What Does Job 40:2 Mean?

XL. (2) **Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him?**—Rather, *Can he that reproveth *(*e. g., *Job) *contend with the Almighty? *or, *Can the contending with the Almighty instruct Him? *“Art thou prepared still to dispute and contend with God? or, if thou dost, is there any hope that thou wilt instruct (*i.e.*, convince) Him in argument? Let him that argueth with God (*i.e., *Job) answer this question.” It might, perhaps, tend to make these verses (Job 40:4-5) more effective if we transposed them after Job 42:6, and regarded them as the very climax of the poem, as some have done. But this is not necessary, and is an arrangement that has no support from external evidence. If, however, it were adopted, Job’s resolution, “Once have I spoken; but I will speak no more: yea, twice; but I will not again” (Job 40:5), would not be literally inconsistent, as it now is, with what he says in Job 42:1-6.