1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,
2 Dominion and fear are with him, he maketh peace in his high places.
3 Is there any number of his armies? and upon whom doth not his light arise?
4 How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?
5 Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight.
6 How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?
<html><b>Bildad’s reply</b><br><b>Dominion and fear</b> Directed towards what Job said (23:4), “I would set out my case before Him,” he says to him, “Dominion and fear are with Him.” “Dominion” refers to Michael, and “fear” refers to Gabriel. Can you answer even one of them? <b>He makes peace in His heights</b> When the constellations ascend, each one thinks, “I will ascend first,” and because he does not see what is before him, he is not envious. So I heard. [Tanchuma Buber ad loc.] Another explanation: He makes peace in His heights—Fire and water are mixed, and the water does not extinguish the fire; I did not hear this.</html>
<html><b>How then can man be just…</b> that you said (23:10), “He has tested me that I will emerge like gold.”</html>
<html><b>He removes the moon</b> Heb. עד, like (28:8), “neither did a lion pass (עדה) over it.” The meaning is that even the moon will be removed from its [source of] light in the future and it will not shine, as it is written (Isa. 24:23): “And the moon shall be ashamed etc.” And the stars will not be pure in His eyes in the future. How much less can man, who is a worm, be just with God! <b>and will not shine</b> Heb. יאהיל, like (Isa. 13:10), “shall not allow their light to illuminate (יהלו),” and this “alef” serves the same function as (I Sam. 2:33), “and to sadden (ולאדיב) your heart,” in which the “alef” is superfluous. Another explanation: יַאֲהִיל, you will not have shadow. When it does not shine, no shadows are cast. I prefer the former, but I heard both.</html>