Chapter Overview
Summary
Job 41 is the LEVIATHAN chapter — God's extended-portrait of-the-cosmic-sea-monster. Variously-identified as crocodile, mythic-chaos-dragon, or proto-Satan-figure (Christian-tradition). Verse 11 (MT 41:3) — 'who has first given to me, that I should repay him?' — is cited at Romans 11:35 as Paul's-doxology-conclusion to Romans 9–11. The LXX of-this-chapter is significantly-shorter than MT.
Notable Variants
41:11 (MT 41:3) → Romans 11:35 ('who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?'); LEVIATHAN as cosmic-chaos-creature → Rev 12:9, 20:2 (the 'great dragon … that ancient serpent') Christological extension; LXX significantly-abbreviated.
Structural Notes
MT Job 41 = LXX Job 41 (LXX abbreviated). 34 verses (MT).
No one is fierce enough to rouse him — and who then can stand before me?
'Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook or press down his tongue with a cord?' tracks MT. LEVIATHAN — cosmic chaos-monster (// Ps 74:14, Isa 27:1). Revelation 12:9, 20:2 ('the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent') Christologically extends — Christ-defeats Leviathan.
Who has given to me first, that I should repay him? Everything under heaven belongs to me.
'Can you put a rope in his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook?' tracks MT.
I will not be silent about his limbs, or his mighty strength, or his graceful form.
'Will he make many pleas to you? Will he speak to you soft words?' tracks MT.
Who can strip off his outer garment? Who can penetrate his double coat of armor?
'Will he make a covenant with you to take him for your servant forever?' tracks MT.
Who can pry open the doors of his face? Terror surrounds his teeth.
'Will you play with him as with a bird, or will you put him on a leash for your girls?' tracks MT.
His back is rows of shields, sealed shut with a tight seal.
'Will traders bargain over him? Will they divide him up among the merchants?' tracks MT.
Each one is so close to the next that no air can pass between them.
'Can you fill his skin with harpoons or his head with fishing spears?' tracks MT.
Each clings to its brother; they grip each other and cannot be separated.
'Lay your hands on him; remember the battle — you will not do it again!' tracks MT.
His sneezing flashes with light; his eyes are like the eyelids of the dawn.
'Behold, the hope of a man is false; he is laid low even at the sight of him' tracks MT.
Torches stream from his mouth; sparks of fire fly out.
'No one is so fierce that he dares to stir him up. Who then is he who can stand before me?' tracks MT. WHO-CAN-STAND-BEFORE-ME — implicit-leap from Leviathan-no-one-can-stand-before to-God-himself. Romans 9:20's 'who are you, O man, to answer back to God?' extends.
Smoke pours from his nostrils like a boiling pot over burning reeds.
Masoretic (WLC)
מִי הִקְדִּימַנִי וַאֲשַׁלֵּם תַּחַת כָּל־הַשָּׁמַיִם לִי־הוּא
Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine
Septuagint (LXX)
ἢ τίς ἀντιστήσεταί μοι καὶ ὑπομενεῖ εἰ πᾶσα ἡ ὑπ᾽ οὐρανὸν ἐμή ἐστιν
Or who shall resist me and endure, if everything under heaven is mine?
ROMANS 11:35 ECHO. Paul at Romans 11:35 cites this verse: 'WHO HAS GIVEN A GIFT TO HIM THAT HE MIGHT BE REPAID? (tis proedōken autō, kai antapodothēsetai autō)' Paul's wording-follows the MT-tradition more-closely than the LXX (which moves in a different-direction). Some-suggest Paul cites either-the-MT-directly, or a different-Greek-textual-tradition (perhaps Aquila or Symmachus's later-translations).
PAUL'S-CONTEXT. The verse closes Paul's-doxology at the end of Romans 11 (vv. 33–36): 'O, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or WHO HAS GIVEN A GIFT TO HIM THAT HE MIGHT BE REPAID? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.' Job 41:11's divine-anteriority-and-self-sufficiency anchors Paul's-final-doxology of-the-greatest-theology-section in-the-NT.
His breath sets coals ablaze, and flame pours from his mouth.
'I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, or his mighty strength, or his goodly frame' tracks MT.
Strength lodges in his neck, and terror dances before him.
'Who can strip off his outer garment? Who would come near him with a bridle?' tracks MT.
The folds of his flesh cling together, cast firm upon him — immovable.
'Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth is terror' tracks MT.
His heart is cast hard as stone — hard as the lower millstone.
'His back is made of rows of shields, shut up closely as with a seal' tracks MT.
When he rises, the mighty are terrified; they lose their wits from the crashing.
'One is so near to another that no air can come between them' tracks MT.
The sword that reaches him does not hold; nor the spear, nor the dart, nor the javelin.
'They are joined one to another; they clasp each other and cannot be separated' tracks MT.
He regards iron as straw and bronze as rotten wood.
'His sneezings flash forth light, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the dawn' tracks MT.
No arrow can make him flee; sling-stones turn to chaff against him.
'Out of his mouth go flaming torches; sparks of fire leap forth' tracks MT. FLAMING-TORCHES-FROM-MOUTH — fire-breathing dragon-imagery. Revelation 12:3 (great-red-dragon) Christologically extends.
Clubs are counted as straw to him; he laughs at the rattling of the javelin.
'Out of his nostrils comes forth smoke, as from a boiling pot and burning rushes' tracks MT.
His underside is jagged potsherds; he drags a threshing sledge through the mud.
'His breath kindles coals, and a flame comes forth from his mouth' tracks MT.
He makes the deep boil like a cauldron; he churns the sea like a pot of ointment.
'In his neck abides strength, and terror dances before him' tracks MT.
Behind him he leaves a shining wake; one would think the deep had turned white-haired.
'The folds of his flesh stick together, firmly cast on him and immovable' tracks MT.
Nothing on earth is his equal — a creature made without fear.
'His heart is hard as a stone, hard as the lower millstone' tracks MT.
He looks down on everything that is tall. He is king over all the sons of pride.
'When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid; at the crashing they are beside themselves' tracks MT.
He surveys all that is lofty; he reigns as king over every proud beast.
'Though the sword reaches him, it does not avail, nor the spear, the dart, or the javelin' tracks MT.
'He counts iron as straw, and bronze as rotten wood' tracks MT.
'The arrow cannot make him flee; for him sling stones are turned to stubble' tracks MT.
'Clubs are counted as stubble; he laughs at the rattle of javelins' tracks MT.
'His underparts are like sharp potsherds; he spreads himself like a threshing sledge on the mire' tracks MT.
'He makes the deep boil like a pot; he makes the sea like a pot of ointment' tracks MT.
'Behind him he leaves a shining wake; one would think the deep to be white-haired' tracks MT.
'On earth there is not his like, a creature without fear' tracks MT.
'He sees everything that is high; he is king over all the sons of pride' tracks MT. KING-OVER-SONS-OF-PRIDE — Leviathan as the apex-of-pride. The Christological-typology: Christ-defeats this-prince-of-pride. Colossians 2:15's 'he disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him' Christologically completes.