Job 41:20-30

20 Smoke comes pouring out of his nose, like smoke from weeds burning under a pot.

21 His breath starts fires burning; flames leap out of his mouth.

22 His neck is so powerful that all who meet him are terrified.

23 There is not a weak spot in his skin; it is as hard and unyielding as iron.

24 His stony heart is without fear, as unyielding and hard as a millstone.

25 When he rises up, even the strongest are frightened; they are helpless with fear.

26 There is no sword that can wound him; no spear or arrow or lance that can harm him.

27 For him iron is as flimsy as straw, and bronze as soft as rotten wood.

28 There is no arrow that can make him run; rocks thrown at him are like bits of straw.

29 To him a club is a piece of straw, and he laughs when men throw spears.

30 The scales on his belly are like jagged pieces of pottery; they tear up the muddy ground like a threshing sledge.

Job 41:20-30 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] strongest; [or] gods.
• [b] threshing sledges: [These had sharp pieces of iron or stone fastened beneath them.]