Job 8:20

BILDAD'S FINAL THRUST AT JOB

"Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man,

Neither will he uphold the evil-doers.

He will yet fill thy mouth with laughter,

And thy lips with shouting.

They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame;

And the tent of the wicked shall be no more."

"God will not cast away a perfect man" (Job 8:20). Bildad's assertion here makes him the precursor of those who mocked Jesus on the Cross using this same logic: `He trusts in God; let God deliver him' (Matthew 27:43)."[18]

"Neither will he uphold the evil-doers" (Job 8:20). The Anchor Bible translates this, "Nor grasp the hand of evil doers." However, that does not alter the meaning.

"He will yet fill thy mouth with laughter" (Job 8:21). This should be interpreted in the light of those tremendous Ifs that stand at the head of the chapter. Bildad means that all of this joy and laughter will come to Job, only IF he will repent, confess his wickedness, and pray to God.

"Bildad's tragic mistake lay in this, that he thought his commonplace utterances were sufficient to explain all the mysteries of life."[19] "When we know about the sufferings of Jesus, our despair and perplexity can never approach that which befell Job."[20]