John Gill Commentary Job 18

Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said .
] Who, next to Eliphaz, spoke before, and now in his turn attacks Job a second time, and more roughly and severely than before;

now he gives him no advice or counsel, nor any instructions and exhortations for his good, nor suggests that it might be better times with him again, as he had done before; but only heaps up charges against him, and describes the miserable circumstances of a wicked man, as near to Job's as he could; thereby endeavouring to confirm his former position, that wicked men are punished of God, and to have this conclusion drawn from it, that Job must needs be a wicked man, since he was so greatly afflicted.

How long [will it be] before you make an end of words ?
&c.] Because these words are expressed in the plural number, some think more persons than one are addressed, either Eliphaz and Job together, who are complained of as taking up all the time, and having all the talk to themselves, that another could scarce put in a word; Bildad could say this with a better grace, because his discourses were but short; or else all his friends, whom he blames for not stopping Job's mouth at once, and for lengthening out the dispute with him; as if he should say, why are you so complaisant to him, to wait till he has done speaking, before you reply? why do not you, without any ceremony, interrupt him, and not suffer him to go on with his prate, a man that is so insufferably rude as to reckon us all as beasts? and to what purpose is it to talk to such a man, that is so hardened and incorrigible, so proud and conceited? it is all labour in vain, and mere beating the air; it is high time to have done talking, and to put an end to the dispute, when things are such a pass with him as they are.

Or else the words are directed to Job, and his friends that were with him, who might now and then speak a word in his behalf, though their words are not recorded; or, however, by their looks or gestures might show their approbation of Job's defences: that there were others present besides Job and his three friends, it is probable; yes, it is certain that Elihu was present all the while, but he was not altogether of Job's mind; nor does it appear that he had any to take his part, for his brethren, acquaintance, kinsfolk, and familiar friends, stood at a distance from him, and his maids and menservants used him ill; and even his own wife was not very kind to him, as he declares in the following chapter; wherefore it seems best of all to understand these words as spoken to Job alone, the plural being used for the singular, according to the idiom of the tongue in which they were spoken, and so are a charge of loquacity against him for talking too much, and too long, unless it had been to better purpose; and in like manner Bildad begins his first reply to Job, (Job 8:2) ;

A late interpreter renders the words, "how long will you lay snares with words" ^F5 ? use cautious words, set snares with words to catch, lie upon the catch, and lay hold upon a word, and improve it to disadvantage, which is imprudently or inadvertently dropped:

mark, and afterwards we will speak ;
&c.] or "let us speak" ^F6 ; after we have well considered things, got a right understanding of them, and thoroughly digested them, and have well concerted things, and have thought very closely what reply to make to them; and so the words are a tacit reflection of Bildad's on his other two friends, that they spoke before they thought, and therefore some things impertinently, which Job took the advantage of against them; wherefore it would be right, for the future, to mark and consider things well beforehand, and then speak, as they then would with greater propriety, and more to the purpose.

Public speakers especially, or such who are engaged in public service, or in a public dispute, should meditate beforehand what to say, lest they deliver what is crude and undigested, and may be turned against them. Our Lord indeed directed his disciples, when called before kings and governors for his sake, not to premeditate what they should answer; but that was an extraordinary case, and they were promised to have extraordinary assistance, whereby some great ends were to be answered, the confusion of their enemies, and the confirmation of the Christian religion.

But the words seem rather directed to Job, and to carry in them a charge of inattention to what was said to him by his friends; and therefore Bildad exhorts him to mark and observe what they said to him, to listen attentively to that, and well consider it, and then it would be an encouragement to them to proceed in discoursing with him. Job is represented like some hearers, that stop their ears to the voice of the charmer charming ever so wisely; or that are careless and inattentive to what they hear, and let it pass, and never think of it more; whereas hearers of the word should be swift to hear, and listen with attention, and take care that they let not slip what they have heard, and that they meditate upon it in order to get instruction by it, and when they hear in such a manner it is? a encouragement to speak;

or else the sense is, "act wisely" ^F7 , like an honest man, and show yourself to be a wise man, a man of understanding, that well weighs and considers things, and rightly takes them in, and receives instruction by them, and talks like a sensible man: "then afterwards we will speak"; or otherwise, if you go on to talk in the foolish manner you do, it is to no purpose to carry on the dispute; the best way is to put an end to it at once.

FOOTNOTES:

• F5: Schultens.
• F6: (rbdn rhaw) "et postea loquamur", Piscator, Mercerus, Cocceius.
• F7: (wnybt) "diserte agatis", Schultens.

Wherefore are we counted as beasts This seems to refer to (Job 12:7); where Job sends them to the beasts, to get knowledge and instruction; and therefore it was concluded he reckoned them as such, and put them on a level with them, yea, made them inferior to them; or to (Job 17:4Job 17:10); where they are represented as destitute of wisdom and understanding, and therefore it is supposed were counted by Job no other than as beasts.

Man, by the fall, is indeed become like them, and some are more brutish than they, and all are brutish as to spiritual knowledge and understanding; and those that are most sensible of themselves are ready to acknowledge their ignorance, that they are more brutish than any, and especially are as a beast before God; and particularly with respect to knowledge of the methods of Providence, in regard to his dealings with the righteous and wicked; see (Psalms 73:22); and which was the case in controversy between Job and his friends; but yet self-sufficient persons do not care to have their understandings in anything called in question, but like the Pharisees say, "are we blind also?" (John 9:40); and take it very hard that they should be reckoned like beasts, void of understanding, when they are the people, and wisdom will die with them:

[and] reputed vile in your sight ? as wicked and profligate persons, the most abandoned of mankind, such as are justly despised by good men, see (Psalms 15:4) (Daniel 11:21); or "unclean" ^F8 , filthy, polluted, and defiled, as all men are by nature, and as they are in all the powers and faculties of their souls; nor can they make themselves clean, their hearts or their hands; nothing short of the grace of God, and blood of Christ, can cleanse from sin; yet self-righteous persons think themselves clean and pure when they are not washed from their sins, and take it ill of others to be reputed unclean persons:

or "shut" ^F9 , stopped up, as the hearts of men are from God and Christ, and the true knowledge of them, and divine things, until opened by him who has the key of the house of David, and opens, and no man shuts; or "hidden" ^F11 , referring to (Job 17:4) ; having a covering over their hearts, and a vail over the eyes of their understandings, so that the things of Providence were hid from them, as sometimes the things of grace are from the wise and prudent; but to be thought that this was their case is resented by Bildad.

FOOTNOTES:

• F8: (wnymjn) "immundi", Drusius, Piscator, Michaelis; so Broughton.
• F9: "Clausi sumu", Montanus; "obturati sumus", Hebraei, in Mercer.
• F11: So the Targum.

He tears himself in his anger
Or "his soul" ^F12 , meaning Job, and referring to what he had said in (Job 16:9) ; Now, says Bildad, it is neither God nor man that tears you, it is you yourself; representing Job as a madman, rending his clothes, tearing his flesh, and even his very soul; for by his passion which he expressed, whether to God or his friends, it did himself the most hurt, he broke his peace, and spoiled his comfort, and ruined his health, and made himself the most unhappy of mankind, by giving vent to his passion, to his wrath and anger, which slays and a man, (Job 5:2) ; here a charge of impatience has suggested, contrary to the character even of Job, (James 5:11) ;

shall the earth be forsaken for you ?
through fear of you, because of your rage and fury; do you think that the inhabitants of the earth will flee before you, at your storming, rage, and wrath? before God none can stand when he is angry: there is no abiding his indignation when his fury is poured out like fire, and persons of the greatest rank will flee to the rocks and mountains to hide them from his face and fury; but what do you think, or make yourself to be, to be as Deity, that the inhabitants of the earth should flee before you, and forsake it?

or when you die, do you think that all the inhabitants of the earth will die with you, and so it will be forsaken for your sake? taking the hint from what Job had said, (Job 17:16) ; or do you think yourself a man of so much importance and consequence in the earth that when you die there will not be a man left of any worth and notice, that all might as well die with you?

or will God drop the government of the world on your account? will he no more employ his care and providence in concerning himself in the affairs of the world, but let all things go as they will, and so the earth, as to his providential regards to it, be forsaken for your sake? will God neither do good to good men, nor punish bad men? which must be the case according to your doctrine; but will God counteract this method of his providence, he has always taken in the earth, that you may appear not to be an evil man, as might be concluded from your afflictions, but a good man notwithstanding them?

and shall the rock be removed out of his place ?
which is not usual, nor can it be done by man; it may be done by God, who touches the mountains, and they smoke, and at whose presence they drop and move, as Sinai did, and as the mountains and hills will flee away at the presence of the Judge of all the earth, when he appears; but no such phenomenon can be expected upon the presence and sight of a man;

much less can God himself, who is often called a Rock, and is immovable, unalterable, and unchangeable in his nature, perfections, purposes, and the counsels of his will, be made to act contrary to either of them, (Deuteronomy 32:4Deuteronomy 32:15Deuteronomy 32:18Deuteronomy 32:30Deuteronomy 32:31) (2 Samuel 23:3) (1 Corinthians 10:4) ; nor will he do it for the sake of any man; he does all things after the counsel of his own will; he takes a constant course in Providence, in the government of the world,

can you think that he will go out of his usual way for your sake, in punishing wicked men, and rewarding good men? you may as soon imagine that a rock will be removed out of its place as the ordinary course of Providence will be altered on your account; to suppose this is presumption, pride, and arrogance, which is what Bildad means to fasten upon Job.

FOOTNOTES:

• F12: (wvpn) "animam suam", Pagninus, Montanus

Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out
Or "nevertheless" ^F13 ; notwithstanding all this disregard and inattention to us, and contempt of us, and all the rage, and wrath, and pride, and haughtiness discovered, as if the laws of nature, and stated methods of Providence, must all give way to justify a man in such circumstances as show him to be wicked; this will certainly be his case, his "light shall be put out"; meaning not the light of his eyes, or his corporeal light, which sometimes has been the case of wicked men, as was of the Sodomites, since this, through accident, or old age, is common to good and bad then;

but rather moral light, the light of nature, with which every man is enlightened that comes into the world; by which he can discern things natural and civil, and in some degree things moral and religious, though in a very dim manner; and which, when it is abused, may be taken away, and men be given up to judicial blindness, and to a reprobate mind, a mind void of sense and judgment. Cocceius thinks light of doctrine may be intended, speculative and notional light and knowledge of divine things, as of God, and his perfections, which may be more clearly discerned by revelation than by the light of nature; and of Christ, his person, offices, and grace; and of the Gospel, and each of the doctrines of it, which men may be enlightened into, and yet be wicked men, as Balsam, and others; which knowledge may be lost, and light put out, as in the man that had but one talent, and neglected it, and in the idle shepherd, (Matthew 25:29) (Zechariah 11:17) ; to which may be added the light of joy, or a flash of natural affections that sometimes is to be observed in hypocritical persons, or notional professors, which in time is lost, and comes to nothing, as in Herod and the stony ground hearers, (Mark 6:20) (Matthew 13:20) ; but as for the true spiritual light, and experimental knowledge, that can never be lost or put out, but shines more and more unto the perfect day:

but it seems best by "light" here to understand outward prosperity, for as darkness is often put for adversity, so light for prosperity in civil things, see (Esther 8:16) ; but then, though this in wicked men is often put out, and they are reduced to distressed circumstances, yet not always; and it sometimes is the case of good men, and was the case of Job, which Bildad has his eye upon, see (Job 29:2Job 29:3) ;

and the spark of his fire shall not shine ;
all his carnal reasonings, the effects of the light of nature, and all his schemes, especially religious ones built upon them, shall all come to nothing, and be of no effect or use unto him, see (Isaiah 50:11) ; or the sense is, that he shall be reduced to so low a condition in things civil, that he shall have no light nor heat, nor joy and comfort, in this sense; no, not so much as a spark of outward happiness shall be left him.

FOOTNOTES:

• F13: (Mg) "attamen, nihilominus", Cocceius, Schultens; so the Targum.