Job 40:22

22 Will he address thee with a petition? softly, with the voice of a suppliant?

Job 40:22 Meaning and Commentary

Job 40:22

The shady trees cover him [with] their shadow
Under which it lies, as in ( Job 40:21 ) ; which is thought not so well to agree with the elephant, since, according to Aelianus ^F8 and other writers, it lies not down, at least but rarely, but sleeps standing; it being very troublesome to it to lie down and rise up again; and besides it is represented by some authors ^F9 as higher than the trees, and therefore this is supposed to agree better with the river horse; especially since it follows,

the willows of the brook compass him about;
or the willows of the Nile, as some choose to render it; which would put it out of all doubt that the river horse is intended, if it could be established, it being an inhabitant of that river; and yet the above writer ^F11 speaks of elephants, when grown old, seeking large thick and shady woods to take up their abode in.

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FOOTNOTES:

F8 Ibid. (Aelian. de Animal.) c. 31.
F9 Ibid. l. 7. c. 6.
F11 Ibid. c. 2.

Job 40:22 In-Context

20 But wilt thou catch the serpent with a hook, and put a halter about his nose?

21 Or wilt thou fasten a ring in his nostril, and bore his lip with a clasp?

22 Will he address thee with a petition? softly, with the voice of a suppliant?

23 And will he make a covenant with thee? and wilt thou take him for a perpetual servant?

24 And wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or bind him as a sparrow for a child?