Job 40
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Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Moreover the Lord answered - That is, the Lord continued his discourse with Job. Answered does not refer to any thing said by Job, or any question asked. I think it very likely that this whole piece, from the beginning of this first verse to the end of the fourteenth, was originally the ending of the poem. Mr. Heath has noticed this, and I shall lay his words before the reader: "The former part of this chapter is evidently the conclusion of the poem; the latter part whereof seems to be in great disorder; whether it has happened from the carelessness of the transcriber, or, which appears most probable, from the skins of parchment composing the roll having by some accident changed their places. It is plain from the seventh verse of the forty-second chapter (Job 42:7) that Jehovah is the last speaker in the poem. If, then, immediately after the end of the thirty-ninth chapter, we subjoin the fifteenth verse of the forty-second chapter, and place the fourteen first verses of the fortieth chapter immediately after the sixth verse of the forty-second chapter, and by that means make them the conclusion of the poem, all will be right; and this seventh verse of the forty-second chapter will be in its natural order. The action will be complete by the judgment of the Almighty; and the catastrophe of the poem will be grand and solemn." To these reasons of Mr. Heath, Dr. Kennicott has added others, which the reader may find at the end of the chapter. (Job 40:24) Without taking any farther notice of the transposition in this place, I will continue the notes in the present order of the verses.
Open source ↗GOD'S SECOND ADDRESS. (Job 40:1-24) the Lord--Hebrew, "JEHOVAH."
Open source ↗Moreover the Lord answered Job,.... The Lord having discoursed largely of the works of nature, in order to reconcile the mind of Job to his works of providence, stopped and made a pause for a little space, that Job might answer if he thought fit; but he being entirely silent, the Lord began again: and said; as follows:
Open source ↗1 Then Jehovah answered Job, and said: 2 Will now the censurer contend with the Almighty? Let the instructor of Eloah answer it! 3 Then Job answered Jehovah, and said: With Job 40:1; Job 38:1 is again taken up, because the speech of Jehovah has now in some measure attained the end which was assigned to it as an answer to Job's outburst of censure. רב is inf. abs., as Jdg 11:25; it is left to the hearer to give to the simple verbal notion its syntactic relation in accordance with the connection; here it stands in the sense of the fut. (comp. Kg2 4:43): num litigabit, Ges. 131, 4, b. The inf. abs. is followed by יסּור as subj., which (after the form שׁכּור) signifies a censurer and fault-finder, moomeetee's. The question means, will Job persist in this contending with God? He who sets God right, as though he knew everything better than He, shall answer the questions put before him.
Open source ↗Here is, I. A humbling challenge which God gave to Job. After he had heaped up many hard questions upon him, to show him, by his manifest ignorance in the works of nature, what an incompetent judge he was of the methods and designs of Providence, he clenches the nail with one demand more, which stands by itself here as the application of the whole. It should seem, God paused awhile, as Elihu had done, to give Job time to say what he had to say, or to think of what God had said; but Job was in such confusion that he remained silent, and therefore God here put him upon replying, Job 40:1, Job 40:2. This is not said to be spoken out of the whirlwind, as before; and therefore some think God said it in a still small voice, which wrought more upon Job than the whirlwind did, as upon Elijah, Kg1 19:12, Kg1 19:13. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, and then it does wonders. Though Job had not spoken any thing, yet God is said to answer him; for he knows men's thoughts, and can return a suitable answer to their silence. Here, 1. God puts a convincing question to him: "Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? Shall he pretend to dictate to God's wisdom or prescribe to his will? Shall God receive instruction from every peevish complainer, and change the measures he has taken to please him?" It is a question with disdain. Shall any teach God knowledge? Job 21:22. It is intimated that those who quarrel with God do, in effect, go about to teach him how to mend his work. For if we contend with men like ourselves, as not having done well, we ought to instruct them how to do better; but is it a thing to be suffered that any man should teach his Maker? He that contends with God is justly looked upon as his enemy; and shall he pretend so far to have prevailed in the conte…
Open source ↗40:1-2 The Greek Old Testament omits this conclusion to God’s first speech.
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
יְהֹוָה (Yᵉhôvâh, H3068) — Jehovah, Jewish national name of God עָנָה (ʻânâh, H6030) — properly, to eye or (generally) to heed, i.e. pay attention; by implication, to respond;… אִיּוֹב (ʼÎyôwb, H347) — Ijob, the patriarch famous for his patience אָמַר (ʼâmar, H559) — to say (used with great latitude)
Open source ↗רִיב (rîyb, H7378) — properly, to toss, i.e. grapple; mostly figuratively, to wrangle, i.e. hold a… שַׁדַּי (Shadday, H7706) — the Almighty יִסּוֹר (yiççôwr, H3250) — a reprover יָכַח (yâkach, H3198) — to be right (i.e. correct); reciprocal, to argue; causatively, to decide, justify or… אֱלוֹהַּ (ʼĕlôwahh, H433) — a deity or the Deity עָנָה (ʻânâh, H6030) — properly, to eye or (generally) to heed, i.e. pay attention; by implication, to respond;…
Open source ↗אִיּוֹב (ʼÎyôwb, H347) — Ijob, the patriarch famous for his patience עָנָה (ʻânâh, H6030) — properly, to eye or (generally) to heed, i.e. pay attention; by implication, to respond;… יְהֹוָה (Yᵉhôvâh, H3068) — Jehovah, Jewish national name of God אָמַר (ʼâmar, H559) — to say (used with great latitude)
Open source ↗קָלַל (qâlal, H7043) — to be (causatively, make) light, literally (swift, small, sharp, etc.) or figuratively… שׁוּב (shûwb, H7725) — to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not… שׂוּם (sûwm, H7760) — to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and… יָד (yâd, H3027) — a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.), לְמוֹ (lᵉmôw, H3926) — to or for פֶּה (peh, H6310) — the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether literal or figurative (particularly speech);…
Open source ↗אֶחָד (ʼechâd, H259) — properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) first דָבַר (dâbar, H1696) — perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a… עָנָה (ʻânâh, H6030) — properly, to eye or (generally) to heed, i.e. pay attention; by implication, to respond;… שְׁנַיִם (shᵉnayim, H8147) — two; also (as ordinal) twofold יָסַף (yâçaph, H3254) — to add or augment (often adverbial, to continue to do a thing)
Open source ↗עָנָה (ʻânâh, H6030) — properly, to eye or (generally) to heed, i.e. pay attention; by implication, to respond;… יְהֹוָה (Yᵉhôvâh, H3068) — Jehovah, Jewish national name of God אִיּוֹב (ʼÎyôwb, H347) — Ijob, the patriarch famous for his patience סַעַר (çaʻar, H5591) — a hurricane אָמַר (ʼâmar, H559) — to say (used with great latitude)
Open source ↗אָזַר (ʼâzar, H247) — to belt חָלָץ (châlâts, H2504) — the loins (as the seat of vigor) גֶּבֶר (geber, H1397) — properly, a valiant man or warrior; generally, a person simply שָׁאַל (shâʼal, H7592) — to inquire; by implication, to request; by extension, to demand יָדַע (yâdaʻ, H3045) — to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses,…
Open source ↗פָּרַר (pârar, H6565) — to break up (usually figuratively), i.e. to violate, frustrate מִשְׁפָּט (mishpâṭ, H4941) — properly, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a… רָשַׁע (râshaʻ, H7561) — to be (causatively, do or declare) wrong; by implication, to disturb, violate צָדַק (tsâdaq, H6663) — to be (causatively, make) right (in a moral or forensic sense)
Open source ↗זְרוֹעַ (zᵉrôwaʻ, H2220) — the arm (as stretched out), or (of animals) the foreleg; figuratively, force אֵל (ʼêl, H410) — strength; as adjective, mighty; especially the Almighty (but used also of any deity) רָעַם (râʻam, H7481) — to tumble, i.e. be violently agitated; specifically, to crash (of thunder); figuratively,… קוֹל (qôwl, H6963) — a voice or sound
Open source ↗עָדָה (ʻâdâh, H5710) — to advance, i.e. pass on or continue; causatively, to remove; specifically, to bedeck… גָּאוֹן (gâʼôwn, H1347) — {arrogance or majesty; by implication, (concretely) ornament} גֹּבַהּ (gôbahh, H1363) — elation, grandeur, arrogance לָבַשׁ (lâbash, H3847) — properly, wrap around, i.e. (by implication) to put on agarment or clothe (oneself, or… הוֹד (hôwd, H1935) — grandeur (i.e. an imposing form and appearance) הָדָר (hâdâr, H1926) — magnificence, i.e. ornament or splendor
Open source ↗פּוּץ (pûwts, H6327) — to dash in pieces, literally or figuratively (especially to disperse) עֶבְרָה (ʻebrâh, H5678) — an outburst of passion אַף (ʼaph, H639) — properly, the nose or nostril; hence, the face, and occasionally a person; also (from the… רָאָה (râʼâh, H7200) — to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied,… גֵּאֶה (gêʼeh, H1343) — lofty; figuratively, arrogant שָׁפֵל (shâphêl, H8213) — to depress or sink (expectation figuratively, to humiliate, intransitive or transitive)
Open source ↗רָאָה (râʼâh, H7200) — to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied,… גֵּאֶה (gêʼeh, H1343) — lofty; figuratively, arrogant כָּנַע (kânaʻ, H3665) — properly, to bend the knee; hence, to humiliate, vanquish הָדַךְ (hâdak, H1915) — to crush with the foot רָשָׁע (râshâʻ, H7563) — morally wrong; concretely, an (actively) bad person
Open source ↗טָמַן (ṭâman, H2934) — to hide (by covering over) עָפָר (ʻâphâr, H6083) — dust (as powdered or gray); hence, clay, earth, mud יַחַד (yachad, H3162) — properly, a unit, i.e. (adverb) unitedly חָבַשׁ (châbash, H2280) — to wrap firmly (especially a turban, compress, or saddle); figuratively, to stop, to rule פָּנִים (pânîym, H6440) — the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and…
Open source ↗יָדָה (yâdâh, H3034) — physically, to throw (a stone, an arrow) at or away; especially to revere or worship… יָמִין (yâmîyn, H3225) — the right hand or side (leg, eye) of a person or other object (as the stronger and more… יָשַׁע (yâshaʻ, H3467) — properly, to be open, wide or free, i.e. (by implication) to be safe; causatively, to…
Open source ↗Cross-references
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