Job 8:8
New International Version
“Ask the former generation and find out what their ancestors learned,

New Living Translation
“Just ask the previous generation. Pay attention to the experience of our ancestors.

English Standard Version
“For inquire, please, of bygone ages, and consider what the fathers have searched out.

Berean Standard Bible
Please inquire of past generations and consider the discoveries of their fathers.

King James Bible
For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers:

New King James Version
“For inquire, please, of the former age, And consider the things discovered by their fathers;

New American Standard Bible
“Please inquire of past generations, And consider the things searched out by their fathers.

NASB 1995
“Please inquire of past generations, And consider the things searched out by their fathers.

NASB 1977
“Please inquire of past generations, And consider the things searched out by their fathers.

Legacy Standard Bible
“Please ask of past generations, And establish the things searched out by their fathers.

Amplified Bible
“Inquire, please, of past generations, And consider and apply yourself to the things searched out by their fathers.

Christian Standard Bible
For ask the previous generation, and pay attention to what their ancestors discovered,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For ask the previous generation, and pay attention to what their fathers discovered,

American Standard Version
For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, And apply thyself to that which their fathers have searched out

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Ask now about the first generations and discern the search of their fathers

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For ask of the former generation, and search diligently among the race of our fathers:

Contemporary English Version
Our ancestors were wise, so learn from them.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For inquire of the former generation, and search diligently into the memory of the fathers:

English Revised Version
For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and apply thyself to that which their fathers have searched out:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Ask the people of past generations. Find out what their ancestors had learned.

Good News Translation
Look for a moment at ancient wisdom; consider the truths our ancestors learned.

International Standard Version
"Inquire of the previous generation, won't you please? Consider what their forefathers searched out.

JPS Tanakh 1917
For inquire, I pray thee, of the former generation, And apply thyself to that which their fathers have searched out--

Literal Standard Version
For inquire, please, of a former generation, | And prepare for a search of their fathers,

Majority Standard Bible
Please inquire of past generations and consider the discoveries of their fathers.

New American Bible
Inquire of the former generations, pay attention to the experience of their ancestors—

NET Bible
"For inquire now of the former generation, and pay attention to the findings of their ancestors;

New Revised Standard Version
“For inquire now of bygone generations, and consider what their ancestors have found;

New Heart English Bible
"Please inquire of past generations. Find out about the learning of their fathers.

Webster's Bible Translation
For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers:

World English Bible
“Please inquire of past generations. Find out about the learning of their fathers.

Young's Literal Translation
For, ask I pray thee of a former generation, And prepare to a search of their fathers,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Bildad: Job Should Repent
7Though your beginnings were modest, your latter days will flourish. 8Please inquire of past generations and consider the discoveries of their fathers. 9For we were born yesterday and know nothing; our days on earth are but a shadow.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 4:32
Indeed, ask now from one end of the heavens to the other about the days that long preceded you, from the day that God created man on earth: Has anything as great as this ever happened or been reported?

Deuteronomy 32:7
Remember the days of old; consider the years long past. Ask your father, and he will tell you, your elders, and they will inform you.

2 Chronicles 10:6
Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. "How do you advise me to respond to these people?" he asked.

Job 15:18
what was declared by wise men and was not concealed from their fathers,

Job 20:4
Do you not know that from antiquity, since man was placed on the earth,

Job 32:7
I thought that age should speak, and many years should teach wisdom.

Joel 1:2
Hear this, O elders; and give ear, all who dwell in the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your fathers?


Treasury of Scripture

For inquire, I pray you, of the former age, and prepare yourself to the search of their fathers:

enquire.

Job 12:12
With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.

Job 15:10,18
With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father…

Job 32:6,7
And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said, I am young, and ye are very old; wherefore I was afraid, and durst not shew you mine opinion…

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Job 8
1. Bildad shows God's justice in dealing with men according to their works.
8. He alleges antiquity to prove the certain destruction of the hypocrite.
20. He applies God's just dealing to Job.














Verse 8. - For inquire... of the former age. Put the matter to the test of experience - not the short-lived experience of living men, but the treasure of experience which has been handed down from generation to generation since the remotest times, and which is embodied in proverbs - the expression of the concentrated wisdom of antiquity. Search out and see what has in former ages been thought concerning prosperous men, like thyself, when suddenly cast down and afflicted. And prepare thyself to the search of their fathers. Go back, i.e., to the past age, but do not stop there - pursue thy researches further and further to their remote ancestors. Bildad implies that the records of these remote times have been, in some way or other, preserved, either in writings or by oral tradition. Writing was certainly known in Egypt and Babylonia from a time anterior to Abraham, and to the Hittites at a date not very much later. Books of advice and instruction embodied in proverbs, or moral precepts, were among the earliest, in Egypt certainly. See the "Instructions of Amen-em-hat." in the 'Records of the Past,' vol. if. pp. 11-16, and the 'Proverbs of Aphobis,' published by the Revelation Dunbar Heath. Bildad's speech is thought to indicate "special familiarity with Egypt."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Please
נָ֭א (nā)
Interjection
Strong's 4994: I pray', 'now', 'then'

inquire
שְׁאַל־ (šə·’al-)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 7592: To inquire, to request, to demand

of past
רִישׁ֑וֹן (rî·šō·wn)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7223: First, in place, time, rank

generations
לְדֹ֣ר (lə·ḏōr)
Preposition | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1755: A revolution of time, an age, generation, a dwelling

and consider
וְ֝כוֹנֵ֗ן (wə·ḵō·w·nên)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 3559: To be erect

the discoveries
לְחֵ֣קֶר (lə·ḥê·qer)
Preposition | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 2714: A searching, a thing (to be) searched out

of their fathers.
אֲבוֹתָֽם׃ (’ă·ḇō·w·ṯām)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 1: Father


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OT Poetry: Job 8:8 Please inquire of past generations (Jb)
Job 8:7
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