Job 8 - Bildad's first speech

This post is the first published from my new computer, now all set up with Oracle XE and GX-LEAF completely separate from my former office and with a little redesign of the data to speed up the process. It is 100 times faster. That means I can rush like David into the battle against the Philistine text with nothing but my sling and five concealed smooth stones. (I.e. without a lot of baggage and without armor or sword, distant but vulnerable).

It is also the first I have edited with IE, and Windows 8. The copy and paste is different. But it still seems to work.

What do we make of Bildad? He only gets 22 verses in contrast to Eliphaz 48. I don't know if he is insulting, but he seems to make light of Job's trouble, conditionally blaming his children for their own destruction, implying that Job is not diligent in prayer and pays little attention to tradition, and forgets God. He predicts a good end to Job's misery. Ah, religion, always right, but patently useless.There are no word patterns that jump out at me in this poem (for it is a poem too) but here are the frequently used stems (more than 2 times). The movement in the poem is from face to knowledge. So it has form.

Job 8		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
וַ֭יַּעַן בִּלְדַּ֥ד הַשּׁוּחִ֗י וַיֹאמַֽר	1	g	Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said,	3e	3g	10
עַד־אָ֥ן תְּמַלֶּל־אֵ֑לֶּה וְר֥וּחַ כַּ֝בִּיר אִמְרֵי־פִֽיךָ	2		How long, will you give speech to imprecation, and the intense spirit of the sayings of your mouth.	3e	4A	7 8
הַ֭אֵל יְעַוֵּ֣ת מִשְׁפָּ֑ט וְאִם־שַׁ֝דַּ֗י יְעַוֵּֽת־צֶֽדֶק	3	g	Does the One subvert judgment? And does the Sufficient subvert justice?	3e	4B	7 9
אִם־בָּנֶ֥יךָ חָֽטְאוּ־ל֑וֹ וַֽ֝יְשַׁלְּחֵ֗ם בְּיַד־פִּשְׁעָֽם	4		If your children sinned against him, then he sent them away by the hand of their transgression.	3e	4A	6 7
אִם־אַ֭תָּה תְּשַׁחֵ֣ר אֶל־אֵ֑ל וְאֶל־שַׁ֝דַּ֗י תִּתְחַנָּֽן	5		If you, yourself, would seek the One early, and to the Sufficient ingratiate yourself,	3e	4B	8 7
אִם־זַ֥ךְ וְיָשָׁ֗ר אָ֥תָּה כִּי־עַ֭תָּה יָעִ֣יר עָלֶ֑יךָ וְ֝שִׁלַּ֗ם נְוַ֣ת צִדְקֶֽךָ	6		If you are clear and upright, that now he will rouse himself for you, and make whole the home of your justice,	3e	4B	14 8
וְהָיָ֣ה רֵאשִׁיתְךָ֣ מִצְעָ֑ר וְ֝אַחֲרִיתְךָ֗ יִשְׂגֶּ֥ה מְאֹֽד	7		Then as your beginning was small, so what follows for you will abound much.	3e	4B	8 9
כִּֽי־שְׁאַל־נָ֭א לְדֹ֣ר רִישׁ֑וֹן וְ֝כוֹנֵ֗ן לְחֵ֣קֶר אֲבוֹתָֽם	8		But ask, if you will, of a former generation, and establish the examination of their ancestors.	3e	4B	8 9
כִּֽי־תְמ֣וֹל אֲ֭נַחְנוּ וְלֹ֣א נֵדָ֑ע כִּ֤י צֵ֖ל יָמֵ֣ינוּ עֲלֵי־אָֽרֶץ	9		For we are yesterday and do not know, for a shadow are our days upon earth.	3e	4C	10 8
הֲלֹא־הֵ֣ם י֭וֹרוּךָ יֹ֣אמְרוּ לָ֑ךְ וּ֝מִלִּבָּ֗ם יוֹצִ֥אוּ מִלִּֽים	10		Will not they themselves instruct you, say to you, and from their heart bring forth speeches?	3e	4B	9 9
הֲיִֽגְאֶה־גֹּ֭מֶא בְּלֹ֣א בִצָּ֑ה יִשְׂגֶּה־אָ֥חוּ בְלִי־מָֽיִם	11		Can rush be proud without a swamp, marsh-plants abound without water?	3e	4B	9 7
עֹדֶ֣נּוּ בְ֭אִבּוֹ לֹ֣א יִקָּטֵ֑ף וְלִפְנֵ֖י כָל־חָצִ֣יר יִיבָֽשׁ	12		Yet it, in its greenness unplucked, before all grass, it dries up.	3e	4B	10 8
כֵּ֗ן אָ֭רְחוֹת כָּל־שֹׁ֣כְחֵי אֵ֑ל וְתִקְוַ֖ת חָנֵ֣ף תֹּאבֵֽד	13	~	So are the paths of all who forget the One, and the expectation of a hypocrite perishes,	3e	4B	7 7
אֲשֶׁר־יָק֥וֹט כִּסְל֑וֹ וּבֵ֥ית עַ֝כָּבִ֗ישׁ מִבְטַחֽוֹ	14		whose folly cracks, and a spider's house his trust.	3e	4A	6 8
יִשָּׁעֵ֣ן עַל־בֵּ֭יתוֹ וְלֹ֣א יַעֲמֹ֑ד יַחֲזִ֥יק בּ֝֗וֹ וְלֹ֣א יָקֽוּם	15		Let him buttress about his house but it will not stand. Let him make it resolute, but it will not arise.	3e	4B	11 8
רָטֹ֣ב ה֭וּא לִפְנֵי־שָׁ֑מֶשׁ וְעַ֥ל גַּ֝נָּת֗וֹ יֹֽנַקְתּ֥וֹ תֵצֵֽא	16		Wet he is in the face of the sun, and over his garden his nursling shoot emerges.	3e	4B	6 10
עַל־גַּ֭ל שָֽׁרָשָׁ֣יו יְסֻבָּ֑כוּ בֵּ֖ית אֲבָנִ֣ים יֶחֱזֶֽה	17		Over rubble his roots interweave. The house of stones he gazes on.	3e	4B	9 7
אִם־יְבַלְּעֶ֥נּוּ מִמְּקוֹמ֑וֹ וְכִ֥חֶשׁ בּ֝֗וֹ לֹ֣א רְאִיתִֽיךָ	18		If he swallows him from his place, then it will disown him: I have not seen you.	3e	4B	8 9
הֶן־ה֭וּא מְשׂ֣וֹשׂ דַּרְכּ֑וֹ וּ֝מֵעָפָ֗ר אַחֵ֥ר יִצְמָֽחוּ	19		Lo, he is the joy of his way, and from dust what follows will sprout.	3e	4B	6 9
הֶן־אֵ֭ל לֹ֣א יִמְאַס־תָּ֑ם וְלֹֽא־יַ֝חֲזִ֗יק בְּיַד־מְרֵעִֽים	20		Lo, the One will not refuse completeness, nor will he be resolute in the hand of evildoers,	3e	4B	6 9
עַד־יְמַלֵּ֣ה שְׂח֣וֹק פִּ֑יךָ וּשְׂפָתֶ֥יךָ תְרוּעָֽה	21		until he fills with laughter your mouth, and your lips with jubilation.	3e	4B	8 7
שֹׂנְאֶ֥יךָ יִלְבְּשׁוּ־בֹ֑שֶׁת וְאֹ֖הֶל רְשָׁעִ֣ים אֵינֶֽנּוּ	22		Those hating you will be clothed with shame, and the tent of the wicked will be as nothing.	3e	4B	7 9