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Commentary on Job 41 verses 11–34
God, having in the foregoing verses shown Job how unable he was to deal with the leviathan, here sets forth his own power in that massy mighty creature. Here is,
I. God's sovereign dominion and independency laid down, Job 41:11. 1. That he is indebted to none of his creatures. If any pretend he is indebted to them, let them make their demand and prove their debt, and they shall receive it in full and not by composition: "Who has prevented me?" that is, "who has laid any obligations upon me by any services he has done me? Who can pretend to be before-hand with me? If any were, I would not long be behind-hand with them; I would soon repay them." The apostle quotes this for the silencing of all flesh in God's presence, Rom 11:35. Who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed to him again? As God does not inflict upon us the evils we have deserved, so he does bestow upon us the favours we have not deserved. 2. That he is the rightful Lord and owner of all the creatures: "Whatsoever is under the whole heaven, animate or inanimate, is mine (and particularly this leviathan), at my command and disposal, what I have an incontestable property in and dominion over." All is his; we are his, all we have and do; and therefore we cannot make God our debtor; but of thy own, Lord, have we given thee. All is his, and therefore, if he were indebted to any, he has wherewithal to repay them; the debt is in good hands. All is his, and therefore he needs not our services, nor can he be benefited by them. If I were hungry I would not tell thee, for the world is mind and the fulness thereof, Psa 50:12.
II. The proof and illustration of it, from the wonderful structure of the leviathan, Job 41:12.
1.The parts of his body, the power he exerts, especially when he is set upon, and the comely proportion of the whole of him, are what God will not conceal, and therefore what we must observe and acknowledge the power of God in. Though he is a creature of monstrous bulk, yet there is in him a comely proportion. In our eye beauty lies in that which is small (inest sua gratia parvis - little things have a gracefulness all their own) because we ourselves are so; but in God's eye even the leviathan is comely; and, if he pronounce even the whale, event he crocodile, so, it is not for us to say of any of the works of his hands that they are ugly of ill-favoured; it is enough to say so, as we have cause, of our own works. God here goes about to give us an anatomical view (as it were) of the leviathan; for his works appear most beautiful and excellent, and his wisdom and power appear most in them, when they are taken in pieces and viewed in their several parts and proportions. (1.) The leviathan, even prima facie - at first sight, appears formidable and inaccessible, Job 41:13, Job 41:14. Who dares come so near him while he is alive as to discover or take a distinct view of the face of the garment, the skin with which he is clothed as with a garment, so near him as to bridle him like a horse and so lead him away, so near him as to be within reach of his jaws, which are like a double bridle? Who will venture to look into his mouth, as we do into a horse's mouth? He that opens the doors of his face will see his teeth terrible round about, strong and sharp, and fitted to devour; it would make a man tremble to think of having a leg or an arm between them. (2.) His scales are his beauty and strength, and therefore his pride, Job 41:15-17. The crocodile is indeed remarkable for his scales; if we understand it of the whale, we must understand by these shields (for so the word is) the several coats of his skin; or there might be whales in that country with scales. That which is remarkable concerning the scales is that they stick so close together, by which he is not only kept warm, for no air can pierce him, but kept safe, for no sword can pierce him through those scales. Fishes, that live in the water, are fortified accordingly by the wisdom of Providence, which gives clothes as it gives cold. (3.) He scatters terror with his very breath and looks; if he sneeze or spout up water, it is like a light shining, either with the froth or the light of the sun shining through it, Job 41:18. The eyes of the whale are reported to shine in the night-time like a flame, or, as here, like the eye-lids of the morning; the same they say of the crocodile. The breath of this creature is so hot and fiery, from the great natural heat within, that burning lamps and sparks of fire, smoke and a flame, are said to go out of his mouth, even such as one would think sufficient to set coals on fire, Job 41:19-21. Probably these hyperbolical expressions are used concerning the leviathan to intimate the terror of the wrath of God, for that is it which all this is designed to convince us of. Fire out of his mouth devours, Psa 18:7, Psa 18:8. The breath of the Almighty, like a stream of brimstone, kindles Tophet, and will for ever keep it burning, Isa 30:33. The wicked one shall be consumed with the breath of his mouth, Th2 2:8. (4.) He is of invincible strength and most terrible fierceness, so that he frightens all that come in his way, but is not himself frightened by any. Take a view of his neck, and there remains strength, Job 41:22. his head and his body are well set together. Sorrow rejoices (or rides in triumph) before him, for he makes terrible work wherever he comes. Or, Those storms which are the sorrow of others are his joys; what is tossing to others is dancing to him. His flesh is well knit, Job 41:23. The flakes of it are joined so closely together, and are so firm, that it is hard to pierce it; he is as if he were all bone. His flesh is of brass, which Job had complained his was not, Job 6:12. His heart is as firm as a stone, Job 41:24. He has spirit equal to his bodily strength, and, though he is bulky, he is sprightly, and not unwieldy. As his flesh and skin cannot be pierced, so his courage cannot be daunted; but, on the contrary, he daunts all he meets and puts them into a consternation (Job 41:25): When he raises up himself like a moving mountain in the great waters even the mighty are afraid lest he should overturn their ships or do them some other mischief. By reason of the breakings he makes in the water, which threaten death, they purify themselves, confess their sins, betake themselves to their prayers, and get ready for death. We read (Job 3:8) of those who, when they raise up a leviathan, are in such a fright that they curse the day. It was a fear which, it seems, used to drive some to their curses and others to their prayers; for, as now, so then there were seafaring men of different characters and on whom the terrors of the sea have contrary effects; but all agree there is a great fright among them when the leviathan raises up himself. (5.) All the instruments of slaughter that are used against him do him no hurt and therefore are not error to him, Job 41:26-29. The sword and the spear, which wound nigh at hand, are nothing to him; the darts, arrows, and sling-stones, which wound at a distance, do him no damage; nature has so well armed him cap-a-pie - at all points, against them all. The defensive weapons which men use when they engage with the leviathan, as the habergeon, or breast-plate, often serve men no more than their offensive weapons; iron and brass are to him as straw and rotten wood, and he laughs at them. It is the picture of a hard-hearted sinner, that despises the terrors of the Almighty and laughs at all the threatenings of his word. The leviathan so little dreads the weapons that are used against him that, to show how hardy he is, he chooses to lie on the sharp stones, the sharp-pointed things (Job 41:30), and lies as easy there as if he lay on the soft mire. Those that would endure hardness must inure themselves to it. (6.) His very motion in the water troubles it and puts it into a ferment, Job 41:31, Job 41:32. When he rolls, and tosses, and makes a stir in the water, or is in pursuit of his prey, he makes the deep to boil like a pot, he raises a great froth and foam upon the water, such as is upon a boiling pot, especially a pot of boiling ointment; and he makes a path to shine after him, which even a ship in the midst of the sea does not, Pro 30:19. One may trace the leviathan under water by the bubbles on the surface; and yet who can take that advantage against him in pursuing him? Men track hares in the snow and kill them, but he that tracks the leviathan dares not come near him.
2.Having given this particular account of his parts, and his power, and his comely proportion, he concludes with four things in general concerning this animal: - (1.) That he is a non-such among the inferior creatures: Upon earth there is not his like, Job 41:33. No creature in this world is comparable to him for strength and terror. Or the earth is here distinguished from the sea: His dominion is not upon the earth (so some), but in the waters. None of all the savage creatures upon earth come near him for bulk and strength, and it is well for man that he is confined to the waters and there has a watch set upon him (Job 7:12) by the divine Providence, for, if such a terrible creature were allowed to roam and ravage upon this earth, it would be an unsafe and uncomfortable habitation for the children of men, for whom it is intended. (2.) That he is more bold and daring than any other creature whatsoever: He is made without fear. The creatures are as they are made; the leviathan has courage in his constitution, nothing can frighten him; other creatures, quite contrary, seem as much designed for flying as this for fighting. So, among men, some are in their natural temper bold, others are timorous. (3.) That he is himself very proud; though lodged in the deep, yet he beholds all high things, Job 41:34. The rolling waves, the impending rocks, the hovering clouds, and the ships under sail with top and top-gallant, this mighty animal beholds with contempt, for he does not think they either lessen him or threaten him. Those that are great are apt to be scornful. (4.) That he is a king over all the children of pride, that is, he is the proudest of all proud ones. He has more to be proud of (so Mr. Caryl expounds it) than the proudest people in the world have; and so it is a mortification to the haughtiness and lofty looks of men. Whatever bodily accomplishments men are proud of, and puffed up with, the leviathan excels them and is a king over them. Some read it so as to understand it of God: He that beholds all high things, even he, is King over all the children of pride; he can tame the behemoth (Job 40:19) and the leviathan, big as they are, and stout-hearted as they are. This discourse concerning those two animals was brought in to prove that it is God only who can look upon proud men and abase them, bring them low and tread them down, and hide them in the dust (Job 40:11-13), and so it concludes with a quod erat demonstrandum - which was to be demonstrated; there is one that beholds all high things, and, wherein men deal proudly, is above them; he is King over all the children of pride, whether brutal or rational, and can make them all either bend or break before him, Isa 2:11. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and thus the Lord alone shall be exalted.
“It will esteem the deep as growing old.” … This Leviathan, therefore, will look on the deep as growing old [white-haired], because it so infatuates the hearts of the reprobate as to infuse in them a suspicion that the approaching [eternal] judgment may come to an end. For it imagines that the abyss is growing old in thinking that the heavenly infliction of punishment will ever be brought to a close. This ancient deceiver, therefore, in the minds of the wicked that it binds up, makes light of future punishments, as if they were bound by a terminal limit. This only prolongs their faults without any limit from reproof, and that they may not put here an end to their sins the more they imagine the punishments of sins will be there brought to a close.…[In these ways] “there is no power on earth that can be compared with it.” … For though it has lost the happiness of eternal felicity, yet it has not lost the greatness of its nature. By this strength it still surpasses all human things, though it is inferior to holy people, by the baseness of its deserts. Hence the meritorious recompense of the saints, who are contending against [the devil], is the more increased, the more it is defeated by [the saints] when it boasts that by the power of its nature, it has a right to rule over people. It follows, “Which was made to fear no one” [a creature without fear]. The Leviathan was so indeed made by nature as to be bound to feel a chaste fear for its Creator; that is to say, with a subdued and fearless fear, not with the fear that love casts out, but with fear that remains for ever and ever.… Even the Leviathan had thus been so created, as with joyful dread to fear its Maker with love and to love him with fear. But by its own perversity, [the Leviathan] was made such as to fear no creature.
31. What is expressed by the ‘sea’ but the life of the worldly, what by the ‘deep’ [‘profundum’] but their deep and hidden thoughts? And this deep sea this Leviathan makes to boil like a pot, because it is doubtless quite plain, that in the time of the last persecution he studies to excite the minds of the reprobate against the life of the Elect by the flame of cruelty. Then does the deep sea boil as a pot, when he inflames with strong heat the hearts of the lovers of this world, and when those who in this time of peace kept their malice close within itself, then boil over with the heat of most savage persecutions, and with the headlong liberty of open cruelty breathe forth that hatred of ancient envy, which they had long suppressed. But because, when persuaded by deadly error they so serve Antichrist in these doings, as to imagine that they are the more truly doing service to Christ; after he had said, He will make the deep sea to boil like a pot, be fitly subjoined,
He will make it as when ointments boil.
32. For ointments when they boil give forth the fragrance of sweetness. Because then this Leviathan will so seduce the hearts of the reprobate, that, whatever they do from the wickedness of unbelief, they imagine they are doing it for the truth of the right faith, that which they do with zeal for religion, smells, as it were, sweetly to them. Whence the Truth says to His disciples in the Gospel; That every one that killeth you, will think that he doeth God service. [John 16, 2] They, therefore, boil as a pot, while they cruelly persecute: but this very persecution smells, to their sense, with the fragrance of ointments, when their mind, deceived by vain imaginations, thinks that it is doing God service. For in Holy Scripture by the sweet smell of ointments is usually signified an opinion of virtues. Whence the Bride in the Song of Songs, longing for the Bridegroom, says, We run in the odour of Thy ointments. [Cant. 1, 3] And hence the Apostle Paul, knowing that he was fragrant with the praise of virtues, says, We are unto God a sweet savour of Christ. [2 Cor. 2, 15] Because, therefore this Leviathan involves the ministers of that accursed vessel of his in deeds of cruelty, under the notions of praise, and the pretext of virtue, after He had said, He will make the deep sea to boil as a pot: He immediately rightly adds, He will make it as when ointments boil. For the sea which boils with the fire of cruelty, He shows to boil as ointments, in the judgment of those same persons, who are excited by the feigned name of virtue; in order that they may become more atrocious in their cruelty, the more they believe that they even deserve rewards for their zeal for religion. And in the Divine judgment it is just that they, who neglect to consider and guard the power of piety, should be deceived by the odour of their own fancy. Whence, to increase the illusion, signs also and prodigies attend them when committing their cruelties.
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SUMMARY
Job 41:31 is a climactic verse within God's discourse to Job from the whirlwind, powerfully illustrating the terrifying and majestic power of Leviathan. Through two vivid similes, the verse depicts Leviathan's ability to violently churn the deepest waters into a boiling cauldron and then transform the sea into a viscous, almost oily substance like a pot of ointment. This profound imagery serves to underscore God's absolute and incomprehensible sovereignty over even the most untamable forces of creation, challenging Job's limited human perspective and calling him to humility before the Creator's majestic and mysterious power.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Job 41:31 is exceptionally rich in Imagery and Simile, employing vivid comparisons to convey the unparalleled power of Leviathan. The primary device is Simile, with the phrases "like a pot" and "like a pot of ointment" directly comparing the sea's transformation to familiar objects. These similes make the abstract and terrifying power of Leviathan concrete and relatable, allowing the reader to visualize the immense disturbance and subsequent, peculiar alteration of the waters. The verse also employs Hyperbole, exaggerating Leviathan's effect on the sea to emphasize its extraordinary strength and the utter impossibility of human control over such a creature. Furthermore, a profound Contrast or Paradox is presented between the "boiling" (violent, chaotic agitation) and the "ointment" (viscous, perhaps strangely calm or altered state). This striking juxtaposition heightens the creature's mysterious and overwhelming impact, suggesting that its power is not merely destructive but also capable of strange, transformative effects, leaving a unique and lasting impression on the environment. The masterful use of these devices effectively communicates the creature's untamable nature and, by extension, God's supreme and mysterious power over all creation.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 41:31 profoundly reinforces the biblical truth of God's absolute sovereignty, particularly over the forces of chaos and the seemingly untamable aspects of creation. Leviathan, as the embodiment of overwhelming natural power, serves as a testament to a created order that extends far beyond human comprehension and control. Yet, the verse explicitly states that it is God who "maketh" Leviathan perform these actions, firmly placing even this terrifying creature under divine command. This challenges any notion of independent chaotic forces and asserts that all of creation, in its diverse and often fearsome manifestations, ultimately serves God's purposes and testifies to His matchless wisdom and might. The theological implication is clear: if God can command such a creature, then His power over all human circumstances, including Job's suffering, is unquestionable, demanding awe, humility, and trust in His unfathomable plan.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 41:31 offers a powerful reminder that God's power extends even to the most chaotic, terrifying, and seemingly uncontrollable aspects of our world and our lives. Just as Leviathan's immense strength and disruptive presence are ultimately within God's purview, so too are the "boiling" and unsettling circumstances we face—whether personal crises, global upheavals, or the inexplicable mysteries of existence. This verse calls us to move beyond our limited human understanding and to cultivate a profound sense of awe and humility before the Creator. It encourages us to trust that the God who orchestrates even the most formidable creatures and transforms the "deep" in surprising ways is fully capable of sovereignly overseeing our lives. In moments when our own "deep" seems to boil with anxiety or turmoil, or when life leaves us feeling strangely altered or disoriented like "a pot of ointment," we are invited to rest in the knowledge that God's power is supreme, His wisdom is unfathomable, and His control is absolute, providing a profound foundation for peace amidst chaos and purpose in perplexity.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Is Leviathan a literal creature or purely symbolic?
Answer: The interpretation of Leviathan in Job 41 has been a subject of scholarly debate, but the most robust understanding suggests it is a real, formidable creature (likely a large aquatic reptile like a crocodile, though exaggerated) that also carries profound symbolic weight. God's detailed description of its physical attributes, defenses, and behaviors points to a creature observed in the natural world, albeit one described with poetic hyperbole to emphasize its might. However, its portrayal as utterly invincible and beyond human control elevates it to a symbolic representation of the untamable forces of nature and chaos, which are ultimately under God's dominion. The purpose of the description is not merely zoological, but profoundly theological: to demonstrate God's absolute sovereignty over all creation, including the most terrifying and powerful elements, whether literal or symbolic. Therefore, it is both a formidable, real creature (or based on one) and a powerful symbol of chaos, over which God alone reigns supreme, as seen in other biblical references like Psalm 104:26 and Isaiah 27:1.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Job 41:31 directly speaks of God's sovereignty over Leviathan, it powerfully foreshadows the ultimate demonstration of divine power and control over chaos found in Jesus Christ. The untamable Leviathan, churning the deep and transforming the sea, represents the formidable forces of a fallen world—sin, death, and chaos—that are utterly beyond human mastery. Yet, in the New Testament, we see Jesus, the incarnate God, exercising direct and absolute authority over these very elements. His calming of the storm in Mark 4:39, where He rebukes the wind and stills the waves, is a profound echo of God's power over the "deep" and its chaotic manifestations. This act reveals Christ as the very Creator through whom "all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him" (Colossians 1:16). Ultimately, Christ's victory on the cross and His glorious resurrection represent the definitive triumph over the "ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan" (Revelation 12:9), the true embodiment of rebellion and chaos. Just as God demonstrates His power over Leviathan, Christ's redemptive work ensures that in the new heavens and new earth, there will be "no more sea" (Revelation 21:1), signifying the ultimate and eternal cessation of all chaos, fear, and separation, fully realizing the dominion foreshadowed in Job.