Job 18 3

Job 18:3 kjv

Wherefore are we counted as beasts, and reputed vile in your sight?

Job 18:3 nkjv

Why are we counted as beasts, And regarded as stupid in your sight?

Job 18:3 niv

Why are we regarded as cattle and considered stupid in your sight?

Job 18:3 esv

Why are we counted as cattle? Why are we stupid in your sight?

Job 18:3 nlt

Do you think we are mere animals?
Do you think we are stupid?

Job 18 verses

Job 18 3 Meaning

Job 18:3 is a rhetorical question posed by Bildad the Shuhite to Job, expressing his exasperation and indignation. Bildad feels that Job is treating him and his friends as irrational, unthinking "beasts" or utterly "stupid" people, devoid of wisdom or discernment. This accusation stems from Job's persistent lamentations and his refusal to conform to the traditional wisdom perspective espoused by Bildad and the other friends, which insists on a direct correlation between suffering and sin. Bildad perceives Job's defiance and unconventional arguments as a dismissal of their profound knowledge and judgment.

Job 18 3 Context

Job 18:3 is part of Bildad's second speech to Job in the ongoing dialogue between Job and his three friends (Job 18:1-21). In the immediate context (Job 18:1-2), Bildad accuses Job of engaging in rambling, unhelpful words, which he calls a "snare." This verse, then, acts as the core of Bildad's insult, directly expressing his perception of how Job views him and his colleagues. Throughout the book of Job, the friends operate under the traditional wisdom framework of retributive justice: the righteous prosper, and the wicked suffer. Job's unprecedented suffering, despite his perceived innocence, challenges this framework, causing the friends to assume Job must be deeply sinful, and his protests, to them, sound irrational and even blasphemous. Bildad, frustrated by Job's resistance and self-vindication, uses this verse to express his belief that Job is treating their profound wisdom and attempts to counsel him with disdain, essentially viewing them as witless animals. This sets the stage for the rest of Job 18, where Bildad vehemently describes the inevitable destruction of the wicked, implicitly condemning Job by describing a fate that eerily mirrors Job's current circumstances.

Job 18 3 Word analysis

• Why: An interrogative particle, signifying an abrupt, exasperated question. It conveys Bildad's shock and indignation, rather than a genuine desire for an explanation. He is using it to frame his accusation.
• are we counted: Hebrew נֶחְשַׁבְנוּ (neḥshávnu) - from the verb חָשַׁב (ḥashav), meaning "to think," "to calculate," "to reckon," "to count." Here, in the Niph'al passive form, it means "we are considered" or "we are reckoned." It highlights the friends' perceived humiliation and devaluation in Job's eyes.
• as beasts: Hebrew בְהֵמוֹת (behemot) - plural of בְהֵמָה (behemah), which commonly refers to domestic animals, cattle, or general beasts. In this context, it is used metaphorically to imply a lack of human reason, intellect, and spiritual understanding. To be equated with a "beast" in ancient cultures, particularly among wise men, was a profound insult, suggesting an absence of divine wisdom and rational thought unique to humanity.
• as stupid: Hebrew נִבְהַמְנוּ (nivhamnu) - Hophal perfect, first plural of the verb בָּהַם (baham), which can mean "to be confused," "to be distraught," or "to be brutish" or "stupid." The Hophal stem implies that they have been made or rendered stupid by Job, or they are considered to be in a state of stupor or brutishness by Job. It signifies an utter lack of understanding, dullness of mind, or acting senselessly. It directly complements "as beasts," reinforcing the idea of a loss of rational thought and discernment.
• in your sight?: Refers directly to Job's perception and judgment. Bildad implies that Job is arrogant in his own wisdom, considering his friends as beneath him intellectually and spiritually, lacking in divine insight. It puts the blame for this "counting" squarely on Job's attitude.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Why are we counted as beasts": This phrase captures Bildad's profound offense. It conveys a sense of intellectual and spiritual denigration. He perceives Job's words and attitude as stripping them of their human dignity and reducing them to mere unthinking creatures, unworthy of being heard or respected for their wisdom. This is a hyperbolic accusation, highlighting the friends' wounded pride.
• "as stupid in your sight?": This complements the first part, specifying how Job perceives them. Not only are they seen as irrational "beasts," but specifically "stupid," implying that Job attributes a fundamental intellectual deficiency to them. The addition of "in your sight" underscores that this is Job's subjective judgment, and Bildad feels profoundly disrespected and misrepresented by Job's perspective. It highlights the perceived arrogance and dismissiveness in Job's continued insistence on his innocence.

Job 18 3 Bonus section

The irony of Job 18:3 is profound: While Bildad accuses Job of regarding them as beasts and stupid, it is the friends themselves who are truly acting without discernment regarding Job's situation and God's greater plan. Later, God Himself rebukes Job's friends for not speaking rightly of Him, validating Job's more accurate perception (Job 42:7-8). Bildad's outburst here is born from intellectual arrogance, where human wisdom feels threatened and retaliates with insults rather than humility or openness to a mystery. It underscores a key theme of the book of Job: that human wisdom, even when well-intentioned or derived from tradition, is limited and often fails to grasp the full scope of God's ways, which are often beyond human comprehension. The friends represent a wisdom that has become dogmatic and therefore incapable of genuine empathy or grappling with innocent suffering.

Job 18 3 Commentary

Job 18:3 encapsulates the profound chasm between Job's agonizing experience and his friends' rigid theological framework. Bildad, representative of conventional wisdom, feels personally insulted by Job's resistance to their counsel. He interprets Job's eloquent and suffering-laden speeches as an assault on their intelligence and discernment, effectively calling them beasts who lack rational thought and are inherently "stupid." This reflects Bildad's wounded pride and his inability to reconcile Job's claims of innocence with his profound suffering. Rather than empathizing or seeking to understand Job's unique predicament, Bildad resorts to dehumanizing language, ironically revealing his own intellectual and spiritual blind spots. He and his friends cling so tightly to their traditional doctrine of retribution that they cannot fathom a scenario where a righteous person suffers, thus labeling Job's legitimate grievances as irrational. This verse highlights the danger of spiritual pride and the human tendency to belittle or demonize those who challenge our established beliefs or expose the limits of our understanding.

• Practical Usage Example: In modern discourse, people often resort to similar ad hominem attacks or dismissive language when confronted with perspectives that contradict their deeply held beliefs, rather than engaging in reasoned discussion. This mirrors Bildad's frustration-driven insult when Job does not conform to his pre-set categories of wisdom.