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New American Standard Bible
Job 8:8
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
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- InternationalParallel Translations
For ask the previous generation,and pay attention to what their fathers discovered,
"Please inquire of past generations, Find out about the learning of their fathers.
For enquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers:
"For inquire, please, of bygone ages, and consider what the fathers have searched out.
"Ask old people; find out what their ancestors learned,
"For inquire now of the former generation, and pay attention to the findings of their ancestors;
"Inquire, please, of past generations, And consider and apply yourself to the things searched out by their fathers.
"Please inquire of past generations, Find out about the learning of their fathers.
Inquire therefore, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thy selfe to search of their fathers.
"Please ask of past generations,And establish the things searched out by their fathers.
Please inquire of past generations and consider the discoveries of their fathers.
Our ancestors were wise, so learn from them.
"Ask the older generation, and consider what their ancestors found out;
For inquire, I pray thee, of the former generation, and attend to the researches of their fathers;
"Ask those who are now old. Find out what their ancestors learned.
For inquire, I pray you, of the former generations, and learn through the search of their fathers;
Look for a moment at ancient wisdom; consider the truths our ancestors learned.
"Indeed, please inquire of former generations, and consider what their ancestors have found,
For now ask of the former generation, and prepare to the search of their fathers;
Enquere of them that haue bene before the, search diligently amonge thy forefathers:
For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, And apply thyself to that which their fathers have searched out
Put the question now to the past generations, and give attention to what has been searched out by their fathers:
For inquire, I pray thee, of the former generation, and apply thyself to that which their fathers have searched out--
For enquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thy selfe to the search of their fathers.
Enquire I pray thee of the former age, and search diligently among their fathers:
For ask of the former generation, and search diligently among the race of our fathers:
For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and apply thyself to that which their fathers have searched out:
For whi, axe thou the formere generacioun, and seke thou diligentli the mynde of fadris.
For inquire, I pray you, of the former age, And apply yourself to that which their fathers have searched out:
For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers:
"For inquire, please, of the former age, And consider the things discovered by their fathers;
"Just ask the previous generation. Pay attention to the experience of our ancestors.
"Ask about those who have lived before. Think about what their fathers learned.
"For inquire now of bygone generations, and consider what their ancestors have found;
For inquire, I pray thee, of a former generation, and prepare thyself for the research of their fathers; -
For inquire of the former generation, and search diligently into the memory of the fathers:
"For inquire, I pray you, of bygone ages, and consider what the fathers have found;
For, ask I pray thee of a former generation, And prepare to a search of their fathers,
"Put the question to our ancestors, study what they learned from their ancestors. For we're newcomers at this, with a lot to learn, and not too long to learn it. So why not let the ancients teach you, tell you what's what, instruct you in what they knew from experience? Can mighty pine trees grow tall without soil? Can luscious tomatoes flourish without water? Blossoming flowers look great before they're cut or picked, but without soil or water they wither more quickly than grass. That's what happens to all who forget God— all their hopes come to nothing. They hang their life from one thin thread, they hitch their fate to a spider web. One jiggle and the thread breaks, one jab and the web collapses. Or they're like weeds springing up in the sunshine, invading the garden, Spreading everywhere, overtaking the flowers, getting a foothold even in the rocks. But when the gardener rips them out by the roots, the garden doesn't miss them one bit. The sooner the godless are gone, the better; then good plants can grow in their place.
"Please inquire of past generations, And consider the things searched out by their fathers.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
inquire: Job 12:12, Job 15:10, Job 15:18, Job 32:6, Job 32:7, Deuteronomy 4:32, Deuteronomy 32:7, Psalms 44:1, Psalms 78:3, Psalms 78:4, Isaiah 38:19, Romans 15:4, 1 Corinthians 10:11
Reciprocal: Genesis 47:9 - have not Job 5:27 - we have searched Job 12:2 - ye are the people Job 13:1 - ear Job 20:4 - thou not Joel 1:2 - ye old Matthew 5:21 - it
Cross-References
So he waited another seven days longer; and again he sent out the dove from the ark.
And the dove came to him in the evening, and behold, in its beak was a fresh olive leaf. So Noah knew that the water was low on the earth.
Then he waited another seven days longer, and sent out the dove; but it did not return to him again.
"How beautiful you are, my darling, How beautiful you are! Your eyes are like doves."
"My dove, in the clefts of the rock, In the hiding place of the mountain pathway, Let me see how you look, Let me hear your voice; For your voice is pleasant, And you look delightful."
"Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be as wary as serpents, and as innocent as doves.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age,.... With respect to the truth of what he had said, or should say; he does not desire Job to take his word for it, but inquire how it was in former times; by which it would appear, that when good men have been in affliction and trouble, and have behaved well under it, as became them, they have been delivered out of it, and have been afterwards in more flourishing and comfortable circumstances, as Noah, Abraham, Lot, and others; and that wicked men and hypocrites, though they have flourished for a while, yet destruction has sooner or later come upon them, and they have utterly perished, as the descendants of Cain, the builders of Babel, and the men of Sodom, and others; whereas good and upright men are never cast away by the Lord, no instance can be given of it; all which would appear, if inquiry was made into what had happened in the "former age" not the "first age", as the Septuagint version, the age or generation in which the first man and woman lived; for who were "their fathers", mentioned in the next clause? but the age or generation preceding that in which Job and his friends lived; and the knowledge of things done in that might with some application and diligence be more easily obtained:
and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers; of the fathers of the men of the former age, who lived in the age preceding that, and from whom their posterity had received the knowledge of many things by tradition, as they had received from their fathers that lived before them and so upwards; things being handed down in a traditionary way from father to son; and though these fathers were dead, yet, by their traditions that were preserved, they were capable of teaching and instructing men; and their sayings and sentiments deserved regard, and were had in much esteem; but yet being uninspired and fallible men, were not to be received without examination; for though truth is of the greatest antiquity, and to be revered on that account, yet error is almost as old as that; and therefore great care is to be taken how any thing is received purely upon the score of antiquity; and great pains, diligence, and circumspection, are necessary to a due search of the fathers, and coming at their sense and sentiments; and so as to distinguish between truth and error, and get a true knowledge of facts done in ancient times; such a search is to be made in like manner as one would search for gold and silver, and hidden treasures.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
For inquire thee of the former age - That is, attend to the results of observation. Ask the generations which have passed, and who in their poems and proverbs have left the records of their experience. The sentiment which Bildad proposes to confirm by this appeal is, that though the wicked should for a time flourish, yet they would be cut off, and that the righteous, though they may be for a time afflicted, yet if they seek God, they will ultimately prosper. It was common to make these appeals to the ancients. The results of observation were embodied in proverbs, parables, fables, and fragments of poems; and he was regarded as among the wisest of men who had the fruits of these observations most at command. To that Bildad appeals, and especially, as would appear, to the fragment of an ancient poem which he proceeds to repeat, and which, perhaps, is the oldest poem extant in any language.
And prepare thyself - Make an effort, or give diligent attention to it.
To the search of their fathers - Of the bygone generations, not only to the age immediately past, but to their ancestors. He would bring the results of the observation of far distant ages to confirm the sentiment which he had advanced.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Job 8:8. Inquire - of the former age — לדור רישון ledor rishon, of the first age; of the patriarchs; the first generation of men that dwelt upon the earth: not of the age that was just past, as Mr. Peters and several others have imagined, in order to keep up the presumption of Job's high antiquity. Bildad most evidently refers to an antiquity exceedingly remote.
