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Job 8:1-22 King James Version (KJV)

1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,

2 How long wilt thou speak these things? and how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind?

3 Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice?

4 If thy children have sinned against him, and he have cast them away for their transgression;

5 If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty;

6 If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.

7 Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.

8 For enquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers:

9 (For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow:)

10 Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, and utter words out of their heart?

11 Can the rush grow up without mire? can the flag grow without water?

12 Whilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb.

13 So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish:

14 Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider's web.

15 He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure.

16 He is green before the sun, and his branch shooteth forth in his garden.

17 His roots are wrapped about the heap, and seeth the place of stones.

18 If he destroy him from his place, then it shall deny him, saying, I have not seen thee.

19 Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the earth shall others grow.

20 Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers:

21 Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing.

22 They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; and the dwelling place of the wicked shall come to nought.

Job 8:1-22 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

1 Then answered H6030 Bildad H1085 the Shuhite, H7747 and said, H559

2 How H575 long H5704 wilt thou speak H4448 these things? and how long shall the words H561 of thy mouth H6310 be like a strong H3524 wind? H7307

3 Doth God H410 pervert H5791 judgment? H4941 or doth the Almighty H7706 pervert H5791 justice? H6664

4 If thy children H1121 have sinned H2398 against him, and he have cast them away H7971 for H3027 their transgression; H6588

5 If thou wouldest seek H7836 unto God H410 betimes, H7836 and make thy supplication H2603 to the Almighty; H7706

6 If thou wert pure H2134 and upright; H3477 surely now he would awake H5782 for thee, and make the habitation H5116 of thy righteousness H6664 prosperous. H7999

7 Though thy beginning H7225 was small, H4705 yet thy latter end H319 should greatly H3966 increase. H7685

8 For enquire, H7592 I pray thee, of the former H7223 H7223 age, H1755 and prepare H3559 thyself to the search H2714 of their fathers: H1

9 (For we are but of yesterday, H8543 and know H3045 nothing, because our days H3117 upon earth H776 are a shadow:) H6738

10 Shall not they teach H3384 thee, and tell H559 thee, and utter H3318 words H4405 out of their heart? H3820

11 Can the rush H1573 grow up H1342 without mire? H1207 can H7685 the flag H260 grow H7685 without H1097 water? H4325

12 Whilst it is yet in his greenness, H3 and not cut down, H6998 it withereth H3001 before H6440 any other herb. H2682

13 So are the paths H734 of all that forget H7911 God; H410 and the hypocrite's H2611 hope H8615 shall perish: H6

14 Whose hope H3689 shall be cut off, H6990 and whose trust H4009 shall be a spider's H5908 web. H1004

15 He shall lean H8172 upon his house, H1004 but it shall not stand: H5975 he shall hold H2388 it fast, but it shall not endure. H6965

16 He is green H7373 before H6440 the sun, H8121 and his branch H3127 shooteth forth H3318 in his garden. H1593

17 His roots H8328 are wrapped about H5440 the heap, H1530 and seeth H2372 the place H1004 of stones. H68

18 If he destroy H1104 him from his place, H4725 then it shall deny H3584 him, saying, I have not seen H7200 thee.

19 Behold, this is the joy H4885 of his way, H1870 and out of the earth H6083 shall others H312 grow. H6779

20 Behold, God H410 will not cast away H3988 a perfect H8535 man, neither will he help H2388 H3027 the evil doers: H7489

21 Till he fill H4390 thy mouth H6310 with laughing, H7814 and thy lips H8193 with rejoicing. H8643

22 They that hate H8130 thee shall be clothed H3847 with shame; H1322 and the dwelling H168 place of the wicked H7563 shall come to nought. H369

Job 8:1-22 American Standard (ASV)

1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,

2 How long wilt thou speak these things? And `how long' shall the words of thy mouth be `like' a mighty wind?

3 Doth God pervert justice? Or doth the Almighty pervert righteousness?

4 If thy children have sinned against him, And he hath delivered them into the hand of their transgression;

5 If thou wouldest seek diligently unto God, And make thy supplication to the Almighty;

6 If thou wert pure and upright: Surely now he would awake for thee, And make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.

7 And though thy beginning was small, Yet thy latter end would greatly increase.

8 For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, And apply thyself to that which their fathers have searched out:

9 (For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, Because our days upon earth are a shadow);

10 Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, And utter words out of their heart?

11 Can the rush grow up without mire? Can the flag grow without water?

12 Whilst it is yet in its greenness, `and' not cut down, It withereth before any `other' herb.

13 So are the paths of all that forget God; And the hope of the godless man shall perish:

14 Whose confidence shall break in sunder, And whose trust is a spider's web.

15 He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: He shall hold fast thereby, but it shall not endure.

16 He is green before the sun, And his shoots go forth over his garden.

17 His roots are wrapped about the `stone' -heap, He beholdeth the place of stones.

18 If he be destroyed from his place, Then it shall deny him, `saying', I have not seen thee.

19 Behold, this is the joy of his way; And out of the earth shall others spring.

20 Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, Neither will he uphold the evil-doers.

21 He will yet fill thy mouth with laughter, And thy lips with shouting.

22 They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; And the tent of the wicked shall be no more.

Job 8:1-22 Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

1 And Bildad the Shuhite answereth and saith: --

2 Till when dost thou speak these things? And a strong wind -- sayings of thy mouth?

3 Doth God pervert judgment? And doth the Mighty One pervert justice?

4 If thy sons have sinned before Him, And He doth send them away, By the hand of their transgression,

5 If thou dost seek early unto God, And unto the Mighty makest supplication,

6 If pure and upright thou `art', Surely now He waketh for thee, And hath completed The habitation of thy righteousness.

7 And thy beginning hath been small, And thy latter end is very great.

8 For, ask I pray thee of a former generation, And prepare to a search of their fathers,

9 (For of yesterday we `are', and we know not, For a shadow `are' our days on earth.)

10 Do they not shew thee -- speak to thee, And from their heart bring forth words?

11 `Doth a rush wise without mire? A reed increase without water?

12 While it `is' in its budding -- uncropt, Even before any herb it withereth.

13 So `are' the paths of all forgetting God, And the hope of the profane doth perish,

14 Whose confidence is loathsome, And the house of a spider his trust.

15 He leaneth on his house -- and it standeth not: He taketh hold on it -- and it abideth not.

16 Green he `is' before the sun, And over his garden his branch goeth out.

17 By a heap his roots are wrapped, A house of stones he looketh for.

18 If `one' doth destroy him from his place, Then it hath feigned concerning him, I have not seen thee!

19 Lo, this `is' the joy of his way, And from the dust others spring up.'

20 Lo, God doth not reject the perfect, Nor taketh hold on the hand of evil doers.

21 While he filleth with laughter thy mouth, And thy lips with shouting,

22 Those hating thee do put on shame, And the tent of the wicked is not!

Job 8:1-22 Darby English Bible (DARBY)

1 And Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,

2 How long wilt thou speak these things? and the words of thy mouth be a strong wind?

3 Doth ùGod pervert judgment, and the Almighty pervert justice?

4 If thy children have sinned against him, he hath also given them over into the hand of their transgression.

5 If thou seek earnestly unto ùGod, and make thy supplication to the Almighty,

6 If thou be pure and upright, surely now he will awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous;

7 And though thy beginning was small, yet thine end shall be very great.

8 For inquire, I pray thee, of the former generation, and attend to the researches of their fathers;

9 For we are [but] of yesterday, and know nothing, for our days upon earth are a shadow.

10 Shall not they teach thee, [and] tell thee, and utter words out of their heart?

11 Doth the papyrus shoot up without mire? doth the reed-grass grow without water?

12 Whilst it is yet in its greenness [and] not cut down, it withereth before any [other] grass.

13 So are the paths of all that forget ùGod; and the profane man's hope shall perish,

14 Whose confidence shall be cut off, and his reliance is a spider's web.

15 He shall lean upon his house, and it shall not stand; he shall lay hold on it, but it shall not endure.

16 He is full of sap before the sun, and his sprout shooteth forth over his garden;

17 His roots are entwined about the stoneheap; he seeth the place of stones.

18 If he destroy him from his place, then it shall deny him: I have not seen thee!

19 Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the dust shall others grow.

20 Behold, ùGod will not cast off a perfect man, neither will he take evil-doers by the hand.

21 Whilst he would fill thy mouth with laughing and thy lips with shouting,

22 They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame, and the tent of the wicked be no more.

Job 8:1-22 World English Bible (WEB)

1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered,

2 "How long will you speak these things? Shall the words of your mouth be a mighty wind?

3 Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert righteousness?

4 If your children have sinned against him, He has delivered them into the hand of their disobedience;

5 If you want to seek God diligently, Make your supplication to the Almighty.

6 If you were pure and upright, Surely now he would awaken for you, And make the habitation of your righteousness prosperous.

7 Though your beginning was small, Yet your latter end would greatly increase.

8 "Please inquire of past generations, Find out about the learning of their fathers.

9 (For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, Because our days on earth are a shadow.)

10 Shall they not teach you, tell you, And utter words out of their heart?

11 "Can the papyrus grow up without mire? Can the rushes grow without water?

12 While it is yet in its greenness, not cut down, It withers before any other reed.

13 So are the paths of all who forget God. The hope of the godless man shall perish,

14 Whose confidence shall break apart, Whose trust is a spider's web.

15 He shall lean on his house, but it shall not stand. He shall cling to it, but it shall not endure.

16 He is green before the sun, His shoots go forth over his garden.

17 His roots are wrapped around the rock pile, He sees the place of stones.

18 If he is destroyed from his place, Then it shall deny him, saying, 'I have not seen you.'

19 Behold, this is the joy of his way: Out of the earth shall others spring.

20 "Behold, God will not cast away a blameless man, Neither will he uphold the evil-doers.

21 He will still fill your mouth with laughter, Your lips with shouting.

22 Those who hate you shall be clothed with shame. The tent of the wicked shall be no more."

Job 8:1-22 Bible in Basic English (BBE)

1 Then Bildad the Shuhite made answer and said,

2 How long will you say these things, and how long will the words of your mouth be like a strong wind?

3 Does God give wrong decisions? or is the Ruler of all not upright in his judging?

4 If your children have done evil against him, then their punishment is from his hand.

5 If you will make search for God with care, and put your request before the Ruler of all;

6 If you are clean and upright; then he will certainly be moved to take up your cause, and will make clear your righteousness by building up your house again.

7 And though your start was small, your end will be very great.

8 Put the question now to the past generations, and give attention to what has been searched out by their fathers:

9 (For we are but of yesterday, and have no knowledge, because our days on earth are gone like a shade:)

10 Will they not give you teaching, and say words of wisdom to you?

11 Will the river-plant come up in its pride without wet earth? will the grass get tall without water?

12 When it is still green, without being cut down, it becomes dry and dead before any other plant.

13 So is the end of all who do not keep God in mind; and the hope of the evil-doer comes to nothing:

14 Whose support is cut off, and whose hope is no stronger than a spider's thread.

15 He is looking to his family for support, but it is not there; he puts his hope in it, but it comes to nothing.

16 He is full of strength before the sun, and his branches go out over his garden.

17 His roots are twisted round the stones, forcing their way in between them.

18 If he is taken away from his place, then it will say, I have not seen you.

19 Such is the joy of his way, and out of the dust another comes up to take his place.

20 Truly, God will not give up him who is without sin, and will not take evil-doers by the hand.

21 The time will come when your mouth will be full of laughing, and cries of joy will come from your lips.

22 Your haters will be clothed with shame, and the tent of the sinner will not be seen again.

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Job 8

Commentary on Job 8 Matthew Henry Commentary

John Gill   Keil & Delitzsch   Robert Jamieson: Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible  

Chapter 8

Job's friends are like Job's messengers: the latter followed one another close with evil tidings, the former followed him with harsh censures: both, unawares, served Satan's design; these to drive him from his integrity, those to drive him from the comfort of it. Eliphaz did not reply to what Job had said in answer to him, but left it to Bildad, whom he knew to be of the same mind with himself in this affair. Those are not the wisest of the company, but the weakest rather, who covet to have all the talk. Let others speak in their turn, and let the first keep silence, 1 Co. 14:30, 31. Eliphaz had undertaken to show that because Job was sorely afflicted he was certainly a wicked man. Bildad is much of the same mind, and will conclude Job a wicked man unless God do speedily appear for his relief. In this chapter he endeavours to convince Job,

  • I. That he had spoken too passionately (v. 2).
  • II. That he and his children had suffered justly (v. 3, 4).
  • III. That, if he were a true penitent, God would soon turn his captivity (v. 5-7).
  • IV. That it was a usual thing for Providence to extinguish the joys and hopes of wicked men as his were extinguished; and therefore that they had reason to suspect him for a hypocrite (v. 8-19).
  • V. That they would be abundantly confirmed in their suspicion unless God did speedily appear for his relief (v. 20-22).

Job 8:1-7

Here,

  • I. Bildad reproves Job for what he had said (v. 2), checks his passion, but perhaps (as is too common) with greater passion. We thought Job spoke a great deal of good sense and much to the purpose, and that he had reason and right on his side; but Bildad, like an eager angry disputant, turns it all off with this, How long wilt thou speak these things? taking it for granted that Eliphaz had said enough to silence him, and that therefore all he said was impertinent. Thus (as Caryl observes) reproofs are often grounded upon mistakes. Men's meaning is not taken aright, and then they are gravely rebuked as if they were evil-doers. Bildad compares Job's discourse to a strong wind. Job had excused himself with this, that his speeches were but as wind (ch. 6:26), and therefore they should not make such ado about them: "Yea, but' (says Bildad) "they are as strong wind, blustering and threatening, boisterous and dangerous, and therefore we are concerned to fence against them.'
  • II. He justifies God in what he had done. This he had no occasion to do at this time (for Job did not condemn God, as he would have it thought he did), or he might at least have done it without reflecting upon Job's children, as he does here. Could he not be an advocate for God but he must be an accuser of the brethren?
    • 1. He is right in general, that God doth not pervert judgment, nor ever go contrary to any settled rule of justice, v. 3. Far be it from him that he should and from us that we should suspect him. He never oppresses the innocent, nor lays a greater load on the guilty than they deserve. He is God, the Judge; and shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? Gen. 18:25. If there should be unrighteousness with God, how should he judge the world? Rom. 3:5, 6. He is Almighty, Shaddai-all sufficient. Men pervert justice sometimes for fear of the power of others (but God is Almighty, and stands in awe of none), sometimes to obtain the favour of others; but God is all-sufficient, and cannot be benefited by the favour of any. It is man's weakness and impotency that he often is unjust; it is God's omnipotence that he cannot be so.
    • 2. Yet he is not fair and candid in the application. He takes it for granted that Job's children (the death of whom was one of the greatest of his afflictions) had been guilty of some notorious wickedness, and that the unhappy circumstances of their death were sufficient evidence that they were sinners above all the children of the east, v. 4. Job readily owned that God did not pervert judgment; and yet it did not therefore follow either that his children were cast-aways or that they died for some great transgression. It is true that we and our children have sinned against God, and we ought to justify him in all he brings upon us and ours; but extraordinary afflictions are not always the punishment of extraordinary sins, but sometimes the trial of extraordinary graces; and, in our judgment of another's case (unless the contrary appears), we ought to take the more favourable side, as our Saviour directs, Lu. 13:2-4. Here Bildad missed it.
  • III. He put Job in hope that, if he were indeed upright, as he said he was, he should yet see a good issue of his present troubles: "Although thy children have sinned against him, and are cast away in their transgression (they have died in their own sin), yet if thou be pure and upright thyself, and as an evidence of that wilt now seek unto God and submit to him, all shall be well yet,' v. 5-7. This may be taken two ways, either,
    • 1. As designed to prove Job a hypocrite and a wicked man, though not by the greatness, yet the by the continuance, of his afflictions. "When thou wast impoverished, and thy children were killed, if thou hadst been pure and upright, and approved thyself so in the trial, God would before now have returned in mercy to thee and comforted thee according to the time of thy affliction; but, because he does not so, we have reason to conclude thou art not so pure and upright as thou pretendest to be. If thou hadst conducted thyself well under the former affliction, thou wouldst not have been struck with the latter.' Herein Bildad was not in the right; for a good man may be afflicted for his trial, not only very sorely, but very long, and yet, if for life, it is in comparison with eternity but for a moment. But, since Bildad put it to this issue, God was pleased to join issue with him, and proved his servant Job an honest man by Bildad's own argument; for, soon after, he blessed his latter end more than his beginning. Or,
    • 2. As designed to direct and encourage Job, that he might not thus run himself into despair, and give up all for gone; there might yet be hope if he would take the right course. I am apt to think Bildad here intended to condemn Job, yet would be thought to counsel and comfort him.
      • (1.) He gives him good counsel, yet perhaps not expecting he would take it, the same that Eliphaz had given him (ch. 5:8), to seek unto God, and that betimes (that is, speedily and seriously), and not to be dilatory and trifling in his return and repentance. He advises him not to complain, but to petition, to make his supplication to the Almighty with humility and faith, and to see that there was (what he feared had hitherto been wanting) sincerity in his heart ("thou must be pure and upright') and honesty in his house-"that must be the habitation of thy righteousness, and not filled with ill-gotten goods, else God will not hear thy prayers,' Ps. 66:18. It is only the prayer of the upright that is the acceptable and prevailing prayer, Prov. 15:8.
      • (2.) He gives him good hopes that he shall yet again see good days, secretly suspecting, however, that he was not qualified to see them. He assures him that, if he would be early in seeking God, God would awake for his relief, would remember him and return to him, though now he seemed to forget him and forsake him-that if his habitation were righteous it should be prosperity. When we return to God in a way of duty we have reason to hope that he will return to us in a way of mercy. Let not Job object that he had so little left to being the world with again that it was impossible he should ever prosper as he had done; no, "Though thy beginning should be ever so small, a little meal in the barrel and a little oil in the cruse, God's blessing shall multiply that to a great increase.' This is God's way of enriching the souls of his people with graces and comforts, not per saltum-as by a bound, but per gradum-step by step. The beginning is small, but the progress is to perfection. Dawning light grows to noonday, a grain of mustard seed to a great tree. Let us not therefore despise the day of small things, but hope for the day of great things.

Job 8:8-19

Bildad here discourses very well on the sad catastrophe of hypocrites and evil-doers and the fatal period of all their hopes and joys. He will not be so bold as to say with Eliphaz that none that were righteous were ever cut off thus (ch. 4:7); yet he takes it for granted that God, in the course of his providence, does ordinarily bring wicked men, who seemed pious and were prosperous, to shame and ruin in this world, and that, by making their prosperity short, he discovers their piety to be counterfeit. Whether this will certainly prove that all who are thus ruined must be concluded to have been hypocrites he will not say, but rather suspect, and thinks the application is easy.

  • I. He proves this truth, of the certain destruction of all the hopes and joys of hypocrites, by an appeal to antiquity and the concurring sentiment and observation of all wise and good men; and an undoubted truth it is, if we take in the other world, that, if not in this life, yet in the life to come, hypocrites will be deprived of all their trusts and all their triumphs: whether Bildad so meant or no, we must so take it. Let us observe the method of his proof, v. 8-10.
    • 1. He insists not on his own judgment and that of his companions: We are but of yesterday, and know nothing, v. 9. He perceived that Job had no opinion of their abilities, but thought they knew little. "We will own,' says Bildad, "that we know nothing, are as ready to confess our ignorance as thou art to condemn it; for we are but of yesterday in comparison, and our days upon earth are short and transient, and hastening away as a shadow. And hence,'
      • (1.) "We are not so near the fountain-head of divine revelation' (which then for aught that appears, was conveyed by tradition) "as the former age was; and therefore we must enquire what they said and recount what we have been told of their sentiments.' Blessed be God, now that we have the word of God in writing, and are directed to search that, we need not enquire of the former age, nor prepare ourselves to the search of their fathers; for, though we ourselves are but of yesterday, the word of God in the scripture is as nigh to us as it was to them (Rom. 10:8), and it is the more sure word of prophecy, to which we must take heed. If we study and keep God's precepts, we may by them understand more than the ancients, Ps. 119:99, 100.
      • (2.) "We do not live so long as those of the former age did, to make observations upon the methods of divine providence, and therefore cannot be such competent judges as they in a cause of this nature.' Note, The shortness of our lives is a great hindrance to the improvement of our knowledge, and so are the frailty and weakness of our bodies. Vita brevis, ars longa-life is short, the progress of art boundless.
    • 2. He refers to the testimony of the ancients and to the knowledge which Job himself had of their sentiments. "Do thou enquire of the former age, and let them tell thee, not only their own judgment in this matter, but the judgment also of their fathers, v. 8. They will teach thee, and inform thee (v. 10), that all along, in their time, the judgments of God followed wicked men. This they will utter out of their hearts, that is, as that which they firmly believe themselves, which they are greatly affected with and desirous to acquaint and affect others with.' Note,
      • (1.) For the right understanding of divine Providence, and the unfolding of the difficulties of it, it will be of use to compare the observations and experiences of former ages with the events of our own day; and, in order thereto, to consult history, especially the sacred history, which is the most ancient, infallibly true, and written designedly for our learning.
      • (2.) Those that would fetch knowledge from the former ages must search diligently, prepare for the search, and take pains for the search.
      • (3.) Those words are most likely to reach to the hearts of the learners that come from the hearts of the teachers. Those shall teach thee best that utter words out of their heart, that speak by experience, and not by rote, of spiritual and divine things. The learned bishop Patrick suggests that Bildad being a Shuhite, descended from Shuah one of Abraham's sons by Keturah (Gen. 25:2), in this appeal which he makes to history he has a particular respect to the rewards which the blessing of God secured to the posterity of faithful Abraham (who hitherto, and long after, continued in his religion) and to the extirpation of those eastern people, neighbours to Job (in whose country they were settled), for their wickedness, whence he infers that it is God's usual way to prosper the just and root out the wicked, though for a while they may flourish.
  • II. He illustrates this truth by some similitudes.
    • 1. The hopes and joys of the hypocrite are here compared to a rush or flag, v. 11-13.
      • (1.) It grows up out of the mire and water. The hypocrite cannot gain his hope without some false rotten ground or other out of which to raise it, and with which to support it and keep it alive, any more than the rush can grow without mire. He grounds it on his worldly prosperity, the plausible profession he makes of religion, the good opinion of his neighbours, and his own good conceit of himself, which are no solid foundation on which to build his confidence. It is all but mire and water; and the hope that grows out of it is but rush and flag.
      • (2.) It may look green and gay for a while (the rush outgrows the grass), but it is light and hollow, and empty, and good for nothing. It is green for show, but of no use.
      • (3.) It withers presently, before any other herb, v. 12. Even while it is in its greenness it is dried away and gone in a little time. Note, The best state of hypocrites and evil-doers borders upon withering; even when it is green it is going. The grass is cut down and withers (Ps. 90:6); but the rush is not cut down and yet withers, withers before it grows up (Ps. 129:6): as it has no use, so it has no continuance. So are the paths of all that forget God (v. 13); they take the same way that the rush does, for the hypocrite's hope shall perish. Note,
        • [1.] Forgetfulness of God is at the bottom of men's hypocrisy, and of the vain hopes with which they flatter and deceive themselves in their hypocrisy. Men would not be hypocrites if they did not forget that the God with whom they have to do searches the heart and requires truth there, that he is a Spirit and has his eye on our spirits; and hypocrites would have no hope if they did not forget that God is righteous, and will not be mocked with the torn and the lame.
        • [2.] The hope of hypocrites is a great cheat upon themselves, and, though it may flourish for a while, it will certainly perish at last, and they with it.
    • 2. They are here compared to a spider's web, or a spider's house (as it is in the margin), a cobweb, v. 14, 15. The hope of the hypocrite,
      • (1.) Is woven out of his own bowels; it is the creature of his own fancy, and arises merely from a conceit of his own merit and sufficiency. There is a great deal of difference between the work of the bee and that of the spider. A diligent Christian, like the laborious bee, fetches in all his comfort from the heavenly dews of God's word; but the hypocrite, like the subtle spider, weaves his out of a false hypothesis of his own concerning God, as if he were altogether such a one as himself.
      • (2.) He is very fond of it, as the spider of her web; pleases himself with it, wraps himself in it, calls it his house, leans upon it, and holds it fast. It is said of the spider that she takes hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces, Prov. 30:28. So does a carnal worldling hug himself in the fulness and firmness of his outward prosperity; he prides himself in that house as his palace, fortifies himself in it as his castle, and makes use of it as the spider of her web, to ensnare those he has a mind to prey upon. So does a formal professor; he flatters himself in his own eyes, doubts not of his salvation, is secure of heaven, and cheats the world with his vain confidences.
      • (3.) It will easily and certainly be swept away, as the cobweb with the besom, when God shall come to purge his house. The prosperity of worldly people will fail them when they expect to find safety and happiness in it. They seek to hold fast their estates, but God is plucking them out of their hands; and whose shall all those things be, which they have provided? or what the better they will be for them? The confidences of hypocrites will fail them. I tell you, I know you not. The house built on the sand will fall in the storm, when the builder most needs it and promised himself the benefit of it. When a wicked man dies his expectation perishes. The ground of his hopes will prove false; he will be disappointed of the thing he hoped for, and his foolish hope with which he buoyed himself up will be turned into endless despair; and thus his hope will be cut off, his web, that refuge of lies, swept away, and he crushed in it.
    • 3. The hypocrite is here compared to a flourishing and well-rooted tree, which, though it do not wither of itself, yet will easily be cut down and its place know it no more. The secure and prosperous sinner may think himself wronged when he is compared to a rush and a flag; he thinks he has a better root. "We will allow him his conceit,' says Bildad, "and give him all the advantage he can desire, and bring him in suddenly cut off.' He is here represented as Nebuchadnezzar was in his own dream (Dan. 4:10) by a great tree.
      • (1.) See this tree fair and flourishing (v. 16) like a green bay-tree (Ps. 37:35), green before the sun, it keeps its greenness in defiance of the scorching sun-beams, and his branch shoots forth under the protection of his garden-wall and with the benefit of his garden-soil. See it fixed, and taking deep root, never likely to be overthrown by stormy winds, for his roots are interwoven with the stones (v. 17); it grows in firm ground, not, as the rush, of mire and water. Thus does a wicked man, when he prospers in the world, think himself secure; his wealth is a high wall in his own conceit.
      • (2.) See this tree felled and forgotten notwithstanding, destroyed from his place (v. 18), and so entirely extirpated that there shall remain no sign or token where it grew. The very place say, I have not seen thee; and the standers by shall say the same. I sought him, but he could not be found, Ps. 37:36. He made a great show and a great noise for a time, but he is gone of a sudden, and neither root nor branch is left him, Mal. 4:1. This is the joy (that is, this is the end and conclusion) of the wicked man's way (v. 19); this is that which all his joy comes to. The way of the ungodly shall perish, Ps. 1:6. His hope, he thought, would in the issue be turned into joy; but this is the issue, this is the joy. The harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow, Isa. 17:11. This is the best of it; and what then is the worst of it? But shall he not leave a family behind him to enjoy what he has? No, out of the earth (not out of his roots) shall others grow, that are nothing akin to him, and shall fill up his place, and rule over that for which he labored. Others (that is, others of the same spirit and disposition) shall grow up in his place, and be as secure as ever he was, not warned by his fall. The way of worldlings is their folly, and yet there is a race of those that approve their sayings, Ps. 49:13.

Job 8:20-22

Bildad here, in the close of his discourse, sums up what he has to say in a few words, setting before Job life and death, the blessing and the curse, assuring him that as he was so he should fare, and therefore they might conclude that as he fared so he was.

  • 1. On the one hand, if he were a perfect upright man, God would not cast him away, v. 20. Though now he seemed forsaken of God, he would yet return to him, and by degrees would turn his mourning into dancing (Ps. 30:11) and comforts should flow in upon him so plentifully that his mouth should be filled with laughing, v. 21. So affecting should the happy change be, Ps. 126:2. Those that loved him would rejoice with him; but those that hated him, and had triumphed in his fall, would be ashamed of their insolence, when they should see him restored to his former prosperity. Now it is true that God will not cast away an upright man; he may be cast down for a time, but he shall not be cast away for ever. It is true that, if not in this world, yet in another, the mouth of the righteous shall be filled with rejoicing. Though their sun should set under a cloud, yet it shall rise again clear, never more to be clouded; though they go mourning to the grave, that shall not hinder their entrance into the joy of their Lord. It is true that the enemies of the saints will be clothed with shame when they see them crowned with honour. But it does not therefore follow that, if Job were not perfectly restored to his former prosperity, he would forfeit the character of a perfect man.
  • 2. On the other hand, if he were a wicked man and an evil-doer, God would not help him, but leave him to perish in his present distresses (v. 20), and his dwelling-place should come to nought, 22. And here also it is true that God will not help the evil-doers; they throw themselves out of his protection, and forfeit his favour. He will not take the ungodly by the hand (so it is in the margin), will not have fellowship and communion with them; for what communion can there be between light and darkness? He will not lend them his hand to pull them out of the miseries, the eternal miseries, into which they have plunged themselves; they will then stretch out their hand to him for help, but it will be too late: he will not take them by the hand. Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed. It is true that the dwelling-place of the wicked, sooner or later, will come to nought. Those only who make God their dwelling-place are safe for ever, Ps. 90:1; 91:1. Those who make other things their refuge will be disappointed. Sin brings ruin on persons and families. Yet to argue (as Bildad, I doubt, slyly does) that because Job's family was sunk, and he himself at present seemed helpless, therefore he certainly was an ungodly wicked man, was neither just nor charitable, as long as there appeared no other evidence of his wickedness and ungodliness. Let us judge nothing before the time, but wait till the secrets of all hearts shall be made manifest, and the present difficulties of Providence be solved to universal and everlasting satisfaction, when the mystery of God shall be finished.