Job 8:1

1 Then answered <`anah> Bildad <Bildad> the Shuhite <Shuchiy>, and said <'amar>, KJV-Interlinear

1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered, NASB

Eliphaz was the first of the three friends to speak with Job. His name represents the golden jewels of wisdom from the world, resulting from ages of thought and experience. A Temanite, which means southerner, we presume that Eliphaz lived somewhere to the south of Job's home.

Now Bildad takes his turn to speak. Notice that none of these men interrupted when another was speaking. They each took their respective turns to speak. Bildad was listed as the second of the three friends mentioned in the second chapter. His name means, 'son of contention,' or 'Bel has loved.' Bel means, 'wisdom of the distant East.' From this, we presume that Bildad lived east of Job's home.

By the description of his name and apparent residence, Bildad is argumentative in nature. He will repeat or echo the message of Eliphaz, but Bildad will be a little more harsh toward Job.

The chief content of Bildad's comments will be an appeal to the teachings of past ages, that is, the teachings that have been handed down from the elders to younger generations. And since those older folks are still alive, due to the very long life spans of their time, then a person can actually go and ask an older person, a very old older person, what they think about this or that.

Today, you would be very lucky to know your grandparents let alone your great or great-great-great grandparents. But back then, nearly all of the generations from the time of Noah and Shem up until Jobs day, are still alive. You can print off the 'Generations' chart to see the timeline of these folks.

When you are being corrected by someone who does not wish to see the total picture, then their reproofs tend to get stuck on mistakes or flaws which do not actually exist. The principle of mistakes may be a truth but if the mistakes or the errors that are being corrected do not apply, then the whole argument becomes meaningless.

Jobs friends have made the assumption that Job has done something wrong. Just look at him. It is obvious. But in making Job's crime a reality, they have to make the facts fit it. So through the process of selective analysis, that is selecting only those facts that make their argument stick, these three friends will try to prove Jobs guilt, and they will try to convince Job of his guilt.

Bildad will rake Job over the coals in the first part of the chapter, and then he will give Job a brief positive word at the end of the chapter, to cheer him up.

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