Bildad realizes that Eliphaz’s argument, which claimed holy Job was guilty because of his passions, had evidently been refuted by Job’s retort demonstrating that there were many impious persons who were not exposed to any hardship. Therefore he abandons this line of debate in order to say that he who now appears to have fallen into the harshness of life is guilty. And so he insists on this argument, in order to accuse Job by declaring divine power and in order to say that he sinned, because he had dared call God to judgment. Dominion and fear are with him. Since he is pressed by the force of the argument, he is obliged to agree with holy Job’s words, so that he may, after omitting the equity of judgment for the present, declare the power of God. And since he cannot demonstrate that Job is guilty, he tries to discount him through comparison; but in this way, without noticing what this situation causes, he actually greatly praises him. Indeed it is a thing of the highest merit when man cannot be equal to the virtues of God.

Since he said, You have not visited these yet,^[1] truly Bildad answers, There is no respite for robbers. Therefore, he says the opposite of what happens, because there is respite. But in order to play a trick on Job, he speaks in this way. How then can a mortal be righteous before God? Indeed, he is necessarily punished. Since Job, in fact, said, I wanted to be judged, and, even though I have not sinned, I am chastised. Bildad replied there is none that is righteous among humankind. How is it possible, he says, that any righteous person will ever exist? Therefore you desire in vain to be judged and examined.

Indeed the stars themselves do not regulate the times according to their authority but know their rising and setting moments according to the [divine] law that has been fixed for them.