Job 41:15 kjv
His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal.
Job 41:15 nkjv
His rows of scales are his pride, Shut up tightly as with a seal;
Job 41:15 niv
Its back has rows of shields tightly sealed together;
Job 41:15 esv
His back is made of rows of shields, shut up closely as with a seal.
Job 41:15 nlt
The scales on its back are like rows of shields
tightly sealed together.
Job 41 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Job 41:16 | One is so near to another, that no air can come between them. | Further describes the tightness of Leviathan's scales. |
| Job 40:19 | He is the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him. | God's supreme authority over Leviathan and creation. |
| Job 38:4 | Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? | God challenges Job with His creative power and wisdom. |
| Ps 104:26 | There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein. | God's sovereign design and control over Leviathan. |
| Ps 74:13-14 | Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters. | God's victory over mighty chaotic forces. |
| Isa 27:1 | In that day the Lord with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent... | God's ultimate judgment and victory over all evil, including Leviathan. |
| Ps 93:1 | The Lord reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed with strength... | God's absolute majesty and impenetrable strength. |
| Jer 32:17 | Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power... | Affirmation of God's limitless power in creation. |
| Gen 1:1 | In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. | God as the ultimate Creator, the source of all power. |
| Rom 1:20 | For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made... | Creation as a testament to God's attributes. |
| Eph 6:11 | Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. | Concept of impenetrable spiritual armor. |
| Prov 18:11 | The rich man's wealth is his strong city, and as a high wall in his own conceit. | False human pride in perceived security (contrast to divine design). |
| Ps 18:2 | The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer... | God as the ultimate fortress and source of security. |
| Prov 16:18 | Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. | The danger of human pride (in contrast to Leviathan's strength, which is God-given). |
| Isa 40:26 | Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things... | God's unmatched creative power and dominion. |
| Rev 5:1 | And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. | Seals indicating ultimate authority, security, and revelation. |
| Dan 12:4 | But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end... | Seals ensuring secure preservation and delayed revelation. |
| Exod 28:18 | ...and their ouches, and their rings, and their seals, and their stones. | Seals representing authenticity, ownership, and unbreakability. |
| Zech 7:12 | Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law... | Describes extreme hardness and impenetrability (of heart). |
| Prov 28:1 | The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion. | Security of the righteous contrasted with the fearful wicked. |
| Matt 19:26 | But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. | Highlights God's limitless power over perceived impossibilities. |
Job 41 verses
Job 41 15 Meaning
Job 41:15 describes Leviathan's scales as an expression of its formidable strength and impenetrable defense. They are not merely protective coverings but are intrinsic to its very being, conveying a sense of indomitable power and an absolute imperviousness to external threats, secured as tightly as an unbroken seal.
Job 41 15 Context
Job 41:15 is part of God's response to Job (chapters 38-41), where the Lord highlights His omnipotence and wisdom through the wonders of creation, particularly focusing on the majestic and uncontrollable creatures, Behemoth (Job 40) and Leviathan. The detailed description of Leviathan's terrifying strength, impenetrable armor, and untameable nature serves as a vivid illustration of God's supreme power. The Lord uses Leviathan to humble Job, demonstrating that if Job cannot even contend with this single creature of God's making, how much less can he comprehend or challenge the Creator Himself. Historically, Leviathan evokes images from ancient Near Eastern myths of primeval sea monsters representing chaos, but here it is presented as a creature under God's ultimate design and control, a powerful polemic against any notion that chaos or any entity is beyond God's sovereignty.
Job 41 15 Word analysis
- His scales: (Hebrew: ridpîm / רְדִיפִים) This term specifically refers to the layers of armor or covering, emphasizing the overlapping nature that forms a defensive layer. It signifies the physical manifestation of Leviathan's protective strength, vital to its fearsome reputation.
- are his pride: (Hebrew: ga'ăvâh / גַּאֲוָה) This word conveys "majesty," "excellency," "dignity," or "exaltation." Here, it indicates that the scales are not merely functional armor but are the very source and symbol of Leviathan's awe-inspiring might and an inherent display of its unassailable power. They represent its "majesty" as a creature designed by God to be unparalleled in strength and appearance.
- shut up together: (Hebrew: sāgûr / סָגוּר from sāgar meaning "to shut, close") This phrase implies extreme tightness and denseness. There are no gaps between the scales, forming a perfectly contiguous, unbroken, and unified surface that is incredibly strong and resistant to penetration.
- as with a close seal: (Hebrew: hôtem qeṭalqal / חוֹתֵם קֵטַלְקָל) The word ḥôtem means "seal" or "signet ring," symbolizing finality, security, and inviolability. The specific term qeṭalqal is debated but generally understood as describing the perfect, firm, and perhaps deadly tight sealing, or a seal made of cast metal (i.e., extremely hard and rigid). This simile emphasizes that the scales are joined with the ultimate integrity, making them absolutely impenetrable, as if sealed by an ultimate authority beyond human breaching.
- "His scales are his pride, shut up together": This phrase group highlights that the physical attribute (scales) is integral to the creature's formidable essence ("pride"), and their tightly bound nature underscores their impregnability. It's a statement about Leviathan's innate, divinely imparted power and unassailability.
- "shut up together as with a close seal": This second phrase group extends the description of invulnerability by using a powerful analogy. The seal symbolizes absolute closure and inviolability, meaning nothing can penetrate or disrupt Leviathan's protective layer. This further emphasizes the creature's untouchable nature, designed by God.
Job 41 15 Bonus section
- The meticulous description of Leviathan's scales underscores a theological point: even the details of God's creation, particularly the most awe-inspiring ones, speak volumes about His nature and attributes.
- The impenetrability of Leviathan's scales can be seen as a microcosm of God's unchallengeable sovereignty. Just as Job cannot pierce Leviathan's defense, humanity cannot penetrate or fully grasp the mysteries of God's wisdom or His ways, especially concerning suffering.
- The "close seal" imagery also suggests that Leviathan's form is complete and perfect for its designed purpose, a testimony to God's flawless creation. There is no imperfection or gap that would allow it to be tamed by man.
Job 41 15 Commentary
Job 41:15 reveals Leviathan's scales as a divine masterpiece of defense, serving as both its literal armor and symbolic "pride." This "pride" is not moral arrogance, but the inherent display of its formidable strength, intricately designed by God. The scales are perfectly interlocked, sealed shut without any weakness, making the creature impervious to any human weapon. This detailed description is part of God's response to Job, intended to magnify God's power and sovereignty by showcasing a creature utterly beyond human control or comprehension. The message is clear: if humans cannot master Leviathan, they certainly cannot challenge or fully understand God. The verse underscores divine supremacy, the might of creation as a reflection of its Creator, and the ultimate limitation of human power.