“LET HIM WHO ACCUSES GOD ANSWER HIM”
Key verse: 2
NIV
40 The Lord said to Job:(A)
2 “Will the one who contends with the Almighty(B) correct him?(C)
Let him who accuses God answer him!”(D)
3 Then Job answered the Lord:
4 “I am unworthy(E)—how can I reply to you?
I put my hand over my mouth.(F)
5 I spoke once, but I have no answer(G)—
twice, but I will say no more.”(H)
6 Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm:(I)
7 “Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.(J)
8 “Would you discredit my justice?(K)
Would you condemn me to justify yourself?(L)
9 Do you have an arm like God’s,(M)
and can your voice(N) thunder like his?(O)
10 Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor,
and clothe yourself in honor and majesty.(P)
11 Unleash the fury of your wrath,(Q)
look at all who are proud and bring them low,(R)
12 look at all who are proud(S) and humble them,(T)
crush(U) the wicked where they stand.
13 Bury them all in the dust together;(V)
shroud their faces in the grave.(W)
14 Then I myself will admit to you
that your own right hand can save you.(X)
15 “Look at Behemoth,
which I made(Y) along with you
and which feeds on grass like an ox.(Z)
16 What strength(AA) it has in its loins,
what power in the muscles of its belly!(AB)
17 Its tail sways like a cedar;
the sinews of its thighs are close-knit.(AC)
18 Its bones are tubes of bronze,
its limbs(AD) like rods of iron.(AE)
19 It ranks first among the works of God,(AF)
yet its Maker(AG) can approach it with his sword.(AH)
20 The hills bring it their produce,(AI)
and all the wild animals play(AJ) nearby.(AK)
21 Under the lotus plants it lies,
hidden among the reeds(AL) in the marsh.(AM)
22 The lotuses conceal it in their shadow;
the poplars by the stream(AN) surround it.
23 A raging river(AO) does not alarm it;
it is secure, though the Jordan(AP) should surge against its mouth.
24 Can anyone capture it by the eyes,
or trap it and pierce its nose?(AQ)
Cross references
- Job 40:1 : S Job 5:8; S 10:2
- Job 40:2 : S Job 13:3
- Job 40:2 : S Job 9:15; S 11:8; S 33:13; Ro 9:20
- Job 40:2 : S Job 9:3
- Job 40:4 : Job 42:6
- Job 40:4 : S Jdg 18:19; S Job 29:9
- Job 40:5 : S Job 9:3
- Job 40:5 : S Job 9:15
- Job 40:6 : S Ex 14:21; S Job 38:1
- Job 40:7 : S Job 38:3
- Job 40:8 : S Job 15:25; S 27:2; Ro 3:3
- Job 40:8 : S Job 2:3; S 34:17
- Job 40:9 : S 2Ch 32:8; S Ps 98:1
- Job 40:9 : Isa 6:8; Eze 10:5
- Job 40:9 : S Ex 20:19; S Job 36:33
- Job 40:10 : Ps 29:1-2; 45:3; 93:1; 96:6; 104:1; 145:5
- Job 40:11 : S Job 20:28; Ps 7:11; Isa 5:25; 9:12, 19; 10:5; 13:3, 5; 30:27; 42:25; 51:20; Jer 7:20; Na 1:6; Zep 1:18
- Job 40:11 : Ps 18:27; Isa 2:11, 12, 17; 23:9; 24:10; 25:12; 26:5; 32:19
- Job 40:12 : Ps 10:4; Isa 25:11; Jer 48:29; 49:16; Zep 2:10
- Job 40:12 : S 1Sa 2:7; S Ps 52:5; 1Pe 5:5
- Job 40:12 : Ps 60:12; Isa 22:5; 28:3; 63:2-3, 6; Da 5:20; Mic 5:8; 7:10; Zec 10:5; Mal 4:3
- Job 40:13 : Nu 16:31-34
- Job 40:13 : S Job 4:9
- Job 40:14 : Ex 15:6, 12; Ps 18:35; 20:6; 48:10; 60:5; 108:6; Isa 41:10; 63:5
- Job 40:15 : S Job 9:9
- Job 40:15 : Isa 11:7; 65:25
- Job 40:16 : S Job 39:11
- Job 40:16 : Job 41:9
- Job 40:17 : Job 41:15
- Job 40:18 : Job 41:12
- Job 40:18 : Isa 11:4; 49:2
- Job 40:19 : Job 41:33; Ps 40:5; 139:14; Isa 27:1
- Job 40:19 : S Job 4:17; S 9:9
- Job 40:19 : S Ge 3:24
- Job 40:20 : Ps 104:14
- Job 40:20 : Ps 104:26
- Job 40:20 : S Job 5:23
- Job 40:21 : S Ge 41:2; Ps 68:30; Isa 35:7
- Job 40:21 : Job 8:11
- Job 40:22 : Ps 1:3; Isa 44:4
- Job 40:23 : Isa 8:7; 11:15
- Job 40:23 : S Jos 3:1
- Job 40:24 : 2Ki 19:28; Job 41:2, 7, 26; Isa 37:29
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway
ESV
40 And the Lord (A)said to Job:
2 “Shall a faultfinder (B)contend with the Almighty?
He who argues with God, let him answer it.”
Job Promises Silence
3 Then Job answered the Lord and said:
4 “Behold, I am (C)of small account; what shall I answer you?
(D)I lay my hand on my mouth.
5 I have spoken (E)once, and I will not answer;
(F)twice, but I will proceed no further.”
The Lord Challenges Job
6 Then the Lord (G)answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
7 (H)“Dress for action[a] like a man;
(I)I will question you, and you make it known to me.
8 Will you even put me in the wrong?
Will you condemn me that (J)you may be in the right?
9 Have you (K)an arm like God,
and can you thunder with (L)a voice like his?
10 “Adorn yourself with majesty and dignity;
(M)clothe yourself with glory and splendor.
11 Pour out the overflowings of your anger,
and look on everyone who is (N)proud and abase him.
12 Look on everyone who is proud and bring him low
and (O)tread down the wicked (P)where they stand.
13 (Q)Hide them all in (R)the dust together;
bind their faces in the world below.[b]
14 Then will I also acknowledge to you
that your own (S)right hand can save you.
15 “Behold, Behemoth,[c]
which I made as I made you;
he eats (T)grass like an ox.
16 Behold, his strength in his loins,
and his power in the muscles of his belly.
17 He makes his tail stiff like a cedar;
the sinews of his thighs are knit together.
18 His bones are tubes of bronze,
his limbs like bars of iron.
19 “He is (U)the first of (V)the works[d] of God;
let him who made him bring near his sword!
20 For the mountains yield food for him
where all the wild beasts play.
21 Under the lotus plants he lies,
in the shelter of (W)the reeds and in the marsh.
22 For his shade the lotus trees cover him;
the willows of the brook surround him.
23 Behold, if the river is turbulent he is not frightened;
he is confident though Jordan rushes against his mouth.
24 Can one take him by his eyes,[e]
or pierce his nose with a snare?
Footnotes
Cross references
- Job 40:1 : ch. 38:1
- Job 40:2 : See ch. 33:13
- Job 40:4 : [ch. 42:6; Ezra 9:6]
- Job 40:4 : ch. 21:5; 29:9; Judg. 18:19
- Job 40:5 : ch. 33:14; Ps. 62:11
- Job 40:5 : ch. 33:14; Ps. 62:11
- Job 40:6 : ch. 38:1
- Job 40:7 : ch. 38:3
- Job 40:7 : ch. 38:3; 42:4
- Job 40:8 : See ch. 32:2
- Job 40:9 : Ps. 89:13; Isa. 63:12
- Job 40:9 : See ch. 37:4
- Job 40:10 : [Ps. 93:1; 104:1]
- Job 40:11 : [Dan. 4:37]; See Isa. 2:11-17
- Job 40:12 : Isa. 63:3
- Job 40:12 : [ch. 36:20]
- Job 40:13 : Isa. 2:10
- Job 40:13 : ch. 21:26
- Job 40:14 : Ps. 98:1; Isa. 59:16; 63:5
- Job 40:15 : Num. 22:4
- Job 40:19 : [Prov. 8:22]
- Job 40:19 : ch. 26:14
- Job 40:21 : Ps. 68:30
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
God sought an answer from Job (38:3) and now he continued seeking his answer. Job had been contending with the Almighty and accusing God. Now he confessed that he was unworthy. But the LORD was not quite finished with his questioning. Not only did God reveal himself in his creation, but also in his justice. It is God who alone is just. He brings the proud low, humbles the wicked, and has the power of life and death. When men are guided by pride, they become enemies of God. They take his place in the matter of his justice. We are in desperate need of salvation, and only God can save us.
Next God reminded Job that he created the great behemoth, the most powerful of all the animals. His strength is beyond compare in this world. He won’t be upset by the raging stream, and he is impervious to capture. But God can approach it. The behemoth knows who his Maker is.
Prayer: Lord, my pride makes me ignorant of your glory. Save me from living like your enemy.
One Word: Only God can save