Bildad

Bildad the Shuhite  was one of three friends of Job, along with Eliphaz and Zophar who came to his comfort after calamity struck. While little is given about Bildad, several inferences can be made based on his extensively recorded dialogue.

Etymology
The name Bildad is the combination shortened form (DaD) of the root word DUD (dowd), meaning "beloved" and a qualifier BaL, a shortened form of ba'al, both meaning "lord" or "master." The word was appropriate as the name of chief gods of ancient Canaanite religions. The combination probably means "Loved by the master."

Bildad is said to have been a Shuhite (pronounced Shoo-khite). This is a patronymic designation of a region settled by Abraham's son Shuah (pronounced Shoo-ahk). However, the word shuakh comes from a root meaning "to sink down, or depress." This could indicate a depressed area in the land of Uz.

Early life
Societal conditions in the land of Uz seem to parallel those during the days of Abraham and his extended family. If Bildad is a descendant of Abraham's son by Keturah, Shuah, or living in the land named after him, then he would have lived during the time of Jacob and his family. However, if the region of Shuah was named after it's geography, Bildad may have even lived while Abraham was alive.

In all likelihood, Bildad was born to a monotheistic family descended from Abraham. However, his name could be translated "the one who Bel loved," pointing to an early life influenced by ancient religions like those found in nearby Ur. At any rate, by the time he lectured his friend Job, he seems to have been a believer in the one true God.

For some reason he was always titled as "the Shuhite", perhaps a title given by Hebrew reciters of the account to indicate he was not of God's chosen people. Somehow Bildad ended up in the Land of Uz and befriended Job