Albert Barnes Commentary Job 8

Then answered Bildad the Shuhite - see the notes at Job 2:11.

How long will you speak these things? — These flights of murmuring and complaint, such as he had uttered in the previous chapters.

The words of your mouth be like a strong wind? — The Syriac and Arabic (according to Walton) render this, “the spirit of pride fill thy mouth.” The Septuagint renders it, “The spirit of your mouth is profuse of words”—πολυῤῥῆμον polurrēmon.

But the common rendering is undoubtedly correct, and the expression is a very strong and beautiful one. His language of complaint and murmuring was like a tempest. It swept over all barriers and disregarded all restraint.

The same figure is found in Aristophanes, Ran. 872, as quoted by Schultens, Τυφὼς ἐχβαίειν παρασκενάξεται Tuphōs ekbainein paraskeuacetai—a tempest of words is preparing to burst forth. And in Silius Italicus, xxi. 581:

- qui tanta superbo
Facta sonas ore, et spumanti turbine perflas
Ignorantum aures.

The Chaldee renders it correctly רבא זעפא—a great tempest.

Does God pervert judgment? That is, does God afflict people unjustly? Does he show favor to the evil and punish the good? Bildad here undoubtedly refers to Job and supposes that he had brought this charge against God. But he had not done it in so many words. He had complained of the severity of his sufferings and had indulged in irreverent language toward God, but he had not advanced the charge openly that God had perverted right.

Bildad strenuously maintains that God would do right. His argument is based on the supposition that God would deal with people in this life according to their character; thus, he infers that Job must have been guilty of some great wickedness, that punishment should come upon him in this manner.

If thy children have sinned against him - Bildad here assumes that Job's children had been wicked and had been cut off in their sins. This must have cut Job to the quick, for there was nothing a bereaved father would feel more acutely than this.

The meaning here is somewhat weakened by the word “if.” The Hebrew אם 'ı̂m is rather to be taken in the sense of “since”—assuming it as an indisputable point, or taking it for granted.

This was not a supposition that if they were now to do it, certain other consequences would follow. Instead, the idea is that since they had been cut off in their sins, if Job would even now seek God with a proper spirit, he might be restored to prosperity, even though his beginning might be small (Job 8:7).

And he have cast them away - Bildad supposes that they had been disowned by God and had been put to death.

For their transgression - The margin note says, “in the hand of their.” The Hebrew is “by the hand of their transgression”; that is, their sin has been the cause of it, or it has been by the instrumentality of their sin.

What foundation Bildad had for this opinion, derived from the life and character of Job’s sons, we have no means of ascertaining.

The probability is, however, that he had learned in general that they had been cut off. Based on the general principle he maintained—that God deals with people in this life according to their character—he then inferred that they must have been distinguished for wickedness.

People often argue in this way when sudden calamity comes upon others.

If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes - If you would do it now. If even on the supposition that your sons have thus perished, and that God has come out in judgment against your family, you would look to God, you might be restored to favor. The word rendered “seek betimes” (שׁחר shâchar) means literally to seek in the morning, to seek early; and then, to make it the first business. It is derived from the word meaning aurora (שׁחר shachar) and has reference to the early light of the morning, and hence, to an early seeking.

It may be applied to seeking him in early life, or as the first thing—looking to him immediately when help is needed, or before we apply to anyone else; compare (Proverbs 7:15); (Proverbs 8:17); (Proverbs 13:24); (Job 24:5); (Psalms 63:1); (Psalms 78:34); (Isaiah 26:9); (Hosea 5:15); compare the advice of Eliphaz (Job 5:8).