Job 40:21

"Surely the mountains produce food for him, where all the animals of the field play."

Key Reflection

In Job 40:21, God asserts His sovereignty over the behemoth by describing its vast and abundant habitat. The imagery suggests that even in the highest mountains, where lesser creatures can frolic, the behemoth finds sustenance. This not only highlights the magnificence of God's creation but also serves to underscore the power dynamic between God and Job, emphasizing that even such a formidable creature relies on divine provision.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

He lieth under the shady trees -Referring to his usually inactive and lazy life. He is disposed to lie down in the shade, and especially in the vegetable growth in marshy places on the banks of lakes and rivers, rather than to dwell in the open field or in the upland forest. This account agrees well with the habits of the hippopotamus. The word here and inJob 40:22rendered “shady trees” (צאליםtse'eliym), is by Gesenius, Noyes, Prof. Lee, and Schultens, translated “lotus,” and “wild lotus.” The Vulgate, Syriac, Rosenmuller, Aben-Ezra, and others, render it “shady trees.” It occurs nowhere else in the Scriptures, and it is difficult, therefore, to determine its meaning.

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