Table of Contents
Job 8
Job 8
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.
Notes
Cross Reference
Concordance
Commentary
Rashi
Verse 2
<html><b>Bildad’s Address</b><br><b>a mighty wind</b> Many words. <b>mighty</b> Heb. כביר, an expression of multiplicity.</html>
Verse 3
<html><b>Does God pervert judgment</b> Heb. הא-ל. The “hey” is vowelized with a “patach,” and it means an expression of wonder.</html>
Verse 4
<html><b>He sent them away in the hands of their transgression</b> Through their transgression. (The transgression) became the agent to carry them off.</html>
Verse 5
<html><b>If you seek God etc.,</b> He will arouse your merit over you.</html>
Verse 6
<html><b>and will complete your righteous home</b> And He will make your righteous home complete and perfect.</html>
Verse 7
<html><b>And your beginning shall be small</b> Your beginning, which has passed, shall be small as compared to your end, which shall increase exceedingly.</html>
Verse 8
<html><b>about the past generation</b> About the past generation, like (Deut. 4:32), “For inquire now about the earlier times.” <b>and apply yourself</b> Apply and prepare yourself to understand what their fathers have searched out.</html>
Verse 11
<html><b>Can papyrus shoot up</b> They will say this: Papyrus cannot grow except when the marsh is wet with its water and its moisture. בִצָה is marese in Old French, a marsh.</html>
Verse 12
<html><b>in its greenness</b> In its moisture and with its produce. <b>will not be plucked</b> Heb. יקטף, will not be broken or pulled off; like (Deut. 23:26), “you may pluck (וקטפת) ears.” <b>but before any other grass it will dry up</b> Before any other grass [does], it will dry up when the water evaporates and the marsh dries up.</html>
Verse 13
<html><b>So are the ways of all those who forget God</b> to prosper when it goes well with him until his measure [of sin] is full. <b>and the hope</b> the end of the flatterer will be lost.</html>
Verse 14
<html><b>whose confidence shall be cut off</b> His confidence and his trust Will be cut off <b>confidence</b> Heb. כסלו. That is the thought of his confidence. like (below 31:24), “If I put my confidence (כסלי) in gold. יקוט is an expression of cutting off; as (Ezek. 16:47): “for after a very little while (קט).” <b>a spider’s web</b> which does not last, is his trust.</html>
Verse 16
<html><b>It is fresh</b> His fortune is moist and strong before the time of the visitation of the heat plague—which dries him out—comes to him. And because he [Bildad] compares him [the wicked] to the papyrus, he speaks according to that metaphor. <b>and on its garden its tender branch emerges</b> Heb. יונקתו, its root that draws sustenance, or a young branch that grows this year, like (Ezek. 17: 22), “I will pluck from the top of his young twigs (ינקותיו).”</html>
Verse 17
<html><b>are entwined</b> Will be entwined with the branch and with the thicket. <b>a stone house</b> He sees a strong place and builds it for himself as a stronghold. Menachem, however explains יֶחֶזֶה as an expression of a border: will border him; he will build it up to his border. [Perlow ed, reads: on his border.] Likewise (Ps. 107:30), “their desired haven.” Likewise (I Kings 7:4), “an edge to an edge (מחזה אל מחזה)” (Machbereth Menachem p. 86). All these are before his plague.</html>
Verse 18
<html><b>If one destroys him from his place</b> the one who requites him, and this is an elliptical verse. <b>then it shall deny him</b> his place [shall deny him]. <b>‘I have not seen you,’</b> For neither root nor branch shall remain of him, and it will be as though he had never existed, for his fall shall not ascend like the downfall of the righteous—for the righteous will fall and rise, but this one will fall without rising.</html>
Verse 19
<html><b>Behold this is the joy of his way</b> Of the wicked man, for all his joy and also his success will end up without hope. <b>and from the earth, others will spring forth</b> And people who were until now bent down to the ground will spring forth. <b>others</b> Another man will spring forth to receive the greatness of this one, as we find (Eccles. 2:26): “and to the sinner He has given the task…” Therefore, you should know about yourself, if you were wicked, you will not rise after your downfall. If you were innocent…</html>
Verse 20
<html><b>Behold God will not reject the innocent</b> and He will not uphold your enemies who are harming you, until He returns to grant you clemency, and [then] He will fill your mouth with laughter.</html>