Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 40:18
His bones [are as] strong pieces of brass; his bones [are] like bars of iron.
18. strong pieces of brass ] Rather literally, are pipes of brass.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
His bones are as strong pieces of brass – The circumstance here adverted to was remarkable, because the common residence of the animal was the water, and the bones of aquatic animals are generally hollow, and much less firm than those of land animals. It should be observed here, that the word rendered brass in the Scriptures most probably denotes copper. Brass is a compound metal, composed of copper and zinc; and there is no reason to suppose that the art of compounding it was known at as early a period of the world as the time of Job. The word here translated strong pieces ( ‘aphyq) is rendered by Schultens alvei – channels, or beds, as of a rivulet or stream; and by Rosenmuller, Gesenius, Noyes, and Umbreit, tubes – supposed to allude to the fact that they seemed to be hollow tubes of brass. But the more common meaning of the word is strong, mighty, and there is no impropriety in retaining that sense here; and then the meaning would be, that his bones were so firm that they seemed to be made of solid metal.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 18. His bones are as strong pieces of brass-bars of iron.] The tusk I have mentioned above is uncommonly hard, solid, and weighty for its size.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
His bones; under which title are comprehended his ribs (as the LXX here render it) and his teeth.
As strong pieces of brass, exceeding hard and strong, as they are in both these creature.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
18. strongrather, “tubes”of copper [UMBREIT].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
His bones [are as] strong pieces of brass: his bones [are] as bars of iron. Than which nothing is stronger. The repetition is made for greater illustration and confirmation; but what is said is not applicable to the elephant, whose bones are porous and rimous, light and spongy for the most part, as appears from the osteology k of it; excepting its teeth, which are the ivory; though the teeth of the river horse are said to exceed them in hardness l; and artificers say m they are wrought with greater difficulty than ivory. The ancients, according to Pausanias n, used them instead of it; who relates, that the face of the image of the goddess Cybele was made of them: and Kircher o says, in India they make beads, crucifixes, and statues of saints of them; and that they are as hard or harder than a flint, and fire may be struck out of them. So the teeth of the morss, a creature of the like kind in the northern countries, are valued by the inhabitants as ivory p, for hardness, whiteness, and weight, beyond it, and are dearer and much traded in; [See comments on Job 40:20]; but no doubt not the teeth only, but the other bones of the creature in the text are meant.
k In Philosoph. Transact. vol. 5. p. 155, 156. l Odoardus Barbosa apud Bochart. ut supra. (Apud Hierozoic. par. 2. l. 5. c. 14. col. 758.) m Diepenses apud ib. n Arcadica, sive, l. 8. p. 530. o China cum Monument. p. 193. p Olaus Magnus, ut supra, (De Ritu. Septent. Gent.) l. 2. c. 19. Voyage to Spitzbergen, p. 115.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(18) Strong pieces.Or, perhaps, tubes. His limbs are like bars of iron.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
18. His bones strong pieces of brass, etc. Although he eat grass, his bones are as tubes of brass are like hammered bars of iron. The second word rendered bones , may mean “ribs,” in contrast with the hollow bones before spoken of.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Job 40:18 His bones [are as] strong pieces of brass; his bones [are] like bars of iron.
Ver. 18. His bones are as strony pieces of brass ] Or, as conduit pipes of brass, whereby may be understood his hollow bones, as by bars of iron the solid ones, and by both (together with his trunk, composed of gristles, and his teeth and tusks, eight feet long, some of them) we may conjecture to be the size of his whole body; the size of all earthly creatures, saith Pliny; nine cubits high, saith Aelian, of some. Now can Job look upon such a monstrous creature, or hear his noise, or stand before him, without great horror? and will he not submit to the great God, and give him all his glory.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Job 7:12, Isa 48:4
Reciprocal: Job 6:12 – of brass Job 10:11 – fenced Rev 9:9 – they had
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Job 40:18-19. His bones Under which title are comprehended his ribs, (as the LXX. here render it,) and his teeth; are as strong pieces of brass Exceeding hard and strong. Such they are both in the elephant and river- horse. He is the chief of the ways of God That is, of Gods works, namely, of that sort, or among living and brute creatures. This is eminently and unquestionably true of the elephant, in regard of his vast bulk and strength, joined with great activity; and especially of his admirable sagacity, and aptness to learn; and of his singular usefulness to man, his lord and master; and many other commendable qualities. And the hippopotamus also is, in some sort, the chief, or one of the chief, of Gods works, in regard of his bulk, which, say the authors of the Encyclopedia Britannica, is so great that twelve oxen were found necessary to draw one ashore, which had been shot in a river beyond the Cape of Good Hope; and Hasselquist says, his hide is a load for a camel. His strength and sagacity also are very remarkable, as well as the manner of his living, both in the water and on the land. But it must be granted, that the elephant exceeds the hippopotamus in many things. Can make his sword to approach unto him Though he be so strong and terrible, yet God can easily subdue, or destroy him, either immediately, or by arming other creatures against him. But, , hagnosho jaggesh charbo, may be properly rendered, He that made him hath applied, or given to him, his sword, or arms, that is, He hath formed him so as to make him appear dreadful and terrible. Heath renders it, He who made him hath furnished him with his scythe, taking the Hebrew word, rendered sword, or scythe, to denote the instrument by which this animal gathers his food. Houbigants translation of the clause is, His Creator sharpeneth his crooked tooth.