into the joyousness of laughter in the mouth of the interior. But we call it shouting [jubilum], when we conceive such joy in the heart, as we cannot give vent to by the force of words, and yet the triumph of the heart vents with the voice what it cannot give forth by speech. Now the mouth is rightly said to be filled with laughter, the lips with shouting, since in that eternal land, when the mind of the righteous is borne away in transport, the tongue is lifted up in the song of praise. And they, because they see so much as they are unable to express, shout in laughter, because without compassing it they resound all the love that they feel.
89. Now it is said ‘till,’ not that Almighty God so long forbears to raise up the evil until he take to Him His Elect to the joys of their jubilee, as if afterwards He saved from the punishment those whom first leaving in sin He sentences to damnation, but that He never does it even before the Judgment, when it may seem doubtful to men, whether it is to be done. For that after the jubilee of His Eject people He does not stretch out His hand to the evil-minded, is already plain from the mere severity of the final reckoning by itself. As the Psalmist also spake in this manner, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou on My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool. [Ps. 110, 1] Not that the Lord never sat on the Lord's right hand, after that by smiting His enemies He made them subject to His power, but that He is set over all things in eternal blessedness, even before He treads under His feet the hearts of those that rebel against Him. Wherein it is made plain that His enemies being brought under, He still rules without end even afterwards. Thus it is said in the Gospel of the espoused of Mary, And knew her not, till she had brought forth her first-born Son. [Matt. 1, 25] Not that he did know her after the birth of the Lord, but that he never touched her even when he did not know her to be the Mother of his Creator. For because it was impossible that he could have touched her after he knew that the Mystery of our Redemption was transacted from her womb, plainly it was necessary that the Evangelist should bear witness of that time, of which there might be misgivings entertained by reason of Joseph's ignorance. And so it is expressed here in like manner, Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will He stretch out His hand to the evil-minded; till He fill thy mouth with laughter, and thy lips with shouting. As if it were expressed in plain speech; ‘Not even before the Judgment does He abandon the life of the faithful, nor even before He appears does He forbear from smiting the minds of the evil-disposed by abandoning them.’ For that the sons of perdition He torments without end, and that after that He shall have appeared His Elect reign for evermore, assuredly there is no doubt.
Therefore, when all the elect are replenished with the delight of clear vision, they internally spring forth into the joy of laughter. We call it shouting when we conceive such joy in the heart as we cannot express through the force of words. Yet the heart’s triumph expresses itself with a voice that external words cannot express. Now the mouth is correctly said to be filled with laughter, the lips with shouting, since in that eternal land, when the mind of the righteous is borne away in transport, the tongue is lifted up in the song of praise. And they, because they see so many inexpressible things, shout in laughter, for without understanding it, they resound with all the love that they feel.… “Confusion clothes” the enemies of the good in the final judgment, for when they see in the mind’s eye their past misdeeds flooding their banks, their own guilt covers them on every side, weighing them down. For they then bear the memory of their actions in punishment, who now, as though strangers to the faculty of reason, sin with hearts full of joy. There they see how greatly they should have eschewed all that they loved. There they see how woeful that was which they now embrace in their sin.
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SUMMARY
Job 8:21 presents Bildad the Shuhite's conditional promise of profound restoration and overflowing joy to Job, asserting that if Job would sincerely repent and seek God, divine favor would surely return, culminating in an experience of overwhelming happiness. This verse serves as the hopeful, yet ultimately misapplied, climax of Bildad's argument, which rigidly adheres to a retribution theology positing a direct, immediate correlation between Job's suffering and his presumed sin.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse employs several powerful literary devices to convey its message of abundant, divinely-granted joy. Parallelism, specifically synonymous parallelism, is prominently featured in the two clauses: "Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing." The second clause echoes and intensifies the first, utilizing different but closely related terms ("mouth" and "lips," "laughing" and "rejoicing") to underscore the completeness and overwhelming nature of the promised happiness. This repetition creates a sense of fullness and reinforces the idea of an all-encompassing experience of joy. Metonymy or synecdoche is also present, where "mouth" and "lips" function as representative parts standing for the entire person's expression of joy. It implies that it is not merely the physical organs that will be joyful, but the whole being will be so profoundly filled with happiness that it overflows visibly and audibly through these parts of the body. Furthermore, the vivid imagery of "filling" one's mouth and lips with laughter and rejoicing can be seen as a form of hyperbole, suggesting an abundance of joy that is almost immeasurable, a complete and total saturation that leaves no conceivable room for sorrow or grief. This deliberate exaggeration serves to highlight the dramatic and miraculous contrast between Job's current profound misery and the glorious, joyful future envisioned by Bildad.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
While Bildad's theological framework for understanding Job's suffering was ultimately proven flawed and inadequate, Job 8:21 nonetheless articulates a profound truth about God's character: His inherent capacity and ultimate desire to bring joy and restoration to His people. The vivid imagery of a mouth filled with laughter and lips with rejoicing speaks to a divine intervention that reverses sorrow, transforms lament, and brings profound, unbridled delight. The book of Job itself, despite Bildad's misdiagnosis of Job's plight, ultimately concludes with God's gracious and abundant restoration of Job, powerfully demonstrating God's sovereign power to transform deep lament into exultation, even when human understanding of suffering remains incomplete and mysterious. This verse, therefore, can be appreciated as a timeless poetic expression of God's redemptive power, even if its immediate application by Bildad was misguided. It points to a divine capacity to turn mourning into dancing, a theme beautifully echoed throughout the broader tapestry of Scripture.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 8:21, though spoken by a friend whose understanding of Job's suffering was incomplete and whose counsel was ultimately flawed, offers a powerful and enduring image of divine restoration and joy. For believers today, it serves as a profound reminder that even in seasons of deep sorrow, inexplicable suffering, or profound lament, God possesses the ultimate power to transform our circumstances and, more importantly, our hearts. While we must diligently resist the simplistic cause-and-effect theology that plagued Job's friends and often tempts us, we can cling steadfastly to the truth that God is sovereign over our pain and that His ultimate desire is for our well-being and joy. Our hope is not rooted in our own perfect performance or a formulaic repentance, but rather in God's gracious, sovereign intervention and His unfailing, covenantal love. This verse encourages us to look beyond our immediate trials and present distress to the God who can, and often does, fill our mouths with laughter and our lips with rejoicing, whether in this life or, most certainly, in the life to come, where all tears will finally be wiped away. It challenges us to trust God's character and His good purposes even when His ways are mysterious and beyond our comprehension, knowing that true, lasting joy is ultimately a gracious gift from His benevolent hand.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Was Bildad's advice entirely wrong, given that Job was righteous?
Answer: While Bildad's application of his theology to Job's specific situation was indeed incorrect (Job was righteous and not suffering due to specific sin), his general statements about God's justice and the possibility of restoration for the repentant were not inherently false. The fundamental problem lay in his rigid, simplistic retribution theology that could not account for righteous suffering. He spoke partial truths but misapplied them, leading to false accusations and a profound failure to truly comfort Job. God Himself later rebukes Job's friends for not speaking what was right about Him, unlike Job, as recorded in Job 42:7. So, while the sentiment of God bringing joy is profoundly true, Bildad's premise for why Job was suffering and how he could achieve that joy was fundamentally flawed and misdirected.
Does this verse promise that all suffering will end in immediate joy for everyone who seeks God?
Answer: No, this verse is a conditional promise presented within a specific theological framework by Bildad, a framework which the broader narrative of the book of Job ultimately critiques and transcends. The Bible teaches a much broader, more nuanced, and complex view of suffering and joy. While God can and often does restore joy after periods of suffering, it is not always immediate, nor is it always tied to a formulaic repentance for a specific sin. Sometimes, suffering serves purposes such as purification, testing of faith, or to display God's glory and power. Believers are even called to rejoice in their sufferings, knowing that such trials produce perseverance, character, and hope, as articulated in Romans 5:3-5. Ultimate and unending joy is found in God's eternal presence and in the future redemption that Christ secures, where all tears will finally be wiped away and suffering will cease.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Though spoken within a flawed and incomplete theological framework, Job 8:21 finds its ultimate, perfect, and unconditional fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Bildad's promise of God filling the mouth with laughter and lips with rejoicing, contingent upon human action and presumed righteousness, powerfully points forward to the boundless and unconditional joy and restoration offered through Christ's finished work on the cross. Jesus, the perfectly righteous sufferer, endured the ultimate sorrow, pain, and profound separation from God on the cross, becoming the very Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!. His suffering was not for His own sin, for He had none, but for ours, mirroring Job's righteous suffering but on an infinitely cosmic and redemptive scale. Through His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection, Christ has secured for all who believe a joy that is not dependent on our imperfect performance or conditional repentance, but solely on His perfect sacrifice and our faith in Him. He is the one who truly turns our mourning into dancing, as promised in Psalm 30:11, and He promises His disciples that though they may have sorrow now, their sorrow will be turned into an enduring joy, a joy that no one can ever take from them, as declared in John 16:20 and John 16:22. He is the one who truly fills our mouths with praise and our lips with exultation, not merely as a conditional reward, but as a gracious and unmerited gift of redemption, culminating in the new heavens and new earth where God Himself will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, as revealed in Revelation 21:4.