81 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.
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.