Job 8:8

¶ For enquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers:

For enquire {H7592}, I pray thee, of the former {H7223}{H7223} age {H1755}, and prepare {H3559} thyself to the search {H2714} of their fathers {H1}:

"Ask the older generation, and consider what their ancestors found out;

Please inquire of past generations and consider the discoveries of their fathers.

For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, And apply thyself to that which their fathers have searched out

In Job 8:8, Bildad the Shuhite, one of Job's three friends, challenges Job to consider the wisdom passed down through generations. This verse is part of Bildad's argument that Job's suffering must be a consequence of his sin, aligning with the traditional view that God always punishes the wicked and rewards the righteous. Bildad's advice reflects a common ancient practice of revering ancestral knowledge as a source of truth and understanding, particularly concerning divine justice.

Context

This verse comes early in Bildad's first speech, following Job's lament and defense of his innocence. Bildad, like Eliphaz before him, assumes Job's guilt based on the prevailing theological framework of their time. He urges Job to "seek unto God betimes" (Job 8:5), and then, in verse 8, he suggests consulting the wisdom of the "former age" and "their fathers" as a means to understand God's ways. This appeal to antiquity is a cornerstone of his argument, contrasting with Job's personal experience of inexplicable suffering.

Key Themes

  • The Authority of Tradition: Bildad places immense value on the wisdom accumulated over generations. For him, the collective experience and understanding of previous eras, particularly the "fathers" (ancestors), serve as an undeniable authority on how God operates in the world.
  • Seeking Understanding: The verse is an exhortation to diligent inquiry—to "enquire" and "prepare thyself to the search." This highlights a universal human desire to comprehend life's mysteries, especially concerning suffering and divine justice.
  • Limited Human Wisdom: While Bildad champions ancestral wisdom, the book of Job ultimately reveals the inadequacy of human tradition alone to fully grasp God's complex nature and purposes. The friends' reliance on conventional wisdom leads them to misinterpret Job's situation and God's character. God later rebukes them for their flawed understanding (Job 42:7).

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "former age" translates from the Hebrew dor rishon (דּוֹר רִאשׁוֹן), meaning "first generation" or "earliest generation." This emphasizes the deep antiquity of the wisdom Bildad is referencing, suggesting its foundational and unquestionable nature. "The search of their fathers" implies a thorough, deliberate investigation into the established knowledge and teachings handed down by previous generations.

Practical Application

Job 8:8 offers a timeless insight into how we approach knowledge and truth. While it is valuable to learn from history and the wisdom of those who came before us, this verse also serves as a subtle caution. We must discern between human tradition and divine truth. Not all inherited wisdom is infallible, especially when it attempts to define God's intricate ways. For believers, the ultimate source of truth is God's revealed Word, which often challenges and transcends human-made theological systems. It encourages us to be diligent in our search for understanding, but always with an open mind to God's greater revelation, rather than relying solely on conventional explanations.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Deuteronomy 32:7

    ¶ Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee.

  • Job 15:18

    Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid [it]:

  • Deuteronomy 4:32

    For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and [ask] from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been [any such thing] as this great thing [is], or hath been heard like it?

  • Romans 15:4

    For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

  • 1 Corinthians 10:11

    Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

  • Psalms 44:1

    ¶ To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, Maschil. We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, [what] work thou didst in their days, in the times of old.

  • Psalms 78:3

    Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
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