Job 40:19-24

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 40:19

He is the chief of the ways of God ,.... Or the beginning of them, that is, of the works of God in creation; which must be restrained to animals, otherwise there were works wrought before any of them were created. There were none made before the fifth day of the creation, and on that day was the river horse made; in which respect it has the preference to the elephant, not made till the sixth day. But if this phrase is expressive of the superior excellency of behemoth over other works of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 40:20

Surely the mountains bring him forth food ,.... Grass, which grows on mountains, and is the food of the river horse as well as of the elephant; and therefore is furnished with teeth like a scythe to mow it down; and it is not a small quantity that will suffice it, mountains only can supply it; and marvellous it is that a creature bred in a river should come out of it to seek its food on mountains. There is a creature in the northern parts, as in Russia, Greenland, &c.; which is called... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 40:21

He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed , and fens. This may be thought to agree very well with the river horse, the inhabitant of the Nile, where reeds in great plenty grew, and adjoining to which were fenny and marshy places, and shady trees; and, as historians relate F5 Ammian. Marcellin. l. 22. Bellonius & Achilles Tatius apud Bochart ut supra. (Apud Hierozoic. par. 2. l. 5. c. 14. Colossians 760 .) , this creature takes its lodging among high reeds, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible 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 Ibid. (Aelian. de Animal.) c. 31. 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 Ibid. l. 7. c. 6. as higher than the trees, and therefore this is supposed to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 40:23

Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not ,.... The elephant is indeed a very thirsty animal, and drinks largely; the philosopher F12 Aristot. ut supra. (l. 9. c. 56.) says it drinks nine Macedonian bushels at a feeding, and that it will drink fourteen Macedonian measures of water at once, and eight more at noon; but to drink up a river seems to be too great an hyperbole; wherefore the words may be rendered, "Behold, let a river oppress him", or "bear" ever so hard upon him,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 40:24

He taketh it with his eyes ,.... Or "can men take him before his eyes?" so Mr. Broughton; and others translate it to the same purpose; no, he is not to be taken openly, but privately, by some insidious crafty methods; whether it be understood of the elephant or river horse; elephants, according to Strabo F17 Geograph. l. 15. p. 484. and Pliny F18 Nat. Hist. l. 8. c. 8. See Ovington's Voyage to Surat, p. 192, 193. were taken in pits dug for them, into which they were decoyed; in... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Job 40:19

He is the chief of the ways of God - The largest, strongest, and swiftest quadruped that God has formed. He that made him - No power of man or beast can overcome him. God alone can overcome him, and God alone could make his sword (of extinction) approach to him. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Job 40:20

The mountains bring him forth food - It cannot therefore be the hippopotamus, as he is seldom found far from the rivers where he has his chief residence. Where all the beasts of the field play - He frequents those places where he can have most prey. He makes a mock of all the beasts of the field. They can neither resist his power, nor escape from his agility. All this answers to what we know of the mammoth, but not at all to the hippopotamus. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Job 40:21

He lieth under the shady trees - This and the following verses refer to certain habits of the behemoth, with which we are and must be unacquainted, read more

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