Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Adam Clarke Commentary

Counted as beasts - Thou treatest us as if we had neither reason nor understanding.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Wherefore are we counted as beasts? - “Why are we treated in your remarks as if we had no sense, and were unworthy of sound argument in reply to what we say?” It is possible that there may be reference here to what Job said Job 12:7 - that even the beasts could give them information about God. But the general idea is, that Job had not treated their views with the attention which they deserved, but had regarded them as unworthy of notice.

And reputed vile - The word used here (טמה ṭâmâh ) means to be unclean, or polluted; and the idea is, that Job regarded them as worthless or impious.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Wherefore are we counted as beasts,.... This seems to refer to Job 12:7; where Job sends them to the beasts, to get knowledge and instruction; and therefore it was concluded he reckoned them as such, and put them on a level with them, yea, made them inferior to them; or to Job 17:4; where they are represented as destitute of wisdom and understanding, and therefore it is supposed were counted by Job no other than as beasts. Man, by the fall, is indeed become like them, and some are more brutish than they, and all are brutish as to spiritual knowledge and understanding; and those that are most sensible of themselves are ready to acknowledge their ignorance, that they are more brutish than any, and especially are as a beast before God; and particularly with respect to knowledge of the methods of Providence, in regard to his dealings with the righteous and wicked; see Psalm 73:22; and which was the case in controversy between Job and his friends; but yet self-sufficient persons do not care to have their understandings in anything called in question, but like the Pharisees say, "are we blind also?" John 9:40; and take it very hard that they should be reckoned like beasts, void of understanding, when they are the people, and wisdom will die with them:

and reputed vile in your sight? as wicked and profligate persons, the most abandoned of mankind, such as are justly despised by good men, see Psalm 15:4; or "unclean"^F8נטמינו "immundi", Drusius, Piscator, Michaelis; so Broughton. , filthy, polluted, and defiled, as all men are by nature, and as they are in all the powers and faculties of their souls; nor can they make themselves clean, their hearts or their hands; nothing short of the grace of God, and blood of Christ, can cleanse from sin; yet self-righteous persons think themselves clean and pure when they are not washed from their sins, and take it ill of others to be reputed unclean persons: or "shut"^F9"Clausi sumu", Montanus; "obturati sumus", Hebraei, in Mercer. , stopped up, as the hearts of men are from God and Christ, and the true knowledge of them, and divine things, until opened by him who has the key of the house of David, and opens, and no man shuts; or "hidden"^F11So the Targum. , referring to Job 17:4; having a covering over their hearts, and a vail over the eyes of their understandings, so that the things of Providence were hid from them, as sometimes the things of grace are from the wise and prudent; but to be thought that this was their case is resented by Bildad.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

beasts — alluding to what Job said (Job 12:7; so Isaiah 1:3).

vile — rather from a Hebrew root, “to stop up.” “Stubborn,” answering to the stupidity implied in the parallel first clause [Umbreit]. Why should we give occasion by your empty speeches for our being mutually reputed, in the sight of Job and one another, as unintelligent? (Job 17:4, Job 17:10).

Wesley's Explanatory Notes

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

Beasts — Ignorant, and stupid men, chap17:4,10.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

Job 18:3 Wherefore are we counted as beasts, [and] reputed vile in your sight?

Ver. 3. Wherefore are we counted as beasts, &c.] Here he taxeth Job with pride and arrogance; grounding upon those words of his taken at the worst, Job 12:7; Job 17:4; Job 17:10, and not considering his case, that he was full of pain, which maketh wise men touchy (as oppression maketh them mad, Ecclesiastes 7:7), and that they had sorely provoked him by their bitter taunts and scurrilous invectives, which called for so sharp a currycomb. Pessime autem habet hypocrisin, si contemnatur, Hypocrisy loves not to be sighted, saith Brentius here. And Gregory upon this text saith, that in Bildad heretics are set forth, who stomach it much that the faithful take upon them to reprove them, as carried away by error; as if the knowledge of the truth resided in themselves only, and all others had no more understanding than beasts. "This people which know not the law are cursed," say those Pharisees, John 7:49. "Ye know nothing at all," saith Caiaphas to his assessors, John 11:49. The Gnostics and Illuminates referred to themselves as being the only knowing men. But if Bildad had been right, he would neither have so far misconstrued Job’s words nor yet have been behind to fool himself, as Asaph in a similar case did, Psalms 73:22, where he useth the plural of the words here used in the singular, calling himself, Behemoth, id est, magnam et crassam bestiam, a great and a gross beast.

And reputed vile in your sight?] Heb. Polluted or unclean; that is, as beasts unfit for food, much less fit for sacrifice. The same Hebrew word signifieth polluted and vile. Every wicked man is a vile man, be he never so high and honourable in the world’s account, as Antiochus, Daniel 11:21; is called a vile person, and yet he was the great king of Syria, surnamed Epiphanes, or illustrious, and by the flattering Samaritans he was styled, Antiochus, the mighty God. See Psalms 15:4.

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible

Job 18:3. Wherefore are we counted as beasts? &c.— This refers to the 10th verse in the former chapter, where Job had, indeed, treated them very freely.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

As beasts, i.e. ignorant, blockish, and stupid men, Job 17:4,10.

Vile, Heb. polluted, or unclean, i.e. not fit to be conversed or discoursed with; or contemptible, as such things are.

In your sight; either,

1. To your faces, or in your own hearing. Or,

2. In thy sight or judgment, O Job; so he speaks of Job in the plural number, as he did Job 18:2.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

3.As beasts — Only by implication, Job 12:7-8; Job 17:4.

Vile — Stupid.

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

Reputed. Septuagint, "silent as four-footed animals before thee? (Haydock) without discipline or understanding," chap. xvii. 4. (Menochius)

Mark Dunagan Commentary on the Bible

Job had noted that the wild animals understood more about the topic of undeserved suffering than his friends did (12:7-9), and Bildad is insulted by such a claim.

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

Wherefore . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6.

vile: or, stupid.

your sight. Septuagint and Syriac read "thine eyes".

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

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

Beasts - alluding to what Job said (Job 12:7; so Isaiah 1:3; Psalms 49:12; Psalms 49:20).

Vile - rather, from a Hebrew root, to stop up [ niTmiynuw (Hebrew #2933), not from Taamee' (Hebrew #2930), but from Taamaah (Hebrew #2933), or 'aaTam (Hebrew #331)]. 'Stubborn,' answering to the stupidity implied in the parallel first clause (Umbreit). Why should we give occasion by your empty speeches for our being mutually reputed in the sight of Job, and one another, unintelligent? (Job 17:4; Job 17:10.)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(3) Wherefore are we counted as beasts.—Referring to Job’s words (Job 13:4, &c., Job 16:2, &c.). In this chapter there is a marked increase in his harshness and violence. It has, however, a certain resemblance to Job 8, inasmuch as Bildad works out a simile here, as he did there; and in Job 18:16 the two similes touch. In Job 18:2, which resembles Job 8:2, we must supply, as the Authorised Version does, Will it be ere? or the negative, Will ye not make? &c., or else we must render, “How long [will ye speak thus]? Make an end of words,” &c. The plural is used because Job is regarded as the representative of a class, or else as we use the plural instead of the singular in addressing a person.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Wherefore

12:7,8; 17:4,10; Psalms 73:22; Ecclesiastes 3:18; Romans 12:10