Job 41:9-19

9 Any hope of capturing it will be disappointed; were not even the gods overwhelmed at the sight of it?

10 No one is so fierce as to dare to stir it up. Who can stand before it?

11 Who can confront it and be safe? —under the whole heaven, who?

12 "I will not keep silence concerning its limbs, or its mighty strength, or its splendid frame.

13 Who can strip off its outer garment? Who can penetrate its double coat of mail?

14 Who can open the doors of its face? There is terror all around its teeth.

15 Its back is made of shields in rows, shut up closely as with a seal.

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

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

18 Its sneezes flash forth light, and its eyes are like the eyelids of the dawn.

19 From its mouth go flaming torches; sparks of fire leap out.

Job 41:9-19 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 41

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

Footnotes

• [a]. Ch 41.1 in Heb
• [b]. Heb [of it]
• [c]. Cn Compare Symmachus Syr: Heb [one is]
• [d]. Heb [me]
• [e]. Heb [me]
• [f]. Gk: Heb [that I shall repay]
• [g]. Heb [to me]
• [h]. Gk: Heb [bridle]
• [i]. Cn Compare Gk Vg: Heb [pride]