Job 41:1 (The Capture)
The Great Bible (1539): “Canst thou drawe out Leuyathan with an angle? or bynde hys tonge with a snare?”
The Book of Common Prayer (1604): “Canst thou draw out Leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?”
The King James Bible (1611): “Canst thou draw out Leuiathan with an hooke? or his tongue with a colde which thou lettest downe?”
Job 41:15 (The Armor/Scales)
The Great Bible (1539): “Hys scales are as harde as shyldes, enclosed and sealed together.”
The Book of Common Prayer (1604): “His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal.”
The King James Bible (1611): “His scales are his pride, shut vp together as with a close seale.”
Job 41:33 (The Power)
The Great Bible (1539): “Upon earth is there no power lyke unto hym, for he is so made, that he feareth not.”
The Book of Common Prayer (1604): “Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.”
The King James Bible (1611): “Vpon earth there is not his like: who is made without feare.”
Job 41:34 (The Sovereignty)
The Great Bible (1539): “He beholdeth all hye thynges, for he is a kynge over all the chyldren of pryde.”
The Book of Common Prayer (1604): “He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.”
The King James Bible (1611): “He beholdeth all high things: he is a king ouer all the children of pride.”
The featured image “The Patient Job,” in The Weitzmann Archive. Princeton: Princeton University, Department of Art and Archaeology.
The Weitzmann Archive – Monastery of Saint Catherine, Codex 3
Provenance: Produced in Constantinople or a major Byzantine scriptorium, ca. 9th century CE; held continuously in the library of the Monastery of Saint Catherine, Sinai, Egypt.
Scholarly Article Citations:
Galavaris, George. “The Illustrations of the Prefaces in the Byzantine Manuscripts of the Book of Job.” Byzantion 44, no. 1 (1974): 123–48.
Lowden, John. “The Meaning of Illustrations in Byzantine Manuscripts.” Art History 10, no. 2 (1987): 125–53.
The Geneva Bible (1599 Edition)
41 1 By the greatness of this monster Leviathan, God showeth his greatness and his power, which nothing can resist.
1 None is so fierce that dare stir him up. Who is he then that can [a]stand before me?
2 Who hath prevented me that I should [b]make an end? All under heaven is mine.
3 I will not keep silence concerning [c]his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion.
4 Who can discover the face [d]of his garment? or who shall come to him with a double [e]bridle?
5 Who shall [f]open the doors of his face? his teeth are fearful round about.
6 The majesty of his scales is like strong shields, and are sure sealed.
7 One is set to another, that no wind can come between them.
8 One is joined to another: they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.
9 His sneezings [g]make the light to shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
10 Out of his mouth go lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.
11 Out of his nostrils cometh out smoke, as out of a boiling pot or caldron.
12 His breath maketh the coals burn: for a flame goeth out of his mouth.
13 In his neck remaineth strength, and [h]labor is rejected before his face.
14 The members of his body are joined: they are strong in themselves, and cannot be moved.
15 His heart is as strong as a stone, and as hard as the nether millstone.
16 The mighty are afraid of his majesty, and for fear they faint in themselves.
17 When the sword doth touch him, he will not rise up, nor for the spear, dart nor habergeon.
18 He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.
19 The archer cannot make him flee: the stones of the sling are turneth into stubble unto him.
20 The darts are counted as straw: and he laugheth at the shaking of the spear.
21 Sharp stones [i]are under him, and he spreadeth sharp things upon the mire.
22 He maketh the depth to [j]boil like a pot, and maketh the Sea like a pot of ointment.
23 He maketh a path to [k]shine after him, one would think the depth as an hoar head.
24 In the earth there is none like him: he is made without fear.
25 He beholdeth [l]all high things: he is a King over all the children of pride.
Footnotes
- Job 41:1 If none dare stand against a whale, which is but a creature, who is able to compare with God the Creator?
- Job 41:2 Who hath taught me to accomplish my work?
- Job 41:3 The parts and members of the whale?
- Job 41:4 That is, who dare pull off his skin?
- Job 41:4 Who dare put a bridle in his mouth?
- Job 41:5 Who dare look in his mouth?
- Job 41:9 That is, casteth out flames of fire.
- Job 41:13 Nothing is painful or hard unto him.
- Job 41:21 His skin is so hard that he lieth with a great ease on the stones as in the mire.
- Job 41:22 Either he maketh the sea to seem as it boiled by his wallowing, or else he spouteth water in such abundance as it would seem that the sea boiled.
- Job 41:23 That is, a white froth and shining stream before him.
- Job 41:25 He despiseth all other beasts and monsters, and is the proudest of all others.
CHAP. XLI.
Of Gods great power in the Leuiathan.
1 Canst thou draw out Leuiathan with an hooke? or his tongue with a corde which thou lettest downe?1
2 Canst thou put an hooke into his nose? or bore his iawe through with a thorne?
3 Will he make many supplications vnto thee? will he speake soft words vnto thee?
4 Will he make a couenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a seruant for euer?
5 Wilt thou play with him as with a birde? wilt thou binde him for thy maydens?
6 Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants?
7 Canst thou fill his skinne with barbed irons? or his head with fishspeares?
8 Lay thine hand vpon him, remember the battell: doe no more.
9 Behold, the hope of him is in vaine: shall not one be cast downe euen at the sight of him?
10 None is so fierce that dare stirre him vp: who then is able to stand before me?
11 Who hath preuented me that I should repay him? whatsoeuer is vnder the whole heauen, is mine.11
12 I will not conceale his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion.
13 Who can discouer the face of his garment? or who can come to him, with his double bridle?13
14 Who can open the doores of his face? his teeth are terrible round about.
15 His scales are his pride, shut vp together as with a close seale.15
16 One is so neere to another, that no ayre can come betweene them.
17 They are ioyned one to another, they sticke together, that they cannot be sundred.
18 By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eye-liddes of the morning.
19 Out of his mouth goe burning lampes, and sparkes of fire leape out.
20 Out of his nostrels goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.
21 His breath kindleth coales, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.
22 In his necke remaineth strength, and sorrowe is turned into ioy before him.22
23 The flakes of his flesh are ioyned together: they are firme in themselues, they cannot be moued.23
24 His heart is as firme as a stone, yea as hard as a peece of the nether mil-stone.
25 When he rayseth vp himselfe, the mightie are afraid: by reason of breakings they purifie themselues.
26 The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the speare, the dart, nor the habergeon.26
27 He esteemeth iron as straw, and brasse as rotten wood.
28 The arrow cannot make him flee: sling-stones are turned with him into stubble.
29 Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a speare.
30 Sharpe stones are vnder him: he spreadeth sharpe pointed things vpon the mire.30
31 He maketh the deepe to boyle like a pot: hee maketh the sea like a pot of oyntment.
32 Hee maketh a path to shine after him; one would thinke the deepe to bee hoarie.
33 Upon earth there is not his like: who is made without feare.33
34 He beholdeth all high things: he is a king ouer all the children of pride.
Job Chapter 41 Sidenote References (from Original 1611 KJV Bible):
1 That is, a whale or a whirlepoole. , Heb. which thou drownest.
11 Psal.24.1. & 50.12. 1. cor.10.26
13 Or, within.
15 Heb. strong pieces of shields.
22 Heb. sorow reioyceth.
23 Heb. the fallings.
26 Or, brestplate.
30 Heb. sharpe pieces, of the potsherd.
33 Or who behaue themselues without feare.
40 The Lord said to Job:
2 “Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him?
Let him who accuses God answer him!”
3 Then Job answered the Lord:
4 “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you?
I put my hand over my mouth.
5 I spoke once, but I have no answer—
twice, but I will say no more.”
6 Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm:
7 “Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.
8 “Would you discredit my justice?
Would you condemn me to justify yourself?
9 Do you have an arm like God’s,
and can your voice thunder like his?
10 Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor,
and clothe yourself in honor and majesty.
11 Unleash the fury of your wrath,
look at all who are proud and bring them low,
12 look at all who are proud and humble them,
crush the wicked where they stand.
13 Bury them all in the dust together;
shroud their faces in the grave.
14 Then I myself will admit to you
that your own right hand can save you.
15 “Look at Behemoth,
which I made along with you
and which feeds on grass like an ox.
16 What strength it has in its loins,
what power in the muscles of its belly!
17 Its tail sways like a cedar;
the sinews of its thighs are close-knit.
18 Its bones are tubes of bronze,
its limbs like rods of iron.
19 It ranks first among the works of God,
yet its Maker can approach it with his sword.
20 The hills bring it their produce,
and all the wild animals play nearby.
21 Under the lotus plants it lies,
hidden among the reeds in the marsh.
22 The lotuses conceal it in their shadow;
the poplars by the stream surround it.
23 A raging river does not alarm it;
it is secure, though the Jordan should surge against its mouth.
24 Can anyone capture it by the eyes,
or trap it and pierce its nose?
