Job 18:1 Commentary and Bible Study

Chapter 18 appears to be the same, but because of constantly shifting subject of the book, it is not. Bildad picks up Job’s depression and deals with this. He focuses on his inner fears and turmoil of mind. ‘You would not be like this,’ he says, ‘if you weren’t a hypocrite.’ The book is full of imagery, and we must not interpret these in an over-literal way, as if the comforters were only referring to Job’s physical afflictions. Much of what he says in this chapter is referring to Job’s inner experience.Bildad speaks for the second time. His words are more extreme, more entrenched, and he is unwilling to interact fairly with anything that Job has said. Previously he had offered some hope, and mixed warning with encouragements; he had ended his speech on an optimistic note. This time he is more gloomy and overtly condemning of Job. He is stung by the critical words of Job and reacts against them, and his strategy is to defend himself by condemning Job. Job is a hypocrite who vaunts a spirituality he has never possessed, and regards his friends as inferior. His sufferings have now cut him down to size, so that he is finally proved to be one who never knew God (Job 18.21).In Bildad’s estimation Job talks too much and where he would like to see a straightforward admission of fault from Job, he finds instead prolonged discourse and surprising resistance to what seems plain to Bildad. The two plural verbs must be addressed to Job even though it is unusual when spoken to an individual (Barnes). Why can’t Job stop denying the obvious and admit what all around him can see? There is great overconfidence in Bildad. He is convinced that his evaluation is right, especially when all around him are saying the same thing. Job is digging himself ever deeper into self-deception and hypocrisy, and in Bildad’s view this is making it harder and harder for him to recover from his sin. Increased harshness is therefore called for, to jolt Job out of this state.He therefore admonishes Job in blunt terms to get understanding. The reason that he has not profited from what has already been said to him is that he is devoid of right thinking. ‘Mark’, translates the Hebrew verb meaning ‘Understand’, ‘Comprehend’, ‘Consider’. It is an imperfect but has the force of an imperative. It is Bildad’s way of saying, put away your self-confidence and realise that you are confused and in darkness. Not until you have done that will we be in a position to speak with you and get some sensible response out of you. The reason you are so cast down is that you refuse to be truthful with God. Bildad plays back to Job what Job has been saying, and claims this is classic cause of depression.