Job 40:21

21 He takes his rest under the trees of the river, and in the pool, under the shade of the water-plants.

Job 40:21 Meaning and Commentary

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 the Nile, where reeds in great plenty grew, and adjoining to which were fenny and marshy places, and shady trees; and, as historians relate ^F5, 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 ^F6, and therefore Aelianus ^F7 says it may be called the fenny animal.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F5 Ammian. Marcellin. l. 22. Bellonius & Achilles Tatius apud Bochart ut supra. (Apud Hierozoic. par. 2. l. 5. c. 14. col. 760.)
F6 Aristot. Hist. Animal. l. 9. c. 46. Plin. l. 8. c. 10. Aelian. de Animal. l. 9. c. 56.
F7 lbid. l. 9. c. 24.

Job 40:21 In-Context

19 He is the chief of the ways of God, made by him for his pleasure.

20 He takes the produce of the mountains, where all the beasts of the field are at play.

21 He takes his rest under the trees of the river, and in the pool, under the shade of the water-plants.

22 He is covered by the branches of the trees; the grasses of the stream are round him.

23 Truly, if the river is overflowing, it gives him no cause for fear; he has no sense of danger, even if Jordan is rushing against his mouth.