Job 40:15-18

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Job 40:15-24

God, for the further proving of his own power and disproving of Job's pretensions, concludes his discourse with the description of two vast and mighty animals, far exceeding man in bulk and strength, one he calls behemoth, the other leviathan. In these verses we have the former described. ?Behold now behemoth, and consider whether thou art able to contend with him who made that beast and gave him all the power he has, and whether it is not thy wisdom rather to submit to him and make thy peace... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 40:15

Behold, now behemoth ,.... The word is plural, and signifies beasts, and may be used to denote the chiefest and largest of beasts, and therefore is commonly understood of the elephant; and certain it is that a single beast is described in the following account, and so the word is rendered, Psalm 73:22 ; The word is here rendered by the Septuagint θηρια , "beasts"; which is the word used by the Greeks F3 Suidas in voce θηρια . Plutarch in Eumenc. for elephants as "belluae", a word... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 40:16

Lo now, his strength is in his loins ,.... The strength of the elephant is well known, being able to carry a castle on its back, with a number of men therein; but what follows does not seem so well to agree with it; and his force is in the navel of his belly ; since the belly of the elephant is very tender; by means of which the rhinoceros, its enemy, in its fight with it, has the advantage of it, by getting under its belly, and ripping it up with its horn F19 Aelian. de Amimal.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 40:17

He moveth his tail like a cedar ,.... To which it is compared, not for the length and largeness of it; for the tail both of the elephant and of the river horse is short; though Vartomannus F3 Navigat. l. 4. c. 9. says, the tail of the elephant is like a buffalo's, and is four hands long, and thin of hair: but because of the smoothness, roundness, thickness, and firmness of it; such is the tail of the river horse, being like that of a hog or boar F4 Aristot. Plin. Solin. &... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 40:18

His bones are as strong pieces of brass: his bones are as bars of iron. Than which nothing is stronger. The repetition is made for greater illustration and confirmation; but what is said is not applicable to the elephant, whose bones are porous and rimous, light and spongy for the most part, as appears from the osteology F11 In Philosoph. Transact. vol. 5. p. 155, 156. of it; excepting its teeth, which are the ivory; though the teeth of the river horse are said to exceed them in... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Job 40:15

Behold now behemoth - The word בהמות behemoth is the plural of בהמה behemah , which signifies cattle in general, or graminivorous animals, as distinguished from חיתו chayetho , all wild or carnivorous animals. See Genesis 1:24 . The former seems to mean kine, horses, asses, sheep, etc., and all employed in domestic or agricultural matters; the latter, all wild and savage beasts, such as lions, bears, tigers, etc.: but the words are not always taken in these senses. In this... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Job 40:16

His strength is in his loins - This refers to his great agility, notwithstanding his bulk; by the strength of his loins he was able to take vast springs, and make astonishing bounds. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Job 40:17

He moveth his tail like a cedar - Therefore it was neither the elephant, who has a tail like that of the hog, nor the hippopotamus, whose tail is only about a foot long. The sinews of his stones - I translate with Mr. Good, and for the same reasons, the sinews of his haunches, which is still more characteristic; as the animal must have excelled in leaping. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Job 40:18

His bones are as strong pieces of brass-bars of iron - The tusk I have mentioned above is uncommonly hard, solid, and weighty for its size. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Job 40:6-24

Job's confession not having been sufficiently ample, the Divine discourse is continued through the remainder of this chapter, and through the whole of the next, the object being to break down the last remnants of pride and self-trust in the soul of the patriarch, and to bring him to complete submission and dependence on the Divine will. The argument falls under three heads—Can Job cope with God in his general providence (verses 6-14)? can he even cope with two of God's creatures—with behemoth... read more

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