Job — Chapter 18

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1Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,

2How long will it be ere ye make an end of words? mark, and afterwards we will speak.

3Wherefore are we counted as beasts, and reputed vile in your sight?

4He teareth himself in his anger: shall the earth be forsaken for thee? and shall the rock be removed out of his place?

5Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine.

6The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him.

7The steps of his strength shall be straitened, and his own counsel shall cast him down.

8For he is cast into a net by his own feet, and he walketh upon a snare.

9The gin shall take him by the heel, and the robber shall prevail against him.

10The snare is laid for him in the ground, and a trap for him in the way.

11Terrors shall make him afraid on every side, and shall drive him to his feet.

12His strength shall be hungerbitten, and destruction shall be ready at his side.

13It shall devour the strength of his skin: even the firstborn of death shall devour his strength.

14His confidence shall be rooted out of his tabernacle, and it shall bring him to the king of terrors.

15It shall dwell in his tabernacle, because it is none of his: brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation.

16His roots shall be dried up beneath, and above shall his branch be cut off.

17His remembrance shall perish from the earth, and he shall have no name in the street.

18He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.

19He shall neither have son nor nephew among his people, nor any remaining in his dwellings.

20They that come after him shall be astonied at his day, as they that went before were affrighted.

21Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knoweth not God.

1Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,

2How long will ye hunt for words? Consider, and afterwards we will speak.

3Wherefore are we counted as beasts, [And] are become unclean in your sight?

4Thou that tearest thyself in thine anger, Shall the earth be forsaken for thee? Or shall the rock be removed out of its place?

5Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, And the spark of his fire shall not shine.

6The light shall be dark in his tent, And his lamp above him shall be put out.

7The steps of his strength shall be straitened, And his own counsel shall cast him down.

8For he is cast into a net by his own feet, And he walketh upon the toils.

9A gin shall take [him] by the heel, [And] a snare shall lay hold on him.

10A noose is hid for him in the ground, And a trap for him in the way.

11Terrors shall make him afraid on every side, And shall chase him at his heels.

12His strength shall be hunger-bitten, And calamity shall be ready at his side.

13The members of his body shall be devoured, [Yea], the first-born of death shall devour his members.

14He shall be rooted out of his tent where he trusteth; And he shall be brought to the king of terrors.

15There shall dwell in his tent that which is none of his: Brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation.

16His roots shall be dried up beneath, And above shall his branch be cut off.

17His remembrance shall perish from the earth, And he shall have no name in the street.

18He shall be driven from light into darkness, And chased out of the world.

19He shall have neither son nor son`s son among his people, Nor any remaining where he sojourned.

20They that come after shall be astonished at his day, As they that went before were affrighted.

21Surely such are the dwellings of the unrighteous, And this is the place of him that knoweth not God.

1Then Bildad the Shuhite answered:

2“How long until you make an end of words? You must consider, and then we can talk.

3Why should we be regarded as beasts, and considered stupid in your sight?

4You who tear yourself to pieces in your anger, will the earth be abandoned for your sake? Or will a rock be moved from its place?

5“Yes, the lamp of the wicked is extinguished; his flame of fire does not shine.

6The light in his tent grows dark; his lamp above him is extinguished.

7His vigorous steps are restricted, and his own counsel throws him down.

8For he has been thrown into a net by his feet, and he wanders into a mesh.

9A trap seizes him by the heel; a snare grips him.

10A rope is hidden for him on the ground, and a trap for him lies on the path.

11Terrors frighten him on all sides and dog his every step.

12Calamity is hungry for him, and misfortune is ready at his side.

13It eats away parts of his skin; the most terrible death devours his limbs.

14He is dragged from the security of his tent, and marched off to the king of terrors.

15Fire resides in his tent; over his residence burning sulfur is scattered.

16Below his roots dry up, and his branches wither above.

17His memory perishes from the earth he has no name in the land.

18He is driven from light into darkness and is banished from the world.

19He has neither children nor descendants among his people, no survivor in those places he once stayed.

20People of the west are appalled at his fate; people of the east are seized with horror, saying,

21‘Surely such is the residence of an evil man; and this is the place of one who has not known God.’”

1Then Bildad the Shuhite answered,

2“How long will you hunt for words? Consider, and afterwards we will speak.

3Why are we counted as animals, which have become unclean in your sight?

4You who tear yourself in your anger, shall the earth be forsaken for you? Or shall the rock be removed out of its place?

5“Yes, the light of the wicked shall be put out, The spark of his fire shall not shine.

6The light shall be dark in his tent. His lamp above him shall be put out.

7The steps of his strength shall be shortened. His own counsel shall cast him down.

8For he is cast into a net by his own feet, and he wanders into its mesh.

9A snare will take him by the heel. A trap will catch him.

10A noose is hidden for him in the ground, a trap for him on the path.

11Terrors shall make him afraid on every side, and shall chase him at his heels.

12His strength shall be famished. Calamity shall be ready at his side.

13The members of his body shall be devoured. The firstborn of death shall devour his members.

14He shall be rooted out of the security of his tent. He shall be brought to the king of terrors.

15There shall dwell in his tent that which is none of his. Sulfur shall be scattered on his habitation.

16His roots shall be dried up beneath. Above shall his branch be cut off.

17His memory shall perish from the earth. He shall have no name in the street.

18He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.

19He shall have neither son nor grandson among his people, nor any remaining where he lived.

20Those who come after shall be astonished at his day, as those who went before were frightened.

21Surely such are the dwellings of the unrighteous. This is the place of him who doesn’t know God.”

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
Videos
Reflection

Summary

Bildad's second speech — offended by Job's words, he delivers a grim portrait of the fate of the wicked: their light goes out, they are trapped, terrors assail them, and they are forgotten.

Authorship & Background

Author: Unknown. Candidates include Job himself, Moses, Solomon, or an anonymous sage. Likely the oldest book in the Bible by setting (patriarchal era, approximately 2000-1800 BC), though the date of composition is debated. The book addresses the problem of innocent suffering and God's sovereignty. Key themes: Why do the righteous suffer? Is God just? Can faith survive without answers? The inadequacy of simplistic theology ('you suffer because you sinned'). God's sovereignty transcends human understanding. True worship says 'Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him' (13:15).
Historical Context: Chapter 18 is Bildad's second speech and demonstrates the deterioration of the dialogue. Where his first speech at least contained an "if... then" conditional (if you are pure, God will restore you — 8:6), his second speech is pure condemnation with no conditions. He describes the fate of the wicked in elaborate, poetic detail (vv.5-21) and the portrait clearly points at Job. The entire speech is a description of judgment without a single word of encouragement or hope. Bildad has moved from "perhaps you have sinned" to "here is what happens to wicked people like you." There is no comfort offered, no path to restoration suggested — only a catalogue of horrors that Bildad believes Job is experiencing because of wickedness.
Bildad's Irritation (vv.1-4): Bildad is offended. "How long will it be ere ye make an end of words?" (v.2) — Job talks too much. "Wherefore are we counted as beasts?" (v.3) — Job's earlier comment about animals knowing God's sovereignty (12:7) apparently stung. "He teareth himself in his anger: shall the earth be forsaken for thee?" (v.4) — Bildad accuses Job of destroying himself with anger and expecting the universe to rearrange for his benefit. This is projection: Bildad cannot handle being challenged, so he accuses Job of self-destructive pride.
The Elaborate Fate of the Wicked (vv.5-21): Bildad delivers an extended poem on the wicked man's destruction. His light is extinguished (vv.5-6). His steps are shortened; his own schemes bring him down (vv.7-8). He is caught in nets, snares, and traps on every side (vv.8-10). Terrors chase him (v.11). His strength wastes away; calamity waits (v.12). Disease devours his skin — "the firstborn of death" (v.13). He is torn from his tent and brought to "the king of terrors" (v.14). His dwelling is scattered with brimstone (v.15). His roots dry up, his branches wither (v.16). His memory perishes, his name vanishes (v.17). He is driven from light to darkness, from the world entirely (v.18). He has no offspring, no survivor (v.19). The conclusion: "Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knoweth not God" (v.21).
Every detail of Bildad's description corresponds to something in Job's experience: loss of children (v.19), disease consuming skin (v.13), loss of home and dwelling (v.15), isolation (v.18). This is not generic theology — it is a deliberate portrait of Job.

Map & Geography

  • No specific geographic locations are referenced in this chapter.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik observes that Bildad's speech is entirely destructive — no hope, no conditions, no path to restoration. He has abandoned even the pretense of counsel. His elaborate description of the wicked man's fate is crafted to mirror Job's experience point by point: skin disease, loss of children, isolation, approaching death. Bildad is essentially saying "this is you, Job" without having the honesty to say it directly. The indirectness makes it more cruel, not less.
  • Charles Spurgeon: "Bildad paints a horrifying picture and then hangs it on Job's wall. He describes the fate of the wicked in vivid colors — nets, traps, disease, death, brimstone, oblivion — and every stroke of the brush matches something in Job's experience. This is not preaching truth; this is wielding truth as a weapon. There is a world of difference between declaring what happens to the wicked and telling a suffering man 'this is happening to you because you are wicked.' Bildad cannot prove the latter, so he implies it through poetry."

Videos

The Bible Project — Job Overview

Reflection

  • 1. When "preaching" becomes personal attack (vv.5-21). Bildad never says "you, Job, are wicked." He describes "the wicked" in terms that exactly match Job's situation. This is cowardly accusation — condemning without taking responsibility for the condemnation. Watch for this pattern in your own speech: are you "teaching general principles" that are actually aimed at a specific person?
  • 2. Not all suffering fits the pattern (v.21). Bildad's description of the wicked man's fate is true in some cases — some people DO experience consequences of their sin. But it is not universal. Some righteous people experience the same outward circumstances for completely different reasons. Outward appearance does not reveal inner spiritual reality.
  • 3. "Shall the earth be forsaken for thee?" (v.4). Bildad implies Job is arrogant for expecting God to operate differently. But questioning does not require answers that rewrite cosmic law. Job is not asking the universe to change — he is asking for an explanation. There is nothing arrogant about wanting to understand your own suffering.
  • 4. The "king of terrors" has been dethroned (v.14). For Bildad, death is the ultimate terror — the final destination of the wicked. For the Christian, death has been conquered: "O death, where is thy sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:55). The king of terrors has met the King of kings.
  • 5. The danger of elaborate theology without love (vv.5-21). Bildad is a skilled poet. His description of the wicked man's fate is vivid, powerful, theologically informed — and completely lacking in love. Theological skill without pastoral compassion is a weapon. The most elaborate sermon that lacks love is "as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal" (1 Corinthians 13:1).