THE FIRST SPEECH OF BILDAD Holding the same doctrine about sin and suffering as Eliphaz, Bildad supports the views of his friend by an appeal to the teaching of antiquity. He shows less sympathy and more narrowness of mind than Eliphaz. 1-7. Bildad maintains the justice of God's actions. Since Job... [ Continue Reading ]
_LIKE_ A STRONG WIND] violent, headstrong.... [ Continue Reading ]
Can there be injustice with God as Job seems to think is possible? Bildad thinks the All-powerful must in the nature of things be righteous. Job does not deny the omnipotence, but he questions the righteousness.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE HAVE CAST, etc.] RV 'he delivered them into the hand of their transgression,' i.e. abandoned them to the consequences of their sins. This conclusion about the death of Job's sons was quite unjustifiable (cp. Luke 13:4; John 9:2), but is in accordance with the general views about retribution.... [ Continue Reading ]
AWAKE FOR THEE] LXX reads 'hearken unto thee.' 8-22. Bildad appeals to the experience of antiquity to show that God uproots the wicked, though they seem firmly established, and does not cast away the upright.... [ Continue Reading ]
TO THE SEARCH OF THEIR FATHERS] RV 'to that which their fathers have searched out.'... [ Continue Reading ]
WE] the men of his own day. 11-15. As surely as a water-plant perishes without water so surely will the sinner perish when God turns from him.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE RUSH] RM 'the papyrus,' a reed from which the Egyptians made paper, light boats, etc.... [ Continue Reading ]
HOPE] of prosperity.... [ Continue Reading ]
HOLD IT FAST] RV 'hold fast thereby.' 16-18. The sinner is compared to a fastgrowing weed which flourishes under the heat of the sun, and whose roots plant themselves firmly in the earth (SEETH THE PLACE OF STONES), but when destroyed it passes at once into oblivion. A slight correction of the Heb.... [ Continue Reading ]
HEAP] The Heb. also means 'fountain,' and possibly the sense may be that the plant lives in the stone erection over the fountain in the garden.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE JOY OF HIS WAY] the short-lived prosperity of the sinner. OTHERS GROW] who fill his place.... [ Continue Reading ]
TILL HE] RV 'He will yet.' Bildad, sharing the view of Eliphaz that while Job must have fallen into some heinous sin he was nevertheless a pious and upright man at heart, bases on this his prophecy that God will restore him. He must be chastened, but he cannot be cast away.... [ Continue Reading ]