Job 41 19

Job 41:19 kjv

Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.

Job 41:19 nkjv

Out of his mouth go burning lights; Sparks of fire shoot out.

Job 41:19 niv

Flames stream from its mouth; sparks of fire shoot out.

Job 41:19 esv

Out of his mouth go flaming torches; sparks of fire leap forth.

Job 41:19 nlt

Lightning leaps from its mouth;
flames of fire flash out.

Job 41 verses

Job 41 19 Meaning

Job 41:19 describes the terrifying, formidable nature of Leviathan, emphasizing its unique and unchallengeable power, especially its ability to emit fire. This vivid imagery serves to underscore God's boundless creative power and His absolute sovereignty over even the most fearsome creatures, contrasting it with Job's limited human capacity and challenging his perspective on divine justice.

Job 41 19 Context

Job 41:19 is part of God's extensive discourse to Job from the whirlwind, spanning from Job 38 to 41. Following Job's lamentations and questioning of divine justice, God challenges Job's understanding of creation and providence. Chapters 38 and 39 showcase the intricacies of the natural world, all governed by God. Chapter 40 then introduces Behemoth, a creature of immense strength, impossible for humans to control. Chapter 41 describes Leviathan, an even more terrifying, aquatic creature, often associated with primeval chaos or immense untamable power.

The description of Leviathan, including its fiery breath, serves as a rhetorical device. If Job cannot contend with, or even fully comprehend, the strength of God's creations like Leviathan, how can he presume to question or stand against God Himself? The purpose is to humble Job, demonstrating God's unfathomable wisdom and absolute sovereignty, thereby eliciting Job's repentance and deeper trust in God's unsearchable ways. Historically, descriptions of fearsome creatures with extraordinary powers like fire-breathing may have been rooted in ancient Near Eastern mythology concerning chaos monsters, but the biblical account unequivocally places Leviathan as a created being, utterly subject to Yahweh, thereby making a strong polemical statement against any pagan deity or cosmic force claiming ultimate power. Only God created and controls such power.

Job 41 19 Word analysis

• Out of his mouth:
  • Hebrew: Mippīyw (מִפִּיו). This emphasizes the source of the emitted substance – an internal, fundamental characteristic of Leviathan. The mouth is a locus of power, whether for speech, consumption, or exhalation. In biblical and ancient Near Eastern contexts, fire emanating from a powerful being's mouth signifies immense, overwhelming destructive power and untamable force, often associated with divine or chaotic entities.
• go:
  • Hebrew: Yēlēkhu (יֵלֵכוּ). This verb means "to go," "to walk," "to proceed." It suggests a directional flow or movement of the fiery elements, indicating they are actively expelled rather than simply appearing. It implies an ongoing, continuous process rather than a static state.
• burning torches:
  • Hebrew: Lappiydim (לַפִּידִים). Plural of lappîd. This term signifies "torches," "flames," or "lightning flashes." It denotes substantial, coherent manifestations of fire, implying significant heat and light. In other biblical contexts, lappîd can refer to real torches (Jdg 7:16), lightning (Ex 20:18), or the fiery manifestation of God's presence (Gen 15:17). Here, it portrays Leviathan as having a terrifying, perhaps supernaturally empowered, incendiary capacity, likening its exhalation to an array of flaming weapons or bolts of fire.
• sparks:
  • Hebrew: Shəlehev (שַׁלְהֶבֶת). This noun means "flame" or "blaze," often referring to the flickering or leaping part of a fire. It conveys the image of radiant, intensely hot, but perhaps smaller or more dynamic fragments of fire compared to the "torches." It adds detail to the fire’s manifestation, making it more dynamic and perilous.
• of fire:
  • Hebrew: ʾĒsh (אֵשׁ). This is the general Hebrew word for "fire." Its inclusion clarifies the nature of the "sparks" and "torches," reinforcing that this is indeed literal fire being described, albeit from a mythical or hyperbolically described creature. Fire universally symbolizes destruction, purification, divine presence, and judgment in Scripture.
• leap forth:
  • Hebrew: Yitnadvu (יִתְנַדָּפוּ). This is the Hithpael imperfect form of the verb nādhaph, which means "to be scattered," "to be dispersed," or "to be blown away." The Hithpael conjugation suggests a reflexive or intensive action – the sparks actively cause themselves to scatter or dart out. This conveys a sense of rapid, erratic, uncontrolled, and aggressive motion of these smaller fiery particles, enhancing the overall imagery of a creature whose very breath is dangerous and unpredictable.

Job 41 19 Bonus section

The description of Leviathan as fire-breathing in Job 41:19 has intrigued scholars, often being seen as the biblical antecedent to the "dragon" motif found in various world mythologies. This unique characteristic underscores Leviathan's singular position in creation – a creature whose very being is defined by untameable, destructive power, akin to a natural force of judgment. While Leviathan may have been a real creature, perhaps an extremely large crocodile or serpent, the hyperbolic language clearly elevates it beyond an ordinary animal to a symbolic representation of chaos, untameable power, and evil that only God can subdue. The consistent biblical theme of God's power over "the waters" or "the deep" (Ps 29:3, Gen 1:2) is echoed here, as Leviathan is often associated with the sea. Its fiery breath further positions it as a master of destructive forces. The imagery serves to heighten the theological point: God's sovereignty extends to all realms, even the most dangerous and chaotic, assuring His ultimate control over all things, visible and invisible.

Job 41 19 Commentary

Job 41:19 portrays Leviathan not just as a mighty beast, but as an apocalyptic creature of fire, demonstrating God's supreme authority over even the most fantastical and terrifying elements of creation. The "burning torches" suggest large, forceful emissions, while "sparks of fire leap forth" add details of rapid, scattered, and uncontainable danger. This dual description emphasizes the creature's immense and multi-faceted power. God presents this image to Job to silence his questioning; if a creature of God's making is so utterly beyond human control, how much more so is God Himself? This verse serves as a climactic depiction of a creation so awe-inspiring that it necessitates Job's humility. It is a powerful reminder that God's ways are beyond human comprehension and control, leading Job to surrender his challenge and embrace trust in divine wisdom. The fiery breath aligns Leviathan with other biblical descriptions of overwhelming power, often associated with God's presence or judgment, illustrating that even what seems like primordial chaos is perfectly integrated into God's sovereign plan.