1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,
2 How long will it be ere ye make an end of words? mark, and afterwards we will speak.
3 Wherefore are we counted as beasts, and reputed vile in your sight?
4 He teareth himself in his anger: shall the earth be forsaken for thee? and shall the rock be removed out of his place?
5 Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine.
6 The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him.
7 The steps of his strength shall be straitened, and his own counsel shall cast him down.
8 For he is cast into a net by his own feet, and he walketh upon a snare.
9 The gin shall take him by the heel, and the robber shall prevail against him.
10 The snare is laid for him in the ground, and a trap for him in the way.
11 Terrors shall make him afraid on every side, and shall drive him to his feet.
12 His strength shall be hungerbitten, and destruction shall be ready at his side.
13 It shall devour the strength of his skin: even the firstborn of death shall devour his strength.
14 His confidence shall be rooted out of his tabernacle, and it shall bring him to the king of terrors.
15 It shall dwell in his tabernacle, because it is none of his: brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation.
16 His roots shall be dried up beneath, and above shall his branch be cut off.
17 His remembrance shall perish from the earth, and he shall have no name in the street.
18 He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.
19 He shall neither have son nor nephew among his people, nor any remaining in his dwellings.
20 They that come after him shall be astonied at his day, as they that went before were affrighted.
21 Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knoweth not God.
1 Then answered H6030 Bildad H1085 the Shuhite, H7747 and said, H559
2 How long H5704 will it be ere ye make H7760 an end H7078 of words? H4405 mark, H995 and afterwards H310 we will speak. H1696
3 Wherefore are we counted H2803 as beasts, H929 and reputed vile H2933 in your sight? H5869
4 He teareth H2963 himself H5315 in his anger: H639 shall the earth H776 be forsaken H5800 for thee? and shall the rock H6697 be removed H6275 out of his place? H4725
5 Yea, the light H216 of the wicked H7563 shall be put out, H1846 and the spark H7632 of his fire H784 shall not shine. H5050
6 The light H216 shall be dark H2821 in his tabernacle, H168 and his candle H5216 shall be put out H1846 with him.
7 The steps H6806 of his strength H202 shall be straitened, H3334 and his own counsel H6098 shall cast him down. H7993
8 For he is cast H7971 into a net H7568 by his own feet, H7272 and he walketh H1980 upon a snare. H7639
9 The gin H6341 shall take H270 him by the heel, H6119 and the robber H6782 shall prevail H2388 against him.
10 The snare H2256 is laid H2934 for him in the ground, H776 and a trap H4434 for him in the way. H5410
11 Terrors H1091 shall make him afraid H1204 on every side, H5439 and shall drive H6327 him to his feet. H7272
12 His strength H202 shall be hungerbitten, H7457 and destruction H343 shall be ready H3559 at his side. H6763
13 It shall devour H398 the strength H905 of his skin: H5785 even the firstborn H1060 of death H4194 shall devour H398 his strength. H905
14 His confidence H4009 shall be rooted out H5423 of his tabernacle, H168 and it shall bring H6805 him to the king H4428 of terrors. H1091
15 It shall dwell H7931 in his tabernacle, H168 because it is none H1097 of his: brimstone H1614 shall be scattered H2219 upon his habitation. H5116
16 His roots H8328 shall be dried up H3001 beneath, and above H4605 shall his branch H7105 be cut off. H5243
17 His remembrance H2143 shall perish H6 from the earth, H776 and he shall have no name H8034 in the street. H6440 H2351
18 He shall be driven H1920 from light H216 into darkness, H2822 and chased H5074 out of the world. H8398
19 He shall neither have son H5209 nor nephew H5220 among his people, H5971 nor any remaining H8300 in his dwellings. H4033
20 They that come after H314 him shall be astonied H8074 at his day, H3117 as they that went before H6931 were affrighted. H270 H8178
21 Surely such are the dwellings H4908 of the wicked, H5767 and this is the place H4725 of him that knoweth H3045 not God. H410
1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,
2 How long will ye hunt for words? Consider, and afterwards we will speak.
3 Wherefore are we counted as beasts, `And' are become unclean in your sight?
4 Thou that tearest thyself in thine anger, Shall the earth be forsaken for thee? Or shall the rock be removed out of its place?
5 Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, And the spark of his fire shall not shine.
6 The light shall be dark in his tent, And his lamp above him shall be put out.
7 The steps of his strength shall be straitened, And his own counsel shall cast him down.
8 For he is cast into a net by his own feet, And he walketh upon the toils.
9 A gin shall take `him' by the heel, `And' a snare shall lay hold on him.
10 A noose is hid for him in the ground, And a trap for him in the way.
11 Terrors shall make him afraid on every side, And shall chase him at his heels.
12 His strength shall be hunger-bitten, And calamity shall be ready at his side.
13 The members of his body shall be devoured, `Yea', the first-born of death shall devour his members.
14 He shall be rooted out of his tent where he trusteth; And he shall be brought to the king of terrors.
15 There shall dwell in his tent that which is none of his: Brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation.
16 His roots shall be dried up beneath, And above shall his branch be cut off.
17 His remembrance shall perish from the earth, And he shall have no name in the street.
18 He shall be driven from light into darkness, And chased out of the world.
19 He shall have neither son nor son's son among his people, Nor any remaining where he sojourned.
20 They that come after shall be astonished at his day, As they that went before were affrighted.
21 Surely such are the dwellings of the unrighteous, And this is the place of him that knoweth not God.
1 And Bildad the Shuhite answereth and saith: --
2 When do ye set an end to words? Consider ye, and afterwards do we speak.
3 Wherefore have we been reckoned as cattle? We have been defiled in your eyes!
4 (He is tearing himself in his anger.) For thy sake is earth forsaken? And removed is a rock from its place?
5 Also, the light of the wicked is extinguished. And there doth not shine a spark of his fire.
6 The light hath been dark in his tent, And his lamp over him is extinguished.
7 Straitened are the steps of his strength, And cast him down doth his own counsel.
8 For he is sent into a net by his own feet, And on a snare he doth walk habitually.
9 Seize on the heel doth a gin, Prevail over him do the designing.
10 Hidden in the earth is his cord, And his trap on the path.
11 Round about terrified him have terrors, And they have scattered him -- at his feet.
12 Hungry is his sorrow, And calamity is ready at his side.
13 It consumeth the parts of his skin, Consume his parts doth death's first-born.
14 Drawn from his tent is his confidence, And it causeth him to step to the king of terrors.
15 It dwelleth in his tent -- out of his provender, Scattered over his habitation is sulphur.
16 From beneath his roots are dried up, And from above cut off is his crop.
17 His memorial hath perished from the land, And he hath no name on the street.
18 They thrust him from light unto darkness, And from the habitable earth cast him out.
19 He hath no continuator, Nor successor among his people, And none is remaining in his dwellings.
20 At this day westerns have been astonished And easterns have taken fright.
21 Only these `are' tabernacles of the perverse, And this the place God hath not known.
1 And Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,
2 How long will ye hunt for words? Be intelligent, and then we will speak.
3 Wherefore are we counted as beasts, and reputed stupid in your sight?
4 Thou that tearest thyself in thine anger, shall the earth be forsaken for thee? and shall the rock be removed out of its place?
5 Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the flame of his fire shall not shine.
6 The light shall become dark in his tent, and his lamp over him shall be put out.
7 The steps of his strength shall be straitened, and his own counsel shall cast him down.
8 For he is sent into the net by his own feet, and he walketh on the meshes;
9 The gin taketh [him] by the heel, the snare layeth hold on him;
10 A cord is hidden for him in the ground, and his trap in the way.
11 Terrors make him afraid on every side, and chase him at his footsteps.
12 His strength is hunger-bitten, and calamity is ready at his side.
13 The firstborn of death devoureth the members of his body; it will devour his members.
14 His confidence shall be rooted out of his tent, and it shall lead him away to the king of terrors:
15 They who are none of his shall dwell in his tent; brimstone shall be showered upon his habitation:
16 His roots shall be dried up beneath, and above shall his branch be cut off;
17 His remembrance shall perish from the earth, and he shall have no name on the pasture-grounds.
18 He is driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.
19 He hath neither son nor grandson among his people, nor any remaining in the places of his sojourn.
20 They that come after shall be astonished at his day, as they that went before [them] were affrighted.
21 Surely, such are the dwellings of the unrighteous man, and such the place of him that knoweth not ùGod.
1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered,
2 "How long will you hunt for words? Consider, and afterwards we will speak.
3 Why are we counted as animals, Which have become unclean in your sight?
4 You who tear yourself in your anger, Shall the earth be forsaken for you? Or shall the rock be removed out of its place?
5 "Yes, the light of the wicked shall be put out, The spark of his fire shall not shine.
6 The light shall be dark in his tent, His lamp above him shall be put out.
7 The steps of his strength shall be shortened, His own counsel shall cast him down.
8 For he is cast into a net by his own feet, And he wanders into its mesh.
9 A snare shall take him by the heel; A trap shall lay hold on him.
10 A noose is hidden for him in the ground, A trap for him in the way.
11 Terrors shall make him afraid on every side, And shall chase him at his heels.
12 His strength shall be famished, Calamity shall be ready at his side.
13 The members of his body shall be devoured, The firstborn of death shall devour his members.
14 He shall be rooted out of his tent where he trusts. He shall be brought to the king of terrors.
15 There shall dwell in his tent that which is none of his. Sulfur shall be scattered on his habitation.
16 His roots shall be dried up beneath, Above shall his branch be cut off.
17 His memory shall perish from the earth. He shall have no name in the street.
18 He shall be driven from light into darkness, And chased out of the world.
19 He shall have neither son nor grandson among his people, Nor any remaining where he sojourned.
20 Those who come after shall be astonished at his day, As those who went before were frightened.
21 Surely such are the dwellings of the unrighteous, This is the place of him who doesn't know God."
1 Then Bildad the Shuhite made answer and said,
2 How long will it be before you have done talking? Get wisdom, and then we will say what is in our minds.
3 Why do we seem as beasts in your eyes, and as completely without knowledge?
4 But come back, now, come: you who are wounding yourself in your passion, will the earth be given up because of you, or a rock be moved out of its place?
5 For the light of the sinner is put out, and the flame of his fire is not shining.
6 The light is dark in his tent, and the light shining over him is put out.
7 The steps of his strength become short, and by his design destruction overtakes him.
8 His feet take him into the net, and he goes walking into the cords.
9 His foot is taken in the net; he comes into its grip.
10 The twisted cord is put secretly in the earth to take him, and the cord is placed in his way.
11 He is overcome by fears on every side, they go after him at every step.
12 His strength is made feeble for need of food, and destruction is waiting for his falling footstep.
13 His skin is wasted by disease, and his body is food for the worst of diseases.
14 He is pulled out of his tent where he was safe, and he is taken away to the king of fears.
15 In his tent will be seen that which is not his, burning stone is dropped on his house.
16 Under the earth his roots are dry, and over it his branch is cut off.
17 His memory is gone from the earth, and in the open country there is no knowledge of his name.
18 He is sent away from the light into the dark; he is forced out of the world.
19 He has no offspring or family among his people, and in his living-place there is no one of his name.
20 At his fate those of the west are shocked, and those of the east are overcome with fear.
21 Truly, these are the houses of the sinner, and this is the place of him who has no knowledge of God.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Job 18
Commentary on Job 18 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 18
SECOND SERIES.
Job 18:1-21. Reply of Bildad.
2. ye—the other two friends of Job, whom Bildad charges with having spoken mere "words," that is, empty speeches; opposed to "mark," that is, come to reason, consider the question intelligently; and then let us speak.
3. beasts—alluding to what Job said (Job 12:7; so Isa 1:3).
vile—rather from a Hebrew root, "to stop up." "Stubborn," answering to the stupidity implied in the parallel first clause [Umbreit]. Why should we give occasion by your empty speeches for our being mutually reputed, in the sight of Job and one another, as unintelligent? (Job 17:4, 10).
4. Rather, turning to Job, "thou that tearest thyself in anger" (Job 5:2).
be forsaken?—become desolate. He alludes here to Job's words as to the "rock," crumbling away (Job 14:18, 19); but in a different application. He says bitterly "for thee." Wert thou not punished as thou art, and as thou art unwilling to bear, the eternal order of the universe would be disturbed and the earth become desolate through unavenged wickedness [Umbreit]. Bildad takes it for granted Job is a great sinner (Job 8:3-6; Isa 24:5, 6). "Shall that which stands fast as a rock be removed for your special accommodation?"
5. That (Job 18:4) cannot be. The decree of God is unalterable, the light (prosperity) of the wicked shall at length be put out.
his fire—alluding to Arabian hospitality, which prided itself on welcoming the stranger to the fire in the tent, and even lit fires to direct him to it. The ungodly shall be deprived of the means to show hospitality. His dwelling shall be dark and desolate!
6. candle—the lamp which in the East is usually fastened to the ceiling. Oil abounds in those regions, and the lamp was kept burning all night, as now in Egypt, where the poorest would rather dispense with food than the night lamp (Ps 18:28). To put out the lamp was an image of utter desolation.
7. steps of his strength—Hebrew, for "His strong steps." A firm step marks health. To be straitened in steps is to be no longer able to move about at will (Pr 4:12).
his own counsel—Plans shall be the means of his fall (Job 5:13).
8. he walketh upon—rather, "he lets himself go into the net" [Umbreit]. If the English Version be retained, then understand "snare" to be the pitfall, covered over with branches and earth, which when walked upon give way (Ps 9:15; 35:8).
9. robber—rather answering to "gin" in the parallel clause, "the noose shall hold him fast" [Umbreit].
11. Terrors—often mentioned in this book (Job 18:14; 24:17; &c.). The terrors excited through an evil conscience are here personified. "Magor-missabib" (Jer 20:3).
drive … to his feet—rather, "shall pursue" (literally, "scatter," Hab 3:14) him close "at his heels" (literally, "immediately after his feet," Hab 3:5; 1Sa 25:42; Hebrew). The image is that of a pursuing conqueror who scatters the enemy [Umbreit].
12. The Hebrew is brief and bold, "his strength is hungry."
destruction—that is, a great calamity (Pr 1:27).
ready at his side—close at hand to destroy him (Pr 19:29).
13. Umbreit has "he" for "it," that is, "in the rage of hunger he shall devour his own body"; or, "his own children" (La 4:10). Rather, "destruction" from Job 18:12 is nominative to "devour."
strength—rather, "members" (literally, the "branches" of a tree).
the first-born of death—a personification full of poetical horror. The first-born son held the chief place (Ge 49:3); so here the chiefest (most deadly) disease that death has ever engendered (Isa 14:30; "first-born of the poor"—the poorest). The Arabs call fever, "daughter of death."
14. confidence—all that the father trusted in for domestic happiness, children, fortune, &c., referring to Job's losses.
rooted out—suddenly torn away, it shall bring—that is, he shall be brought; or, as Umbreit better has, "Thou (God) shalt bring him slowly." The Hebrew expresses, "to stride slowly and solemnly." The godless has a fearful death for long before his eyes, and is at last taken by it. Alluding to Job's case. The King of terrors, not like the heathen Pluto, the tabled ruler of the dead, but Death, with all its terrors to the ungodly, personified.
15. It—"Terror" shall haunt, &c., and not as Umbreit, "another," which the last clause of the verse disproves.
none of his—It is his no longer.
brimstone—probably comparing the calamity of Job by the "fire of God" (Job 1:16) to the destruction of guilty Sodom by fire and brimstone (Ge 19:24).
16. Roots—himself.
branch—his children (Job 8:12; 15:30; Mal 4:1).
17. street—Men shall not speak of him in meeting in the highways; rather, "in the field" or "meadow"; the shepherds shall no more mention his name—a picture from nomadic life [Umbreit].
18. light … darkness—existence—nonexistence.
19. nephew—(so Isa 14:22). But it is translated "grandson" (Ge 21:23); translate "kinsman."
20. after … before—rather, "those in the West—those in the East"; that is, all people; literally, "those behind—those before"; for Orientals in geography turn with their faces to the east (not to the north as we), and back to the west; so that before—east; behind—north (so Zec 14:8).
day—of ruin (Ob 12).
affrighted—seized with terror (Job 21:6; Isa 13:8).
21. (Job 8:22, Margin).