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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Job 40:6–14. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Job was greatly humbled for what God had already said, but not sufficiently; he was brought low, but not low enough; and therefore God here proceeds to reason with him in the same manner and to the same purport as before, Job 40:6. Observe, 1. Those who duly receive what they have heard from God, and profit by it, shall hear more from him. 2. Those who are truly convinced of sin, and penitent for it, yet have need to be more thoroughly convinced and to be made more deeply penitent. Those who are under convictions, who have their sins set in order before their eyes and their hearts broken for them, must learn from this instance not to catch at comfort too soon; it will be everlasting when it comes, and therefore it is necessary that we be prepared for it by deep humiliation, that the wound be searched to the bottom and not skinned over, and that we do not make more haste out of our convictions than good speed. When our hearts begin to melt and relent within us, let those considerations be dwelt upon and pursued which will help to make a thorough effectual thaw of it.
God begins with a challenge (Job 40:7), as before (Job 38:3): "Gird up thy loins now like a man; if thou hast the courage and confidence thou hast pretended to, show them now; but thou wilt soon be made to see and own thyself no match for me." This is that which every proud heart must be brought to at last, either by its repentance or by its ruin; and thus low must every mountain and hill be, sooner or later, brought. We must acknowledge,
I.That we cannot vie with God for justice, that the Lord is righteous and holy in his dealings with us, but that we are unrighteous and unholy in our conduct towards him; we have a great deal to blame ourselves for, but nothing to blame him for (Job 40:8): "Wilt thou disannul my judgment? Wilt thou take exceptions to what I say and do, and bring a writ of error, to reverse the judgment I have given as erroneous and unjust?" Many of Job's complaints had too much of a tendency this way: I cry out of wrong, says he, but I am not heard; but such language as this is by no means to be suffered. God's judgment cannot, must not, be disannulled, for we are sure it is according to truth, and therefore it is a great piece of impudence and iniquity in us to call in question. "Wilt thou," says God, "condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous? Must my honour suffer for the support of thy reputation? Must I be charged as dealing unjustly with thee because thou canst not otherwise clear thyself from the censures thou liest under?" Our duty is to condemn ourselves, that God may be righteous. David is therefore ready to own the evil he has done in God's sight, that God may be justified when he speaks and clear when he judges, Psa 51:4. See Neh 9:33; Dan 9:7. But those are very proud, and very ignorant both of God and themselves, who, to clear themselves, will condemn God; and the day is coming when, if the mistake be not rectified in time by repentance, the eternal judgment will be both the confutation of the plea and the confusion of the prisoner, for the heavens shall declare God's righteousness and all the world shall become guilty before him.
II.That we cannot vie with God for power; and therefore, as it is great impiety, so it is great impudence to contest with him, and is as much against our interest as it is against reason and justice (Job 40:9): "Hast thou an arm like God, equal to his in length and strength? Or canst thou thunder with a voice like him, as he did (Job 37:1, Job 37:2), or does now out of the whirlwind?" To convince Job that he was not so able as he thought himself to contest with God, he shows him,
1.That he could never fight it out with him, nor carry his cause by force of arms. Sometimes, among men, controversies have been decided by battle, and the victorious champion is adjudged to have justice on his side; but, if the controversy were put upon that issue between God and man, man would certainly go by the worse, for all the forces he could raise against the Almighty would be but like briers and thorns before a consuming fire, Isa 27:4. "Hast thou, a poor weak worm of the earth, an arm comparable to his who upholds all things?" The power of creatures, even of angels themselves, is derived from God, limited by him, and dependent on him; but the power of God is original, independent, and unlimited. He can do every thing without us; we can do nothing without him; and therefore we have not an arm like God.
2.That he could never talk it out with him, nor carry his cause by noise and big words, which sometimes among men go a great way towards the gaining of a point: "Canst thou thunder with a voice like him? No; his voice will soon drown thine and one of his thunders will overpower and overrule all thy whispers." Man cannot speak so convincingly, so powerfully, nor with such a commanding conquering force as God can, who speaks, and it is done. his creating voice is called his thunder (Psa 104:7), so is that voice of his with which he terrifies and discomfits his enemies, Sa1 2:10. The wrath of a king may sometimes be like the roaring of a lion, but can never pretend to imitate God's thunder.
III.That we cannot vie with God for beauty and majesty, Job 40:10.
"If thou wilt enter into a comparison with him, and appear more amiable, put on thy best attire: Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency. Appear in all the martial pomp, in all the royal pageantry that thou hast; make the best of every thing that will set thee off: Array thyself with glory and beauty, such as may awe thy enemies and charm thy friends; but what is it all to the divine majesty and beauty? No more than the light of a glow-worm to that of the sun when he goes forth in his strength." God decks himself with such majesty and glory as are the terror of devils and all the powers of darkness and make them tremble; he arrays himself with such glory and beauty as are the wonder of angels and all the saints in light and make them rejoice. David could dwell all his days in God's house, to behold the beauty of the Lord. But, in comparison with this, what is all the majesty and excellency by which princes think to make themselves feared, and all the glory and beauty by which lovers think to make themselves beloved? If Job think, in contending with God, to carry the day by looking great and making a figure, he is quite mistaken. The sun shall be ashamed, and the moon confounded, when God shines forth.
IV.That we cannot vie with God for dominion over the proud, Job 40:11-14.
here the cause is put upon this short issue: if Job can humble and abase proud tyrants and oppressors as easily and effectually as God can, it shall be acknowledged that he has some colour to compete with God. Observe here,
1.The justice Job is here challenged to do, and that is to bring the proud low with a look. If Job will pretend to be a rival with God, especially if he pretend to be a judge of his actions, he must be able to do this.
(1.)It is here supposed that God can do it and will do it himself, else he would not have put it thus upon Job. By this God proves himself to be God, that he resists the proud, sits Judge upon them, and is able to bring them to ruin. Observe here,
[1.]That proud people are wicked people, and pride is at the bottom of a great deal of the wickedness that is in this world both towards God and man.
[2.]Proud people will certainly be abased and brought low; for pride goes before destruction. If they bend not, they will break; if they humble not themselves by true repentance, God will humble them, to their everlasting confusion. The wicked will be trodden down in their place, that is, Wherever they are found, though they pretend to have a place of their own, and to have taken root in it, yet even there they shall be trodden down, and all the wealth, and power, and interest, to which their place entitles them, will not be their security.
[3.]The wrath of God, scattered among the proud, will humble them, and break them, and bring them down. If he casts abroad the rage of his wrath, as he will do at the great day and sometimes does in this life, the stoutest heart cannot hold out against him. Who knows the power of his anger?
[4.]God can and does easily abase proud tyrants; he can look upon them, and bring them low, can overwhelm them with shame, and fear, and utter ruin, by one angry look, as he can, by a gracious look, revive the hearts of the contrite ones.
[5.]He can and will at last do it effectually (Job 40:13), not only bring them to the dust, from which they might hope to arise, but hide them in the dust, like the proud Egyptian whom Moses slew and hid in the sand (Exo 2:12), that is, they shall be brought not only to death, but to the grave, that pit out of which there is no return. They were proud of the figure they made, but they shall be buried in oblivion and be no more remembered than those that are hidden in the dust, out of sight and out of mind. They were linked in leagues and confederacies to do mischief, and are now bound in bundles. They are hidden together; not their rest, but their shame together is in the dust, Job 17:16. Nay, they are treated as malefactors (who, when condemned, had their faces covered, as Haman's was: He binds their faces in secret) or as dead men: Lazarus, in the grave, had his face bound about. Thus complete will be the victory that God will gain, at last, over proud sinners that set themselves in opposition to him. Now by this he proves himself to be God. Does he thus hate proud men? Then he is holy. Will he thus punish them? Then he is the just Judge of the world. Can he thus humble them? Then he is the Lord Almighty. When he had abased proud Pharaoh, and hidden him in the sand of the Red Sea, Jethro thence inferred that doubtless the Lord is greater than all gods, for wherein the proud enemies of his Israel dealt proudly he was above them, he was too hard for them, Exo 18:11. See Rev 19:1, Rev 19:2.
(2.)It is here proposed to Job to do it. He had been passionately quarrelling with God and his providence, casting abroad the rage of his wrath towards heaven, as if he thought thereby to bring God himself to his mind. "Come," says God, "try thy hand first upon proud men, and thou wilt soon see how little they value the rage of thy wrath; and shall I then regard it, or be moved by it?" Job had complained of the prosperity and power of tyrants and oppressors, and was ready to charge God with mal-administration for suffering it; but he ought not to find fault, except he could mend. If God, and he only, has power enough to humble and bring down proud men, no doubt he has wisdom enough to know when and how to do it, and it is not for us to prescribe to him or to teach him how to prescribe to him or to teach him how to govern the world. Unless we had an arm like God we must not think to take his work out of his hands.
2.The justice which is here promised to be done him if he can perform such mighty works as these (Job 40:14): "They will I also confess unto thee that thy right hand is sufficient to save thee, though, after all, it would be too weak to contend with me." It is the innate pride and ambition of man that he would be his own saviour (would have his own hands sufficient for him and be independent), but it is presumption to pretend that he is. Our own hands cannot save us by recommending us to God's grace, much less by rescuing us from his justice. Unless we could by our own power humble our enemies, we cannot pretend by our own power to save ourselves; but, if we could, God himself would confess it. He never did nor ever will defraud any man of his just praise, nor deny him the honour he has merited. But, since we cannot do this, we must confess unto him that our own hands cannot save us, and therefore into his hand we must commit ourselves.
Historical interpretation
Four Centuries of Reception
3 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
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A slanderer conspired against you. Sometimes he said to me, “Stretch out your hand now.” He said to me, “Touch all that he has,” and he added about you that “you would have cursed me to my face.” But, on the contrary, you were victorious. Therefore I say to you, “Clothe yourself with glory. Abase the slanderer completely. Humiliate his angels. He was arrogant against you, but you destroy the arrogant. He was impious against you, but you strike him by lightning.”
The thunder and all the rest exist not in order to impress but so that God may be known. See with how many arguments he convinces him that his nature is small. He does not say to him, “You are small, but, I am great, and you cannot do what I do.”
9. Thou understandest, As I, Who in the season of tranquillity bear with them united against Me, and when I come at last with severity, I scatter them in My wrath. But we must carefully observe on these subjects, that a grievous error of misbelief is admitted, if any one perchance thinks, that in that Substance of the Godhead, wrath and tranquillity are variable. For the Creator of all is supremely immortal, in that He is not changeable, like a creature. Hence it is said of Him by James, With Whom is no variableness, nor shadow of change. [James 1, 17] Hence again it is written, But Thou, O Lord, judgest, with tranquillity. [Wisd. 12, 18] Hence the Prophet says, The land is made desert from the face of the anger of the Dove, from the face of the fury of the Lord. [Jer. 25, 38] For that which he had first called the anger of the dove, he afterwards called the fury of the Lord. For the dove is a very simple animal; and because no inequality of fury steals in upon God, He called the fury of the Lord the anger of the dove. For to point out the inalterable might of the Divine severity, he termed it both ‘anger,’ and that of ‘the Dove.’ As if he were saying more plainly; He Who still continuing gentle punishes the unrighteous, inflicts unmoved a severe judgment. Whence also in the last Judgment, remaining immutable in Himself, He is not altered by any vicissitude or change; but yet He is not manifested to the Elect and reprobate under the same appearance of unchangeableness, because He will appear calm to the righteous, but wrathful to the unrighteous. For by the witness of conscience within they bring themselves to a point, from which their minds behold alike One Person, but are not alike affected, because to the one their former righteousness represents Him as gentle, and to the others their sin represents Him as terrible. But who can explain their dread, when it falls to the lot of these wretched men, both to discern faults within themselves, and to see the righteous Judge before themselves? And it is doubtless the case in the daily course of the present life, that the hearts of men are being instructed in the character of the coming Judge. For when two persons are going to trial, the one conscious of his innocence, the other of his fault, even before the sentence is passed, they both look at the judge when still silent, and yet the guilty one suspects that this very silence of the judge is heavy wrath against him. Which wrath, his remembrance of his wickedness, and not the passion of the Judge, denounces against him: for though the sentence does not as yet outwardly proclaim him guilty, yet his conscience heavily accuses him within. But, on the other hand, the friend of justice beholds the countenance of him who is giving sentence, but rejoices within from the testimony of a good conscience, and as he has had nothing to fear in himself, he looks on every thing which is done to him as kind. In this place then the wrath of God means not any agitation of the Substance of the Godhead, but the enquiry of righteous vengeance upon sinners conscious of their guilt. For though they see Him to be calm in judgment, yet, from not doubting that they will be smitten by Him, they think that He is agitated in their emotions. It follows;
And behold every one that is arrogant, and abase him.
10. As if He said, As I. But as to the order of punishment, the sin of the proud is fitly mentioned before the arrogant; because in truth pride is not generated by arrogance, but arrogance by pride. But every sinner is looked upon in two ways by the Lord, when he is either converted from sin, or punished for sin. Of looking in order to conversion it is said, that the Lord looked upon Peter; and Peter, remembering the word of Jesus, wept bitterly. [Luke 22, 61] With regard to punishment it is said again; The countenance of the Lord is upon them that do evil, to destroy the remembrance of them from the earth. [Ps. 34, 16] But in both ways is the arrogant brought down in humility, because he either acknowledges his fault with penitence, or by perishing suffers punishment.
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Summary
Job 40:11 presents a profound rhetorical challenge from God to Job, delivered during the Lord's second discourse. God commands Job to unleash a divine level of wrath capable of humbling every proud individual, a task inherently reserved for God alone. This verse powerfully underscores God's unparalleled omnipotence and sovereign authority, sharply contrasting it with humanity's inherent limitations and inability to administer perfect, universal justice.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is strategically placed within the climactic section of God's second and final discourse to Job, which began in Job 38. Following Job's initial, humbled response in Job 40:3-5, God renews His challenge, intensifying the rhetorical questions that highlight the vast chasm between divine wisdom and human understanding. The preceding verses (Job 40:6-10) set the stage by inviting Job to array himself with divine majesty and power. Job 40:11 then serves as a direct dare, an invitation for Job to prove his capacity to govern the cosmos and execute justice on a divine scale, thereby exposing the utter absurdity of a human attempting to critique God's governance. This challenge anticipates the detailed descriptions of Behemoth and Leviathan in Job 40:15-24 and Job 41, which further illustrate God's unmatched power over creation.
Historical & Cultural Context
In the ancient Near East, the concept of divine power was intrinsically linked to a deity's ability to control creation, maintain cosmic order, and administer justice, particularly against those who exhibited hubris or rebelled against authority. Kings and deities were expected to demonstrate their absolute sovereignty through their capacity to subdue chaos and punish the arrogant. The book of Job, while unique in its exploration of suffering and divine justice, operates within this broad cultural framework. God's challenge to Job in this verse evokes the imagery of a supreme sovereign demonstrating His absolute authority to a subordinate who has dared to question His rule. The "proud" (Hebrew: gêʼeh) in this context often referred to individuals or nations who exalted themselves against divine or established human authority, embodying a spirit of rebellion, self-sufficiency, or oppressive power that was an affront to the divine order and cosmic justice.
Key Themes
Job 40:11 powerfully reinforces several core themes that permeate the book of Job, especially within God's discourses. The foremost theme is Divine Sovereignty and Omnipotence, emphasizing that God alone possesses the absolute power and authority to govern creation and execute perfect justice, a truth woven throughout Job 38-41. This directly leads to the theme of Human Limitation and Ignorance, as Job's inherent inability to "cast abroad the rage of thy wrath" or "abase" the proud highlights humanity's finite nature and incapacity to fully grasp or replicate divine actions or administer justice on a cosmic scale. Finally, it reinforces God's Justice Against Pride, a consistent biblical motif. The Lord's command to humble the proud demonstrates His inherent opposition to arrogance and His ultimate power to bring low those who exalt themselves, echoing the principle that "pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" found in Proverbs 16:18.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This root word signifies to dash in pieces, to break, or to disperse. In the context of "rage of thy wrath," it conveys the unleashing of an overwhelming, all-encompassing, and devastating display of divine indignation. It implies a power that can utterly dismantle, scatter, and render ineffective any opposition or pride.
This term denotes an outburst of passion, anger, or wrath, often referring to divine indignation. When combined with "wrath" (ʼaph, which primarily refers to the nose/nostril and by extension, anger from rapid breathing in passion), it emphasizes the intensity and overwhelming nature of God's righteous fury against injustice and pride. It's not a fleeting emotion but a decisive, powerful expression of divine judgment.
Derived from a root meaning "to be lofty," this word describes those who are haughty, arrogant, or exalted in their own eyes. It denotes a spirit of self-sufficiency, rebellion against God, or oppressive behavior, representing a fundamental affront to divine authority and order.
This primitive root means to depress, sink, bring low, or humble. In this context, it signifies the act of reducing someone from a position of perceived power, exaltation, or arrogance to one of lowliness, insignificance, or submission. It highlights God's unique and absolute ability to dismantle human pride and bring down the arrogant, unequivocally demonstrating where true authority and power reside.
Verse Breakdown
"Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath:"
This opening clause is a direct, rhetorical command from God to Job, challenging him to unleash a divine-level fury. It is an invitation for Job to demonstrate whether he possesses the cosmic power and righteous indignation necessary to administer justice on a universal scale, a power that Job, as a human, inherently lacks. This imperative immediately highlights the vast disparity between Job's limited capacity and God's infinite might and perfect moral authority.
"and behold every one [that is] proud,"
Following the command to unleash wrath, God directs Job's attention to the specific target: "every one that is proud." This emphasizes the pervasive nature of human pride and the immense scope of the task. It implies that true justice requires not just occasional intervention but a comprehensive, unceasing vigilance and omniscient power to identify and address every instance of arrogance and self-exaltation across all of creation.
"and abase him."
The final imperative is to "abase him"—to bring down, humble, or degrade every proud individual. This is the ultimate goal of the divine wrath and justice. It underscores that the humbling of the proud is a fundamental and necessary aspect of God's righteous governance, a task that only an omnipotent, omnipresent, and perfectly just being can accomplish consistently, comprehensively, and perfectly.
Literary Devices
Job 40:11 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its profound theological message. The primary device is Rhetorical Challenge, where God issues an impossible command to Job, not expecting literal fulfillment but using it to expose Job's inherent limitations and underscore God's own unique, unchallenged attributes. This challenge is imbued with Hyperbole, as the idea of a human "casting abroad the rage of thy wrath" is an exaggerated, impossible task, serving to magnify the divine power being contrasted. There is also an element of Anthropomorphism in attributing "wrath" to God, and by extension, challenging Job to wield such a divine attribute, which helps human readers grasp the intensity of divine indignation. Finally, the verse is structured around a stark Contrast between Job's finite capacity and God's infinite power and ability to execute perfect justice against pride, thereby re-establishing the proper hierarchy between Creator and creature and illuminating the nature of true sovereignty.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Job 40:11 serves as a pivotal statement in God's argument, definitively demonstrating that only the Almighty can truly administer the kind of universal, perfect justice that Job, in his suffering, had questioned and longed for. It reveals God's ultimate authority over all creation and His unwavering resolve to bring down the proud, affirming a consistent biblical theme that God opposes arrogance and exalts humility. This divine prerogative to humble the haughty is not arbitrary but flows from God's perfect righteousness, His commitment to moral order in the cosmos, and His absolute sovereignty. It assures us that, despite appearances or the temporary triumph of the wicked, God is actively engaged in upholding justice and will ultimately address all forms of pride and rebellion in His perfect timing and wisdom.
Reflection and Application
Job 40:11 stands as a profound reminder of our true place before a sovereign God. It calls us to a posture of deep humility, recognizing that we are not equipped to wield divine power, nor are we capable of fully comprehending the intricate workings of God's justice in a fallen world. When we observe injustice, the apparent triumph of the arrogant, or the seemingly unpunished pride of others, this verse redirects our focus from our limited human capacity to God's ultimate and perfect administration of justice. It encourages us to trust that God, in His perfect timing and wisdom, will indeed bring down all forms of pride and wrong, even if we do not see it immediately or understand His methods. Our calling is not to "cast abroad the rage of wrath" but to humble ourselves, to walk justly, to love mercy, and to patiently wait for the Lord's righteous judgment, cultivating a deep sense of reverence for His unmatched might and sovereignty over all things.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of God challenging Job in this way?
God's challenge in Job 40:11 is profoundly rhetorical, designed not for Job to literally fulfill but to expose the vast, unbridgeable chasm between human capacity and divine omnipotence. For much of the book, Job has questioned God's justice and governance, implicitly suggesting he could do better or at least understand God's ways. By daring Job to perform a task that only God can accomplish—to perfectly humble every proud person on earth—God underscores His unique sovereignty, wisdom, and righteousness. This challenge forces Job to acknowledge his own limitations and the incomprehensible scope of divine rule, ultimately leading him to a posture of deep humility and trust, as seen later in Job 42:1-6.
How does this verse relate to human pride?
This verse directly confronts human pride by demonstrating that only God possesses the infinite power and absolute authority to truly abase it. It highlights that pride is not merely a character flaw but an affront to God's sovereignty, a self-exaltation that challenges the Creator's rightful place. The challenge to Job implies that human efforts to eradicate pride or administer perfect justice are futile and insufficient without divine intervention. It reinforces the consistent biblical truth that "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6), affirming that God is uniquely positioned and committed to bringing down the haughty.
Does this mean humans shouldn't seek justice?
No, this verse does not mean humans should not seek justice. Rather, it clarifies the source, scope, and ultimate administrator of perfect justice. Humans are indeed called to pursue justice within their spheres of influence, as commanded in passages like Micah 6:8 and Isaiah 1:17. However, Job 40:11 reminds us that the comprehensive, universal, and perfect abasement of all pride and injustice is a task reserved for God alone. It encourages us to trust in God's ultimate justice, even when human efforts fall short or when we perceive injustice in the world. Our role is to act justly and humbly, while God's role is to perfectly govern and judge all creation.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Job 40:11, with its powerful declaration of God's unique ability to humble the proud and unleash divine wrath, finds its ultimate fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While Job was utterly incapable of casting abroad divine wrath to abase the proud, Christ, as the incarnate Son of God, perfectly embodies both divine humility and divine power. He came not in the rage of wrath to condemn the world, but in profound humility, taking "the form of a servant" and humbling Himself even "to the point of death on a cross" (Philippians 2:7-8). Yet, through His atoning work on the cross, He decisively "cast abroad" God's righteous wrath against sin, effectively abasing the ultimate proud one, Satan, and breaking the power of sin and death (Colossians 2:15). The ultimate humbling of all human pride and rebellion will occur at His glorious second coming, when "every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" (Philippians 2:10-11). Thus, Christ is the one who perfectly fulfills God's prerogative to humble the proud and exalt the humble, demonstrating that true divine power is exercised in both self-sacrificial love and righteous, final judgment.