Job 42:4

Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.

Hear {H8085}, I beseech thee, and I will speak {H1696}: I will demand {H7592} of thee, and declare {H3045} thou unto me.

"Please listen, and I will speak. [You said,] 'I will ask questions; and you, give me answers'-

You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak. I will question you, and you shall inform Me.’

Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak; I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.

Job 42:4 is part of Job's final response to God after God has spoken from the whirlwind. This verse marks a significant shift in Job's attitude and understanding.

Context

Following chapters where Job questioned and even challenged God regarding his suffering and perceived injustice, God responds with a powerful display of His sovereignty and wisdom in creation (Job 38-41). God challenges Job's understanding and capacity to comprehend the complexity of the universe. In Job 42:1-6, Job replies, humbled and repentant. Verse 4 is a direct echo of God's own words to Job earlier (Job 38:3, Job 40:7), where God said, "demand of me, and I will declare unto thee." Now, Job uses that same language back to God, but with a completely different posture: one of submission and readiness to listen, rather than his previous demands for God to answer him.

Key Themes

  • Humility: Job, previously confident in his righteousness and questioning God, is now humbled by God's majesty and wisdom.
  • Submission: By adopting God's language ("I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me"), Job submits to God's terms of dialogue, acknowledging God's authority to question him and his own duty to respond.
  • Readiness to Listen: The opening phrase, "Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak," while seemingly a request for God to listen to Job, is framed within the context of Job's repentance and newfound understanding, signifying his willingness to engage with God on God's terms and receive further instruction.
  • Reversal of Roles: The verse highlights the dramatic shift from Job demanding answers from God to Job being ready to answer God and hear what God declares.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me" directly mirrors God's challenge in Job 38:3 and 40:7. In the KJV, "demand" might sound assertive, but in the context of Job's humble response in the surrounding verses (Job 42:1-3, 5-6), it's better understood not as Job making a demand *of* God, but rather Job *accepting* God's earlier challenge and inviting God to proceed with the dialogue on the terms God established. Job is essentially saying, "You challenged me to speak and for You to declare; I am now ready for that."

Reflection

Job 42:4 illustrates the profound transformation that occurs when we truly encounter God's power and wisdom. Job moves from intellectual debate and self-justification to humble submission and a desire to hear from God. This verse challenges us to consider our own posture before God. Are we demanding answers, or are we submitting to His sovereignty and positioning ourselves to listen to what He declares? True understanding and peace often come not from getting all our questions answered, but from recognizing God's infinite greatness and our finite capacity, leading us to trust and listen.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Job 40:7

    Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.

  • Job 38:3

    Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

  • Genesis 18:30

    And he said [unto him], Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do [it], if I find thirty there.

  • Genesis 18:32

    And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy [it] for ten's sake.

  • Genesis 18:27

    And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which [am but] dust and ashes:
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