Job 8:20

Job 8:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers:
• New International Version (NIV)“Surely God does not reject one who is blameless or strengthen the hands of evildoers.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"Behold, God will not reject a blameless man, nor take the hand of evildoers.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Behold, God will not cast away the blameless, Nor will He uphold the evildoers.

Context of Job 8:20

18But finally, someone pulls those weeds out of the ground. When that happens, nobody knows that the weeds were ever there. 19People who are like weeds only have that kind of joy. When they disappear, other weeds grow in their place. Listen! God never turns away from a man who is not guilty. Nor will he ever help wicked people. 21He will surely make you happy again. You will be able to laugh and shout with joy. 22People who hate you will be ashamed. Wicked people will have nowhere to live.’

Job 8:20 word by word

הֶן־אֵ֭ל לֹ֣א יִמְאַס־תָּ֑ם וְלֹֽא־יַ֝חֲזִ֗יק בְּיַד־מְרֵעִֽים׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Behold, Godאֵל'êl · GodH410
• will not cast awayמָאַסmâ'as · to rejectH3988
• a perfectתָּםtâm · completeH8535
• neither will he helpיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
• neither will he helpחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: holdH2388
• the evil doersרָעַעrâ‛a‛ · be evilH7489

Cross-references for Job 8:20

• Job 4:7Think about this: People who are not guilty of sin do not suddenly die. God does not destroy people who do good things.
• Job 9:22The same thing happens to good people and to wicked people. So I say, “God destroys people who are not guilty as well as those who are guilty.”
• Psalms 37:24Even if that person trips, he will not fall. The Lord will hold his hand.
• Psalms 94:14The Lord will not leave his people alone. He will not forget to help the people that belong to him.
• Isaiah 45:1The Lord says this to Cyrus, the king that he has chosen to serve him: ‘I hold your right hand. I give you power over other nations, to take away the weapons of their kings. I will open the gates of cities in front of you, and they will stay open.

Commentaries on Job 8:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man - This is another of the maxims of the ancients, which Bildad produces: "As sure as he will punish and root out the wicked, so surely will he defend and save the righteous."Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man - On the meaning of the word perfect, see the note at Job 1:1. The sentiment of Bildad, or the inference which he draws from the whole argument is, that God will be the friend of the pious, but that he will not aid the wicked. This accords with the general sentiment maintained in the argument of the friends of Job. Neither will he help the evil doers - Margin, “Take the ungodly by the hand.” This is in…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 20-22Verses 20-22 Bildad here assures Job, that as he was so he should fare; therefore they concluded, that as he fared so he was. God will not cast away an upright man; he may be cast down for a time, but he shall not be cast away for ever. Sin brings ruin on persons and families. Yet to argue, that Job was an ungodly, wicked man, was unjust and uncharitable. The mistake in these reasonings arose from Job's friends not distinguishing between the present state…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. Bildad regards Job as a righteous man, who has fallen into sin. God will not cast away a perfect man--(or godly man, such as Job was), if he will only repent. Those alone who persevere in sin God will not help (Hebrew, "take by the hand," Psa 73:23; Is 41:13; 42:6) when fallen.Read the comment

Topics related to Job 8:20

• Righteous
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Evil-Doers
• Endure
• Former
• Hope
• Hypocrite
• Yesterday
• Bildad
• Job, Book of

Commentaries on Job 8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings