Job 41:32

32 With a luminous trail stretching out behind him, you might think Ocean had grown a gray beard!

Job 41:32 Meaning and Commentary

Job 41:32

He maketh a path to shine after him
Upon the sea, by raising a white from upon it, through its vehement motion as it passes along, or by the spermaceti it casts out and leaves behind it. It is said F19 that whales will cut and plough the sea in such a manner, as to leave a shining glittering path behind them, the length of a German mile, which is three of ours;

[one] would think the deep [to be] hoary;
to be old and grey headed, or white like the hair of the head of an old man, a figure often used of the sea by poets F20; and hence "Nereus" F21, which is the sea, is said to be an old man, because the froth in the waves of it looks like white hair.


FOOTNOTES:

F19 Vid. Scheuchzer. ibid. (vol. 4.) p. 853.
F20 (polihv alov) , Homer. Iliad. 1. v. 350. (polihv yalasshv) , Iliad. 4. v. 248. "incanuit unda", Catullus.
F21 Phurnutus de Natura Deorum, p. 63.

Job 41:32 In-Context

30 His belly is armor-plated, inexorable - unstoppable as a barge.
31 He roils deep ocean the way you'd boil water, he whips the sea like you'd whip an egg into batter.
32 With a luminous trail stretching out behind him, you might think Ocean had grown a gray beard!
33 There's nothing on this earth quite like him, not an ounce of fear in that creature!
34 He surveys all the high and mighty - king of the ocean, king of the deep!"
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.