Job 40:8
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Would you really annul My justice? Would you condemn Me to justify yourself?
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Many humbling confounding questions God had put to Job, in the foregoing chapter; now, in this chapter, I. He demands an answer to them (Job 40:1, Job 40:2). II. Job submits in a humble silence (Job 40:3-5). III. God proceeds to reason with him, for his conviction, concerning the infinite distance and disproportion between him and God, showing that he was by no means an equal match for God. He challenges him (Job 40:6, Job 40:7) to vie with him, if he durst, for justice (Job 40:8), power (Job 40:9), majesty (Job 40:10), and dominion over the proud (Job 40:11-14), and he gives an instance of his power in one particular animal, here called "Behemoth," (Job 40:15-24).
Open source ↗40:8 Job’s words (10:7; 27:2; 31:35-37) had angered Elihu (32:2; 34:5); now God himself challenged them.
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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Certainly not! Let God be true and every man a liar. As it is written: “So that You may be proved right when You speak and victorious when You judge.”
Your covenant with death will be dissolved, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge passes through, you will be trampled by it.
This kindled the anger of Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram. He burned with anger against Job for justifying himself rather than God,
Does it please You to oppress me, to reject the work of Your hands and favor the schemes of the wicked?
The LORD of Hosts has purposed, and who can thwart Him? His hand is outstretched, so who can turn it back?
Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You may be proved right when You speak and blameless when You judge.
What I mean is this: The law that came 430 years later does not revoke the covenant previously established by God, so as to nullify the promise.
Brothers, let me put this in human terms. Even a human covenant, once it is ratified, cannot be canceled or amended.
So the former commandment is set aside because it was weak and useless