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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
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3 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
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“I will question you, and you answer me.” The perfect rewards of the struggles are reserved after this life to those who fought bravely. The grace of God nevertheless offers a sort of pledge to the athletes. For this reason, Job faced the hardest fights; while losing his riches, he praised him who gave him these afflictions. After losing his children, he glorified him who had taken them away. While realizing that worms grew out of his body, he was not defeated by his diseases. God gave him the firstlings and the pledge of his fights by speaking to him out of the clouds and the whirlwind. After he had listened to the former speeches, when it was necessary to speak to God, he was silent, as if he had no faculty to speak to him. In fact, he did not know yet what would have been written by Moses, “Moses spoke, and God answered him with a voice.” Therefore, he was like someone who did not know that he did not want to answer God. But God conceded him forgiveness to speak. The benevolence of God is such that he does not play the role of the judge but that of the lawyer, who discusses the case with a man.
Either he speaks here about his present intervention, as if to say, “I do not speak so in order to condemn you but to show that you are righteous”; or he wants to speak about his trial by calling intervention his approval. This means, “Do not think that I managed things in this manner for any other reason.” He did not say, “In order that you might be righteous” but “that you might appear to be righteous,” as you actually were, so that you might teach others. Finally, he may want to speak about his present intervention, as if to say, “If I said it, it is in order that you might appear to be righteous after the words that I had expressed, not in order to condemn you.” Then he places again before him his power and his hatred for the wicked, because I am not only powerful, he says, but I act and use my power against the wicked.
What is the Lord answering out of the whirlwind, what blessed Job girding up his loins, what the demand of God, and the declaration of man, has been already treated of in the first address of the Lord. Because therefore we forbear to weary our reader, we are especially careful not to repeat our words.
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Summary
Job 40:6 marks a profound turning point in the book of Job, initiating the LORD's second divine discourse to Job, once again delivered from the heart of a powerful whirlwind. This verse powerfully re-establishes the awe-inspiring context of God's direct communication, emphasizing His unchallengeable authority and infinite wisdom, and preparing Job for deeper revelations that will solidify his understanding of divine sovereignty and his own creaturely limitations. It signifies the continuation of God's purposeful engagement with Job, moving beyond initial challenges to a more comprehensive unveiling of His majestic power and the mysteries of His governance.
Context
Literary Context
Job 40:6 immediately follows Job's profound confession of humility and repentance in response to God's initial discourse (Job 38:1-40:2). In Job 40:3-5, Job admits his vileness and inability to contend with the Almighty, stating, "Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth." This declaration of silence and submission is precisely what prepares the way for God's renewed address. The first divine speech, spanning Job 38 and Job 39, primarily focused on the intricate wonders of creation, challenging Job's limited human understanding of the natural world as a reflection of divine wisdom and power. The second discourse, commencing with Job 40:6, shifts its focus to God's absolute control over the forces of chaos, vividly personified by the formidable creatures Behemoth and Leviathan. This progression further demonstrates God's absolute power and sovereignty over all things, including the very suffering Job has endured. The deliberate repetition of the "whirlwind" motif consistently links the two divine discourses, underscoring the unwavering, awe-inspiring, and transcendent nature of divine revelation.
Historical & Cultural Context
In the ancient Near East, theophany—the visible or audible manifestation of God to humanity—was frequently associated with overwhelming natural phenomena such as violent storms, fire, and earthquakes. The "whirlwind" or tempest, as a vehicle for divine speech, is a powerful and recurring motif throughout biblical literature, serving as a profound symbol of God's immense power, transcendent majesty, and unapproachable holiness. This imagery was universally understood by Job's contemporaries as an undeniable sign of ultimate authority and an undeniable divine presence, evoking a sense of reverent fear and awe. Furthermore, the book of Job itself is a cornerstone of the wisdom literature genre, which deeply explores perennial questions concerning suffering, divine justice, and the intricate nature of God's governance in the world. The divine speeches, delivered from such a formidable and awe-inspiring setting, serve a critical purpose: to reorient human perspective from an anthropocentric (human-centered) view to a profoundly God-centered one, thereby challenging conventional wisdom about retribution, suffering, and the limits of human understanding.
Key Themes
Job 40:6 powerfully reinforces several foundational themes that resonate throughout the entire book of Job. Firstly, it unmistakably underscores the theme of Divine Theophany and Revelation, where God actively and directly intervenes in human affairs, not through intermediaries but in His own majestic person. The "whirlwind" is not merely a backdrop but a central symbol of His uncontainable power and the overwhelming nature of His presence, a theme powerfully echoed in other divine encounters like those described in Exodus 19 at Mount Sinai and Ezekiel 1. Secondly, the verse highlights God's Unquestionable Sovereignty and Authority. By resuming His discourse, God unequivocally asserts His absolute control over all creation and every circumstance, including the inexplicable suffering Job endured. This serves to profoundly humble Job, reminding both him and the reader that God's ways are infinitely beyond human comprehension and challenge, a truth that Job ultimately embraces with profound humility in Job 42:1-6. Finally, the verse profoundly emphasizes Human Humility and Ignorance in the face of infinite divine wisdom. The vast and unbridgeable chasm between finite human understanding and infinite divine knowledge is starkly portrayed, calling for profound humility, unwavering trust, and reverent submission to God's unsearchable judgments, which is a central and enduring message of the entire book.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This is the personal, covenantal name of God, often rendered "Jehovah" or "Yahweh." Its specific use here, rather than a more general term for God (like Elohim or El Shaddai), profoundly emphasizes the relational aspect of God's interaction with Job, even in His overwhelming display of power. It signifies the God who is self-existent, eternal, faithful to His promises, and who reveals Himself personally, though mysteriously, to His people. The use of Yᵉhôvâh underscores that it is the same covenant-keeping God who is now speaking from the whirlwind, engaging with His servant on a deeply personal level.
This primitive root means "to eye or heed," "to respond," and by extension, "to begin to speak" or "to announce." In this context, it signifies that God's speech is a direct and purposeful reply to Job's earlier questions and, more immediately, to Job's confession of unworthiness in Job 40:3-5. It implies a divine engagement that is both responsive and authoritative, indicating that God is not merely making a pronouncement but actively participating in a dialogue, albeit one where His authority is absolute.
This term denotes a hurricane, storm, or tempest. In biblical theology, it is a recurring motif for divine manifestation (theophany), symbolizing God's immense power, majesty, and transcendence. It is not merely a natural phenomenon but a profound vehicle for God's powerful, often terrifying, and unchallengeable presence. The whirlwind signifies a divine encounter that is beyond human control or comprehension, powerfully reinforcing the authoritative and unchallengeable nature of the LORD's words and His sovereign control over creation and chaos.
Verse Breakdown
"¶ Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind,"
This clause marks the dramatic resumption of God's direct communication with Job following Job's humble and repentant response in Job 40:3-5. The phrase "answered the LORD" carries significant weight, implying that God's speech is a direct and intentional reply to Job's earlier questioning and, more immediately, to Job's confession of unworthiness and silence. The setting "out of the whirlwind" is crucial; it reiterates the awe-inspiring, powerful, and mysterious nature of God's presence, reinforcing His transcendence and the overwhelming authority of His words. This deliberate choice of imagery serves to convey God's uncontainable power and His ability to manifest Himself in ways that profoundly humble human understanding and challenge human pride.
"and said,"
This simple conjunction and verb, though seemingly brief, powerfully underscore the directness, intentionality, and articulate nature of God's communication. It signifies that the divine revelation is not merely an overwhelming display of power but a purposeful, coherent, and articulate message. Following Job's admission of his own silence and inability to respond, God is now prepared to speak further, not to condemn, but to continue instructing and revealing His profound wisdom, ultimately leading Job to a deeper, more complete understanding of divine sovereignty, the true nature of faith, and the limits of human knowledge.
Literary Devices
The verse predominantly employs Theophany, which is the visible or audible manifestation of God to humankind. Here, God appears and speaks "out of the whirlwind," a classic biblical motif for divine revelation that powerfully emphasizes His overwhelming power, majesty, and transcendence. This is further enhanced by Symbolism, where the "whirlwind" itself symbolizes God's uncontainable power, His absolute ability to control chaos, and the awe-inspiring, often terrifying, nature of His presence. It is not merely a meteorological event but a profound divine vehicle for communication. Additionally, the phrase "answered the LORD" subtly employs Anthropomorphism, attributing the human action of "answering" to God, thereby making His communication relatable while simultaneously maintaining His divine otherness through the extraordinary context of the whirlwind. The entire scene is imbued with a sense of Dramatic Irony, as Job, who passionately sought an audience with God to plead his case, now finds himself utterly humbled and silenced by the very presence he desired, realizing the vast and unbridgeable chasm between his finite understanding and God's infinite wisdom.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Job 40:6 is a profound theological statement on the nature of divine revelation and sovereignty. It emphasizes that God is not a distant, passive deity but an active, personal God who engages directly with humanity, even amidst its deepest suffering and most challenging questions. The repetition of the "whirlwind" theophany powerfully underscores God's consistent character as one who is both utterly transcendent and intimately involved in the affairs of His creation. His continued address to Job, despite Job's earlier repentance and humble silence, signifies God's persistent desire to bring Job to a deeper, more complete understanding of His wisdom and power, rather than merely settling a dispute. This verse sets the stage for God's final, conclusive revelation of His sovereign control over the most formidable creatures (Behemoth and Leviathan), thereby asserting His ultimate authority over all creation and the forces of chaos. It teaches that true wisdom begins with acknowledging God's unsearchable greatness and humbly submitting to His will, even when His ways remain mysterious to human comprehension.
Reflection and Application
Job 40:6 offers a profound and enduring reminder that God is eternally sovereign, actively engaged, and profoundly communicative, even when our personal circumstances feel overwhelmingly chaotic or our deepest questions seem to linger unanswered. Just as God spoke to Job out of the very heart of the whirlwind, He continues to reveal Himself and His immutable truth to us today, often in ways that profoundly challenge our preconceived notions and demand a posture of profound humility and trust. This verse calls us to cultivate a posture of attentive listening and humble submission, recognizing that our finite human perspective is infinitesimally limited compared to God's infinite wisdom and boundless knowledge. When life's inevitable "whirlwinds" threaten to overwhelm us with confusion, pain, or uncertainty, this passage powerfully encourages us to remember that God is never absent; rather, He is intimately present, immensely powerful, and purposefully at work. It challenges us to trust implicitly in His sovereign control, even when we cannot fully comprehend His intricate plan, and to find deep and abiding peace in the profound knowledge that the God who commands the most formidable storms also tenderly cares for His children. Our ultimate response, mirroring Job's transformation, should be one of humble adoration, unwavering trust, and reverent submission to the One whose ways are infinitely higher than our own.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why does God speak from a whirlwind, and what does it symbolize?
God speaks from a whirlwind in Job 38:1 and again in Job 40:6 as a powerful and awe-inspiring manifestation of His presence, known as a theophany. The whirlwind serves as a profound symbol for several key aspects of God's nature: His immense, untamed power and majesty, His transcendence beyond finite human comprehension, and His absolute sovereignty over all creation and the forces of chaos. It is a visual and auditory representation of an encounter with the divine that is overwhelming, unapproachable, and undeniable, specifically intended to evoke awe, humble human pride, and underscore the vast chasm between Creator and creature. It teaches that God's revelation is not always gentle or easily understood, but can be formidable and beyond our control, just as His infinite wisdom and mysterious ways often are.
What is the significance of God "answering" Job again after Job's initial response?
The significance of God "answering" Job again in Job 40:6 is profound and multi-layered. After God's first discourse (Job 38-39), Job humbled himself deeply, confessing his unworthiness and laying his hand over his mouth in submission (Job 40:3-5). This was a crucial step of repentance, humility, and submission on Job's part. God's decision to speak again is not a sign of Job's failure to grasp the initial message, but rather a demonstration of God's continued pedagogical intent and persistent grace. It indicates that God's ultimate purpose was not merely to silence Job's complaints but to bring him to a deeper, more complete, and transformative understanding of divine wisdom, sovereignty, and the true nature of faith. The second discourse, focusing on God's control over the formidable creatures Behemoth and Leviathan, further illustrates God's absolute power over the most chaotic and untamable elements of creation, solidifying Job's understanding of God's unchallengeable authority and ultimately leading him to a full repentance and restoration (Job 42:1-6). It powerfully demonstrates God's persistent and gracious commitment to revealing Himself more fully to His servant.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
While Job 40:6 vividly depicts God's majestic and terrifying revelation from a powerful whirlwind, foreshadowing His uncontainable power and inscrutable wisdom, the ultimate and most profound fulfillment of divine revelation is found supremely in the person of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament theophanies, like the voice from the whirlwind, were glimpses of God's glory, often veiled, overwhelming, and terrifying, emphasizing His transcendence and the immense chasm between the Creator and His creature. However, in Christ, God does not merely speak from a storm; He calms the storm with a single, authoritative word, as powerfully demonstrated in Matthew 8:26-27, thereby revealing His inherent divine authority over all creation. Jesus is the very "answer" to humanity's deepest questions about suffering, justice, and the nature of God, not from a distant cloud or a terrifying storm, but as God incarnate, "the Word made flesh" who "dwelt among us" (John 1:14). He is the ultimate wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24) and the perfect image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15), embodying all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9). Thus, the terrifying and awe-inspiring voice from the whirlwind finds its compassionate, accessible, and complete echo in the voice of Jesus, who lovingly invites all who are weary and burdened to find rest in Him (Matthew 11:28-30). He is God's final, complete, and most intimate word to humanity, the one through whom we truly know the Father (Hebrews 1:1-3).