1 Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?

Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?

Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words unto thee?

Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever?

Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?

Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants?

Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish spears?

Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more.

Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him?

10 None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me?

11 Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.

12 I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion.

13 Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle?

14 Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about.

15 His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal.

16 One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.

17 They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.

18 By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.

19 Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.

20 Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.

21 His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.

22 In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him.

23 The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved.

24 His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone.

25 When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves.

26 The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon.

27 He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.

28 The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble.

29 Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.

30 Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire.

31 He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.

32 He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary.

33 Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.

34 He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.

Commentary

Verse 1

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Leviathan - Several particulars in the following description, agree far better with the crocodile, than the whale. It is highly probable, that this is the creature here spoken of. Cord - Canst thou take him with a hook and a line, as anglers take ordinary fishes.
McArther Bible Commentary
Leviathan. This term appears in four other OT texts (Job 3:8; Psa 74:14; Psa 104:26; Isa 27:1). In each case, leviathan refers to a mighty creature that can overwhelm man but who is no match for God. Since this creature lives in the sea among ships (Psa 104:26), some form of sea monster, possibly an ancient dinosaur, is in view. Some feel it was a crocodile, which had scaly hide (Job 41:15), terrible teeth (Job 41:14) and speed in the water (Job 41:32). But crocodiles are not sea creatures, and clearly this one was (Job 41:31). Some have thought it was a killer whale or a great white shark, because he is the ultimate killer beast over all other proud beasts (Job 41:34). It could also have been some sea-going dinosaur.
Bible Cross References
Job 3:8 Job 40:24 Psalm 74:14 Psalm 104:26 Isaiah 27:1

Verse 2

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Thorn - Or, with an iron hook, or instrument as sharp as a thorn; wherewith thou usest to carry little fishes.
Bible Cross References
2 Kings 19:28 Job 41:3 Isaiah 37:29

Verse 3

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Supplications - Doth he dread thine anger or power? Or will he earnestly beg thy favour? It is a metaphor from men in distress, who use these means to them to whose power they are subject.
Bible Cross References
Job 41:2 Job 41:4

Verse 4

McArther Bible Commentary
Will he make a covenant with you? " Will this monstrous creature need, for any reason, to come to terms with you, Job? Are you able to control him?" God asked.
Bible Cross References
1 Samuel 11:1 Job 41:3 Job 41:5

Verse 5

Bible Cross References
Job 41:4 Job 41:6

Verse 6

Bible Cross References
Job 41:5 Job 41:7

Verse 7

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Fill - A whale's you may: but the skin of a crocodile is so hard that an iron or spear will not pierce it.
Bible Cross References
Job 41:6 Job 41:8

Verse 8

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Lay - Seize upon him, if thou darest. Battle - But ere thou attempt it consider what thou art doing, and with whom, thou art going to fight. Do no more - Proceed no farther, draw back thy hand.
Bible Cross References
Job 41:7 Job 41:9

Verse 9

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Hope - The hope of taking or conquering him.
Bible Cross References
Job 41:8 Job 41:10

Verse 10

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Stand - To the battle. Me - To contend with me who created him?
McArther Bible Commentary
Who then is able to stand against Me? This was the essential question being asked in both the behemoth and leviathan passages. God created these awesome creatures, and His might is far greater than theirs. If Job couldn't stand against them, what was he doing contending with God? He would be better off to fight a dinosaur or a killer shark.
Bible Cross References
Job 3:8 Job 41:9 Jeremiah 49:19 Jeremiah 50:44

Verse 11

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Prevented - Hath laid the first obligation upon me, for which I am indebted to him. Who can be before - hand with me in kindnesses, since all things under heaven are mine.
McArther Bible Commentary
God did not need to buy anything; He already owned all things. Paul quoted this in Rom 11:35.
Bible Cross References
Romans 11:35 1 Corinthians 10:26 Exodus 19:5 Deuteronomy 10:14 Joshua 3:11 Job 9:5 Job 26:6 Job 28:24 Job 34:33 Job 41:12 Psalm 24:1 Psalm 50:12

Verse 12

Bible Cross References
Job 41:11 Job 41:13

Verse 13

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Discover - Or, uncover, or take off from him. Face - The upper or outward part of his garment, or, the garment itself: the word face being often redundant. And by the garment is meant the skin which covers the whole body; who dare attempt to touch his very skin? Much less to give him a wound. His double bridle - His fast jaws, which have some resemblance to a double bridle: whence the Greeks call those parts of the face which reach to the jaws on both sides, the bridles.
Bible Cross References
Job 41:12 Job 41:14

Verse 14

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Doors - His mouth. If it be open, none dare enter within, and if it be shut, none dare open it.
Bible Cross References
Job 41:13 Job 41:15

Verse 15

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Shut - Closely compacted together, as things that are fastened together by a seal. This likewise is true of the crocodile, but the skin of the whale is smooth and entire without any scales at all.
Bible Cross References
Matthew 27:66 Job 41:14 Job 41:16

Verse 16

Bible Cross References
Job 41:15 Job 41:17

Verse 17

Bible Cross References
Job 41:16 Job 41:18

Verse 18

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Sneesings - This the crocodile is said frequently to do. Eyes - To which they seem very fitly compared, because the eyes of the crocodile are dull and dark under the water, but as soon as they appear above water, cast a bright and clear light; like the morning light, suddenly breaking forth after the dark night.
Bible Cross References
Job 3:9 Job 41:17 Job 41:19

Verse 19

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Lamps - This also better agrees with the crocodile, which breathes like the river - horse, of which ancient authors affirm, that his nostrils are very large, and he breathes forth a fiery smoke like that of a furnace.
Bible Cross References
Job 41:18 Job 41:20

Verse 20

Bible Cross References
Job 41:19 Job 41:21

Verse 21

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Kindleth coals - An hyperbolical expression, denoting extraordinary heat.
Bible Cross References
Job 41:20 Job 41:22 Isaiah 40:7

Verse 22

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
And sorrow - Sorrow is his companion and harbinger, which attends upon him wheresoever he goes. So anger and fear are said by the poets to accompany the God of war.
Bible Cross References
Job 41:21 Job 41:23

Verse 23

Bible Cross References
Job 41:22 Job 41:24

Verse 24

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Nether mill - stone - Which being to bear the weight of the upper, ought to be the harder and stronger of the two.
Bible Cross References
Job 41:23 Job 41:25

Verse 25

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Raiseth - Upon the top of the waters. Mighty - Even the stout - hearted. Breakings - By reason of their great danger and distress; which is expressed by this very word, (Psalms 60:2) ; (Jonah 2:4) . Purify - Those who ordinarily live in the neglect of God, they cry unto God in their trouble, and endeavour to purge their consciences from the guilt of their sins.
Bible Cross References
Job 3:8 Job 41:24 Job 41:26

Verse 26

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Hold - Heb. cannot stand, cannot endure the stroke, but will be broken by it. The crocodile's skin, no sword, nor dart, nor musquet bullet can pierce.
Bible Cross References
Job 41:25 Job 41:27

Verse 27

Bible Cross References
Job 41:26 Job 41:28

Verse 28

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Turned - Hurt him no more than a blow with a little stubble.
Bible Cross References
Job 41:27 Job 41:29 Zechariah 9:15

Verse 29

Bible Cross References
Job 41:28 Job 41:30

Verse 30

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Stones - His skin is so impenetrable, that the sharpest stones or shells are as easy unto him as the mire.
Bible Cross References
Job 41:29 Job 41:31 Isaiah 41:15

Verse 31

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Boil - To swell, and foam, and froth by his strong and vehement motion, as any liquor does when it is boiled in a pot, especially boiling ointment. The sea - The great river Nile, is called a sea, both in scripture, as (Isaiah 11:15) , and in other authors, as Euphrates is called the sea of Babylon, (Isaiah 21:1) ; (Jeremiah 51:36) . Lakes also are most frequently called seas both in the Old and New Testament: and in such lakes the crocodiles are as well as in the Nile.
Bible Cross References
Job 41:30 Job 41:32

Verse 32

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
Shine - By the white froth or foam upon the waters. The same may be observed in the wake of a ship by night.
Bible Cross References
Job 41:31 Job 41:33

Verse 33

Bible Cross References
Job 40:19 Job 41:32

Verse 34

John Wesley's Bible Commentary
King, &c. - He can tame both the behemoth and leviathan, as strong and stout - hearted as they are. This discourse concerning them was brought in, to prove that it is God only, who can look upon proud men and abase them, bring them low, and hide them in the dust, he it is that beholdeth all high things, and wherein men dealt proudly, he is above them. He is king over all the children of pride, brutal or rational, and makes them either bend or break before him.
Bible Cross References
Job 28:8 Job 42:1