Hiob 41:13

13 41:5 Wer kann ihm sein Kleid aufdecken? und wer darf es wagen, ihm zwischen die Zähne zu greifen?

Hiob 41:13 Meaning and Commentary

Job 41:13

Who can discover the face of his garment?
&c.] Or rather uncover it? Not the sea, which Mr. Broughton represents as the garment of the whale; who can strip him of it, or take him out of that, and bring him to land? which, though not impossible, is difficult: but either the garment of his face, the large bulk or prominence that hangs over his eyes; or rather his skin. Who dare venture to take off his skin, or flay him alive? or take off the scaly coat of the crocodile, which is like a coat of mail to him, and which he never of himself casts off, as serpents do?

[or] who can come [to him] with his double bridle?
either go within his jaws, which, when opened, are like a double bridle; or go near and open his jaws, and put a curb bridle into them, and lead, direct, and rule him at pleasure. This is not to be done either to the whale or crocodile; yet the Tentyritae had a way of getting upon the back of the crocodile; and by putting a stick across its mouth, as it opened it to bite them, and so holding both the ends of it with the right and left hands, as with a bridle, brought them to land, as Pliny ^F19 relates; and so the Nereides are represented as sitting on the backs of whales by Theocritus ^F20.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F19 Ut supra. (Plin. l. 8. c. 25.)
F20 Idyll. 19.

Hiob 41:13 In-Context

11 41:3 Wer hat mir etwas zuvor getan, daß ich's ihm vergelte? Es ist mein, was unter allen Himmeln ist.

12 41:4 Dazu muß ich nun sagen, wie groß, wie mächtig und wohlgeschaffen er ist. {~}

13 41:5 Wer kann ihm sein Kleid aufdecken? und wer darf es wagen, ihm zwischen die Zähne zu greifen?

14 41:6 Wer kann die Kinnbacken seines Antlitzes auftun? Schrecklich stehen seine Zähne umher.

15 41:7 Seine stolzen Schuppen sind wie feste Schilde, fest und eng ineinander. {~}