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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Job 8:1–7. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Here, I. Bildad reproves Job for what he had said (Job 8:2), checks his passion, but perhaps (as is too common) with greater passion. We thought Job spoke a great deal of good sense and much to the purpose, and that he had reason and right on his side; but Bildad, like an eager angry disputant, turns it all off with this, How long wilt thou speak these things? taking it for granted that Eliphaz had said enough to silence him, and that therefore all he said was impertinent. Thus (as Caryl observes) reproofs are often grounded upon mistakes. Men's meaning is not taken aright, and then they are gravely rebuked as if they were evil-doers. Bildad compares Job's discourse to a strong wind. Job had excused himself with this, that his speeches were but as wind (Job 6:26), and therefore they should not make such ado about them: "Yea, but" (says Bildad) "they are as strong wind, blustering and threatening, boisterous and dangerous, and therefore we are concerned to fence against them."
II.He justifies God in what he had done.
This he had no occasion to do at this time (for Job did not condemn God, as he would have it thought he did), or he might at least have done it without reflecting upon Job's children, as he does here. Could he not be an advocate for God but he must be an accuser of the brethren?
1.He is right in general, that God doth not pervert judgment, nor ever go contrary to any settled rule of justice, Job 8:3. Far be it from him that he should and from us that we should suspect him. He never oppresses the innocent, nor lays a greater load on the guilty than they deserve. He is God, the Judge; and shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? Gen 18:25. If there should be unrighteousness with God, how should he judge the world? Rom 3:5, Rom 3:6. He is Almighty, Shaddai - all sufficient. Men pervert justice sometimes for fear of the power of others (but God is Almighty, and stands in awe of none), sometimes to obtain the favour of others; but God is all-sufficient, and cannot be benefited by the favour of any. It is man's weakness and impotency that he often is unjust; it is God's omnipotence that he cannot be so.
2.Yet he is not fair and candid in the application. He takes it for granted that Job's children (the death of whom was one of the greatest of his afflictions) had been guilty of some notorious wickedness, and that the unhappy circumstances of their death were sufficient evidence that they were sinners above all the children of the east, Job 8:4. Job readily owned that God did not pervert judgment; and yet it did not therefore follow either that his children were cast-aways or that they died for some great transgression. It is true that we and our children have sinned against God, and we ought to justify him in all he brings upon us and ours; but extraordinary afflictions are not always the punishment of extraordinary sins, but sometimes the trial of extraordinary graces; and, in our judgment of another's case (unless the contrary appears), we ought to take the more favourable side, as our Saviour directs, Luk 13:2-4. Here Bildad missed it.
III.He put Job in hope that, if he were indeed upright, as he said he was, he should yet see a good issue of his present troubles:
"Although thy children have sinned against him, and are cast away in their transgression (they have died in their own sin), yet if thou be pure and upright thyself, and as an evidence of that wilt now seek unto God and submit to him, all shall be well yet," Job 8:5-7. This may be taken two ways, either,
1.As designed to prove Job a hypocrite and a wicked man, though not by the greatness, yet the by the continuance, of his afflictions. "When thou wast impoverished, and thy children were killed, if thou hadst been pure and upright, and approved thyself so in the trial, God would before now have returned in mercy to thee and comforted thee according to the time of thy affliction; but, because he does not so, we have reason to conclude thou art not so pure and upright as thou pretendest to be. If thou hadst conducted thyself well under the former affliction, thou wouldst not have been struck with the latter." Herein Bildad was not in the right; for a good man may be afflicted for his trial, not only very sorely, but very long, and yet, if for life, it is in comparison with eternity but for a moment. But, since Bildad put it to this issue, God was pleased to join issue with him, and proved his servant Job an honest man by Bildad's own argument; for, soon after, he blessed his latter end more than his beginning. Or,
2.As designed to direct and encourage Job, that he might not thus run himself into despair, and give up all for gone; there might yet be hope if he would take the right course. I am apt to think Bildad here intended to condemn Job, yet would be thought to counsel and comfort him.
(1.)He gives him good counsel, yet perhaps not expecting he would take it, the same that Eliphaz had given him (Job 5:8), to seek unto God, and that betimes (that is, speedily and seriously), and not to be dilatory and trifling in his return and repentance. He advises him not to complain, but to petition, to make his supplication to the Almighty with humility and faith, and to see that there was (what he feared had hitherto been wanting) sincerity in his heart ("thou must be pure and upright") and honesty in his house - "that must be the habitation of thy righteousness, and not filled with ill-gotten goods, else God will not hear thy prayers," Psa 66:18. It is only the prayer of the upright that is the acceptable and prevailing prayer, Pro 15:8.
(2.)He gives him good hopes that he shall yet again see good days, secretly suspecting, however, that he was not qualified to see them. He assures him that, if he would be early in seeking God, God would awake for his relief, would remember him and return to him, though now he seemed to forget him and forsake him - that if his habitation were righteous it should be prosperity. When we return to God in a way of duty we have reason to hope that he will return to us in a way of mercy. Let not Job object that he had so little left to being the world with again that it was impossible he should ever prosper as he had done; no, "Though thy beginning should be ever so small, a little meal in the barrel and a little oil in the cruse, God's blessing shall multiply that to a great increase." This is God's way of enriching the souls of his people with graces and comforts, not per saltum - as by a bound, but per gradum - step by step. The beginning is small, but the progress is to perfection. Dawning light grows to noonday, a grain of mustard seed to a great tree. Let us not therefore despise the day of small things, but hope for the day of great things.
Historical interpretation
Two Centuries of Reception
3 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
Even Bildad is confused in his speech and is pulled in different directions by various doctrines, when he says, “If you yourself have not sinned, your sons have.” Thereby he does not believe one is punished for someone else. But he may be included (in his reasoning), for he delivered the transgression into their hand due to their own sin. In so doing, he alludes to the collapse [of the house], through which Job’s children died. “Son” he says, referring to the superior part in his speech, because Job had also daughters. Thus he indicates, since the sons, who had great value for Job, have sinned, obviously the daughters have sinned as well.
Even if your person is purified from guilt through your words, do not the sins of your house reflect the guilt of your principles? Therefore, it is not proper that you make your pains into complaints. It is, however, useful that you are purified through confession and the offering of prayers.
61. As if the preachers of falsities were to say to afflicted Catholics, ‘Provide for your lives, and learn what wrong things ye maintain from the condemnation of those that are dead from among you. For except your misbelief were displeasing to the Creator of all things, He would never take from you such numbers [k] by destruction let loose to rage against them.’ For he says, If thy children have sinned against Him, and He have left them in the hand of their transgression. As though he said in plain speech, ‘They are left in the hand of their own wickedness, that refused to follow the life of our right rule.’ Yet if thou wilt arise to God at dawn, and make thy supplication to the Almighty. For inasmuch as heretics think that the light of truth rests with themselves, they bid and summon Holy Church, as being in the night of error, to come to the dawning of the truth, that in the knowledge of God it may be led to rise, as in the dawning light, and by the prayer of penitence wash off past misdeeds. If thou wilt walk pure and upright; that is to say, pure in thought, upright in practice. Surely now He will awake for thee. As if it were in plain words, ‘that He, Who now forbears to put forth the power of His protecting hand to thy tribulations, is as if asleep to the succouring of one going wrong.’ And make the habitation of thy righteousness at peace, i.e. ‘does away with the crosses of the present life, and vouchsafes without delay security in repose.’ For because men that are bad reckon temporal enjoyment as a special blessing of Divine recompensing, what they themselves go after with solicitous concern, they promise to others as something great. Hence it very often happens that they either pledge themselves to regain them when lost, or draw on the minds of their hearers after still greater rewards of this world.
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Summary
Job 8:4 is a pivotal statement delivered by Bildad the Shuhite, one of Job's three friends, as he endeavors to rationalize Job's immense suffering. In this verse, Bildad directly addresses the tragic demise of Job's children, unequivocally attributing their death to their own wrongdoing and asserting that God, in His perfect and unyielding justice, justly "cast them away for their transgression." This declaration encapsulates Bildad's rigid adherence to a conventional retribution theology, a framework that posits an absolute and direct correlation between sin and suffering on one hand, and righteousness and prosperity on the other.
Context
Literary Context
Bildad's speech in Job 8 immediately follows Eliphaz's initial address and Job's lament. Bildad opens with a sharp rebuke, accusing Job of uttering "great words" and questioning God's justice (Job 8:2-3). He operates from the same traditional theological framework as Eliphaz, known as retribution theology, which dictates that God invariably rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked. For Bildad, Job's calamities, including the devastating death of his children, could only be explained as a direct, deserved consequence of sin. Verse Job 8:4 serves as a specific and harsh application of this theology, implying that the children's demise was a righteous divine judgment for their unrighteousness. This assertion intensifies the ongoing debate between Job and his friends, as Job consistently protests his innocence against their persistent accusations.
Historical & Cultural Context
The Book of Job is set in a patriarchal society, likely reflecting ancient Near Eastern (ANE) cultural norms and theological understandings. In many ANE cultures, there was a prevalent belief that misfortune, especially catastrophic events such as the death of one's children, loss of property, or severe illness, was an unmistakable sign of divine displeasure or direct punishment for sin. Conversely, prosperity and well-being were seen as clear indicators of divine favor and righteousness. This "retribution theology" was a common and deeply ingrained framework for understanding the world, divine interaction with humanity, and the moral order. Bildad, as a representative of this conventional wisdom, articulates a perspective deeply rooted in the societal and religious assumptions of his time, where the cause-and-effect relationship between human action and divine response was often viewed simplistically and deterministically.
Key Themes
Bildad's statement in Job 8:4 introduces or reinforces several critical themes within the broader narrative of the Book of Job. The most prominent is the correlation between sin and suffering, which Bildad asserts as an absolute and unyielding principle. He implies that the children's "transgression" (Hebrew: peshaʻ, denoting rebellion or revolt) directly led to God "casting them away," a notion the book ultimately and profoundly challenges as overly simplistic and often inaccurate. This assertion directly ties into the theme of divine justice, which Bildad firmly believes is always perfectly administered and transparently evident in earthly circumstances. For him, God "doth not pervert judgment" (Job 8:3), meaning any suffering is inherently deserved. Finally, this verse functions as an indirect but potent accusation against Job himself. If his children were punished for their sin, then, by extension, Job's own immense suffering must similarly be a result of his unconfessed sin, a charge that drives much of the friends' arguments throughout the narrative, as further seen in Job 11:4-6.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This verb (H2398), a common term for sin in the Old Testament, fundamentally means "to miss" or "to fall short." While it can refer to unintentional errors or failures, in contexts like Bildad's accusation, it often implies a moral failing or deviation from God's expected standard. Bildad uses it to assert that Job's children actively engaged in behavior that warranted divine judgment, implying a culpable act.
This verb (H7971) means "to send away," "to dismiss," or "to send out." In this context, it carries the strong connotation of divine rejection, expulsion, or abandonment. It suggests an active, deliberate act by God to remove or sever ties with the children, implying a decisive and punitive judgment rather than a passive event.
This term (H6588) is a potent word for sin, often denoting a deliberate act of revolt, rebellion, or a breach of trust against a higher authority. Unlike châṭâʼ, which can be unintentional, peshaʻ implies a conscious, often defiant, violation of a covenant, law, or moral standard. Bildad's choice of this word underscores his severe assessment of the children's actions, implying a serious and conscious offense against God that warranted such a harsh divine response.
Verse Breakdown
"If thy children have sinned against him,"
This opening clause presents a conditional statement, though for Bildad, it functions more as an assumed and undeniable premise. He does not question if they sinned, but rather states it as the self-evident cause of their misfortune. This immediately places the blame for their death squarely on their own moral failing, reflecting Bildad's rigid belief in direct retribution.
"and he have cast them away"
This clause describes the divine response to the children's supposed sin. The verb "cast away" (from shâlach) implies a decisive act of divine judgment and rejection. It suggests that God actively removed them from life or from His favor, rather than their death being a mere accident or a consequence of natural causes. For Bildad, God's action is perfectly just and proportionate to their offense.
"for their transgression;"
This final phrase explicitly states the reason for God's action, linking the children's demise directly to their "transgression" (peshaʻ). By using this strong term for rebellion, Bildad emphasizes the severity and deliberate nature of their sin, thereby justifying the severity of God's judgment in his theological framework. This clause solidifies Bildad's argument that Job's children received exactly what they deserved.
Literary Devices
Job 8:4 employs several literary devices to convey Bildad's perspective and advance the narrative's central conflict. The most prominent is the Conditional Statement ("If... then..."), which Bildad uses to frame his argument, though for him, the "if" is presented as a foregone conclusion, functioning more as an accusation. This structure allows him to present his accusation as a logical, undeniable consequence of the children's actions. Underlying this is the pervasive device of Retribution Theology, which functions as a dominant thematic and argumentative framework for Bildad and the other friends. They consistently interpret all suffering and prosperity through this rigid lens, creating a dramatic Irony for the reader who, having read the prologue of the book, knows that Job's suffering is not due to his sin. Finally, the verse functions as an Accusation, albeit indirect, against Job himself. By asserting the children's guilt as the cause of their death, Bildad implicitly accuses Job of similar unconfessed sin as the cause of his own calamities, thereby creating a confrontational and emotionally charged dynamic in the ongoing dialogue.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Bildad's statement in Job 8:4, while presenting a flawed and ultimately challenged theological perspective, is crucial for understanding the central theological debate of the Book of Job. It starkly illustrates the human tendency to impose simplistic, cause-and-effect explanations on complex suffering, particularly through the rigid lens of retribution theology. This verse highlights the profound tension between human attempts to fully comprehend divine justice and the often mysterious and inscrutable reality of God's ways. The book of Job ultimately serves as a powerful challenge to this rigid framework, demonstrating that suffering is not always a direct punishment for personal sin, and that God's justice operates on a plane far more profound, multifaceted, and often beyond immediate human comprehension. It forces us to confront the limits of our theological systems when faced with the unexplainable and to embrace a deeper trust in God's sovereignty.
Reflection and Application
Job 8:4, though spoken from a flawed theological premise, offers profound and enduring lessons for contemporary believers. It serves as a powerful warning against the human inclination to offer simplistic explanations for complex suffering, particularly the temptation to attribute calamity directly and solely to personal sin. Like Bildad, we often seek neat, easily digestible answers to difficult questions, desiring a clear cause-and-effect in a world that frequently defies such easy categorization. This verse calls us to cultivate profound empathy, humility, and spiritual discernment when encountering those who suffer, resisting the urge to offer quick judgments or unhelpful theological pronouncements that may add to their burden. It reminds us that true pastoral care involves listening deeply, lamenting alongside, and acknowledging the mystery of God's sovereignty, rather than imposing our limited understanding onto another's pain. Ultimately, it encourages us to trust in God's perfect, though often unsearchable, wisdom and justice, even when circumstances defy our immediate comprehension and challenge our preconceived theological frameworks.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Did Job's children actually sin to deserve their death, as Bildad claims?
The Book of Job, particularly its prologue, explicitly refutes Bildad's assertion. The narrative clearly states that Job's children were feasting, but there is no indication that their deaths were a direct result of specific, unconfessed sin on their part. The calamities that befall Job, including the devastating death of his children, are presented in Job 1:6-19 as part of a divine test initiated by Satan, with God's permission, to prove Job's blamelessness and integrity. Bildad's claim in Job 8:4 reflects his rigid adherence to retribution theology, which assumes that all suffering is a direct consequence of sin, rather than an accurate assessment of the children's actual culpability. The book's overarching message profoundly challenges this very premise, demonstrating that suffering is not always a punitive response to specific sin.
What is "retribution theology" and why is it important in understanding the Book of Job?
Retribution theology is a belief system that posits a direct and immediate correlation between human actions and divine responses: righteousness leads to blessing and prosperity, while wickedness leads to punishment and suffering. It is a common theme in the Old Testament, particularly in wisdom literature and the Deuteronomic covenant, where obedience brings blessing and disobedience brings curses (e.g., Deuteronomy 28). In the Book of Job, this theology is crucial because it forms the foundational premise for the arguments of Job's three friends. They consistently apply this framework to Job's suffering, concluding that his immense calamities must be the result of unconfessed sin. The entire book, however, serves as a profound challenge to this simplistic and rigid application of retribution theology, demonstrating that God's ways are more complex and that suffering is not always a direct consequence of personal wrongdoing. The book ultimately highlights the mystery of God's sovereignty, the limitations of human understanding, and the reality of righteous suffering.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Bildad's flawed theology in Job 8:4, which rigidly links suffering to personal sin and divine abandonment, finds its ultimate and profound challenge and redefinition in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While Bildad suggests Job's children were "cast away for their transgression," the Gospel reveals a God who, in Christ, was "cast away" for our transgressions. Jesus, the sinless Lamb of God, perfectly righteous and without blemish, willingly took upon Himself the sin of the world (2 Corinthians 5:21). He suffered not for His own sin, but for ours, bearing the ultimate divine judgment and experiencing the profound cry of dereliction on the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). This act of substitutionary atonement completely redefines the relationship between sin, suffering, and divine justice. Instead of being cast away for our sin, believers are now brought near through Christ's sacrifice (Ephesians 2:13). The cross reveals that God's justice is not merely punitive retribution, but redemptive love, where the innocent suffers for the guilty so that the guilty might be reconciled and find eternal life (Romans 5:8). Thus, Christ's suffering and resurrection offer a hope and understanding of suffering that transcends Bildad's limited, human-centric view, pointing to a sovereign God who works all things, even suffering, for His glory and our ultimate good, inviting us into a relationship of grace rather than strict merit.