Bildad
“Son of contention, or Bel has loved”
Summary
One of Job's three friends who came to comfort him, known as 'the Shuhite,' who argued that suffering results from sin.
☩Identity
Bildad is called 'the Shuhite,' likely indicating descent from Shuah, a son of Abraham by Keturah, whose descendants settled in the Arabian regions east of Palestine. His name may mean 'Bel has loved,' suggesting a connection with Babylonian culture.
☩His Arguments
Bildad delivered three speeches in the dialogue with Job, largely echoing Eliphaz's position but with increased vehemence. He was the first to indirectly attribute Job's calamity to actual wickedness, suggesting Job's children must have sinned to warrant their destruction. His theology emphasized strict retribution: the wicked are cut off, but the righteous prosper. God's anger was kindled against Bildad and his companions, and they required Job's prayer and sacrifice for acceptance.
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Bildad," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. I (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Bildad," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. I (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.George Morrish, "Bildad," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).