Job 41:1 "Can you pull in Leviathan with a fishhook or tie down its tongue with a rope?

◄ Job 41:1 ►

Parallel Verses

New International Version
"Can you pull in Leviathan with a fishhook or tie down its tongue with a rope?

English Standard Version
“Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook or press down his tongue with a cord?

New American Standard Bible
"Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook? Or press down his tongue with a cord?

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

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Can you pull in Leviathan with a hook or tie his tongue down with a rope?

International Standard Version
"Can you draw Leviathan out of the water with a hook, or tie down his tongue with a rope?

American Standard Version
Canst thou draw out leviathan with a fishhook? Or press down his tongue with a cord?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Canst thou draw out the leviathan with a hook, or canst thou tie his tongue with a cord?

Darby Bible Translation
Wilt thou draw out the leviathan with the hook, and press down his tongue with a cord?

Young's Literal Translation
Dost thou draw leviathan with an angle? And with a rope thou lettest down -- his tongue?

Commentaries

Matthew Henry's Commentary

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.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

CHAPTER 41

Job 41:1-34.

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 [563]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.

tongue … lettest down?—The crocodile has no tongue, or a very small one cleaving to the lower jaw. But as in fishing the tongue of the fish draws the baited hook to it, God asks, Canst thou in like manner take leviathan?