Job 40:22

22 Shadows cover his shadow; the sallows of the river compass him (about). (Shady trees cover him with their shadows; the willows of the river surround him.)

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 Hills bear herbs to this behemoth (The hills grow grass for this behemoth); all the beasts of the field play there.

21 He sleepeth under shadow, in the private of a reed, in moist places. (He sleepeth under a shadow, hidden among the reeds of the marshes.)

22 Shadows cover his shadow; the sallows of the river compass him (about). (Shady trees cover him with their shadows; the willows of the river surround him.)

23 He shall swallow up the flood, and he shall not wonder (He shall swallow up the river, and he shall not be afraid); he hath trust, that (the) Jordan shall flow into his mouth.

24 He shall take them by his eyes, as by an hook; and by sharp shafts he shall pierce his nostrils. (Who shall put out his eyes, and shall catch him? who shall pierce his nostrils with sharp shafts?)