After Job’s reply (ch23-24), Bildad issues one final reply (ch.25). Here’s a translation.
Previously: 1:1-5 | 1:6-12 | 1:13-22 | 2:1-6 | 2:7-13 | 3:1-10 | 3:11-26 | 4 | 5:1-7 | 5:8-27 | 6 | 7 | 8:1-7 | 8:8-22 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13:1-16 | 13:17-14:22 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23-24
Translation:
25:1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered, and he said:
2 “Dominion (lit: to rule) and dread [are] with him,
[Who] makes peace in his high [place].”
3 Is there number to his armies?
And over whom does his light not arise?
4 And what man is righteous with God?
And who is clean, born of woman?
5 Look as far as the moon, and it is not bright;
And the stars, they are not pure in His eyes.
6 Also [is] then a man, a maggot,
And a son of Adam, a worm [?]
Brief thoughts:
- Bildad the blab becomes Bildad the brief. Even the Hebrew sounds clipped, especially verse 6, which literally reads: “Also – then – man – maggot – and – son of Adam – worm” . It’s a far cry from his fulsome words previously (ch8:1-7, 8:8-22, 18)
- Bildad appeals to creation in a way God will do later. But he is not really that interested in defending God’s wisdom, but just pointing out man’s distance from God. The implication is that Job is a human and impossibly separated from God. But perhaps God will show up?
