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The Book of Job

Chapter Nineteen: Job Replies to Bildad

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Job Replies to Bildad

Job: chapter 19
1 Then Job answered and said,

2 How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?
3 These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed that ye make yourselves strange to me.
4 And be it indeed that I have erred, mine error remaineth with myself.
5 If indeed ye will magnify yourselves against me, and plead against me my reproach:
6 Know now that God hath overthrown me, and hath compassed me with his net.
7 Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard: I cry aloud, but there is no judgment.
8 He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he hath set darkness in my paths.
9 He hath stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head.
10 He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and mine hope hath he removed like a tree.
11 He hath also kindled his wrath against me, and he counteth me unto him as one of his enemies.
12 His troops come together, and raise up their way against me, and encamp round about my tabernacle.
13 He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me.
14 My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.
15 They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am an alien in their sight.
16 I called my servant, and he gave me no answer; I intreated him with my mouth.
17 My breath is strange to my wife, though I intreated for the children's sake of mine own body.
18 Yea, young children despised me; I arose, and they spake against me.
19 All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me.
20 My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.
21 Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.
22 Why do ye persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?

23 Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!
24 That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!
25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:
27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.
28 But ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me?
29 Be ye afraid of the sword: for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, that ye may know there is a judgment.

Again, Job's reply is brief. “How long will ye vex my soul” (19:2)? “Ye are not ashamed that ye make yourselves strange to me” (19:3). “And be it indeed that I have erred, mine error remaineth with myself” (19:4).

“If indeed ye will magnify yourselves against me” (19:5), Job begins to describe again his situation as he sees it: “Know now that God hath overthrown me” (19:6), “Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard” (19:7), “He hath stripped me of my glory” (19:9), “He hath destroyed me on every side” (19:10), “His troops come together, and raise up their way against me” (19:12), “He hath put my brethren far from me” (19:13), “My kinsfolk have failed” (19:14), “My breath is strange to my wife” (19:17), “I am escaped with the skin of my teeth” (19:20). Compared to his earlier vehemence, this section seems calm and accepting of the situation. There is no defensiveness or asking why. This isn't directed to God, but to Bildad and his companions. Job says, if you want to despise me, here it is (19:5). He simply asks, ‘Please have some pity’ (19:21).

Part two of verse 17 appears to be poorly translated here, possibly because it is difficult to understand. Beyond her exhortation to “curse God and die” (2:9), we know very little about Job's wife. She has apparently abandoned him, “though I entreated for the children’s sake of mine own body” (19:17). It is hard to fathom what he means by this as the children are assumed to be all dead. Various answers get tendentious. A literal translation might yield, “though I entreated, for the sons of my belly” (NET Bible, footnotes 42 & 43). I believe he is merely saying, ‘because we have had children together’, beyond that he has nothing to offer her at present (Barnes, note to 19:17). One assumes that his wife is also very old, so the mother of his children in the final chapter may be another woman. In this account, we are not told.

I Know that My Redeemer Lives

In this calm, there is a flash of light penetrating the darkness. This needs to be written down in stone and remembered, says Job (19:23-24), I will be justified: “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me” (19:25-27). Before I continue, let me say that there is a great deal of disagreement about this text, especially between Jewish and Christian exegetes. Vicchio suggests, “Any translation of vv. 25-27 will tell us far more about the exegete than it does the Hebrew text (Vicchio 2020, loc. 5032).

For the Christian reader, this is the most astounding revelation. Barnes contains a careful and deliberate analysis of the text and concludes that this is an accurate translation. He does, however, suggest that a less loaded translation is possible, i.e.: ‘I know there will be one to speak for me, even if my flesh is consumed’ (Barnes, notes to 19:25-27). He also includes other objections to the prophesy of Jesus theory, chiefly that Job is redeemed, as far as his present misery is concerned, in the flesh by the end of the book. His conclusion is that if it is not speaking clearly of Jesus, “I can regard it as a most beautiful and triumphant expression of confidence in God, and as wholly worthy to be engraved, as Job desired it might be, in the solid rock forever” (Barnes, notes to 19:27). With Barnes, I see no reason to get dogmatic about this passage. I see in it the clear inspiration of the Holy Spirit speaking to Job. Its application as prophecy is entirely peripheral to the lesson this book has for us.

Where earlier Job asks, “If a man die, shall he live again?” (14:14), he now appears confident that even if he die and his flesh is consumed entirely, yet he shall rise up in the flesh. This is not Job's theology nor the understanding of his day. If this is an acurate translation, this can only be the pure and unadulterated inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Where earlier Job begged for an advocate (9:32-33), in Chapter 17 he claims an advocate in heaven, now he is confident “that my redeemer liveth” and “that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth” (19:25). Jonathan Edwards notes that ‘earth’ in verse 25 is ‘awfawr’, generally translated ‘dust’. “The meaning of this : – Christ will stand over the dust of the dead saints.” He goes on to say that ‘My Redeemer’, “as it was used among the Hebrews signified ‘near kinsman,’, as in Ruth iii.12” (Edwards, 1992, 112). Here is a revelation of higher kinship, and redemption. Clearly it is beyond Job's comprehension as yet. Graciously, God is speaking to Job, to assure him and to encourage him against all of the voices, both those around him and those coming from within him, that are crushing his spirit and seeking to turn him from God.

You May Know Judgment

Job is not in a place where he is ready to reciprocate with much graciousness towards his friends. Justification, is becoming so important to Job, that the significance of what he has just said is lost on him. In verse 28, Job again addresses his friends: “But ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me?” ‘My problem,’ says Job, ‘is between God and myself. If I am justified by God, if my redeemer comes for me, you will have to answer to God for persecuting me.’ Job should be filled with the awe of redemption, he is gloating instead: “Be ye afraid of the sword: for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword” (19:29).

As my pastor likes to say, the cake is not yet done. Job's vision is so fixed on himself that the incredible revelation of resurrection and redemption has made barely a ripple in his demeanor. Contending with God has hardened him. Job's attitude is: I deserve redemption. He is taking on a bunker mentality. As his friends continue to slash at him, Job will pronounce them his enemies and level a curse against them (27:7).

None of us, not even Job, as he will soon discover, are in any position to demand redemption.


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*All Bible quotes are from the King James Version unless otherwise indicated.



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