Bible Strands
Job 40:2
“Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who argues with God give an answer.”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — God speaks to Job immediately after His prior address, interrupting the expected dialogue to issue a direct challenge.
The words — The Hebrew יִסּ֑וֹר (yi.Sor) and מוֹכִיחַ (mo.Khi.ach) literally denote a “faultfinder” and “one who corrects,” describing a hypothetical challenger rather than labeling Job himself.
The thread — This theme of divine incomparability and the impossibility of instructing God appears in Isaiah 40:14, Romans 11:34, and 1 Corinthians 2:16.
Why it lands — The text states that any human who presumes to argue with God must first provide a coherent defense, establishing the boundary between human inquiry and divine sovereignty before drawing conclusions about human limitation.
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
Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.
Cross-references
- 1 Corinthians 2:16 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
- Isaiah 40:14 Whom did He consult to enlighten Him, and who taught Him the paths of justice? Who imparted knowledge to Him and showed Him the way of understanding?
- Romans 11:34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?”
- Job 33:13 Why do you complain to Him that He answers nothing a man asks?
- Isaiah 45:9 Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker—one clay pot among many. Does the clay ask the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘He has no hands’?
- Isaiah 50:8 The One who vindicates Me is near. Who will dare to contend with Me? Let us confront each other! Who has a case against Me? Let him approach Me!
- Matthew 20:11 On receiving their pay, they began to grumble against the landowner.
- Romans 9:19 One of you will say to me, “Then why does God still find fault? For who can resist His will?”
- Job 9:3 If one wished to contend with God, he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.
- Job 27:2 “As surely as God lives, who has deprived me of justice—the Almighty, who has embittered my soul—