Job 41:17 kjv
They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.
Job 41:17 nkjv
They are joined one to another, They stick together and cannot be parted.
Job 41:17 niv
They are joined fast to one another; they cling together and cannot be parted.
Job 41:17 esv
They are joined one to another; they clasp each other and cannot be separated.
Job 41:17 nlt
Each scale sticks tight to the next.
They interlock and cannot be penetrated.
Job 41 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Job 9:4 | "He is wise in heart and mighty in strength—who has defied Him successfully?" | God's wisdom and power cannot be overcome. |
| Job 9:19 | "If it is a matter of strength, behold, He is mighty!" | Reinforces God's supreme power. |
| Job 12:7-10 | "Ask the beasts, and they will teach you...that the hand of the LORD has done this." | Creation reveals God's work and authority. |
| Job 26:12-14 | "By His power He stilled the sea...These are but the fringes of His ways!" | Highlights God's cosmic power, barely glimpsed. |
| Job 40:15-24 | Description of Behemoth, another powerful creature created by God. | Context of God describing powerful creatures. |
| Job 41:1-11 | God challenging Job to subdue Leviathan. | Demonstrates man's inability to control it. |
| Psa 33:6-9 | "By the word of the LORD the heavens were made...He commanded, and it stood firm." | God's creative power, speaking things into being. |
| Psa 74:13-14 | "You broke the heads of the sea monsters...You crushed the heads of Leviathan." | God's ultimate victory over primeval chaos/evil. |
| Psa 104:26 | "There goes the ships, and Leviathan, which You formed to play in it." | Leviathan as a creation for God's purposes. |
| Psa 115:3 | "Our God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases." | God's sovereign will and execution. |
| Prov 18:11 | "A rich man's wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his imagination." | Contrast: human attempts at security vs. divine strength. |
| Isa 27:1 | "In that day the LORD with His hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan..." | God's future judgment and victory over all evil. |
| Isa 40:26 | "Lift up your eyes on high...He calls them all by name." | God's absolute control over creation. |
| Isa 45:9 | "Woe to him who strives with his Maker." | Condemnation of questioning God's authority. |
| Jer 10:7 | "Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?" | Encourages reverence and fear of the Lord. |
| Jer 32:17 | "It is You who have made the heavens and the earth...nothing is too difficult for You." | Affirms God's omnipotence. |
| Rom 1:20 | "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes...are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made." | Creation testifies to God's attributes. |
| Rom 9:20-21 | "Who are you, O man, to answer back to God?..." | Humanity's subservience to the Creator. |
| Eph 6:11-17 | "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand..." | Analogous concept of divine protection, spiritually applied. |
| Col 1:16-17 | "For by Him all things were created...and in Him all things hold together." | Christ's role in creation and sustaining it. |
| Heb 4:13 | "No creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed..." | God's all-knowing nature, seeing all creation. |
| Luke 12:4-5 | "Do not fear those who kill the body...rather fear Him who after killing has authority to cast into hell." | True fear is directed toward God's power and authority. |
| Job 42:1-6 | Job's ultimate submission and repentance after God's display of power. | The desired outcome of God's lessons in Job. |
Job 41 verses
Job 41 17 Meaning
Job 41:17 describes Leviathan's scales as being so perfectly joined and tightly interlocked that no gap, not even enough for air to pass through, exists between them. This verse emphasizes the creature's impenetrable defense, portraying it as an invulnerable and flawlessly constructed entity. It is a powerful illustration of divine craftsmanship and underscores the formidable nature of God's creation, particularly when contrasted with human frailty.
Job 41 17 Context
Job 41, along with the preceding chapter, forms the climax of God's speeches to Job. Having addressed Job's challenges regarding divine justice, God reveals Himself not through abstract reasoning but through a vivid display of His creative power over the most formidable creatures. In Job 40, God describes Behemoth, a powerful land creature, but in Job 41, the focus shifts to Leviathan, a terrifying aquatic monster. This creature, beyond human control or understanding, serves as a powerful metaphor for God's overwhelming sovereignty. The detailed description of Leviathan's invincibility, from its fiery breath to its impenetrable hide and scales (as described in verse 17), highlights the absolute impossibility of any human confronting or conquering it. This reality forces Job to recognize his own limitations and the unchallengeable might of God, Who created such a being with ease. Culturally, the Leviathan serves as God's answer to any cosmic chaos figures prevalent in Ancient Near Eastern mythologies, asserting that even the most monstrous entities are mere creations subservient to the one true God, not divine rivals.
Job 41 17 Word analysis
- One: Refers to a single scale or segment of Leviathan's impenetrable hide. It denotes uniformity and singular perfection in its construction.
- is so near: From the Hebrew יִדְבְּקוּ (yidbeqū), derived from the root דָּבַק (dabaq), meaning "to cling," "to cleave," "to stick fast," "to be joined." This word is used to describe deep attachment or union, as in a man cleaving to his wife (Gen 2:24). Here, it emphasizes the absolute, perfect, and unyielding fit of the scales.
- to another: From the Hebrew אִישׁ בְּאָחִיו (ʾîš bəʾāḥîw), literally "each with its brother" or "a man to his brother," an idiom signifying perfect proximity and closeness, one next to the other without space.
- that no air: From the Hebrew רוּחַ (rûaḥ), which can mean "breath," "wind," or "spirit." In this context, it vividly implies the complete absence of any void or space. Not even a whisper of wind, nor the subtlest current of breath, could pass through.
- can come between them: Completes the picture of an absolute seal, conveying the creature's invulnerability. The phrase paints a picture of impenetrable design.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "One is so near to another": This phrase highlights the precision and tightness of the scales' fitting. It emphasizes the concept of perfect, seamless construction, where each scale perfectly adjoins its neighbor, leaving no gaps. This is not merely tight; it is flawlessly integrated, suggesting a design far beyond any human artifice. It serves as a polemic against any notion that human engineering could mimic or overcome such divine work.
- "that no air can come between them": This extreme imagery signifies the utter impermeability of Leviathan's scales. The mention of "air" (or "spirit/wind") underscores the absolute nature of its defense; not even the slightest or most intangible element can penetrate this armor. This detail further establishes Leviathan as unconquerable by human means, leading to the profound implication: if man cannot overcome God's creation, how much less can he contend with the Creator Himself?
Job 41 17 Bonus section
The description of Leviathan's scales in Job 41:17 reinforces a recurring theme in God's discourse to Job: the Creator's power is absolute and unparalleled. The details of Leviathan are not mere zoological curiosities; they serve as rhetorical questions directed at Job, implicitly asking: "If you cannot contend with my created work, a creature designed by My hand, how could you possibly contend with Me, its Creator?" The impermeability described here is a characteristic found not in any real animal but rather in mythical, hyperbolic representations of cosmic power, which God utterly dominates in the biblical narrative. By presenting Leviathan as unchallengeable by human hands, God foregrounds His own unique and supreme authority, demonstrating that no being or force can operate outside of His will or escape His power. This meticulous divine design stands in stark contrast to human vulnerability and serves as a powerful call to humility and trust in the all-knowing and all-powerful God.
Job 41 17 Commentary
Job 41:17 contributes a crucial detail to God's grand description of Leviathan, directly answering Job's unstated assumption about his ability to contend with divine authority. By detailing the creature's impervious scales, the verse demonstrates an unprecedented level of divine craftsmanship and impregnability. It is not just about toughness, but about the perfection of assembly. The scales are joined with such meticulousness that they form an unbroken, seamless shield, defying any force to pierce them. This attribute of Leviathan stands as a physical manifestation of God's unassailable sovereignty and power. The lesson for Job, and for all who question God's ways, is clear: if such a creature exists, fashioned with insurmountable defenses by God's hand, how futile is it for frail humanity to challenge or comprehend the all-powerful Creator? It emphasizes that God's authority and control are as absolute and impenetrable as Leviathan's hide.