Introduction
‘Then Bildad the Shuhite replied: “Dominion and awe belong to God; he establishes order in the heights of heaven. Can his forces be numbered? On whom does his light not rise? How then can a mortal be righteous before God? How can one born of woman be pure? If even the moon is not bright and the stars are not pure in his eyes, how much less a mortal, who is but a maggot—a human being, who is only a worm!” Job 25:1-6
Bildad’s Reply
This is Bildad’s third and final speech and I’m sure you’ve noted it’s only six verses long. The reason for its shortness may simply indicate that Job’s friends have given up on him, Job 32:5. This brief response is the last word job’s three friends had to say.
Bildad once again acknowledges the greatness of God, Hebrews 1:3. He says no one is in a position to oppose God. I’m sure that Job wouldn’t argue with him here. He goes on to illustrate the greatness of God while comparing God’s greatness with the worthlessness of man.
Bildad alternates between heavenly bodies and humanity. He speaks of the vastness of God’s angelic army, these are the heavenly bodies over which God has control, Deuteronomy 4:19 / Deuteronomy 17:3. He speaks of the inability of man to stand before God. He says if the heavenly bodies are not pure, then certainly man is not either!
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘When God viewed the Creation, He beheld everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good, Genesis 1:31. This means that the stars were pure in God’s sight, thus Bildad’s word here is another example of the fact that Job’s friends had not spoken of God the things that were right, Job 42:7.’
Bildad is saying that no man is just before God, and so, it’s a waste of time and sinful for Job to maintain he is righteous. Man is nothing more to God than a maggot and worm, which is a pathetic view of man, Genesis 1:27. It’s possible that Bildad wanted Job to see just how low Job was.
Kline, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Bildad avoids Job’s challenge in the last verse of the previous chapter. Anxious, however, to say something, he repeats some of Eliphaz’s earlier remarks, Job 4:17ff and Job 15:14ff. This inept repetition by Bildad indicates that Job’s philosophical friends have exhausted their resources of wisdom. Bildad’s brief and feeble effort represents their expiring breath. Zophar’s subsequent failure to speak is the silence of the vanquished.’
