Job 41:32

32 A path shall shine after him; he shall guess the great ocean as waxing eld. (He maketh a path to shine after him; and the great ocean as if growing old, that is, white with foam.)

Job 41:32 Meaning and Commentary

Job 41:32

He maketh a path to shine after him
Upon the sea, by raising a white from upon it, through its vehement motion as it passes along, or by the spermaceti it casts out and leaves behind it. It is said ^F19 that whales will cut and plough the sea in such a manner, as to leave a shining glittering path behind them, the length of a German mile, which is three of ours;

[one] would think the deep [to be] hoary;
to be old and grey headed, or white like the hair of the head of an old man, a figure often used of the sea by poets ^F20; and hence "Nereus" ^F21, which is the sea, is said to be an old man, because the froth in the waves of it looks like white hair.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F19 Vid. Scheuchzer. ibid. (vol. 4.) p. 853.
F20 (polihv alov) , Homer. Iliad. 1. v. 350. (polihv yalasshv) , Iliad. 4. v. 248. "incanuit unda", Catullus.
F21 Phurnutus de Natura Deorum, p. 63.

Job 41:32 In-Context

30 The beams of the sun shall be under him; and he shall strew to himself gold as clay. (Sharp stones shall be under him; and he shall spread abroad pointed shards upon the clay.)

31 He shall make the deep sea to boil as a pot; and he shall put it, as when ointments boil.

32 A path shall shine after him; he shall guess the great ocean as waxing eld. (He maketh a path to shine after him; and the great ocean as if growing old, that is, white with foam.)

33 No power there is on earth, that shall be comparisoned to him; which is made, that he should dread nothing. (There is no power on earth, that can be compared to him; nothing which is made, that he should fear.)

34 He seeth all high thing[s]; he is king over all the sons of pride.