TRV
Translation
King James Version
If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty;
American Standard Version
If thou wouldest seek diligently unto God, And make thy supplication to the Almighty;
World English Bible Messianic
If you want to seek God diligently, make your supplication to the Almighty.
Young's Literal Translation
If thou dost seek early unto God, And unto the Mighty makest supplication,
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In the KJVVerse 13,035 of 31,102
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Commentary on Job 8 verses 1–7
1 ¶ Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,
2 How long wilt thou speak these things? and how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind?
3 Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice?
4 If thy children have sinned against him, and he have cast them away for their transgression;
5 If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty;
6 If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.
7 Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.
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.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–7. Public domain.
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Olympiodorus of AlexandriaAD 600
COMMENTARY ON JOB 8:5-7
Bildad says, “I suggest you pray to the Lord with all your devotion and diligence. Everything else should come after your prayers.” This is what “be early” means. And if you are true and empty of any deceit and falseness, God will give you back a condition of life and a status worthy of a righteous person. You will enjoy an abundance of goods as great as you possessed earlier. Notice how Bildad demonstrates in this part of his discourse of praise his belief that the happiness of the righteous is found in the material goods of worldly life.
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 8:5 presents Bildad the Shuhite's counsel to Job, urging him to diligently seek God and make humble supplication to the Almighty as a prerequisite for restoration. This verse is foundational to Bildad's argument, which is deeply rooted in a rigid retribution theology asserting that Job's profound suffering must be a direct consequence of unconfessed sin. Therefore, Bildad posits that sincere repentance and fervent prayer are the only means for Job to regain divine favor and prosperity. While the general advice to seek God is biblically sound and perennially relevant, Bildad's underlying premise regarding the specific cause of Job's affliction is ultimately revealed by the book's narrative as a flawed and incomplete understanding of divine justice and the nature of suffering.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Job 8:5 primarily employs a Conditional Statement, clearly evident in the opening "If thou wouldest..." This grammatical structure is fundamental to Bildad's entire argument, presenting a clear cause-and-effect relationship: if Job performs the prescribed actions (seeking God diligently and making humble supplication), then divine restoration will follow (as elaborated in subsequent verses like Job 8:6-7). This device allows Bildad to frame his counsel as a logical and certain path to recovery, while simultaneously placing the responsibility for Job's continued suffering squarely on Job's shoulders. Furthermore, there is a strong Implicit Accusation embedded within this seemingly helpful advice. By urging Job to "seek unto God betimes" and "make thy supplication to the Almighty," Bildad subtly but firmly implies that Job has not yet done so, or at least not with the required earnestness and humility, thereby suggesting that Job's unconfessed sin is preventing him from taking these necessary steps toward reconciliation and restoration.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
While Bildad's rigid application of retribution theology to Job's unique and inexplicable suffering is ultimately proven flawed by the overarching narrative of the book of Job, the core principle of earnestly seeking God and making humble supplication remains a timeless and vital biblical truth. The verse, despite its problematic immediate context, points to the inherent human need to turn to God in times of distress, acknowledging His supreme sovereignty and our profound dependence. It underscores that earnest prayer and humble appeal to the Divine are always appropriate responses to any crisis, even if the underlying reason for the crisis is not understood or is not a direct consequence of personal sin. The theological tension in Job 8:5 lies in the contrast between Bildad's rigid, conditional view of God's response—where restoration is strictly contingent upon Job's perceived repentance—and the broader biblical revelation of God's character as one who is gracious, merciful, and hears the cries of His people, often beyond the confines of human logic or merit.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 8:5, though spoken by a friend with a flawed understanding of Job's specific situation, offers a profound and enduring challenge for our own spiritual lives. It reminds us that regardless of the cause of our suffering—whether it's a direct consequence of personal sin, the result of living in a fallen world, or part of a mysterious divine purpose beyond our immediate comprehension—the most appropriate and beneficial response is always to "seek unto God betimes" and "make thy supplication to the Almighty." This call is not about earning God's favor or confessing a sin we haven't committed, but about acknowledging God's ultimate sovereignty, His boundless capacity for grace and mercy, and our desperate need for His presence and intervention. In a world that often demands immediate, logical explanations for suffering, this verse calls us to cultivate a deeper, more trusting posture of humility and dependence before God, even when answers are elusive and circumstances remain bewildering. It also serves as a crucial cautionary tale for those who offer counsel: while we are called to minister to others, we must be exceedingly careful not to impose simplistic theological frameworks that might inadvertently condemn, misrepresent God's complex dealings with humanity, or add to the burden of those who suffer.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Was Bildad's advice to Job completely wrong?
Answer: No, not entirely. While Bildad's premise—that Job's suffering was a direct consequence of his sin—was fundamentally incorrect and ultimately refuted by the book of Job, the action he advised (seeking God and making supplication) is a timeless and biblically sound principle. The book of Job challenges simplistic retribution theology, demonstrating that suffering is not always a direct punishment for sin. However, turning to God in distress, expressing humility, and earnestly seeking His face are always appropriate and beneficial responses for believers, as affirmed throughout Scripture (e.g., Psalm 34:4 and Psalm 107:13).
What does "betimes" mean in modern English?
Answer: "Betimes" is an archaic English word meaning "early," "promptly," or "diligently." In the context of Job 8:5, it conveys a sense of urgency and earnestness in seeking God. The underlying Hebrew word (shâchar) literally means "to seek early in the morning," suggesting a fervent, devoted, and immediate pursuit, as one would rise at dawn for a crucial task. It emphasizes the importance of making the search for God a top priority, without delay or half-heartedness.
How does Job 8:5 relate to the broader message of the book of Job?
Answer: Job 8:5 is a pivotal verse because it encapsulates the core of the friends' flawed theological framework, which the rest of the book systematically dismantles. Bildad's advice represents the conventional wisdom of the time, asserting a direct and unwavering correlation between righteousness and prosperity, and sin and suffering. The book of Job, however, profoundly challenges this simplistic view by presenting the righteous Job's inexplicable suffering. Thus, while Bildad's counsel to seek God is valid in itself, its application to Job's situation highlights the central conflict of the book: the inadequacy of human wisdom to fully comprehend divine justice and the complexities of suffering. The book ultimately points to God's sovereignty and wisdom as beyond human understanding, rather than providing a neat, human-centric explanation for all suffering (see Job 38-41).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Job 8:5 presents a human-centric, conditional approach to God based on perceived merit or lack thereof, the Christ-centered fulfillment reveals a radically different and infinitely more profound way to "seek God betimes" and "make supplication to the Almighty." Jesus Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of what it means to perfectly seek God and to intercede. He perfectly sought the Father's will, even to the point of obedient death on the cross (Philippians 2:8), and His entire life was an act of humble submission and fervent supplication. More importantly, He is the one through whom we can truly approach God. No longer do we need to prove our righteousness or confess a sin we may not have committed to gain access to the Almighty; instead, we come by faith in Christ's perfect sacrifice and His imputed righteousness (Hebrews 10:19-22). His sinless suffering on the cross fundamentally breaks the retribution theology that Bildad espoused, demonstrating that the innocent can suffer for the sake of others, bearing the weight of sin that was not their own (Isaiah 53:5 and 2 Corinthians 5:21). Through Christ, our "supplication to the Almighty" is heard, not because of our inherent goodness or diligent seeking, but because of His perfect righteousness and His ongoing intercession for us at the Father's right hand (Romans 8:34). He is the true "Almighty" in human flesh, the one to whom all earnest seeking should ultimately lead, for in Him alone do we find grace, mercy, and complete restoration.