Jó 40
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
Jó 40
CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS The Hebrew text (MT) of Job 40 has 32 verses. Job 41:1-8, in English, is Job 40:25-31 in Hebrew. YHWH's first response to Job runs from Job 38:1–40:2. Job answers YHWH in Job 40:3-5. YHWH continues His questioning of Job in Job 40:6-41:34. My best guess is that both Behemoth and Leviathan are mythical animals that demonstrate YHWH's control of rebellious forces in physical creation (see notes). I do not think they refer to dinosaurs SPECIAL TOPIC: THE AGE OF THE EARTH
Jó 40:1-2
40:1 The repeated introductory formula (i.e., the VERB "answer," BDB 772, KB 851, Qal IMPERFECT with waw, cf. Job 38:1; omitted in LXX) highlights this last question of YHWH, which characterizes Job as a "faultfinder" (BDB 416, KB 417), found only here in the OT. Job is a "faultfinder" because of his accusations against God's character and justice throughout the dialogues. ▣ "the Almighty" See SPECIAL TOPIC: SHADDAI. 40:2 "Let him who reproves God" The VERB "reproves," a Hiphil PARTICIPLE of a legal term (BDB 406, KB 410), means "to decide," "to adjudge," or "to prove." This refers to Job's legal case against God's justice (esp. Job 9 and 16).
Jó 40:3-5
40:3-5 This is Job's brief reply to God's questions of Job 38:1-40:2. Job said he wanted to question God (Job 31:35-37), but now in His presence he has nothing to say! Commentators take this strophe in different senses. positive, Job is humbled negative, Job refuses to let go of his legal case (NIDOTTE, vol. 4, pp. 787-788) 40:4a "I am insignificant" This is the VERB (BDB 886, KB 1103, Qal PERFECT) that denotes "smallness" or "lightness," which, in Hebrew thought, would be the opposite of "honorable" or "glorious" (i.e., that which is heavy). 40:4b "I lay my hand on my mouth" See note at Job 21:5.
Jó 40:6-9
40:6-9 This strophe is similar to Job 38:3, and especially Job 40:7. Is Job so bold as to "instruct" (BDB 393, KB 390, Hiphil IMPERATIVE, like Job 38:3) YHWH? Job has overstepped the bounds of "creature." He has brought a legal charge against "The Judge" of the universe. He has been willing to make himself look righteous (cf. Job 13:18; 27:6) at YHWH's expense (cf. Job 10:3,7; 16:11; 19:6; 27:2)! What shocks me is that Job is approved by YHWH (cf. Job 42:)! His charges against God are never answered. 40:8 "condemn" This VERB (BDB 957, KB 1294, Hiphil IMPERFECT) means "condemn as guilty." It is used often in Job (cf. Job 9:20; 10:2; 15:6; 32:3; 34:29; 40:8) because the issue of the book is "justice." Who is guilty—Job or God? 40:9 Again, these questions show Job's ignorance and powerlessness.
Jó 40:10-14
40:10-14 God asks Job to act against wickedness (i.e., act in God's stead) and when he does, then he will be affirmed (lit. "confess" or "give thanks" in Hiphil). This is sarcasm (or satire)! Notice the series of IMPERATIVES on how Job should act. "adorn yourself," Job 40:10 – BDB 725, KB 798, Qal IMPERATIVE with eminence (BDB 144) with dignity (BDB 147) with honor (BDB 217 I) with majesty (BDB 214) "pour out the overflowings of your anger," Job 40:11 – BDB 806, KB 918, Hiphil IMPERATIVE "look on everyone who is proud," Job 40:11,12 (twice) – BDB 906, KB 1157, Qal IMPERATIVE same as #3 "make him low," Job 40:11 – BDB 1050, KB 1631, Hiphil IMPERATIVE "humble him," Job 40:12 – BDB 488, KB 484, Hiphil IMPERATIVE "tread down the wicked," Job 40:12 – BDB 213, KB 239, Qal IMPERATIVE (found only here in the OT) "hide them in the dust together," Job 40:13 – BDB 380, KB 377, Qal IMPERATIVE "bind them in the hidden place," Job 40:14 – BDB 289, KB 289, Qal IMPERATIVE 40:13 "dust" This was a Hebrew idiom for death or the grave (cf. Gen. 3:19; Job 10:9; 34:15). Line a is parallel to line b, both referring to Sheol. SPECIAL TOPIC: SHEOL, I. B. 40:14 "save" See SPECIAL TOPIC: SALVATION (OT).
Jó 40:15-18
40:15-24 These two strophes deal with "Behemoth" (BDB 97, KB 112; PLURAL form of the word for "beast"). There have been several ways to view this creation of God. a reference to a large animal that lives in the marsh and river areas, usually associated with the hippopotamus (i.e., eats grass) both Behemoth and Leviathan are the "great sea monsters" of Gen. 1:21 (cf. Ps. 104:25-26; II Bar. 29:4; Job 40:19 may be a hint for this option) in some Jewish lore (i.e., IV Ezra 6:49-52) it is viewed as the water counterpart of the female Leviathan (i.e., thereby denoting a fertility couple) a mythical creature (i.e., chaos monster) that opposes God, like Leviathan (i.e., Interbiblical Apocalyptic Writings); the rabbis say that after an end-time rebellion by them, God will barbeque them for the eschatological banquet (B.B. 75a) possibly linked to Egyptian "water ox" that was seen as the enemy of immortality in Egyptian lore the AB (pp. 268-271) also suggests a possible connection with Sumerian "bull of heaven," associated with the Gilgamesh Epic (i.e., had a large tail, Job 40:17, or possibly "penis"; other sexual terms found in Job 40:16) Ba'al buffalo associated with Ugarit poems There is little in Job 40 suggesting that Behemoth is anything more than a large mammal (it is surprising it is separated from the earlier texts on YHWH's creation of animals). The mythological associations come from the biblical usages of "Leviathan." It is possible that Job 40:19-20 hints at a mythological association. John H. Walton, The NIV Application Commentary, Job, p. 406, shows how God's mentioning forces of cosmic disorder fits into earlier comments by Job. accuses God of treating him like a chaos monster (cf. Job 7:12) Job's accusation that God is beating him like a chaos monster (Job 30) here in Job 40:15-41:34, God mentions His creation (Job 40:19a) and control (Job 40:19b) of the watery chaos, with its mythological imagery (see Hard Sayings of the Bible, pp. 261-262) SPECIAL TOPIC: LEVIATHAN
Jó 40:19-24
40:19a This same phrasing is used of "wisdom" in Prov. 8:22. It may imply that "Behemoth" was a special creation of God. This is stated in Enoch 60:7-9; Apoc. of Baruch 29:4; and IV Ezra 6:49-52. 40:19b This verse seems to allude to conflict between God the creator and the created. This verse introduces a "conflict" theme. 40:20 This is a difficult and unusual verse. NJB translates it as "forbidding him the mountain regions and all the wild animals that play there" REB has "for he takes the cattle of the hills for his prey and in his jaws he crushes all beasts of the wild." The Peshitta has "He roams about the mountains and all the wild beasts of the field lie down under his protection." LXX has "But when it went up on a steep mountain, it brought gladness to the quadrupeds in Tartarus." NET has "For the hills bring its field, where all the wild animals play 40:21-24 Although Behemoth is often identified as a "land" animal, these verses show it is a fresh water animal. Therefore, both creatures of this last section could be seen as the water monsters of creation, one fresh water and one salt water (cf. Gen. 1:21).