Job40

The LORD challenges Job, asking if he intends to instruct the Almighty or condemn Him to be righteous. Humbled, Job confesses his vileness and resolves to speak no more, laying his hand upon his mouth. God then describes Behemoth, a creature of immense strength and size, as a testament to His unparalleled creative power.

God Challenges Job's Self-Justification

1
Moreover the LORD answered Job,
2
“Shall he who argues contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it.” ​
3
Then Job answered the LORD,
4
“Behold, I am of small account. What shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. ​
5
I have spoken once, and I will not answer; Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.” ​

The LORD Demands Job’s Answer

6
Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, ​
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“Now brace yourself like a man. I will question you, and you will answer me. ​
8
Will you even annul my judgment? Will you condemn me, that you may be justified? ​
9
Or do you have an arm like God? Can you thunder with a voice like him? ​
10
“Now deck yourself with excellency and dignity. Array yourself with honor and majesty.
11
Pour out the fury of your anger. Look at everyone who is proud, and bring him low.
12
Look at everyone who is proud, and humble him. Crush the wicked in their place. ​
13
Hide them in the dust together. Bind their faces in the hidden place.
14
Then I will also admit to you that your own right hand can save you. ​

The Power of Behemoth

15
“See now, behemoth, which I made as well as you. He eats grass as an ox. ​
16
Look now, his strength is in his thighs. His force is in the muscles of his belly. ​
17
He moves his tail like a cedar. The sinews of his thighs are knit together. ​
18
His bones are like tubes of brass. His limbs are like bars of iron.
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He is the chief of the ways of God. He who made him gives him his sword. ​
20
Surely the mountains produce food for him, where all the animals of the field play.
21
He lies under the lotus trees, in the covert of the reed, and the marsh.
22
The lotuses cover him with their shade. The willows of the brook surround him.
23
Behold, if a river overflows, he doesn’t tremble. He is confident, though the Jordan swells even to his mouth. ​
24
Shall any take him when he is on the watch, or pierce through his nose with a snare? ​

Study Notes for Job 40

Verse 2

This rhetorical question summarizes God's charge: Job, in defending his innocence, has implicitly accused God of injustice or incompetence. God demands that Job, if he claims such knowledge, now provide a comprehensive solution.

Verse 4

Job’s confession, 'I am vile' (or 'insignificant/light'), marks a turning point. He recognizes the infinite distance between his finite understanding and God's comprehensive wisdom, leading to humility rather than insistent complaint.

Verse 5

Job limits his previous complaints ('Once... twice') and promises absolute silence, acknowledging the futility of questioning the Almighty from a position of limited knowledge.

Verse 6

The second divine speech begins immediately, indicating that while Job submitted, he still needed to grasp the full implications of God’s sovereignty.

Verse 7

“Gird up thy loins now like a man” is an idiom meaning 'prepare for action' or 'prepare for a serious debate.' God challenges Job to stand up and face the theological argument with the strength and resolve of a warrior.

Verse 8

God clarifies the theological stakes: by demanding justice and questioning God's governance, Job attempts to 'disannul' (invalidate) God's moral order merely to establish his own righteousness.

Verse 9

This verse underscores the premise of God's speech: If Job truly understands justice and governance, he must possess the physical and cosmic power (symbolized by God's 'arm' and 'thunder') necessary to enforce it.

Verse 12

God challenges Job to take on the role of divine Judge, successfully subduing all cosmic evil and pride. This task is impossible for a mortal, demonstrating that only God is qualified to govern the world.

Verse 14

This ironic conclusion states that only if Job can successfully fulfill the divine role (Vv. 9-13) will God concede that Job possesses the power to save himself—a power Job clearly lacks.

Verse 15

God now shifts from the challenge of cosmic governance to concrete evidence of creation's complexity. Behemoth (Heb. *bəhēmōth*, possibly an intensive plural meaning 'great beast') is widely identified with the hippopotamus, known for its immense size and strength.

Verse 16

The emphasis is on the creature's massive, concentrated physical power, particularly in the core (loins/belly), highlighting its immense stability and strength.

Verse 17

The description of the tail 'like a cedar' emphasizes its size, rigidity, and immense power, suggesting a creature of truly colossal proportions.

Verse 19

To be the 'chief of the ways of God' means this creature is the greatest example or masterpiece of God's terrestrial creation. The second clause suggests that only its Creator can truly control or defeat it.

Verse 23

This hyperbole emphasizes the creature's capacity and indifference to large bodies of water, reinforcing its untroubled dominance even in flood conditions.

Verse 24

This verse likely describes the difficulty of capturing such a powerful beast, emphasizing that it relies on no human device and cannot be easily tricked or snared.

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