Compare Translations for Job 40:18

Commentaries For Job 40

  • Chapter 40

    Job humbles himself to God. (1-5) The Lord reasons with Job to show his righteousness, power, and wisdom. (6-14) God's power shown in Behemoth. (15-24)




  • CHAPTER 40

    Job 40:1-24 . GOD'S SECOND ADDRESS.

    He had paused for a reply, but Job was silent.

    1. the Lord--Hebrew, "JEHOVAH."

    2. he that contendeth--as Job had so often expressed a wish to do. Or, rebuketh. Does Job now still (after seeing and hearing of God's majesty and wisdom) wish to set God right?
    answer it--namely, the questions I have asked.

    3. Lord--JEHOVAH

    lay . . . hand . . . upon . . . mouth--I have no plea to offer ( Job 21:5 , Judges 18:19 ).

    5. Once . . . twice--oftentimes, more than once ( Job 33:14 , compare with Job 33:29 , Psalms 62:11 ):
    I have spoken--namely, against God.
    not answer--not plead against Thee.

    6. the Lord--JEHOVAH.


    condemn--declare Me unrighteous, in order that thou mayest be accounted righteous (innocent; undeservingly afflicted).

    9. arm--God's omnipotence ( Isaiah 53:1 ).
    thunder--God's voice ( Job 37:4 ).


    11. rage--rather, pour out the redundant floods of, &c.
    behold--Try, canst thou, as God, by a mere glance abase the proud ( Isaiah 2:12 , &c.)?

    12. proud--high ( Daniel 4:37 ).
    in their place--on the spot; suddenly, before they can move from

    13. ( Isaiah 2:10 ). Abase and remove them out of the sight of men.
    bind . . . faces--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 9:24 , Esther 7:8 ).
    in secret--consign them to darkness.

    thine own . . . hand . . . save--( Psalms 44:3 ). So as to eternal salvation by Jesus Christ ( Isaiah 59:16 , 63:5 ).

    behemoth--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 other hand, Job 40:21 Job 40:22 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.
    with thee--as I made thyself. Yet how great the difference! The manifold wisdom and power of God!
    he eateth grass--marvellous in an animal living so much in the water; also strange, that such a monster should not be carnivorous.

    16. navel--rather, "muscles" of his belly; the weakest point of the elephant, therefore it is not meant.

    17. like a cedar--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
    stones--rather, "thighs."
    wrapped--firmly twisted together, like a thick rope.

    18. strong--rather, "tubes" of copper [UMBREIT].

    19. Chief of the works of God; so "ways" ( Job 26:14 , Proverbs 8:22 ).
    can make his sword to approach--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.

    20. The mountain is not his usual haunt. BOCHART says it is sometimes found there (?).
    beasts . . . play--a graphic trait: though armed with such teeth, he lets the beasts play near him unhurt, for his food is grass.

    21. lieth--He leads an inactive life.
    shady trees--rather, "lotus bushes"; as Job 40:22 requires.

    22. shady trees--Translate: "lotus bushes."

