Job 41:1-8

1 Or can you pull in the sea beast, Leviathan, with a fly rod and stuff him in your creel?
2 Can you lasso him with a rope, or snag him with an anchor?
3 Will he beg you over and over for mercy, or flatter you with flowery speech?
4 Will he apply for a job with you to run errands and serve you the rest of your life?
5 Will you play with him as if he were a pet goldfish? Will you make him the mascot of the neighborhood children?
6 Will you put him on display in the market and have shoppers haggle over the price?
7 Could you shoot him full of arrows like a pin cushion, or drive harpoons into his huge head?
8 If you so much as lay a hand on him, you won't live to tell the story.

Job 41:1-8 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.

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.