biblenote.com

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible

Job Ch.8 / 42 Ch.s


JOB:8

* Bildad reproves Job. (1-7) Hypocrites will be destroyed.
(8-19) Bildad applies God's just dealing to Job. (20-22)

#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.

#8-19 Bildad discourses well of hypocrites and evil-doers, and
the fatal end of all their hopes and joys. He proves this truth
of the destruction of the hopes and joys of hypocrites, by an
appeal to former times. Bildad refers to the testimony of the
ancients. Those teach best that utter words out of their heart,
that speak from an experience of spiritual and divine things. A
rush growing in fenny ground, looking very green, but withering
in dry weather, represents the hypocrite's profession, which is
maintained only in times of prosperity. The spider's web, spun
with great skill, but easily swept away, represents a man's
pretensions to religion when without the grace of God in his
heart. A formal professor flatters himself in his own eyes,
doubts not of his salvation, is secure, and cheats the world
with his vain confidences. The flourishing of the tree, planted
in the garden, striking root to the rock, yet after a time cut
down and thrown aside, represents wicked men, when most firmly
established, suddenly thrown down and forgotten. This doctrine
of the vanity of a hypocrite's confidence, or the prosperity of
a wicked man, is sound; but it was not applicable to the case of
Job, if confined to the present world.

#20-22 Bildad here assures Job, that as he was so he should
fare; therefore they concluded, that as he fared so he was. God
will not cast away an upright man; he may be cast down for a
time, but he shall not be cast away for ever. Sin brings ruin on
persons and families. Yet to argue, that Job was an ungodly,
wicked man, was unjust and uncharitable. The mistake in these
reasonings arose from Job's friends not distinguishing between
the present state of trial and discipline, and the future state
of final judgment. May we choose the portion, possess the
confidence, bear the cross, and die the death of the righteous;
and, in the mean time, be careful neither to wound others by
rash judgments, nor to distress ourselves needlessly about the
opinions of our fellow-creatures.