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Text -- Job 40:11-24 (NET)
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Kill every one of them at one blow.
Wesley: Job 40:13 - -- Condemn or destroy them. He alludes to the manner of covering the faces of condemned persons, and of dead men.
Condemn or destroy them. He alludes to the manner of covering the faces of condemned persons, and of dead men.
In a secret place, bury them in their graves.
Wesley: Job 40:15 - -- Very learned men take the leviathan to be the crocodile, and the behemoth to be the river - horse, which may fitly be joined with the crocodile, both ...
Very learned men take the leviathan to be the crocodile, and the behemoth to be the river - horse, which may fitly be joined with the crocodile, both being well known to Joband his friends, as being frequent in the adjacent parts, both amphibious, living and preying both in the water and upon the land. And both creatures of great bulk and strength.
Wesley: Job 40:15 - -- The river - horse comes out of the river upon the land to feed upon corn, and hay, or grass, as an ox doth, to whom also he is not unlike in the form ...
The river - horse comes out of the river upon the land to feed upon corn, and hay, or grass, as an ox doth, to whom also he is not unlike in the form of his head and feet, and in the bigness of his body, whence the Italians call him, the sea - ox.
Wesley: Job 40:16 - -- He hath strength answerable to his bulk, but this strength by God's wise and merciful providence is not an offensive strength, consisting in, or put f...
He hath strength answerable to his bulk, but this strength by God's wise and merciful providence is not an offensive strength, consisting in, or put forth by horns or claws, as it is in ravenous creatures, but only defensive and seated in his loins, as it is in other creatures.
Wesley: Job 40:17 - -- Which though it be but short, yet when it is erected, is exceeding stiff and strong.
Which though it be but short, yet when it is erected, is exceeding stiff and strong.
Wesley: Job 40:17 - -- The sinews of his thighs. His thighs and feet are so sinewy and strong, that one of them is able to break or over - turn a large boat.
The sinews of his thighs. His thighs and feet are so sinewy and strong, that one of them is able to break or over - turn a large boat.
Wesley: Job 40:19 - -- He is one of the chief of God's works, in regard of its great bulk and strength.
He is one of the chief of God's works, in regard of its great bulk and strength.
Wesley: Job 40:20 - -- Though he lives most in the water, yet he often fetches his food from the land, and from the mountains or hills, which are nigh the river Nile.
Though he lives most in the water, yet he often fetches his food from the land, and from the mountains or hills, which are nigh the river Nile.
Wesley: Job 40:20 - -- They not only feed securely, but sport themselves by him, being taught by experience that he is gentle and harmless.
They not only feed securely, but sport themselves by him, being taught by experience that he is gentle and harmless.
Wesley: Job 40:22 - -- Or, of the Nile, of which this word is often used in scripture. His constant residence is in or near this river, or the willows that grow by it.
Or, of the Nile, of which this word is often used in scripture. His constant residence is in or near this river, or the willows that grow by it.
A great quantity of water, hyperbolically called a river.
Wesley: Job 40:23 - -- He drinks not with fear and caution; but such is his courage, that he fears no enemy either by water or by land. He drinks as if he designed, to drink...
He drinks not with fear and caution; but such is his courage, that he fears no enemy either by water or by land. He drinks as if he designed, to drink up the whole river. He mentions Jordan, as a river well known, in and nigh unto Job's land.
Wesley: Job 40:24 - -- Can any man take him in his eyes? Openly and by force? Surely not. His strength is too great for man to overcome: and therefore men are forced to use ...
Can any man take him in his eyes? Openly and by force? Surely not. His strength is too great for man to overcome: and therefore men are forced to use wiles and engines to catch him.
Rather, pour out the redundant floods of, &c.
JFB: Job 40:12 - -- On the spot; suddenly, before they can move from their place. (See on Job 34:26; Job 36:20).
JFB: Job 40:13 - -- That is, shut up their persons [MAURER]. But it refers rather to the custom of binding a cloth over the faces of persons about to be executed (Job 9:2...
JFB: Job 40:14 - -- Rather, "extol"; "I also," who now censure thee. But since thou canst not do these works, thou must, instead of censuring, extol My government.
Rather, "extol"; "I also," who now censure thee. But since thou canst not do these works, thou must, instead of censuring, extol My government.
JFB: Job 40:14 - -- (Psa 44:3). So as to eternal salvation by Jesus Christ (Isa 59:16; Isa 63:5).||
13880||1||10||0||God shows that if Job cannot bring under control the...
JFB: Job 40:14 - -- The description in part agrees with the hippopotamus, in part with the elephant, but exactly in all details with neither. It is rather a poetical pers...
The description in part agrees with the hippopotamus, in part with the elephant, but exactly in all details with neither. It is rather a poetical personification of the great Pachydermata, or Herbivora (so "he eateth grass"), the idea of the hippopotamus being predominant. In Job 40:17, "the tail like a cedar," hardly applies to the latter (so also Job 40:20, Job 40:23, "Jordan," a river which elephants alone could reach, but see on Job 40:23). On the other hand, Job 40:21-22 are characteristic of the amphibious river horse. So leviathan (the twisting animal), Job 41:1, is a generalized term for cetacea, pythons, saurians of the neighboring seas and rivers, including the crocodile, which is the most prominent, and is often associated with the river horse by old writers. "Behemoth" seems to be the Egyptian Pehemout, "water-ox," Hebraized, so-called as being like an ox, whence the Italian bombarino.
JFB: Job 40:14 - -- As I made thyself. Yet how great the difference! The manifold wisdom and power of God!
As I made thyself. Yet how great the difference! The manifold wisdom and power of God!
JFB: Job 40:14 - -- Marvellous in an animal living so much in the water; also strange, that such a monster should not be carnivorous.
Marvellous in an animal living so much in the water; also strange, that such a monster should not be carnivorous.
JFB: Job 40:16 - -- Rather, "muscles" of his belly; the weakest point of the elephant, therefore it is not meant.
Rather, "muscles" of his belly; the weakest point of the elephant, therefore it is not meant.
JFB: Job 40:17 - -- As the tempest bends the cedar, so it can move its smooth thick tail [UMBREIT]. But the cedar implies straightness and length, such as do not apply to...
As the tempest bends the cedar, so it can move its smooth thick tail [UMBREIT]. But the cedar implies straightness and length, such as do not apply to the river horse's short tail, but perhaps to an extinct species of animal (see on Job 40:15).
Firmly twisted together, like a thick rope.
JFB: Job 40:19 - -- Rather, "has furnished him with his sword" (harpe), namely, the sickle-like teeth with which he cuts down grain. English Version, however, is literall...
Rather, "has furnished him with his sword" (harpe), namely, the sickle-like teeth with which he cuts down grain. English Version, however, is literally right.
JFB: Job 40:20 - -- The mountain is not his usual haunt. BOCHART says it is sometimes found there (?).
The mountain is not his usual haunt. BOCHART says it is sometimes found there (?).
JFB: Job 40:20 - -- A graphic trait: though armed with such teeth, he lets the beasts play near him unhurt, for his food is grass.
A graphic trait: though armed with such teeth, he lets the beasts play near him unhurt, for his food is grass.
JFB: Job 40:23 - -- Rather, "(Though) a river be violent (overflow), he trembleth not"; (for though living on land, he can live in the water, too); he is secure, though a...
Rather, "(Though) a river be violent (overflow), he trembleth not"; (for though living on land, he can live in the water, too); he is secure, though a Jordan swell up to his mouth. "Jordan" is used for any great river (consonant with the "behemoth"), being a poetical generalization (see on Job 40:15). The author cannot have been a Hebrew as UMBREIT asserts, or he would not adduce the Jordan, where there were no river horses. He alludes to it as a name for any river, but not as one known to him, except by hearsay.
JFB: Job 40:24 - -- Rather, "Will any take him by open force" (literally, "before his eyes"), "or pierce his nose with cords?" No; he can only be taken by guile, and in a...
Rather, "Will any take him by open force" (literally, "before his eyes"), "or pierce his nose with cords?" No; he can only be taken by guile, and in a pitfall (Job 41:1-2).
Clarke: Job 40:13 - -- Hide them in the dust together - Blend the high and the low, the rich and the poor, in one common ruin. Show them that thou art supreme, and canst d...
Hide them in the dust together - Blend the high and the low, the rich and the poor, in one common ruin. Show them that thou art supreme, and canst do whatsoever thou pleasest
Clarke: Job 40:13 - -- Bind their faces in secret - This seems to refer to the custom of preserving mummies: the whole body is wrapped round with strong swathings of linen...
Bind their faces in secret - This seems to refer to the custom of preserving mummies: the whole body is wrapped round with strong swathings of linen or cotton cloth. Not only the limbs, but the very head, face, and all, are rolled round with strong filleting, so that not one feature can be seen, not even the protuberance of the nose. On the outside of these involutions a human face is ordinarily painted; but as to the real face itself, it is emphatically bound in secret, for those rollers are never intended to be removed.
Clarke: Job 40:14 - -- Thine own right hand can save thee - It is the prerogative of God alone to save the human soul. Nothing less than unlimited power, exerted under the...
Thine own right hand can save thee - It is the prerogative of God alone to save the human soul. Nothing less than unlimited power, exerted under the direction and impulse of unbounded mercy, can save a sinner. This is most clearly asserted in this speech of Jehovah: When thou canst extend an arm like God, i.e., an uncontrollable power - when thou canst arm thyself with the lightning of heaven, and thunder with a voice like God - when thou canst deck thyself with the ineffable glory, beauty, and splendor of the supreme majesty of Jehovah - when thou canst dispense thy judgments over all the earth, to abase the proud, and tread down the wicked - when thou canst as having the keys of hell and death, blend the high and the low in the dust together; then I will acknowledge to thee that thy own right hand can save thee. In other words: Salvation belongeth unto the Lord; no man can save his own soul by works of righteousness which he has done, is doing, or can possibly do, to all eternity. Without Jesus every human spirit must have perished everlastingly. Glory be to God for his unspeakable gift!
Clarke: Job 40:15 - -- Behold now behemoth - The word בהמות behemoth is the plural of בהמה behemah , which signifies cattle in general, or graminivorous anima...
Behold now behemoth - The word
In this place it has been supposed to mean some animal of the beeve kind. The Vulgate retains the Hebrew name; so do the Syriac and Arabic. The Chaldee is indefinite, translating creature or animal. And the Septuagint is not more explicit, translating by
These, having been carefully considered and deeply investigated both by critics and naturalists, have led to the conclusion that either the elephant, or the hippopotamus or river-horse, is the animal in question; and on comparing the characteristics between these two, the balance is considerably in favor of the hippopotamus. But even here there are still some difficulties, as there are some parts of the description which do not well suit even the hippopotamus; and therefore I have my doubts whether either of the animals above is that in question, or whether any animal now in existence be that described by the Almighty
Mr. Good supposes, and I am of the same opinion, that the animal here described is now extinct. The skeletons of three lost genera have actually been found out: these have been termed palaeotherium, anoplotherium, and mastodon or mammoth. From an actual examination of a part of the skeleton of what is termed the mammoth, I have described it in my note on Gen 1:24
As I do not believe that either the elephant or the river-horse is intended here, I shall not take up the reader’ s time with any detailed description. The elephant is well known; and, though not an inhabitant of these countries, has been so often imported in a tame state, and so frequently occurs in exhibitions of wild beasts, that multitudes, even of the common people, have seen this tremendous, docile, and sagacious animal. Of the hippopotamus or river-horse, little is generally known but by description, as the habits of this animal will not permit him to be tamed. His amphibious nature prevents his becoming a constant resident on dry land
The hippopotamus inhabits the rivers of Africa and the lakes of Ethiopia: feeds generally by night; wanders only a few miles from water; feeds on vegetables and roots of trees, but never on fish; lays waste whole plantations of the sugar-cane, rice, and other grain. When irritated or wounded, it will attack boats and men with much fury. It moves slowly and heavily: swims dexterously; walks deliberately and leisurely over head into the water; and pursues his way, even on all fours, on the bottom; but cannot remain long under the water without rising to take in air. It sleeps in reedy places; has a tremendous voice, between the lowing of an ox and the roaring of the elephant. Its head is large; its mouth, very wide; its skin, thick and almost devoid of hair; and its tail, naked and about a foot long. It is nearly as large as the elephant, and some have been found seventeen feet long. Mr. Good observes: "Both the elephant and hippopotamus are naturally quiet animals; and never interfere with the grazing of others of different kinds unless they be irritated. The behemoth, on the contrary, is represented as a quadruped of a ferocious nature, and formed for tyranny, if not rapacity; equally lord of the floods and of the mountains; rushing with rapidity of foot, instead of slowness or stateliness; and possessing a rigid and enormous tail, like a cedar tree, instead of a short naked tail of about a foot long, as the hippopotamus; or a weak, slender, hog-shaped tail, as the elephant.
The mammoth, for size, will answer the description in this place, especially Job 40:19 : He is the chief of the ways of God. That to which the part of a skeleton belonged which I examined, must have been, by computation, not less than twenty-five feet high, and sixty feet in length! The bones of one toe I measured, and found them three feet in length! One of the very smallest grinders of an animal of this extinct species, full of processes on the surface more than an inch in depth, which shows that the animal had lived on flesh, I have just now weighed, and found it, in its very dry state, four pounds eight ounces, avoirdupois: the same grinder of an elephant I have weighed also, and found it just two pounds. The mammoth, therefore, from this proportion, must have been as large as two elephants and a quarter. We may judge by this of its size: elephants are frequently ten and eleven feet high; this will make the mammoth at least twenty-five or twenty-six feet high; and as it appears to have been a many-toed animal, the springs which such a creature could make must have been almost incredible: nothing by swiftness could have escaped its pursuit. God seems to have made it as the proof of his power; and had it been prolific, and not become extinct, it would have depopulated the earth. Creatures of this kind must have been living in the days of Job; the behemoth is referred to here, as if perfectly and commonly known
Clarke: Job 40:15 - -- He eateth grass as an ox - This seems to be mentioned as something remarkable in this animal: that though from the form of his teeth he must have be...
He eateth grass as an ox - This seems to be mentioned as something remarkable in this animal: that though from the form of his teeth he must have been carnivorous, yet he ate grass as an ox; he lived both on animal and vegetable food.
Clarke: Job 40:16 - -- His strength is in his loins - This refers to his great agility, notwithstanding his bulk; by the strength of his loins he was able to take vast spr...
His strength is in his loins - This refers to his great agility, notwithstanding his bulk; by the strength of his loins he was able to take vast springs, and make astonishing bounds.
Clarke: Job 40:17 - -- He moveth his tail like a cedar - Therefore it was neither the elephant, who has a tail like that of the hog, nor the hippopotamus, whose tail is on...
He moveth his tail like a cedar - Therefore it was neither the elephant, who has a tail like that of the hog, nor the hippopotamus, whose tail is only about a foot long
Clarke: Job 40:17 - -- The sinews of his stones - I translate with Mr. Good, and for the same reasons, the sinews of his haunches, which is still more characteristic; as t...
The sinews of his stones - I translate with Mr. Good, and for the same reasons, the sinews of his haunches, which is still more characteristic; as the animal must have excelled in leaping.
Clarke: Job 40:18 - -- His bones are as strong pieces of brass-bars of iron - The tusk I have mentioned above is uncommonly hard, solid, and weighty for its size.
His bones are as strong pieces of brass-bars of iron - The tusk I have mentioned above is uncommonly hard, solid, and weighty for its size.
Clarke: Job 40:19 - -- He is the chief of the ways of God - The largest, strongest, and swiftest quadruped that God has formed
He is the chief of the ways of God - The largest, strongest, and swiftest quadruped that God has formed
Clarke: Job 40:19 - -- He that made him - No power of man or beast can overcome him. God alone can overcome him, and God alone could make his sword (of extinction) approac...
He that made him - No power of man or beast can overcome him. God alone can overcome him, and God alone could make his sword (of extinction) approach to him.
Clarke: Job 40:20 - -- The mountains bring him forth food - It cannot therefore be the hippopotamus, as he is seldom found far from the rivers where he has his chief resid...
The mountains bring him forth food - It cannot therefore be the hippopotamus, as he is seldom found far from the rivers where he has his chief residence
Clarke: Job 40:20 - -- Where all the beasts of the field play - He frequents those places where he can have most prey. He makes a mock of all the beasts of the field. They...
Where all the beasts of the field play - He frequents those places where he can have most prey. He makes a mock of all the beasts of the field. They can neither resist his power, nor escape from his agility. All this answers to what we know of the mammoth, but not at all to the hippopotamus.
Clarke: Job 40:21 - -- He lieth under the shady trees - This and the following verses refer to certain habits of the behemoth, with which we are and must be unacquainted,
He lieth under the shady trees - This and the following verses refer to certain habits of the behemoth, with which we are and must be unacquainted,
Clarke: Job 40:22 - -- The willows of the brook compass him - This would agree well enough with the hippopotamus.
The willows of the brook compass him - This would agree well enough with the hippopotamus.
Clarke: Job 40:23 - -- Behold, he drinketh up a river - A similar mode of expression, and of precisely the same meaning, as that in Job 39:24 : "He swalloweth the ground w...
Behold, he drinketh up a river - A similar mode of expression, and of precisely the same meaning, as that in Job 39:24 : "He swalloweth the ground with fierceness."No river can stop his course: he wades through all; stems every tide and torrent; and hurries not as though he were in danger
Clarke: Job 40:23 - -- He trusteth that he can draw up Jordan - Even when the river overflows its banks, it is no stoppage to him: though the whole impetuosity of its stre...
He trusteth that he can draw up Jordan - Even when the river overflows its banks, it is no stoppage to him: though the whole impetuosity of its stream rush against his mouth, he is not afraid. Mr. Good has seized the true idea in his translation of this verse: -
"If the stream rage, he revileth not
He is unmoved, though Jordan rush against his mouth.
From this mention of Jordan it is probable that the behemoth was once an inhabitant of the mountains, marshes, and woods, of the land of Palestine.
He taketh it with his eyes - He looks at the sweeping tide, and defies it
Clarke: Job 40:24 - -- His nose pierceth through snares - If fences of strong stakes be made in order to restrain him, or prevent him from passing certain boundaries, he t...
His nose pierceth through snares - If fences of strong stakes be made in order to restrain him, or prevent him from passing certain boundaries, he tears them in pieces with his teeth; or, by pressing his nose against them, breaks them off. If other parts of the description would answer, this might well apply to the elephant, the nose here meaning the proboscis, with which he can split trees, or even tear them up from the roots! Thus ends the description of the behemoth; what I suppose to be the mastodon or mammoth, or some creature of this kind, that God made as the chief of his works, exhibited in various countries for a time, cut them off from the earth, but by his providence preserved many of their skeletons, that succeeding ages might behold the mighty power which produced this chief of the ways of God, and admire the providence that rendered that race extinct which would otherwise, in all probability, have extinguished every other race of animals! I am not unapprized of the strong arguments produced by learned men to prove, on the one hand, that behemoth is the elephant; and, on the other, that he is the hippopotamus or river-horse, and I have carefully read all that Bochart, that chief of learned men, has said on the subject. But I am convinced that an animal now extinct, probably of the kind already mentioned, is the creature pointed out and described by the inspiration of God in this chapter
On Job 40:1 of this chapter we have seen, from Mr. Heath’ s remarks, that the fourteen first verses were probably transposed. In the following observations Dr. Kennicott appears to prove the point. "It will be here objected, that the poem could not possibly end with this question from Job; and, among other reasons, for this in particular; because we read in the very next verse, That after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job, etc. If, therefore, the last speaker was not Job, but the Lord, Job could not originally have concluded this poem, as he does at present. "This objection I hold to be exceedingly important; and, indeed, to prove decisively that the poem must have ended at first with some speech from God. "And this remark leads directly to a very interesting inquiry: What was at first the conclusion of this poem? This may, I presume, be pointed out and determined, not by the alteration of any one word, but only by allowing a dislocation of the fourteen verses which now begin the fortieth chapter. Chapters 38, 39, 40, and 41, contain a magnificent display of the Divine power and wisdom in the works of the Creator; specifying the lion, raven, wild goat, wild ass, unicorn, peacock, ostrich, horse, hawk, eagle, behemoth, and leviathan. "Now, it must have surprised most readers to find that the description of these creatures is strangely interrupted at Job 40:1, and as strangely resumed afterwards at Job 40:15; and therefore, if these fourteen verses will connect with and regularly follow what now ends the poem, we cannot much doubt that these fourteen verses have again found their true station, and should be restored to it. "The greatness of the supposed transposition is no objection: because so many verses as would fill one piece of vellum in an ancient roll, might be easily sewed in before or after its proper place. In the case before us, the twenty-five lines in the first fourteen verses of chapter xl. seem to have been sewed in improperly after Job 39:30, instead of after Job 42:6. That such large parts have been transposed in rolls to make which the parts are sewed together is absolutely certain; and that this has been the case here, is still more probable for the following reason: - "The lines here supposed to be out of place are twenty-five, and contain ninety-two words; which might be written on one piece or page of vellum. But the MS. in which these twenty-five lines made one page, must be supposed to have the same, or nearly the same, number of lines in each of the pages adjoining. And it would greatly strengthen this presumption if these twenty-five lines would fall in regularly at the end of any other set of lines, nearly of the same number; if they would fall in after the next set of twenty-five, or the second set, or the third, or the fourth, etc. Now, this is actually the case here; for the lines after these twenty-five, being one hundred or one hundred and one, make just four times twenty-five. And, therefore, if we consider these one hundred and twenty-five lines as written on five equal pieces of vellum, it follows that the fifth piece might be carelessly sewed up before the other four. "Let us also observe that present disorder of the speeches, which is this. In chapters 38 and 39, God first speaks to Job. The end of chapter 39 is followed by, ‘ And the Lord answered Job and said,’ whilst yet Job had not replied. At Job 40:3-5, Job answers; but he says, he had then spoken Twice, and he would add no more; whereas, this was his first reply, and he speaks afterwards. From Job 40:15-41:34 are now the descriptions of behemoth and leviathan, which would regularly follow the descriptions of the horse, hawk, and eagle. And from Job 42:1-6 is now Job’ s speech, after which we read in Job 42:7, ‘ After the Lord had spoken these words unto Job!’ "Now, all these confusions are removed at once if we only allow that a piece of vellum containing the twenty-five lines, (Job 40:1-14), originally followed Job 42:6. For then, after God’ s first speech, ending with leviathan, Job replies: then God, to whom Job replies the second time, when he added no more; and then God addresses him the third, when Job is silent, and the poem concludes: upon which the narrative opens regularly, with saying, ‘ After the Lord had spoken these words unto Job,’ etc. Job 42:7."- Kennicott’ s Remarks, p. 161. The reader will find much more satisfaction if he read the places as above directed. Having ended chapter 29, proceed immediately to Job 40:15; go on regularly to the end of Job 42:6, and immediately after that add Job 40:1-14. We shall find then that the poem has a consistent and proper ending, and that the concluding speech was spoken by Jehovah.
Defender: Job 40:15 - -- The word "behemoth" means, simply, "huge beast," and commentators commonly take it to be either an elephant or a hippopotamus. The subsequent descript...
The word "behemoth" means, simply, "huge beast," and commentators commonly take it to be either an elephant or a hippopotamus. The subsequent description, however, fits neither of these, nor any other living, animal. On the other hand, it seems to match the probable description of a great land dinosaur, such as the tyrannosaurus."
Defender: Job 40:17 - -- No elephant or hippo has a tail like a cedar. This description supports the theory mentioned above that a bememoth may be a dinosaur (see notes on Job...
No elephant or hippo has a tail like a cedar. This description supports the theory mentioned above that a bememoth may be a dinosaur (see notes on Job 40:19)."
Defender: Job 40:19 - -- The behemoth was the "chief" of all created land animals, which could only, therefore, have been one of the great land dinosaurs. These, like all othe...
The behemoth was the "chief" of all created land animals, which could only, therefore, have been one of the great land dinosaurs. These, like all other animals, were created on the fifth and sixth days of creation week. Seemingly, the dinosaurs had representatives preserved on Noah's ark. Some descendants survived to and beyond Job's day, giving rise to all the traditions of dragons in various parts of the world.
Defender: Job 40:19 - -- No mere man could overcome such an animal, but God could. As Job beheld the great reptile, it might well have called to his mind the old Serpent of Ed...
No mere man could overcome such an animal, but God could. As Job beheld the great reptile, it might well have called to his mind the old Serpent of Eden, who was ultimately responsible for all the world's sin and suffering. He also knew of the ancient promise of the Redeemer who would come some day to slay the Serpent. Furthermore, he had expressed faith in that coming Redeemer (Job 19:25), and had sensed that his sufferings might somehow be a trial to which God was subjecting him (Job 23:10). Perhaps God was helping him to realize what was really going on behind the scenes in connection with his trials."
TSK: Job 40:11 - -- Cast : Job 20:23, Job 27:22; Deu 32:22; Psa 78:49, Psa 78:50, Psa 144:6; Rom 2:8, Rom 2:9
behold : Exo 9:16, Exo 9:17, Exo 15:6, Exo 18:11; Isa 2:11, ...
Cast : Job 20:23, Job 27:22; Deu 32:22; Psa 78:49, Psa 78:50, Psa 144:6; Rom 2:8, Rom 2:9
behold : Exo 9:16, Exo 9:17, Exo 15:6, Exo 18:11; Isa 2:11, Isa 2:12, Isa 2:17, Isa 10:12-19; Eze 28:2; Dan 4:37, Dan 5:20-23; Oba 1:3, Oba 1:4; Mal 4:1; Luk 18:14; Act 12:22, Act 12:23; Jam 4:6; 1Pe 5:5, 1Pe 5:6
TSK: Job 40:12 - -- tread : Psa 60:12; Pro 15:25; Isa 10:6; Zec 10:5; Mal 4:3; Rom 16:20
in : Job 36:20; Ecc 11:3; Act 1:25
TSK: Job 40:15 - -- behemoth : בהמות [Strong’ s H930], Perhaps an extinct dinosaur, maybe a Diplodocus or Brachiosaurus, the exact meaning is unknown. Some tr...
behemoth :
which : Gen 1:24-26
he : Job 40:20, Job 39:8; Psa 104:14
TSK: Job 40:23 - -- drinketh : Heb. oppresseth, Isa 37:25
hasteth : Psa 55:8; Isa 28:16
Jordan : Gen 13:10; Jos 3:15
collapse allCommentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)
Barnes: Job 40:11 - -- Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath - That is, as God does. Show that the same effects can be produced by "your"indignation which there is in his...
Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath - That is, as God does. Show that the same effects can be produced by "your"indignation which there is in his. God appeals here to the effect of his displeasure in prostrating his foes as one of the evidences of his majesty and glory, and asks Job, if he would compare himself with him, to imitate him in this, and produce similar effects.
And behold every one that is proud, and abase him - That is, "look"upon such an one and bring him low, or humble him by a look. It is implied here that God could do this, and he appeals to it as a proof of his power.
Barnes: Job 40:12 - -- And tread down the wicked in their place - Even in the very place where they are, crush them to the dust, as God can. It is implied that God wa...
And tread down the wicked in their place - Even in the very place where they are, crush them to the dust, as God can. It is implied that God was able to do this, and he appeals to it as a proof of his power.
Barnes: Job 40:13 - -- Hide them in the dust together; - compare Isa 2:10. The meaning seems to be, that God had power to prostrate the wicked in the dust of the eart...
Hide them in the dust together; - compare Isa 2:10. The meaning seems to be, that God had power to prostrate the wicked in the dust of the earth, and he calls upon Job to show his power by doing the same thing.
And bind their faces in secret - The word "faces"here is probably used (like the Greek
Barnes: Job 40:14 - -- Then will I also confess unto thee ... - If you can do all this, it will be full proof that you can save yourself, and that you do not need the...
Then will I also confess unto thee ... - If you can do all this, it will be full proof that you can save yourself, and that you do not need the divine interposition. If he could do all this, then it might be admitted that he was qualified to pronounce a judgment on the divine counsels and dealings. He would then show that he had qualifications for conducting the affairs of the universe.
Barnes: Job 40:15 - -- Behold now behemoth - Margin, "or, the elephant, as some think."In the close of the argument, God appeals to two animals as among the chief of ...
Behold now behemoth - Margin, "or, the elephant, as some think."In the close of the argument, God appeals to two animals as among the chief of his works, and as illustrating more than any others his power and majesty - the behemoth and the leviathan. A great variety of opinions has been entertained in regard to the animal referred to here, though the "main"inquiry has related to the question whether the "elephant"or the "hippopotamus"is denoted. Since the time of Bochart, who has gone into an extended examination of the subject ("Hieroz."P. ii. L. ii. c. xv.), the common opinion has been that the latter is here referred to. As a "specimen"of the method of interpreting the Bible which has prevailed, and as a proof of the slow progress which has been made toward settling the meaning of a difficult passage, we may refer to some of the opinions which have been entertained in regard to this animal. They are chiefly taken from the collection of opinions made by Schultens, in loc . Among them are the following:
(1) That wild animals in general are denoted. This appears to have been the opinion of the translators of the Septuagint.
(2) Some of the rabbis supposed that a huge monster was referred to, that ate every day "the grass of a thousand mountains."
(3) It has been held by some that the wild bull was referred to. This was the opinion particularly of Sanctius.
(4) The common opinion, until the time of Bochart, has been that the elephant was meant. See the particular authors who have held this opinion enumerated in Schultens.
(5) Bochart maintained, and since his time the opinion has been generally acquiesced in, that the "riverhorse"of the Nile, or the hippopotamus, was referred to. This opinion he has defended at length in the "Hieroz."P. ii. L. v. c. xv.
(6) Others have held that some "hieroglyphic monster"was referred to, or that the whole description was an emblematic representation, though without any living original. Among those who have held this sentiment, some have supposed that it is designed to be emblematic of the old Serpent; others, of the corrupt and fallen nature of man; others, that the proud, the cruel, and the bloody are denoted; most of the "fathers"supposed that the devil was here emblematically represented by the behemoth and the leviathan; and one writer has maintained that Christ was referred to!
To these opinions may be added the supposition of Dr. Good, that the behemoth here described is at present a genus altogether extinct, like the mammoth, and other animals that have been discovered in fossil remains. This opinion is also entertained by the author of the article on "Mazology,"in the Edinburgh Encyclopaedia, chiefly for the reason that the description of the "tail"of the behemoth Job 40:17 does not well accord with the hippopotamus. There must be admitted to be some plausibility in this conjecture of Dr. Good, though perhaps I shall be able to show that there is no necessity for resorting to this supposition. The word "behemoth"(
It usually denotes land animals, in opposition to birds or reptiles. See the Lexicons, and Taylor’ s "Hebrew Concordance."It is rendered by Dr. Nordheimer (Heb. Con.) in this place, "hippopotamus."The plural form is often used (compare Deu 32:24; Job 12:7; Jer 12:4; Hab 2:17; Psa 50:10), but in no other instance is it employed as a proper name. Gesenius supposes that under the form of the word used here, there lies concealed some Egyptian name for the hippopotamus, "so modified as to put on the appearance of a Semitic word. Thus, the Ethiopian "
(1) The "place"which the description occupies in the argument. That it is an "aquatic"animal, seems to follow from the plan and structure of the argument. In the two discourses of yahweh Job 38\endash 41, the appeal is made, first, to the phenomena of nature Job 38; then to the beasts of the earth, among whom the "ostrich"is reckoned Job 39:1-25; then to the fowls of the air Job 39:26-30; and then follows the description of the behemoth and the leviathan. It would seem that an argument of this kind would not be constructed without some allusion to the principal wonders of the deep; and the fair presumption, therefore, is, that the reference here is to the principal animals of the aquatic race. The argument in regard to the nature of the animal from the "place"which the description occupies, seems to be confirmed by the fact that the account of the behemoth is immediately followed by that of the leviathan - beyond all question an aquatic monster. As they are here grouped together in the argument, it is probable that they belong to the same class; and if by the leviathan is meant the "crocodile,"then the presumption is that the river-horse, or the hippopotamus, is here intended. These two animals, as being Egyptian wonders, are everywhere mentioned together by ancient writers; see Herodotus, ii. 69-71; Diod. Sic. i. 35; and Pliny, "Hist. Nat."xxviii. 8.
(2) The character of the animal may be determined from the "particular things"specified. Those are the following:
(a) It is an amphibious animal, or an animal whose usual resort is the river, though he is occasionally on land. This is evident, because he is mentioned as lying under the covert of the reed and the fens; as abiding in marshy places, or among the willows of the brook, Job 40:21-22, while at other times he is on the mountains, or among other animals, and feeds on grass like the ox, Job 40:15, Job 40:20. This account would not agree well with the elephant, whose residence is not among marshes and fens, but on solid ground.
(b) He is not a carnivorous animal. This is apparent, for it is expressly mentioned that he feeds on grass, and no allusion is made to his at any time eating flesh, Job 40:15, Job 40:20. This part of the description would agree with the elephant as well as with the hippopotamus.
© His strength is in his loins, and in the navel of his belly, Job 40:16. This would agree with the hippopotamus, whose belly is equally guarded by his thick skin with the rest of his body, but is not true of the elephant. The strength of the elephant is in his head and neck, and his weakest part, the part where he can be most successfully attacked, is his belly. There the skin is thin and tender, and it is there that the rhinoceros attacks him, and that he is even annoyed by insects. Pliny, Lib. viii. c. 20; Aelian, Lib. xvii. c. 44; compare the notes at Job 40:16.
(d) He is distinguished for some unique movement of his tail - some slow and stately motion, or a certain "inflexibility"of the tail, like a cedar. This will agree with the account of the hippopotamus; see the notes at Job 40:17.
(e) He is remarkable for the strength of his bones, Job 40:18,
(f) He is remarkable for the quantity of water which he drinks at a time, Job 40:23; and
(g) he has the power of forcing his way, chiefly by the strength of his nose, through snares by which it is attempted to take him, Job 40:24.
These characteristics agree better with the hippopotamus than with any other known animal; and at present critics, with few exceptions, agree in the opinion that this is the animal which is referred to. As additional reasons for supposing that the "elephant"is not referred to, we may add:
(1) that there is no allusion to the proboscis of the elephant, a part of the animal that could not have failed to be alluded to if the description had pertained to him; and
(2) that the elephant was wholly unknown in Arabia and Egypt.
The hippopotamus
The appearance of the animal, when on land, is represented as very uncouth, the body being very large, flat, and round, the head enormously large in proportion, the feet as disproportionably short, and the armament of teeth in its mouth truly formidable. The length of a male has been known to be seventeen feet, the height seven, and the circumference fifteen; the head three feet and a half, and the mouth about two feet in width. Mr. Bruce mentions some in the lake Tzana that were twenty feet in length. The whole animal is covered with short hair, which is more thickly set on the under than the upper parts. The general color of the animal is brownish. The skin is exceedingly tough and strong, and was used by the ancient Egyptians for the manufacture of shields. They are timid and sluggish on land, and when pursued they betake themselves to the water, plunge in, and walk on the bottom, though often compelled to rise to the surface to take in fresh air.
In the day-time they are so much afraid of being discovered, that when they rise for the purpose of breathing, they only put their noses out of the water; but in rivers that are unfrequented, by mankind they put out the whole head. In shallow rivers they make deep holes in the bottom to conceal their bulk. They are eaten with avidity by the inhabitants of Africa. The following account of the capture of a hippopotamus serves greatly to elucidate the description in the book of Job, and to show its correctness, even in those points which have formerly been regarded as poetical exaggerations. It is translated from the travels of M. Kuppell, the German naturalist, who visited Upper Egypt, and the countries still further up the Nile, and is the latest traveler in those regions ("Reisen in Nubia, Kordofan, etc.,"Frankf. 1829, pp. 52ff). "In the province of Dongola, the fishermen and hippopotamus hunters form a distinct class or caste; and are called in the Berber language Hauauit (pronounced "Howowit.") They make use of a small canoe, formed from a single tree, about ten feet long, and capable of carrying two, and at most three men.
The harpoon which they use in hunting the hippopotamus has a strong barb just back of the blade or sharp edge; above this a long and strong cord is fastened to the iron, and to the other end of this cord a block of light wood, to serve as a buoy, and aid in tracing out and following the animal when struck. The iron is then slightly fastened upon a wooden handle, or lance, about eight feet long. The hunters of the hippopotamus harpoon their prey either by day or by night; but they prefer the former, because they can then better parry the ferocious assaults of the enraged animal. The hunter takes in his right hand the handle of the harpoon, with a part of the cord; in his left the remainder of the cord, with the buoy. In this manner he cautiously approaches the creature as it sleeps by day upon a small island, or he watches at night for those parts of the shore where he hopes the animal will come up out of the water, in order to feed in the fields of grain.
When he has gained the desired distance (about seven paces), he throws the lance with his full strength; and the harpoon, in order to hold, must penetrate the thick hide and into the flesh. The wounded beast conmmonly makes for the water, and plunges beneath it in order to conceal himself; the handle of the harpoon falls off, but the buoy swims, and indicates the direction which the animal takes. The harpooning of the hippopotamus is attended with great danger, when the hunter is perceived by the animal before he has thrown the harpoon. In such cases the beast sometimes rushes, enraged, upon his assailant, and crushes him at once between his wide and formidable jaws - an occurrence that once took place during our residence near Shendi. Sometimes the most harmless objects excite the rage of this animal; thus; in the region of Amera, a hippopotamus once craunched in the same way, several cattle that were fastened to a water-wheel.
So soon as the animal has been successfully struck, the hunters hasten in their canoe cautiously to approach the buoy, to which they fasten a long rope; with the other end of this they proceed to a largo boat or bark, on board of which are their companions. The rope is now drawn in; the pain thus occasioned by the barb of the harpoon excites the rage of the animal, and he no sooner perceives the bark, than he rushes upon it; seizes it, if possible, with his teeth; and sometimes succeeds in shattering it, or oversetting it. The hunters, in the meantime, are not idle; they fasten five or six other harpoons in his flesh, and exert all their strength, by means of the cords of these, to keep him close alongside of the bark, in order thus to diminish, in some measure, the effects of his violence. They endeavor, with a long sharp iron, to divide the "ligamentum lugi," or to beat in the skull - the usual modes in which the natives kill this animal.
Since the carcass of a fullgrown hippopotamus is too large to be drawn out of the water without quite a number of men, they commonly cut up the animal, when killed, in the water, and draw the pieces ashore. In the whole Turkish province of Dongola, there are only one or two hippopotami killed annually. In the years 1821-23, inclusive, there were nine killed, four of which were killed by us. The flesh of the young animal is very good eating; when full grown, they are usually very fat, and their carcass is commonly estimated as equal to four or five oxen. The hide is used only for making whips, which are excellent; and one hide furnishes from three hundred and fifty to five hundred of them. The teeth are not used. One of the hippopotami which we killed was a very old male, and seemed to have reached his utmost growth. He measured, from the snout to the end of the tail, about fifteen feet, and his tusks, from the root to the point, along the external curve, twenty-eight inches.
In order to kill him, we had a battle with him of four hours long, and that too in the night. Indeed, he came very near destroying our large bark, and with it, perhaps, all our lives. The moment he saw the hunters in the small canoe, as they were about to fasten the long rope to the buoy, in order to draw him in, he threw himself with one rush upon it, dragged it with him under water, and shattered it to pieces. The two hunters escaped the extreme danger with great difficulty. Out of twenty-five musketballs which were fired into the monster’ s head, at the distance of five feet, only one penetrated the hide and the bones near the nose; so that every time he breathed he snorted streams of blood upon the bark. All the other balls remained sticking in the thickness of his hide. We had at last to employ a small cannon, the use of which at so short a distance had not before entered our minds; but it was only after five of its balls, fired at the distance of a few feet, had mangled, most shockingly, the head and body of the monster, that he gave up the ghost.
The darkness of the night augmented the horrors and dangers of the contest. This gigantic hippopotamus dragged our large bark at will in every direction of the stream; and it was in a fortunate moment for us that he yielded, just as he had drawn the bark among a labyrinth of rocks, which might have been so much the more dangerous, because, from the great confusion on board, no one had observed them. Hippopotami of the size of the one above described cannot be killed by the natives, for want of a cannon. These animals are a real plague to the land, in consequence of their voraciousness. The inhabitants have no permanent means of keeping them away from their fields and plantations; all that they do is to make a noise during the night with a drum, and to keep up fires in different places. In some parts the hippopotami are so bold that they will yield up their pastures, or places of feeding, only when a large number of persons come rushing upon them with sticks and loud cries."
The method of taking the hippopotamus by the Egyptians was the following: "It was entangled by a running noose, at the extremity of a long line wound upon a reel, at the same time that it was struck by the spear of the chasseur. This weapon consisted of a broad, flat blade, furnished with a deep tooth or barb at the side, having a strong rope of considerable length attached to its upper end, and running over the notched summit of a wooden shaft, which was inserted into the head or blade, like a common javelin. It was thrown in the same manner, but on striking, the shaft fell and the iron head alone remained in the body of the animal, which, on receiving the wound, plunged into deep water, the rope having been immediately let out. When fatigued by exertion, the hippopotamus was dragged to the boat, from which it again plunged, and the same was repeated until it became perfectly exhausted: frequently receiving additional wounds, and being entangled by other nooses, which the attendants held in readiness, as it was brought within their reach."Wilkinson’ s "Manners and Customs of the Ancient Egyptians,"vol. iii. pp. 70, 71.
Which I made with thee - That is, either "I have made him as well as you, have formed him to be a fellow-creature with thee,"or, "I have made him near thee "- to wit, in Egypt. The latter Bochart supposes to be the true interpretation, though the former is the more natural. According to that, the meaning is, that God was the Creator of both; and he calls on Job to contemplate the power and greatness of a fellow-creature, though a brute, as illustrating his own power and majesty. The annexed engraving - the figures drawn from the living animal - shows the general appearance of the massive and unwieldy hippopotamus. The huge head of the animal, from the prominency of its eyes, the great breadth of its muzzle, and the singular way in which the jaw is placed in the head, is almost grotesque in its ugliness. When it opens its jaws its enormously large mouth and tongue, pinkish and fleshy, and armed with tusks of most formidable character, is particularly striking. In the engraving hippopotami are represented as on a river bank asleep, and in the water, only the upper part of the head appearing above the surface, and an old animal is conveying her young one on her back down the stream.
He eateth grass as an ox - This is mentioned as a remarkable property of this animal. The "reasons"why it was regarded as so remarkable may have been:
(1) that it might have been supposed that an animal so huge and fierce, and armed with such a set of teeth, would be carnivorous, like the lion or the tiger; and
(2) it was remarkable that an animal that commonly lived in the water should be graminivorous, as if it were wholly a land animal.
The common food of the hippopotamus is "fish."In the water they pursue their prey with great swiftness and perseverance. They swim with much force, and are capable of remaining at the bottom of a river for thirty or forty minutes. On some occasions three or four of them are seen at the bottom of a river, near some cataract, forming a kind of line, and seizing upon such fish as are forced down by the violence of the stream. "Goldsmith."But it often happens that this kind of food is not found in suffient abundance, and the animal is then forced on land, where it commits great depredations among plantations of sugar cane and grain. The fact here adverted to, that the food of the hippopotamus is grass or herbs, is also mentioned by Diodorus -
Barnes: Job 40:16 - -- Lo now, his strength is in his loins - The inspection of the figure of the hippopotamus will show the accuracy of this. The strength of the ele...
Lo now, his strength is in his loins - The inspection of the figure of the hippopotamus will show the accuracy of this. The strength of the elephant is in the neck; of the lion in the paw; of the horse and ox in the shoulders; but the principal power of the river-horse is in the loins; compare Nah 2:1. This passage is one that proves that the elephant cannot be referred to.
And his force is in the navel of his belly - The word which is here rendered "navel"(
Barnes: Job 40:17 - -- He moveth his tail like a cedar - Margin, "setteth up."The Hebrew word ( חפץ châphêts ) means "to bend, to curve;"and hence, it com...
He moveth his tail like a cedar - Margin, "setteth up."The Hebrew word (
The point of comparison is not the "length,"but the fact of its being easily bent over or curved at the pleasure of the animal. Why this, however, should have been mentioned as remarkable, or how the power of the animal in this respect differs from others, is not very apparent. Some, who have supposed the elephant to be here referred to, have understood this of the proboscis. But though "this would be"a remarkable proof of the power of the animal, the language of the original will not admit of it. The Hebrew word (
The sinews of his stones are wrapped together - Good renders this, "haunches;"Noyes, Prof. Lee, Rosenmuller, and Schultens, "thighs;"and the Septuagint simply has: "his sinews."The Hebrew word used here (
Barnes: Job 40:18 - -- His bones are as strong pieces of brass - The circumstance here adverted to was remarkable, because the common residence of the animal was the ...
His bones are as strong pieces of brass - The circumstance here adverted to was remarkable, because the common residence of the animal was the water, and the bones of aquatic animals are generally hollow, and much less firm than those of land animals. It should be observed here, that the word rendered "brass"in the Scriptures most probably denotes "copper."Brass is a compound metal, composed of copper and zinc; and there is no reason to suppose that the art of compounding it was known at as early a period of the world as the time of Job. The word here translated "strong pieces"(
Barnes: Job 40:19 - -- He is the chief of the ways of God - In size and strength. The word rendered "chief"is used in a similar sense in Num 24:20, "Amalek was the fi...
He is the chief of the ways of God - In size and strength. The word rendered "chief"is used in a similar sense in Num 24:20, "Amalek was the first of the nations;"that is, one of the most powerful and mighty of the nations.
He that made him can make his sword approach unto him - According to this translation, the sense is, that God had power over him, notwithstanding his great strength and size, and could take his life when he pleased. Yet this, though it would be a correct sentiment, does not seem to be that which the connection demands. That would seem to require some allusion to the strength of the animal; and accordingly, the translation suggested by Bochart, and adopted substantially by Rosenmuller, Umbreit, Noyes, Schultens, Prof. Lee, and others, is to be preferred - "He that made him furnished him with a sword."The allusion then would be to his strong, sharp teeth, hearing a resemblance to a sword, and designed either for defense or for the purpose of cutting the long grass on which it fed when on the land. The propriety of this interpretation may be seen vindicated at length in Bochart, "Hieroz."P. ii. Lib. v. c. xv. pp. 766, 762. The
Βόσκει, ἀρούρησιν δὲ κακὴν ἐπιβάλλεται ἍΡΠΗΝ.
On this passage the Scholiast remarks, "The
Barnes: Job 40:20 - -- Surely the mountains bring him forth food - That is, though he lies commonly among the reeds and fens, and is in the water a considerable porti...
Surely the mountains bring him forth food - That is, though he lies commonly among the reeds and fens, and is in the water a considerable portion of his time, yet he also wanders to the mountains, and finds his food there. But the point of the remark here does not seem to be, that the mountains brought forth food for him, but that he gathered it "while all the wild beasts played around him, or sported in his very presence."It was remarkable that an animal so large and mighty, and armed with such a set of teeth, should not be carnivorous, and that the wild beasts on the mountains should continue their sports without danger or alarm in his very presence. This fact could be accounted for partly because the "motions"of the hippopotamus were so very slow and clumsy that the wild beasts had nothing to fear from him, and could easily escape from him if he were disposed to attack them, and partly from the fact that he seems to have "preferred"vegetable food. The hippopotamus is seldom carnivorous, except when driven by extreme hunger, and in no respect is he formed to be a beast of prey. In regard to "the fact"that the hippopotamus is sometimes found in mountainous or elevated places, see Bochart.
Barnes: Job 40:21 - -- He lieth under the shady trees - Referring to his usually inactive and lazy life. He is disposed to lie down in the shade, and especially in th...
He lieth under the shady trees - Referring to his usually inactive and lazy life. He is disposed to lie down in the shade, and especially in the vegetable growth in marshy places on the banks of lakes and rivers, rather than to dwell in the open field or in the upland forest. This account agrees well with the habits of the hippopotamus. The word here and in Job 40:22 rendered "shady trees"(
In the covert of the reed - It is well known that reeds abounded on the banks of the Nile. These would furnish a convenient and a natural retreat for the hippopotamus.
And fens -
Barnes: Job 40:22 - -- The shady trees - Probably the "lote-trees;"see the note at Job 40:21. The same word is used here. The willow-trees of the brook - Of the...
The shady trees - Probably the "lote-trees;"see the note at Job 40:21. The same word is used here.
The willow-trees of the brook - Of the "stream,"or "rivulet."The Hebrew word (
Barnes: Job 40:23 - -- Behold he drinketh up a river - Margin, "oppresseth."The margin expresses the proper meaning of the Hebrew word, עשׁק ‛âshaq . It ...
Behold he drinketh up a river - Margin, "oppresseth."The margin expresses the proper meaning of the Hebrew word,
The "names"by which this translation is recommended are a sufficient guarantee that it is not a departure from the proper meaning of the original. It is also the most natural and obvious interpretation. It is impossible to make good sense of the phrase "he oppresseth a river;"nor does the word used properly admit of the translation "he drinketh up."The word "river"in this place, therefore (
He trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth - Or, rather, "He is confident, i. e. unmoved, though Jordan should rush forth to his mouth."The idea is, that though the whole river Jordan should seem to pour down upon him as "if"it were about to rush into his mouth, it would not disturb him. Even such an impetuous torrent would not alarm him. Being amphibious, he would not dread what would fill a land animal with alarm. There is no evidence that the hippopotamus was ever found in the river Jordan, nor is it necessary to suppose this in order to understand this passage. The mention of the Jordan shows indeed that this river was known to the writer of this book, and that it was probably written by someone who resided in the vicinity. In speaking of this huge foreign animal, it was not unnatural to mention a river that was familiarly known, and to say that he would not be alarmed should such a river rush suddenly and impetuously upon him. Even though the hippopotamus is an inhabitant of the Nile, and was never seen in the Jordan, it was much more natural to mention this river in this connection than the Nile. It was better known, and the illustration would be better understood, and to an inhabitant of that country would be much more striking. I see no reason, therefore, for the supposition of Bechart and Rosenmuller, that the Jordan here is put for any large river. The illustration is just such as one would have used who was well acquainted with the Jordan - that the river horse would not be alarmed even though such a river should pour impetuously upon him.
Barnes: Job 40:24 - -- He taketh it with his eyes - Margin, "Or, will any take him in his sight, or, bore his nose with a gin!"From this marginal reading it is eviden...
He taketh it with his eyes - Margin, "Or, will any take him in his sight, or, bore his nose with a gin!"From this marginal reading it is evident that our translators were much perplexed with this passage. Expositors have been also much embarrassed in regard to its meaning, and have differed much in their exposition. Rosenmuller supposes that this is to be regarded as a question, and is to be rendered, "Will the hunter take him while he sees him?"- meaning that he could not be taken without some snare or guile. The same view also is adopted by Bochart, who says that the hippopotamus could be taken only by some secret snare or pitfall. The common mode of taking him, he says, was to excavate a place near where the river horse usually lay, and to cover it over with reeds and canes, so that he would fall into it unawares. The meaning then is, that the hunter could not approach him openly and secure him while he saw him, but that some secret plan must be adopted to take him. The meaning then is, "Can he be taken when he sees the hunter?"
His nose pierceth through snares - Or rather, "When taken in snares, can anyone pierce his nose?"That is, Can the hunter even then pierce his nose so as to put in a ring or cord, and lead him wherever he pleases? This was the common method by which a wild animal was secured when taken (see the notes at Isa 37:29), but it is here said that this could not be done to this huge animal. He could not be subdued in this manner. He was a wild, untamed and fierce animal, that defied all the usual methods by which wild beasts were made captive. In regard to the difficulty of taking this animal, see the account of the method by which it is now done, in the notes at Job 40:15. That account shows that there is a striking accuracy in the description.
Poole: Job 40:11 - -- Inflict heavy judgements upon thine enemies, the Chaldeans and Sabeans, and others who have injured or provoked thee. Destroy him with an angry look...
Inflict heavy judgements upon thine enemies, the Chaldeans and Sabeans, and others who have injured or provoked thee. Destroy him with an angry look, as I can do and delight to do with such persons.
Poole: Job 40:12 - -- Either,
1. Wheresoever they are. Or,
2. Where they are in their greatest strength and glory, and therefore are most secure and confident. Or,
3. ...
Either,
1. Wheresoever they are. Or,
2. Where they are in their greatest strength and glory, and therefore are most secure and confident. Or,
3. Forthwith, upon the spot, that the quickness and immediateness of the strike may discover that it comes from a Divine hand.
Poole: Job 40:13 - -- Kill every one of them (as he said, Job 40:12 ) at one blow, as I can do, and bring them all to their graves, that they may sleep in the dust, and...
Kill every one of them (as he said, Job 40:12 ) at one blow, as I can do, and bring them all to their graves, that they may sleep in the dust, and never offend thee nor trouble others more.
Bind their faces i.e. condemn or destroy them. He alludes to the manner of covering the faces of condemned persons, Est 7:8 , and of dead men, Joh 11:44 20:7 . See Poole "Job 9:21" .
In secret either in a secret place, bury them in their graves; or secretly, with a secret and invisible stroke, that it may appear it comes from the hand of a God.
Poole: Job 40:14 - -- i.e. That thou art mine equal, and mayst venture to contend with me. But since thou canst do none of these things, it behoves thee to submit to me, ...
i.e. That thou art mine equal, and mayst venture to contend with me. But since thou canst do none of these things, it behoves thee to submit to me, and to acquiesce in my dealings with thee.
Poole: Job 40:15 - -- That some particular beast is designed by this word is evident from Job 40:15 , and from the peculiar characters given to him, which are not common ...
That some particular beast is designed by this word is evident from Job 40:15 , and from the peculiar characters given to him, which are not common to all great beasts. But what it is is matter of some dispute amount the learned. The generality of them are agreed that this is the elephant, and the following leviathan the whale; which being two of the goodliest and vastest creatures which God made, the one of the land, the other of the sea, and withal such to whom the description here given for the most part manifestly agrees, and the like is presumed concerning the rest, may seem to be here intended. And the difficulty of reconciling some few passages to them, may arise either from our ignorance of them, or from the different nature and qualities of creatures of the same general kind in divers parts. But some late and very learned men take the leviathan to be the crocodile, and the behemoth to be a creature called the hippopotamus, which may seem fitly to be joined with the crocodile, both being very well known to Job and his friends, as being frequent in the adjacent parts, both amphibious, living and preying both in the water and upon the land, and both being creatures of great bulk and strength. I shall not undertake to determine the controversy, but shall show how each part of the following description is or may be applied to them severally. And this being no point concerning faith or a good life, every one may take the more liberty to understand the place of one or other of them.
Which I made with thee either,
1. Upon the earth, where thou art, whereas the leviathan is in the sea. Or,
2. As I made thee, for this Hebrew particle is oft used as a note of comparison, as Job 9:26 Psa 143:7 , and elsewhere; in the same manner, and upon the same day. Whereby he may intimate, that being equally the Creator and sovereign Lord, both of Job, and of this behemoth, he had equal right to dispose of them in such manner as he thought meet. Or, ( nigh , as the particle oft signifies,) unto thee , i.e. in a place not far from thee, to wit, in the river Nile, where the hippopotamus, as well as the crocodile, doth principally abide. But although those creatures were now in the river, yet they were made elsewhere, even where the first man was made. He eateth grass as an ox : This is mentioned as a thing strange and remarkable, as indeed it is; either,
1. Of the elephant, in which God hath wisely and mercifully planted this disposition, that he should not prey upon other creatures, which if he had, being so strong and vast a creature, he must needs have been very pernicious to them, but feed upon grass as an ox doth. Or,
2. Of the hippopotamus; of whom historians relate that he comes out of the river upon the land to feed upon corn, and hay, or grass, as an ox doth, to whom also he is not unlike in the forth of his head and feet, and in the bigness of his body, whence the Italians call him the sea ox .
Poole: Job 40:16 - -- He hath strength answerable to his bulk, but this strength by God’ s wise and merciful providence is not an offensive strength, consisting in o...
He hath strength answerable to his bulk, but this strength by God’ s wise and merciful providence is not an offensive strength, consisting in or put forth by horns or claws, as it is in ravenous creatures; but only defensive, and seated in his loins, as it is in other creatures, whereby he is rendered more serviceable to men by the carrying of vast burdens.
His force is in the navel of his belly which though in the elephant it be weaker than his loins, whence the rhinoceros fighting with him aims at that part; yet hath a more than ordinary strength in it, as appears by the binding of the heaviest burdens under and about it. This also agrees to the hippopotamus in an eminent degree, whose whole skin is noted by ancient writers to be harder than any other creature’ s, and almost impenetrable.
Poole: Job 40:17 - -- He moveth his tail which though it be but short, both in the elephant and in the hippopotamus, yet when it is erected is exceeding stiff and strong. ...
He moveth his tail which though it be but short, both in the elephant and in the hippopotamus, yet when it is erected is exceeding stiff and strong. But this may be understood, either,
1. Of his generative part, which is off called by that or the like name, which the following close of the verse may seem to favour. Or,
2. Of the elephant’ s trunk, which being so eminent and remarkable a part, would not probably be omitted in this description, to which these words very fitly agree, because of its admirable motion and strength. Nor is it strange that this is called his tail, because that word is oft used improperly for any end of a thing, as Isa 7:4 . See also Deu 25:18 28:13,44 .
The sinews of his stones: this may be noted, because the elephant’ s testicles do not hang down below the belly, as they do in other beasts, but are contained within his belly, where they are fastened by ligaments of extraordinary strength. Or, the sinews of the terror thereof , to wit, of the trunk last mentioned, under the name of the
tail i.e. its terrible sinews are strongly and strangely wrapped together, that he can move it as he listeth with wonderful dexterity and strength. Or,
the sinews of his thighs as the latter word oft signifies in the Arabic tongue, which is very near akin to the Hebrew. The thighs and feet of the hippopotamus are noted to be so sinewy and strong, that one of them is able to break or overturn a large boat.
Poole: Job 40:18 - -- His bones under which title are comprehended his ribs (as the LXX here render it) and his teeth.
As strong pieces of brass exceeding hard and stron...
His bones under which title are comprehended his ribs (as the LXX here render it) and his teeth.
As strong pieces of brass exceeding hard and strong, as they are in both these creature.
Poole: Job 40:19 - -- Of the ways of God i.e. of God’ s works, to wit, of that sort, or among living and brute creatures. This is eminently and unquestionably true of...
Of the ways of God i.e. of God’ s works, to wit, of that sort, or among living and brute creatures. This is eminently and unquestionably true of the elephant, in regard of his vast bulk and strength, joined with great activity, and especially of his admirable sagacity and aptness to learn, and of his singular usefulness to mankind, his lord and master, and God’ s vicegerent in the world, and many other commendable qualities. And the hippopotamus also is in some sort, as others note, the chief, or one of the chief, of God’ s works, in regard of its great bulk, and strength, and sagacity, and the manner of his living, both in the water and upon the land. But it must be granted that the elephant doth exceed the hippopotamus in many things.
Though he be so strong and terrible, yet God can easily subdue and destroy him, either immediately, or by arming other creatures, as the rhinoceros, or dragon, or tiger, against him. Or, he that made him hath applied or given to him his sword , or arms , to wit, his trunk, which may not unfitly be called his sword, because thereby he doth both defend himself and offend his enemies. And this trunk of his being a thing very observable and admirable in him, and therefore not likely to be neglected in his description, if it were not intended by his tail , Job 40:17 , may seem to be designed in these words.
Poole: Job 40:20 - -- Though this creature be vastly great, and require much food, and no man careth for it; yet God provides for it out of his own stores, and makes even...
Though this creature be vastly great, and require much food, and no man careth for it; yet God provides for it out of his own stores, and makes even desert mountains to afford him sufficient sustenance. The hippopotamus also, though he live most in the water, fetched his food from the land, and from the mountains or hills, which are nigh unto the river Nile.
Where all the beasts of the field play they not only feed securely, but sport themselves by him or with him, being taught by experience that he is gentle and harmless, and never preys upon them.
Poole: Job 40:21 - -- The elephant lies down to rest himself; and it is but fabulous which some writers affirm, that they have no joints in their legs, and so cannot lie ...
The elephant lies down to rest himself; and it is but fabulous which some writers affirm, that they have no joints in their legs, and so cannot lie down, but sleep or rest themselves standing or leaning against a tree; which is denied and confuted by Aristotle in his History of Living Creatures, 2, 4. and by later writers. For the elephant, being a creature naturally hot, and living generally in hot countries, diligently seeks for and delights in shady and waterish places, as is noted by Aristotle, and after him by Pliny and
Poole: Job 40:22 - -- Of the brook or, of Nilus , of which this word is oft used in Scripture. And this seems to be the chief argument by which the learned Bochart proves...
Of the brook or, of Nilus , of which this word is oft used in Scripture. And this seems to be the chief argument by which the learned Bochart proves this to be meant of the hippopotamus, whose constant residence is in or near the river of Nilus, or the willows that grow by it. But it is well alleged by our learned and judicious Caryl, that this word Naal is never used to express Nilus when it is put by itself, as here it is, but only where the word Egypt is added to it, as it is in all the places which Bochart produceth. And this very phrase,
the willows of the brook is used of other brooks or rivers besides Nilus, as Lev 23:40 : compare Isa 15:7 .
Poole: Job 40:23 - -- He drinketh up or, he snatcheth , or draweth , or drinketh up as it were with force and violence, as the word signifies.
A river i.e. a great qua...
He drinketh up or, he snatcheth , or draweth , or drinketh up as it were with force and violence, as the word signifies.
A river i.e. a great quantity of water, hyperbolically called a river, as it is also Psa 78:16 105:41 . This may be fitly applied to the elephant, which because of its great bulk and vehement thirst drinks a great deal of water at one draught, as naturalists and historians have observed.
Hasteth not he drinks not with fear and caution, and sparingly, as the dogs do at Nilus, for fear of the crocodile; but such is his courage and self-confidence, that he fears no enemy, either by water or by land, but drinketh securely and liberally.
He trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth he drinks as if he designed, or hoped, or desired to drink up the whole river. He mentions Jordan, either as a river well known in and nigh unto Job’ s land; or because possibly there were many elephants which used to drink at it; or as a river in some parts of it but small, which therefore might give more colour to the hyperbole, and to the elephant’ s fancy or expectation, than a vaster river, such as Euphrates, would have done. Bochart expounds this also of the hippopotamus, which though he cannot swim, and may be drowned, as naturalists report, yet will continue securely under water at the bottom of Nilus for some days together; and he renders the verse thus, Behold, if a river oppress or cover him, he fears not; he is confident or secure, though Jordan (which is here put for any river) should break forth or overflow above his mouth , i.e. should overwhelm him. But the judgment of this I leave to the reader.
Poole: Job 40:24 - -- According to this translation the sense is this, He taketh, or snatcheth, or draweth up (as was now said, Job 40:23 )
it (to wit, the river Jord...
According to this translation the sense is this, He taketh, or snatcheth, or draweth up (as was now said, Job 40:23 )
it (to wit, the river Jordan) with his eyes, i.e. when he sees it, he trusteth that he can drink it all up; as we use to say, The eye is bigger than the belly: his nose or snout pierceth , &c., i.e. he securely thrusteth his snout into the river, even to the bottom of it, to stir up the mud, because he delights to drink muddy water; and if there be any snares laid for other creatures, he breaks them to pieces. But this verse is otherwise translated by others. Will or can any man take him in his eyes , (i.e. openly, and by manifest force? Surely no. His force and strength is too great for man to resist or overcome; and therefore men are forced to use many wiles and engines to catch him; which is true both of the elephant and of the hippopotamus,) or pierce his nose with snares or gins ? No. He may be taken by art and cunning, but not by violence.
Haydock: Job 40:11 - -- Loins. The towers were fastened here by an iron chain. ---
Belly. Yet it is nowhere so easily wounded, 1 Machabees vi. 45. (Pliny, viii. 20.) --...
Loins. The towers were fastened here by an iron chain. ---
Belly. Yet it is nowhere so easily wounded, 1 Machabees vi. 45. (Pliny, viii. 20.) ---
Hence some would translate Hebrew, "and its pain in the belly," (Calmet) as it is only subject to an inflammation and flux; profluvium alvi. (Pliny) (Ælian xvii. 44.) ---
But the original rather denotes the parts of generation, which lie concealed, (Aristotle, anim. ii. 1., and v. 2.) and are styled the strength, Genesis xlix. 3., and Deuteronomy xxi. 17.
Haydock: Job 40:12 - -- Tail, which is very small, and without hair. (Calmet) ---
Vavassor rather thinks "the trunk" is meant. (Du Hamel)
Tail, which is very small, and without hair. (Calmet) ---
Vavassor rather thinks "the trunk" is meant. (Du Hamel)
Haydock: Job 40:13 - -- Gristle. Hebrew again, "bones." (Calmet) ---
Septuagint, "back-bone, like cast iron."
Gristle. Hebrew again, "bones." (Calmet) ---
Septuagint, "back-bone, like cast iron."
Haydock: Job 40:14 - -- Beginning, or prince. (Haydock) ---
The elephant may be considered as the king of beasts for strength, agility, gratitude, longevity, &c. None app...
Beginning, or prince. (Haydock) ---
The elephant may be considered as the king of beasts for strength, agility, gratitude, longevity, &c. None approaches so near to man. (Pliny viii. 1.; Calmet; Lipsius, 1 ep. 50.; Amama) ---
Sword; which is the rhinoceros, killing the elephant under the belly with its horn; (Pliny viii. 20.; Grotius) or God seems to have entrusted his sword to the elephant, for the destruction of his enemies. Nothing can withstand its fury, as it overturns houses and trees with its trunk. (Junius) (Calmet)
Haydock: Job 40:15 - -- Play. No animal is of a milder nature. It never attacks, unless in its own defence. When a crowd of other beasts obstruct its passage, it removes ...
Play. No animal is of a milder nature. It never attacks, unless in its own defence. When a crowd of other beasts obstruct its passage, it removes them quietly with its proboscis. (Pliny vi. 9., &c.)
Haydock: Job 40:16 - -- Places, insomuch that Ælian (iv. 24.) styles it a "beast of the marshes." It is fabulous that it is forced to sleep against a tree, as if it could ...
Places, insomuch that Ælian (iv. 24.) styles it a "beast of the marshes." It is fabulous that it is forced to sleep against a tree, as if it could not rise without much difficulty. (Calmet) ---
Septuagint, ( 14 ) "This is the beginning or chief ( Greek: arche ) of the creation of the Lord, being made for his angels to play with, or beat. Departing to the craggy rock, it has made sport for the quadrupeds in the field. It sleepeth under all sorts of trees; near the reed and papyrus, and the boutomon, or ox-herb." (Haydock)
Haydock: Job 40:18 - -- Wonder. Hebrew, "make haste," taking time to render it muddy. (Ælian xiv. 44.) ---
It can drink a great deal at once, and then abstain for a week...
Wonder. Hebrew, "make haste," taking time to render it muddy. (Ælian xiv. 44.) ---
It can drink a great deal at once, and then abstain for a week. (Calmet) ---
Run. Hebrew, "he may draw." Septuagint, "may knock at his mouth," (Haydock) in vain, (Calmet) as long as it can breathe by holding by holding its trunk out of the water. (Aristotle ix. 46.) ---
Theo.[Theodotion?] in the Septuagint, "If there should be an inundation, it shall not perceive. It confideth that, or when, the Jordan shall knock at its mouth. He shall take it by its eye; saying snares, he shall bore [ its ] nose." (Haydock)
Haydock: Job 40:19 - -- Stakes. Serpents attack the eyes of the elephant, and sometimes drag it by the trunk into the deep, where it is drowned. (Pliny viii. 12.; Solin xx...
Stakes. Serpents attack the eyes of the elephant, and sometimes drag it by the trunk into the deep, where it is drowned. (Pliny viii. 12.; Solin xxxviii.) ---
Others read with an interrogation: "Shall one take?" &c. Will any one dare to attack it openly? The elephant is taken by stratagem, either in pits covered with a little earth, or by a tame elephant in an inclosure, and (Calmet) lying on her hack to receive the male. (Aristotle, anim. v. 2.) ---
When he has entered, the gate is shut, and the animal is tamed by hunger; being thus taken by his eyes, Judith x. 17. Chaldean, "They pierce his nostrils with bands." Thus other animals are led about, (ver. 21) and the elephant might be so treated in those days; though of this we have no account. (Calmet) ---
Protestants, "his nose pierceth through snares;" or marginal note, "will any bore his nose with a gin?" Here they conclude this chapter, which commences chap. xxxix. 31., in Hebrew. But the Septuagint agree with us. (Haydock)
Haydock: Job 40:20 - -- Leviathan: the whale, or some sea monster. (Challoner) ---
Protestants' marginal note, "or a whirlpool." (Haydock) ---
But some animal is designa...
Leviathan: the whale, or some sea monster. (Challoner) ---
Protestants' marginal note, "or a whirlpool." (Haydock) ---
But some animal is designated; and Bochart understands the crocodile, which agrees very well with the context. The Thalmudists also say that the calbish is a small fish, which gets into the throat of the leviathan. They mean probably the ichneumon, which kills the crocodile by that means. Leviathan, "the winding serpent," (Calmet) often denotes the dragon or crocodile, (Psalm ciii. 26., and Isaias xxvii. 1.) which frequents the Nile. (Haydock) ---
It can live as well by land as under water, (Watson, p. 293) and hence may be translated, (Haydock) "the coupled dragon." (Parkhurst) ---
Moses mentions the choled, (Leviticus xi. 29.) which the Septuagint and most others translate, "the land crocodile:" but what could induce the Protestants "to render it tortoise, we are at a loss to determine." Crocodiles lay about sixty eggs, like those of geese, in the sand, the warmth of which soon hatches them. Their bodies are covered with scales, which are scarcely penetrable, except under the belly; and they are between twenty and thirty feet in length, running very fast, straight forward, though their feet be short, and they cannot turn easily. The have several rows of sharp teeth, which enter one within another, and their throat is very wide. (Button.) ---
The same word may however denote whales, (Parkhurst) which are the greatest fishes with which man is acquainted. (Haydock) ---
They may also be styled coupled dragons, because many smaller fishes accompany them, and they are well protected by scales, &c. (Menochius) ---
This huge fish, perhaps the whale, representing the devil, is subject to God. (Worthington) ---
Cord. The crocodile may be taken, but with the utmost hazard; though the Tentyrites attacked it without fear, chap. iii. 8. Herodotus (ii. 70.) says it may be caught with a hook, baited with hog's flesh, while the fisher has a pig grunting, at which the crocodile come open-mouthed. Having swallowed the hook, it is drawn to land, and its small eyes being filled with dirt it is easily slain. But the method was not yet invented, or was deemed too rash in Job's days.
Haydock: Job 40:21 - -- Buckle. Literally, "bracelet," ( armilla. ; Haydock) or ring. Horses were thus ornamented, (Virgil vii. 7.) and other beasts led about. But this f...
Buckle. Literally, "bracelet," ( armilla. ; Haydock) or ring. Horses were thus ornamented, (Virgil vii. 7.) and other beasts led about. But this fierce animal could not be tamed. Hebrew, "Wilt thou put a rush through its gills, or nose, or pierce its jaw with a thorn?" like those little fishes which are thus brought fresh to market. (Calmet)
Will it lay aside its ferocity, (Haydock) and flatter thee? (Menochius)
Haydock: Job 40:24 - -- Handmaids? or little girls. (Calmet) Septuagint, "Wilt thou tie it like a sparrow for thy boy?" (Haydock)
Handmaids? or little girls. (Calmet) Septuagint, "Wilt thou tie it like a sparrow for thy boy?" (Haydock)
Gill: Job 40:11 - -- Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath,.... Work thyself up into a passion, at least seemingly; put on all the airs of a wrathful and enraged king on a thr...
Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath,.... Work thyself up into a passion, at least seemingly; put on all the airs of a wrathful and enraged king on a throne of state, whose wrath is like the roaring of a lion, and as messengers of death; pour out menaces plentifully, threatening what thou wilt do; and try if by such means thou canst humble the spirit of a proud man, as follows;
and behold everyone that is proud, and abase him; look sternly at him, put on a fierce, furious, and menacing countenance, and see if thou canst dash a proud man out of countenance, and humble him before thee, as I am able; among the many instances of divine power the Lord settles upon this one, and proposes it to Job to try his skill and power upon, the humbling of a proud man.
Gill: Job 40:12 - -- Look on everyone that is proud, and bring him low,.... As the Lord often does; see Isa 2:11; this is the same as before;
and tread down the wicke...
Look on everyone that is proud, and bring him low,.... As the Lord often does; see Isa 2:11; this is the same as before;
and tread down the wicked in their place; the same with the proud, for pride makes men wicked; it is a sin, and very odious in the sight of God, and is highly resented by him; he resists the proud: now Job is bid, when he has brought proud men low, and laid their honour in the dust, to keep them there, to trample upon them, and tread them as mire in the street; and that in their own place, or wherever he should find them; the Septuagint render it "immediately"; see Isa 28:3.
Gill: Job 40:13 - -- Hide them in the dust together,.... Either in the dust of death, that they may be seen no more in this world, in the same place and circumstances wher...
Hide them in the dust together,.... Either in the dust of death, that they may be seen no more in this world, in the same place and circumstances where they showed their pride and haughtiness; or in the dust of the grave, and let them have an inglorious burial, like that of malefactors thrown into some common pit together; as, when multitudes are slain in battle, a large pit is dug, and the bodies are cast in together without any order or decency; or it may be rendered "alike" b, let them be treated equally alike, no preference given to one above another;
and bind their faces in secret; alluding, as it is thought, to malefactors when condemned and about to be executed, whose faces are then covered, as Haman's was, Est 7:8; or to the dead when buried, whose faces are bound with napkins, as Lazarus's was, Joh 11:44; the meaning of all these expressions is, that Job would abase and destroy, if he could, every proud man he met with, as God does, in the course of his providence, sooner or later. There had been instances of divine power in this way before, or in the times of Job, which might come to his knowledge; as the casting down of the proud angels out of heaven, 2Pe 2:4; and of casting proud Adam out of paradise, Gen 3:24; the drowning the proud giants of the old world, Gen 7:23; and of dispersing the proud builders of Babel, Gen 11:8; and of destroying Sodom and Gomorrah by fire, Gen 19:24, one of whose reigning sins was pride, Eze 16:49; and of drowning proud Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea, Exo 15:4, which last seems to have been done much about the time Job lived.
Gill: Job 40:14 - -- Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee. From all his enemies temporal and spiritual, and out of all evils and cala...
Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee. From all his enemies temporal and spiritual, and out of all evils and calamities whatsoever; and that he stood in no need of his help and assistance, yea, that he was a match for him, and might be allowed to contend with him; but whereas he was not able to do the above things proposed to him, it could not be admitted that his own right hand could save him; and therefore ought quietly to submit to the sovereignty of God over him, and to all the dispensations of his providence, and be humbled under his mighty hand, since no hand but his could save him; as no man's right hand can save him from temporal evils and enemies, and much less from spiritual ones, or with an everlasting salvation; nor any works of righteousness done by him, only the arm of the Lord has wrought salvation, and his right hand only supports and saves. Two instances are given in this and the following chapter, the one of a land animal, the other of a sea animal, as is generally supposed; or it may be of amphibious ones, that live both on land and water.
Gill: Job 40:15 - -- Behold, now behemoth,.... The word is plural, and signifies beasts, and may be used to denote the chiefest and largest of beasts, and therefore is com...
Behold, now behemoth,.... The word is plural, and signifies beasts, and may be used to denote the chiefest and largest of beasts, and therefore is commonly understood of the elephant; and certain it is that a single beast is described in the following account, and so the word is rendered, Psa 73:22; The word is here rendered by the Septuagint
which I made with thee; or as well as thee; it being equally the work of my hands, a creature as thou art: or made on the continent, as than art, so Aben Ezra; and made on the same day man was made; which those observe, who understand it of the elephant; or, which cometh nearest to thee, the elephant being, as Pliny k says, the nearest to man in sense; and no beast more prudent, as Cicero l affirms. But the above learned writer, who interprets it of the river horse, takes the meaning of this phrase to be; that it was a creature in Job's neighbourhood, an inhabitant of the river Nile in Egypt, to which Arabia joined, where Job lived; which is testified by many writers m: and therefore it is thought more probable that a creature near at hand, and known should be instanced in, and not one that it may be was never seen nor known by Job. But both Diodorus Siculus n and Strabo o speak of herds of elephants in Arabia, and of that as abounding: with them; and of various places called from them, and the hunting of them, and even of men from eating them;
he eateth grass as an one; which is true both of the elephant and of the river horse: that a land animal should eat grass is not so wonderful; but that a creature who lives in the water should come out of it and eat grass is very strange and worthy of admiration, it is observed: and that the river horse feeds in corn fields and on grass many writers p assure us; yea, in the river it feeds not on fishes, but on the roots of the water lily, which fishermen therefore use to bait their hooks with to take it. Nor is it unlike an ox in its shape, and in some parts of its body: hence the Italians call it "bomaris", the "sea ox"; but it is double the size of an ox q. Olaus Magnus r speaks of a sea horse, found between Britain and Norway; which has the head of a horse, and neighs like one; has cloven feet with hoofs like a cow; and seeks its food both in the sea and on the land, and grows to the bigness of an ox, and has a forked tail like a fish.
(See Definition for 0930. Editor)
Gill: Job 40:16 - -- Lo now, his strength is in his loins,.... The strength of the elephant is well known, being able to carry a castle on its back, with a number of men ...
Lo now, his strength is in his loins,.... The strength of the elephant is well known, being able to carry a castle on its back, with a number of men therein; but what follows does not seem so well to agree with it;
and his force is in the navel of his belly; since the belly of the elephant is very tender; by means of which the rhinoceros, its enemy, in its fight with it, has the advantage of it, by getting under its belly, and ripping it up with its horn s. In like manner Eleazar the Jew killed one of the elephants of Antiochus, by getting between its legs, and thrusting his sword into its navel t; which fell and killed him with the weight of it. On the other hand, the "river horse" is covered with a skin all over, the hardest and strongest of all creatures u, as not to be pierced with spears or arrows w; and of it dried were made helmets, shields, spears, and polished darts x. That which Monsieur Thevenot y saw had several shot fired at it before it fell, for the bullets hardly pierced through its skin. We made several shot at him, says another traveller z, but to no purpose; for they would glance from him as from a wall. And indeed the elephant is said to have such a hard scaly skin as to resist the spear a: and Pliny b, though he speaks of the hide of the river horse being so thick that spears are made of it; yet of the hide of the elephant, as having targets made of that, which are impenetrable.
Gill: Job 40:17 - -- He moveth his tail like a cedar,.... To which it is compared, not for the length and largeness of it; for the tail both of the elephant and of the riv...
He moveth his tail like a cedar,.... To which it is compared, not for the length and largeness of it; for the tail both of the elephant and of the river horse is short; though Vartomannus c says, the tail of the elephant is like a buffalo's, and is four hands long, and thin of hair: but because of the smoothness, roundness, thickness, and firmness of it; such is the tail of the river horse, being like that of a hog or boar d; which is crooked, twisted, and which it is said to turn back and about at pleasure, as the word used is thought to signify. Aben Ezra interprets it, "maketh to stand": that is, stiff and strong, and firm like a cedar. One writer e speaks of the horse of the Nile, as having a scaly tail; but he seems to confound it with the sea horse. Junius interprets it of its penis, its genital part; to which the Targum in the King's Bible is inclined: and Cicero f says, the ancients used to call that the tail; but that of the elephant, according to Aristotle g, is but small, and not in proportion to the size of its body; and not in sight, and therefore can hardly be thought to be described; though the next clause seems to favour this sense:
the sinews of his stones are wrapped together; if by these are meant the testicles, as some think, so the Targums; the sinews of which were wreathed, implicated and ramified, like branches of trees, as Montanus renders it. Bochart interprets this of the sinews or nerves of the river horse, which having such plenty of them, are exceeding strong; so that, as some report, this creature will with one foot sink a boat h; I have known him open his mouth, says a traveller i, and set one tooth on the gunnel of a boat, and another on the second strake from the keel, more than four feet distant, and there bite a hole through the plank, and sink the boat.
Gill: Job 40:18 - -- His bones are as strong pieces of brass: his bones are as bars of iron. Than which nothing is stronger. The repetition is made for greater illustrat...
His bones are as strong pieces of brass: his bones are as bars of iron. Than which nothing is stronger. The repetition is made for greater illustration and confirmation; but what is said is not applicable to the elephant, whose bones are porous and rimous, light and spongy for the most part, as appears from the osteology k of it; excepting its teeth, which are the ivory; though the teeth of the river horse are said to exceed them in hardness l; and artificers say m they are wrought with greater difficulty than ivory. The ancients, according to Pausanias n, used them instead of it; who relates, that the face of the image of the goddess Cybele was made of them: and Kircher o says, in India they make beads, crucifixes, and statues of saints of them; and that they are as hard or harder than a flint, and fire may be struck out of them. So the teeth of the morss, a creature of the like kind in the northern countries, are valued by the inhabitants as ivory p, for hardness, whiteness, and weight, beyond it, and are dearer and much traded in; See Gill on Job 40:20; but no doubt not the teeth only, but the other bones of the creature in the text are meant.
Gill: Job 40:19 - -- He is the chief of the ways of God,.... Or the beginning of them, that is, of the works of God in creation; which must be restrained to animals, othe...
He is the chief of the ways of God,.... Or the beginning of them, that is, of the works of God in creation; which must be restrained to animals, otherwise there were works wrought before any of them were created. There were none made before the fifth day of the creation, and on that day was the river horse made; in which respect it has the preference to the elephant, not made till the sixth day. But if this phrase is expressive of the superior excellency of behemoth over other works of God, as it seems to be, it must be limited to the kind of which it is; otherwise man is the chief of all God's ways or works, made either on the fifth or sixth day: and so as the elephant may be observed to be the chief of the beasts of the earth, or of land animals, for its largeness and strength, its sagacity, docility, gentleness, and the like; so the river horse may be said to be the chief of its kind, of the aquatic animals, or of the amphibious ones, for the bulk of its body, which is not unlike that of the elephant, as says Diodorus Siculus q; and it has been by some called the Egyptian elephant r; and also from its great sagacity, of which instances are given by some writers s. However, it is one of the chief works of God, or a famous, excellent, and remarkable one, which may be the sense of the expression; see Num 24:20. It might be remarked in favour of the elephant, that it seems to have its name from
he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him; not the sword of God, as if this creature could not be killed by any but by him that made it; for whether the elephant or river horse be understood, they are both to be taken and slain: but the sword of behemoth is that which he himself is furnished with; which some understand of the trunk of the elephant, with which he defends himself and annoys others; but that has no likeness of a sword. Bochart t renders the word by "harpe", which signifies a crooked instrument, sickle or scythe; and interprets it of the teeth of the river horse, which are sharp and long, and bent like a scythe. That which Thevenot u saw had four great teeth in the lower jaw, half a foot long, two whereof were crooked; and one on each side of the jaw; the other two were straight, and of the same length as the crooked, but standing out in the length: see the figure of it in Scheuchzer w; by which it also appears to have six teeth. Another traveller says x, of the teeth of the sea horse, that they are round like a bow, and about sixteen inches long, and in the biggest part more than six inches about: but another relation y agrees more nearly with Thevenot and Scheuchzer; that four of its teeth are longer than the rest, two in the upper jaw, one on each side, and two more in the under; these last are four or five inches long, the other two shorter; with which it mows down the corn and grass in great quantities: so that Diodorus Siculus z observes, that if this animal was very fruitful, and brought forth many young and frequently, the fields in Egypt would be utterly destroyed. This interpretation agrees with what follows.
Gill: Job 40:20 - -- Surely the mountains bring him forth food,.... Grass, which grows on mountains, and is the food of the river horse as well as of the elephant; and the...
Surely the mountains bring him forth food,.... Grass, which grows on mountains, and is the food of the river horse as well as of the elephant; and therefore is furnished with teeth like a scythe to mow it down; and it is not a small quantity that will suffice it, mountains only can supply it; and marvellous it is that a creature bred in a river should come out of it to seek its food on mountains. There is a creature in the northern parts, as in Russia, Greenland, &c. which is called morss and sea morss, and by the description of it is much like the river horse, of the size of an ox, and having an head like one, with two large long teeth standing out of its upper jaw, and an hairy skin a, said to be an inch thick, and so tough that no lance will enter it b; it comes out of the sea, and by its teeth gets up to the tops of mountains, and having fed on grass rolls itself down again into the sea; and this it does by putting its hinder feet to its teeth, and so falls from the mountain with great celerity, as on a sledge c;
where all the beasts of the field play; skip and dance, and delight in each other, being in no fear of behemoth; whether understood of the elephant or river horse; since neither of them are carnivorous creatures that feed on other animals, but on grass only; and therefore the beasts of the field may feed with them quietly and securely. Pliny d says of the elephant, that meeting with cattle in the fields, it will make signs to them not to be afraid of it, and so they will go in company together.
Gill: Job 40:21 - -- He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed,
and fens. This may be thought to agree very well with the river horse, the inhabitant of...
He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed,
and fens. This may be thought to agree very well with the river horse, the inhabitant of the Nile, where reeds in great plenty grew, and adjoining to which were fenny and marshy places, and shady trees; and, as historians relate e, this creature takes its lodging among high reeds, and in shady places; yea, the reeds and sugar canes, and the leaves of the papyrus, are part of the food on which it lives; and hence the hunters of them sometimes cover their bait with a reed to take them; though it must be allowed that the elephant delights to be about rivers, and in clayey and fenny places f, and therefore Aelianus g says it may be called the fenny animal.
Gill: Job 40:22 - -- The shady trees cover him with their shadow,.... Under which it lies, as in Job 40:21; which is thought not so well to agree with the elephant, since...
The shady trees cover him with their shadow,.... Under which it lies, as in Job 40:21; which is thought not so well to agree with the elephant, since, according to Aelianus h and other writers, it lies not down, at least but rarely, but sleeps standing; it being very troublesome to it to lie down and rise up again; and besides it is represented by some authors i as higher than the trees, and therefore this is supposed to agree better with the river horse; especially since it follows,
the willows of the brook compass him about; or the willows of the Nile, as some choose to render it; which would put it out of all doubt that the river horse is intended, if it could be established, it being an inhabitant of that river; and yet the above writer k speaks of elephants, when grown old, seeking large thick and shady woods to take up their abode in.
Gill: Job 40:23 - -- Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not,.... The elephant is indeed a very thirsty animal, and drinks largely; the philosopher l says it drin...
Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not,.... The elephant is indeed a very thirsty animal, and drinks largely; the philosopher l says it drinks nine Macedonian bushels at a feeding, and that it will drink fourteen Macedonian measures of water at once, and eight more at noon; but to drink up a river seems to be too great an hyperbole; wherefore the words may be rendered, "Behold, let a river oppress him", or "bear" ever so hard upon him, and come with the greatest force and pressure on him m, "he hasteth not" to get out of it; or he is not frightened or troubled, as the Targum; which agrees with the river horse, who walks into the river, and proceeds on in it, with the greatest ease and unconcernedness imaginable; now and then lifting up his head above water to take breath, which he can hold a long time; whereas the elephant cannot wade in the water any longer than his trunk is above it, as the philosopher observes n; and Livy o speaks of fear and trembling seizing an elephant, when about to be carried over a river in boats;
he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan in his mouth; so bold and confident he is, and not at all disturbed with its rapidity; or "though Jordan", or rather any descending flowing stream, "gushes into his mouth", so Mr. Broughton: for perhaps Jordan might not be known by Job; nor does it seem to have any connection with the Nile, the seat of the river horse; which has such large holes in its nostrils, and out of which, water being swallowed down, he can throw it with great force. Diodorus Siculus p represents it as lying all day in the water, and employing itself at the bottom of it, easy, careless, and unconcerned.
Gill: Job 40:24 - -- He taketh it with his eyes,.... Or "can men take him before his eyes?" so Mr. Broughton; and others translate it to the same purpose; no, he is not to...
He taketh it with his eyes,.... Or "can men take him before his eyes?" so Mr. Broughton; and others translate it to the same purpose; no, he is not to be taken openly, but privately, by some insidious crafty methods; whether it be understood of the elephant or river horse; elephants, according to Strabo q and Pliny r were taken in pits dug for them, into which they were decoyed; in like manner, according to some s, the river horse is taken; a pit being dug and covered with reeds and sand, it falls into it unawares;
his nose pierceth through snares; he discerns them oftentimes and escapes them, so that he is not easily taken in them. It is reported of the sea morss t, before mentioned; see Gill on Job 40:20, that they ascend mountains in great herds, where, before they give themselves to sleep, to which they are naturally inclined, they appoint one of their number as it were a watchman; who, if he chances to sleep or to be slain by the hunter, the rest may be easily taken; but if the watchman gives warning by roaring as the manner is, the whole herd immediately awake and fall down from the mountains with great swiftness into the sea, as before described; or, as Mr. Broughton, "cannot men take him, to pierce his nose with many snares?" they cannot; the elephant has no nose to be pierced, unless his trunk can be called so, and no hook nor snare can be put into the nose of the river horse. Diodorus Siculus u says, it cannot be taken but by many vessels joining together and surrounding it, and striking it with iron hooks, to one of which ropes are fastened, and so the creature is let go till it expires. The usual way of taking it now is, by baiting the hook with the roots of water lilies, at which it will catch, and swallow the hook with it; and by giving it line enough it will roll and tumble about, until, through loss of blood, it faints and dies. The way invented by Asdrubal for killing elephants was by striking a carpenter's chopping axe into his ear w; the Jews x say a fly is a terror to an elephant, it enters into his nose and torments him grievously.
expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes: Job 40:11 The word was just used in the positive sense of excellence or majesty; now the exalted nature of the person refers to self-exaltation, or pride.
NET Notes: Job 40:12 The expression translated “on the spot” is the prepositional phrase תַּחְתָּם (takht...
NET Notes: Job 40:13 The word is “secret place,” the place where he is to hide them, i.e., the grave. The text uses the word “secret place” as a me...
NET Notes: Job 40:14 The imperfect verb has the nuance of potential imperfect: “can save; is able to save.”
NET Notes: Job 40:15 Heb “with you.” The meaning could be temporal (“when I made you”) – perhaps a reference to the sixth day of creation (Ge...
NET Notes: Job 40:16 In both of these verses הִנֶּה (hinneh, “behold”) has the deictic force (the word is from Greek δ...
NET Notes: Job 40:17 The verb חָפַץ (khafats) occurs only here. It may have the meaning “to make stiff; to make taut” (Arabic). T...
NET Notes: Job 40:19 The literal reading of the MT is “let the one who made him draw near [with] his sword.” The sword is apparently a reference to the teeth o...
NET Notes: Job 40:20 The word בּוּל (bul) probably refers to food. Many take it as an abbreviated form of יְבוּ...
NET Notes: Job 40:24 Ehrlich altered the MT slightly to get “with thorns,” a view accepted by Driver, Dhorme and Pope.
Geneva Bible: Job 40:13 Hide them in the dust together; [and] bind ( c ) their faces in secret.
( c ) Cause them to die if you can.
Geneva Bible: Job 40:14 Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can ( d ) save thee.
( d ) Proving by this that whoever attributes to himself power and ...
Geneva Bible: Job 40:15 Behold now ( e ) behemoth, which I made ( f ) with thee; he eateth ( g ) grass as an ox.
( e ) This beast is thought to be the elephant, or some othe...
Geneva Bible: Job 40:19 ( h ) He [is] the chief of the ways of God: ( i ) he that made him can make his sword to approach [unto him].
( h ) He is one of the chief works of G...
Geneva Bible: Job 40:23 Behold, he drinketh up a river, ( k ) [and] hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth.
( k ) He drinks at leisure, and fears...
expand allCommentary -- Verse Range Notes
TSK Synopsis -> Job 40:1-24
TSK Synopsis: Job 40:1-24 - --1 Job humbles himself to God.6 God stirs him up to shew his righteousness, power, and wisdom.16 Of the behemoth.
MHCC -> Job 40:6-14; Job 40:15-24
MHCC: Job 40:6-14 - --Those who profit by what they have heard from God, shall hear more from him. And those who are truly convinced of sin, yet need to be more thoroughly ...
MHCC: Job 40:15-24 - --God, for the further proving of his own power, describes two vast animals, far exceeding man in bulk and strength. Behemoth signifies beasts. Most und...
Matthew Henry -> Job 40:6-14; Job 40:15-24
Matthew Henry: Job 40:6-14 - -- Job was greatly humbled for what God had already said, but not sufficiently; he was brought low, but not low enough; and therefore God here proceeds...
Matthew Henry: Job 40:15-24 - -- God, for the further proving of his own power and disproving of Job's pretensions, concludes his discourse with the description of two vast and migh...
Keil-Delitzsch: Job 40:10-14 - --
10 Deck thyself then with pomp and dignity,
And in glory and majesty clothe thyself!
11 Let the overflowings of thy wrath pour forth,
And behold ...
Keil-Delitzsch: Job 40:15-18 - --
15 Behold now the behêmôth,
Which I have made with thee:
He eateth grass like an ox.
16 Behold now, his strength is in his loins,
And his forc...
Keil-Delitzsch: Job 40:19-24 - --
19 He is the firstling of the ways of God;
He, his Maker, reached to him his sword.
20 For the mountains bring forth food for him,
And all the be...
Constable: Job 38:1--42:7 - --G. The Cycle of Speeches between Job and God chs. 38:1-42:6
Finally God spoke to Job and gave revelation...
Constable: Job 40:6--42:1 - --3. God's second speech 40:6-41:34
This second divine discourse is similar to, yet different from...
Constable: Job 40:11-19 - --God's challenge 40:6-14
God introduced this challenge much the same as He did His first,...
Constable: Job 40:15--42:1 - --God's questions 40:15-41:34
Yahweh's purpose in directing Job's attention to such inexpl...
expand allIntroduction / Outline
JFB: Job (Book Introduction) JOB A REAL PERSON.--It has been supposed by some that the book of Job is an allegory, not a real narrative, on account of the artificial character of ...
JFB: Job (Outline)
THE HOLINESS OF JOB, HIS WEALTH, &c. (Job 1:1-5)
SATAN, APPEARING BEFORE GOD, FALSELY ACCUSES JOB. (Job 1:6-12)
SATAN FURTHER TEMPTS JOB. (Job 2:1-8)...
TSK: Job (Book Introduction) A large aquatic animal, perhaps the extinct dinosaur, plesiosaurus, the exact meaning is unknown. Some think this to be a crocodile but from the desc...
TSK: Job 40 (Chapter Introduction) Overview
Job 40:1, Job humbles himself to God; Job 40:6, God stirs him up to shew his righteousness, power, and wisdom; Job 40:16, Of the behemoth...
Poole: Job 40 (Chapter Introduction) CHAPTER 40
God’ s reproof of Job, Job 40:1,2 . He humbleth himself, Job 40:3-5 . God again declareth his righteousness, majesty, and the powe...
MHCC: Job (Book Introduction) This book is so called from Job, whose prosperity, afflictions, and restoration, are here recorded. He lived soon after Abraham, or perhaps before tha...
MHCC: Job 40 (Chapter Introduction) (Job 40:1-5) Job humbles himself to God.
(Job 40:6-14) The Lord reasons with Job to show his righteousness, power, and wisdom.
(Job 40:15-24) God's ...
Matthew Henry: Job (Book Introduction) An Exposition, with Practical Observations, of The Book of Job
This book of Job stands by itself, is not connected with any other, and is therefore to...
Matthew Henry: Job 40 (Chapter Introduction) Many humbling confounding questions God had put to Job, in the foregoing chapter; now, in this chapter, I. He demands an answer to them (Job 40:1,...
Constable: Job (Book Introduction) Introduction
Title
This book, like many others in the Old Testament, got its name from...
Constable: Job (Outline) Outline
I. Prologue chs. 1-2
A. Job's character 1:1-5
B. Job's calamitie...
Constable: Job Job
Bibliography
Andersen, Francis I. Job. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries series. Leicester, Eng. and Downe...
Haydock: Job (Book Introduction) THE BOOK OF JOB.
INTRODUCTION.
This Book takes its name from the holy man, of whom it treats; who, according to the more probable opinion, was ...
Gill: Job (Book Introduction) INTRODUCTION TO JOB
This book, in the Hebrew copies, generally goes by this name, from Job, who is however the subject, if not the writer of it. In...
Gill: Job 40 (Chapter Introduction) INTRODUCTION TO JOB 40
In this chapter Job is called upon to give in his answer, Job 40:1, which he does in the most humble manner, acknowledging h...
