Job 8:21

KJV

Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing.

KJV (with Strong's)

Till he fill {H4390} thy mouth {H6310} with laughing {H7814}, and thy lips {H8193} with rejoicing {H8643}.

Complete Jewish Bible

He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.

Berean Standard Bible

He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with a shout of joy.

American Standard Version

He will yet fill thy mouth with laughter, And thy lips with shouting.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Job 8:21 captures Bildad the Shuhite's conditional promise of restoration and abundant joy to Job, asserting that if Job repents and seeks God, divine favor will return, culminating in overwhelming happiness. This verse stands as the hopeful, albeit flawed, conclusion to Bildad's argument that suffering is a direct consequence of sin, suggesting a direct correlation between Job's actions and God's response.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Job 8:21 concludes Bildad's second speech to Job, forming the climax of his argument for God's justice and the principle of retribution. Bildad, one of Job's three friends, has come to "comfort" Job in his immense suffering, but his words quickly turn into accusations. He firmly believes that God is just and does not pervert justice or righteousness ([Job 8:3](/job/8-3 "Job 8:3 - God Does Not Pervert Justice")). Therefore, from his perspective, Job's immense suffering must be a direct result of some unconfessed sin, perhaps even the sin of his children ([Job 8:4](/job/8-4 "Job 8:4 - Your Children Sinned")). Bildad urges Job to seek God earnestly and make supplication to the Almighty ([Job 8:5](/job/8-5 "Job 8:5 - If You Would Seek God Earnestly")). He promises that if Job is pure and upright, God will surely restore him and make his habitation prosperous ([Job 8:6](/job/8-6 "Job 8:6 - If You Are Pure and Upright")). Verse 21 is the ultimate expression of this promised restoration, painting a vivid picture of complete and overflowing joy, a stark contrast to Job's current lamentable state. This conditional promise sets the stage for Job's continued defense and the unfolding theological debate about the nature of suffering and divine justice throughout the book.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The book of Job is set in the land of Uz, likely during the patriarchal period, predating the Mosaic Law. The cultural backdrop is that of ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature, where a prevailing belief system, often termed "retribution theology," held sway. This theology posited a direct, immediate, and observable correlation between righteousness and prosperity, and wickedness and suffering. Good people prospered; bad people suffered. Bildad, along with Eliphaz and Zophar, represents this traditional wisdom. Their counsel to Job is deeply rooted in this cultural understanding, which struggled to account for the suffering of the righteous. The imagery of a mouth "filled with laughing" and lips "with rejoicing" would have been universally understood as the epitome of human flourishing and divine favor, a stark reversal of the lamentation and ashes that characterized Job's current reality. This cultural context helps us understand why Job's friends were so insistent on his guilt, as it was the only way their worldview could make sense of his extraordinary plight.
* **Key Themes:** Job 8:21 contributes significantly to several key themes within the book of Job. Foremost is the theme of **retribution theology**, which is both presented by Bildad and ultimately challenged by Job's experience and God's final verdict. Bildad's speech is a classic articulation of this belief: if you are righteous, God will bless you; if you suffer, it's because of sin. The verse also highlights the theme of **conditional blessing**, as Bildad's promise of joy is entirely contingent on Job's repentance and seeking God. This contrasts sharply with God's later, unconditional restoration of Job in [Job 42](/job/42 "Job 42 - God Restores Job"). Another theme is the **source of true joy and restoration**. While Bildad attributes it to God's action ("Till *he* fill thy mouth"), his understanding of *how* God acts to bring joy is limited by his rigid theology. Finally, the verse touches upon the theme of **human suffering** and the various interpretations of its cause and purpose. Bildad's perspective offers a simplistic answer, which the rest of the book meticulously deconstructs, ultimately revealing a more complex and mysterious divine sovereignty at play, as seen in the broader narrative of [Job](/job/1 "The Book of Job").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Laughing (Hebrew, _śeḥōq'_):** This noun, derived from the verb "to laugh" (שָׂחַק, _śāḥaq_), primarily signifies joyous laughter, mirth, or sport. While it can occasionally denote derision or mockery, in this context, paired with "rejoicing," it unequivocally conveys a sense of unbridled, expressive happiness. It points to an outward manifestation of inner delight, a complete absence of sorrow or lament.
* **Rejoicing (Hebrew, _rinnāh'_):** This term refers to a ringing cry, a shout of joy, exultation, or triumph, often associated with singing or a joyful sound. It implies an audible, perhaps even boisterous, expression of happiness, moving beyond mere internal contentment to an outward declaration of delight. Together with "laughing," it paints a picture of comprehensive and unrestrained jubilation.
* **Fill (Hebrew, _mālē'_):** The verb "to fill" here implies an overflowing abundance, a complete saturation. It suggests that the joy would not be partial or fleeting but so pervasive and overwhelming that it would leave no room for sorrow, grief, or any other negative emotion. This emphasizes the totality and completeness of the promised restoration.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Till he fill thy mouth with laughing":** This clause emphasizes God as the ultimate agent of restoration and joy. The phrase "fill thy mouth" vividly portrays an overwhelming, undeniable, and perhaps even involuntary expression of happiness. It implies a state where the individual cannot help but laugh, as if joy has been poured into them to overflowing. The mouth, an instrument of speech and lament, is transformed into a conduit for mirth.
* **"and thy lips with rejoicing":** This is a classic example of synonymous parallelism, reinforcing the previous clause. "Lips" are closely associated with the "mouth" and serve to further emphasize the audible and expressive nature of the promised joy. "Rejoicing" here suggests not just laughter, but perhaps shouts of triumph, exultation, or even singing, indicating a comprehensive and profound reversal of Job's current state of lamentation and silence.

#### Literary Devices
The verse employs several powerful **literary devices** to convey its message of abundant joy. **Parallelism**, specifically synonymous parallelism, is evident in the two clauses: "Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing." The second clause reiterates and intensifies the first, using different but related terms ("mouth" and "lips," "laughing" and "rejoicing") to emphasize the completeness of the promised happiness. This repetition creates a sense of fullness and reinforces the idea of an overwhelming experience. **Metonymy** or **synecdoche** is also present, where "mouth" and "lips" stand for the entire person's expression of joy. It's not just the physical mouth or lips that will be joyful, but the whole being will be so filled with happiness that it overflows through these organs. Furthermore, the 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 beyond measure, a complete and total saturation that leaves no room for sorrow. This exaggeration serves to highlight the dramatic contrast between Job's current misery and the glorious future envisioned by Bildad.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
While Bildad's theological framework for Job's suffering was ultimately proven flawed, Job 8:21 nonetheless articulates a profound truth about God's character: His capacity and desire to bring joy and restoration to His people. The imagery of a mouth filled with laughter and lips with rejoicing speaks to a divine intervention that reverses sorrow and brings profound delight. The book of Job itself, despite Bildad's misdiagnosis, ultimately concludes with God's gracious restoration of Job, demonstrating God's power to transform lament into exultation, even when human understanding of suffering remains incomplete. This verse, therefore, can be appreciated as a 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 echoed throughout Scripture.

* [Psalm 126:2](/psalms/126-2 "Psalm 126:2 - Our Mouth Was Filled with Laughter")
* [Jeremiah 31:13](/jeremiah/31-13 "Jeremiah 31:13 - I Will Turn Their Mourning Into Joy")
* [Psalm 30:5](/psalms/30-5 "Psalm 30:5 - Weeping May Remain for a Night, But Joy Comes in the Morning")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 8:21, though spoken by a friend whose understanding of Job's suffering was incomplete, offers a powerful image of divine restoration and joy. For believers today, it serves as a reminder that even in seasons of deep sorrow, inexplicable suffering, or profound lament, God possesses the ultimate power to transform our circumstances and our hearts. While we must resist the simplistic cause-and-effect theology that plagued Job's friends, we can cling 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 in our own perfect performance or a formulaic repentance, but in God's gracious intervention and His unfailing love. This verse encourages us to look beyond our immediate trials to the God who can, and often does, fill our mouths with laughter and our lips with rejoicing, whether in this life or in the life to come, where all tears will be wiped away. It challenges us to trust God's character even when His ways are mysterious, knowing that joy is ultimately a gift from His hand.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How do we reconcile the idea of God's justice with seemingly inexplicable suffering, as seen in Job's story?**
* **In what ways has God "filled your mouth with laughing" or "your lips with rejoicing" after a period of sorrow or trial in your own life?**
* **How does the book of Job, including verses like this, challenge simplistic views of cause-and-effect in suffering and encourage a deeper trust in God's sovereignty?**

### 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 incorrect (Job was righteous and not suffering due to sin), his general statements about God's justice and the possibility of restoration for the repentant were not inherently false. The problem was his rigid, simplistic theology that couldn't account for righteous suffering. He spoke partial truths but misapplied them, leading to false accusations and a failure to truly comfort Job. God Himself later rebukes Job's friends for not speaking what was right about Him, unlike Job ([Job 42:7](/job/42-7 "Job 42:7 - God Rebukes Job's Friends")). So, while the sentiment of God bringing joy is true, Bildad's premise for *why* Job was suffering and *how* he could achieve that joy was flawed.

**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 within a specific theological framework presented by Bildad, which the book of Job ultimately critiques. The Bible teaches a broader and more nuanced 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 is for purification, testing, or to display God's glory. Believers are even called to rejoice *in* their sufferings, knowing they produce perseverance ([Romans 5:3-5](/romans/5-3 "Romans 5:3-5 - Rejoicing in Suffering")). Ultimate joy is found in God's presence and in the future redemption that Christ secures, where all tears will finally be wiped away.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Though spoken within a flawed theological framework, Job 8:21 finds its ultimate and perfect fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Bildad's promise of God filling the mouth with laughter and lips with rejoicing, contingent on human action, points forward to the unconditional joy and restoration offered through Christ's finished work. Jesus, the righteous sufferer, endured the ultimate sorrow and separation from God on the cross, becoming the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world ([John 1:29](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God")). His suffering was not for His own sin, but for ours, mirroring Job's righteous suffering but on a cosmic scale. Through His death and glorious resurrection, Christ has secured for us a joy that is not dependent on our perfect performance, but on His perfect sacrifice and our faith in Him. He turns our mourning into dancing ([Psalm 30:11](/psalms/30-11 "Psalm 30:11 - You Have Turned My Mourning Into Dancing")) and promises that though we may have sorrow now, our sorrow will be turned into joy, a joy that no one can take from us ([John 16:20](/john/16-20 "John 16:20 - Your Sorrow Will Turn Into Joy"), [John 16:22](/john/16-22 "John 16:22 - Your Joy No One Will Take From You")). 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 gift of redemption, culminating in the new heavens and new earth where God will wipe away every tear and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain ([Revelation 21:4](/revelation/21-4 "Revelation 21:4 - No More Tears")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Psalms 126:2

Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.

Genesis 21:6

And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, [so that] all that hear will laugh with me.

Psalms 126:6

He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves [with him].

Psalms 32:11

Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all [ye that are] upright in heart.

Luke 6:21

Blessed [are ye] that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed [are ye] that weep now: for ye shall laugh.

Isaiah 65:13

Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed:

Isaiah 65:14

Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit.