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Job 25 · a question people ask

Why is Bildad's speech so short?

In the text

The book doesn't say. What it gives is its headings. Bildad's speech runs from "Then Bildad the Shuhite answered" (25:1) to 25:6, and the next heading is "Then Job answered" (26:1). After that come "Job again took up his parable, and said" (27:1) and the same words again (29:1), until "The words of Job are ended" (31:40). Bildad's is the last heading in the book that names one of the three friends. Then the book says, "So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes" (32:1). The book gives no reason for the length of any speech. Readers explain the shortness of this one in more than one way. These notes keep to the book's headings, and don't decide.

The verses

“Then Bildad the Shuhite answered,”
Job 25:1 · World English Bible
“Then Job answered,”
Job 26:1 · World English Bible
“Job again took up his parable, and said,”
Job 27:1 · World English Bible
“Job again took up his parable, and said,”
Job 29:1 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of Job 25

Job 25: How can man be just with God?

Bildad's "How then can man be just with God?" (25:4) is Job's own question from chapter 9 in the same five Hebrew words (9:2). And his "man, who is a worm" (25:6) uses two different Hebrew words for worm, which stand together in only one other verse of the Hebrew Bible, Isaiah 14:11.

In Favor, questions like this come up right where they arise as you read, with the Hebrew and Greek behind the words and how the chapter leads to Jesus.

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions