Job 41:17-27

17 One shall cleave to another, and those pieces holding together themselves shall not be parted. (One shall cleave to the other, and those pieces holding themselves together cannot be parted.)
18 His neesing is as (the) shining of fire, and his eyes be as (the) eyelids of the morrowtide. (His sneezing/His snorting sendeth out shots of lightning, and his eyes shine like the breaking of the day.)
19 Lights come forth of his mouth, as brands of fire, that be kindled. (Lightnings come forth from his mouth, like kindled firebrands.)
20 Smoke cometh forth of his nostrils, as a boiling pot set upon the fire. (Smoke cometh forth from his nostrils, like a boiling pot put on the fire.)
21 His breath maketh coals to burn, and (a) flame goeth out of his mouth.
22 Strength shall dwell in his neck, and neediness shall go (away from) before his face.
23 The members of his flesh be cleaving together to themselves; God shall send floods against him, and those shall not be borne over to another place.
24 His heart shall be made (as) hard as a stone; and it shall be constrained (al)together as the anvil of a smith (and it shall be firm and unyielding, like the anvil of a smith).
25 When he shall be taken away, angels shall dread; and they afeared shall be purged. (When he raiseth himself up, even the mighty shall be afraid; and they who be afraid shall be purged, or shall be purified.)
26 When sword taketh him, it may not stand, neither spear, neither habergeon. (And when a sword trieth to take him, it shall not succeed, nor a spear, nor a dagger.)
27 For he shall areckon iron as chaff, and brass as rotten wood (and bronze like rotten wood).

Job 41:17-27 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.