And the LORD said to Job: “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Lord doesn't just continue speaking; the word "answered" highlights that God is responding to Job's attitude and unexpressed challenges, even when Job is silent. It’s as if God heard Job's heart, and is now directly addressing the unspoken questions and contentions simmering within him.
And the LORD said to Job: “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
After surveying the vastness of creation, the Lord pauses, giving Job a moment to respond to the overwhelming display of divine power and wisdom. When Job remains silent, humbled and perhaps awestruck, God continues his discourse, directly challenging Job's contention and his right to question the Almighty's justice. This sets the stage for Job's profound self-abasement and eventual submission.
Did God really answer Job if Job hadn't just spoken? The word 'answered' here is used in a way that might surprise us.
The Hebrew word for 'answered' here doesn't always mean a direct response to something just said. It can also mean to begin speaking again, to take up the conversation, or even to respond to the unspoken thoughts and attitudes of a person.
Think of it like this:
Why would God pause after laying out His magnificent creation? It wasn't just to catch His breath; it was a strategic move.
The structure of God's speech to Job is incredibly intentional. After revealing His awe-inspiring power and wisdom in chapters 38 and 39, God stops. This pause isn't an accidental slip in the text; it's a deliberate moment designed to let the weight of His words sink in.
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Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Noun
The personal, covenantal name of God in the Old Testament, revealing His self-existence, holiness, and faithfulness to His people. It signifies the God who interacts personally with His creation.
yissor · Hebrew Noun
One who finds fault, critiques, or censures; in a biblical context, it refers to a human who presumptuously questions God's justice, character, or sovereignty.
rib · Hebrew Verb
To strive, dispute, or enter into legal or verbal contention. Biblically, it highlights the audacity of a creature challenging the Creator’s divine proceedings.
Shaddai · Hebrew Noun
Literally 'All-Sufficient' or 'God Almighty.' This title emphasizes God's omnipotence, sovereign authority, and absolute power to sustain or judge His creation.
yakach · Hebrew Verb
To discourse, debate, or reason. It implies a formal or serious attempt to justify one's own position against another, here specifically applied to a human challenging God.
Eloah · Hebrew Noun
The one who possesses absolute authority, holiness, and transcendence; the Creator and Judge before whom all humans stand as creatures.
This verse marks the beginning of God's first direct address to Job, setting the stage for the Lord to 'answer' Job's complaints and questions about divine justice.
Job 42:1This verse shows Job's humble response after God has finished speaking, demonstrating the profound effect of the Divine discourse that begins in chapter 40.
1 Kings 19:11-13This passage describes Elijah encountering God not in the wind, earthquake, or fire, but in a 'still small voice,' paralleling scholarly suggestions that God's words in Job 40 might have been delivered in a gentler, more persuasive manner than the initial whirlwind.
Romans 9:20This verse poses a rhetorical question about a human questioning God's actions, echoing the core challenge God issues to Job in Job 40:2: 'Will the one who contends with the Almighty discipline him?'
cambridgeJob 40:1: "Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said,"
1 . answered Job ] That is, took up anew His words and directly appealed to Job. Chap. Job 40:1-5 . Effect of the Divine Speech on Job As if the purpose of the preceding survey of Creation might be lost in the brilliancy of the individual parts of it, the Divine Speaker gathers up its general effect and brings it to bear on Job directly, demanding whether he will persevere in his contention with Jehovah;—will the reprover contend with the Al…
clarkeJob 40:1: "Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said,"
Moreover the Lord answered - That is, the Lord continued his discourse with Job. Answered does not refer to any thing said by Job, or any question asked. I think it very likely that this whole piece, from the beginning of this first verse to the end of the fourteenth, was originally the ending of the poem. Mr. Heath has noticed this, and I shall lay his words before the reader: "The former part of this chapter is evidently the conclusion of…
The Lord doesn't just continue speaking; the word "answered" highlights that God is responding to Job's attitude and unexpressed challenges, even when Job is silent. It’s as if God heard Job's heart, and is now directly addressing the unspoken questions and contentions simmering within him.
After surveying the vastness of creation, the Lord pauses, giving Job a moment to respond to the overwhelming display of divine power and wisdom. When Job remains silent, humbled and perhaps awestruck, God continues his discourse, directly challenging Job's contention and his right to question the Almighty's justice. This sets the stage for Job's profound self-abasement and eventual submission.
After surveying the vastness of creation, the Lord pauses, giving Job a moment to respond to the overwhelming display of divine power and wisdom. When Job remains silent, humbled and perhaps awestruck, God continues his discourse, directly challenging Job's contention and his right to question the Almighty's justice. This sets the stage for Job's profound self-abasement and eventual submission.
"And the LORD said to Job: “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it.”" — The Lord doesn't just continue speaking; the word "answered" highlights that God is responding to Job's attitude and unexpressed challenges, even when Job is silent. It’s as if God heard Job's he…
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Last reviewed October 2026