Job 40 10

Job 40:10 kjv

Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty.

Job 40:10 nkjv

Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor, And array yourself with glory and beauty.

Job 40:10 niv

Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor, and clothe yourself in honor and majesty.

Job 40:10 esv

"Adorn yourself with majesty and dignity; clothe yourself with glory and splendor.

Job 40:10 nlt

All right, put on your glory and splendor,
your honor and majesty.

Job 40 verses

Job 40 10 Meaning

Job 40:10 is a rhetorical challenge from God to Job, asking him if he can clothe himself with the divine attributes of majesty, glory, honor, and splendor. This verse highlights the infinite chasm between the Creator and His creation, asserting God's unparalleled sovereignty and inherent dignity. It serves to humble Job by demonstrating that what is naturally inherent to God is utterly beyond human grasp, thereby rebuking Job's attempts to question or sit in judgment over God's ways.

Job 40 10 Context

Job 40:10 is embedded within God's powerful speeches to Job from the whirlwind, spanning chapters 38-41. These chapters mark the climax of the book, as God finally addresses Job directly, challenging his presumptuous claims and limited understanding of the universe. In chapter 38 and 39, God extensively questions Job about his knowledge and control over creation, illustrating His own supreme wisdom and power. By chapter 40, God moves from the cosmic to the direct moral challenge. After asking Job if he dare annul God's justice or justify himself by condemning God (Job 40:8-9), God then ironically challenges Job in verse 10 to deck himself with the very attributes that are intrinsically God's alone: divine glory, majesty, honor, and splendor. The subsequent verses (Job 40:11-14) extend this challenge to Job's ability to exert divine judgment and subdue the wicked, culminating in God's presentation of Behemoth and Leviathan as testaments to His unmatched power. This whole discourse serves to utterly humble Job, exposing his finite capacity and fallibility before the infinite Creator.

Job 40 10 Word analysis

• עֲדֵה נָא ( adey na ): "Adorn yourself now," / "Put on, please."

  • עֲדֵה ( adey ): Imperative form of the verb עָדָה ('adah), meaning "to put on, to deck, to adorn, to array oneself." It signifies an active process of clothing oneself with something external. In this rhetorical question, it emphasizes the impossible nature of the command, as these attributes are not something Job can "put on."
  • נָא ( na ): A particle of entreaty, often translated "please" or "now." While it can soften a command, here it likely adds emphasis to the impossible challenge, as if God is saying, "Go ahead, try it now, if you think you can."

• גָּאוֹן ( ga'on ): "glory," / "majesty," / "excellency," / "loftiness."

  • This term denotes elevation, superiority, and dignity. While it can carry a negative connotation of human pride or arrogance (as in Isa 2:10), when applied to God, it refers to His supreme, inherent majesty and the splendor of His exalted being. It represents the inherent, overwhelming glory that is uniquely His.

• וָגֹבַהּ ( vagovah ): "and majesty," / "and loftiness," / "and height."

  • Derived from גָּבַהּ (gabah), meaning "to be high, exalted." It speaks of God's unapproachable height, His supreme elevation above all creation, implying ultimate authority and sovereignty. It reinforces the concept of inherent majesty, focusing on position and status.

• וְהוֹד ( vehod ): "And honor," / "And splendor," / "And majesty."

  • הוֹד (hod): Refers to grandeur, majesty, dignity, and honor, often linked with royal or divine presence. It suggests a radiant and magnificent aura, the outward manifestation of divine glory. Frequently paired with hadar.

• וְהָדָר ( vehadar ): "and splendor," / "and glory," / "and beauty."

  • הָדָר (hadar): Relates to glory, splendor, honor, and adornment. It emphasizes the beauty and resplendence that are integral to God's character and appearance. It completes the ensemble of divine attributes mentioned, depicting a comprehensive portrayal of God's awe-inspiring presence.

• תִּתְכַּסֶּה ( titkasseh ): "you clothe yourself," / "be covered."

  • Hithpael imperfect form of the verb כָּסָה (kasah), meaning "to cover, to conceal, to clothe." The Hithpael stem suggests a reflexive or intensive action: "to cover oneself thoroughly" or "to be adorned oneself." It implies that these attributes are not merely external accessories but become intrinsic to one's being, confirming Job's inability to truly "be" these things.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "Adorn yourself with glory and majesty; And array yourself with honor and splendor.": The structure of two parallel lines using synonymous pairs (ga'on & govah, hod & hadar) creates an intense cumulative effect. This literary parallelism amplifies the impossibility of Job's task, stressing the comprehensive and multifaceted nature of God's inherent divine attributes. The doubling of the command (through adah and kasah conceptually, and the synonymous pairing) reinforces the rhetorical nature of God's challenge, highlighting that these qualities are not merely something God possesses but is, something fundamentally beyond human attainment. The phrasing emphasizes that God is inherently clothed in these attributes, making the very idea of a human trying to emulate this divine nature absurd.

Job 40 10 Bonus section

This challenge by God is an essential theological turning point in the Book of Job. It directly refutes the human tendency, evident in Job's prior arguments, to assess God by human standards of justice and fairness. The language echoes divine enthronement passages, where God is portrayed as the ultimate King. By asking Job to emulate this, God compels him to recognize his own status as a dependent creature, not a divine counterpart. This imagery serves as a crucial reminder that true humility involves not merely recognizing one's limitations, but acknowledging the unique and incommunicable attributes that belong to God alone. It stands in direct contrast to pagan mythologies where human heroes or kings might ascend to divine status; here, the Hebrew God unequivocally distinguishes Himself.

Job 40 10 Commentary

Job 40:10 encapsulates the profound theological distinction between Creator and creature. God is not simply challenging Job's moral rectitude but his very existential identity and capacity. The verse functions as a powerful rhetorical question, designed not to elicit an answer, but to expose the vast gulf between human finiteness and divine infinitude. The attributes mentioned—glory, majesty, honor, and splendor—are foundational to God's essence; they are not robes He can choose to put on or take off, but integral to His being (Pss 93:1, 104:1). For Job, or any human, to "clothe" themselves with such attributes would be an act of utter impossibility and blasphemous hubris. This challenge from the Almighty leads Job to a proper understanding of his place, acknowledging his humility and repentance (Job 42:5-6). It is a stark reminder that judging the divine prerogative, or attempting to wield divine power or wisdom, is fundamentally outside human bounds.