Job 41 30

Job 41:30 kjv

Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire.

Job 41:30 nkjv

His undersides are like sharp potsherds; He spreads pointed marks in the mire.

Job 41:30 niv

Its undersides are jagged potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.

Job 41:30 esv

His underparts are like sharp potsherds; he spreads himself like a threshing sledge on the mire.

Job 41:30 nlt

Its belly is covered with scales as sharp as glass.
It plows up the ground as it drags through the mud.

Job 41 verses

Job 41 30 Meaning

Job 41:30 vividly describes Leviathan, a formidable creature symbolic of untamed power and chaos. The verse portrays its underside as being covered with sharp, jagged fragments, akin to broken pottery. As it moves, these sharp underparts scrape and churn the mire or mud, leaving a deep, distinct track much like a threshing sledge dragged across the ground. This imagery underscores Leviathan's immense physical robustness, its abrasive and destructive force, and its absolute disregard for any obstacle or terrain, reinforcing its unchallengeable dominance within its domain as a creature of God's making.

Job 41 30 Context

Job 41:30 is part of God's final speech to Job, specifically within a detailed and awe-inspiring description of Leviathan. Chapters 38-41 reveal God challenging Job, questioning his understanding of creation, providence, and divine power. Through the vivid portrayal of creatures like Behemoth (Ch. 40) and especially Leviathan (Ch. 41), God demonstrates His unparalleled authority and wisdom, illustrating His complete dominion over even the most powerful and seemingly untamable forces of the natural world. This description serves to humble Job, making him recognize his own limitations and the unfathomable majesty of the Creator, shifting Job's focus from his own suffering to God's sovereignty. The description of Leviathan also functions as a polemic against ancient Near Eastern myths that deified or presented chaotic sea monsters as threats to cosmic order, suggesting instead that such mighty creatures are merely elements within God's ordered creation, completely subservient to His will.

Job 41 30 Word analysis

• תַּחְתָּיו (tachtaw) – "its underparts" or "under it": This specifies the region being described. It draws attention to a usually unseen or ignored aspect, emphasizing the formidable nature of the creature in every part, even where it meets the ground.
• חַרְשֵׂי (charśê) – "potsherds of": Derived from cheres, meaning "earthenware, pottery, or a potsherd." When combined with the next word, it points to fragments.
• חֶרֶשׂ (cheres) – "pottery" or "shard": The repetition, charśê cheres, denotes not just potsherds but a sharp, rough, or jagged quality, perhaps "shards of pottery." This imagery evokes something broken yet hard, sharp, and abrasive, implying that contact with Leviathan's underside would be damaging.
• יִרְפַּד (yirpad) – "it spreads" or "it presses down": From the root râpad, meaning to spread out, press down, or flatten. This verb conveys an active, forceful interaction with the surface below it. It's not merely resting; it's exerting significant pressure.
• עֲלֵי (alê) – "upon" or "over": A preposition indicating position or contact, reinforcing the action of "spreading/pressing" onto something.
• טִיט (ṭîṭ) – "mud" or "mire": This word describes the soft, pliable, and wet environment in which Leviathan moves. The impact of its abrasive underside on such a yielding medium makes the subsequent "trail" evident and profound.
• מָגֵן (māḡēn) – "shield" or "threshing sledge": While commonly meaning "shield" in biblical Hebrew (often a buckler for protection), in this context, the vast majority of interpreters and lexicons agree on "threshing sledge." A threshing sledge (môrag) was a heavy agricultural implement dragged by oxen over grain, designed with sharp stones or iron teeth on its underside to separate grain from chaff. It would deeply furrow and churn the earth beneath it, perfectly matching the imagery of leaving a deep, scarred trail in the mud. The usage of māḡēn here likely highlights a "shield-like" agricultural implement that acts like a môrag, or a shield adapted for the purpose due to its rough, scraping surface.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Its underparts are like sharp potsherds": This phrase conveys Leviathan's impenetrable armor and inherent abrasiveness. The imagery suggests that nothing soft or vulnerable lies beneath its formidable body; instead, it is an extension of its defensive, destructive nature. Even its underside, usually a vulnerable area, is designed for aggression and leaving a mark. This contributes to the overall picture of a creature that is completely self-sufficient and invincible in its element.
• "it leaves a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge": This phrase further solidifies the impact of Leviathan. A threshing sledge relentlessly grinds, crushes, and transforms what lies beneath it. The comparison highlights Leviathan's unyielding momentum and the profound, scarring effect of its passage through water or soft ground. It does not glide harmlessly; its movement leaves a lasting, destructive imprint, symbolizing its overwhelming power that profoundly alters its surroundings.

Job 41 30 Bonus section

The Hebrew word מָגֵן (māḡēn), most often translated as "shield" (e.g., Ps 3:3, 7:10), here being rendered as "threshing sledge" or "harrow" is a prime example of contextual interpretation. Scholars lean into "threshing sledge" not because māḡēn directly means that, but because the accompanying action of "spreading on the mire" and "leaving a trail" strongly aligns with the known function of such an agricultural implement in the ancient world, which had sharp, shield-like bases or inserts. This indicates the adaptive nature of ancient Hebrew lexicography, where the same word can carry different semantic ranges based on the specific context and the action described. This usage highlights Leviathan’s inherent, non-selective grinding motion rather than a protective function, thus demonstrating its raw power as part of God's dominion over even the most terrifying aspects of creation.

Job 41 30 Commentary

Job 41:30 is a concise yet powerful testament to Leviathan's destructive might and God's ultimate supremacy. The detailed physical description, particularly the abrasive underside like "sharp potsherds" and its trail "like a threshing sledge," serves not merely as zoological detail but as profound theology. It underscores that this creature, formidable as it is, is completely within God's creative design and control. Human beings cannot even contend with such a beast, let alone its Creator. This vividly illustrates God's incomparable power, wisdom, and absolute sovereignty over creation, even over chaos, to humble Job and assert divine order. The point is not about defeating chaos, but about having created and sustaining it, holding it firmly within divine bounds. For us, this verse highlights the vastness of God's might and serves as a humbling reminder of our limited understanding and capacity when faced with His majestic power, urging a deeper trust in His ultimate authority and purpose, even in the midst of life's complexities.