Job Expounded, Commentary on Job · Chapter 8
¶ THE SVMME AND ORDER of the 8. Chapter.
BIldad followeth the steppes of Eliphaz, but he reuileth Iob more vnfriendlie, and vseth greater bitternesse of speech: so farre is he from amending that, wherein the other had exceeded measure, albeit otherwise in the thing it selfe, he had not offended. Therefore in the 2. verse, he most bitterlie findeth fault both with Iobs speech and gesture. And in the 3. verse, he wresteth in a most true position, but yet such a one, as very little concerned this present disputation against Iob: and he doeth it with as small wisdome & discretion, as with great pride and confidence. For doth it either argue Iob an hypocrite & wicked man, or charge God with iniustice, if it be said that Iob for his sinnes was not so afflicted by God, (whereas he in the meane time denieth not him selfe to be a sinner, and to hauehave deserued Gods heauy hand vponupon him) but rather prooued & tried by him according to his good pleasure. Yet Bildad goeth on as if he had done very well, and in the 3. verse, in plaine wordes boldly auoucheth, that Iobs children were by Gods iust iudgement destroied with the fall of the house. For by this meanes he thought he might bring Iob into some hope of appeasing Gods wrath (for that he had not suddenly slaine him as he had done them) and therefore in the 5.6.7. verses hee assureth him, as Eliphaz did before, that all things shall go well with him, if he repent. Then generallie he reasoneth of the transitorie felicitie of the wicked and of the sure and permanent happines of the righteous, by verie goodly similitudes; to the wicked verie fitlie but nothing at all agreeing to Job: and this he doth from the 6. verse to the end of the 19. all which he applieth plainlie vntounto Iob, verse 20. and 21.26.
❧ CHAPTER VIII.
1 But Bildad the Suhite answered and said,
2 Howe long wilt thou talke of such thinges, and thy speeches (shall be) as a mightie winde.
BVt Bildad the Suhite hearing these complaintes which Iob made, How long, saieth he, wilt thou talke in this maner, or rather with full wrath send foorth as it were this tempest of wordes.
May it be that God plagueth thee vnworthily without any thy desert; and so leaueth of to bee God, that is, the authour and maintainer of iustice and equitie.
4 If thy sonnes sinned, and he sent them out (that is, expelled and gaue them ouer) into the hande (that is, to the power & arbitriment) of their transgressions.
5 If thou wouldest resort vntounto God earely, (that is, now betimes and earnestly) and make thy prayer to the almightie.
6 If thou wilt be pure and vpright, he will awake ouer thee, and will make the habitation of thy righteousnes, prosperous.
7 And thy beginning shall be small, but that which followeth shall be increased very much.
Albeit, thy children by reason of their sinne against God and for their owne transgressions were stroken with death, and are to suffer iust and deserued punishments, 5. Notwithstanding yf thou shalt spedilie and earnestlie flie vntounto God who hath as yet spared thy life, if I say for standing thus in contention with almightie God, and resisting his fatherly visitation, thou shalt craue pardon and beseech him of merciemercy: 6. and hereafter shalt laboure to leade the rest of thy life in sinceritie and righteounes; he will be moued and awaked by thy praiers and will blesse that thy house and habitation in which thou shalt shewe foorth and make knowne thy virtue and godlines: 7. yea he will soe aboundantlie poure out his blessings vponupon thee, that thy former prosperitie shall seeme nothing comparable to this happie and flourishing estate, which shall follow.
8 For, I pray the, inquire of the first (that is, of the oldest or most auncient) times, and prepare (thy selfe) to search of their fathers.
9 For we are yesterday (that is, are but of yesterday) neither hauehave we any knowledge, seing our daies vpō earth are but a shadow.
10 Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, and vtter the wordes of their hearts.
8 But if so be yow will not beleeue me, goe to search the auncient histories from the beginning of the worlde: and consider what hath happened to those our auncetours and to the men of olde time.
3 Doth God peruert iustice, doth the almightie (I say) subuert the thing that is right?
9 For we are as it were borne but yesterday, and the daies of our passing away like a shadow, we liue in great blindnes and ignorance.
10. But they doubtlesse will teach and instruct thee, yea they wil not hold their peace, but wil bring forth those things which are moste true and certen, out of the storehouse of their heart.
11. Will a bullrush grow without mire: or will grasse grow without water.
12. (While it is) yet in its greenesse, it is not cut downe, but it withereth before any other hearb.
13. So are the pathes of all that forget God and the hope of the vngodly man shall perish.
14. Whose hope is cutt off, and his confidence (is) as the house of a spider.
15. He leaneth vponupon his house, but it doth not stand, he holdeth him fast by it, but it doth not indure.
11. Neuerthelesse I denie not, but that hipocrites florish for a time, and that through Gods singular bountifulnesse, but yet they are like to bulrushes and medow flowers which would neuer growe vnlesse they vvere nourished, the former truly with mire, and the other with water.
12. & 13. But as these plants vvhichwhich so long as they are greene are not gathered, but suffred to grovve, and yet notvvithstanding they vvither of their ovvne accord before other hearbs, & then are cut dovvne; such is the beginning, the proceeding and the end of all that forget God: and euen so all the hope of hipocrits doth vanish avvay and come to nought.
14. Their exspectation is deceiued, againe, I say, their hope is cutt off, & their confidence is vveaker then the spiders vvebbe.
15. For leaning & trusting vponupon their riches vvhichwhich they hauehave layed vp in store at home, in the end they find them to be vaine and transitorie, and, hovvsoeuer he lay holde on them flying from him, yet such is their vveakenes that they can not vphold him from falling.
16. (But) he is green before the sunne, and his braunches sprede them selues ouer his garden.
17. His roots are wrapped nere the fountaine, and he windeth him self about the stonie building.
18. Shall he be taken out of his place, which may denie, sayinge, I hauehave not seene thee?
19. Loe this shall be that ioye of his way, euen out of his moulde shall others growe.
16. But he contrarivvise, (namely, vvho applieth his mind to virtue and godlines) is as a flourishing tree vvhichwhich standing open to the sonne, is so farre from beeing parched or dried with the heat thereof, that thereby it is rather cherished and refreshed in such sort, that it spreadeth it selfe on euerie side in the place where it groweth, and that not in any marish or vnhusbanded ground, but in a faire and pleasant garden. 17. For it being watred with the ouerflowing fountaine of Gods bountifulnes, and the roots thereof deep within the ground surely knitte and folded one within another, spreedeth and twisteth its boughes round about the fountaine vault, being stronglie built with stone. 18. Neither is it to be feared least being violently pulled vp, and caried cleane away no signe nor token thereof shall appeare: as if the place it selfe where it stood should openly denie, that it euer did behold it. 19. And this truly is the goodlie and flourishing estate of him that loueth righteousnes, who euen then when he departeth hence, is in this respect happie, because his verie dust shall liue and growe vp after him.
20. Behold god doth not abhorre an vpright man, neither doeth he take the wicked by the hande.
21. Jn so much that he will fill thy mouth with laughter, and thy lippes with gladnesse.
22. They that hate the shall be clothed with shame, and the dwelling of the vngodlie (shall) not (be)
20. The summe of all that I hauehave saide in effect is thus much, that God neuer reiecteth those who indeauour to liue vprightly, as also that he neuer reacheth out his hand to help the wicked. 21. & 22. Now iudge your selfe, by your owne case, what manner of man you hauehave bene. But if you following our aduertisements, shall repent, there is no cause why you should dispaire. For contrariwise it shall come to passe, that this your mourning shall be turned into mirth, and thy mouth into exceding gladnesse. All thy enimies shall be put to shame, and they that hate thee shall come to confusion.