Job 41:17

This shows that it cannot be understood of the skin of the whale, and the hardness and strength of that, which is alike and of a piece; whereas those scales, or be they what they may, though closely joined, yet are distinct: those who interpret this of whales that have teeth, and these of the teeth, observe, that as they have teeth to the number of forty or fifty in the lower jaw, in the upper one fire holes or sockets into which they go; and they are so very close that no wind or air can come between them {g}. {g} Vid. Scheuchzer. ut supra. (Physic. Sacr. vol. 4. p. 848.) Job 41:17 Ver. 17. They are joined one to another,.... One scale to another, or "a man in his brother" {h}: 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. {h} whyxab vya "vir in fratre suo"; Montanus. Job 41:18 Ver. 18. By his neesings a light doth shine,....

You may as well cast a straw at him as a bar of iron; it will make no impression on his steeled back, which is as a coat of mail to him; so Eustathius affirms {d} that the sharpest iron is rebounded and blunted by him; [and] brass as rotten wood; or steel, any instrument made of it, though ever so strong or piercing. {d} Apud ibid. (Bochard. Hierozoic. par. 2. l. 5. c. 17. col. 785.) Job 41:28 Ver. 28. The arrow cannot make him flee,.... The skin of the crocodile is so hard, as Peter Martyr says, that it cannot be pierced with arrows, as before observed; therefore it is not afraid of them, nor will flee from them; slingstones are turned with him into stubble; are no more regarded by him than if stubble was cast at him; not only stones out of a sling, but out of an engine; and such is the hardness of the skin of the crocodile, that, as Isidore says {e}, the strokes of the strongest stones are rebounded by it, yea, even it is said to withstand against musket shot {f}. {e} Origin. l. 12. c. 6. {f} Mandelsloe in Harris's Voyages, &c. vol. 1. p. 759.

41:1-34 Concerning Leviathan. - The description of the Leviathan, is yet further to convince Job of his own weakness, and of God's almighty power. Whether this Leviathan be a whale or a crocodile, is disputed. The Lord, having showed Job how unable he was to deal with the Leviathan, sets forth his own power in that mighty creature. If such language describes the terrible force of Leviathan, what words can express the power of God's wrath? Under a humbling sense of our own vileness, let us revere the Divine Majesty; take and fill our allotted place, cease from our own wisdom, and give all glory to our gracious God and Saviour. Remembering from whom every good gift cometh, and for what end it was given, let us walk humbly with the Lord.

They are joined one to another,.... One scale to another, or "a man in his brother" (h): 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. (h) "vir in fratre suo"; Montanus.

15. Rather, his "furrows of shields" (as "tubes," "channels," see on [564]Job 40:18), are, &c., that is, the rows of scales, like shields covering him: he has seventeen such rows. shut up—firmly closed together. A musket ball cannot penetrate him, save in the eye, throat, and belly.

They are joined one to another - literally, "A man with his brother;" that is, each one is connected with another. There is no natural fastening of one scale with another, but they lie so close and compact that they seem thus to be fastened down on one another; see Bochart on this verse. It is this which makes the crocodile so difficult to be killed. A musket-ball will penetrate the skin under the belly, which is there less firmly protected; and accordingly the efforts of those who attempt to secure them are directed to that part of the body. A ball in the eye or throat will also destroy it, but the body is impervious to a spear or a bullet.

15 A pride are the furrows of the shields, Shut by a rigid seal. 16 One joineth on to the other, And no air entereth between them. 17 One upon another they are arranged, They hold fast together, inseparably. Since the writer uses אפיק both in the signif. robustus, Job 12:12, and canalis, Job 40:18, it is doubtful whether it must be explained robusta (robora) scutorum (as e.g., Ges.), or canales scutorum (Hirz., Schlottm., and others). We now prefer the latter, but so that "furrows of the shields" signifies the square shields themselves bounded by these channels; for only thus is the סגוּר, which refers to these shields, considered, each one for itself, suitably attached to what precedes. חותם צר is an acc. of closer definition belonging to it: closed is (each single one) by a firmly attached, and therefore firmly closed, seal. lxx remarkably ὥσπερ σμυρίτης λίθος, i.e., (emery (vid., Krause's Pyrogeteles, 1859, S. 228). Six rows of knotty scales and four scales of the neck cover the upper part of the animal's body, in themselves firm, and attached to one another in almost impenetrable layers, as is described in Job 41:7 in constantly-varying forms of expression (where יגּשׁוּ with Pathach beside Athnach is the correct reading), - a גּאוה, i.e., an equipment of which the animal may be proud. Umbr. takes גאוה, with Bochart, equals גּוה, the back; but although in the language much is possible, yet not everything.

[Bible] 40:19. In his eyes as with a hook he shall take him, and bore through his nostrils with stakes. 40:20. Canst thou draw out the leviathan with a hook, or canst thou tie his tongue with a cord? Leviathan... The whale or some sea monster. 40:21. Canst thou put a ring in his nose, or bore through his jaw with a buckle? 40:22. Will he make many supplications to thee, or speak soft words to thee? 40:23. Will he make a covenant with thee, and wilt thou take him to be a servant for ever, 40:24. Shalt thou play with him as with a bird, or tie him up for thy handmaids? 40:25. Shall friends cut him in pieces, shall merchants divide him? 40:26. Wilt thou fill nets with his skin, and the cabins of fishes with his head? 40:27. Lay thy hand upon him: remember the battle, and speak no more. 40:28. Behold his hope shall fail him, and in the sight of all he shall be cast down. Job Chapter 41 A further description of the leviathan. 41:1. I will not stir him up, like one that is cruel, for who can resist my countenance? 41:2. Who hath given me before that I should repay him? All things that are under heaven are mine. 41:3. I will not spare him, nor his mighty words, and framed to make supplication. 41:4. Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can go into the midst of his mouth? 41:5. Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about. 41:6. His body is like molten shields, shut close up with scales pressing upon one another. 41:7. One is joined to another, and not so much as any air can come between them: 41:8. They stick one to another and they hold one another fast, and shall not be separated. 41:9. His sneezing is like the shining of fire, and his eyes like the eyelids of the morning. 41:10. Out of his mouth go forth lamps, like torches of lighted fire. 41:11. Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, like that of a pot heated and boiling. 41:12. His breath kindleth coals, and a flame cometh forth out of his mouth. 41:13. In his neck strength shall dwell, and want goeth before his face.