Job 40:6-14 meaning

In Job 40:6-14, the LORD further instructs Job and mocks the idea that Job has a station to add to God’s perspective and help Him in His judgment.

In Job 38:1, God answered Job out of a whirlwind. Now, after a brief “passing of the witness” to allow Job to speak in Job 40:1-5, God now speaks again:

 Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm and said, “Now gird up your loins like a man; I will ask you, and you instruct Me” (vv. 6-7).

The Hebrew word translated storm is the same word translated “whirlwind” in Job 38:1. God is still speaking to Job in the same manner as He began. Job has already conceded he has no right to question God but has not yet learned the complete lesson God has for him. God tells Job to gird up his loins like a man. To gird up your loins is to tuck your tunic into your belt in preparation for vigorous action.

Job has conceded his perspective, but God is not finished. He wants Job to be prepared all the more to learn what God has to teach him. We need to remember that Job is God’s favorite person, His prize pupil, so to speak (Job 1:8). God is treating Job like a prized athlete who gets an abundance of the coach’s attention. God desires Job to gain the greatest blessing possible, and that is to know Him (John 17:3).

Job had already recognized that knowing God was the pinnacle of riches (Job 23:12). We can infer from Job 23:12 that God’s word existed at least in oral tradition. And Job was a student of God’s word and considered it greater nourishment than food. Now, Job is getting an extra portion. We are witnessing what it looks like to be trained as a “son” of God, one who God is preparing to reign in His kingdom (Hebrews 12:5-6).

God prepares Job to go another “round.” Job had requested an audience to correct God, now God says I will ask you, and you instruct Me. It is worth noting that frequently in scripture God metes out justice by giving people what they desired. And here Job is getting what he asked for—a hearing with God. God will soon work it to Job’s good. But it is clear that nothing about this is pleasant to Job in the moment. Now God asks a series of questions:

 “Will you really annul My judgment? Will you condemn Me that you may be justified? “Or do you have an arm like God, And can you thunder with a voice like His?” (Vv. 8-9).

In Job 23:7, Job expressed a belief that if he could get an audience with God, that He would alter His decision to allow Job to suffer. The Hebrew root word “mispat” translated judgment in the first question Will you really annul My judgment? is the same word translated “case” in Job 23:4:

“I would present my case [‘mispat’] before Him And fill my mouth with arguments.”
(Job 23:4)

The word translated “annul” is usually rendered “break.” The idea is that God is asking Job that in light of his complete lack of understanding of all God has made, as demonstrated in Job 38-39, if Job really thinks his arguments can overturn God’s reasoning. It is a rhetorical question with the expected answer, “No, there is absolutely no way I could ever overturn your judgments given my tiny speck of understanding in comparison to You.”

God also asks Will you condemn Me that you may be justified?

To be justified is to align with a standard in the eyes of someone judging. Context determines who is aligning with what standard before what judge. For example, in Romans 4:3-5 we see that Abraham was justified before God because of his faith. God reckoned Abraham to be righteous simply because he believed God’s promise (Genesis 15:6). Then in James 2:23 we see a different application of being justified. James 2:21-23 says Abraham was later justified before men when he was willing to sacrifice his only son.

This context in Job indicates that Job is justifying himself in his own eyes by condemning God for his suffering. If we look again at Job’s petition before God, we that Job has great respect for God and His word. But the underlying premise of Job’s request is that God does not know what is best for Job. Job says:

“There [in the ‘hearing’ Job desires] the upright [who is Job] would reason with Him [God]; And I [Job] would be delivered forever from my Judge.”
(Job 23:7)

We see in this statement that Job is confident he lives up to the standard, and infers that God is not living up to that standard. But that would mean that there is a standard that is above God, and that is not the case. God creates standards, but He is above all that is created.

God confronts Job’s assertion and points out to Job that he is essentially condemning God for not living up to his standard—which is for God to care for him.

It is worth noting that in Job 42:7-8 God testifies that Job spoke rightly of God, while Eliphaz and his two friends did not. Job acknowledged God’s prerogative to do whatever He decided to do. He also acknowledged that it was his lot to accept whatever God brought about, because He is God (Job 1:21, 2:10). Job also refused to agree with the Eliphaz trio that he could take certain actions that would cause God to restore his fortunes, which was the position they advanced.

Job understood God’s authority, that He was God. What he lacked was a perspective on God’s benevolence toward him. God looks far beyond current comforts. There is a much grander plan for humanity. Job also misunderstood God’s level of engagement with him (Matthew 10:30). He thought of God as being far off. So, while Job spoke rightly of God, he fell short of knowing God. To know God leads to the greatest measure of experiencing life (John 17:3).

What is actually taking place in Job 38-42 is that Job is gaining an eternal blessing because he is coming to know God in a more intimate manner. And to know God is the fullest experience of eternal life (John 17:3). Job is knowing God through suffering, to the brink of death. In this manner he is following the path of Jesus who restored humanity’s right to reign through “the suffering of death” (Hebrews 2:9). 

See our article, "Why Did God Create Humanity, and What is Our Divine Purpose?"

Job is at the center of a great cosmic battle where God intends to demonstrate that humans working in service can rule better than more powerful creatures, like Satan, working in power independent of God (Psalm 8:2). Job apparently does not know this. So far as we know, at the time of Job, what was known of God’s revelation was oral tradition and what they could observe in creation (Psalm 19:1-4).

Perhaps God revealed the opening scenes in heaven to Job and the dialogue between God and Satan at a later time. Or perhaps God revealed it to someone else who interviewed Job and wrote down this full account. In any event, it is now known to us, who have the opportunity to learn through Job, so that we can learn from Job’s positive example but also do not have to make the same mistakes Job made (1 Corinthians 10:11).

Now God puts Job in his place. Verses 10-13 set forth a basic argument: “I will agree with your assertion and be corrected if you can prove the following things.” Namely, for Job to:

• “Adorn yourself with eminence and dignity,
• And clothe yourself with honor and majesty (v. 10).
• “Pour out the overflowings of your anger,
•  And look on everyone who is proud, and make him low (v. 11).
• “Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him,
• And tread down the wicked where they stand (v. 12).
• “Hide them in the dust together;
•  Bind them in the hidden place (v. 13).

  God says if Job can do these things: Then I will also confess to you, That your own right hand can save you (v. 14).

  It is clear that Job cannot live up to these standards. These are the standards for a God, not a man. Humans require others to give them eminence and dignity. No one can provide that for themselves. For example, if someone announced, “I am now the fastest person in the world,” it would mean nothing because no recognized authority has validated their claim. No one but God can create honor and majesty for themselves.

  No human has an individual capacity to look on everyone who is proud, and make him low. Leaders of countries with armies may do this for a time. But those who do so in pride are inevitably brought low by God (Habakkuk 2:4). Job might be able to look on everyone who is proud but his capacity is very limited to humble him. We just saw that in Job’s dialogue with Eliphaz and his friends. Job argued vehemently without persuading them. We can be sure that Job had not cleansed the earth from evil (And tread down the wicked where they stand).

  The phrase in verse 13, Hide them in the dust together; Bind them in the hidden place invokes an image of burying something in the ground. Combined with the previous verse to tread down the wicked where they stand likely paints a picture of Job vanquishing all the wicked of the earth and thereafter burying their remains. Some translations render tread down as “trample” which supports this thought. We will see Jesus do this at the end of the age (Revelation 19:21).

  If Job can demonstrate the same power God has, then God will gladly confess to Job, That your own right hand can save you.

  Job has already admitted that he had the wrong perspective. He was looking at things from his own very limited perspective and making judgments based on an understanding that was substantial as compared to other men, but a tiny speck as compared to the knowledge of God (Job 40:3-5).

  God is not finished. Job has come to understand a proper perspective of his knowledge. Now he needs to understand a proper perspective of his power. And the truth is that human power is also exceedingly small in comparison to God and even to nature.

God will now resume His “zoo tour” and elevate two creatures with power that cannot be tamed by humans. His apparent point is, “Job, if you can’t even tame these mere creatures, what makes you think you can tame Me?”