Bible Strands
Job 38:3
Now brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall inform Me.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — God addresses Job during His whirlwind response, immediately following His rebuke of Job for obscuring divine counsel and preceding His inquiry about the earth's foundations.
The words — The command אֱזָר־ (e.zor-) means "gird up," paired with כְּגֶבֶר חֲלָצֶיךָ (khe./Ge.ver cha.la.Tzei./kha), literally "like a man [your] loins."
The thread — The command to gird appears again in Job 40:7 as a second divine challenge, echoes the readiness required in Exodus 12:11 for the Passover meal, and parallels Jeremiah 1:17's call to prepare for prophetic confrontation.
Why it lands — The text commands physical readiness before divine interrogation, demanding Job drop his complaints and answer God's questions directly.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.
Cross-references
- Job 40:7 “Now brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall inform Me.
- 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 is the LORD’s Passover.
- 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.
- Job 13:15 Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. I will still defend my ways to His face.
- Job 13:22 Then call me, and I will answer, or let me speak, and You can reply.
- Job 23:3 If only I knew where to find Him, so that I could go to His seat.
- Job 31:35 (Oh, that I had one to hear me! Here is my signature. Let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser compose an indictment.