In His divine unveilings concerning the universe (vv. 4-38) and concerning the animals (Job 38:39-41; 39:1-30; 40:15-24; 41:1-34), God’s intention was to enable Job to see that he, a person who remained in himself, was considering things regarding the universe and God that were far beyond his capacity. Thus, God charged Job and questioned him again and again in order to humble him and silence him (Job 40:3-5).

In the divine unveilings to Job, nothing was revealed concerning the purpose of God in dealing with Job. Thus, the adequate knowledge of this matter is not found in this book. The revelation regarding the purpose of God’s dealing with Job had to wait until Christ came and until the apostle Paul was raised up to complete the divine revelation in the Scriptures regarding the mystery in God’s eternal economy, which concerns Christ as the mystery of God (Col. 2:2) and the church, the Body of Christ, as the mystery of Christ (Eph. 3:4-6), the main point being that Christ is within His Body as the hope of glory (Col. 1:25-27).

In God’s appearing to Job (vv. 1-3; 40:1-14), His intention was to show Job that he was nothing and that God is unlimited, unsearchable, and untraceable. God’s appearing also implied that He wanted to help Job to know that he was in the wrong realm, the realm of building up himself as a man in the old creation in his perfection, uprightness, and integrity. Job glorified himself in these things, but God considered them frustrations to be stripped away so that Job might receive God in His nature, life, element, and essence and thus be metabolically transformed to be a God-man, a man in the new creation who expresses God and dispenses Him to others.

God’s dealing with Job in all the disasters and His stripping him of all that he was, were to take away his contentment in his godly attainments and obtainments and to remove all the barriers and coverings so that he could be emptied for some further seeking after God and could realize that what he was short of in his human life was God Himself. At the end of the book of Job, God came in to reveal Himself to Job, indicating that He Himself was what Job should pursue, gain, and express. In all God’s dealings with Job, God’s intention was to reduce Job to nothing, yet to maintain his existence (Job 2:6) so that He might have time to impart Himself into Job.

Referring probably to a constellation.

Lit., they stand forth.

Lit., It.

When God created the universe, He first stretched forth the heavens (Isa. 42:5; Zech. 12:1). Then He created the stars and certain living things in the heavens, including the angels. The earth was created somewhat later. Thus, at the time when God was creating the earth, the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God (the angels — Job 1:6; 2:1) shouted for joy because of God’s beautiful building of the earth.

When God created the earth, He created it in an orderly way (Isa. 45:18), laying its foundations, measuring it out, placing it on solid bases, and laying its cornerstone (vv. 4-6). The earth has foundations (Zech. 12:1b), but it seemingly does not have anything supporting it (cf. Job 26:7b). Actually, all things are upheld by Christ (Heb. 1:3 and note Heb. 1:3²).

The meaning of the Hebrew word is unclear.