7747. Shuchi
Lexical Summary
Shuchi: Shuchi

Original Word: שׁוּחִי
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: Shuchiy
Pronunciation: SHOO-khee
Phonetic Spelling: (shoo-khee')
KJV: Shuhite
NASB: Shuhite
Word Origin: [patronymic from H7744 (שׁוַּח - Shuah)]

1. a Shuchite or descendant of Shuach

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Shuhite

Patronymic from Shuwach; a Shuchite or descendant of Shuach -- Shuhite.

see HEBREW Shuwach

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from Shuach
Definition
desc. of Shuah
NASB Translation
Shuhite (5).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
שׁוּחִי, שֻׁחִי adjective, of a people of שׁוּחַ (HilprAsayriaca i (1894), 56 compare Assyrian mSu-—a-ai); — ׳בִּלְדַּד הַשּׁו Job 2:11; Job 8:1; Job 42:9; ׳הַשּׁ Job 18:1; Job 25:1; ὁ Σαυχ(ε)ιτης, (Σαυχαιων).

Topical Lexicon
Biblical Occurrences

Strong’s Hebrew 7747 identifies the gentillic “Shuhite,” appearing five times, all in the Book of Job (Job 2:11; 8:1; 18:1; 25:1; 42:9). In every instance it refers to Bildad, one of Job’s three principal counselors. The Shuhite designation anchors Bildad within an identifiable clan or locality, distinguishing him from Eliphaz the Temanite and Zophar the Naamathite.

Historical Setting

“Shuhite” points back to Shuah, the sixth son of Abraham by Keturah (Genesis 25:1–2). His descendants settled in the Syro-Arabian desert south or southeast of Canaan. Ancient Near-Eastern records place these tribes amid the prosperous caravan routes that connected Mesopotamia, Canaan, and the Arabian Peninsula. Bildad’s presence alongside a Temanite (from Edom) and a Naamathite (likely from Arabia) illustrates how Job’s drama gathers wisdom-figures from various patriarchal lineages, underscoring the far-reaching fame of both Job’s former prosperity and his subsequent calamity (Job 1:3).

Role in the Dialogues of Job

Bildad the Shuhite speaks three times (Job 8; 18; 25). His speeches are marked by:
• An appeal to ancestral wisdom: “Inquire of past generations and consider the discoveries of their fathers” (Job 8:8).
• A rigid doctrine of retribution: the righteous prosper, the wicked suffer; therefore Job’s affliction signals hidden sin.
• Increasing brevity: Bildad’s final speech (Job 25) is only six verses, reflecting the counselors’ diminishing confidence as Job’s innocence remains unshaken.

Theological Significance

1. Human wisdom’s limitation. Bildad’s traditionalist reasoning cannot account for righteous suffering, highlighting the inadequacy of finite perspectives in the face of God’s inscrutable purposes (Job 42:3).
2. The danger of theological reductionism. By compressing divine justice into a simple tit-for-tat principle, Bildad misrepresents God’s moral governance, prompting the Lord’s rebuke: “My anger burns against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken about Me what is right, as My servant Job has” (Job 42:7).
3. Divine grace over legalism. Although Bildad erred, God accepted Job’s intercessory sacrifice on his behalf (Job 42:9), prefiguring the mediator role ultimately fulfilled by Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5).

Ministry Lessons

• Counsel with compassion. Bildad’s speeches are doctrinally informed yet pastorally deficient; true ministry requires “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15).
• Listen before labeling. Rushing to diagnose sin in suffering saints replicates Bildad’s mistake; believers are called to “weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15).
• Rest in God’s final word. Bildad’s shortened speeches mirror the fading certainty of human explanations; enduring comfort springs from revelatory assurance found in Scripture.

Geographical and Cultural Connections

The Shuhites, dwelling along caravan routes, would have interacted with diverse cultures, contributing to Bildad’s proverbial knowledge. Their tent-dwelling lifestyle (cf. Job 8:14–15) informed his imagery of spider webs, papyrus marshes, and uprooted plants—metaphors drawn from desert life.

Conclusion

The Shuhite title frames Bildad as both a genuine seeker and a cautionary figure. His presence in Job testifies to the antiquity and international scope of patriarchal wisdom traditions while demonstrating that even revered sages must submit their understanding to divine revelation.

Forms and Transliterations
הַשֻּׁחִ֗י הַשּׁוּחִ֔י הַשּׁוּחִ֗י השוחי השחי haš·šu·ḥî haš·šū·ḥî hashshuChi haššuḥî haššūḥî
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Job 2:11
HEB: הַתֵּימָנִי֙ וּבִלְדַּ֣ד הַשּׁוּחִ֔י וְצוֹפַ֖ר הַנַּֽעֲמָתִ֑י
NAS: Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar
KJV: and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar
INT: the Temanite Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite

Job 8:1
HEB: וַ֭יַּעַן בִּלְדַּ֥ד הַשּׁוּחִ֗י וַיֹאמַֽר׃
NAS: Then Bildad the Shuhite answered,
KJV: Bildad the Shuhite, and said,
INT: answered Bildad the Shuhite and said

Job 18:1
HEB: וַ֭יַּעַן בִּלְדַּ֥ד הַשֻּׁחִ֗י וַיֹּאמַֽר׃
NAS: Then Bildad the Shuhite responded,
KJV: Bildad the Shuhite, and said,
INT: answered Bildad the Shuhite and said

Job 25:1
HEB: וַ֭יַּעַן בִּלְדַּ֥ד הַשֻּׁחִ֗י וַיֹּאמַֽר׃
NAS: Then Bildad the Shuhite answered,
KJV: Bildad the Shuhite, and said,
INT: answered Bildad the Shuhite and said

Job 42:9
HEB: הַתֵּֽימָנִ֜י וּבִלְדַּ֣ד הַשּׁוּחִ֗י צֹפַר֙ הַנַּ֣עֲמָתִ֔י
NAS: and Bildad the Shuhite [and] Zophar
KJV: and Bildad the Shuhite [and] Zophar
INT: the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite Zophar the Naamathite

5 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 7747
5 Occurrences


haš·šū·ḥî — 5 Occ.

7746
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