Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 41:25
When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves.
25. With his “firmness” of heart there naturally goes a corresponding courage and fierceness.
by reason of breakings ] Rather, by reason of terrors they are beside themselves; lit. they lose themselves. The Geneva has: for fear they faint in themselves. The expression “lose themselves” seems more naturally said of mental confusion from terror, than of literally losing their way in their attempts to escape (Gesen.).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
When he raiseth up himself – When he rouses himself for an attack or in self-defense.
The mighty are afraid – The Vulgate renders this anqels. The meaning is, that he produces alarm on those who are unaccustomed to fear.
By reason of breakings they purify themselves – This, though a literal translation, conveys no very clear idea, and this rendering is not necessary. The word rendered breakings ( sheber) means properly a breaking, breach, puncture; a breaking down, destruction; and then it may mean a breaking down of the mind, that is, terror. This is evidently the meaning here. By reason of the prostration of their courage, or the crushing of the mind by alarm. The word rendered purify themselves ( chata’) means in the Qal, to miss, as a mark; to sin; to err. In the form of Hithpael, which occurs here, it means to miss ones way; to lose oneself; and it may refer to the astonishment and terror by which one is led to miss his way in precipitate flight. Gesenius. The meaning then is, They lose themselves from terror. They know not where to turn themselves; they flee away with alarm; see Rosenmuller in loc.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 25. By reason of breakings they purify themselves.] No version, either ancient or modern, appears to have understood this verse; nor is its true sense known. The Septuagint have, “When he turns himself, he terrifies all the quadrupeds on the earth.” The original is short and obscure: mishshebarim yithchattau. Mr. Good takes the plural termination im, from the first word, of which he makes the noun yam, the sea, and thus translates it, “They are confounded at the tumult of the sea.” In this I can find no more light than in our own. Mr. Heath has, “For very terror they fall to the ground.” The translations of it are as unsatisfactory as they are various. I shall give both the verses from Coverdale: –
His herte is as harde as a stone; and as fast as the stythye (anvil) that the hammer man smyteth upon: when he goeth the mightiest off all are afrayed, and the waives hevy. The dull swell in the waters proclaims his advance; and when this is perceived, the stout-hearted tremble.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
When he raiseth up himself; showing himself upon the top of the waters. Or, because of his height, or greatness, or majesty; for he is represented as a king, Job 41:31. The mighty; even the stout-hearted mariners or passengers, who use to be above fear.
By reason of breakings; either,
1. Of the sea, caused by his motion, which dasheth the waves in pieces one against another. Or rather,
2. Of their mind and state; by reason of their great danger and distress; which is expressed by this very word, Psa 60:2; Jon 2:4.
They purify themselves; either,
1. Naturally; that being, the usual effect of great terror. See Eze 7:17. Or rather,
2. Morally, as this word is generally used. Those mariners who ordinarily live in a gross and general neglect of God, and of religion, are so affrighted with this imminent danger, that they cry unto God in their trouble, as is said in like case, Psa 107:28, and endeavour to purge their consciences from the guilt of their sins, by confessing and seemingly forsaking of them, and to make their peace with God, and obtain his favour and help, by their vows, and promises, and prayers.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
25. hethe crocodile; a typeof the awe which the Creator inspires when He rises in wrath.
breakingsnamely, ofthe mind, that is, terror.
purify themselvesrather,”they wander from the way,” that is, flee away bewildered[MAURER and UMBREIT].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
When he raiseth up himself,…. Not out of the waters, but above the surface of them, so as that his large bulk, his terrible jaws and teeth, are seem;
the mighty are afraid; not only fishes and other animals, but men, and these the most stouthearted and courageous, as mariners and masters of vessels;
by reason of breakings they purify themselves: either because of the breaches of the sea made through the lifting up of this creature, threatening the overturning of vessels; or of the breaches of men’s hearts through fear, they are thrown into a vomiting, and purging both by stool and urine, which are often the effects of fear, so Ben Gersom; or they acknowledge themselves sinners, or expiate themselves, endeavouring to do it by making confession of sin, declaring repentance for it, praying for forgiveness of it, and promising amendment; which is frequently the case of seafaring men in distress; see Jon 1:4.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(25) By reason of breakingsi.e., the waves he makes in the water, or the breakings he makes among the plants and trees in the water.
They purify themselvesi.e., they are beside themselves; they are so overwhelmed with terror, that they take themselves off, as those who have to dwell apart for uncleanness.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
25. By reason of breakings The word , from shabar, (Arabic shabara,) “to break,” blends the twofold effect of fear the breaking down of the nervous force, the morale of the man, and the confounding, the bewildering, of the judgment. Among Orientals terror is expressed by verbs of breaking, as Bochartus has observed.
They purify themselves The meaning of the hithpael form of the verb hhatah is not essentially different from the kal form, commented upon in Job 5:24, (which see,) and may be read, they miss their way; or, according to Delitzsch and Zockler, miss their aim, so confused are these “heroes” by reason of overpowering fear. The word is spoken, says Gesenius, of those who wander from the way, driven into precipitate flight by excessive terror. ( Thes., 465.) Like our own translators, who mystified the passage by rendering the word hhatah “purify,” Hengstenberg adopts this secondary meaning of “absolving,” and thinks that in their great fear they betake themselves to God as their only hope, “in other words, repeat a pater noster.” “Absolution (he says) is the means of obtaining help from God.” His views may serve as a gloss upon our Authorized Version, but will not help toward the interpretation of the passage.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Job 41:25. When he raiseth up himself, &c. When he raiseth up himself, the mighty fly; the princes quit their purposed journey. Houb. Heath renders the last clause; for very terror they fall to the ground; and he observes very well, that the word sheber, here used, strongly expresses the idea of terror: our English word shiver seems derived from it.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Job 41:25 When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves.
Ver. 25. When he raiselh up himself, the mighty are afraid ] When he shows himself like some moving mountain upon the surface of the water, the most assured pilots or passengers are seized with fear of death, and seek to make peace with God, as those mariners did, Joh 1:5-6 , &c.
By reason of breakings
They purify themselves
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
breakings = terrors.
purify themselves = mistake their way; are bewildered; or, beside themselves.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
by: Psa 107:28, Jon 1:4-6
Reciprocal: Job 1:5 – sanctified Act 21:24 – and purify
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
AN AWE-INSPIRING OBJECT
When He raiseth up Himself, the mighty are afraid.
Job 41:25
Leviathan is almost certainly the crocodile, and there is the playfulness of a great tenderness in the suggestions Jehovah makes to Job about these fierce creations. Can Job catch him with a rope or a hook? Will he pray to Job? Will Job make a servant or a plaything of him for himself or his maidens? There is a fine and yet most tender and humorous satire in the words of Jehovah
Lay thine hand upon him;
Remember the battle, and do so no more.
If none dare stir up leviathan, who can stand before God? If Job dare not attempt to catch or subdue or play with this animal, how can he hope to enter into competition in the government of the universe with God? The question being asked, the description returns to the beast in all the magnificence of his strength, and ends with a picture of men attempting to overcome him with sword, or spear, or dart, or pointed shaft; while all the while in fierce anger he holds the citadel of his being, and becomes king over all the sons of pride.
I. What a magnificent description of the crocodile!There is nothing to compare with it in any page of the worlds literature. The inference is that the Maker of so marvellous an animal must be superlatively great. If the creature be so wonderful, what must not the Creator be? If you cannot approach or tame the monster, which buries itself in the seething water and eludes your sight, how helpless you are to follow the track of the Divine Providence, or bend it to your will!
II. One great lesson from all these chapters seems to be the desirability of acquainting ourselves with the works of God in Nature.No devout student in the school of this instructress can ever leave it without loftier conceptions of Him Whose handmaiden Nature is. A great God is the goal which they must reach who travel, from the tiny gnat that blows its horn, or the smallest humming-bird that glances in the sunbeam. Nature is always beautiful, but to the ordinary eye of mens curiosity or admiration she does not unfold her choicest aspects. There is a colour in the rainbow which evades, and a music in the waterfall which eludes, and a note in the storm which remains unheard by any, save those whose heart is pure and childlike and full of the love of God. If this be yours, adopt some line of natural study, have your hobby, as they say. It may be a shell, an egg, a fossil, a cone, an orchid, but each of these may lead your thoughts to God.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
Job 41:25. When he raiseth up himself Showing himself upon the top of the waters; the mighty are afraid Even the stout-hearted, who used to be above fear. By reason of breakings By reason of their great danger and distress; which is expressed by this very word, Psa 60:2; Jon 1:4. They purify themselves Those who ordinarily live in the neglect of God; they cry unto God in their trouble, and endeavour to purge their consciences from the guilt of their sins. Houbigant translates this verse, When he raiseth up himself, the mighty flee; the princes quit their purposed journey. But Heath interprets the last clause thus: for very terror they fall to the ground; and he observes, very properly, that the word
, sheber, here used, strongly expresses the idea of terror; our English word shiver is thought to have been derived from it. Henry, who understands this, and all the other parts of this description, of the whale, thus paraphrases this verse: When he raiseth up himself, like a moving mountain in the great waters, even the mighty are afraid, lest he overturn their ships, or do them some other mischief: by reason of the breakings he makes in the water, which threaten death, they purify themselves, confess their sins, betake themselves to their prayers, and get ready for death. Dr. Young, who understands it of the crocodile, to which it is manifestly more applicable, interprets it thus:
When late awaked, he rears him from the floods,
And stretching forth his stature to the clouds,
Writhes in the sun aloft his scaly height,
And strikes the distant hills with transient light;
Far round are fatal damps of terror spread,
The mighty fear, nor blush to own their dread.