Job 8:20
in Job 8Behold, God does not reject the blameless, nor will He strengthen the hand of evildoers.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, Neither will he uphold the evil-doers.
KJV
Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers:
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This verse in Job 8
Commentary
9 notes on this verseBehold, God will not cast away a perfect man - This is another of the maxims of the ancients, which Bildad produces: “As sure as he will punish and root out the wicked, so surely will he defend and save the righteous.”
This site's exposition
God does not reject the blameless
on Job 8:20-22
Bildad states the friends' creed: "God does not reject the blameless, nor will He strengthen the hand of evildoers". The reader carries from 1:1 the narrator's own word that Job is blameless, so Bildad's true doctrine collides with the case in front of him.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistMorals on the Book of Job, Book VIII · Written before 604.
proposed
Behold, God will not cast out a perfect man, neither will He stretch out His hand to the evil. In that assuredly when the Strict One appeareth in the Judgment, He will at once lift up the despisedness of the simple by glorifying them, and break in pieces the greatness of the evil-minded by condemning them. For hypocrites are called evil-minded, who do good acts but not well, and practise every thing right only in eagerness after praise. Now anyone, to whom we stretch out our hand, we plainly lift up from below.
Consequently he shows what conclusion he intends to draw from all he said already saying, "God does not spurn a simple man," for he will not place him far from him so that he does not sustain one who clings to him in simplicity of …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Yet it may be, he will not be lifted up in this world: and therefore Bildad could not infer, that if Job was not restored to temporal prosperity, he was not a good man. Let us judge nothing before the time, but wait 'till the secrets of all hearts are revealed, and the present difficulties of providence solved, to universal and everlasting satisfaction.
1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said, 2 How long wilt thou speak these things? and how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind? 3 Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice? 4 If thy children have sinned against him, and he have cast them away for their transgression;
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Bildad regards Job as a righteous man, who has fallen into sin. God will not cast away a perfect man--(or godly man, such as Job was), if he will only repent. Those alone who persevere in sin God will not help (Hebrew, "take by the hand," Ps 73:23;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man - On the meaning of the word perfect, see the note at Job 1:1. The sentiment of Bildad, or the inference which he draws from the whole argument is, that God will be the friend of the pious, but that he will not aid the wicked. This accords with the general sentiment maintained in the argument of the friends of Job. Neither will he help the evil doers - Margin, “Take the ungodly by the hand.” This is in accordance with the Hebrew. The figure is that of taking one by the hand in order to assist him; see Isa 42:6.
The words behind it
9 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הֶן־ | hen- | there! | H2005 → | 316 times |
| אֵ֭ל | ʾel | God | H410 → | 241 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִמְאַס־ | yimas- | he rejects | H3988 → | 76 times |
| תָּ֑ם | tam | a blameless [person] | H8535 → | 16 times |
| וְלֹֽא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יַ֝חֲזִ֗יק | yachazik | he takes hold | H2388 → | 291 times |
| בְּיַד־ | beyad- | on [the] hand of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| מְרֵעִֽים׃ | mereim | evil-doers | H7489 → | 107 times |
הֶן־there!
hen-H2005 →316 times
אֵ֭לGod
ʾelH410 →241 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יִמְאַס־he rejects
yimas-H3988 →76 times
תָּ֑םa blameless [person]
tamH8535 →16 times
וְלֹֽא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
יַ֝חֲזִ֗יקhe takes hold
yachazikH2388 →291 times
בְּיַד־on [the] hand of
beyad-H3027 →1618 times
מְרֵעִֽים׃evil-doers
mereimH7489 →107 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 37:24Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, for the LORD is holding his hand.
it leads to
- Proverbs 24:16
For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up; but the wicked stumble in bad times.
- Psalms 145:14
The LORD upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.
- Psalms 94:18
If I say, “My foot is slipping,” Your loving devotion, O LORD, supports me.
- Micah 7:7–8
But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.
- John 10:27–30
My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.
- Proverbs 24:16
Through
Psalms 37:37Consider the blameless and observe the upright, for posterity awaits the man of peace.
it leads to
- Isaiah 32:17
The work of righteousness will be peace; the service of righteousness will be quiet confidence forever.
- Isaiah 32:17
Through
Psalms 94:14For the LORD will not forsake His people; He will never abandon His heritage.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 12:22
Indeed, for the sake of His great name, the LORD will not abandon His people, because He was pleased to make you His own.
- 1 Samuel 12:22
Through
Isaiah 45:1This is what the LORD says to Cyrus His anointed, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him, to disarm kings, to open the doors before him, so that the gates…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 51:20–24
“You are My war club, My weapon for battle. With you I shatter nations; with you I bring kingdoms to ruin.
- Jeremiah 51:20–24
About Job
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Job; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book VIII; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.