Job 8:1-7

Opening of Bildad's First Speech. The two younger friends, says Duhm, make a less favourable impression than Eliphaz. Bildad's great point is the discriminating rectitude of God, who unfailingly rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked. His whole idea of fortune and misfortune is even more mechanical than that of Eliphaz. The idea that God remains an unchangeable factor, and the relation of man to Him only changes, comes out if possible even more clearly in opposition to Job's idea of a God who has changed and may again change his relation to him. The other point of importance in Bildad's speech is that he supports his doctrine, not like Eliphaz from revelation, but from the wisdom of the ancients.

Bildad, in beginning his speech, passes over in complete silence all that Job has said as to the lack of sympathy evinced by the friends. He expresses the dislike, natural to the sober man that he is, of Job's passionateness, and above all of Job's doubts of God's righteousness; for such to him was the meaning of Job's why, though Job himself was really more concerned about God's love. He says in a very few words all that can be said from his miserable standpoint (Duhm). God is righteous (Job 8:3). Job's children have perished; that proves that they were sinners outright. Read (cf. mg.), If thy children have sinned against him. He has delivered them into the hand of their transgression. Job, however, has not been wiped out of existence as a hopeless sinner, but God is calling him to repentance. If he repents, God will show His regard for his righteousness in no uncertain manner by a visible restoration to prosperity (Job 8:5). Bildad unhesitatingly interprets the facts by his dogma. His counsel to Job is the same as that of Eliphaz, but it is much more bluntly and curtly stated. Bildad wastes no words.