Bible Strands
Job 40:6
Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The LORD addresses Job directly from within a whirlwind, following Job’s admission that he has no further answer to offer. This moment closes Job’s silence and immediately precedes God’s call to brace himself for interrogation.
The words — The Hebrew verb וַיַּעַן (va.ya'an) translates literally to "and he answered," while the noun סְעָרָה (se'arah) denotes a "tempest" or "whirlwind." These terms specify both the act of divine speech and the storm medium through which it occurs.
The thread — This identical opening phrase appears in Job 38:1, establishing a structural parallel where God speaks from a storm. The tempest motif also appears in Psalms 50:3 and Hebrews 12:18 to describe God’s approach in consuming fire and dark storm.
Why it lands — The text requires the reader to acknowledge that God initiates the dialogue and controls its terms, leaving no room for human rebuttal. It demands immediate readiness to receive direct questioning without prior explanation or comfort.
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
Then answered the Lord unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
Cross-references
- Job 38:1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
- Psalms 50:3 Our God approaches and will not be silent! Consuming fire precedes Him, and a tempest rages around Him.
- Hebrews 12:18 For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom, and storm;
- 2 Peter 3:10 But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare.