Job 42:4

4 Hear thou, and I shall speak; I shall ask thee, and answer thou to me. (Listen thou, and I shall speak; and then, I pray, that thou shalt answer me.)

Job 42:4 Meaning and Commentary

Job 42:4

Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak
Not in the manner he had before, complaining of God and justifying himself, but in a way of humble entreaty of favours of him, of confession of sin before him, and of acknowledgment of his wisdom, goodness, and justice in all his dealings with him, which before he arraigned;

I will demand of thee;
or rather "I will make petition to thee", as Mr. Broughton renders it; humbly ask a favour, and entreat a gracious answer; for to demand is not so agreeable to the frame and temper of soul Job was now in;

and declare thou unto me;
or make him know what he knew not; he now in ignorance applies to God, as a God of knowledge, to inform him in things he was in the dark about, and to increase what knowledge he had. He was now willing to take the advice of Elihu, and pursue it, ( Job 34:31 Job 34:32 ) .

Job 42:4 In-Context

2 I know, that thou mayest (do) all things, and that no thought/and that nothing is hid from thee.

3 Who is this, that covereth counsel without knowing? Therefore I have spoken unwisely, and those things that pass over-measure my knowing. (Who is this, you ask, who telleth out counsel without any true knowledge? And so yes, I have spoken unwisely, and of those things that, beyond measure, surpass my knowledge.)

4 Hear thou, and I shall speak; I shall ask thee, and answer thou to me. (Listen thou, and I shall speak; and then, I pray, that thou shalt answer me.)

5 By (the) hearing of (mine) ear I have heard thee, but now mine eye seeth thee (too).

6 Therefore I reprove myself, and do penance in dead spark and ashes. (And so now I rebuke myself, and repent in dust and ashes.)