Job 41

God's Power Shown in Creatures

1 "Can you draw out ¹Leviathan with a fishhook? Or press down his tongue with a cord?

2 "Can you ²put a rope in his nose Or pierce his jaw with a hook?

3 "Will he make many supplications to you, Or will he speak to you soft words?

4 "Will he make a covenant with you? Will you take him for a servant forever?

5 "Will you play with him as with a bird, Or will you bind him for your maidens?

6 "Will the traders bargain over him? Will they divide him among the merchants?

7 "Can you fill his skin with harpoons, Or his head with fishing spears?

8 "Lay your hand on him; Remember the battle; you will not do it again!

9 "Behold, your expectation is false; Will you be laid low even at the sight of him?

10 "No one is so fierce that he dares to ³arouse him; Who then is he that can stand before Me?

11 "Who has ⁴given to Me that I should repay him? Whatever is ⁵under the whole heaven is Mine.

12 "I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, Or his mighty strength, or his orderly frame.

13 "Who can strip off his outer armor? Who can come within his double mail?

14 "Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth there is terror.

15 "His strong scales are his pride, Shut up as with a tight seal.

16 "One is so near to another That no air can come between them.

17 "They are joined one to another; They clasp each other and cannot be separated.

18 "His sneezes flash forth light, And his eyes are like the ⁶eyelids of the morning.

19 "Out of his mouth go burning torches; Sparks of fire leap forth.

20 "Out of his nostrils smoke goes forth As from a boiling pot and burning rushes.

21 "His breath kindles coals, And a flame goes forth from his mouth.

22 "In his neck lodges strength, And dismay leaps before him.

23 "The folds of his flesh are joined together, Firm on him and immovable *.

24 "His heart is as hard as a stone, Even as hard as a lower millstone.

25 "When he raises himself up, the mighty fear; Because of the crashing they are bewildered.

26 "The sword that reaches him cannot avail, Nor the spear, the dart or the javelin.

27 "He regards iron as straw, Bronze as rotten wood.

28 "The arrow cannot make him flee; Slingstones * are turned into stubble for him.

29 "Clubs are regarded as stubble; He laughs at the rattling of the javelin.

30 "His underparts are like sharp potsherds; He spreads out like a threshing sledge on the mire.

31 "He makes the depths boil like a pot; He makes the sea like a jar of ointment.

32 "Behind him he makes a wake to shine; One would think the deep to be gray-haired.

33 "⁷Nothing on earth is like him, One made without fear.

34 "He looks on everything that is high; He is king over all the ⁸sons of pride."

Job 41 Commentary

Chapter 41

Concerning Leviathan.

- The description of the Leviathan, is yet further to convince Job of his own weakness, and of God's almighty power. Whether this Leviathan be a whale or a crocodile, is disputed. The Lord, having showed Job how unable he was to deal with the Leviathan, sets forth his own power in that mighty creature. If such language describes the terrible force of Leviathan, what words can express the power of God's wrath? Under a humbling sense of our own vileness, let us revere the Divine Majesty; take and fill our allotted place, cease from our own wisdom, and give all glory to our gracious God and Saviour. Remembering from whom every good gift cometh, and for what end it was given, let us walk humbly with the Lord.

Cross References

• 1. Job 3:8; Psalms 74:14; Psalms 104:26; Isaiah 27:1
• 2. 2 Kings 19:28; Isaiah 37:29
• 3. Job 3:8
• 4. Romans 11:35
• 5. Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 10:14; Job 9:5-10; Job 26:6-14; Job 28:24; Psalms 24:1; Psalms 50:12; 1 Corinthians 10:26
• 6. Job 3:9
• 7. Job 40:19
• 8. Job 28:8

Footnotes

• [a]. Ch 40:25 in Heb
• [b]. Or "the crocodile"
• [c]. Lit "rope of rushes"
• [d]. Or "thorn" or "ring"
• [e]. Lit "partners"
• [f]. Lit "do not add"
• [g]. Ch 41:1 in Heb
• [h]. Lit "his"
• [i]. Lit "he"
• [j]. Lit "anticipated"
• [k]. Or "graceful"
• [l]. Lit "uncover the face of his garment"
• [m]. So Gr; Heb "bridle"
• [n]. Lit "rows of shields"
• [o]. Or "gods"
• [p]. Lit "son of the bow"
• [q]. Or "moves across"
• [r]. Lit "dust"
• [s]. Ch 41:26 in Heb

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 41

A large description is here given of the leviathan, from the difficulty and danger of taking it, from whence it is inferred that none can stand before God, Job 41:1-10; from the several parts of him, his face, teeth, scales, eyes, mouth and neck, flesh and heart, Job 41:11-24; and from various wonderful terrible things said of him, and ascribed to him, Job 41:25-34.