Job 40:15 kjv
Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox.
Job 40:15 nkjv
"Look now at the behemoth, which I made along with you; He eats grass like an ox.
Job 40:15 niv
"Look at Behemoth, which I made along with you and which feeds on grass like an ox.
Job 40:15 esv
"Behold, Behemoth, which I made as I made you; he eats grass like an ox.
Job 40:15 nlt
"Take a look at Behemoth,
which I made, just as I made you.
It eats grass like an ox.
Job 40 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 1:24-25 | "Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to... and God saw that it was good.” | God creating land animals and their goodness. |
| Pss 104:24 | "O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all..." | Acknowledges God's wisdom in creation. |
| Pss 145:13 | "Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures..." | God's sovereign rule over all creation. |
| Isa 40:26 | "Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out..." | God as the unparalleled Creator of all things. |
| Jer 32:17 | "Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth..." | Affirms God's mighty creative power. |
| Rom 1:20 | "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes... are clearly seen..." | God's eternal power evident in creation. |
| Col 1:16 | "For by Him all things were created... all things were created through Him..." | Christ's role in creating all things. |
| Job 38:4-7 | "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?" | God challenging Job's limited perspective. |
| Job 39:19-20 | "Do you give the horse his might?... he paws in the valley..." | God describing powerful animals He controls. |
| Pss 50:10-11 | "For every beast of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills." | God's ownership and mastery over all creatures. |
| Isa 2:10-11 | "Enter into the rock... for fear of the LORD... and the haughtiness of man..." | Humbling of human pride before God's majesty. |
| Hab 3:8-9 | "Did the LORD rage against the rivers... that You rode on Your horses..." | God's majestic power over creation, personified. |
| Job 5:9 | "Who does great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number" | God's inscrutable and immense works. |
| Job 9:4 | "God is wise in heart and mighty in strength... Who has resisted Him..." | God's irresistible power and wisdom. |
| Job 12:7-10 | "But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the air, and they..." | Nature's testimony to God's handiwork. |
| Pss 29:3-5 | "The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders..." | God's powerful voice over creation. |
| Pss 93:1 | "The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed; he has put..." | God's sovereign majesty. |
| Matt 6:26 | "Look at the birds of the air... Your heavenly Father feeds them..." | God's provision for His creatures. |
| Pss 104:14 | "You cause the grass to grow for the livestock..." | God's provision of food for animals. |
| Gen 1:29-30 | "And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant... also to every beast..." | God's provision of vegetation for creatures. |
| Isa 40:6 | "All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field." | Human frailty compared to natural elements. |
| 1 Pet 1:24 | "For 'All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass." | Echoes the theme of human mortality and brevity. |
Job 40 verses
Job 40 15 Meaning
Job 40:15 introduces a magnificent and powerful creature known as Behemoth, presented by God to Job as a prime example of divine creative power and majesty. God emphasizes that He created this colossal being alongside humanity, highlighting a common origin under the same Creator. The verse also notes its seemingly ordinary diet of grass, which, in contrast to its immense strength, underscores the purposeful and profound design of God. This revelation is part of God’s overarching response to Job, intended to demonstrate the limits of human understanding and the incomprehensible grandeur of the Almighty.
Job 40 15 Context
Job 40:15 is situated within the climax of the book of Job, where God responds to Job's profound lament and questions about divine justice. After chapters of dialogue between Job and his friends, God finally speaks from a whirlwind in Chapters 38-41. Initially, God challenges Job with a barrage of rhetorical questions concerning creation and the natural world (Job 38-39), designed to illustrate Job's limited understanding and the immeasurable gap between human knowledge and divine omnipotence. As a culmination of this discourse, God introduces two monstrous creatures, Behemoth (Job 40:15-24) and Leviathan (Job 41), which He alone controls. These creatures serve as tangible examples of God's unmatched creative power and dominion, showcasing aspects of creation that far exceed Job's ability to comprehend, manage, or even approach. The descriptions are not merely zoological but serve a profound theological purpose: to humble Job and impress upon him the unfathomable sovereignty and majesty of the Creator.
Job 40 15 Word analysis
- Behold now (הִנֵּה־נָא - hinneh-na): This phrase functions as an immediate and emphatic call for attention, signifying an urgent command to observe. God demands Job’s direct and undivided focus on what is about to be revealed, marking a significant turn in the divine discourse. It signals that what follows is profoundly important and requires deep contemplation.
- Behemoth (בְּהֵמוֹת - behemoth): This Hebrew term is a plural form of the word for "beast" (בְּהֵמָה - behemah), used here as a singular noun to denote greatness or intensification—literally "beast of beasts" or "great beast." Its true identity is subject to much scholarly debate, often proposed as a hippopotamus, an elephant, or even a symbolic, primeval creature representing untamable chaos which God has mastery over. Regardless of its exact zoological identification, the name itself emphasizes its colossal size, immense power, and unparalleled status among land creatures, designed to highlight its unique place as a direct creation of God.
- which I made (אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי - 'asher 'asīthi): This asserts God’s absolute agency and proprietorship over Behemoth. The emphasis is on God as the sole Creator, ensuring that Behemoth is not an independent entity or a force outside of divine control. It underscores the purposeful nature of its existence as part of God's sovereign plan.
- with you (עִמָּךְ - ʿimāk): This phrase signifies co-existence or creation within the same sphere of existence as humanity, not co-operation in creation. It suggests that Behemoth is God's creation, just as Job is, underscoring their shared Creator. This statement serves to draw a contrast: though Behemoth and Job share a Creator, Behemoth’s power is vastly superior to Job’s, thus making it an overwhelming demonstration of the power of their shared Creator. It counters any human pride by aligning Job with a powerful creature that still bows to God.
- he eats grass (חָצִיר ... יֹאכֵל - chatsīr... yokhēl): "Grass" (חָצִיר - chatsīr) refers to common vegetation. That such a powerful creature sustains itself on something so mundane and readily available is a paradox that points to God’s magnificent design and provision. It indicates that even the mightiest beings in creation depend entirely on God for their sustenance.
- like an ox (כַּבָּקָר - kabbāqār): "Ox" (בָּקָר - baqar) refers to domestic cattle, known for their strength, endurance, and placid grazing. The comparison highlights Behemoth's herbivorous nature and its robust, unhurried eating habits. It further accentuates the contrast between the creature's immense power and its surprisingly docile and common diet, implying a creature whose great strength is utilized within God's ordered world, not for chaos, despite its wildness.
Job 40 15 Bonus section
The concept of Behemoth (and Leviathan) in Job 40-41 serves as a strong polemic against ancient Near Eastern myths where cosmic monsters represented forces of chaos that deities had to subdue through struggle. In the biblical narrative, Behemoth is explicitly stated as created by God (not an independent power), showcasing God's absolute sovereignty over even the most powerful creatures and forces, implying they are fully under His dominion and design, rather than external threats to His authority. The specific descriptions of its physical attributes and behaviors in subsequent verses further reinforce its grandeur and invulnerability to human power, emphasizing that only God is truly capable of taming or challenging it. This highlights that the ultimate power lies with the Creator of these majestic beasts, not with the beasts themselves.
Job 40 15 Commentary
Job 40:15 is the divine introduction of Behemoth, one of two monumental creatures God presents as the ultimate demonstration of His sovereign power, intended to humble Job and put his complaints into cosmic perspective. By drawing Job’s attention to this "beast of beasts," God forces Job to acknowledge a creature that, though sharing a common Creator, operates on a scale of power far beyond human capacity. The paradox of Behemoth’s immense size and strength coupled with its diet of mere grass reveals a profound theological truth: even the most formidable elements of creation are sustained by God’s ordinary provision, reflecting meticulous divine design and absolute control over all life. This description transcends mere natural history, functioning as a theological challenge to Job's pride and a declaration of God's unrivaled authority over the entire created order. The inability of humans to control or comprehend such a magnificent yet 'natural' beast should prompt awe and submission to the Almighty Creator.