81 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 God 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 God, 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.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Job 8:1-7
Commentary on Job 8:1-7
(Read Job 8:1-7)
Job spake much to the purpose; but Bildad, like an eager, angry disputant, turns it all off with this, How long wilt thou speak these things? Men's meaning is not taken aright, and then they are rebuked, as if they were evil-doers. Even in disputes on religion, it is too common to treat others with sharpness, and their arguments with contempt. Bildad's discourse shows that he had not a favourable opinion of Job's character. Job owned that God did not pervert judgment; yet it did not therefore follow that his children were cast-aways, or that they did for some great transgression. Extraordinary afflictions are not always the punishment of extraordinary sins, sometimes they are the trials of extraordinary graces: in judging of another's case, we ought to take the favorable side. Bildad puts Job in hope, that if he were indeed upright, he should yet see a good end of his present troubles. This is God's way of enriching the souls of his people with graces and comforts. The beginning is small, but the progress is to perfection. Dawning light grows to noon-day.