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1. leviathan--literally, "the twisted animal," gathering itself in
folds: a synonym to the Thannin
(Job 3:8,
Margin; see
Ps 74:14;
type of the Egyptian tyrant;
Ps 104:26;
Isa 27:1;
the Babylon tyrant). A poetical generalization for all cetacean,
serpentine, and saurian monsters (see on
Job 40:15,
hence all the description applies to no one animal);
especially the crocodile; which is naturally described after the
river horse, as both are found in the Nile.
2. hook--rather, "a rope of rushes."
3. soft words--that thou mayest spare his life. No: he is untamable. 4. Can he be tamed for domestic use (so Job 39:10-12)? 5. a bird?--that is, tamed.
6. Rather, "partners" (namely, in fishing).
7. His hide is not penetrable, as that of fishes. 8. If thou lay . . . thou wilt have reason ever to remember . . . and thou wilt never try it again.
9. the hope--of taking him.
10. fierce--courageous. If a man dare attack one of My creatures (Ge 49:9; Nu 24:9), who will dare (as Job has wished) oppose himself (Ps 2:2) to Me, the Creator? This is the main drift of the description of leviathan. 11. prevented--done Me a favor first: anticipated Me with service (Ps 21:3). None can call Me to account ("stand before Me," Job 41:10) as unjust, because I have withdrawn favors from him (as in Job's case): for none has laid Me under a prior obligation by conferring on Me something which was not already My own. What can man give to Him who possesses all, including man himself? Man cannot constrain the creature to be his "servant" (Job 41:4), much less the Creator.
12. I will not conceal--a resumption of the description broken off
by the digression, which formed an agreeable change.
13. discover--rather, "uncover the surface" of his garment (skin,
Job 10:11):
strip off the hard outer coat with which the inner skin is
covered.
14. doors of . . . face--his mouth. His teeth are sixty in number, larger in proportion than his body, some standing out, some serrated, fitting into each other like a comb [BOCHART].
15. Rather, his "furrows of shields" (as "tubes," "channels,"
see on
Job 40:18),
are, &c., that is, the rows of scales, like shields
covering him: he has seventeen such rows.
18. Translate: "his sneezing, causeth a light to shine." Amphibious
animals, emerging after having long held their breath under water,
respire by violently expelling the breath like one sneezing: in the
effort the eyes which are usually directed towards the sun, seem to
flash fire; or it is the expelled breath that, in the sun, seems to
emit light.
19. burning lamps--"torches"; namely, in respiring (Job 41:18), seem to go out. 20. seething--boiling: literally, "blown under," under which a fire is blown. 21. kindleth coals--poetical imagery (Ps 18:8).
22. remaineth--abideth permanently. His chief strength is in the neck.
23. flakes--rather, "dewlaps"; that which falls down (Margin).
They are "joined" fast and firm, together, not hanging loose, as
in the ox.
24. heart--"In large beasts which are less acute in feeling, there is great firmness of the heart, and slower motion" [BOCHART]. The nether millstone, on which the upper turns, is especially hard.
25. he--the crocodile; a type of the awe which the Creator inspires
when He rises in wrath.
26. cannot hold--on his hard skin.
27. iron . . . brass--namely, weapons.
28. arrow--literally, "son of the bow"; Oriental imagery
(La 3:13;
Margin).
29. Darts--rather, "clubs"; darts have been already mentioned (Job 41:26).
30. stones--rather, "potsherds," that is, the sharp and pointed
scales on the belly, like broken pieces of pottery.
31. Whenever he moves.
32. path--the foam on his track.
33. who--being one who, &c.
34. beholdeth--as their superior.
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