job 7 and 8

Read Job 7 and 8 at Bible Gateway.

The Hebrew paragraph divisions for each man’s speech is like the divisions in the Psalms that we studied in 2014. There is an understood {s} division at the end of each numbered line, with an {n} marking where a new line begins within a numbered line.

Job 7:1-8:22 {s} Division at the end of each numbered line; with these {n} divisions within lines:
Job 7:4a, When I lie down, I say, ‘When shall I arise,’ but the night is long; {n}
Job 7:11a, “Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; {n}
Job 7:20a, If I have sinned, What have I done to You, O watcher of men? {n}
Job 7:21a, Why then do You not pardon my transgression, And take away my iniquity? {n}

Outline of Job’s speech:

Job 6:1-7, Job: My grief is heavier than I can bear;
Job 6:8-13, My only comfort is that I have not denied the words of the Holy One;
Job 6:14-23, A man’s friends ought to comfort him, not be like dry river beds;
Job 6:24-30, Show me my error, and I will be silent. You cannot, because there is none!
Job 7:1-6, The futility of my days;
Job 7:8-10, My life a breath;
Job 7:11-21, Who am I, that You have targeted me?

Job maintains his innocence, and is in bitterness of soul and ready to die because of the severity of his affliction. He does not charge God with wrong, but does ask Him, Who am I, that You are doing this to me? A legitimate question. We know that he was targeted by Satan because of his integrity; Job does not know that, however.

Next Bildad has a go at encouraging him, and his speech has some merit. He doesn’t realize it, but he prophesies Job’s latter end, when he says. “Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would increase abundantly,” (Job 8:7). This reveals something about wisdom … properly applied wisdom can function prophetically, because truth is universal — it applies across times and cultures and circumstances.

Bildad’s speech forms a reverse parallelism:

1a) Job 8:1-7, God who does not pervert justice will prosper your rightful dwelling place;

1) Job 8:3-4, Does God subvert judgment or pervert justice?
2) Job 8:5-6a, Surely He will awake for you;
3) Job 8:6b-7, And prosper your rightful dwelling place;

1b) Job 8:8-13, Papyrus grows green but withers like those who forget God;

1) Job 8:8-12, Papyrus withers while it is still green;
2) Job 8:13, So are the paths of all who forget God, and the hope of the hypocrite shall perish;

2b) Job 8:14-19, The hypocrite grows green but will perish from his place;

1) Job 8:14-18, The hypocrite likewise grows green and spreads, but his trust has no substance;
2) Job 8:19, This is the joy of His way, and out of the earth others will grow;

2a) Job 8:20-22, God who does not uphold evildoers will bring to nothing the dwelling place of the wicked;

1) Job 8:20, God will not cast away the blameless nor uphold evildoers;
2) Job 8:21, He will yet fill your mouth with laughing + lips with rejoicing;
3) Job 8:22, The dwelling place of the wicked will come to nothing.

For further reading:

The Remarkable Record of Job by Dr. Henry Morris (audio)
The Remarkable Record of Job by Dr. Henry Morris (book)