Job 40:17 — Word Study
WLCיַחְפֹּ֣ץ זְנָב֣וֹ כְמוֹ־ אָ֑רֶז גִּידֵ֖י פַחֲדָ֣יו יְשֹׂרָֽגוּ׃
BSAHis tailzânâb [curving, bending down] swayschâphêts▸ likekᵉmôw [resembling, similar to] a cedarʼerez [a cedar tree, strong and durable] the sinewsgîyd [tendons, connecting muscles to bones] of his thighspachad△ [source of power, vulnerability] are tightly knitsârag▸ [closely, firmly, intertwined, wrapped together]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| יַחְפֹּ֣ץ | it stiffens | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| זְנָב֣וֹ | tail its | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| כְמוֹ־ | like | Preposition |
| אָ֑רֶז | a cedar | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| גִּידֵ֖י | [the] sinews of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| פַחֲדָ֣יו | thighs its | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| יְשֹׂרָֽגוּ׃ | they are intertwined | Verb, Pual, imperfect third person masculine plural |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are tightly knit. |
| KJV | He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together. |
| ASV | He moveth his tail like a cedar: The sinews of his thighs are knit together. |
| YLT | He doth bend his tail as a cedar, The sinews of his thighs are wrapped together, |
| WEB | He moves his tail like a cedar. The sinews of his thighs are knit together. |
| BBE | His tail is curving like a cedar; the muscles of his legs are joined together. |
The translations agree on the imagery of strength and intertwining in Job 40:17.
The sentence has a main clause followed by a simile and two noun phrases, illustrating the creature's physical attributes.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbחָפַץ
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 7 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Job 40:17
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — God's Challenge to Jobgenerated
Job 40:17 is part of a larger discourse where God speaks to Job, highlighting the incredible creatures He has made. This verse specifically focuses on the strength and grace of a creature, using vivid imagery to convey its power. The surrounding verses, such as Job 40:16 and Job 40:18, further illustrate the creature's physical attributes and dominance in creation.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 41:23 | The folds of his flesh are tightly joined; they are firm and immovable. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יְשֹׂרָֽגוּ, ye.so.Ra.gugenerated
The verb יְשֹׂרָֽגוּ (ye.so.Ra.gu) is a Pual imperfect form, indicating a passive action where the subject is acted upon. It means 'they are intertwined' and describes a state of being closely connected or wrapped together.
This word emphasizes the strength and unity of the sinews, suggesting a powerful and cohesive structure. The imagery evokes a sense of resilience and durability, much like the creature itself.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations agree on the rendering of the key phrases in Job 40:17.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb יַחְפֹּ֣ץ (yach.Potz) governs the sentence, describing the action of the tail. It is followed by a simile comparing the tail to a cedar, and a description of the sinews of the thighs.
The structure emphasizes the creature's tail first, drawing attention to its majesty before detailing the strength of its thighs, showcasing the creature's overall power.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates יַחְפֹּ֣ץ as ἔστησεν (estēsen), meaning 'it has been set firm.' This choice reflects a focus on stability and strength, emphasizing the creature's powerful posture.
The translation of זְנָב֣וֹ as οὐρὰν (ouran) aligns with the literal meaning of 'tail,' maintaining the imagery of strength.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 40:17 describes a powerful creature, noting that its tail sways like a cedar tree and that the sinews of its thighs are tightly knit. This imagery highlights the strength and grace of the creature.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The cedar tree symbolizes strength and durability, indicating that the creature's tail is powerful and majestic.
The sinews represent strength and stability, emphasizing the creature's physical prowess.
This phrase suggests that the sinews are strong and interconnected, contributing to the overall power of the creature.
This verse is part of God's response to Job, illustrating the wonders of His creation and challenging Job's understanding of power and majesty.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What aspects of God's creation do I find most awe-inspiring, and why?
- How can I recognize strength and resilience in my own life?
- In what ways do I see the interconnectedness of different aspects of my life?
- How does understanding the power of God's creation affect my perspective on challenges I face?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Gregory the Dialogist comments on this verse, noting its moral implications and lessons drawn from the imagery.
He setteth fast his tail, like a cedar. 22. There are in these words many points, to be brought forward for moral instruction.Early Church Fathers on Job 40 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 40:17 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleHe moveth his tail like a cedar,.... To which it is compared, not for the length and largeness of it; for the tail both of the elephant and of the river horse is short; though Vartomannus (c) says,
Read John Gill on Job 40 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryBehold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 40 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleHe moveth his tail; which though it be but short, both in the elephant and in the hippopotamus, yet when it is erected is exceeding stiff and strong. But this may be understood, either, 1. Of his generative part, which is off called by that or the like name, which the following close of the verse may seem to favour. Or, 2. Of the elephant’ s trunk, which being so eminent and remarkable a part, would not probably be omitted in this description, to which these words very fitly agree, because of its admirable motion and strength. Nor is it strange that this is called his tail, because that word is oft used improperly for any end of a thing, as . See also 28:13,44. The sinews of his stones…
Read Matthew Poole on Job 40 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 40:17 He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together.Ver. 17. He moveth his tail like a cedar] The elephant hath but a small and short tail for his bulk; Beza, therefore, rendereth it his prominent part, which is as the cedar, and interpreteth it to be his proboscis, or large snout, which truly, saith he, as being proper to the elephant, and of very great use, might not in any wise be pretermitted in this description. See Job 40:15. The sinews of his stones are wrapped together] This is also another of the elephant’ s properties, whose testicles are hidden and stick to his belly, fastened there by certain sinews and ligaments, and do not hang, as other…
Read John Trapp on Job 40 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(17) The sinews of his stones.—Rather, of his thighs.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 40 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 17. He moveth his tail like a cedar] Therefore it was neither the elephant, who has a tail like that of the hog, nor the hippopotamus, whose tail is only about a foot long. The sinews of his stones] I translate with Mr. Good, and for the same reasons, the sinews of his haunches, which is still more characteristic; as the animal must have excelled in leaping.
Read AdamClarke on Job 40 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges17. The “tail” of the hippopotamus is short, naked and muscular, resembling that of the hog. The great strength of the animal may be inferred from the muscular stiffness of the tail, which bends like the branch or young stem of a cedar.
Read Cambridge on Job 40 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleHe moveth his tail like a cedar - Margin, “setteth up.” The Hebrew word (חפץ châphêts) means “to bend, to curve;” and hence, it commonly denotes “to be inclined, favorably disposed to desire or
Read Albert Barnes on Job 40 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.
He moves his tail like a cedar. The sinews of his thighs are knit together.
His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.
It makes its tail stiff like a cedar, the sinews of its thighs are tightly wound.
Tyndale line
He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together.
He moveth his tail like a cedar: The sinews of his thighs are knit together.
He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his thighs are knit together.
He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his male organs are wrapped together.
Can the trees couer him with their shadow? or can the willowes of the riuer compasse him about?
Strictly literal
He bendeth his tail like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are woven together.
He doth bend his tail as a cedar, The sinews of his thighs are wrapped together,
He bends his tail as a cedar, || The sinews of his thighs are wrapped together,
He stretcheth out his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his loins are closely wrapped together.
He makes his tail like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are joined together.
From the Latin
The shades cover his shadow, the willows of the brook shall compass him about.
Simplified
It bends its tail like a cedar; its thigh sinews are strong.
His tail is curving like a cedar; the muscles of his legs are joined together.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint show agreement on the main elements of the verse, though the Septuagint's phrasing differs. The Hebrew text describes the tail and sinews directly, while the Septuagint emphasizes the firmness of the tail.
יַחְפֹּ֣ץ זְנָב֣וֹ כְמוֹ־ אָ֑רֶז גִּידֵ֖י פַחֲדָ֣יו יְשֹׂרָֽגוּ׃
4 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Job 40:17
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
חָפֵץ (chaphets) is a Hebrew verb meaning to delight in or take pleasure in something. It can refer to both human desire and divine pleasure, indicating a sense of inclination or favor. The word is also noted to mean to bend down, though this usage is rare. The entries suggest a range of meanings focused on desire and pleasure.
ref
H2654a חָפֵץ delight in H2654b חָפֵץ bend down
2654 chaphets khaw-fates'
a primitive root; properly, to incline to; by implication
(literally but rarely) to bend; figuratively, to be pleased
with, desire:--X any at all, (have, take) delight, desire,
favour, like, move, be (well) pleased, have pleasure, will,
would.
חָפֵץ (cha.phets) — to delight in.
1) to delight in, take pleasure in, desire, be pleased with
1a) (Qal)
1a1) of men
1a1a) to take pleasure in, delight in
1a1b) to delight, desire, be pleased to do
1a2) of God
1a2a) to delight in, have pleasure in
1a2b) to be pleased to do
חָפַץ (ch.ph) — to sway.
1) to move, bend down
1a) (Qal) to bend down
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singularHVqi3ms
זָנָב (zanab) means 'tail' in Hebrew, and can also refer figuratively to an 'end' or 'stump.' It is derived from a root meaning to flap, indicating a literal or figurative tail. The entries consistently emphasize its meanings related to physical and metaphorical endings.
זָנָב n.m. tail, also (fig.), end, stump
base
H2180 זָנָב tail, also (fig.), end, stump
2180 zanab zaw-nawb'
from 2179 (in the original sense of flapping); the tail
(literally or figuratively):--tail.
see HEBREW for 02179
זָנָב (za.nav) — tail.
tail, end, stump
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp3ms
כְּמוֹ (kemo) is an adverb and conjunction meaning 'like' or 'as,' often used to draw comparisons or indicate similarity. It can also mean 'when' or 'according to.' The word is derived from a pleonastic form of the prefix כְּ (k-) and is related to the word מוֹ (mo). There are no significant disagreements among the lexicons.
כְּמוֹ adv. and conj. like, as, when (lit. the like of what (viz.) …, a pleon. form of כְּ (v. מוֹ), and, like it, prop. a subst.)
base
H3644 כְּמוֹ adv. and conj. like, as, when (lit. the like of what (viz.) …, a pleon. form of כְּ (v. מוֹ), and, like it, prop. a subst.)
3644 kmow kem-o'
or kamow {kaw-mo'}; a form of the prefix "k-", but used
separately (compare 3651); as, thus, so:--according to, (such)
as (it were, well as), in comparison of, like (as, to, unto),
thus, when, worth.
see HEBREW for 03651
כְּמוֹ (ke.mo) — like.
adv
1) like, as, the like of which
conj
2) when, according as, as it were
כְּמוֹ (ke.mo) — (Geruth) Chimham.
Combined with ge.rut (גֵּרוּת "Geruth" H1628)
Prep — PrepositionHR
The Hebrew word אֶ֫רֶז (*erez*) means 'cedar' and refers to the cedar tree, its timber, and its use in building and purification. It is derived from a root indicating the tenacity of its roots. The entries consistently highlight its significance in construction and ritual practices.
אֶ֫רֶז n.m. cedar
cedar-tree
cedar-timber, cedar-wood for building
cedar-wood used in purification
base
H730 אֶ֫רֶז cedar
730 'erez eh-rez'
from 729; a cedar tree (from the tenacity of its
roots):--cedar (tree).
see HEBREW for 0729
אֶ֫רֶז (e.rez) — cedar.
1) cedar
1a) cedar tree
1b) cedar timber, cedar wood (in building)
1c) cedar wood (in purifications)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
se'-dar, se'-der ('erez, from Hebrew root meaning "to be firm"; kedros): The 'erez was in almost all the Old Testament references the true cedar, Cedrus libani, but the name may have been applied in a loose way to allied trees, such as junipers and pines. In Nu 24:6--"as cedar-trees beside the waters"--the reference must, as is most probable, be purely poetical (see ALOES) or the 'arazim must signify some other kind of tree which flourishes beside water.
1. Cedar for Ritual Cleansing:
Cedar is twice mentioned as a substance for ritual cleansing. In Le 14:4 the cleansed leper was sprinkled with the blood of a "clean bird" into which had been put "cedar- wood, and scarlet, and hyssop." In Nu 19:6 "cedar-wood, and hyssop, and…
Cedar
(Heb. e’rez, Gr. kedros, Lat. cedrus), a tree very frequently mentioned in Scripture. It was stately (Ezek. 31:3-5), long-branched (Ps. 80:10; 92:12; Ezek. 31:6-9), odoriferous (Cant. 4:11; Hos. 14:6), durable, and therefore much used for boards, pillars, and ceilings (1 Kings 6:9, 10; 7:2; Jer. 22:14), for masts (Ezek. 27:5), and for carved images (Isa. 44:14).
The Hebrew word erez , invariably rendered "cedar" by the Authorized Version, stands for that tree in most of the passages where the word occurs. While the word is sometimes used in a wider sense, (Leviticus 14:6) for evergreen cone-bearing trees, generally the cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani) is intended. (1 Kings 7:2; 10:27; Psalms 92:12; Solomon 5:15; Isaiah 2:13; Ezekiel 31:3-6) The wood is of a reddish color, of bitter taste and aromatic odor, offensive to insects, and very durable. The cedar is a type of the Christian, being evergreen, beautiful, aromatic, wide spreading, slow growing, long lived, and having many uses. As far as is at present known, the cedar of…
A noble evergreen-tree greatly celebrated in the Scriptures, Ps 92:12 Eze 31:3-6. These trees are remarkably thick and tall; some among them are from thirty-five to forty feet in girth, and ninety feet in height. The cedar-tree shoots out branches at ten of twelve feet from the ground, large and almost horizontal; its leaves are an inch long, slender and straight, growing in tufts. The tree bears a small cone, like that of the pine. This celebrated tree is not peculiar to mount Lebanon, but grows also upon mounts Amanus and Taurus in Asia Minor, and in other parts of the Levant, but does not elsewhere reach the size and height of those on Lebanon. It has also been cultivated in the gardens of Europe; two venerable individuals of this species exist at Chiswick in England; and…
גִּיד (gid) refers to a sinew or tendon, suggesting a connection to strength and support in the body. The word is built from the root associated with compressing or binding, indicating its physical function. The entries consistently define it as sinew without significant variation.
גִּיד n.m. sinew
base
H1517 גִּיד sinew
1517 giyd gheed
probably from 1464; a thong (as compressing); by analogy, a
tendon:--sinew.
see HEBREW for 01464
גִּיד (gid) — sinew.
sinew
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural constructHNcmpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
פַּ֫חַד (pachad) primarily refers to the 'thigh' in Hebrew, as noted in Job 40:17. The entries suggest a connection to the word for 'testicle' due to associations with shame and fear, but the main focus is on the anatomical reference.
[פַּ֫חַד] n.[m.] thigh;—Jb 40:17 Kt
ref
H6344 פַּ֫חַד
6344 pachad pakh'-ad
the same as 6343; a testicle (as a cause of shame akin to
fear):--stone.
see HEBREW for 06343
פַּ֫חַד (pa.chad) — thigh.
thigh
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp3ms
שָׂרַג (sarag) is a Hebrew verb meaning to intertwine. It can refer to being intertwined in the passive voice (Pual) or to the act of intertwining oneself (Hithpael). The entries indicate that the word is built from a primitive root and covers the concept of wrapping or weaving together.
[שָׂרַג] vb. Pu. be intertwined;
Impf. are intertwined
Hithp. they intertwine themselves
base
H8276 שָׂרַג
8276 sarag saw-rag'
a primitive root; to intwine:--wrap together, wreath.
שָׂרַג (sa.rag) — to intertwine.
1) to be intertwined
1a) (Pual) to be intertwined
1b) (Hithpael) to intertwine oneself
V-Pual-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Pual · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVPi3mp