Job 8:1-7 | TNotes | STEP | 8:1 Like Eliphaz, Bildad the Shuhite (see study note on 2:11) believed that Job’s sufferings were God’s retribution (8:3-6 , 13 ; cp. 4:7-8 ; 5:2-3 ). This counselor revered the wisdom of the past (8:8-10 ; cp. 4:7 ) and addressed Job with a mixture of instruction (8:3-6 , 8-10 ; cp. 4:12-21 ; 5:9-16 ) and encouragement (8:5-7 , 20-22 ; cp. 4:6 ; 5:19-26 ). His point was that Job should quit blustering. He advised Job to repent and allow God’s justice to bring about restoration (8:1-7 ).

8:1 ^a Like Eliphaz, Bildad the Shuhite (see study note on 2:11) believed that Job’s sufferings were God’s retribution (8:3-6 ^b, 13 ^c; cp. 4:7-8 ^d; 5:2-3 ^e). This counselor revered the wisdom of the past (8:8-10 ^f; cp. 4:7 ^g) and addressed Job with a mixture of instruction (8:3-6 ^h, 8-10 ⁱ; cp. 4:12-21 ^j; 5:9-16 ^k) and encouragement (8:5-7 ^l, 20-22 ^m; cp. 4:6 ⁿ; 5:19-26 ^o). His point was that Job should quit blustering. He advised Job to repent and allow God’s justice to bring about restoration (8:1-7 ^p).
8:2 ^q How long? Bildad’s question might be an ironic parody of Job’s question in 7:19 ^r.
Summary for Job 8:3-4: 8:3-4 ^s According to Bildad, God does not twist justice, so the death of Job’s children proved that they had sinned against God. Bildad divided people into the blameless (Hebrew tam, 8:20a ^t; see 1:1 ^u) and the secretly wicked (Hebrew khanep, 8:13b ^v). He believed that they could be differentiated by watching what God did to them.
8:7 ^w you will end with much: Bildad’s words were more true than he realized (42:12 ^x; cp. 5:19-26 ^y).