Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 8:21
Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing.
21. till he fill ] If this rendering be adopted, the word “till” is used somewhat generally to express what God’s practical rectitude, as described on both its sides Job 8:20, will issue in. Others prefer to read, he will yet fill making a stop at the end of Job 8:20.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Till he fill thy mouth with laughing – Until he make thee completely happy. The word rendered till ( ad), is rendered by Dr. Good, even yet. Noyes, following Houbigant, DeWette, and Michaelis, proposes to change the pointing, and to read od, instead of ad – meaning, while. The verse is connected with that which follows, and the particle used here evidently means while, or even yet – and the whole passage means, if you return to God, he will even yet fill you with joy, while those who hate you shall be clothed with shame. God will show you favor, but the dwelling of the wicked shall come to naught. The object of the passage is to induce Job to return to God, with the assurance that if he did, he would show mercy to him, while the wicked should be destroyed.
With rejoicing – Margin, Shouting for joy. The word used ( teruah) is properly that which denotes the clangor of a trumpet, or the shout of victory and triumph.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 21. Till he fill thy mouth with laughing] Perhaps it may be well to translate after Mr. Good “Even yet may he fill thy mouth with laughter!” The two verses may be read as a prayer; and probably they were thus expressed by Bildad, who speaks with less virulence than his predecessor, though with equal positiveness in respect to the grand charge, viz., If thou wert not a sinner of no mean magnitude, God would not have inflicted such unprecedented calamities upon thee.
This most exceptionable position, which is so contrary to matter of fact, was founded upon maxims which they derived from the ancients. Surely observation must have, in numberless instances, corrected this mistake. They must have seen many worthless men in high prosperity, and many of the excellent of the earth in deep adversity and affliction; but the opposite was an article of their creed, and all appearances and facts must take its colouring.
Job’s friends must have been acquainted, at least, with the history of the ancient patriarchs; and most certainly they contained facts of an opposite nature. Righteous Abel was persecuted and murdered by his wicked brother, Cain. Abram was obliged to leave his own country on account of worshipping the true God; so all tradition has said. Jacob was persecuted by his brother Esau; Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers; Moses was obliged to flee from Egypt, and was variously tried and afflicted, even by his own brethren. Not to mention David, and almost all the prophets. All these were proofs that the best of men were frequently exposed to sore afflictions and heavy calamities; and it is not by the prosperity or adversity of men in this world, that we are to judge of the approbation or disapprobation of God towards them. In every case our Lord’s rule is infallible: By their fruits ye shall know them.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And what I have said in general of all perfect men, shall be made good to thee, if thou be such a one; God will not forsake time, nor desist from doing thee good,
till he fill, & c., i.e. God will give thee such abundant matter of rejoicing, that thy heart shall not be able to hold it, but it shall break out at thy mouth and lips.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
21. Tillliterally, “tothe point that”; God’s blessing on thee, when repentant, will goon increasing to the point that, or until, &c.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing. Directing himself to Job; and suggesting, that if he was a perfect, sincere, and upright man. God would not cast him away utterly, but help him out of his present circumstances, and restore him to prosperity; and not leave him until he had filled his heart with so much joy, that his mouth and lips, being also full of it, should break forth in strong expressions of it, and in the most exulting strains, as if it was a time of jubilee with him; see Ps 126:2; but Bildad tacitly insinuates that Job was not a perfect and good man but an evil doer, whom God had cast away and would not help; and this he concluded from the distressed circumstances he was now in; which was no rule of judgment, and a very unfair way of reasoning, since love and hatred are not to be known by outward prosperity and adversity, Ec 9:1. Bar Tzemach interprets “laughing” as at his own goodness, and “rejoicing” as at the evil of the wicked.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(21) Till he fill thy mouth with laughing.Rather, he will yet fill thy mouth with laughterafflicted though thou hast been, thou shalt again rejoice. The attitude of Bildad is one of unsympathetic selfishness. He wishes to think well of his friend because he is his friend, but he cannot reconcile his afflicted condition with any theory of righteous government, and therefore is driven to suspect that all is not right with him, though he feels warranted in promising him that if he casts away that secret sin all shall yet be well with him. We may say that if the contrast here indicated is not intended by the speaker, then we must consider the he of Job. 8:16 the person before spoken of, and must understand his luxuriance of a merely apparent luxuriance; but then in that case one is at a loss to see why the he, of Job. 8:16 should be emphasised as it is in the Hebrew.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Job 8:21 Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing.
Ver. 21. Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, &c. ] Here he applies the promise of the Divine help to Job, and that which is here spoken, debent et reliqui fideles ad se transferre, saith Lavater, every true believer must take home to himself. God will turn all their sadness into gladness, all their sighing into singing, all their tears into triumphs, their sorrowful outcries into joyful jubilees. In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare or a cord, viz. to strangle his joy with, to check and choke all his comforts: but the righteous sing and rejoice, Pro 29:6 . They may do so here amidst all their troubles, 2Co 7:4 . As the lily looks fresh, and beautiful, and blithe, though among thorns; they shall do so hereafter, when they enter into the joy of their Master. See Isa 65:13 . A joy fitter to be believed than possible to be discoursed. See a shadow of it, Psa 126:1-2 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
rejoicings = shouting for joy.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
he fill: Gen 21:6, Psa 126:2, Psa 126:6, Luk 6:21
rejoicing: Heb. shouting for joy, Ezr 3:11-13, Neh 12:43, Psa 32:11, Psa 98:4, Psa 100:1, Isa 65:13, Isa 65:14
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Job 8:21. Till he fill thy mouth with laughing What I have said in general of good men shall be made good to thee if thou art such: God will not forsake thee, nor desist from doing thee good, till he give thee abundant matter of rejoicing.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
8:21 Till he fill thy mouth with {m} laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing.
(m) If you are godly, he will give you opportunity to rejoice and if not your affliction will increase.