Job 41:5 — Word Study
WLCהַֽתְשַׂחֶק־ בּ֭וֹ כַּצִּפּ֑וֹר וְ֝תִקְשְׁרֶ֗נּוּ לְנַעֲרוֹתֶֽיךָ׃
BSAwho?mîy to revealgâlâh facepânîym clothinglᵉbûwsh doublekephel bridlereçen who?mîy Lebobôwʼ
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הַֽתְשַׂחֶק־ | ¿ will you play | Particle, verb piel imperfect second person masculine singular |
| בּ֭וֹ | with it | Preposition, suffix |
| כַּצִּפּ֑וֹר | like bird | Preposition, noun common both singular absolute |
| וְ֝תִקְשְׁרֶ֗נּוּ | and will you bind? it | Conjunction, verb qal second person masculine singular, suffix |
| לְנַעֲרוֹתֶֽיךָ׃ | for girls your | Preposition, noun common feminine plural construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Can you pet him like a bird or put him on a leash for your maidens? |
| KJV | Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens? |
| ASV | Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? Or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens? |
| YLT | Dost thou play with him as a bird? And dost thou bind him for thy damsels? |
| WEB | Will you play with him as with a bird? Or will you bind him for your girls? |
| BBE | Will you make sport with him, as with a bird? or put him in chains for your young women? |
The translations agree in their rendering of the playful challenge posed to Job.
The sentence is structured around a main question, with two subordinate phrases elaborating on the challenge.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
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 41:5
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 41:5 is part of God's response to Job, where He describes the creature Leviathan to illustrate His own power and the limitations of human understanding. The questions posed emphasize the creature's might and the absurdity of attempting to control it, paralleling Job's situation of feeling overwhelmed by his circumstances. This chapter invites readers to reflect on the nature of God's creation and our place within it.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Judges 16:25–30 | And while their hearts were merry, they said, “Call for Samson to entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison to entertain them. And they stationed him between the pillars. |
| 2 | Job 28:11 | He stops up the sources of the streams to bring what is hidden to light. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — הַֽתְשַׂחֶק־, hat.sa.chek-generated
The verb שָׂחַק (sachaq) means to laugh or play, often implying mockery or derision. In this context, it suggests a lighthearted approach to something serious, highlighting the absurdity of trying to treat Leviathan as a pet.
The parsing indicates a second person masculine singular form in the piel stem, which often conveys an intensive or causative action. Here, it implies a direct challenge to Job, asking if he can engage with Leviathan in such a trivial way.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse contains two main verbs: הַֽתְשַׂחֶק־ (will you play) and תִקְשְׁרֶ֗ (will you bind), both directed at Job. The structure underscores the rhetorical nature of the questions, inviting Job to reflect on his position.
The order of the clauses emphasizes the playful yet serious challenge posed by God, with the verbs leading the inquiry into Job's ability to control the uncontrollable.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates הַֽתְשַׂחֶק־ as ἀποκαλύψει (will you reveal), which shifts the focus from playful interaction to uncovering something hidden. This choice may reflect an interpretative angle on the nature of Leviathan.
This translation suggests a deeper inquiry into the creature's nature, moving beyond mere playfulness to the challenge of understanding its true form.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 41:5 asks whether anyone can treat Leviathan, a powerful creature, like a pet bird or bind it for maidens. This verse illustrates the futility of trying to control such a formidable being, emphasizing its might and the limitations of human power.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Leviathan symbolizes chaos and the untamable aspects of creation, illustrating God's sovereignty over all things.
The playful language serves to highlight the absurdity of trying to control something as powerful as Leviathan, contrasting human limitations with divine power.
This verse reminds us of the vast difference between God's power and our own, encouraging humility in our understanding of creation.
It emphasizes the theme of divine sovereignty and the mystery of God's creation, challenging Job's understanding of his suffering.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life do I try to control situations that are beyond my power?
- How can I cultivate a sense of humility in my relationship with God, recognizing His sovereignty?
- What does this passage teach me about the nature of God's creation?
- How can I respond to challenges in my life with the understanding that some things are beyond my control?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentators, including Gregory the Dialogist, reflect on this verse to discuss the nature of Leviathan and the futility of human control over God's creation.
Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? Or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens? 30. Why is it that our adversary is first called Behemoth, afterwards Leviathan, but is now compared to a 'bird,' in ridicule at his destruction? For Behemoth,Early Church Fathers on Job 41 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 41:5 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleWilt thou play with him as [with] a bird?.... In the hand or cage: leviathan plays in the sea, but there is no playing with him by land, Psalms 104:26; or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens? or young girls, as Mr.
Read John Gill on Job 41 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryWilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens? A bird - that is tamed. Bind him for thy maidens? - with a thread or string, as a pet or toy for them.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 41 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleAs with a bird; as children play with little birds kept in cages, or tied with strings, which they do at their pleasure, and without any fear? For thy maidens; for thy little daughters; which he mentions rather than little sons, because such are most subject to fear.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 41 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 41:5 Wilt thou play with him as [with] a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?Ver. 5. Wilt thou play with him as with a bird?] Shall he make thee sport, as those poor birds that serve as pastime for little children? Or as the foolish Emperor Honorius delighted in his bird Roma (so he called it), at the loss whereof, when the city was taken by the Vandals, he grieved more than at all the rest? Indignum sane, regem aves praeferre viribus, saith the divine chronologer. Wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?] Shall your daughters tie him with a thread, which, lengthening or strengthening at their discretion, shall make his prison either larger or straiter?
Read John Trapp on Job 41 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 5. Wilt thou play with him] Is he such a creature as thou canst tame; and of which thou canst make a pet, and give as a plaything to thy little girls? נערותיך naarotheycha; probably alluding to the custom of catching birds, tying a string to their legs, and giving them to children to play with; a custom execrable as ancient, and disgraceful as modern.
Read AdamClarke on Job 41 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges5. Wilt thou make a pet thing of him? The commentators quote Catullus, passer, deliciœ meœ puellœ.
Read Cambridge on Job 41 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleWilt thou play with him as with a bird? - A bird that is tamed. The art of taming birds was doubtless early practiced, and they were kept for amusement. But the leviathan could not thus be tamed.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 41 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible5. As with a bird — Catullus (ii, 1) speaks of “the sparrow, the delight of my girl.” Generically, the crocodile was probably the most untamable of animals, and yet even they have now and then been tamed to do the will of man.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 41 →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
Can you pet him like a bird or put him on a leash for your maidens?
Will you play with him as with a bird? Or will you bind him for your girls?
Can you pet him like a bird or put him on a leash for your maidens?
Can you play with it, like a bird, or tie it on a leash for your girls?
Tyndale line
Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?
Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? Or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?
Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?
Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?
Who shall open the doores of his face? his teeth are fearefull round about.
Strictly literal
Wilt thou play with him as with a bird, and wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?
Dost thou play with him as a bird? And dost thou bind him for thy damsels?
Do you play with him as a bird? And do you bind him for your girls?
(40:29) Canst thou play with him as with a bird? and tie him up for thy maidens?
Will you play with him as you would with a bird? Will you tie him up for your servant girls?
From the Latin
Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about.
Simplified
Will you play with it like a pet bird? Will you put it on a leash for your girls?
Will you make sport with him, as with a bird? or put him in chains for your young women?
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 agree closely, with a word-for-word correspondence in the key phrases. This consistency indicates a shared understanding of the text's meaning across these traditions.
הַֽתְשַׂחֶק־ בּ֭וֹ כַּצִּפּ֑וֹר וְ֝תִקְשְׁרֶ֗נּוּ לְנַעֲרוֹתֶֽיךָ׃
5 of the 5 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 41:5
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.
שָׂחַק (sachaq) is a Hebrew verb meaning to laugh, with connotations of playfulness and mockery. It can express laughter in pleasure or derision, as well as the act of playing or making sport. The entries indicate various forms, such as Qal for general laughter, Piel for making sport, and Hiphil for mockery.
שָׂחַק vb. laugh
Qal
laugh at
appar. of friendly laugh
sport, play
Pi.
make sport
jest
play
Hiph. (declar.) they uttered mockery
base
H7832 שָׂחַק laugh
7832 sachaq saw-khak'
a primitive root; to laugh (in pleasure or detraction); by
implication, to play:--deride, have in derision, laugh, make
merry, mock(-er), play, rejoice, (laugh to) scorn, be in
(make) sport.
שָׂחַק (sa.chaq) — to laugh.
1) to laugh, play, mock
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to laugh (usually in contempt or derision)
1a2) to sport, play
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to make sport
1b2) to jest
1b3) to play (including instrumental music, singing, dancing)
1c) (Hiphil) to laugh mockingly
HTi/Vpi2ms — Particle · verb piel imperfect second person masculine singularHTi/Vpi2ms
pla.
See GAMES.
וֹ (o) — him.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person masculine singular
HR/Sp3ms — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp3ms
צִפּוֹר (tsippowr) means 'bird' and can refer to a singular bird or birds collectively. It is derived from a root meaning 'to hop' and is associated with small birds like sparrows. The Aramaic equivalent is צְפַר (tse.phar).
צִפּוֹר, צִפֹּר 40 n.f. bird
base
H6833 צִפּוֹר, צִפֹּר bird
6833 tsippowr tsip-pore'
or tsippor {tsip-pore'}; from 6852; a little bird (as
hopping):--bird, fowl, sparrow.
see HEBREW for 06852
צִפּוֹר (tsip.por) — bird.
1) bird, fowl
1a) bird (singular)
1b) birds (coll)
Aramaic equivalent: tse.phar (צְפַר "bird" H6853)
HRd/Ncbsa — Preposition · noun common both singular absoluteHRd/Ncbsa
Bird
Birds are divided in the Mosaic law into two classes, (1) the clean (Lev. 1:14-17; 5:7-10; 14:4-7), which were offered in sacrifice; and (2) the unclean (Lev. 11:13-20). When offered in sacrifice, they were not divided as other victims were (Gen. 15:10). They are mentioned also as an article of food (Deut. 14:11). The art of snaring wild birds is referred to (Ps. 124:7; Prov. 1:17; 7:23; Jer. 5:27). Singing birds are mentioned in Ps. 104:12;
קָשַׁר (qashar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to bind or tie together, both physically and mentally, as in forming a league or conspiring. The entries describe its various uses, including binding fast or being bound up, and it appears in different grammatical forms. Notably, it is used in the context of relationships, such as the life of Jonathan being bound to David's.
קָשַׁר vb. bind, league together, conspire
Qal
bind
league together, conspire
Niph. the life of Jonathan was bound up with the life of D.
Pi.
bind on (as ornament)
bind fast
Pu. = Qal 1 c.
Hithp. conspire
base
H7194 קָשַׁר bind, league together, conspire .. bind
. league together, conspire
. the life of Jonathan was bound up with the life of D.
. . bind on (as ornament)
. bind fast
. = Qal 1 c.
. conspire
7194 qashar kaw-shar'
a primitive root: to tie, physically (gird, confine, compact)
or mentally (in love, league):--bind (up), (make a)
conspire(-acy, -ator), join together, knit, stronger, work
(treason).
קָשַׁר (qa.shar) — to conspire.
1) to bind, tie, bind together, league together, conspire
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to bind, confine
1a2) to league together, conspire
1b) (Niphal) to be bound, be bound up
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to bind on
1c2) to bind fast
1c3) to bind, tie
1c4) to bind to oneself
1d) (Pual) robust, vigorous (participle)
1e) (Hithpael) to conspire
HC/Vqu2ms/Sp3ms — Conjunction · verb qal second person masculine singular · suffixHC/Vqu2ms/Sp3ms
The Hebrew word נַעֲרָה (*na`arah*) means 'girl' or 'damsel' and refers to a young female from infancy to adolescence. It can also denote a young woman, including terms like maid or female servant. The entries indicate a range of meanings that include marriageable young women and even concubines or prostitutes.
נַעֲרָה n.f. girl, damsel
girl, damsel
of female attendants, maids
base
H5291 נַעֲרָה girl, damsel
5291 na`arah nah-ar-aw'
feminine of 5288; a girl (from infancy to
adolescence):--damsel, maid(-en), young (woman).
see HEBREW for 05288
נַעֲרָה (na.a.rah) — maiden.
1) girl, damsel, female servant
1a) girl, damsel, little girl
1a1) of young woman, marriageable young woman, concubine, prostitute
1b) maid, female attendant, female servant
HR/Ncfpc/Sp2ms — Preposition · noun common feminine plural construct · suffixHR/Ncfpc/Sp2ms