וְרוּחַ כַּבִּיר. רוּחַ דְּבָרִים:

Bildad’s Address a mighty wind Many words.

mighty Heb. כביר, an expression of multiplicity.

Does God pervert judgment Heb. הא-ל. The “hey” is vowelized with a “patach,” and it means an expression of wonder.

He sent them away in the hands of their transgression Through their transgression. (The transgression) became the agent to carry them off.

If you seek God etc., He will arouse your merit over you.

and will complete your righteous home And He will make your righteous home complete and perfect.

And your beginning shall be small Your beginning, which has passed, shall be small as compared to your end, which shall increase exceedingly.

about the past generation About the past generation, like (Deut. 4:32), “For inquire now about the earlier times.”

and apply yourself Apply and prepare yourself to understand what their fathers have searched out.

Can papyrus shoot up They will say this: Papyrus cannot grow except when the marsh is wet with its water and its moisture. בִצָה is marese in Old French, a marsh.

in its greenness In its moisture and with its produce.

will not be plucked Heb. יקטף, will not be broken or pulled off; like (Deut. 23:26), “you may pluck (וקטפת) ears.”

but before any other grass it will dry up Before any other grass [does], it will dry up when the water evaporates and the marsh dries up.

So are the ways of all those who forget God to prosper when it goes well with him until his measure [of sin] is full.

and the hope the end of the flatterer will be lost.

whose confidence shall be cut off His confidence and his trust Will be cut off

confidence Heb. כסלו. That is the thought of his confidence. like (below 31:24), “If I put my confidence (כסלי) in gold. יקוט is an expression of cutting off; as (Ezek. 16:47): “for after a very little while (קט).”

a spider’s web which does not last, is his trust.

It is fresh His fortune is moist and strong before the time of the visitation of the heat plague—which dries him out—comes to him. And because he [Bildad] compares him [the wicked] to the papyrus, he speaks according to that metaphor.

and on its garden its tender branch emerges Heb. יונקתו, its root that draws sustenance, or a young branch that grows this year, like (Ezek. 17: 22), “I will pluck from the top of his young twigs (ינקותיו).”

are entwined Will be entwined with the branch and with the thicket.

a stone house He sees a strong place and builds it for himself as a stronghold. Menachem, however explains יֶחֶזֶה as an expression of a border: will border him; he will build it up to his border. [Perlow ed, reads: on his border.] Likewise (Ps. 107:30), “their desired haven.” Likewise (I Kings 7:4), “an edge to an edge (מחזה אל מחזה)” (Machbereth Menachem p. 86). All these are before his plague.

If one destroys him from his place the one who requites him, and this is an elliptical verse.

then it shall deny him his place [shall deny him].

‘I have not seen you,’ For neither root nor branch shall remain of him, and it will be as though he had never existed, for his fall shall not ascend like the downfall of the righteous—for the righteous will fall and rise, but this one will fall without rising.

Behold this is the joy of his way Of the wicked man, for all his joy and also his success will end up without hope.

and from the earth, others will spring forth And people who were until now bent down to the ground will spring forth.

others Another man will spring forth to receive the greatness of this one, as we find (Eccles. 2:26): “and to the sinner He has given the task...” Therefore, you should know about yourself, if you were wicked, you will not rise after your downfall. If you were innocent...

Behold God will not reject the innocent and He will not uphold your enemies who are harming you, until He returns to grant you clemency, and [then] He will fill your mouth with laughter.