Job 40 7

Job 40:7 kjv

Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.

Job 40:7 nkjv

"Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me:

Job 40:7 niv

"Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.

Job 40:7 esv

"Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me.

Job 40:7 nlt

"Brace yourself like a man,
because I have some questions for you,
and you must answer them.

Job 40 verses

Job 40 7 Meaning

Job 40:7 marks God's renewed command to Job, delivered from a whirlwind, after Job's humbled, albeit incomplete, response in 40:3-5. God challenges Job to metaphorically "gird himself" like a strong man, indicating a call for mental fortitude, courage, and readiness to engage with profound divine truth. God asserts His prerogative to interrogate Job, requiring Job to provide answers regarding the vastness of divine power and wisdom, contrasting with Job's earlier desire to question God. The verse firmly establishes the Creator's absolute authority and infinite knowledge over humanity's limited understanding.

Job 40 7 Context

Job 40:7 falls at a critical juncture in the Book of Job. It opens God's second and final speech (Job 40:6-41:34) from the whirlwind, directly following Job's admission in 40:3-5 that he is "unworthy" and has nothing more to say. Despite Job's partial concession, God perceives that Job's understanding of divine justice and sovereignty remains insufficient. God therefore re-issues His authoritative challenge, setting the stage for a grander display of His creative power through descriptions of Behemoth and Leviathan. The verse is rooted in the cultural understanding of the ancient Near East, where "girding the loins" signified preparation for demanding physical activity, battle, or important travel. God commands Job to adopt this posture, signifying not physical readiness, but profound mental and spiritual preparedness to fully receive and consider the divine revelation about His incomprehensible power over all creation.

Job 40 7 Word analysis

• Now (אֵפֹ֗וא – 'epho):
  • Meaning: An adverb typically meaning "then," "therefore," "so," or "now."
  • Significance: Introduces a forceful command, emphasizing the immediate and decisive nature of what is to follow. It connects back to Job's earlier responses and signals God's continuation of the cross-examination.
• brace yourself (אֱזָר – 'ezar):
  • Meaning: Hebrew verb "to gird," "to bind." Implies making oneself ready or strong.
  • Significance: Part of the idiom "gird up your loins," referring to tucking up long garments for freedom of movement. Here, it is a powerful metaphor for mental, spiritual, and moral readiness. It denotes the need for courage, determination, and mental alertness in the face of an intimidating challenge.
• like a man (כְגֶבֶר – khegever):
  • Meaning: From "gever," referring to a strong man, a mighty man, a warrior. The prefix "ke-" means "like."
  • Significance: This is not to imply Job is equal to God, but rather to call him to stand firm, with valor and fortitude, as befitting a capable individual about to engage in a momentous encounter. It suggests God is challenging Job at the peak of his mental capacity, not belittling him.
• your loins (חֲלָצֶיךָ – khalatzeyka):
  • Meaning: Refers to the hips, waist, or vital parts of the body. In ancient cultures, it symbolized strength and procreative power.
  • Significance: Completes the idiom "gird up your loins." This phrase underlines physical and metaphorical preparation for strenuous action, signifying total engagement and focus.
• I will question you (אֶשְׁאָלְךָ – 'esh'alkha):
  • Meaning: From "sha'al" (שׁאל), "to ask," "to inquire," "to demand."
  • Significance: Emphasizes God's sovereign right to interrogate. The tables have been definitively turned; Job, who sought to question God's justice, is now commanded to provide answers.
• and you shall inform me (הוֹדִעֵנִי – hodhi'eni):
  • Meaning: From "yada'" (ידע), "to know," "to make known," "to declare."
  • Significance: The demand that Job declare or make known highlights the irony of the situation. It points to Job's profound lack of divine wisdom and his inability to comprehend God's ways or provide answers to His questions about the universe.

Job 40 7 Bonus section

The phrase "gird up your loins" appears multiple times in Scripture (e.g., Ex 12:11, Lk 12:35, 1 Pet 1:13), often carrying spiritual or mental connotations of readiness for service, truth, or holiness, highlighting its deeper application beyond a mere physical action. In Job's case, it is a spiritual summons to intellectual and spiritual fortitude in the presence of ultimate truth and power. God's interrogation here is not to gain information from Job but to impart a deeper understanding of His character and to further expose the vast chasm between human and divine wisdom, ultimately leading Job to a more complete and profound repentance (Job 42:2-6). The call for Job to "inform" God is entirely rhetorical, designed to make Job confront his own intellectual boundaries.

Job 40 7 Commentary

Job 40:7 is a powerful statement of divine sovereignty, following Job's initial, yet incomplete, acknowledgment of his unworthiness. God is not merely continuing an argument; He is deepening Job's understanding of his own limitations and the Creator's boundless wisdom. The command to "brace yourself like a man" signifies God's insistence that Job engage fully and courageously with the subsequent revelation, moving beyond superficial humility. It prepares Job for an encounter with the vastness of divine power, as demonstrated in the untamed creatures (Behemoth and Leviathan) God is about to describe. This verse fundamentally reshifts the dynamic: the Creator now authoritatively questions the created, demanding that humanity acknowledge its finite capacity to understand or challenge the divine order. It serves as a reminder that true wisdom begins with humble recognition of God's incomparable knowledge and might.