Job 41:9

9 Any hope of subduing it is false; the mere sight of it is overpowering.

Job 41:9 in Other Translations

9 Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him?

9 Behold, the hope of a man is false; he is laid low even at the sight of him.

9 No, it is useless to try to capture it. The hunter who attempts it will be knocked down.

9 What hope would you have with such a creature? Why, one look at him would do you in!

9 Behold, the hope of him is in vain: Will not one be cast down even at the sight of him?

9 Certainly, any hope [of defeating it] is a false hope. Doesn't the sight of it overwhelm you?

9 Any hope of [capturing] him proves false. Does a person not collapse at the very sight of him?

9 No one can possibly control the leviathan. Just looking at it will terrify you.

Job 41:9 Meaning and Commentary

Job 41:9

Behold, the hope of him is in vain
Of getting the mastery over him, or of taking him; and yet both crocodiles and whales have been taken; nor is the taking of them to be despaired of; but it seems the "orca", or the whale with many teeth, has never been taken and killed ^F15;

shall not [one] be cast down even at the sight of him?
the sight of a whale is terrible to mariners, lest their ships should be overturned by it; and some have been so frightened at the sight of a crocodile as to lose their senses: and we read of one that was greatly terrified at seeing the shadow of one; and the creature before mentioned is supposed to be much more terrible ^F16.

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FOOTNOTES:

F15 Vid. Scheuchzer. Physic. Sacr. vol. 4. p. 846.
F16 Scheuchzer. ib.

Job 41:9 In-Context

7 Can you fill its hide with harpoons or its head with fishing spears?

8 If you lay a hand on it, you will remember the struggle and never do it again!

9 Any hope of subduing it is false; the mere sight of it is overpowering.

10 No one is fierce enough to rouse it. Who then is able to stand against me?

11 Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me.

Cross References

• 1. Job 40:16