(33, 34) Upon earth there is not his like.--Some have proposed to take away the last two verses of Job 41 from their connection with the crocodile, and to transpose them, referring them to man, so as to come before Job 41:8, understanding them thus: "There is one whose like is not upon earth, who is made without dread. He seeth every high thing, and is king over all the proud beasts. To Him then I say (Job 41:8), Lay thine hand upon him; remember the battle, and do so no more. Lo! his hope is deceived. Is he indeed cast down at the very eight of him? He is not so cruel to himself that he should rouse him up. Who then can stand before me? Who hath first given to me, that I should have to repay him? That which is under the whole heavens is mine." It cannot be denied that this makes very good sense, but it seems to be too great a liberty to take with the text as we find it to adopt this as the true order of the verses; for in that case, what is there that we might not deal with in a like manner? Those who advocate this transposition in the order of the verses would also place Job 40:1-5 so as to follow Job 40:6, in this manner: "Then Job answered the Lord and said, I know that thou canst do everything, and that no purpose can be withholden from thee, or that no purpose of thine can be restrained." Then the next words come in as the implied answer of God: "Who is this that hideth my counsel for want of knowledge?" To which Job replies: "Therefore (I confess that) I have uttered without understanding things too wonderful for me, which I knew not." Again God replies, as in Job 38:3; Job 40:7 : "Hear, I beseech thee and I will speak, I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me; to which Job answers: "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor what I have said, and repent it in dust and ashes." Then the Lord answered Job and said, "Is he that contended with the Almighty reproved? Does he acknowledge his discomfiture? He that argueth with God, let him answer this question." Then Job answered the Lord and said, "Behold I am vile. What shall I answer thee? I lay my hand before my mouth; once I have spoken, but I will not answer; yea twice, but I will not do so again." There is a certain amount of sharpness and point obtained in thus making this confession the climax of the poem, and a kind of formal consistency is secured in regarding this resolution as Job's last utterance instead of making him speak again, as he does, according to the present order, in Job 42:2. But this consistency is formal rather than real, inasmuch as there is no inconsistency in the tone of Job 42:2seqq., and the promise of Job 40:5. Whatever advantage may be derived from the re-arrangement will be a matter for individual taste rather to decide, which will vary with the individual; and at all events, the climax of Job 42:6 as it stands is a very noble one, and we may question whether we can heighten its grandeur.
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.
Upon the earth there is not his like,.... As to form and figure; in most creatures there is some likeness between those in the sea and on the land, as sea horses, calves, &c. but there is no likeness between a whale and any creature on earth; there is between the crocodile and the lizard; nor is any like the whale for the largeness of its bulk; the Targum is,
"his dominion is not on the earth,''
but on the sea, as Aben Ezra notes; but rather the sense is, there is no power on earth that he obeys and submits to, as the Tigurine version; though the meaning seems to be, that there is none like him, for what follows:
who is made without fear; yet this agrees not neither with the crocodile, which Aelianus (w) says is fearful; nor with the whale, which will make off and depart at the shoutings of men, blowing of trumpets, and making use of any tinkling instruments, at which it is frightened, as Strabo (x), Philostratus (y), and Olaus Magnus (z), relate. It is observed (a); of their valour, that if they see a man or a long boat, they go under water and run away; and are never known to endeavour to hurt any man, but when in danger; though a voyager (b) of our own says,
"we saw whales in Whale-sound, and lying aloft on the water, not fearing our ships, or aught else.''
The Targum is,
"he is made that he might not be broken;''
or bruised, as Bochart; as reptiles usually may, among whom the crocodile may be reckoned, because of its short legs; and yet is made with such a hard scaly skin, that it cannot be crushed, bruised, and broken. Aben Ezra observes that some say, the word "hu", that is, "he", is wanting, and should be supplied, "he", that is, "God, made him without fear"; or that he might not be bruised; wherefore Cocceius interprets the following words entirely of God.
(w) De Animal. l. 10. c. 24. (x) Geograph. l. 15. p. 499. (y) Vit. Apollon. l. 3. c. 16. (z) De Ritu Gent. Septent. l. 21. c. 3, 6. (a) Voyage to Spitzbergen, p. 153. (b) Baffin in the North-West Fox, p. 150.
"his dominion is not on the earth,''
but on the sea, as Aben Ezra notes; but rather the sense is, there is no power on earth that he obeys and submits to, as the Tigurine version; though the meaning seems to be, that there is none like him, for what follows:
who is made without fear; yet this agrees not neither with the crocodile, which Aelianus (w) says is fearful; nor with the whale, which will make off and depart at the shoutings of men, blowing of trumpets, and making use of any tinkling instruments, at which it is frightened, as Strabo (x), Philostratus (y), and Olaus Magnus (z), relate. It is observed (a); of their valour, that if they see a man or a long boat, they go under water and run away; and are never known to endeavour to hurt any man, but when in danger; though a voyager (b) of our own says,
"we saw whales in Whale-sound, and lying aloft on the water, not fearing our ships, or aught else.''
The Targum is,
"he is made that he might not be broken;''
or bruised, as Bochart; as reptiles usually may, among whom the crocodile may be reckoned, because of its short legs; and yet is made with such a hard scaly skin, that it cannot be crushed, bruised, and broken. Aben Ezra observes that some say, the word "hu", that is, "he", is wanting, and should be supplied, "he", that is, "God, made him without fear"; or that he might not be bruised; wherefore Cocceius interprets the following words entirely of God.
(w) De Animal. l. 10. c. 24. (x) Geograph. l. 15. p. 499. (y) Vit. Apollon. l. 3. c. 16. (z) De Ritu Gent. Septent. l. 21. c. 3, 6. (a) Voyage to Spitzbergen, p. 153. (b) Baffin in the North-West Fox, p. 150.