Job 8 · Verse 20

Job 8:20

Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers:
Job 8:20, King James Version

Job 8:20 in other translations

BSBBehold, God does not reject the blameless, nor will He strengthen the hand of evildoers.
WEB“Behold, God will not cast away a blameless man, neither will he uphold the evildoers.
ASVBehold, God will not cast away a perfect man, Neither will he uphold the evil-doers.
YLTLo, God doth not reject the perfect, Nor taketh hold on the hand of evil doers.
DARBYBehold,God will not cast off a perfect man, neither will he take evil-doers by the hand.
BBETruly, God will not give up him who is without sin, and will not take evil-doers by the hand.
WebsterBehold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers:

What does Job 8:20 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
20. 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.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 20 Behold, 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."

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Job 8:20-22
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 of trial and discipline, and the future state of final judgment. May we choose the portion, possess the confidence, bear the cross, and die the death of the righteous; and, in the mean time, be careful neither to wound others by rash judgments, nor to distress ourselves needlessly about the opinions of our fellow-creatures.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Job 8:20 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

הֶן\־hen-there!H2005
אֵ֭ל'elGodH410
לֹ֣אlo'notH3808
יִמְאַס\־yim.'as-he rejectsH3988
תָּ֑םTama blameless [person]H8535
וְלֹֽא\־ve.lo'-and notH3808
יַ֝חֲזִ֗יקya.cha.Zikhe takes holdH2388
בְּיַד\־be.yad-on [the] hand ofH3027
מְרֵעִֽים\׃me.re.'Imevil-doersH7489

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Job 8:20

  • Job 4:7

    Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?

  • Psalms 37:37

    Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.

  • Psalms 37:24

    Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.

  • Isaiah 45:1

    Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;

  • Psalms 94:14

    For the Lord will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.

  • Job 21:30

    That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.

  • Job 9:22

    This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
God.
4:7; 9:22; Ps 37:24,37; 94:14
help the evil doers. Heb. take the ungodly by the hand.
Isa 45:1

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Job 8:19

    Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the earth shall others grow.

  • Job 8:20

    Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers:

  • Job 8:21

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

Read all of Job 8

Job 8:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		He aquí, Dios no aborrece al perfecto, ni toma la mano de los malignos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Voici, ✶Dieu ne méprisera pas l’homme parfait, et ne soutiendra pas les mains des méchants:
German
Elberfelder 1871		Siehe, Gott wird den Vollkommenen nicht verwerfen, und nicht bei der Hand fassen die Übeltäter.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Deus non projiciet simplicem, nec porriget manum malignis,