Job 40:17
His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.
He bends his tail like a cedar
The phrase "He bends his tail like a cedar" draws a vivid comparison between the tail of the creature described, often thought to be the Behemoth, and the majestic cedar tree. In Hebrew, the word for "cedar" is "אֶרֶז" (erez), a tree known for its strength, height, and durability. Cedars were highly valued in the ancient Near East, used in construction and symbolizing power and longevity. This imagery suggests that the creature's tail is not only large but also strong and flexible, capable of movement that is both graceful and powerful. The cedar's prominence in biblical literature, such as in the construction of Solomon's temple (1 Kings 6:9-10), underscores the grandeur and might of God's creation, reminding us of the divine craftsmanship in nature.

the sinews of his thighs are tightly knit
The phrase "the sinews of his thighs are tightly knit" emphasizes the creature's formidable strength and muscular structure. The Hebrew word for "sinews" is "גִּיד" (gid), which refers to tendons or ligaments, the fibrous tissues that connect muscle to bone. The description of these sinews as "tightly knit" suggests a design of intricate strength and resilience, indicating that the creature is built for power and endurance. This imagery reflects the meticulous and intentional design of God in creation, where every part is purposefully crafted. In a broader theological context, it serves as a reminder of the complexity and wonder of God's works, encouraging believers to trust in His wisdom and sovereignty. The strength of the Behemoth, as depicted here, is a testament to the Creator's unmatched power, inviting us to marvel at His handiwork and to recognize our place within His vast and ordered universe.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Job
A man of great faith and patience, who undergoes severe trials and suffering. The book of Job is a dialogue between Job, his friends, and God, exploring themes of suffering and divine justice.

2. God
The Creator, who speaks to Job out of the whirlwind, challenging Job's understanding of divine wisdom and power.

3. Behemoth
A creature described by God in His discourse with Job, symbolizing God's power in creation. The exact identity of Behemoth is debated, but it is often seen as a representation of a powerful land animal.

4. The Land of Uz
The setting of the Book of Job, traditionally considered to be in the region of Edom or northern Arabia.

5. The Whirlwind
The medium through which God speaks to Job, signifying His majesty and authority.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty in Creation
The description of Behemoth highlights God's unmatched power and wisdom in creation. We are reminded that all creatures, great and small, are under His sovereign control.

Human Limitations
Job's encounter with God's description of Behemoth serves as a humbling reminder of human limitations in understanding God's ways. We are called to trust in God's wisdom, even when we do not fully comprehend His plans.

The Majesty of God
The imagery of Behemoth's strength and structure points to the majesty of God, encouraging believers to worship Him for His greatness and creative power.

Trust in God's Wisdom
Just as Job is challenged to trust in God's wisdom, believers today are encouraged to rely on God's understanding rather than their own, especially in times of trial.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the description of Behemoth in Job 40:17 enhance your understanding of God's power and majesty?

2. In what ways can recognizing our human limitations, as seen in Job's response to God, impact our daily walk with the Lord?

3. How does the imagery of Behemoth's strength encourage you to trust in God's sovereignty over your life circumstances?

4. What parallels can you draw between God's discourse with Job and the creation account in Genesis 1 regarding God's authority over creation?

5. How can the themes of God's wisdom and power in Job 40:17 inspire you to worship and trust Him more deeply in your personal life?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Genesis 1
The creation account, where God's power and authority over all creatures are established, similar to His discourse on Behemoth in Job.

Psalm 104
A psalm that praises God for His creation, including the great creatures of the earth, reflecting the themes of God's majesty and creative power.

Isaiah 40
This chapter speaks of God's incomparable power and wisdom, echoing the themes found in God's response to Job.
Jehovah's AnswerDean Bradley.Job 40:1-24
The Lord's AnswerHomilistJob 40:1-24
Behemoth the GreatW.F. Adeney Job 40:15-24
People
Job
Places
Jordan River, Uz
Topics
Bend, Bendeth, Bends, Cedar, Close, Curving, Joined, Knit, Legs, Makes, Male, Moves, Moveth, Muscles, Organs, Sinews, Stiff, Stones, Straineth, Sways, Tail, Thighs, Woven, Wrapped
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Job 40:17

     4424   cedar
     5190   thigh

Job 40:15-18

     4303   metals

Job 40:15-24

     1305   God, activity of
     4604   animals, nature of

Library
Indwelling Sin
It is a doctrine, as I believe, taught us in Holy Writ, that when a man is saved by divine grace, he is not wholly cleansed from the corruption of his heart. When we believe in Jesus Christ all our sins are pardoned; yet the power of sin, albeit that it is weakened and kept under by the dominion of the new-born nature which God doth infuse into our souls, doth not cease, but still tarrieth in us, and will do so to our dying day. It is a doctrine held by all the orthodox, that there dwelleth still
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 2: 1856

Whether the Parts to be Anointed are Suitably Assigned?
Objection 1: It would seem that these parts are unsuitably assigned, namely, that the eyes, nose, ears, lips, hands, and feet should be anointed. For a wise physician heals the disease in its root. Now "from the heart come forth thoughts . . . that defile a man" (Mat. 15:19,20). Therefore the breast ought to be anointed. Objection 2: Further, purity of mind is not less necessary to those who are departing this life than to those who are entering therein. Now those who are entering are anointed with
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether at the Coming Judgment the Angels Will be Judged?
Objection 1: It would seem that the angels will be judged at the coming judgment. For it is written (1 Cor. 6:3): "Know you not that we shall judge angels?" But this cannot refer to the state of the present time. Therefore it should refer to the judgment to come. Objection 2: Further, it is written concerning Behemoth or Leviathan, whereby the devil is signified (Job 40:28): "In the sight of all he shall be cast down"; and (Mk. 1:24)* the demon cried out to Christ: "Why art Thou come to destroy us
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether Hope is in the Damned?
Objection 1: It would seem that there is hope in the damned. For the devil is damned and prince of the damned, according to Mat. 25:41: "Depart . . . you cursed, into everlasting fire, which was prepared for the devil and his angels." But the devil has hope, according to Job 40:28, "Behold his hope shall fail him." Therefore it seems that the damned have hope. Objection 2: Further, just as faith is either living or dead, so is hope. But lifeless faith can be in the devils and the damned, according
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

December 14 Evening
By nature the children of wrath, even as others.--EPH. 2:3. We ourselves also were sometime foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.--Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. Job answered the Lord, and said, Behold, I am vile: what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.--The Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

Letter xx. Self-Examination.
"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith: prove your own selves."--2 COR. 13:6. MY DEAR SISTER, In view of the positive injunction of Scripture, above quoted, no argument is necessary to show that self-examination is a duty. But if the word of God had been silent upon the subject, the importance of self-knowledge would have been a sufficient motive for searching into the secret springs of action which influence our conduct. A person ignorant of his own heart, is like a merchant, who knows
Harvey Newcomb—A Practical Directory for Young Christian Females

Whether God is a Body
Whether God is a Body We proceed to the first article thus: 1. It seems that God is a body. For what has three dimensions is a body, and sacred Scripture attributes three dimensions to God, as in Job 11:8-9: "It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know? The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea." God is therefore a body. 2. Again, everything that has figure is a body, since figure is a mode of quantity. Now it seems that God has
Aquinas—Nature and Grace

Whether God is a Body?
Objection 1: It seems that God is a body. For a body is that which has the three dimensions. But Holy Scripture attributes the three dimensions to God, for it is written: "He is higher than Heaven, and what wilt thou do? He is deeper than Hell, and how wilt thou know? The measure of Him is longer than the earth and broader than the sea" (Job 11:8,9). Therefore God is a body. Objection 2: Further, everything that has figure is a body, since figure is a quality of quantity. But God seems to have figure,
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

The Blessing of Jacob Upon Judah. (Gen. Xlix. 8-10. )
Ver. 8. "Judah, thou, thy brethren shall praise thee; thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies; before thee shall bow down the sons of thy father. Ver. 9. A lion's whelp is Judah; from the prey, my son, thou goest up; he stoopeth down, he coucheth as a lion, and as a full-grown lion, who shall rouse him up? Ver. 10. The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and unto Him the people shall adhere." Thus does dying Jacob, in announcing
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

False Profession.
As there are trees and herbs that are wholly right and noble, fit indeed for the vineyard, so there are also their semblance, but wild; not right, but ignoble. There is the grape, and the wild grape; the vine, and the wild vine; the rose, and the canker-rose; flowers, and wild flowers; the apple, and the wild apple, which we call the crab. Now, fruit from these wild things, however they may please the children to play with, yet the prudent and grave count them of little or no value. There are also
John Bunyan—The Riches of Bunyan

Whether There is Hope in the Damned
Whether there is Hope in the Damned We proceed to the third article thus: 1. It seems that there is hope in the damned. For the devil is damned, and the prince of the damned, according to Matt. 25:41: "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." Yet the devil has hope, according to Job 41:9: "Behold, the hope of him is in vain." It seems, therefore, that the damned have hope. 2. Again, just as faith can be formed and unformed, so can hope. Now there can
Aquinas—Nature and Grace

On the Interior Man
The interior man is the rational soul; in the apostle: have in your hearts, in the interior man, Christ through faith. [Eph. 3:16] His head is Christ; in the apostle: the head of the man is Christ. [I Cor. 11:3] The crown of the head is the height of righteousness; in Solomon: for the crown of your head has received the crown of grace. The same in a bad part: the crown of hairs having walked about in their own delights, that is, in the height of iniquity. [Prov. 4:9; Ps. 67(68):22(21)] The hair is
St. Eucherius of Lyons—The Formulae of St. Eucherius of Lyons

The Tenth Commandment
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.' Exod 20: 17. THIS commandment forbids covetousness in general, Thou shalt not covet;' and in particular, Thy neighbour's house, thy neighbour's wife, &c. I. It forbids covetousness in general. Thou shalt not covet.' It is lawful to use the world, yea, and to desire so much of it as may keep us from the temptation
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

He Accuses Abaelard for Preferring his Own Opinions and Even Fancies to the Unanimous Consent of the Fathers, Especially Where He Declares that Christ did Not
He accuses Abaelard for preferring his own opinions and even fancies to the unanimous consent of the Fathers, especially where he declares that Christ did not become incarnate in order to save man from the power of the devil. 11. I find in a book of his sentences, and also in an exposition of his of the Epistle to the Romans, that this rash inquirer into the Divine Majesty attacks the mystery of our Redemption. He admits in the very beginning of his disputation that there has never been but one conclusion
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

The Wrath of God
What does every sin deserve? God's wrath and curse, both in this life, and in that which is to come. Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire.' Matt 25: 41. Man having sinned, is like a favourite turned out of the king's favour, and deserves the wrath and curse of God. He deserves God's curse. Gal 3: 10. As when Christ cursed the fig-tree, it withered; so, when God curses any, he withers in his soul. Matt 21: 19. God's curse blasts wherever it comes. He deserves also God's wrath, which is
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Book vii. On the Useful or the Ordinary
The bread is Christ or conversation of the Lord; in the gospel: I am the living bread. [John 6:41] The wine is the same as above; in Solomon: and drink this wine, which I have blended for you. [Prov. 9:5] Olive oil is mercy or the Holy Spirit; in the psalm: I have anointed him with my holy oil. The same in another part: Let not the oil of the sinner, that is, admiration, touch my head. [Ps. 88(89):21(20); Ps. 140(141):5] Pork is sin; in the psalm: they are sated with pork. [Ps. 16(17):14 (unknown
St. Eucherius of Lyons—The Formulae of St. Eucherius of Lyons

"But we are all as an Unclean Thing, and all Our Righteousnesses are as Filthy Rags,"
Isaiah lxiv 6, 7.--"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags," &c. This people's condition agreeth well with ours, though the Lord's dealing be very different. The confessory part of this prayer belongeth to us now; and strange it is, that there is such odds of the Lord's dispensations, when there is no difference in our conditions; always we know not how soon the complaint may be ours also. This prayer was prayed long before the judgment and captivity came
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The Intercession of Christ
Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us! T he Redemption of the soul is precious. Fools make mock of sin (Proverbs 14:9) . But they will not think lightly of it, who duly consider the majesty, authority, and goodness of Him, against whom it is committed; and who are taught, by what God actually has done, what sin rendered necessary to be done, before a sinner could have a well-grounded
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

Job
The book of Job is one of the great masterpieces of the world's literature, if not indeed the greatest. The author was a man of superb literary genius, and of rich, daring, and original mind. The problem with which he deals is one of inexhaustible interest, and his treatment of it is everywhere characterized by a psychological insight, an intellectual courage, and a fertility and brilliance of resource which are nothing less than astonishing. Opinion has been divided as to how the book should be
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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