Job 40 God’s reproof of Job, Job 40:1–2. He humbleth himself, Job 40:3–5. God again declareth his righteousness, majesty, and the power of his wrath to abase the proud, Job 40:6–14. A description of behemoth, Job 40:15–21.

Having made a little pause to try what Job could answer to his questions, and Job being it seems astonished with God’s rebukes, or expecting what God would further say, continued silent.

Shall Job, who presumed to contend with me in judgment, and to dispute the reasonableness and equity of my proceedings, give me instructions or directions how to manage my own affairs, and govern my creatures? He justly mentions his almightiness, as a convincing argument of his justice.

I am vile, what am I, a mean and contemptible creature that should presume to contend with my Maker and Judge? I confess my fault and folly. What shall I answer thee? I neither desire nor am able to dispute with thee.

I will not answer, or speak again; answering being oft put for speaking. I will contend no more with thee. Yea, twice, i.e. ofttimes, or again and again, the definite number being used indefinitely.

The whirlwind was renewed when God renewed his charge upon Job, whom he intended to humble more thoroughly than yet he had done. Both this and the next verse are repeated out of Job 38:1, Job 38:3, where they are explained.

Every word is emphatical, Wilt (art thou resolved upon it) thou (thou, Job, whom I took to be one of a better mind and temper; had it been a stranger or my enemy who had spoken thus of me, I could have borne it, but I cannot bear it from thee) also (not only vindicate thyself, and thy own…

Thou art infinitely short of God in power, and therefore in justice; for all his perfections are equal and infinite. Injustice is much more likely to be in thee, an impotent creature, than in the Almighty God; of which See Poole “Job 40:2”.

Seeing thou makest thyself equal, yea, superior to me in justice, and consequently in power and majesty, take to thyself thy great power, come and sit in my throne, and display thy divine perfections in the sight of the world.

Inflict heavy judgements upon thine enemies, the Chaldeans and Sabeans, and others who have injured or provoked thee. Destroy him with an angry look, as I can do and delight to do with such persons.

Either, 1. Wheresoever they are. Or, 2. Where they are in their greatest strength and glory, and therefore are most secure and confident. Or, 3. Forthwith, upon the spot, that the quickness and immediateness of the strike may discover that it comes from a Divine hand.

Kill every one of them (as he said, Job 40:12) at one blow, as I can do, and bring them all to their graves, that they may sleep in the dust, and never offend thee nor trouble others more. Bind their faces, i.e. condemn or destroy them.

i.e. That thou art mine equal, and mayst venture to contend with me. But since thou canst do none of these things, it behoves thee to submit to me, and to acquiesce in my dealings with thee.

That some particular beast is designed by this word is evident from Job 40:15, and from the peculiar characters given to him, which are not common to all great beasts. But what it is is matter of some dispute amount the learned.

He hath strength answerable to his bulk, but this strength by God’s wise and merciful providence is not an offensive strength, consisting in or put forth by horns or claws, as it is in ravenous creatures; but only defensive, and seated in his loins, as it is in other creatures, whereby he is…

He moveth his tail; which though it be but short, both in the elephant and in the hippopotamus, yet when it is erected is exceeding stiff and strong. But this may be understood, either, 1.

His bones; under which title are comprehended his ribs (as the LXX here render it) and his teeth. As strong pieces of brass, exceeding hard and strong, as they are in both these creature.

Of the ways of God, i.e. of God’s works, to wit, of that sort, or among living and brute creatures. This is eminently and unquestionably true of the elephant, in regard of his vast bulk and strength, joined with great activity, and especially of his admirable sagacity and aptness to learn, and of…

Though this creature be vastly great, and require much food, and no man careth for it; yet God provides for it out of his own stores, and makes even desert mountains to afford him sufficient sustenance.

The elephant lies down to rest himself; and it is but fabulous which some writers affirm, that they have no joints in their legs, and so cannot lie down, but sleep or rest themselves standing or leaning against a tree; which is denied and confuted by Aristotle in his History of Living Creatures, 2,…

Of the brook; or, of Nilus, of which this word is oft used in Scripture. And this seems to be the chief argument by which the learned Bochart proves this to be meant of the hippopotamus, whose constant residence is in or near the river of Nilus, or the willows that grow by it.

He drinketh up; or, he snatcheth, or draweth, or drinketh up as it were with force and violence, as the word signifies. A river, i.e. a great quantity of water, hyperbolically called a river, as it is also Ps. 78:16, Ps. 105:41.

According to this translation the sense is this, He taketh, or snatcheth, or draweth up (as was now said, Job 40:23) it (to wit, the river Jordan) with his eyes, i.e.