Job 41:12-22

12 I cannot be silent about his limbs, his power, and his graceful proportions.

13 Who can strip off his outer covering? Who can penetrate his double layer of armor?^[a][b]

14 Who can open his jaws,^[c] surrounded by those terrifying teeth?

15 [His] pride is in [his] rows of scales, closely sealed together.^[d]

16 One scale is so close to another^[e] that no air can pass between them.

17 They are joined to one another, so closely connected^[f] they cannot be separated.

18 His snorting^[g] flashes with light, while his eyes are like the rays^[h] of dawn.

19 Flaming torches shoot^[i] from his mouth; fiery sparks fly out!

20 Smoke billows from his nostrils^[j] as from a boiling pot or [burning] reeds.

21 His breath sets coals ablaze, and flames pour out of his mouth.^[k]

22 Strength resides in his neck, and dismay dances before him.

Job 41:12-22 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]. LXX; MT reads double bridle
• [b]. Ps 32:9
• [c]. Lit open the doors of his face
• [d]. Jb 40:18
• [e]. Lit One by one they approach
• [f]. Lit another; they cling together and
• [g]. Or sneezing
• [h]. Lit eyelids
• [i]. Pr 26:18
• [j]. Ex 19:18; 2 Sm 22:9; Ps 18:8
• [k]. 2 Sm 22:9; Ps 18:8; Isa 66:15