Job 40:16

"“See now behemoth, which I made as well as you. He eats grass as an ox."

Key Reflection

In Job 40:15–16, God uses the behemoth to illustrate His power and majesty, comparing it to the might of a powerful beast that still humbly eats grass like an ox. This highlights both the awe-inspiring creation and its dependence on the Creator, emphasizing themes of divine sovereignty and the creature’s place within God's world.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Lo now, his strength is in his loins -The inspection of the figure of the hippopotamus will show the accuracy of this. The strength of the elephant is in the neck; of the lion in the paw; of the horse and ox in the shoulders; but the principal power of the river-horse is in the loins; compareNahum 2:1. This passage is one that proves that the elephant cannot be referred to. And his force is in the navel of his belly -The word which is here rendered “navel” (שׁרירshârı̂yr) means properly “firm, hard, tough,” and in the plural form, which occurs here, means the “firm,” or “tough” parts of the belly.

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