Job 25

Job 25:1

3. Bildad’s Third Speech (Chap. 25)The last of the speeches of Job’s comforters turns out to be not by Zophar, but by Bildad the Shuhite. Apparently Zophar has depleted his fund of rhetoric. Even Bildad’s speech is very shortthe briefest in the Book of Job: Judging from the brevity of Bildad’s address, and the fact that it contains practically nothing new, it would seem that the friends have exhausted all the arguments that their position permitted them to advance. And this is saying a great deal, for they were men of sober thoughtfulness, with abilities for expression rarely excelled. Their language is noble and elevated, their metaphors of rare beauty and force, but their position and contention were wrong, narrow, and untenable. Since Bildad has apparently finally comprehended that a multitude of words will not help, he only tries to communicate two themes: the greatness of God (vv. 1-3) and the nothingness of man (vv. 4-6). 25:1-3 God possesses dominion and fear, and His armies are without number. 25:4-6 When even the moon and the stars are not pure in God’s sight, what hope is there for man, a mere maggot and worm? Bildad’s words are true and beautifully stated, but they are spoken without love and comfort, and so they have not ministered to Job’s needs.