Job 18:6
The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him.
Original Language Analysis
א֭וֹר
The light
H216
א֭וֹר
The light
Strong's:
H216
Word #:
1 of 6
illumination or (concrete) luminary (in every sense, including lightning, happiness, etc.)
חָשַׁ֣ךְ
shall be dark
H2821
חָשַׁ֣ךְ
shall be dark
Strong's:
H2821
Word #:
2 of 6
to be dark (as withholding light); transitively, to darken
בְּאָהֳל֑וֹ
in his tabernacle
H168
בְּאָהֳל֑וֹ
in his tabernacle
Strong's:
H168
Word #:
3 of 6
a tent (as clearly conspicuous from a distance)
וְ֝נֵר֗וֹ
and his candle
H5216
וְ֝נֵר֗וֹ
and his candle
Strong's:
H5216
Word #:
4 of 6
a lamp (i.e., the burner) or light (literally or figuratively)
Historical Context
In ancient Near Eastern culture, a continuously burning lamp symbolized ongoing life, prosperity, and dynasty. Letting one's lamp go out brought shame and signaled divine abandonment. Bildad weaponizes this cultural symbol against Job, whose devastation indeed resembles extinguished light—but not for the reasons Bildad claims.
Questions for Reflection
- How do you respond when true theology about judgment is misapplied to innocent suffering?
- When have you witnessed someone's darkness being interpreted as proof of their sin rather than occasion for compassion?
- How does Jesus's teaching about outer darkness differ from Bildad's application of light/darkness imagery?
Analysis & Commentary
The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him—Bildad's second speech continues with vivid imagery of the wicked's destruction. The Hebrew 'or (אוֹר, 'light') becoming chashak (חָשַׁךְ, 'dark') reverses creation itself (Genesis 1:3). The ner (נֵר, 'lamp/candle') extinguished symbolizes both life ending (Proverbs 20:27—'the spirit of man is the candle of the LORD') and dynasty terminating (1 Kings 11:36).
In 'ohalo (אָהֳלוֹ, 'his tent/tabernacle'), the wicked finds no refuge—domestic space offers no protection from divine judgment. This imagery anticipates Jesus's warnings about outer darkness (Matthew 22:13, 25:30) where the wicked are cast. Yet Bildad applies this to Job, whose 'light' has gone out through no fault of his own—a cruel misapplication of true theology to an innocent sufferer.