1Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
2“Who is this who darkens counsel
By words without knowledge?
3Now prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer Me.
4“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
5Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
6To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
7When the morning stars sang together,
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8“Or who shut in the sea with doors,
When it burst forth and issued from the womb;
9When I made the clouds its garment,
And thick darkness its swaddling band;
10When I fixed My limit for it,
And set bars and doors;
11When I said,
‘This far you may come, but no farther,
And here your proud waves must stop!’
12“Have you commanded the morning since your days began,
And caused the dawn to know its place,
13That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
And the wicked be shaken out of it?
14It takes on form like clay under a seal,
And stands out like a garment.
15From the wicked their light is withheld,
And the upraised arm is broken.
16“Have you entered the springs of the sea?
Or have you walked in search of the depths?
17Have the gates of death been revealed to you?
Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death?
18Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth?
Tell Me, if you know all this.
19“Where is the way to the dwelling of light?
And darkness, where is its place,
20That you may take it to its territory,
That you may know the paths to its home?
21Do you know it, because you were born then,
Or because the number of your days is great?
22“Have you entered the treasury of snow,
Or have you seen the treasury of hail,
23Which I have reserved for the time of trouble,
For the day of battle and war?
24By what way is light diffused,
Or the east wind scattered over the earth?
25“Who has divided a channel for the overflowing water,
Or a path for the thunderbolt,
26To cause it to rain on a land where there is no one,
A wilderness in which there is no man;
27To satisfy the desolate waste,
And cause to spring forth the growth of tender grass?
28Has the rain a father?
Or who has begotten the drops of dew?
29From whose womb comes the ice?
And the frost of heaven, who gives it birth?
30The waters harden like stone,
And the surface of the deep is frozen.
31“Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades,
Or loose the belt of Orion?
32Can you bring out Mazzaroth in its season?
Or can you guide the Great Bear with its cubs?
33Do you know the ordinances of the heavens?
Can you set their dominion over the earth?
34“Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
That an abundance of water may cover you?
35Can you send out lightnings, that they may go,
And say to you, ‘Here we are!’?
36Who has put wisdom in the mind?
Or who has given understanding to the heart?
37Who can number the clouds by wisdom?
Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven,
38When the dust hardens in clumps,
And the clods cling together?
39“Can you hunt the prey for the lion,
Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
40When they crouch in their dens,
Or lurk in their lairs to lie in wait?
41Who provides food for the raven,
When its young ones cry to God,
And wander about for lack of food?
1“Do you know the time when the wild mountain goats bear young?
Or can you mark when the deer gives birth?
2Can you number the months that they fulfill?
Or do you know the time when they bear young?
3They bow down,
They bring forth their young,
They deliver their offspring.
4Their young ones are healthy,
They grow strong with grain;
They depart and do not return to them.
5“Who set the wild donkey free?
Who loosed the bonds of the onager,
6Whose home I have made the wilderness,
And the barren land his dwelling?
7He scorns the tumult of the city;
He does not heed the shouts of the driver.
8The range of the mountains is his pasture,
And he searches after every green thing.
9“Will the wild ox be willing to serve you?
Will he bed by your manger?
10Can you bind the wild ox in the furrow with ropes?
Or will he plow the valleys behind you?
11Will you trust him because his strength is great?
Or will you leave your labor to him?
12Will you trust him to bring home your grain,
And gather it to your threshing floor?
13“The wings of the ostrich wave proudly,
But are her wings and pinions like the kindly stork’s?
14For she leaves her eggs on the ground,
And warms them in the dust;
15She forgets that a foot may crush them,
Or that a wild beast may break them.
16She treats her young harshly, as though they were not hers;
Her labor is in vain, without concern,
17Because God deprived her of wisdom,
And did not endow her with understanding.
18When she lifts herself on high,
She scorns the horse and its rider.
19“Have you given the horse strength?
Have you clothed his neck with thunder?
20Can you frighten him like a locust?
His majestic snorting strikes terror.
21He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;
He gallops into the clash of arms.
22He mocks at fear, and is not frightened;
Nor does he turn back from the sword.
23The quiver rattles against him,
The glittering spear and javelin.
24He devours the distance with fierceness and rage;
Nor does he come to a halt because the trumpet has sounded.
25At the blast of the trumpet he says,
‘Aha!’ He smells the battle from afar,
The thunder of captains and shouting.
26“Does the hawk fly by your wisdom,
And spread its wings toward the south?
27Does the eagle mount up at your command,
And make its nest on high?
28On the rock it dwells and resides,
On the crag of the rock and the stronghold.
29From there it spies out the prey;
Its eyes observe from afar.
30Its young ones suck up blood;
And where the slain are, there it is.”
1Moreover the Lord answered Job, and said:
2“Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him?
He who rebukes God, let him answer it.”
3Then Job answered the Lord and said:
4“Behold, I am vile; What shall I answer You?
I lay my hand over my mouth.
5Once I have spoken, but I will not answer;
Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.”
6Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
7“Now prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer Me:
8“Would you indeed annul My judgment?
Would you condemn Me that you may be justified?
9Have you an arm like God?
Or can you thunder with a voice like His?
10Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor,
And array yourself with glory and beauty.
11Disperse the rage of your wrath;
Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him.
12Look on everyone who is proud, and bring him low;
Tread down the wicked in their place.
13Hide them in the dust together,
Bind their faces in hidden darkness.
14Then I will also confess to you
That your own right hand can save you.
15“Look now at the behemoth, which I made along with you;
He eats grass like an ox.
16See now, his strength is in his hips,
And his power is in his stomach muscles.
17He moves his tail like a cedar;
The sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.
18His bones are like beams of bronze,
His ribs like bars of iron.
19He is the first of the ways of God;
Only He who made him can bring near His sword.
20Surely the mountains yield food for him,
And all the beasts of the field play there.
21He lies under the lotus trees,
In a covert of reeds and marsh.
22The lotus trees cover him with their shade;
The willows by the brook surround him.
23Indeed the river may rage,
Yet he is not disturbed;
He is confident, though the Jordan gushes into his mouth,
24Though he takes it in his eyes,
Or one pierces his nose with a snare.
1“Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook,
Or snare his tongue with a line which you lower?
2Can you put a reed through his nose,
Or pierce his jaw with a hook?
3Will he make many supplications to you?
Will he speak softly to you?
4Will he make a covenant with you?
Will you take him as a servant forever?
5Will you play with him as with a bird,
Or will you leash him for your maidens?
6Will your companions make a banquet of him?
Will they apportion him among the merchants?
7Can you fill his skin with harpoons,
Or his head with fishing spears?
8Lay your hand on him; Remember the battle—
Never do it again!
9Indeed, any hope of overcoming him is false;
Shall one not be overwhelmed at the sight of him?
10No one is so fierce that he would dare stir him up.
Who then is able to stand against Me?
11Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him?
Everything under heaven is Mine.
12“I will not conceal his limbs,
His mighty power, or his graceful proportions.
13Who can remove his outer coat?
Who can approach him with a double bridle?
14Who can open the doors of his face,
With his terrible teeth all around?
15His rows of scales are his pride,
Shut up tightly as with a seal;
16One is so near another
That no air can come between them;
17They are joined one to another,
They stick together and cannot be parted.
18His sneezings flash forth light,
And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
19Out of his mouth go burning lights;
Sparks of fire shoot out.
20Smoke goes out of his nostrils,
As from a boiling pot and burning rushes.
21His breath kindles coals,
And a flame goes out of his mouth.
22Strength dwells in his neck,
And sorrow dances before him.
23The folds of his flesh are joined together;
They are firm on him and cannot be moved.
24His heart is as hard as stone,
Even as hard as the lower millstone.
25When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid;
Because of his crashings they are beside themselves.
26Though the sword reaches him, it cannot avail;
Nor does spear, dart, or javelin.
27He regards iron as straw,
And bronze as rotten wood.
28The arrow cannot make him flee;
Slingstones become like stubble to him.
29Darts are regarded as straw;
He laughs at the threat of javelins.
30His undersides are like sharp potsherds;
He spreads pointed marks in the mire.
31He makes the deep boil like a pot;
He makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
32He leaves a shining wake behind him;
One would think the deep had white hair.
33On earth there is nothing like him,
Which is made without fear.
34He beholds every high thing;
He is king over all the children of pride.”
Preamble: Previously men spoke, and they spoke by their own reasonings and abilities, but now God speaks, but only to Job. For Job alone has charged God with error, and so to God alone Job must now give an accounting of his words.
Commentary
38:1-3 1Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
2“Who is this who darkens counsel
By words without knowledge?
3Now prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer Me.
The Lord God now steps directly into the scene and address Job directly; for neither Job’s friends, nor Elihu’s most wise intercession, were able to convince Job of the error of his ways, specifically of his words against God’s dealings with him. And so, now the Lord’s Voice comes out of the whirlwind and asks,
“Who is this who darkens counsel
By words without knowledge?” Vs. 2
Obviously, God knows who Job is, so it is not a question of identity, but rather of the Lord God calling Job to account for daring to call Him into question by his own finite reasoning’s. For which there is no justification, nor any answer. Therefore, with Job having spoken so recklessly and irreverently in questioning God's dealings with him, (indeed His dealings in all the world), the Lord God now tells Job to prepare himself like a man, (like the mere finite and fallible mortal that he is), for the Lord God shall now question him, and he shall answer Him.
38:4-7 4“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
5Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
6To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
7When the morning stars sang together,
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
The Lord God then begins with creation itself, when He laid he foundations of the earth, which happened long before Job was ever conceived. For the Lord God did not need to consult with Job, nor anyone else, when He alone conceived the earth’s form and shape and size and brought it forth (vs. 4-5). Indeed, can anyone explain to Him its foundations, how they are fastened in the universe by the laws of gravity that He Himself created (vs. 6-7). For these things were done by the Lord God Himself alone, who when He did so brought great delight to all the universe, and caused all the angels shout for joy with His creation of it. Yes, God’s creation delights in the Work of His hands, for it is all Created and Ruled and Sustained by His Wisdom and Power! Not Job's.
38:8-11 8“Or who shut in the sea with doors,
When it burst forth and issued from the womb;
9When I made the clouds its garment,
And thick darkness its swaddling band;
10When I fixed My limit for it,
And set bars and doors;
11When I said,
‘This far you may come, but no farther,
And here your proud waves must stop!’
The Lord God now asks Job to explain to Him how the seas waters became contained so that they did not overwhelm the earth, when He caused them to burst forth from the womb of creation, when He covered the skies above them with clouds and made thick darkness their canopy, surely Job knows, since he feels wise enough to question God, how He fixed to seas its limits as if with bars and doors so that it’s proud waves would only go so far but no further.
38:12-15 12“Have you commanded the morning since your days began,
And caused the dawn to know its place,
13That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
And the wicked be shaken out of it?
14It takes on form like clay under a seal,
And stands out like a garment.
15From the wicked their light is withheld,
And the upraised arm is broken.
Again, the Lord God asks Job did he make the dawn of the morning before his days began, did he by his wisdom make the dawn (the light) to know its place. For only the Lord can dispense the light in such a way so as to shake the wicked out of their place; light here then is not just literal, it is metaphoric for God’s Wisdom and Ways in dealing with them. And yet literal light is not bound by any fixed form, rather it can conform itself to whatever it appears upon like a garment wrapping itself around something, so light completely encompasses everything exposed to it whether in the world or in a room, light surrounds all things. And yet even light is under the domain of the Lord God who withholds light (His wisdom) from the wicked, so that the upraised arm is broken.
38:16-18 16“Have you entered the springs of the sea?
Or have you walked in search of the depths?
17Have the gates of death been revealed to you?
Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death?
18Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth?
Tell Me, if you know all this.
The Lord God further challenges Job’s finite abilities and understandings. For indeed who amongst us has ever entered the springs that rise up under the seas, or who amongst us has ever walked in its depths (vs. 16). Same with the gates of death, for nobody has the gates of death revealed to them and then returns to the land of the living to declare it to others (vs. 17), for death and life, and all its purposes belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ alone. And as for the breadth of the earth, no one then knew it, it was incomprehensible to mortal mankind then (vs. 18). Therefore, the Lord God asks Job to tell Him these things if he knows all of this.
38:19-21 19“Where is the way to the dwelling of light?
And darkness, where is its place,
20That you may take it to its territory,
That you may know the paths to its home?
21Do you know it, because you were born then,
Or because the number of your days is great?
Once again, the Lord God touches on the mysteries of light and now darkness. And so He asks Job to explain to Him both their origins as well as the places where they reside when they are out of our sight. Indeed, does anyone know its length of days, were any of us around when they were already existing, (for light comes to us from the farthest reaches of the universes), how then can we know all that they are or where they have been? Thus, these are just some of the things that God alone knows, whose Days are from Everlasting to Everlasting.
38:22-23 22“Have you entered the treasury of snow,
Or have you seen the treasury of hail,
23Which I have reserved for the time of trouble,
For the day of battle and war?
The Lord God now asks Job is he has ever entered the treasury of snow, or has he seen the treasury of hail where He stores it all, for He reserves it all for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war. These things then are not referring to mans war, but God’s.
38:24 24By what way is light diffused,
Or the east wind scattered over the earth?
How light is diffused is beyond all mortal comprehension, just as the scattering of the east wind is, for science can only explain processes, it can never explain origins nor reasons.
38:25-30 25“Who has divided a channel for the overflowing water,
Or a path for the thunderbolt,
26To cause it to rain on a land where there is no one,
A wilderness in which there is no man;
27To satisfy the desolate waste,
And cause to spring forth the growth of tender grass?
28Has the rain a father?
Or who has begotten the drops of dew?
29From whose womb comes the ice?
And the frost of heaven, who gives it birth?
30The waters harden like stone,
And the surface of the deep is frozen.
When waters overflow the earth, its God wo makes a channel for them to drain out into, same with the thunderbolt its God who directs its path. Indeed there are barren places on earth (deserts and such) where the Lord God brings His rain that no man sees or travels when He nurtures the plant and animal life there (vs. 25-27). Again does He need to be instructed in this, in how and when to do this. The Lord God continues by asking Job if the rain has a father, or who brings the drops of dew that water the plant life in the morning on the driest days (vs. 28). For it is He alone that brings the heat and drought of the summer months, even to frozen waters of the coldest winter days (vs. 29-30). God then does not need to be instructed by any of us on how to deal with us, for God knows and does all that we do not.
38:31-32 31“Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades,
Or loose the belt of Orion?
32Can you bring out Mazzaroth in its season?
Or can you guide the Great Bear with its cubs?
33Do you know the ordinances of the heavens?
Can you set their dominion over the earth?
The Lord our God’s Sovereign Power over all the constellations in the heavens is now declared by Him, indeed not only His Power but His great understanding in placing all of these in their celestial orbits as He guides all of their movements. For it is by the Pleiades (the five-star cluster) that ancient cultures all over the world gauged their planting and harvesting times.
38:34-35 34“Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
That an abundance of water may cover you?
35Can you send out lightnings, that they may go,
And say to you, ‘Here we are!’?
Do the clouds in the sky obey the voice of man? Will they cover us at our command? Can any of us send out the lightening with its enormous energy and power and direct it according to our will, will it answer to us and say here we are. These things and abilities then belong to God alone.
38:36 36Who has put wisdom in the mind?
Or who has given understanding to the heart?
And where does mankind get their wisdom and understanding from? Is not all of the Lord our God to either make us wise (or foolish), to give us discernment and understanding, (or not), all according to His own Will. How then can man question Him with his finite understandings?
38:37 37Who can number the clouds by wisdom?
Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven,
38When the dust hardens in clumps,
And the clods cling together?
39“Can you hunt the prey for the lion,
Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
40When they crouch in their dens,
Or lurk in their lairs to lie in wait?
41Who provides food for the raven,
When its young ones cry to God,
And wander about for lack of food?
Only God knows the number of clouds, only God knows how to pour out the bottles of heaven, as a metaphor for rain, (and even our understanding), for it is He who hardens the dust in clumps and causes the clods of soil to cling together (vs. 37-38). And do we direct food and prey to the lions, young and old alike, do we by our wisdom feed and satisfy them? For these creatures easily overwhelm a man and devour him, but to the Lord our God they only look expectantly, just like the ravens of the air whose young He feeds when they cry out to Him for food (vs. 39-40).
39:1-5 1“Do you know the time when the wild mountain goats bear young?
Or can you mark when the deer gives birth?
2Can you number the months that they fulfill?
Or do you know the time when they bear young?
3They bow down,
They bring forth their young,
They deliver their offspring.
4Their young ones are healthy,
They grow strong with grain;
They depart and do not return to them.
From the mysteries of the heavens, to the mysteries of wild life in creation which are all around us and yet we do not know when they give birth, nor do we know when they leave their mothers to begin life on their own, for these are things only and regularly observed by God.
39:5-8 5“Who set the wild donkey free?
Who loosed the bonds of the onager,
6Whose home I have made the wilderness,
And the barren land his dwelling?
7He scorns the tumult of the city;
He does not heed the shouts of the driver.
8The range of the mountains is his pasture,
And he searches after every green thing.
And just as the Lord God creates the heart of man, so He gives each creature in creation its own attributes, here then is cited the wild donkey, which unlike the docile domesticate ones has little to no desire for the tumult of the city, for he will not heed the shouts of driver; when harnessed to a cart; his being is independent of man, for the range of the mountains is his pasture, and there he seeks out every green thing for his food.
39:9-12 9“Will the wild ox be willing to serve you?
Will he bed by your manger?
10Can you bind the wild ox in the furrow with ropes?
Or will he plow the valleys behind you?
11Will you trust him because his strength is great?
Or will you leave your labor to him?
12Will you trust him to bring home your grain,
And gather it to your threshing floor?
Same with the wild ox, he has no desire to obey a man, to pull a plow for him or bed down in his manger. Indeed, trying to harness him to the plow is only an exercise in risk and futility. Would you then trust him with his great strength to serve you? Will trust him not to destroy your fields furrows or harvest all your labors for you? For what he doesn’t trample in your presence, he will feast upon before you, will you then harness and drive him by your “might and strength”? And yet these beasts which are mighty to us are nothing for God to tame.
39:13-18 13“The wings of the ostrich wave proudly,
But are her wings and pinions like the kindly stork’s?
14For she leaves her eggs on the ground,
And warms them in the dust;
15She forgets that a foot may crush them,
Or that a wild beast may break them.
16She treats her young harshly, as though they were not hers;
Her labor is in vain, without concern,
17Because God deprived her of wisdom,
And did not endow her with understanding.
18When she lifts herself on high,
She scorns the horse and its rider.
The proud ostrich is now given as an example of a loft and self-assuredness, but in fact is only a creature completely devoid of wisdom. For she does not remember to care for her eggs, she leaves them in the dust of ground without caution or concern for them (vs. 13-15). Indeed, her own young she treats harshly as though they were not hers, and this she does because God deprived her of wisdom, for He did not endow her with understanding, therefore whatever labor she does is only in vain, for her whole focus is only on proudly displaying herself (vs. 16-18). Do you see a parallel then with certain kinds of folks?
39:19-25 19“Have you given the horse strength?
Have you clothed his neck with thunder?
20Can you frighten him like a locust?
His majestic snorting strikes terror.
21He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;
He gallops into the clash of arms.
22He mocks at fear, and is not frightened;
Nor does he turn back from the sword.
23The quiver rattles against him,
The glittering spear and javelin.
24He devours the distance with fierceness and rage;
Nor does he come to a halt because the trumpet has sounded.
25At the blast of the trumpet he says,
‘Aha!’ He smells the battle from afar,
The thunder of captains and shouting.
The Lord God presents to us such magnificent pictures, and here He wonderfully describes the power of the horse which He gave to him, which no one can compete with, for the Lord God gave him his strength and speed and glory for battle.
39:26-30 26“Does the hawk fly by your wisdom,
And spread its wings toward the south?
27Does the eagle mount up at your command,
And make its nest on high?
28On the rock it dwells and resides,
On the crag of the rock and the stronghold.
29From there it spies out the prey;
Its eyes observe from afar.
30Its young ones suck up blood;
And where the slain are, there it is.”
From the most used and admired land animal by mankind, to now the hawk and eagle of the air, the two most admired predatory birds which so majestically glide effortlessly in the air upon the winds, and this they do by the wisdom of God, by His creative genius, even their homes they make by His guidance and by His command they take to flight once again.
40:1-7 1Moreover the Lord answered Job, and said:
2“Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him?
He who rebukes God, let him answer it.”
3Then Job answered the Lord and said:
4“Behold, I am vile; What shall I answer You?
I lay my hand over my mouth.
5Once I have spoken, but I will not answer;
Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.”
6Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
7“Now prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer Me:
The Lord our God now briefly pauses His discourse to once again call Job to account. Job though is now very fearful because of his previous irreverence, and does not even dare try to justify himself before Him. Instead, he can only say what he (and we all are) before the Most Holy and that is vile, for in of ourselves we are completely unholy before Him. And so Job now says that he will not dare raise his voice again to question Him, and with that the Lord God calls to Job out of the whirlwind and tells him to prepare himself like a man, (like the mortal that he is, and we all are), to answer Him.
40:8-14 8“Would you indeed annul My judgment?
Would you condemn Me that you may be justified?
9Have you an arm like God?
Or can you thunder with a voice like His?
10Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor,
And array yourself with glory and beauty.
11Disperse the rage of your wrath;
Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him.
12Look on everyone who is proud, and bring him low;
Tread down the wicked in their place.
13Hide them in the dust together,
Bind their faces in hidden darkness.
14Then I will also confess to you
That your own right hand can save you.
The Lord our God now asks Job would he indeed annul His judgment? Would he condemn Him (who is Most Wise and Just) so that he may be justified? I think not! Job’s great folly then is now clearly seen and declared to us all by the Lord our God. And having done so the Lord our God will now bring His Might and Power to a Personal level. Previously He spoke of these things abstractly as being seen in His acts and works of His creation, but now He speaks of it directly. For in verse nine He asks Job: “Have you an arm like God? Or thunder with a voice like His?”; Now think about that for a moment, for His arm as a metaphor for His Power and Strength is Unlimited and Unequalled! Same with His Voice which the heavens cannot contain and its thunder can only ever so slightly reveal, for the full scope of His’ Power and His voices Range is unending and unmatched in all of creation. For by it everything in creation obeys Him! The Lord God goes on asking Job if he can adorn himself like God and array himself with glory and beauty; (for the Lord our God is not affected by age or circumstances); His glory and splendor and beauty never fades nor diminishes. Indeed, nothing in all of Creation, whether in heaven or earth even comes close to His. And as for His rage and wrath He can dispense it at anytime, anywhere, and on anyone or anything. He then brings down the proud, He then treads down the wicked in their place, He then buries them in dust and binds their faces in darkness, so that they are seen no more. Therefore, since He alone does all these things, he asks Job, can you? For if you can He then says I will declare that your own arm can save you. The Lord our God’s Words here then should stand as a warning to us all, for we are all exceedingly finite and frail, only He is not.
40:15-24 15“Look now at the behemoth, which I made along with you;
He eats grass like an ox.
16See now, his strength is in his hips,
And his power is in his stomach muscles.
17He moves his tail like a cedar;
The sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.
18His bones are like beams of bronze,
His ribs like bars of iron.
19He is the first of the ways of God;
Only He who made him can bring near His sword.
20Surely the mountains yield food for him,
And all the beasts of the field play there.
21He lies under the lotus trees,
In a covert of reeds and marsh.
22The lotus trees cover him with their shade;
The willows by the brook surround him.
23Indeed the river may rage,
Yet he is not disturbed;
He is confident, though the Jordan gushes into his mouth,
24Though he takes it in his eyes,
Or one pierces his nose with a snare.
Having declared to us His Sovern Power over the wicked and proud, the Lord our God now declares to us two examples of this from His creation, creatures which ancient mankind greatly feared and admired. The first is called behemoth, this creature was a literal creature, and it is used here as representative of the land-based Dinosaurs, which were the largest land-based creatures He ever created. Now great details are given us about it, it is described here as an herbivore (vs. 15), which apparently stood upright, or had the ability to do so, for its strength was seen in its hips and stomach muscles (vs. 16). It had a very large flexible tail, and the sinews of its thighs were very strong (vs, 17), indeed its bones are described as being like beams of bronze, while its ribs are described as being like bars of iron, the strongest metal then known (vs. 18). Notice too that he is described as the first of the ways of God; thus, this is without a doubt a dinosaur, and the fact that only He who made him can bring near His sword to slay him strengthens this thought (vs. 19). No man then could ever challenge it with the weapons then available to him. The Lord God goes on describing its abilities to conquer anything on earth, saying that even the mountains yield their food to him, and yet other beasts of the field were not threatened by it (vs. 20). While on land it liked to lie under (or amongst) the lotus trees (either a tall tree or a kind of thorny bush), as well it dwelt amongst the willows by the waters bank, and while in the water it dwelt amongst the reeds and marsh, moving without regard for being entangled in these (vs. 21-22),
“Indeed the river may rage,
Yet he is not disturbed;
He is confident, though the Jordan gushes into his mouth,
24Though he takes it in his eyes,
Or one pierces his nose with a snare.” Vs. 23-24
This most massive of beasts than feared nothing in its environment, and certainly nothing from man. Therefore, the only One who could tame it was the Lord our God! Again, if this beast of a creature can only be tamed by God who so wisely created him, why then does Job question Him? For Job has neither the power nor the wisdom to save himself from it how much less from the wrath of Almighty God, Job’s illusions of himself and understanding then must be broken.
40:1-12 1“Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook,
Or snare his tongue with a line which you lower?
2Can you put a reed through his nose,
Or pierce his jaw with a hook?
3Will he make many supplications to you?
Will he speak softly to you?
4Will he make a covenant with you?
Will you take him as a servant forever?
5Will you play with him as with a bird,
Or will you leash him for your maidens?
6Will your companions make a banquet of him?
Will they apportion him among the merchants?
7Can you fill his skin with harpoons,
Or his head with fishing spears?
8Lay your hand on him; Remember the battle—
Never do it again!
9Indeed, any hope of overcoming him is false;
Shall one not be overwhelmed at the sight of him?
10No one is so fierce that he would dare stir him up.
Who then is able to stand against Me?
11Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him?
Everything under heaven is Mine.
Therefore the Lord God now points to the fiercest of all of His creatures in all of creation, Leviathan, the ancient sea creature which struck fear in the hearts of everything in creation. For there was nothing on earth that could tame him or come near him. And seeing how Leviathan is figuratively used in the Bible as representative of Satan it seems most appropriate that He has saved him for last. And so, the Lord begins questioning Job again asking him if he is able by his wisdom, power, or might able to catch Leviathan and bring him into subjection to himself (vs. 1-2). For would Leviathan ever fear Job and make many supplications to him? Would he speak softly to him out of fear of him? Or would he make a covenant with him (as one who is completely subjugated to Him), or could Job be able to take him as his servant forever, keeping him always in subjection to himself? (vs. 3-4). The answer is self evident.
41:5-11 5Will you play with him as with a bird,
Or will you leash him for your maidens?
6Will your companions make a banquet of him?
Will they apportion him among the merchants?
7Can you fill his skin with harpoons,
Or his head with fishing spears?
8Lay your hand on him; Remember the battle—
Never do it again!
9Indeed, any hope of overcoming him is false;
Shall one not be overwhelmed at the sight of him?
10No one is so fierce that he would dare stir him up.
Who then is able to stand against Me?
11Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him?
Everything under heaven is Mine.
Such then is the Lord God’s Power that if He wanted too, He could play with Leviathan like a bird (vs. 5); like a cat does with a little bird before he slays it. However, neither Job nor any man in creation is endowed with such power and abilities so as to make a feast out of him, or portion him up for the merchants (vs. 6). The Lord God then asks Job, “Can you fill his skin with harpoons, or his head with fishing spears? Vs. 7 As if man by his might and power could approach him and have any chance of overtaking him. Indeed, all who ever tried were quickly filled with pure terror at the sight of him, any chance then of overcoming him is utterly false, for there is no one who is so fierce that they would dare stir him up (vs. 8-9). That being so who then is able to stand against Almighty God? (vs. 10). Indeed, who has preceded Him, the Everlasting One, that He should pay them, for everything under heaven is God’s (vs. 11). He then owes no one nothing, neither Job, nor any of us, He gives and He takes away according to His Will, and He is always completely justified in doing so, for He owns it all, for He is Lord of All! And that is the place of reverence the Job has completely forgotten, for that is our rightful place before Him, as we owe Him all!
Vs. 12-34 12“I will not conceal his limbs,
His mighty power, or his graceful proportions.
13Who can remove his outer coat?
Who can approach him with a double bridle?
14Who can open the doors of his face,
With his terrible teeth all around?
15His rows of scales are his pride,
Shut up tightly as with a seal;
16One is so near another
That no air can come between them;
17They are joined one to another,
They stick together and cannot be parted.
18His sneezing’s flash forth light,
And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
19Out of his mouth go burning lights;
Sparks of fire shoot out.
20Smoke goes out of his nostrils,
As from a boiling pot and burning rushes.
21His breath kindles coals,
And a flame goes out of his mouth.
22Strength dwells in his neck,
And sorrow dances before him.
23The folds of his flesh are joined together;
They are firm on him and cannot be moved.
24His heart is as hard as stone,
Even as hard as the lower millstone.
25When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid;
Because of his crashings they are beside themselves.
26Though the sword reaches him, it cannot avail;
Nor does spear, dart, or javelin.
27He regards iron as straw,
And bronze as rotten wood.
28The arrow cannot make him flee;
Slingstones become like stubble to him.
29Darts are regarded as straw;
He laughs at the threat of javelins.
30His undersides are like sharp potsherds;
He spreads pointed marks in the mire.
31He makes the deep boil like a pot;
He makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
32He leaves a shining wake behind him;
One would think the deep had white hair.
33On earth there is nothing like him,
Which is made without fear.
34He beholds every high thing;
He is king over all the children of pride.”
The Lord our God now goes into great descriptive detail about Leviathan, saying he has mighty power and graceful proportions (vs. 12); and so not only was he the most powerful creature on earth, but each segment of him was perfectly apportioned for him, for what God created him to be and do. His outer hide then was made so thick and strong so as to be unremovable, (his hide would never be removed nor tanned), and as for his head, his powerful mouth was filled with very large and very sharp teeth, so that no one would even dare come near it, and certainly not with a double bridle, like one would put on a captured wild beast (vs. 13-14). As well he was covered in body armor with scales that protected him, and these were knit together so tightly so that not even air could pass through them (vs. 17), much less an arrow or a spear. Even large propelled weapons would be of no avail against him. As for his countenance his sneezing’s flash forth light, while his eyes were blindly bright, and out of his mouth proceeded sparks of fire and burning lights (vs. 18-19). Smoke proceeds out of his nostrils, and by his breath he can kindle coals, while a flame goes out of his mouth (vs. 20-21). Now his neck is where his strength lies, and because of his fierceness and awesome nature sorrow dances before him (vs. 22). While the folds of flesh are so firmly joined together that they cannot be moved (vs. 23). His heart is then said to be as hard as stone, even the lower millstone (vs. 24, he fears then nothing on earth nor does he show mercy). His presence is so awesome that even the stoutest and most mighty tremble at him. Indeed his crashing’s make men go out of their minds with fear (vs. 25). As for mans weapons they are nothing to him, neither the sword, nor javelin, nor dart, nor spear can penetrate him (vs. 26). And as for iron he regards it as straw and bronze as rotten wood (vs. 27). Once again, his invincibility to mans weapons is proclaimed in verses 28-29. While his undersides are like sharp potsherds which make pointed marks in the mire (vs. 30). As for the deep he makes it boil like a pot, like a pot of ointment, leaving a shining white wake behind him (vs. 31-32). Now the Lord says of him on earth there is nothing like him, for he fears nothing (vs. 33) and regards no one on it, he then is said to be king over all the children of pride (vs. 34), whose cultures celebrate him (addition mine).
Job 42:1-17
1Then Job answered the Lord and said:
2“I know that You can do everything,
And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.
3You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
4Listen, please, and let me speak;
You said, ‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’
5“I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear,
But now my eye sees You.
6Therefore I abhor myself,
And repent in dust and ashes.”
7And so it was, after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. 8Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.” 9So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the Lord commanded them; for the Lord had accepted Job. 10And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. 11Then all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been his acquaintances before, came to him and ate food with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the Lord had brought upon him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold. 12Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. 13He also had seven sons and three daughters. 14And he called the name of the first Jemimah, the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-Happuch. 15In all the land were found no women so beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. 16After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations. 17So Job died, old and full of days.
Commentary
42:1-6 And so it was when the Lord had concluded His speaking, all of Job’s previous self-confidence in his own righteousness was completely shattered, for he was completely humbled before Him. Therefore Job no longer freely offers up words in his own defense. Instead Job’s words now are very reverent and very respectful. For no longer does he feel he has the “right” to complain too, or question the Lord God about His dealings with him, regarding anything. Instead, Job having now seen the Lord God (and come to understand He knows all things about him and his circumstances, that we do not know nor will we ever know), he thus humbly offers up his own repentance, saying: “…I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes.”
42:7-9 The Lord then having brought Job to the place of repentance; now turns to Job’s friends, chiefly Elihu the first and lead speaker, as well as Bildad and Zophar, but not Elihu who spoke most rightly and justly; for they had greatly exceeded themselves in their condemning of Job when they declared the Lord’s Judgment on Job as a wicked man and a sinner when no evidence existed for their doing so. For the Lord does not look kindly upon such things, when a righteous man is wrongly and unjustly condemned, and when His Person’s Name and Authority is employed to do this. Therefore, He tells them that His wrath is aroused against them, for not speaking of Him what was right, as Job His servant did (vs. 7). Therefore, He commands them to take seven bulls and seven rams and bring them to Job (whom He calls His servant) and to offer up a sacrifice, a burnt offering, for their reckless transgression, for Job will pray for them; i.e. act as a priest to God on their behalf; for God has accepted him, lest God deal with them according to their folly, because they have not spoken of Him what was right, as His servant Job has (Vs. 8). And with that they too are spared by the grace of God. “So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the Lord commanded them; for the Lord had accepted Job.” Vs. 9
42:10-17 10And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. 11Then all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been his acquaintances before, came to him and ate food with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the Lord had brought upon him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold. 12Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. 13He also had seven sons and three daughters. 14And he called the name of the first Jemimah, the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-Happuch. 15In all the land were found no women so beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. 16After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations. 17So Job died, old and full of days.
And so it was with Job’s intercession for his friends, the Lord then restores all of Job's looses, indeed He gives Job twice as much as he had before, not only then restoring all of his loses, but doubling them! As well with Job's restoration to God all of Job’s alienation from his family, friends, and community also ends. For all his brothers and sisters, friends and acquaintances, came to him and ate food with him in his house, they even consoled and comforted him for all the adversity that the Lord had brought upon him. Each one of them even gave Job a piece of silver and a ring of gold. Therefore with Job’s restoration the Lord's justice is done and magnified in earth. However, Job’s story doesn’t end there!
For Job’s life from that moment on was one of ongoing prosperity and blessings from the Lord (which far and away exceeded all his loses), for the Lord gave Job fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys (vs. 12). And obviously with that there would have been many servants to care for them all. Now the Lord also restored children to Job, seven sons and three daughters, though it is his daughters who now bear mention, for they were beautiful to behold, indeed the Scripture says that there were no women in the land as beautiful as Job’s daughters. Now Job named the first Jemimah, i.e., “a dove” or as the NKJV says, “handsome as the day”, the second he called Keziah, a beautiful fragrance, i.e. “cinnamon”. And the third he called, Keren-Happuch, which NKJV gives as the “colorful ray”, but also has renderings relating it to mean, “beautiful”, “beautiful child”, or “horn of beauty”, being drawn from an animal horn that was used to store face paint in. And so it was that after this Job lived 140 years and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations. So Job died, old and full of days. And like Joseph who later also had to endure great injustices at the hands of the ones he loved, so Job’s end was much better than his beginning, amen.
Scripture Quotations
New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.
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