Job 8:1 — Word Study
WLCוַ֭יַּעַן בִּלְדַּ֥ד הַשּׁוּחִ֗י וַיֹאמַֽר׃
BSAThen BildadBildad [answered, spoke up, one of Job's friends, a confidant] the ShuhiteShûwchîy [a descendant of Shuach, from the Shuah area] repliedʻânâh▸ [responded, made answer, said]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַ֭יַּעַן | and he answered | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
| בִּלְדַּ֥ד | Bildad | Noun proper masculine |
| הַשּׁוּחִ֗י | the Shuhite | Particle, noun gentilic masculine singular absolute |
| וַיֹאמַֽר׃ | and he said | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Then Bildad the Shuhite replied: |
| KJV | Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said, |
| ASV | Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said, |
| YLT | And Bildad the Shuhite answereth and saith: — |
| WEB | Then Bildad the Shuhite answered, |
| BBE | Then Bildad the Shuhite made answer and said, |
All translations agree on the rendering of Bildad's response in this verse.
The sentence has a clear main clause followed by subordinate phrases that define the subject and action.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, AdamClarke & more — read them ›
clause
verbעָנָה
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Job 8:1
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Dialogue of Jobgenerated
Job 8:1 introduces Bildad's response to Job's lament. Bildad, one of Job's friends, attempts to provide comfort but instead challenges Job's understanding of his suffering. This moment highlights the tension between Job's experience and the traditional beliefs about divine justice, as seen in the subsequent verses where Bildad questions the righteousness of God in relation to Job's situation.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 2:11 | Now when Job’s three friends—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite—heard about all this adversity that had come upon him, each of them came from his home, and they met together to go and sympathize with Job and comfort him. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — עָנָה, Vai.ya.'angenerated
The Hebrew verb עָנָה (*anah*) is built from a primitive root meaning to heed or pay attention. It covers a range of meanings including to answer, respond, testify, and sing. In this context, it signifies Bildad's act of responding to Job's words, indicating a verbal engagement with Job's lament.
The parsing as a sequential imperfect third person masculine singular shows that Bildad is actively engaging in the conversation, responding in real time to Job's previous statements. This reflects the dynamic nature of the dialogue, where each character's responses build upon the last.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verbs יַּעַן and יֹאמַר govern the sentence, with Bildad as the subject. The structure indicates a direct response from Bildad, emphasizing his role in the conversation.
The sentence follows a straightforward subject-verb-object order, typical in Hebrew prose, which keeps the focus on Bildad's reply as a critical moment in the dialogue.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates the verb עָנָה as ὑπολαβὼν (hypolabōn), meaning 'having answered' or 'having taken up'. This choice implies a more active engagement by Bildad, suggesting he is not merely responding but also taking initiative in the discussion.
This translation reflects a slight interpretative shift, emphasizing Bildad's role as an active participant in the dialogue rather than just a passive responder.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 8:1 shows Bildad the Shuhite replying to Job after Job's lament. Bildad is one of Job's friends who tries to engage in the conversation about Job's suffering, but his response challenges Job's perspective.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Bildad is one of Job's friends who comes to comfort him during his suffering, known for his complex name meaning 'confusing love'.
Bildad's response indicates his belief in the traditional understanding of divine justice and his challenge to Job's lament.
Bildad's reply adds tension to the dialogue, as it contrasts with Job's experience of suffering and his questioning of God's justice.
The dialogue in Job serves to explore themes of suffering, justice, and the nature of God, as friends attempt to provide explanations for Job's plight.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What can we learn from Bildad's approach to Job's suffering?
- How do our responses to others' pain reflect our understanding of justice?
- In what ways can we engage in difficult conversations with friends who are suffering?
- What does this dialogue teach us about the complexities of friendship during times of crisis?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentators reference this verse to discuss the nature of justice and friendship, as seen in the quotations from Ephrem the Syrian and John Chrysostom.
So Bildad the Shuhite reproached Job because he thought that the words that Job had said for the sake of truth and justice were, in fact, spoken out of arrogance and disdain.Early Church Fathers on Job 8 →
Bildad says, “be unjust in his judgments, or will he who has created everything overturn what is just?” Observe what he means: justice accompanies the Creator.Early Church Fathers on Job 8 →
Then answered Bildad, the Shuhite, and said, How long wilt thou speak these things? and how long shall the breath of the words of thy mouth be multiplied? To the unrighteous the words of the righteous are ever grievous,Early Church Fathers on Job 8 →
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 8:1 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThen answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said. This was the second of Job's friends that came to visit him, Job 2:11; and is mentioned next to Eliphaz there, and takes his turn in this controversy in
Read John Gill on Job 8 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThen answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said, No JFB commentary on this verse.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 8 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 8:1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,Ver. 1. Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said] Bildad (who was of the posterity of Shuah, Abraham’ s son by Keturah, Genesis 24:1-2) interrupteth Job, and endeavours to maintain what Eliphaz had spoken; nevertheless, it appeareth by this chapter, Job 8:5-6; Job 8:20-21, that his opinion was not so rigid as that of Eliphaz: for he grants that a righteous man may be afflicted, but yet so, that if God restore him not speedily, he may be censured, cast, and condemned as unrighteous. He passeth (as they do all) some hard censures upon Job; and is paid in his own coin by him; who saith that he was, according to his name, a wicked kinsman…
Read John Trapp on Job 8 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleCHAPTER VIII Bildad answers, and reproves Job for his justifying himself, 1, 2. Shows that God is just, and never punishes but for iniquity; and intimates that it was on account of their sins that his children were cut off, 3, 4. States that, if Job would humble himself to the Almighty, provided he were innocent, his captivity would soon be turned, and his latter end be abundantly prosperous, 5-7. Appeals to the ancients for the truth of what he says; and draws examples from the vegetable world, to show how soon the wicked may be cut off, and the hope of the hypocrite perish, 8-19. Asserts that God never did cast of a perfect man nor help the wicked; and that, if Job be innocent, his end…
Read AdamClarke on Job 8 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges1–7. The discriminating rectitude of God 2. Before coming to his principle and by way of introducing it Bildad expresses his wonder that Job should allow himself to speak such things as his discourse contained. These things are such things as ch. Job 6:29, Job 7:1-2; Job 7:12-21, and perhaps even ch. Job 6:10. He refers to the general drift of Job’s speech, which appears to him to be an assertion that God was unjust (Job 8:3). a strong wind] Violent, and empty, cf. ch. Job 15:2, Job 16:3.
Read Cambridge on Job 8 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThen answered Bildad the Shuhite - ; see the notes at Job 2:11.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 8 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the BibleBILDAD’S FIRST ADDRESS.1. Answered Bildad — The structure of his address and the doctrine he maintains do not differ essentially from those of Eliphaz. He, too, sees in affliction the stern features of retribution.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 8 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Then Bildad the Shuhite replied:
Then Bildad the Shuhite answered,
Then Bildad the Shuhite replied:
Then Bildad the Shuhite spoke up and said:
Tyndale line
Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,
Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,
Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,
Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,
Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and saide,
Strictly literal
And Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,
And Bildad the Shuhite answereth and saith: —
And Bildad the Shuhite answers and says:
Then answered Bildad the Shuchite, and said,
Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,
From the Latin
The Baldad the Suhite answered, and said:
Simplified
Then Bildad the Shuhite spoke up and said,
Then Bildad the Shuhite made answer and said,
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the wording of this verse, with all four words matched. The Septuagint's translation follows the Hebrew closely, maintaining the same meaning and context.
וַ֭יַּעַן בִּלְדַּ֥ד הַשּׁוּחִ֗י וַיֹאמַֽר׃
4 of the 4 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Job 8:1
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word עָנָה (*anah*) is built from a primitive root meaning to heed or pay attention, covering a range of meanings including to answer, respond, testify, and sing. It appears in contexts where one responds to speech or circumstances, and can also refer to singing. The lexicons indicate that it can imply both verbal responses and musical expression.
[עוּן] vb. dwell
base
עָנָה 316 vb. answer, respond
Qal
answer, respond to sthg. said, actual or implied
respond to an occasion, speak in view of circumstances
money meets all demands
specif. respond as a witness, testify
less oft. make response as one accused (respondent)
Niph.
make answer
be answered
Hiph. wholly dub.; causes all things to respond in the joy of his heart
base
עָנָה vb. sing
Qal sing, utter tunefully
Pi. sing sweetly of it
base
H6030a עוּן dwell H6030b עָנָה answer, respond .. answer, respond to sthg. said, actual or implied
. . respond to an occasion, speak in view of circumstances
. money meets all demands
. . specif. respond as a witness, testify
. less oft. make response as one accused (respondent)
. . make answer
. be answered
. wholly dub.; causes all things to respond in the joy of his heart
H6030c עָנָה sing
6030 `anah aw-naw'
a primitive root; properly, to eye or (generally) to heed,
i.e. pay attention; by implication, to respond; by extens. to
begin to speak; specifically to sing, shout, testify,
announce:--give account, afflict (by mistake for 6031),
(cause to, give) answer, bring low (by mistake for 6031), cry,
hear, Leannoth, lift up, say, X scholar, (give a) shout, sing
(together by course), speak, testify, utter, (bear) witness.
See also 1042, 1043.
see HEBREW for 06031
see HEBREW for 06031
see HEBREW for 01042
see HEBREW for 01043
עוּן (un) — to dwell.
(Qal) to dwell
עָנָה (a.nah) — to answer.
1) to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to answer, respond to
1a2) to testify, respond as a witness
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to make answer
1b2) to be answered, receive answer
Aramaic equivalent: a.nah (עֲנָה "to answer" H6032)
עָנָה (a.nah) — to sing.
(Qal) to sing, utter tunefully
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqw3ms
בִּלְדַּד (bil-dad) refers to Bildad, one of Job's friends in the Old Testament, specifically mentioned in Job 2:11. The name is associated with the idea of 'confusing love' and is noted as having an uncertain derivation. He is recognized as the second friend who engages with Job during his trials.
בִּלְדַּד n.pr.m. 2nd friend of Job
base
H1085 בִּלְדַּד
1085 Bildad bil-dad'
of uncertain derivation; Bildad, one of Job's
friends:--Bildad.
בִּלְדַּד (bil.dad) — Bildad.
A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Job.2.11
§ Bildad = "confusing (by mingling) love"
the second friend of Job
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
bil'-dad (bildadh, "Bel has loved"): The second of the three friends of Job who, coming from distant regions, make an appointment together to condole with and comfort him in his affliction (Job 2:11). He is from Shuah, an unknown place somewhere in the countries East and Southeast of Palestine (or the designation Shuhite may be intended to refer to his ancestor Shuah, one of Abraham's sons by Keturah, Ge 25:2), and from his name (compounded with Bel, the name of a Babylonian deity) would seem to represent the wisdom of the distant East. His three speeches are contained in Job 8; 18; For substance they are largely an echo of what Eliphaz has maintained, but charged with somewhat increased vehemence (compare Job 8:2; 18:3,4)…
Bildad
Son of contention, one of Job’s friends. He is called “the Shuhite,” probably as belonging to Shuah, a district in Arabia, in which Shuah, the sixth son of Abraham by Keturah, settled (Gen. 25:2). He took part in each of the three controversies into which Job’s friends entered with him (Job 8:1; 18:1; 25:1), and delivered three speeches, very severe and stern in their tone, although less violent than those of Zophar, but more so than those of Eliphaz.
(son of contention), the second of Job’s three friends. He is called "the Shuhite," which implies both his family and nation. (Job 2:11) (B.C. about 2000.)
A descendant of Abraham by Keturah, Ge 25:1,2. Shuah and his brethren were located in Arabia Petraea; and thus Bildad the Shuhite was a neighbor and friend of Job, and came to condole with him in his affliction, Job 2:11; 8:1-22; 18:1-21; 25:1-6. His chief topics are the suddenness, swiftness, and terribleness of God’s wrath upon hypocrites and oppressors.
שׁוּחִי (Shuchiy) refers to a Shuhite, a descendant of Shuach, and is primarily associated with Bildad, a character in the Book of Job. The term is derived from the root word for Shuach, which means 'wealth.' It is used as an ethnic designation in the context of Job 2:1.
שׁוּחִי, שֻׁחִי adj.gent.
base
H7747 שׁוּחִי, שֻׁחִי
7747 Shuchiy shoo-khee'
patronymic from 7744; a Shuchite or descendant of
Shuach:--Shuhite.
see HEBREW for 07744
שׁוּחִי (shu.chi) — Shuhite.
Someone descended from Shuh(?), first mentioned at Job.2.1
§ Shuhite, of Shua "wealth"
an ethnic appellative applied only to Bildad, the friend of Job
Art | Ngmsa — Particle · noun gentilic masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ngmsa
shoo'-hit (shuchi): Cognomen of Bildad, one of Job's friends (Job 2:11; 8:1; 18:1; 25:1; 42:9). The place referred to cannot be definitely located.
See BILDAD; SHUAH.
Shuhite
A designation of Bildad (Job 2:11), probably because he was a descendant of Shuah.
(decendant of Shuah). This ethnic appellative "Shuhite" is frequent in the book of Job, but only as the apithet of one person, Bildad The local indications of this book point to a region on the western side of Chaldea, bordering on Arabia; and exactly in this locality, above Hit and on both sides of the Euphrates, are found, in the Assyrian inscriptions, the Tsahi , a powerful people. It is probable that these were the Shuhites.
אָמַר (amar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to promise, command, or even boast. It appears in various forms, such as in the Qal (to say), Niphal (to be told), and Hiphil (to avow). The entries highlight its versatility in both spoken and internal contexts, though no specific verse is noted.
אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say
Qal
Say
Say in the heart (= think)
Promise
Command (esp. late)
Niph. be said, told
Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)
Hithp. act proudly, boast
base
H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say
. Say in the heart (= think)
. Promise
. Command (esp. late)
. be said, told
. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)
. act proudly, boast
559 'amar aw-mar'
a primitive root; to say (used with great
latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call,
certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment),
commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X
expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise,
publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X
suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech),
utter, X verily, X yet.
אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.
1) to say, speak, utter
1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend
1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called
1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly
1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch
Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)
Hc/Vqw3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqw3ms