Job 8 7

Job 8:7 kjv

Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.

Job 8:7 nkjv

Though your beginning was small, Yet your latter end would increase abundantly.

Job 8:7 niv

Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be.

Job 8:7 esv

And though your beginning was small, your latter days will be very great.

Job 8:7 nlt

And though you started with little,
you will end with much.

Job 8 verses

Job 8 7 Meaning

Job 8:7 conveys Bildad the Shuhite's theological assertion to Job: a righteous person, even if beginning with little, will experience great prosperity in their latter days, implying that if Job repented, God would restore him beyond his initial state. It is a statement rooted in the retribution theology prevalent among Job's friends, believing that God consistently rewards righteousness with material blessing and punishes sin with suffering.

Job 8 7 Context

Job 8:7 is part of Bildad's first speech to Job, immediately following Eliphaz. Job's three friends—Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar—all operate from the traditional Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) belief in retributive justice, asserting that suffering is always a direct result of sin, and prosperity is a reward for righteousness. They argue that Job must have committed some great sin, and his suffering is divine punishment. Bildad, using an appeal to the wisdom of antiquity (v. 8), strongly urges Job to seek God (v. 5) and repent. Verse 7, "Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end will greatly increase," is presented as an incentive for Job to turn back to God, promising that a repentant Job would see an even greater restoration than his initial state of prosperity. This reflects a polemic against the idea of undeserved suffering, positing a simplistic, mechanical relationship between human action and divine response that the book of Job ultimately refutes through Job's blamelessness and God's sovereign justice.

Job 8 7 Word analysis

• Though (כִּֽי / kī): A strong conjunction here, functioning as an "if indeed" or "certainly," introducing a conditional or emphatic statement. It links Job's potential future increase to his assumed repentance (from earlier verses in Bildad's speech), not a guaranteed outcome without human action from Bildad's viewpoint.
• your beginning (רֵאשִׁיתֶ֑ךָ / rēʾšītekā): From rōʾš, meaning "head, first, chief, beginning." It refers to Job's initial state of prosperity before his trials, signifying the commencement of his fortunes or his former wealth and standing.
• was small (מִצְעָ֥ר / mitsʿār): Meaning "little, few, insignificant." Here it functions comparatively, suggesting that even if Job’s prior prosperity were deemed "small" in the grand scheme (perhaps as a humble starting point or merely in relation to the promised future abundance), it was still noteworthy. It emphasizes the initial, less impressive state against the backdrop of potential future greatness.
• your latter end (אַחֲרִיתְךָ֖ / ʾaḥărītēkā): From ʾaḥar, meaning "after, behind, latter." It refers to the final state, the future, the outcome, or the end result. In a temporal sense, it denotes the concluding phase of Job's life or circumstances.
• will greatly increase (יִרְבֶּ֣ה / yirbeh): From the root rābâ, meaning "to be or become many, great, numerous; to multiply, increase." This verb carries a strong sense of multiplication and abundance, far surpassing the original state. It implies exponential growth and flourishing.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end will greatly increase": This entire phrase presents a powerful contrast and a promise. It leverages the "from small to great" motif common in ancient wisdom literature. Bildad implies a linear, predictable divine economy where initial adversity (or 'smallness') for the righteous who repent leads to inevitable and overwhelming future blessings. While the premise for Job (that his suffering indicated sin) is incorrect, the underlying principle that God can indeed turn humble beginnings into great outcomes or restore greater than before is affirmed elsewhere in Scripture (e.g., Job's actual outcome in Job 42). It highlights a core human desire for growth, prosperity, and a better future.

Job 8 7 Bonus section

• Bildad's statement, while misapplied to Job's specific situation, resonates with the broader biblical theme of divine redemption and progressive revelation. Just as the kingdom of God begins "small" (like a mustard seed) and grows exponentially, or an individual's spiritual journey often starts with a nascent faith and matures into deep wisdom and greater service, God's pattern can be to amplify beginnings.
• This verse can be viewed as a classic example of human wisdom, even when drawing from true observations (like God's ability to restore), being inadequate when attempting to fully comprehend the intricate and often mysterious ways of God (especially in suffering). It illustrates the danger of rigid theological systems that fail to account for God's freedom and deeper purposes beyond human comprehension.

Job 8 7 Commentary

Job 8:7 encapsulates a central argument of Bildad and the friends: God's justice dictates that suffering is due to sin and repentance leads to restoration and magnified blessing. Bildad assumes Job's guilt, offering a formulaic promise of recovery contingent on repentance. While the principle that God can cause something small to grow greatly or restore blessings (as seen in the parables of the Kingdom or God's ultimate blessing of Job in Job 42) holds true Biblically, Bildad misapplies it as an absolute cause-and-effect rule directly linking all suffering to sin and all prosperity to righteousness in the immediate, observable sense. His "wisdom" is rooted in human understanding of divine retribution, failing to grasp the deeper purposes of God in suffering and the complexity of His sovereignty. The irony lies in the fact that Job’s "latter end" indeed did greatly increase, not because of Bildad’s flawed theology or Job’s "repentance" from sin he didn't commit, but by the sovereign, unmerited grace of God who tested His blameless servant.

• Example 1: A believer struggling through intense trials, who, like Job, may feel unjustly afflicted, can eventually witness God’s transformative power turning their "small" and painful season into a period of profound spiritual and often material flourishing.
• Example 2: A ministry starting with very few resources and members, but faithfully serving God, can experience exponential growth and impact over time, becoming far greater than its humble origins.