Job 40:15-24 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Job 40:15-24: 40:15-24 Following a list of natural animals (39:1-30 ), God described Behemoth (40:15-24 ) and Leviathan (41:1-34 ) as creatures that man cannot tame. Job couldn’t tame the wild donkey or ox (39:5-12 ), let alone Behemoth and Leviathan (40:15-24 ), but God created them and could control them, and Job had to acknowledge it (41:2 ). • Here Behemoth seems to be a natural creature: (1) It is an animal that God made , just as he made Job (40:15 ); (2) it is not a dreadful predator but eats grass like an ox (40:15 ); and (3) it is in a poem describing God’s creation of the natural order, rather than in a mythological story of the world’s formation. Most commentators identify Behemoth with the hippopotamus, a huge, grass-eating animal (40:15-19 ) that lies in the river among the lotus plants and reeds (40:21 ). Like the wild ox, Behemoth is powerful (40:16-18 , 24 ; 39:11 ), yet is essentially peaceful (40:20-23 ).

a40:15-24►

b39:1-30►

c40:15-24►

d41:1-34►

e39:5-12►

f40:15-24►

g41:2►

h40:15►

i40:15►

j40:15-19►

k40:21►

l40:16-18►

m24►

n39:11►

o40:20-23►

‏ Job 40:15-24

Summary for Job 40:15-24: 40:15-24 ^a Following a list of natural animals (39:1-30 ^b), God described Behemoth (40:15-24 ^c) and Leviathan (41:1-34 ^d) as creatures that man cannot tame. Job couldn’t tame the wild donkey or ox (39:5-12 ^e), let alone Behemoth and Leviathan (40:15-24 ^f), but God created them and could control them, and Job had to acknowledge it (41:2 ^g).

• Here Behemoth seems to be a natural creature: (1) It is an animal that God made, just as he made Job (40:15 ^h); (2) it is not a dreadful predator but eats grass like an ox (40:15 ⁱ); and (3) it is in a poem describing God’s creation of the natural order, rather than in a mythological story of the world’s formation. Most commentators identify Behemoth with the hippopotamus, a huge, grass-eating animal (40:15-19 ^j) that lies in the river among the lotus plants and reeds (40:21 ^k). Like the wild ox, Behemoth is powerful (40:16-18 ^l, 24 ^m; 39:11 ⁿ), yet is essentially peaceful (40:20-23 ^o).