Job 41:17

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.)

Job 41:17 Meaning and Commentary

Job 41:17

They are joined one to another
One scale to another, or "a man in his brother" ^F8: which may seem to favour the notion of the whale's teeth in the sockets, which exactly answer to one another; but the next clause will by no means agree with them;

they stick together, that they cannot be sundered:
whereas they easily be, at least by the creature itself; but the scales of a crocodile are so closely joined and sealed together, that there is no parting them.

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FOOTNOTES:

F8 (whyxab vya) "vir in fratre suo"; Montanus.

Job 41:17 In-Context

15 His body is as molten shields of brass, and joined together with scales overlaying themselves. (His body is like bronze shields, yea, scales joined together and overlaying each other.)

16 One is joined to another; and soothly breathing goeth not through those (and truly a breath cannot go between them).

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.)