[schmookeeg]

As an agnostic who spends a lot of time reading scriptures of several religions, trying to grasp the themes and motivations of others I share a world with -- those passages are particularly inscrutable.

[bigyabai]

It's pretty easy to parse if you understand that God isn't actually asking anyone for the dimensions of the Earth. It's more about proffering humility to Job by comparing his understanding of things to God's.

[QuarterReptile]

It's repeating, over and over, the extreme ignorance, and thus presumption, of Job in running from what God told him to do.

Edited to add: this is a single passage with verse markings.

[SonOfLilit]

You might enjoy unsongbook.com, a main theme of which is contemplating the meaning of that passage (and, related to that, making whale puns).

[dctoedt]

> As an agnostic who spends a lot of time reading scriptures of several religions, trying to grasp the themes and motivations of others I share a world with -- those passages are particularly inscrutable.

I think the author's intent is to remind us that some things are simply beyond our ken (to which I'd add: For now).