1Then Bildad the Shuhite responded,

2“How long will you hunt for words?
         Show understanding and then we can talk.

3“Why are we regarded as beasts,
         As stupid in your eyes?

4“O you who tear yourself in your anger—
         For your sake is the earth to be abandoned,
         Or the rock to be moved from its place?

5“Indeed, the light of the wicked goes out,
         And the flame of his fire gives no light.

6“The light in his tent is darkened,
         And his lamp goes out above him.

7“His vigorous stride is shortened,
         And his own scheme brings him down.

8“For he is thrown into the net by his own feet,
         And he steps on the webbing.

9“A snare seizes him by the heel,
         And a trap snaps shut on him.

10“A noose for him is hidden in the ground,
         And a trap for him on the path.

11“All around terrors frighten him,
         And harry him at every step.

12“His strength is famished,
         And calamity is ready at his side.

13“His skin is devoured by disease,
         The firstborn of death devours his limbs.

14“He is torn from the security of his tent,
         And they march him before the king of terrors.

15“There dwells in his tent nothing of his;
         Brimstone is scattered on his habitation.

16“His roots are dried below,
         And his branch is cut off above.

17“Memory of him perishes from the earth,
         And he has no name abroad.

18“He is driven from light into darkness,
         And chased from the inhabited world.

19“He has no offspring or posterity among his people,
         Nor any survivor where he sojourned.

20“Those in the west are appalled at his fate,
         And those in the east are seized with horror.

21“Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked,
         And this is the place of him who does not know God.”

Parallel Verses

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
Then Bildad the Shuhite responded,

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Then Bildad from Shuah replied to Job,

King James Bible
Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,

Douay-Rheims Bible
Then Baldad the Suhite answered, and said:

Darby Bible Translation
And Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,

English Revised Version
Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,

Webster's Bible Translation
Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,

World English Bible
Then Bildad the Shuhite answered,

Young's Literal Translation
And Bildad the Shuhite answereth and saith: --

Cross References

Job 2:11 Now when Job's three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, they came each one from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and comfort him.

Job 17:16 "Will it go down with me to Sheol? Shall we together go down into the dust?"

Job 18:2 "How long will you hunt for words? Show understanding and then we can talk.

Commentary

Matthew Henry's Whole Bible Commentary

Chapter 18

In this chapter Bildad makes a second assault upon Job. In his first discourse (ch. 8) he had given him encouragement to hope that all should yet be well with him. But here there is not a word of that; he has grown more peevish, and is so far from being convinced by Job's reasonings that he is but more exasperated. I. He sharply reproves Job as haughty and passionate, and obstinate in his opinion (v. 1-4). II. He enlarges upon the doctrine he had before maintained, concerning the miser of wicked people and the ruin that attends them (v. 5-21). In this he seems, all along, to have an eye to Job's complaints of the miserable condition he was in, that he was in the dark, bewildered, ensnared, terrified, and hastening out of the world. "This," says Bildad, "is the condition of a wicked man; and therefore thou art one."

Verses 1-4

Bildad here shoots his arrows, even bitter words, against poor Job, little thinking that, though he was a wise and good man, in this instance he was serving Satan's design in adding to Job's affliction.

I. He charges him with idle endless talk, as Eliphaz had done (ch. 15:2, 3): How long will it be ere you make an end of words? v. 2. Here he reflects, not only upon Job himself, but either upon all the managers of the conference (thinking perhaps that Eliphaz and Zophar did not speak so closely to the purpose as they might have done) or upon some that were present, who possibly took part with Job, and put in a word now and then in his favour, though it be not recorded. Bildad was weary of hearing others speak, and impatient till it came to his turn, which cannot be observed to any man's praise, for we ought to be swift to hear and slow to speak. It is common for contenders to monopolize the reputation of wisdom, and then to insist upon it as their privilege to be dictators. How unbecoming this conduct is in others every one can see; but few that are guilty of it can see it in themselves. Time was when Job had the last word in all debates (ch. 29:22): After my words they spoke not again. Then he was in power and prosperity; but now that he was impoverished and brought low he could scarcely be allowed to speak at all, and every thing he said was as much vilified as formerly it had been magnified. Wisdom therefore (as the world goes) is good with an inheritance (Eccl. 7:11); for the poor man's wisdom is despised, and, because he is poor, his words are not heard, Eccl. 9:16.

II. With a regardlessness of what was said to him, intimated in that, Mark, and afterwards we will speak. And it is to no purpose to speak, though what is said be ever so much to the purpose, if those to whom it is addressed will not mark and observe it. Let the ear be opened to hear as the learned, and then the tongues of the learned will do good service (Isa. 50:4) and not otherwise. It is an encouragement to those that speak of the things of God to see the hearers attentive.

III. With a haughty contempt and disdain of his friends and of that which they offered (v. 3): Wherefore are we counted as beasts? This was invidious. Job had indeed called them mockers, had represented them both as unwise and as unkind, wanting both in the reason and tenderness of men, but he did not count them beasts; yet Bildad so represents the matter, 1. Because his high spirit resented what Job had said as if it had been the greatest affront imaginable. Proud men are apt to think themselves slighted more than really they are. 2. Because his hot spirit was willing to find a pretence to be hard upon Job. Those that incline to be severe upon others will have it thought that others have first been so upon them.

IV. With outrageous passion: He teareth himself in his anger, v. 4. Herein he seems to reflect upon what Job had said (ch. 13:14): Wherefore did I take my flesh in my teeth? "It is thy own fault," says Bildad. Or he reflected upon what he said ch. 16:9, where he seemed to charge it upon God, or, as some think, upon Eliphaz: He teareth me in his wrath. "No," says Bildad; "thou alone shalt bear it." He teareth himself in his anger. Note, Anger is a sin that is its own punishment. Fretful passionate people tear and torment themselves. He teareth his soul (so the word is); every sin wounds the soul, tears that, wrongs that (Prov. 8:36), unbridled passion particularly.

V. With a proud and arrogant expectation to give law even to Providence itself: "Shall the earth be forsaken for thee? Surely not; there is no reason for that, that the course of nature should be changed and the settled rules of government violated to gratify the humour of one man. Job, dost thou think the world cannot stand without thee; but that, if thou art ruined, all the world is ruined and forsaken with thee?" Some make it a reproof of Job's justification of himself, falsely insinuating that either Job was a wicked man or we must deny a Providence and suppose that God has forsaken the earth and the rock of ages is removed. It is rather a just reproof of his passionate complaints. When we quarrel with the events of Providence we forget that, whatever befals us, it is, 1. According to the eternal purpose and counsel of God. 2. According to the written word. Thus it is written that in the world we must have tribulation, that, since we sin daily, we must expect to smart for it; and, 3. According to the usual way and custom, the track of Providence, nothing but what is common to men; and to expect that God's counsels should change, his method alter, and his word fail, to please us, is as absurd and unreasonable as to think the earth should be forsaken for us and the rock removed out of its place.

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New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org.

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Alphabetical: Bildad replied responded Shuhite the Then

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