Job 40 5

Job 40:5 kjv

Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.

Job 40:5 nkjv

Once I have spoken, but I will not answer; Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further."

Job 40:5 niv

I spoke once, but I have no answer? twice, but I will say no more."

Job 40:5 esv

I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but I will proceed no further."

Job 40:5 nlt

I have said too much already.
I have nothing more to say."

Job 40 verses

Job 40 5 Meaning

Job 40:5 encapsulates Job's profound change of heart and utter humility before God. After being confronted by God's awe-inspiring display of power and wisdom, Job admits he has presumptuously spoken against God's righteousness. This verse marks his decision to cease all arguments, acknowledge his limited understanding, and remain silent in reverent submission, indicating a complete shift from challenging God to surrendering to His infinite wisdom and authority.

Job 40 5 Context

Job 40:5 comes immediately after the first of God's speeches to Job from the whirlwind (Job 38:1–39:30). In this divine discourse, God had overwhelmingly demonstrated His limitless power, wisdom, and meticulous care for the creation, contrasted sharply with Job's finite understanding and limited experience. God did not directly answer Job's complaints of injustice but instead put Job's wisdom on trial. Job 40:3-5 records Job's immediate, albeit initial, response to this profound revelation. He has previously cried out, debated, and even summoned God to a legal hearing. However, after truly encountering the magnitude of God's being, Job is silenced. This verse signifies his immediate admission of defeat in argument and his overwhelming humility, acknowledging that his past accusations were presumptuous. This response sets the stage for God's second challenge and Job's final, full repentance in Job 42:1-6. Historically, wisdom literature like Job often grapples with the problem of suffering and divine justice within an ancient Near Eastern worldview, where cause-and-effect morality was commonly assumed. Job's experience transcends this simple formula, highlighting the inscrutability of divine ways. This verse signifies a rejection of human capacity to fully comprehend or demand accountability from the infinite Creator.

Job 40 5 Word analysis

• I have spoken (יְכַלְתִּי, y'ḵal'tî): The root means "to be able," implying that Job "was able" or "had managed" to speak. In context, it conveys Job's prior audacity in daring to utter his complaints and arguments against God. It signifies the verbal actions he has already performed.

• once (פַּעַם אַחַת, pa'am aḥat): Literally "one time." This is a quantitative expression, but more significantly, it acts rhetorically. It doesn't mean only once in Job's whole discourse but refers to a prior, definitive instance of speech now regretted, perhaps referring to his challenge at the start of God's first speech or simply implying a single (minimal, inadequate) attempt to argue. It highlights that even this limited engagement was presumptuous.

• but I will not answer (וְלֹא אָשִׁיב, wəlo' 'ashiv): "And not I will reply/return/respond." The strong negation (לֹא, lo’) combined with the future tense verb indicates a definitive cessation. Job is shutting down his former mode of contentious speech entirely. He understands that a response is no longer appropriate or even possible given the overwhelming display of divine wisdom.

• indeed, twice (אַחַת שְׁתַּיִם, aḥat shtayim): Literally "one, two," functioning idiomatically for "a second time" or "more than once." It reinforces the previous "once." The meaning is that even if he spoke once, and even if he tried again, for a second time, both attempts were fundamentally wrong. It emphasizes the completion and definitive nature of his silence. It's not a literal counting but a poetic intensification of his resolve not to speak further.

• but I will add no more (וְלֹא אוֹסִף, wəlo' 'osif): "And not I will add/continue." Another strong negation, confirming the cessation of speech. This specifically points to no further augmentation, expansion, or continuation of his arguments or defense. It signifies an absolute and final end to his contentious dialogue with God.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "I have spoken once, but I will not answer; indeed, twice, but I will add no more.": This entire clause is a powerful rhetorical device emphasizing total and irreversible cessation. The pairing of "once" and "twice" functions as a numerical intensification, signifying that even a limited, initial foray into challenging God's wisdom or justice was one time too many. Job's resolution is absolute: he will neither provide a counter-argument ("not answer") nor further his current stance ("add no more"). It conveys his utter surrender and realization of his place before the Almighty, demonstrating profound humility after the overwhelming divine encounter.

Job 40 5 Bonus section

• This verse marks a significant turning point in Job's spiritual journey, illustrating the transformative power of a true encounter with God. His transition from complaint to silence demonstrates the onset of genuine wisdom—the fear of the Lord.
• Job's words are an acknowledgment not that God had answered all his questions, but that the very nature of God meant Job had no standing to ask them in the way he had. It's a realization of theological proper-gaps, areas where human intellect must submit to divine mystery.
• The progression from Job's earlier eloquent arguments to this profound silence highlights the theme that true reverence often finds its fullest expression in stillness before God, rather than in many words. This aligns with wisdom literature's emphasis on prudent speech.
• Job's journey encourages believers to humble themselves before God's majesty and wisdom, recognizing the limitations of human reason in understanding divine purposes.

Job 40 5 Commentary

Job 40:5 is a pivotal declaration, marking Job's first explicit, humbled response to God's self-revelation. It shows the immediate impact of divine glory and wisdom on human presumption. Having demanded an audience and fiercely defended his righteousness against perceived divine injustice, Job is now utterly silenced by the grandeur of God's being, which God displayed not by refuting Job's specific charges point by point, but by exposing the vast chasm between finite human understanding and infinite divine knowledge and power. Job's "once" and "twice" acknowledge that even his previous limited expressions of complaint or desire to debate were profoundly misplaced. His words signify not merely a pause in the argument, but a decisive, irreversible withdrawal from any attempt to question or reply to God. This surrender to divine sovereignty becomes the prelude to Job's complete repentance, shifting him from a stance of self-vindication to one of humble reverence, setting the pattern for all who genuinely encounter the Living God.