Verses 1-6

Bildad's Last Speech

He ignores Job's questionings respecting the justice of God's rule, but declares His perfection and majesty, and the imperfection of all created things, repeating the theme of the first cycle.

2. With him] i.e. with God. He maketh peace, etc.] He keeps in order the hosts of heaven: cp. Isaiah 24:21; Daniel 10:13.

3. Armies] e.g. the angels and the elements.

4. Justified with God] RM 'just before God'; a rebuke to Job's presumption: cp. Job 4:17; Job 15:14.

5a. RV 'Behold, even the moon hath no brightness'; i.e. in the presence of God's glory.

With this chapter the speeches of the three friends, according to their present allocation, come to an end, for it will be observed that Zophar, the third speaker, offers no reply. It is probable, however, that, as already pointed out, Job 27:7-23 are his concluding words. If the present arrangement is correct, we may perhaps infer that they came to the conclusion that they and Job regarded the whole question from different and irreconcilable standpoints, and that further argument was useless. Or the poet may intend to suggest by Bildad's brief speech and Zophar's silence that they felt their case to be exhausted. Indeed, (in Job 32:1) Elihu regards the friends as practically acknowledging themselves worsted in the debate.