The Shuhite who Defended the Righteousness of God
Bildad was one of the three principal friends who came to mourn with and comfort Job after the profound and catastrophic losses he suffered. His full title, Bildad the Shuhite, identifies him as originating from Shuah, a region possibly named after one of the sons of Abraham by Keturah (Genesis 25:2). He is one of the central figures in the Book of Job, engaging in three rounds of intense debate with the suffering patriarch.
The Appearance of the Comforter
When Bildad first arrived with Eliphaz and Zophar, their initial reaction was one of genuine sympathy and shock at Job’s physical state:
“Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite… So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.” (Job 2:11, 13, KJV)
The Central Argument: Retribution and Justice
Bildad’s arguments are rooted in the ancient and widely accepted principle of retribution: the belief that God governs the world by a strict code where the righteous are rewarded and the wicked are punished. Therefore, he reasoned, Job’s immense suffering could only mean one thing: Job must have sinned grievously.
1. The First Speech (Job 8)
In his first response, Bildad begins by accusing Job of using wind and empty words (Job 8:2). His core argument is a powerful defense of God’s absolute justice. He insists that God is impartial and will not pervert justice:
“Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice? If thy children have sinned against him, and he have cast them away for their transgression; If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty; If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.” (Job 8:3-6, KJV)
Bildad’s words are harsh, suggesting that even Job’s deceased children met a deserved end due to their own wickedness.
2. The Second Speech (Job 18)
After Job protests his innocence, Bildad becomes more aggressive, portraying the fate of the wicked in terrifying detail. He is less concerned with Job’s personal situation and more focused on demonstrating the universal truth of his theology. He describes the wickedness of the ungodly, which he is essentially applying to Job:
“Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine. The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his lamp shall be put out with him.” (Job 18:5-6, KJV)
3. The Third Speech (Job 25)
Bildad’s final speech is the shortest and reveals that his arguments have been exhausted by Job’s persistent defense. He returns to the greatness and holiness of God, asking how a mere man could ever be justified before such a magnificent Being:
“Dominion and fear are with him, he maketh peace in his high places. Is there any number of his armies? and upon whom doth not his light arise? How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?” (Job 25:2-4, KJV)
The Divine Rebuke
While Bildad’s words contained many theological truths about God’s power, his application of these truths to Job was flawed. He failed to consider that suffering can occur for reasons other than personal sin (such as testing or the machinations of Satan).
In the conclusion of the Book of Job, God rebukes Bildad and his two friends for misrepresenting Him:
“And it was so, that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.” (Job 42:7, KJV)
Bildad, along with his friends, was commanded to offer a sacrifice and have Job pray for them, securing their forgiveness and closing the narrative of the great debate.