"Whereas Eliphaz had begun politely, Bildad in his shorter speech
began abruptly" _(Zuck p. 43)._ His opening is blunt. He seems upset
that Job has not listened to the advice given by Eliphaz, and that Job
is blowing. lot of hot air in response, _"And the words of your mouth
be. mighty wind?"_ The H... [ Continue Reading ]
Bildad reasons that to complain, as Job is doing, is to accuse God of
being unjust. Seeing that God never distorts justice, He certainly
would not be punishing Job for nothing. He reasons that if Job had not
sinned, such would mean that God is perverting justice, therefore, Job
must be guilty of sin... [ Continue Reading ]
"With thoughtless cruelty, Bildad referred to Job's dead children in
an effort to demonstrate his point. Bildad thus hinted that Job's
sacrifices for his children (Job 1:5) had no expiatory value; they
died because they sinned. And that was why Job was dying" _(Zuck p.
44)._ "Rubbing fresh salt in.... [ Continue Reading ]
Notice the "if". If Job is as innocent as he claims, all he needed to
do was look to God and plead with Him. "Bildad was saying Job should
seek God, not expect God to search for him. Such. simple step, Bildad
claimed, would result in God's restoring Job to. place of blessing
that would make his form... [ Continue Reading ]
"PLEASE INQUIRE OF PAST GENERATIONS": Eliphaz had supported his
viewpoint by appealing to his own experiences (Job 4:8). Bildad sought
to appeal to. higher authority, that is observations made by people of
the past, that is, "tradition". Bildad believed that history was on
his side and confirmed his... [ Continue Reading ]
"FOR WE ARE ONLY OF YESTERDAY AND KNOW NOTHING": Each individual's
life is very short and thus his own knowledge limited, therefore we
should consider the entire human experience.... [ Continue Reading ]
"WILL THEY NOT TEACH YOU": The ancients possess wisdom. He claims
"that the instruction comes from the depth of their understanding
(mind,heart), and not from their lips as mere verbal advice" _(Strauss
p. 79). _... [ Continue Reading ]
"Just as. papyrus plant and reeds cannot grow without water and so
wither without even being cut, the wicked cannot sustain themselves
without uprightness, and they soon lose their evident prosperity"
_(Zuck p. 45)._ Just as plants cannot survive without water, thus the
man who forgets God will not... [ Continue Reading ]
"WHOSE TRUST. SPIDER'S WEB": Anything in which the godless may seek to
hope, is as flimsy as. spider's web. He has nothing upon which to
lean. Therefore, Job's confidence in his innocence is as fragile as.
spider's web.... [ Continue Reading ]
The term "house" here includes, his family, establishment, and
resources. "Bildad insinuated that Job was depending on his
possessions for his security" _(Zuck p. 45)._ Bildad then compares the
godless to. plant that seems to thrive, its branches filling the
garden, its roots spreading upon the ston... [ Continue Reading ]
In fact, the godless man is uprooted and others simply take his place.
Hence Job, the once prosperous man, has been uprooted and others are
taking his place.... [ Continue Reading ]
Once again the claim that God never allows the righteous to suffer and
another call for Job to repent. Ironically, Bildad will be one of
Job's enemies who was later shamed (Job 8:22; Job 42:7-9).... [ Continue Reading ]