Chapter 41
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| Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? Job 41:1 |
God finishes His speech
P.S.- Here they interpret "leviathan" as a "crocadile". Other interpretations include a sea creature, etc.
A dangerous animal v1 A crocodile is an animal that lives in the river. But you cannot fish for a crocodile. You cannot tie its mouth with rope (thick string). (The crocodile is too strong for you.) v2 You cannot drag the crocodile by its nose or mouth.
v3 Do not imagine that a crocodile would ever be gentle. It will fight for its freedom. It is fierce. v4 It will never become tame. It will never obey you. v5 You cannot make it into a pet, like a bird. And you cannot lead it on a string to amuse your servant girls.
v6 Merchants will not bargain for the meat of the crocodile. Shopkeepers cannot cut up the meat in
order to sell it.
v7 You cannot hunt a crocodile with spears and harpoons, like a large fish. (Spears and harpoons are long knives, like swords.)
v8 If you touch a crocodile, you will have a terrible struggle. And you will never touch a crocodile again.
v9 Do not even imagine that you could control a crocodile. You could never win a fight against a crocodile. When you see the crocodile, you will know this. v10 Nobody dares to upset a crocodile. (But I, God, made the crocodile.) So, be sure that nobody could oppose me. v11 I owe nothing to anyone. Everything belongs to me.
v12 I shall tell you about the crocodile. I shall speak about:
· its legs;
· its strength;
· and its graceful shape.
v13 The crocodile’s hard skin protects the animal from attack. Nobody would try to control a crocodile.
v14 And nobody would try to open its mouth. Its teeth are terrible.
v15 The crocodile’s back seems to be a row of shields. (The word ‘shields’ means the metal plates that a soldier uses to protect his body.) The rows of shields are neat. v16 Each shield touches the next shield. Even air cannot pass between the shields. v17 And the shields join each other. They do not separate.
v18 (The crocodile rises from the river.) First, you hear when it sneezes. (A sneeze is the sound when the crocodile clears water from its nose.) When the crocodile sneezes, lights flash. (Actually, you see the sunlight, which reflects in the water from the crocodile’s nose. Then, you see the crocodile’s eyes.) The crocodile’s eyes are red, like the light at dawn.
v19 Fire seems to come from the crocodile’s mouth. v20 Smoke seems to come from the crocodile’s nose. You might think that the plants near the river are burning. And you might think that a pot boils above the fire. v21 (But then, you realise that the crocodile is there.) (You might think that) the crocodile’s breath lit the coals. (That is, the coals where you think that the pot boils.) (You might
think that) the flames come from the crocodile’s mouth.
v22 The crocodile’s neck is so strong. And everyone is afraid. v23 Even the fat parts of the crocodile’s body are thick and firm. v24 The upper parts of the crocodile’s body are strong, like rock. Or, like stone.
v25 Even strong men are afraid when they see a crocodile. When it moves, they run!
v26 A sword does not hurt a crocodile. Dangerous knives have no effect. v27 The crocodile will bend a metal knife. Or, the crocodile will break the knife.
v28 If you shoot an arrow, the crocodile will not leave. If you throw a stone, your stone seems like dust to the crocodile.
v29 The crocodile thinks that your heaviest stick is like straw. And the crocodile laughs if you try to fight it.
v30 The lower parts of the crocodile’s body are like sharp pieces of pot. Behind it, the crocodile leaves a track in the mud. This track is like a vehicle’s track.
v31 The crocodile stirs the water like a boiling pot. And the crocodile mixes the water, like a pot of medicine.
v32 The crocodile leaves a path behind it, in the water. This looks as if the river has white hair.
v33 The crocodile fears nobody. And no animal is as great as a crocodile. v34 The crocodile insults the proudest animals. The crocodile is like a king for everyone who is proud.
Verses 1-2
At the end of God’s speech, God described another strong animal.
The devil behaves like a crocodile:
· Nobody can control the devil, except God.
· The devil is a fierce enemy.
· A person cannot defeat the devil by his own skills or intelligence. .
· The devil is very proud.
Verses 3-5
People keep many animals as pets. But nobody can train a crocodile to be a tame animal. It is out of control.
Verses 6-7
You can kill other river animals for their meat. But it is very difficult to kill a crocodile.
Verse 8
The crocodile would probably kill the person who touched it. But if that person escaped, he would not dare to touch another crocodile.
Verses 9-11
God created all the animals. So God is more powerful than any animal.
Verse 12
We would not normally describe a crocodile as graceful. But perhaps God meant the skin of the
crocodile. Today, crocodile skin makes an attractive leather.
Keith Simons
Verses 13-17
This description explains why a man cannot attack a crocodile. The crocodile would try to bite the man. And no part of the crocodile’s body seems soft enough to cut, even with a sword.
Verses 18-21
These verses are difficult to understand. In the EasyEnglish translation, we have put some words in brackets (…). These words are not in the original Book of Job. We have included these words to help you to understand one possible meaning.
Some people think that fire actually came from the animal’s mouth. But no real animals can do this. And the other animals in God’s speech all seem to be real animals. So we do not agree with such people. Instead, God was describing what seems to happen. In other words, if a crocodile approached a man, this would be his experience:
· First, the man would hear the crocodile. The sudden noise would surprise the man.
· The man would look to see what animal made the noise. But he would not see the animal immediately. He would see the water that reflects the light. Then he would see the crocodile’s eyes.
· There would be water, like steam, in the air round the crocodile. This water would look like smoke. And the water would reflect the sunlight. So the man might think that a pot was boiling. And the light might look like a fire.
· Then the man would realise what he was watching. And the crocodile would start to leave the water.
· The man may be curious to see the crocodile. But he would also be very afraid.
Verses 22-25
If the man was curious, he might see the crocodile. But if the man was sensible, he would run away.
Verses 26-29
Many towns are near rivers. So a crocodile could enter a town. The inhabitants would want to frighten it. Perhaps it will return to the river. But the people cannot attack it. The crocodile is not afraid of a sword or a knife.
Verses 30-32
The crocodile leaves when it chooses to leave.
Everybody will be glad when the crocodile leaves.
Verses 33-34
Some animals seem proud. And some people are very proud.
The devil is so bold that he even accuses God.
But God is much more powerful than the devil.
So we need to trust God. God will help us when the devil opposes us (1 Peter 5:8-9). We should learn how to be strong Christians (Ephesians 6:10-18). And we should use the Bible against the devil as Jesus did (Matthew 4:1-10).
Keith Simons