Job 8:17

_HIS ROOTS ARE WRAPPED ABOUT THE HEAP, AND SEETH THE PLACE OF STONES._ Seeth the place of stones - Hebrew 'the house of stones' - i:e., clambers up to the top of the wall surrounding the garden (Umbreit). The parasite plant, in creeping toward and over the wall-the utmost bound of the garden-is said figuratively to "see" or regard it. Maurer thinks the additional notion is included, that the roots, as being in the midst of a stony place (literally, house of stones, as "banqueting house" - literally, house of wine - Song of Solomon 2:4), do not take fast hold, and can therefore be easily and speedily plucked up, just as is the case with the hypocrite: 'Seeth the house of stones' - i:e., it feels or experiences the stony place....

8-19 Bildad discourses well of hypocrites and evil-doers, and the fatal end of all their hopes and joys. He proves this truth of the destruction of the hopes and joys of hypocrites, by an appeal to former times. Bildad refers to the testimony of the ancients. Those teach best that utter words out of their heart, that speak from an experience of spiritual and divine things. A rush growing in fenny ground, looking very green, but withering in dry weather, represents the hypocrite's profession, which is maintained only in times of prosperity. The spider's web, spun with great skill, but easily swept away, represents a man's pretensions to religion when without the grace of God in his heart. A formal professor flatters himself in his own eyes, doubts not of his salvation, is secure, and cheats the world with his vain confidences. The flourishing of the tree, planted in the garden, striking...

HIS ROOTS ARE WRAPPED ABOUT THE HEAP - There has been great diversity of opinion in the interpretation of this passage. Jerome renders it, “over the heap of stones his roots are condensed.” Walton, “_super fontem_ - over a fountain.” The Septuagint, “he lies down (or sleeps, κοιμᾶται _koimatai_) on a heap of stones; and he lives in the midst of flint-stones.” According to some, the word rendered heap גל _gal_ means a fountain; according to others, it means a heap or pile of stones; according to Dr. Good, it means a rock. According to the view of the former, it refers to the flourishing condition of a hypocrite or sinner, and means that he is like a tree that sends its roots by a fountain, and is nourished by it. According to others, the reference is to the fact that the hypocrite is like a plant that has no depth of earth for its roots, that wraps

EXPOSITION JOB 8:1 THEN ANSWERED BILDAD THE SHUHITE, AND SAID. Bildad the Shuhite has the second place in the passage where Job's friends are first mentioned (Job 2:11), and occupies the same relative position in the dialogue. We may suppose him to have been younger than Eliphaz and older than Zophar. He does little more than repeat the arguments of Eliphaz, stating them, however, more bluntly, and with less of tact and consideration. The chief novelties of his discourse are an appeal to the teaching of past ages (verses 8-10), and the employment of new and forcible metaphors (verses 11-19). JOB 8:2 HOW LONG WILT THOU SPEAK THESE THINGS? An exclamation li

HIS ROOTS ARE WRAPPED ABOUT THE HEAP,.... The heap of stones where the tree stands; it strikes its roots among them, and implicates and twists them about them, and secures itself and grows up notwithstanding them: and this expresses the seeming stable state and condition of hypocrites for a season, who not only flourish, but seem to take root; and who maintain their ground amidst some difficulties; this fitly agrees with and describes such hearers of the word, and professors of religion, comparable to the seed sown on stony ground, Matthew 13:5; [AND] SEETH THE PLACE OF STONES; or, "the house of stones" n; a house built of stones, high and stately; yet this tree rises higher than that, overtops and overlooks it; and is represented as viewing it thoroughly, or looking down upon it, and all around it, being so high and so spreading; the Targum renders it, implic

CHAPTER 8 BILDAD'S ADDRESS _ 1. How long, Job? (Job 8:1)_ 2. Enquire of the former age (Job 8:8) 3. God's dealing with the wicked and the righteous (Job 8:11) Job 8:1. Bildad the Shuhite now speaks to Job. He is less dogmatic than Eliphaz, and less courteous, but more outspoken. He must have lost his patience listening to Job's reply. Especially does he resent what Job had said about God, the insinuations which had fallen from his lips. But we shall see he too follows the logic of Eliphaz, that God punishes Job for his sins. He starts in at once to rebuke Job for what he had said. “How long, Job, wilt thou speak these things? How long shall t

THE WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS. Bildad recalls Job to tradition as enshrined in the proverbs of the fathers (Job 8:8). Authority belongs to the voice of the past (Job 8:9). The respect which our age has for books, each of which is collected from a hundred older ones, a non-literary civilisation has for tradition and usage. Bildad is conscious of his limitation, but ascribes the same also to all others, whom, as mediocrity is wont to do, he holds without hesitation as his equals: a common combination of modesty and unconscious shamelessness (Duhm). With Job 8:11 begin the wise sayings of the ancients. These maxims of the ancient world are clothed in rich and gorgeous similes drawn from the luxuriant plant life of the sultry East (Davidson). It is notewor

THE HEAP. a spring, or fountain, as in Song of Solomon 4:12. Hebrew. _gal._ Plural in Joshua 15:19, &c. SEETH. overlooks: i.e. overtops. PLACE. house....

The moral wisdom of the ancients Bildad, having laid down his moral principle, invites Job to reflect that it is a principle resting on the research and the generalized experience of men of generations long past, whose long lives enabled them to weigh and balance and infer from the multitude of cases the general truth. It is no new theory of his or of the short-lived men of to-day, who are but of yesterday and know nothing. These maxims of the ancient world are clothed in rich and gorgeous similes drawn from the luxuriant plant-life of the sultry East....

HIS ROOTS ARE WRAPPED ABOUT THE HEAP— Heath renders it, _He windeth his roots about a spring; he twisteth himself about a heap of stones._ Houbigant reads it, _he has his roots involved_ or _fixed in a hill; he adheres to the midst of stones;_ by which the writer seems to express the apparent firmness and worldly dependance of the hypocrite. The next verse should be rendered, according to Houbigant, _But when they shall eradicate,_ or _destroy him, his place shall disown him; it shall say, I never saw thee._ See Scheuchzer, tom. 6: p. 29....