Job 40:7
in Job 40“Now brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall inform Me.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
KJV
Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
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This verse in Job 40
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Gird up thy loins now like a man - An expression taken from the ancient mode of dress. That was a loose, flowing robe, which was secured by a girdle when traveling, or when one entered upon anything requiring energy; see the notes at Mat 5:38-41. The meaning here is, “Prepare thyself for the highest effort that can be made. Put forth all your strength, and explain to me what will now be said;” compare the notes at Isa 41:
This site's exposition
out of the whirlwind
on Job 40:6-9
The second speech opens as the first did, “out of the whirlwind”. It repeats “brace yourself like a man” before its sharpest question at verse 8, “Would you condemn Me to justify yourself”. Henry sees the danger of Job's defense, that clearing himself means putting God in the wrong.
This site's exposition
brace yourself like a man
God repeats to Job the words of Job 38:3. Clarke reports a view that the line was copied here from chapter 38 in later times. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown see a new question in verses 7 to 14, whether Job can bring the proud and the wicked low.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"I will question you, and you answer me." The perfect rewards of the struggles are reserved after this life to those who fought bravely. The grace of God nevertheless offers a sort of pledge to the athletes. For this reason, Job faced the hardest fights; while losing his riches, he praised him who gave him these afflictions. After losing his children, he glorified him who had taken them away. While realizing that worms grew out of his body, he was not defeated by his diseases.
The Medieval Church1 voice
In what he said before, the Lord demonstrated his wisdom and power by recalling the marvelous things which appear in his effects, (cc. 38 and 39) so that he might make clear that no man can contend with God either in wisdom or in power. …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
That we cannot vie with God for justice, that the Lord is righteous and holy in his dealings with us, but that we are unrighteous and unholy in our conduct towards him; we have a great deal to blame ourselves for, but nothing to blame him for (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and, declare thou unto me,.... And prepare to give an answer to what should be demanded of him. The same way of speaking is used in Job 38:3; See Gill on Job 38:3.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Since Job has not only spoken against God, but accused Him of injustice, God challenges him to try, could he govern the world, as God by His power doth, and punish the proud and wicked (Job 40:7-14).
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Gird up thy loins - See Job 38:1-3. Some think that this and the preceding verse have been repeated here from Job 38:1-3, and that several of the words there, here, and Job 42:3, have been repeated, in after times, to connect some false gatherings of the sheets of parchment, on which the end of this poem was originally written. See on Job 40:1 (note), and at the end of the chapter.
The words behind it
6 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אֱזָר־ | ʾezor- | gird up | H247 → | 16 times |
| נָ֣א | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| כְגֶ֣בֶר | khegever | like a man | H1397 → | 65 times |
| חֲלָצֶ֑יךָ | chalatzeikha | loins your | H2504 → | 10 times |
| אֶ֝שְׁאָלְךָ֗ | ʾeshalkha | I will ask you | H7592 → | 171 times |
| וְהוֹדִיעֵֽנִי׃ | vehodieni | and make known to me | H3045 → | 945 times |
אֱזָר־gird up
ʾezor-H247 →16 times
נָ֣אplease
na'H4994 →404 times
כְגֶ֣בֶרlike a man
khegeverH1397 →65 times
חֲלָצֶ֑יךָloins your
chalatzeikhaH2504 →10 times
אֶ֝שְׁאָלְךָ֗I will ask you
ʾeshalkhaH7592 →171 times
וְהוֹדִיעֵֽנִי׃and make known to me
vehodieniH3045 →945 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Job 42:4You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak. I will question you, and you shall inform Me.’
it leads to
- Job 38:3
Now brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall inform Me.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 18:30–32
Then Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak further. Suppose thirty are found there?” He replied, “If I find thirty there, I will not do it.”
- Job 38:3
Through
Job 38:3Now brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall inform Me.
it leads to
- Exodus 12:11
This is how you are to eat it: You must be fully dressed for travel, with your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. You are to eat in haste; it…
- Jeremiah 1:17
Get yourself ready. Stand up and tell them everything that I command you. Do not be intimidated by them, or I will terrify you before them.
- 1 Kings 18:46
And the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah, and he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.
- 1 Peter 1:13
Therefore prepare your minds for action. Be sober-minded. Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
- Exodus 12:11
Through
Job 13:22Then call me, and I will answer, or let me speak, and You can reply.
it leads to
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Job
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Job; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, FRAGMENTS ON JOB 28.7 and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.