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Bildad sharply reproves Job, as proud and impatient, ver. 1 - 4.
And enlarges on the misery of the wicked, ver. 5 - 12.
2: Ye - Thou, O Job; of whom he speaks here, as also ver.(3),
in the plural number, as was a common idiotism of the Eastern
language, to speak thus of one person, especially where he was
one of eminency. Mark - Consider the matter better.
3: Beasts - Ignorant, and stupid men, (Job 17:4,10).
4: He - Job. Thou art thy own tormentor. Forsaken - Shall God
give over the government of the earth for thy sake, to prevent thy
complaints and clamours? Shall the counsels of God, which are more
immoveable than rocks, and the whole course of his providence be
altered to comply with thy humours?
7: Steps - His strong steps, by a vulgar Hebraism: his attempts
and actions; such of them as seem to be contrived with greatest
strength of understanding, and carried on with greatest resolution.
Straitened - Shall be hindered and entangled. He shall be cast into
difficulties and perplexities, so that he shall not be able to proceed,
and to accomplish his enterprizes.
8: Feet - By his own designs and actions.
13: First - born - A terrible kind of death. The first - born was
the chief of his brethren, and therefore this title is given to
things eminent in their kind.
14: Confidence - All the matter of his confidence, his riches, and
children. Terrors - To death, which even Aristotle called, The most
terrible of all terribles. And this it will do, either because it will
expose him to his enemies, who will kill him; or because the sense of
his disappointments, and losses, and dangers, will break his heart.
15: It - Destruction, expressed ver.(12), shall fix its abode
with him. Because - Because it is none of his own, being got from
others by deceit or violence. Brimstone - It shall be utterly destroyed,
as it were, by fire and brimstone. He seems to allude both to the
destruction of Sodom, which happened not long before these times,
and to the judgment which befel Job, (Job 1:16).
18: Darkness - From a prosperous life to disgrace and misery, and to
the grave, the land of darkness.
20: Astonied - At the day of his destruction. They shall be amazed
at the suddenness, and dreadfulness of it. Before - Before the persons
last mentioned. Those who lived in the time and place where this judgment
was inflicted.
21: The place - The condition.
