Job Chapter 40

The Power of God, the Power of Job, and the Power of Behemoth
A. God’s challenge and Job’s response

1. Job 40:1–2, God confronts Job’s presumption

“Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said,
Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him?
he that reproveth God, let him answer it.”

Moreover the LORD answered Job. The divine address continues without interruption from chapters 38 and 39. The LORD did not directly answer Job’s earlier accusations or explain the heavenly council scene, nor did He outline the reason for Job’s suffering. Instead, God revealed Himself. The answer to Job’s agony was not a philosophical explanation, but a revelation of divine majesty. The extended discourse concerning creation, providence, and sovereign wisdom served as God’s classroom, with the universe itself as the lesson.

Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? The word contend reveals Job’s earlier posture. In his anguish he had desired litigation with God. He had declared in Job 31:35, “Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book.” Job had wanted a formal hearing. Now the LORD asks whether the creature is in a position to instruct the Creator. The rhetorical force is devastating. No man instructs omniscience. No finite being corrects infinite wisdom.

He that reproveth God, let him answer it. The language places Job under oath. If he is prepared to correct God, then he must now respond. The weight of the question exposes the impossibility of Job’s earlier demands. God remains God, Job remains a man. No matter how intimate the fellowship, the Creator creature distinction is never erased. This is foundational to sound theology. Even in covenant relationship, the LORD is sovereign.

Chapters 38 and 39 reveal power without cruelty, authority without harshness. The tone is majestic, not vindictive. The LORD draws Job upward by revealing glory. This is consistent with the principle later revealed in Romans 2:4, “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” Divine goodness humbles more effectively than argument.

2. Job 40:3–5, Job’s silence and submission

“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 Job answered the LORD. Throughout the dialogues with his friends, Job had been the only one who directly addressed God. His prayers were passionate, sometimes raw, occasionally bordering on accusation. Yet now his tone is transformed. His circumstances remain unchanged. His sores remain. His children are still gone. His wealth is still lost. What has changed is not his condition, but his awareness of God’s presence. The restoration of divine nearness alters everything.

Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? The term vile in the Hebrew carries the idea of smallness or lightness, not moral corruption in this context. Job is not confessing hidden sin as his friends alleged. He is acknowledging comparative insignificance. He sees his weightlessness beside the glory of God. This is the same movement seen elsewhere in Scripture. When Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up, he declared in Isaiah 6:5, “Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips.” When Peter encountered divine power, he said in Luke 5:8, “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” The revelation of God produces humility.

It is crucial to observe that none of the speeches of Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, or Elihu brought Job to this posture. Human reasoning failed. The revelation of God succeeded. This demonstrates that true repentance flows from seeing God rightly. Theology is not merely intellectual. It is relational and revelatory.

I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. This gesture signifies total submission. To silence the tongue is to surrender self defense. Job recognizes that further argument would be inappropriate. In Proverbs 30:32 we read, “If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.” The gesture communicates reverence and restraint.

Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further. Job acknowledges the excess of his earlier words. He does not retract his integrity, but he retracts his presumption. Earlier he had said in Job 13:3, “Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.” Now he withdraws that demand. This is not the silence of defeat, but the silence of understanding.

It must be remembered that God never truly abandoned Job. Though the sense of divine presence was withdrawn, the sustaining hand of God remained. Hebrews 13:5 declares, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Even in the unseen realm of Job 1 and 2, God’s sovereignty framed every event. The suffering saint was never outside divine governance.

Standing in the presence of divine majesty, Job sees his smallness. Yet this humility does not diminish his value. Scripture holds both truths together. In Psalm 8:4–5 we read, “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.” Man is small in comparison to God, yet greatly valued by Him. The cross ultimately reveals this value, as seen in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.”

In this section we see the power of God manifested in sovereign authority, the power of Job revealed in humble submission, and the beginning of the transition toward the description of Behemoth, which will further illustrate divine mastery over creation.

B. God once again teaches Job

1. Job 40:6–7, The renewed summons

“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.”

Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind. The divine presence remains clothed in storm. The whirlwind has not dissipated into calm. The same untamable power that framed the foundations of the earth still surrounds Job. The setting reinforces the message. God is not domesticated. He is not adjusted to human preference. He is the sovereign LORD who rules over creation and speaks from within it.

The whirlwind itself recalls the earlier manifestation in Job 38:1, where God first answered Job out of the storm. The repetition signals continuity. The first speech was not sufficient to complete the lesson. Job’s humility in verses 3 through 5 was genuine, yet God presses further. True transformation is thorough, not partial.

Gird up thy loins now like a man. The command echoes Job 38:3. The imagery is that of tightening one’s belt for exertion, preparing for serious engagement. The LORD calls Job to moral and intellectual readiness. This is not cruelty. It is instruction. The discipline of God is purposeful. Hebrews 12:6 declares, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” Divine correction flows from covenant love.

I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. The roles are unmistakable. God questions, man answers. The Creator interrogates the creature. The sovereign Judge cross examines the complainant. Job had longed to bring God into court. Now he stands examined. This reversal exposes the presumption of human litigation against divine providence.

The repetition of the earlier formula shows that God is not finished teaching. Sanctification is progressive. Even after confession, there remains growth. The LORD intends to humble Job more completely, not to crush him, but to anchor him in settled trust.

2. Job 40:8–14, The exposure of self justification

“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.”

Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? The LORD now confronts the theological implication of Job’s earlier complaints. To insist that one is treated unjustly by God approaches the annulment of divine judgment. The word disannul carries the idea of nullifying or overturning. The gravity of the charge is sobering. No creature is competent to invalidate the decree of the Almighty.

Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous? This question strikes at the heart of self justification. In defending his integrity, Job at times spoke in ways that implied divine unfairness. The danger in suffering is not merely pain, but the temptation to elevate one’s own perspective above God’s. Scripture consistently affirms God’s righteousness. Psalm 145:17 declares, “The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.” To accuse God is to invert moral reality.

Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him? The arm represents power, the thunder represents authority. God contrasts omnipotence with human limitation. Isaiah 40:18 asks, “To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?” The implied answer is none. The distance between Creator and creature remains absolute, even within restored fellowship.

Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty. The LORD invites Job to assume the insignia of universal kingship. Majesty and glory belong to God alone. Psalm 93:1 states, “The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself.” If Job can wear these attributes, he may claim divine authority. The challenge is rhetorical. The impossibility is evident.

Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him. The administration of justice across the earth requires omniscience and omnipotence. To humble every proud heart, to bring down the wicked in their place, demands perfect knowledge of motives and perfect execution of judgment. Ecclesiastes 12:14 affirms, “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” No human possesses such capacity.

Hide them in the dust together; and bind their faces in secret. This language evokes burial and judicial confinement. God alone has authority over life and death, over exposure and concealment. Deuteronomy 32:39 declares, “See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal.” The sovereign prerogative is His alone.

Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee. The conclusion is direct. If Job can execute universal judgment, then he may claim self salvation. But he cannot. Therefore salvation cannot arise from human strength. Psalm 3:8 proclaims, “Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people.” The right hand of man cannot rescue him from divine justice or from the mysteries of providence.

The theological thrust is unmistakable. Human self justification collapses under divine sovereignty. The proper response to inscrutable providence is not accusation, but trust. Proverbs 3:5–6 commands, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

God’s tone, though forceful, is corrective rather than destructive. The goal is not humiliation for its own sake, but alignment. Job must relinquish the demand for a formal acquittal and entrust his case entirely to the Judge of all the earth. Genesis 18:25 affirms, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” That question remains the anchor of faith.

In this section, the LORD exposes the impossibility of self vindication and the futility of self salvation. The power of God stands unrivaled, the power of Job is shown to be limited, and the groundwork is laid for the coming illustration through Behemoth, a creature whose very existence magnifies divine sovereignty.

3. Job 40:15–24, Behemoth as a display of divine power

“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.”

Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee. The command to behold calls for careful observation. God directs Job’s attention to a specific creature as a living illustration of divine craftsmanship. The phrase which I made with thee reminds Job that both man and beast share creaturely origin. Neither is self existent. Both stand under the sovereign will of the Creator. Genesis 1:24 records, “And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.” Behemoth is not mythological in the text, but presented as a real work of God’s hand.

He eateth grass as an ox. Though immense and powerful, Behemoth is herbivorous. Strength does not always manifest through predation. God delights in diversity within creation. The Creator equips this massive creature to thrive on vegetation, demonstrating providential design.

Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly. The emphasis falls on physical power. The loins symbolize stability and muscular might. God highlights anatomy as testimony to intentional design. Psalm 104:24 affirms, “O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.” The structure of Behemoth is not accidental. It is engineered by divine wisdom.

He moveth his tail like a cedar. The imagery is striking. The cedar tree in Scripture represents strength and majesty. Psalm 92:12 declares, “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.” Whether the animal corresponds most closely to the hippopotamus or another massive creature, the point remains the same. The tail is presented as formidable, not insignificant. The description magnifies power.

His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron. The language shifts to metallurgy. Brass and iron symbolize durability and resistance. Job is confronted with a creature whose skeletal structure resembles forged metal. If the bones of this beast are likened to iron bars, what does that imply about the strength of the One who designed them?

He is the chief of the ways of God. The word chief indicates prominence among land animals. Behemoth stands as a pinnacle of terrestrial strength. Yet immediately the text establishes limitation. He that made him can make his sword to approach unto him. The Creator alone holds ultimate authority over this mighty creature. However strong Behemoth may be, he is not autonomous. The sword of God represents sovereign power over life and death. Deuteronomy 32:39 declares, “See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive.” Even the greatest beast answers to its Maker.

Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play. Providence extends beyond creation into sustenance. God not only forms Behemoth, He feeds him. Psalm 145:15–16 states, “The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.” The mountains yielding food reflect divine provision.

He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens. The description moves to habitat. Marshes, reeds, and riverbanks provide shelter. The shaded resting place reinforces the creature’s dominance within its environment. The willows of the brook compass him about. Creation is ordered to accommodate its inhabitants.

Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth. Hyperbolic language underscores confidence and composure. Even when waters rage, Behemoth remains undisturbed. The Jordan, a powerful river in Israel’s geography, symbolizes force and volume. Yet the beast stands firm. If Job is overwhelmed by suffering, how much more should he recognize the stability of the One who formed such a creature?

He taketh it with his eyes: his nose pierceth through snares. The closing line suggests difficulty in subduing him. Human attempts to capture or control Behemoth are fraught with danger. If Job cannot master this fellow creature, how could he presume to dispute the wisdom of its Creator?

The theological thrust is direct. If Job cannot contend with Behemoth, a mere animal formed alongside him, then he cannot contend with God. The argument mirrors earlier reasoning. Romans 9:20 asks, “Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?” The Creator creature distinction governs the entire discourse.

Behemoth is not introduced merely to inspire awe at zoology. He serves as a concrete reminder of divine supremacy and human limitation. Job’s relative weakness becomes clear not through insult, but through comparison. The power of God is displayed in what He has made. The power of Job is exposed as finite.

This prepares the way for the even more terrifying portrait of Leviathan in the next chapter, where divine sovereignty over chaos itself will be displayed.