Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 41:13
Who can discover the face of his garment? [or] who can come [to him] with his double bridle?
13. The verse reads,
Who hath uncovered the face of his garment?
Or who will enter into his double jaw?
The “face of his garment” seems to mean the upper side or surface of his coat of scales, his armour; and the question is, Who has turned back, or removed this scaly covering? The question seems a general, preliminary one, as the scales are more particularly described in Job 41:15 seq. His “double jaw” is lit. his double bridle, the term “bridle” referring particularly perhaps to the corners of his jaws.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
13, 14. The terrible jaws of the animal.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Who can discern the face of his garment? – literally, Who can reveal the face, that is, the appearance, of his garment? This garment is undoubtedly his skin. The meaning seems to be, His hard and rough skin is his defense, and no one can so strip off that as to have access to him. The word rendered discover ( galah) means to make naked; then to reveal; and the idea is, that he cannot be made naked of that covering, or deprived of it so that one could attack him.
Or who can come to him with his double bridle? – Margin, within Gesenius renders this, The doubling of his jaws; that is. his double row of teeth. Umbreit, His double bit. Noyes, Who will approach his jaws? So Rosenmuller. Schultens and Prof. Lee, however, suppose it means that no one can come near to him and double the bit upon him, i. e. cast the bit or noose over his nose, so as to secure him by doubling it, or passing it around him. The former seems to me to be the true meaning. Into the doubling of his jaws, who can enter? That is, Who will dare approach a double row of teeth so formidable? The word rendered bridle ( resen) means properly a curb or halter, which goes over a horses nose, and hence, a bit or bridle. But it may be used to denote the interior of the mouth, the jaws, where the bit is placed, and then the phrase denotes the double row of teeth of the animal. Thus, the description of the parts of defense of the animal is kept up.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 13. Who can discover the face of his garment?] Who can rip up the hide of this terrible monster? Who can take away his covering, in order to pierce his vitals?
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Discover, or, uncover, or take off from him.
The face of his garment; the upper or outward part of his garment, or the garment itself; the word face being oft redundant, as Gen 1:2; 23:3, and oft elsewhere. And by the garment is meant the skin, which covers the whole body, and may be taken off from the body like a garment. Who dare attempt to touch his very outward skin? much less dare any venture to approach him to give him a deep or deadly wound.
With his double bridle; to put it into his mouth, and lead him by it to thy stable and service, as thou dost by a horse. Or rather, (because he plainly seems to persist in describing the several parts of his body; of which he speaks both in the foregoing and following words,) who can come within his double bridle, to wit, his vast jaws, which have some resemblance to a double bridle; whence the Greeks call those parts of the face which reach to the jaws on both sides the bridles.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13. discoverrather, “uncoverthe surface” of his garment (skin, Job10:11): strip off the hard outer coat with which the innerskin is covered.
withrather, “withinhis double jaws”; literally, “bridle”; hence that intowhich the bridle is put, the double row of teeth; but “bridle”is used to imply that none dare put his hand in to insert a bridlewhere in other animals it is placed (Job 41:4;Job 39:10).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Who can discover the face of his garment?…. Or rather uncover it? Not the sea, which Mr. Broughton represents as the garment of the whale; who can strip him of it, or take him out of that, and bring him to land? which, though not impossible, is difficult: but either the garment of his face, the large bulk or prominence that hangs over his eyes; or rather his skin. Who dare venture to take off his skin, or flay him alive? or take off the scaly coat of the crocodile, which is like a coat of mail to him, and which he never of himself casts off, as serpents do?
[or] who can come [to him] with his double bridle? either go within his jaws, which, when opened, are like a double bridle; or go near and open his jaws, and put a curb bridle into them, and lead, direct, and rule him at pleasure. This is not to be done either to the whale or crocodile; yet the Tentyritae had a way of getting upon the back of the crocodile; and by putting a stick across its mouth, as it opened it to bite them, and so holding both the ends of it with the right and left hands, as with a bridle, brought them to land, as Pliny s relates; and so the Nereides are represented as sitting on the backs of whales by Theocritus t.
s Ut supra. (Plin. l. 8. c. 25.) t Idyll. 19.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(13) Who can discover . . . ?Rather, Who can strip off his outer garment? i.e., his scales, which are the covering of his skin. Who shall come within his double bridle, i.e., the doubling of his jaw? Who would venture a limb within his jaws? This seems to be the meaning, rather than Who shall come to him with his double bridle, forsooth to take him therewith?
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
13. Who can discover Rather, uncover, in the sense of lift up, as one would a veil, his outside garment; his closely wrought and scaly coat of mail. The text beautifully calls it his “garment” a description of which is given at large, Job 41:15-17. The double bridle Literally, the double of his bridle, is here used figuratively for the jaws, each of which contained a double row of teeth, numbering, in the upper jaw, as many as thirty-six, and in the lower, thirty; and as they were uncovered by the lip, presenting a frightful appearance. Into his double jaws, who enters?
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Job 41:13. Who can discover the face of his garment, &c. Who can strip off his outer robe? Who can come within his double row of teeth? Heath. See the next verse. The crocodile’s mouth is exceedingly wide. Pliny says, strongly, “When he gapes, fit totum os, he becomes all mouth.”
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Job 41:13 Who can discover the face of his garment? [or] who can come [to him] with his double bridle?
Ver. 13. Who can discover the face of his garment? ] That is, saith Piscator, who can pull him out of the sea, wherewith he is covered as with a garment? Who can slip off his skin while he is alive, as men do the eel’s skin, say others? Who (as men use to do when horses are to be saddled) will take off his cloth, and set the saddle upon his back? This last is Beza’s paraphrase; and it suits best with that which followeth.
Or who can come to him with his double bridle?
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
discover = uncover.
with = within.
double bridle = double row of teeth.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
with: or, within
double: 2Ki 19:28, Psa 32:9, Jam 3:3
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Job 41:13. Who can discover , mi gillah, Quis retexit, vel nudavit, Who hath uncovered, or made naked, or hath taken off from him, the face of his garment? That is, his skin, which covers the whole body, and may be taken off from it like a garment. Who dare attempt to touch even his outward skin? much less dare any venture to endeavour to strip it off, or to give him a deep or deadly wound. Who can come to him with his double bridle? To put it into his mouth, and lead him by it to thy stable and service, as he might do a horse? Or rather, (because he plainly seems to persist in describing the several parts of the leviathans body,) Who can come within his double bridle? or, as Heath translates it, his double row of teeth? namely, his vast jaws, which have some resemblance to a double bridle; whence the Greeks call those parts of the face which reach to the jaws on both sides the bridle. The crocodiles mouth is exceedingly wide: Pliny says, strongly, When he gapes, fit totum os, he becomes all mouth.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
41:13 Who can discover the face {d} of his garment? [or] who can come [to him] with his double {e} bridle?
(d) That is, who dare pull off his skin?
(e) Who dare put a bridle in his mouth?