Job 8 21

Job 8:21 kjv

Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing.

Job 8:21 nkjv

He will yet fill your mouth with laughing, And your lips with rejoicing.

Job 8:21 niv

He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.

Job 8:21 esv

He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with shouting.

Job 8:21 nlt

He will once again fill your mouth with laughter
and your lips with shouts of joy.

Job 8 verses

Job 8 21 Meaning

Job 8:21, spoken by Bildad the Shuhite, expresses a conditional hope for Job. Bildad asserts that if Job is truly innocent and seeks God diligently, God will yet restore him, filling his mouth with laughter and his lips with shouting. This paints a picture of complete vindication and restoration to public honor and joy after Job's immense suffering and sorrow. The verse posits a direct, causal link between Job's perceived piety and God's resultant blessing, a common but flawed theological premise among Job's friends.

Job 8 21 Context

Job 8:21 is part of Bildad the Shuhite's first speech to Job (Job 8:1-22). Bildad, a rigid traditionalist, operates strictly within the retribution principle – the belief that God blesses the righteous and punishes the wicked. He contends that since God is just and does not pervert justice (v. 3), Job's immense suffering must be a consequence of his sin or the sins of his children (v. 4). However, unlike Eliphaz who focused more on Job's perceived secret sins, Bildad advises Job to appeal directly to God. If Job would truly humble himself, seek God earnestly, and be pure, then God, according to Bildad, would "rouse himself for you and restore you to your rightful place" (v. 6). Verse 21 then serves as the optimistic outcome promised to Job if he meets these conditions: a glorious reversal of his circumstances, characterized by overt joy and celebration. The broader context of the Book of Job challenges this simplistic retribution theology, revealing a deeper understanding of God's sovereignty and the complex nature of suffering.

Job 8 21 Word analysis

• He will yet:

  • Hebrew: עַד (ad) יְמַלֵּא (y'malle').
  • עַד (ad) signifies "until," "even to," or "yet." In this construction, it conveys duration leading to a conclusive outcome. It implies that up to the point of divine intervention, things remain bleak, but then a dramatic shift occurs.
  • יְמַלֵּא (y'malle') is from the root מָלֵא (male'), meaning "to fill," "to be full." This is a Piel verb in the imperfect tense, emphasizing a strong, causative action. "He will cause to be full" or "He will completely fill."
  • "He" refers to God, though not explicitly named in the immediate Hebrew text. It is understood from Bildad's earlier statements about God (vv. 3, 5, 6).
  • Significance: It projects a future certainty of God's action, a promise of reversal directly brought about by divine power. This promise, however, is presented by Bildad as conditional on Job's repentance.

• fill your mouth:

  • Hebrew: פִּיךָ (pikha) - "your mouth." פֶּה (peh) is mouth; -ךָ (-ka) is "your."
  • Significance: The mouth is the primary organ for expressing sorrow (lamenting) or joy (singing, shouting). Filling it signifies an overflowing, abundant change in Job's outward expression, contrasting sharply with his current lamentations and silent suffering. It's a vivid image of saturation with a new reality.

• with laughter:

  • Hebrew: שְׂחוֹק (sekhoq).
  • Meaning: "laughter," "joy," "sport," or even "mockery" depending on context. Here, it denotes joyful, unrestrained merriment and mirth.
  • Significance: Represents complete liberation from grief. It is the antithesis of tears and anguish. It implies a state of profound internal and external delight, suggesting a restoration of well-being and honor that prompts open celebration.

• and your lips:

  • Hebrew: וּשְׂפָתֶיךָ (u'sfateikha). וּ (u) is "and"; שָׂפָה (safah) is lip, border; -ךָ (-ka) is "your."
  • Significance: Along with the mouth, the lips are crucial for vocalization. This parallelism emphasizes the comprehensive nature of the joy. It's not just an internal feeling but an outward, audible declaration.

• with shouting:

  • Hebrew: תְּרוּעָה (t'ru'ah).
  • Meaning: A loud shout, cheer, triumph, battle cry, or acclamation. It carries connotations of great excitement, victory, and joyous celebration, often used in public or corporate settings (e.g., a trumpet blast of jubilation).
  • Significance: T'ru'ah is more than just normal conversation; it implies a boisterous, triumphant, unbridled sound of joy and vindication. It paints a picture of public restoration and exultation, perhaps implying Job's re-establishment in the community as a person favored by God.

Word-groups/phrase analysis:

• "He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouting": This poetic parallelism underscores the completeness of the restoration promised. Both parts of the oral cavity (mouth and lips) are overflowing with distinct but related expressions of joy (laughter and triumphant shouting). This is a reversal from the lamentations and anguished cries that Job has been uttering, showing a full spiritual and social vindication. It's a statement about divine activity causing a complete transformation, contingent on Job's turning back to God according to Bildad's limited theological framework.

Job 8 21 Bonus section

The irony of Bildad's words is that what he describes does eventually happen to Job (Job 42:10-17), but not as a result of Job admitting sin or repentance as Bildad demanded. Instead, Job's restoration is a result of God's sovereign grace and vindication of Job's integrity in the face of his accusers and limited human wisdom. This highlights the book's central message: God's ways are beyond human comprehension, and suffering is not always a direct consequence of personal sin. The promise of "laughter and shouting" represents a future reality where all pain and sorrow will be eclipsed by unending joy, as God ultimately turns the weeping of night into the dancing of day.

Job 8 21 Commentary

Bildad's statement in Job 8:21 is a classic articulation of the traditional retribution theology prevalent in the ancient Near East and among Job's friends. While the promise of God restoring joy after suffering is fundamentally true, as demonstrated in Job's eventual outcome (Job 42) and countless other biblical narratives, Bildad's error lies in the premise of his argument. He assumes Job's suffering is due to sin and that Job must repent to receive this joy. He presents a transactional view of God's blessing. "He will yet fill" suggests a future transformation, but it is contingent on Job purifying himself. This promise of overwhelming joy, a contrast to Job's profound grief, would have been tantalizing but ultimately unhelpful given Job's perceived innocence and deep confusion. The laughter and shouting signify complete and public vindication, replacing sorrow with celebration, despair with triumph, echoing a profound transformation wrought by divine favor.