Is there any number to his armies? Upon whom does his light not arise?
Bildad's last speech is short, and these opening lines turn Job's eyes to the armies of heaven and the light of God. What he says is true; whether it answers a suffering man is another matter.
Armies Beyond Counting
The first question expects one answer: no one can count them. One commentator fills out the picture from the rest of Scripture:
Samuel Ridout"Who can number His armies?" At one word our Lord could have received "more than twelve legions of angels." "The number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands." They are an "innumerable company of angels… the general assembly." What are the armies of men compared with these? The prophet prayed that his servant's eyes might be opened to see the mountain "full of horses and chariots of fire" (2 Kings 6:17).
Size is only half of it. Another writer points to what a single one of them can do: "One angel of the Lord killed 185,000 Assyrians in one night! (2 Kings 19:35)" — Leslie M. Grant.
Light and Its Reach
The second question moves from God's power to His light. Commentators read this line in more than one way. One compares it to sunrise:
Leslie M. GrantAlso, "Upon whom does His light not arise?" Just as the sun rises on all the earth (Ps. 19:6), so the Lord Jesus is the true light who, coming into the world, shed His light upon everyone (Jn.1:9). Of course Bildad had no knowledge of this, and little realised that God moved him to speak in this way.
Another reads it as a comparison rather than a gift — God's brightness outshining every creature that shines:
Samuel Ridout"God is light," and His hosts are hosts of light; they shine in a glory not their own: "Whom does not His light surpass?" Let any of these sons of the morning boast of themselves, and their brightness would become dim… His light surpasses that of all His creatures, however exalted they may be. It rises above and exceeds infinitely the light of the brightest of them all. This gives a meaning more in keeping with the context than that of our version — "Upon whom does not His light arise?"
A third reading stresses reach. God's "all-reaching light… penetrates and reveals the remotest and otherwise hidden objects in the universe" — William Kelly.
True Words, Wrong Target
All of it is true. None of it reaches Job where he is:
William KellyThere is a great deal that is very beautiful in what Bildad said, only it had no bearing on the matter at all. "Dominion and fear are with him; he makes peace in his high places." Yes, but what troubled Job was that he had anything but peace in his low place… "Is there any number of his armies?" That is all very true; was that any comfort to Job, or any answer? "And upon whom does not his light arise?" Well, there might be an implication that Job was all wrong because he did not enjoy the light, and not that Bildad himself did.
The same writer explains why. Bildad "was entirely without any trial; and he could therefore talk reasonably, and so far quietly; but he had no understanding of Job" — William Kelly.
Speech Without Substance
This is the last we hear from Bildad. He speaks to fill a silence:
William KellySuch is the closing effort of Bildad, evidently wishing to say something, rather than having something to say… The main point is the awe-inspiring majesty of God, who must resent the unholy thought of man drawing near to His throne, above all, debating with Him as if He could make a mistake, or as if the creature could vindicate itself against His dealings.
Where the Question Is Going
Verse 3 is the last step before Bildad's real point: if God is like this, what is man? The question he raises has an answer he could not give:
Leslie M. GrantSince God is so great, "what is man?" Can men possibly be righteous before God? Can anyone born of a woman be pure? By nature there is no hope of man ever reaching such righteousness and purity, for man is a totally corrupted sinner. Bildad however was not applying this humbling lesson to himself, but to Job! But we all need to learn this as regards ourselves. The New Testament supplies the answer to this serious question. Man can be righteous before God, but only by faith in the Lord Jesus who has suffered for our sins. Righteousness is not ours by nature, but is imputed to believers only because of their faith in Christ (Rom. 4:20-24).
Summary
- Armies — no one can count God's forces; twelve legions of angels stood ready at a word, and one angel struck down an army in a night.
- Light — commentators differ: light that rises on everyone like the sun, or light that outshines every creature that shines.
- Reach — His light reaches the remotest corners of the universe and reveals what is hidden.
- Misfire — every word is true, and none of it touched Job. Peace in God's high places gave no comfort to a man with no peace in his low place.
- Answer — God's greatness raises the question: how can man be righteous? Only faith in Christ answers it.