NOTES for Job 18:1-21

Bildad's speech, delivered in response to Job's accusations, is the best proof that he, like the other two friends taking part in the sufferer's conversation, completely fails to understand what is happening. It is devoted entirely to the same theme of the fate of the wicked (vv. 5-21), which Eliphaz and Zophar have already touched on more than once in the conversation. But Bildad begins his speech with a call to speak thoughtfully and not to become like animals, humiliating one another in their own eyes (vv. 2-3). He is plainly quite sure that Job speaks bitter words only because his sufferings are too great and he cannot restrain himself. He attributes Job's words to anger (v. 4). As we can see, Job was not very mistaken when he accused his friends of hypocrisy.

Of course, in this case we are not dealing with ordinary hypocrisy, when people act hypocritically on purpose. In the situation of Job's friends, it would be more accurate to speak of fear, which keeps a person from seeing what he does not want to see. Job's friends are afraid to admit to themselves that Job may be right, both in his appeals to God and in the harsh words he addresses to them, his friends. The issue is not that they are afraid of being wrong. The issue is that if Job is right, then all their arguments are truly worthless. And then all their religiosity is worthless too, along with the tradition they defend, and indeed their whole life, founded on that religiosity and that tradition. Meanwhile, Job's friends appear to be beginning to understand that all their arguments miss the point.

They already sense that Job may be right about the seriousness of his situation and the light-mindedness of their attitude toward him. And then the last argument comes into play: Job's friends begin to say about him that what he said was spoken in the heat of the moment and without thought, now comforting not so much their suffering friend as themselves. Indeed, is it worth paying attention to words spoken in the heat of pain, offense, or anger? God will not pay attention to such words either; He will not count them against a righteous man. Bildad, as we can see, offers an elegant solution that offends no one: let us consider everything Job said to have been said rashly, out of anger caused by pain and grief, and let us end this pointless argument. Everything is fine. The wicked really will receive from God what they deserve, but Job will not be among them, because he will no longer utter thoughtless speeches or ask God bold questions. Job is righteous, and everything will be fine.