Job Chapter 40

Job falls silent before God, who then describes the mighty behemoth.

Job 40 - Job Humbled, Behemoth Described

Overwhelmed by the questions of Job 39, Job admits 'I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.' God then challenges him again before describing behemoth's iron-like bones.


And Yahweh responded to Job, and said:—

Shall a reprover contend, with the Almighty? He that disputeth with GOD, let him answer it!

Then Job responded to Yahweh, and said:—

Lo! I am of no account, what shall I reply to thee? My hand, have I laid on my mouth:

Once, have I spoken, but I will not proceed, yea twice, but I will not add.

So then Yahweh responded to Job, out of a storm, and said:—

Gird, I pray thee—as a strong man—thy loins, I will ask thee, and inform thou me.

Wilt thou even frustrate my justice? Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest appear right?

But if, an arm like GOD, thou hast, and, with a voice like his, thou canst thunder,

Deck thyself, I pray thee, with majesty and grandeur, Yea, with dignity and splendour, thou shalt clothe thyself;

Pour out thy transports of anger, and look on every one who is high, and lay him low;

Look on every one who is high, and humble him, yea tread down the lawless, on the spot:

Hide them in the dust all together, Their faces, bind thou in darkness;

And, even I myself, will praise thee, in that thine own right hand can bring thee salvation.

Behold, I pray thee, the Hippopotamus, which I made with thee, Grass—like the ox, he eateth;

Behold, I pray thee, his strength in his loins, and his force, in the muscles of his belly;

He bendeth down his tail like a cedar, the sinews of his thighs, are twisted together;

His bones, are barrels of bronze, his frame, is like hammered bars of iron:

He, is the beginning of the ways of GOD, Let his maker, present him his sword:

Surely the mountains bring, produce, to him, where, all the wild beasts of the field, do play;

Under the lotus-trees, he lieth down, in a covert of reed and swamp;

The lotus-trees cover him with their shade, the willows of the torrent-bed compass him about;

Lo! the river becometh insolent—he is not alarmed! He is confident, though a Jordan burst forth to his mouth:

Before his eyes, shall he be caught? With a hook, can one pierce his nose?

God's rhetorical question, 'hast thou an arm like God,' anticipates the reasoning in <a href="/bible/rotherham/1-corinthians/chapter-2/16">1 Corinthians 2:16</a>. The description of untamable creatures continues in <a href="/bible/rotherham/job/chapter-41">Job 41</a>.