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Job 40

Job book home•Chapter 40 of 42•24 verses

Chapter overviewAt a glance + deeper study

REVIEWED OVERVIEW

Job 40 Overview

Job answers that he is vile and has no adequate reply, putting his hand over his mouth. God then challenges him again: will Job condemn God in order to justify himself? God tells Job to display divine majesty and humble the proud if he can, then describes Behemoth as a mighty creature under God’s creative power.

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40Chapter

24Verses

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Before you read Job 40

Coming from

God’s questions in chapters 38–39 exposed Job’s limited knowledge of creation and providence.

In this chapter

Job first falls silent; then God directly addresses the moral danger of vindicating oneself at the expense of God’s justice and introduces Behemoth.

Leads into

Chapter 41 expands the challenge through Leviathan, a creature beyond Job’s mastery.

Key understandingExplore deeper

God identifies a central problem more precisely than the friends did: Job’s defense had at times moved toward darkening God’s counsel and risking condemnation of God to establish his own case. This correction still does not mean the friends were right about hidden crimes.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Truth 1

Self-vindication becomes sinful when it requires making God unjust.

Truth 2

Human beings cannot clothe themselves with God’s majesty or execute universal justice as God does.

Truth 3

Even the strongest creatures remain created things under God, though they exceed ordinary human power.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Connection 1

Romans 3:4 insists that God is true even when human judgment fails.

Connection 2

Isaiah 40:10-26 similarly contrasts God’s incomparable rule with creaturely weakness.

Connection 3

Job 42:7 will still distinguish God’s correction of Job from His rebuke of the friends.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Keep this clear 1

Job’s “I am vile” is an expression of abasement before God, not proof that Eliphaz’s invented charges were true.

Keep this clear 2

Behemoth’s exact zoological identification is debated; avoid claiming certainty beyond the descriptive text.

Keep this clear 3

God’s challenge about justice is not a command for Job to become passive about real injustice; it exposes Job’s inability to govern all justice as God does.

Read Job 40 watching for…

Job’s first brief response.

The question about disannulling God’s judgment.

The challenge to humble every proud person.

Behemoth’s enormous strength.

The repeated reminder that this mighty creature is still God’s creation.

Chapter outline3 sections

1-5The LORD calls on Job to answer, and Job humbles himself and says he will speak no more 6-14The LORD challenges Job concerning judgment, majesty, pride, and the power to save himself 15-24The LORD points Job to the strength and greatness of behemoth

Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said,

Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.

Then Job answered the LORD, and said,

Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.

Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.

Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

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

Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?

Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?

Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty.

Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him.

Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place.

Hide them in the dust together; and bind their faces in secret.

Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee.

Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox.

Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly.

He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together.

His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron.

He is the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him.

Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play.

He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens.

The shady trees cover him with their shadow; the willows of the brook compass him about.

Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth.

He taketh it with his eyes: his nose pierceth through snares.

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Job 40:3

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