Job 40:16
Job 40:16 in Multiple Translations
See the strength of his loins and the power in the muscles of his belly.
Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly.
Lo now, his strength is in his loins, And his force is in the muscles of his belly.
His strength is in his body, and his force in the muscles of his stomach.
Look at its powerful loins, the muscles of its belly.
Lyeth hee vnder the trees in the couert of the reede and fennes?
Lo, I pray thee, his power [is] in his loins, And his strength in the muscles of his belly.
Look now, his strength is in his thighs. His force is in the muscles of his belly.
Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly.
He sleepeth under the shadow, in the covert of the reed, and in moist places.
Their legs/thighs are very strong, and the muscles of their bellies are very powerful.
Berean Amplified Bible — Job 40:16
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Job 40:16 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
הִנֵּה
נָ֣א
כֹח֣/וֹ
בְ/מָתְנָ֑י/ו
וְ֝/אֹנ֗/וֹ
בִּ/שְׁרִירֵ֥י
בִטְנֽ/וֹ
הִנֵּה
hinnêh
H2009
behold
Part
נָ֣א
nâʼ
H4994
please
Part
כֹח֣/וֹ
kôach
H3581
reptile
N-ms | Suff
בְ/מָתְנָ֑י/ו
môthen
H4975
loin
Prep | N-md | Suff
וְ֝/אֹנ֗/וֹ
ʼôwn
H202
strength
Conj | N-ms | Suff
בִּ/שְׁרִירֵ֥י
shârîyr
H8306
muscle
Prep | N-mp
בִטְנֽ/וֹ
beṭen
H990
belly
N-fs | Suff
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Job 40:16
הִנֵּה
hinnêh
H2009
"behold"
Part
This Hebrew word is an expression that means 'behold' or 'look', often used to draw attention to something. It appears in Genesis and Isaiah, and is translated as 'behold' or 'lo' in the KJV.
Definition: behold, lo, see, if
Usage: Occurs in 799 OT verses. KJV: behold, lo, see. See also: Genesis 1:29; Genesis 42:35; Deuteronomy 19:18.
נָ֣א
nâʼ
H4994
"please"
Part
The Hebrew word 'nâ'' is used to express a polite request, like 'please' or 'I pray', and is often added to verbs to make them more polite. In the Bible, it appears in passages like Ezra's reading of the law to the people.
Definition: 1) I (we) pray, now, please 1a) used in entreaty or exhortation
Usage: Occurs in 374 OT verses. KJV: I beseech (pray) thee (you), go to, now, oh. See also: Genesis 12:11; Judges 4:19; 1 Kings 13:6.
כֹח֣/וֹ
kôach
H3581
"reptile"
N-ms | Suff
Koach means strength or power, referring to human, angelic, or God's might. It can also describe the strength of animals or the produce of soil.
Definition: 1) a small reptile, probably a kind of lizard, which is unclean 1a) perhaps an extinct animal, exact meaning is unknown
Usage: Occurs in 121 OT verses. KJV: ability, able, chameleon, force, fruits, might, power(-ful), strength, substance, wealth. See also: Genesis 4:12; Job 36:5; Psalms 22:16.
בְ/מָתְנָ֑י/ו
môthen
H4975
"loin"
Prep | N-md | Suff
Refers to the waist or small of the back, often translated as loins or hips, as seen in Proverbs 30:31. It can also describe the sides of an animal. The word is only used in plural form.
Definition: 1) loins, hips 1a) used with zar.zir (זַרְזִיר "greyhound" H2223) in Pr 30:31; perhaps an extinct animal, exact meaning unknown
Usage: Occurs in 45 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] greyhound, loins, side. See also: Genesis 37:34; Isaiah 20:2; Psalms 66:11.
וְ֝/אֹנ֗/וֹ
ʼôwn
H202
"strength"
Conj | N-ms | Suff
In the book of Job, this word refers to physical strength, wealth, or ability, highlighting God's power and might.
Definition: 1) vigour, generative power 2) wealth 3) physical strength (of men and behemoth)
Usage: Occurs in 12 OT verses. KJV: force, goods, might, strength, substance. See also: Genesis 49:3; Psalms 78:51; Psalms 105:36.
בִּ/שְׁרִירֵ֥י
shârîyr
H8306
"muscle"
Prep | N-mp
Muscle refers to a cord or sinew, like a strong tendon that connects muscles to bones. It is also translated as navel in some contexts, but generally refers to a strong, fibrous part of the body.
Definition: sinew, muscle
Usage: Occurs in 1 OT verses. KJV: navel. See also: Job 40:16.
בִטְנֽ/וֹ
beṭen
H990
"belly"
N-fs | Suff
This Hebrew word refers to the belly or womb, and is used to describe the seat of hunger, emotions, and even the depths of the afterlife. It is used in the Bible to describe the body and its functions. The KJV translates it as belly, body, or womb.
Definition: : abdomen 1) belly, womb, body 1a) belly, abdomen 1a1) as seat of hunger 1a2) as seat of mental faculties 1a3) of depth of Sheol (fig.) 1b) womb
Usage: Occurs in 72 OT verses. KJV: belly, body, [phrase] as they be born, [phrase] within, womb. See also: Genesis 25:23; Psalms 22:10; Psalms 17:14.
Study Notes — Job 40:16
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Job 40:16 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Job 40:16
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 40:16
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 40:16
- Trapp's Commentary on Job 40:16
- Ellicott's Commentary on Job 40:16
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 40:16
- Cambridge Bible on Job 40:16
- Barnes' Notes on Job 40:16
- Whedon's Commentary on Job 40:16
Context — The LORD Challenges Job Again
14Then I will confess to you that your own right hand can save you.
15Look at Behemoth, which I made along with you. He feeds on grass like an ox.
16See the strength of his loins and the power in the muscles of his belly.
17His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are tightly knit. 18His bones are tubes of bronze; his limbs are rods of iron.Job 40:16 Summary
This verse, Job 40:16, talks about the amazing strength of a huge animal called Behemoth, focusing on its loins and belly. It's a way of showing us how powerful God is, because He created this incredible creature. Just like how Behemoth is strong, God is also strong and able to help us in our struggles, as mentioned in Psalm 28:7, which says God is our strength. By looking at God's creation, we can learn to trust in His power and wisdom, just as we see in Romans 1:20, where it says God's qualities can be seen in what He has made.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the significance of the loins and belly in Job 40:16?
The loins and belly of Behemoth represent its incredible strength and power, as mentioned in Job 40:16, which is a testament to God's creative might, as seen in Psalm 104:24, where it says God is the one who has made all things.
How does this description of Behemoth relate to Job's situation?
The description of Behemoth's strength serves as a reminder to Job of God's power and wisdom, as stated in Job 40:14, where God says His own right hand can save, highlighting His ability to handle any situation, including Job's trials.
The identity of Behemoth is not explicitly stated in the Bible, but based on the description in Job 40:15-18, it is often interpreted as a large animal, possibly a dinosaur or a hippopotamus, although the exact nature is not as important as the illustration of God's creative power, as seen in Genesis 1:24-25, where God creates the animals of the earth.
What can we learn from God's description of Behemoth's physical attributes?
God's focus on the details of Behemoth's body, like its loins and belly, teaches us to appreciate the intricacies of His creation and to recognize His wisdom and power in all aspects of the natural world, as mentioned in Romans 1:20, which says that God's invisible qualities can be clearly seen in what He has made.
Reflection Questions
- As I reflect on the strength of Behemoth's loins and belly, how can I apply the concept of God's creative power to my own life and challenges?
- What are some areas in my life where I need to acknowledge and trust in God's power and wisdom, just as Job was called to do in his trials?
- How can I balance my understanding of God's mighty power, as seen in creation, with His gentle and loving nature, as expressed in Psalm 23:4, where it says God is our shepherd who guides us?
- In what ways can I, like Job, come to a deeper realization of God's greatness and my own limitations, leading to a greater humility and trust in Him, as stated in Proverbs 3:5-6, which advises us to trust in the Lord with all our heart?
Gill's Exposition on Job 40:16
Lo now, his strength [is] in his loins,.... The strength of the elephant is well known, being able to carry a castle on its back, with a number of men therein; but what follows does not seem so well
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 40:16
Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 40:16
He hath strength answerable to his bulk, but this strength by God’ s wise and merciful providence is not an offensive strength, consisting in or put forth by horns or claws, as it is in ravenous creatures; but only defensive, and seated in his loins, as it is in other creatures, whereby he is rendered more serviceable to men by the carrying of vast burdens. His force is in the navel of his belly; which though in the elephant it be weaker than his loins, whence the rhinoceros fighting with him aims at that part; yet hath a more than ordinary strength in it, as appears by the binding of the heaviest burdens under and about it. This also agrees to the hippopotamus in an eminent degree, whose whole skin is noted by ancient writers to be harder than any other creature’ s, and almost impenetrable.
Trapp's Commentary on Job 40:16
Job 40:16 Lo now, his strength [is] in his loins, and his force [is] in the navel of his belly.Ver. 16. Lo, now, his strength is in his loins] Wherein he is so strong that he can bear a wooden tower upon his back, and upon that thirty two men standing to fight therefrom. In India, where the largest elephants are, they ride upon the larger, plough with the lesser, and carry great loads and burdens with both. For which and the like purposes, totus robustissimus est superne et inferne (Junius). Howbeit God hath chiefly placed his strength, not in any offensive part (his head hath no horns, and his feet no claws, to do mischief with), but in his loins, and about his belly. And his force is in the navel of his belly] Which must needs be very hard undergirded, when so great weight is made fast to his back. Naturalists observe, that the softest part of the elephant is his belly; and, therefore, the rhinoceros, his deadly enemy, setteth upon him there with his crooked horn whetted against a rock, and overcometh him; yet is he stronger in his belly than other creatures are in the back; and, therefore, his navel is here called navels in the plural. His skin is exceeding hard and rough, so that an arrow can hardly pierce it. Yet Eleazar, /RAPC 1Ma 6:46, rushing into the enemy’ s army, got under an elephant’ s belly (upon which he thought King Antiochus rode), and killed him, being himself crushed to death with the weight of the beast falling upon him.
Ellicott's Commentary on Job 40:16
(16) In the navel.—Rather, in the sinews, or muscles.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 40:16
Verse 16. His strength is in his loins] This refers to his great agility, notwithstanding his bulk; by the strength of his loins he was able to take vast springs, and make astonishing bounds.
Cambridge Bible on Job 40:16
Chap. Job 40:6 to Job 42:6. The Lord’s Second Answer to Job out of the Storm Shall Man charge God with unrighteousness in His Rule of the World? All that the first speech of the Lord touched upon was the presumption of a mortal man desiring to contend with the Almighty. The display from Creation of that which God is had the desired effect on Job’s mind: he is abased, and will no more contend with the Almighty. But Job had not only presumed to contend with God, he had charged Him with unrighteousness in His rule of the world and in His treatment of himself. This is the point to which the second speech from the storm is directed. The passage has properly two parts. First, Job 40:6-14, as Job had challenged the rectitude of God’s rule of the world, he is ironically invited to clothe himself with the Divine attributes and assume the rule of the world himself. Then follows, ch.
Job 40:15 to Job 41:34, a lengthy description of two monsters, Behemoth and Leviathan. Second, ch. Job 42:1-6, Job’s reply to the Divine challenge. He confesses that he spoke things which he understood not. He had heard of God by the hearing of the ear, but now his eye saw Him, and he abhorred his former words and demeanour, and repented in dust and ashes.
Barnes' Notes on Job 40:16
Lo now, his strength is in his loins - The inspection of the figure of the hippopotamus will show the accuracy of this.
Whedon's Commentary on Job 40:16
16. Navel — Sinews; “The loins and the belly are mentioned because they immediately call up to the imagination the form of the beast’s huge circumference, and of the mighty pillar-like feet, the