Should He be told that I want to speak?This phrase reflects the humility and reverence one should have when approaching God. In the context of Job, Elihu is speaking, emphasizing the majesty and sovereignty of God. The rhetorical question suggests that it is presumptuous for a human to demand an audience with the Almighty. This echoes the broader biblical theme of God's transcendence and the appropriate posture of humility before Him, as seen in
Isaiah 55:8-9, where God's thoughts and ways are higher than ours. The cultural context of the Ancient Near East often depicted gods as distant and unapproachable, yet the God of Israel invites relationship, though with reverence and awe.
Would a man ask to be swallowed up?
This phrase underscores the danger and folly of approaching God without proper respect. The imagery of being "swallowed up" can be linked to the fate of Korah and his followers in Numbers 16, where the earth opened and swallowed them due to their rebellion against God. It serves as a warning against arrogance and presumption. Theologically, it points to the need for a mediator between God and man, which Christians see fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who provides access to God while shielding us from His consuming holiness. This reflects the biblical principle that God is both loving and just, requiring reverence and obedience from His followers.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
JobThe central figure in the Book of Job, a man of great faith and patience who undergoes severe trials and suffering.
2.
ElihuA young man who speaks to Job and his friends, offering a perspective on God's majesty and justice.
Job 37 is part of Elihu's discourse.
3.
GodThe Almighty Creator, whose wisdom and power are beyond human understanding. Elihu speaks of God's greatness in this chapter.
4.
The HeavensOften referenced in
Job 37, symbolizing God's majesty and the natural order He controls.
5.
The WhirlwindA symbol of God's presence and power, which will later be the medium through which God speaks to Job.
Teaching Points
The Majesty of GodRecognize that God's wisdom and power are beyond our comprehension. We should approach Him with humility and reverence.
Human LimitationsUnderstand that our perspective is limited. We should trust in God's greater plan, even when we do not understand our circumstances.
The Importance of ListeningBefore speaking or questioning God, we should listen and seek to understand His will and purpose.
The Role of SufferingConsider how suffering can lead us to a deeper understanding of God's character and our dependence on Him.
Approaching God with ReverenceWhen we desire to speak to God, we should do so with a heart of submission, acknowledging His sovereignty.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1. What is the meaning of Job 37:20?
2. How does Job 37:20 emphasize the importance of humility before God?
3. What does "should He be told" teach about God's omniscience and our speech?
4. How can Job 37:20 guide us in approaching God with reverence today?
5. Connect Job 37:20 with Proverbs 10:19 on the wisdom of measured words.
6. How can we apply the caution in Job 37:20 to our prayer life?
7. How does Job 37:20 challenge our understanding of God's communication with humanity?
8. What does Job 37:20 reveal about human limitations in comprehending divine wisdom?
9. How does Job 37:20 address the theme of humility before God?
10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Job 37?
11. What are the torments of Sheol?
12. Do prophetic dreams originate from a divine source?
13. Job 11:20 asserts the wicked lose hope, yet history and modern times show many unethical people prosper. How is this reconciled?
14. In Genesis 31:24, why would God communicate with Laban if Laban worshipped other gods, and how does this align with other biblical passages about idolatry?What Does Job 37:20 Mean
Should He be told that I want to speak?Job 37:20 opens with this humble, almost incredulous question. Elihu is reminding Job—and us—that the Almighty does not wait for human permission before acting or speaking.
• Earlier, Job had longed for a courtroom where he could “state [his] case” (Job 13:3; Job 23:3-4), yet here Elihu warns that notifying God of our desire to debate Him borders on presumption.
• Scripture repeatedly highlights how unwise it is to instruct or correct the Lord. Isaiah 40:13-14 asks, “Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or given Him counsel?”; Romans 9:20 answers, “But who are you, O man, to talk back to God?”
• Ecclesiastes 5:2 advises, “God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.” Elihu echoes that caution—God’s throne is not a suggestion box.
• When Job finally encounters God face-to-face in Job 40:2, he realizes the truth behind Elihu’s words and places his hand over his mouth. In other words, it is far wiser to listen than to demand a hearing.
Would a man ask to be swallowed up?Elihu’s second question drives the point home with vivid imagery. Would anyone knowingly invite destruction by stepping into the consuming presence of holy God unprepared?
• The language recalls the judgment on Korah’s rebellion, when “the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them” (Numbers 16:30-34). Challenging God’s authority did indeed lead to being swallowed up.
• Moses was told, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live” (Exodus 33:20). To insist on a face-to-face confrontation without mediation is to court certain ruin.
• Hebrews 10:31 warns, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God,” while 1 Corinthians 10:22 asks, “Are we stronger than He?” Elihu’s rhetorical question implies, “Of course not—so why invite judgment?”
• Job himself later confesses, “I have uttered what I did not understand” (Job 42:3), illustrating the wisdom of Elihu’s warning: better repentance than ruin.
summaryJob 37:20 urges humility before the sovereign Creator. Telling God we “want to speak” assumes He operates on our timetable; demanding a hearing risks the fate of those who challenged Him and were “swallowed up.” Elihu’s twin questions call us to reverent silence, trust, and surrender—recognizing that the God who rules the whirlwind deserves worship, not debate.
(20)
Be swallowed up.--The sense will vary, according as we understand this of God or of the sun. In the first case, it is a simple expression of awe at God's majesty: "Shall it be told Him that I would speak? If a man speak, surely he shall be swallowed up;" but unquestionably the sense is clearer if we understand it of the sun: "Shall it be told of him? Shall I, indeed, speak it? or hath any man ever ventured to say, in such a case, that the sun is swallowed up, extinguished?"
Verse 20. -
Shall it be told him that I speak? rather,
that I would speak (comp.
Job 31:35). Job had expressed the wish that God would "hear him, and answer him." Elihu, intending to rebuke this presumption, yet shrinking from doing so directly, puts himself in Job's place, and asks, "Would it be fitting that I should demand to speak with God?" If not, it cannot be fitting that Job should do so.
If a man speak, surely he shall be swallowed up. This is probably the true meaning, though another has been suggested by some commentators, who prefer to render, "Or should a man wish that he were destroyed?" (So Ewald, Dillmann, Canon Cook, and our Revisers.) If we adopt this rendering, we must understand Elihu as appending to his first rebuke a second, levelled against Job's desire to have his life ended.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
Should He be toldהַֽיְסֻפַּר־ (hay·sup·par-)Verb - Pual - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5608: To count, recount, relatethatכִּ֣י (kî)Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunctionI want to speak?אֲדַבֵּ֑ר (’ă·ḏab·bêr)Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdueWould a manאִ֝֗ישׁ (’îš)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male personaskאָ֥מַר (’ā·mar)Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, sayto be swallowed up?יְבֻלָּֽע׃ (yə·ḇul·lā‘)Verb - Pual - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1104: To swallow down, swallow up, engulf
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OT Poetry: Job 37:20 Shall it be told him that (Jb) 
