Job 8:9
(For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow:)
Original Language Analysis
כִּֽי
H3588
כִּֽי
Strong's:
H3588
Word #:
1 of 10
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
תְמ֣וֹל
For we are but of yesterday
H8543
תְמ֣וֹל
For we are but of yesterday
Strong's:
H8543
Word #:
2 of 10
properly, ago, i.e., a (short or long) time since; especially yesterday, or day before yesterday
וְלֹ֣א
H3808
וְלֹ֣א
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
4 of 10
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
נֵדָ֑ע
and know
H3045
נֵדָ֑ע
and know
Strong's:
H3045
Word #:
5 of 10
to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including o
כִּ֤י
H3588
כִּ֤י
Strong's:
H3588
Word #:
6 of 10
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
יָמֵ֣ינוּ
nothing because our days
H3117
יָמֵ֣ינוּ
nothing because our days
Strong's:
H3117
Word #:
8 of 10
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an asso
Cross References
1 Chronicles 29:15For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.Psalms 144:4Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.Job 14:2He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.Psalms 102:11My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass.Job 7:6My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope.Genesis 47:9And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.Psalms 39:5Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.Psalms 90:4For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
Historical Context
Ancient Near Eastern respect for elders and ancestors reflected practical wisdom—accumulated experience exceeds individual knowledge. However, this could calcify into traditionalism that resists new truth. Israel's prophets repeatedly challenged traditional consensus (Jeremiah 5:31, 8:8-9), demonstrating that antiquity doesn't guarantee accuracy.
Questions for Reflection
- How do we balance healthy respect for tradition with openness to correction by Scripture?
- What does human transience teach us about where to ground our theological confidence?
- In what ways does the Holy Spirit's illumination enable us to understand Scripture beyond mere repetition of traditional interpretations?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Bildad argues human brevity requires dependence on ancestral wisdom: 'For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow.' The phrase 'of yesterday' (temol, תְּמוֹל) literally means 'yesterday'—humanity's brief individual lifespan provides insufficient time to discover truth independently. The admission 'we know nothing' is startlingly honest but serves Bildad's argument: individual ignorance necessitates trust in collective wisdom.
The shadow metaphor (tsel, צֵל) appears throughout wisdom literature (Psalm 102:11, 144:4, Ecclesiastes 6:12) denoting transience. Our fleeting existence cannot generate adequate understanding; we must depend on accumulated tradition. Bildad's logic is sound regarding human limitation but flawed regarding where ultimate authority resides. He substitutes human tradition for divine revelation.
The Reformed tradition affirms both human finitude and Scripture's sufficiency. We are indeed brief and ignorant (Psalm 90), but God has spoken authoritatively through His Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Tradition serves Scripture, not vice versa. Bildad's error lies in elevating consensus over revelation, assuming that what the fathers taught must be correct simply because they taught it.