Bildad

Bildad was one of three friends who came to comfort Job in his suffering. He is identified as a Shuhite (Job 2:11). This may mean that he was a descendant of Shuah, a son of Abraham and his second wife, Keturah (Genesis 25:1–2).

Bildad spoke to Job three times. In his first speech, he said that God supports those who do what is right and punishes the wicked (Job 8). He therefore accused Job of being a hypocrite for claiming to be right with God.

In his second speech, Bildad stressed that the wicked are punished in this life (chapter 18). He therefore argued that Job must be wicked because he was suffering so greatly.

In his third speech, Bildad spoke about God’s greatness and compared human beings to worms (chapter 25). He suggested that Job was foolish to claim to be righteous before such a holy God.

See also Job, Book of.