Daily Bible Study Tips: Job

Comments on Job 1 to 3
Comments on Job 4 to 11
Comments on Job 12 to 18
Comments on Job 19 to 21
Comments on Job 22 to 27
Comments on Job 31 to 38:21

Job 38:22-41; 40:1-5, God speaks; Job answers.
Job 40:6-41:34; 42:1-6, God speaks; Job answers.

Comments on Job 42

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Job 38:22-41; 40:1-5 (8/25/10)

God speaks; Job answers. If fellow-reader Jack N. had written Job, it would be even shorter than if I had written it.  He is fond of saying that the message of Job is this: 

"I'm God, and you're not!  DEAL WITH IT ! "  

After God says this the first time, he asks Job for a response.  Job winces and answers in a small voice, "Oh. Right. Sorry. Sorry."  

Job 40:6-41:34; 42:1-6 (8/26/10)

God speaks; Job answers. I love this part of the book of Job.  In its own way, it is a creation story.  

God is a fair-minded person, so he says to Job, "OK, if you think I'm wrong and you could do a better job, let's see it.  But remember, what you do has to be as god-like as what I have already done."  God spends a couple verses talking about what he has done in history, and then goes on to describe two of his most wonderful creatures, Behemoth and Leviathan.  Both of these names have come directly over to English from the Hebrew, and most translations just say "Behemoth" and "Leviathan."   

In English a behemoth is something enormous, or a huge animal like a hippopotamus.  In Hebrew, behemoth is a Hebrew plural of majesty of a loan-word from Egyptian that means "hippopotamus."  Hippos get up to 17 ft long and 9900 lbs.  God's description of Behemoth matches the meaning.  Leviathan in English is, again, something enormous, although typically enormous and wet, like a ship, or a sea monster.  In Hebrew, leviathan means "serpent" (see e.g., Isaiah 21:7), i.e., crocodile.  Scholars think that probably what is meant here is the Nile crocodile specifically, which can get as big as 21 feet and 2400 pounds, and the crocodile goes along nicely with the hippopotamus.  Personally, I think the description sounds like a dragon, although except for the flaming breath, a crocodile is as near a dragon as makes no difference.  (Upon checking, I am gratified to see that the Greek Old Testament has draconta.)  

Job says, "I'll just forfeit the match, and I'm even embarrassed that I showed up."


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Opinions expressed on this page are solely those of the author, Regina Hunter, and may or may not be shared by the sponsors or the Bible-study participants.  Thanks to the Holy Spirit for any useful ideas presented here, and thanks to all the readers for their support and enthusiasm.  All errors are, of course, the sole responsibility of the author.

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