Job 41:1 | TNotes | STEP | 41:1 Unlike the peaceful Behemoth (40:15-24 ), Leviathan was menacing (see also 3:8 ; Pss 74:14 ; 104:26 ; Isa 27:1 ). Most commentators identify Leviathan with the crocodile, with its terrible jaws (Job 41:14 ) and armored hide (41:15-17 , 23 ), thrashing the water (41:31-32 ). But Leviathan is a fire-breathing dragon (41:18-21 ) that wraps its coils around the sun to cause an eclipse (3:8-9 ). The background for Leviathan is the seven-headed sea monster that represents chaos in ancient Near Eastern mythology. In the biblical record, this unruly maritime monster is a frequent biblical image for chaos and wickedness, whose head the Lord crushes (Ps 74:14 ; Isa 27:1 ; cp. Job 9:13 ; 26:12 ; Ps 89:9-10 ; Isa 30:7 ; 51:9 ). Later in the Bible, Satan is linked to the ancient serpent (Gen 3 ) and unruly dragon (Rev 12:9 ; 20:2 ), whose head Christ and his followers crush (Rom 16:20 ).

41:1 ^a Unlike the peaceful Behemoth (40:15-24 ^b), Leviathan was menacing (see also 3:8 ^c; Pss 74:14 ^d; 104:26 ^e; Isa 27:1 ^f). Most commentators identify Leviathan with the crocodile, with its terrible jaws (Job 41:14 ^g) and armored hide (41:15-17 ^h, 23 ⁱ), thrashing the water (41:31-32 ^j). But Leviathan is a fire-breathing dragon (41:18-21 ^k) that wraps its coils around the sun to cause an eclipse (3:8-9 ^l). The background for Leviathan is the seven-headed sea monster that represents chaos in ancient Near Eastern mythology. In the biblical record, this unruly maritime monster is a frequent biblical image for chaos and wickedness, whose head the Lord crushes (Ps 74:14 ^m; Isa 27:1 ⁿ; cp. Job 9:13 ^o; 26:12 ^p; Ps 89:9-10 ^q; Isa 30:7 ^r; 51:9 ^s). Later in the Bible, Satan is linked to the ancient serpent (Gen 3 ^t) and unruly dragon (Rev 12:9 ^u; 20:2 ^v), whose head Christ and his followers crush (Rom 16:20 ^w).