Jó 41
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
Jó 41
CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS God's questions to Job continue. NASB – 16 questions, Job 41:1-11 NKJV – 13 questions, Job 41:1-11 NRSV – 12 questions, Job 41:1-11 NJB – 4 questions, Job 41:1-11 JPSOA – 4 questions, Job 41:1-11 The MT has the INTERROGATIVE (BDB 566) in Job 41:11 and INTERROGATIVE PARTICLE in Job 41:2,3,4,5,7. The English translations differ on how to place them (i.e., end of verses, end of each line of poetry). The NASB and NKJV assume the questions begin in Job 41:1. For Leviathan see SPECIAL TOPIC: LEVIATHAN.
Jó 41:1-11
41:1 (MT 40:25) "Leviathan" See SPECIAL TOPIC: LEVIATHAN. 41:4 (MT 40:28) "forever" See SPECIAL TOPIC: FOREVER (‘olam). 41:5 (MT 40:29) This verse is imagery comparing Leviathan to a pet on a leash. The term "maidens" (BDB 655, KB 707 I) has been interpreted as daughter – NRSV, NJB servant women – TEV, UBS Handbook suggestion, p. 753; KB 708 I, #3 or #4 child – LXX children – Peshitta your girls – JPSOA, NET Job has no children left alive. 41:6 (MT 40:30) NASB, NRSV, JPSOA "traders" "companions" TEV, Peshsitta "fishermen" "merchants" "fishing guide" "nations" The MT has "partner in trade" or "guildsman" (BDB 289, KB 288 II), found only here. I think NJB is the best guess, being parallel to "the merchants" (lit. "Canaanites," i.e., traders; cf. NIDOTTE, vol. 2, p. 669). 41:8 (MT 40:32) This verse has two IMPERATIVES. lay your hand on him – BDB 962, KB 1321, Qal IMPERATIVE remember the battle – BDB 269, KB 269, Qal IMPERATIVE The third VERBAL is JUSSIVE SINGULAR. The TEV seems to catch the thrust of the passage: "Touch him once and you'll never try it again; you'll never forget the fight!" 41:9 (MT 41:1) This difficult verse is related to Job 41:8. There is no hope of capturing Leviathan, neither from mankind or "the gods" (Symmachus, Syriac, NRSV). Both LXX and Peshitta are very different from the MT. AB (p. 282) suggests the editors of the MT purposely altered a name for "god" because the mythological implications bothered them. 41:10b-11 (MT 41:2-3) These last three poetic lines of the strophe (Job 41:1-11) are the crucial theological issue. The implication of all the questions is, "Job cannot, but YHWH can!" If YHWH has that kind of power, who can stand before Him? He is the creator of all, subject to none! (cf. 1 Cor. 10:26, quoted from LXX). The AB (p. 280) suggests this verse also refers to Leviathan's fearful presence (TEV), not God, and is, thereby related to Job 41:9 (i.e., gods). The lessor gods are fearful of arousing Leviathan. 41:11 "who has given to Me" "who has preceded Me" "who can confront it" TEV, REB "who can attack him" "whoever confronts Me" "who has preeminence over me" The VERB (BDB 869, KB 1068, Hiphil VERB) means BDB 870, Hiphil – anticipate BDB 869 suggests a meaning to the root (but no examples given) – be before, former time, in front (KB 1069; NKJV) Also, some translations see the object as God – NASB, NKJV, Peshitta, JPSOA; also NRSV footnote Leviathan – NRSV, TEV, REB
Jó 41:12-34
41:12-34 This strophe continues the discussion of Leviathan. He is a powerful, fearful creation that no human can tame, but YHWH can! 41:19-21 This cannot describe a crocodile! 41:22b NASB, REB "dismay" "sorrow" "terror" "violence" "power" "destruction" The MT has a FEMININE NOUN (BDB 178, NIDOTTE, vol. 2, pp. 331,332), found only here in the OT, which could mean faintness dismay "Sorrow" comes from another Hebrew root (NKJV, NIDOTTE, vol. 1, pp. 906,909, cf. Deut. 33:25). Another theory is related to a Ugaritic root, "strength," which is supported by KB 207, the DSS Targum of Job, and JPSOA. This fits the parallelism of "strength" (BDB 738) best in Job 41:22a and b. 41:25a NASB, NKJV "the mighty" NRSV, Targums, Symmachus "the gods" "the strongest" NJB, REB "he" (i.e., Leviathan) "divine beings" "angels" UBS Text (alternative) "the waves" (emendation) The MT has "gods" (i.e., ‘elim, PLURAL of El, BDB 42). The UBS Text Project (p. 159) gives this a "B" rating (some doubt). Leviathan brings fear to heaven (if "gods") and earth (if "powerful humans"). SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, A. 41:30-32 Andersen, in The Tyndale OT Commentary Series (p. 291), asserts that Job 41:30-32 speaks of how Leviathan moves through the water. See my notes next on Job 41:31-32. 41:31-32 These verses have several terms related to the sea. the depths, Job 41:31 – BDB 846, KB 623, cf. Exod. 15:5; Jonah 2:4 the sea, Job 41:31 – BDB 410, KB 413, cf. Exod. 13:18; 15:4; Jonah 1:4 the deep, Job 41:32 – BDB 1062, KB 1690, cf. Gen. 1:2; Job 28:14; 38:16; Ps. 71:20; Jonah 2:6 The terms "sea," "watery chaos," "chaos creatures" all held important mythological connections in the ANE. See Hard Sayings of the Bible, pp. 277-278. SPECIAL TOPIC: WATERS 41:33-34 Should these verses be seen as confirmation of the extra-natural nature of Leviathan confirmation that it is just another powerful animal of this planet I think overall, #1 fits the date and context of Job best. 41:33 "eaarth" This term (BDB 779) denotes that from which humans were made – Gen. 2:7; Job 4:19; 8:19; 10:9; 34:15 that to which human bodies at death will return – Gen. 3:19 soil – Job 14:19; 28:6; 39:14 food of the serpent – Gen. 3:14; Isa. 65:25 Because of the proximity of Job 41:31-32 (i.e., several names for the underworld), this term may refer to death or Sheol here. There is nothing in the underworld/defeated world like Leviathan. He is still without fear, though merely a plaything for YHWH. The phrase, "sons of pride," however, is used in Job 28:8 for animals. It is difficult to decide if this chapter refers to an animal ANE mythology or both I have come to see #2 as probable. See John H. Walton, ANE Thought and the OT: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible and Genesis 1 As Ancient Cosmology.