Job 41:6 kjv
Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants?
Job 41:6 nkjv
Will your companions make a banquet of him? Will they apportion him among the merchants?
Job 41:6 niv
Will traders barter for it? Will they divide it up among the merchants?
Job 41:6 esv
Will traders bargain over him? Will they divide him up among the merchants?
Job 41:6 nlt
Will merchants try to buy it
to sell it in their shops?
Job 41 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 74:13-14 | "You divided the sea by your might; you broke the heads of the sea monsters... You crushed the heads of Leviathan..." | God's power over chaos/sea monsters |
| Ps 104:26 | "There go the ships, and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it." | God's creation and control over Leviathan |
| Isa 27:1 | "In that day the Lord with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent..." | God's ultimate victory over forces of evil/chaos |
| Ps 89:9 | "You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them." | God's power over natural forces |
| Ps 33:6-9 | "By the word of the Lord the heavens were made... He gathers the waters... let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe." | God's creative power and might |
| Jer 10:12 | "It is he who made the earth by his power... and stretched out the heavens by his understanding." | God's supreme power in creation |
| Amos 9:3 | "Though they hide themselves... I will search them out... and though they hide from my eyes... I will command the serpent..." | God's inescapable control and judgment |
| Matt 8:27 | "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?" | Jesus (God) shows authority over nature |
| Luke 8:25 | "...He rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm." | Christ's authority over creation's forces |
| Job 40:19 | (Describing Behemoth) "He is the first of the works of God..." | God's supreme creations |
| Job 40:24 | (Referring to Behemoth) "Can one take him by his eyes, or pierce his nose with a snare?" | Human inability to subdue mighty creatures |
| Isa 40:15 | "Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales..." | Humanity's insignificance before God |
| Jer 9:23-24 | "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom... but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me..." | Futility of human strength/wealth, emphasis on God |
| Prov 11:28 | "Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf." | Danger/futility of trust in wealth |
| Eccl 5:10 | "He who loves money will not be satisfied with money..." | Limits and dissatisfaction of material gain |
| Zech 1:17 | "Cry out again, Thus says the Lord of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity..." (Prophecy of wealth from trade) | Commerce blessed by God vs. misused by humans |
| Ezek 27:3, 33-36 | (Tyre's maritime splendor) "O Tyre, you have said, 'I am perfect in beauty.' Your borders are in the heart of the seas..." | Wealth from trade can lead to downfall |
| Rev 18:11-17 | "And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their cargo anymore..." | Judgment on commercial systems |
| 1 Tim 6:10 | "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils..." | Warning against pursuit of wealth |
| Prov 23:5 | "When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for it will sprout wings like an eagle and fly away toward heaven." | Fleeting nature of wealth |
| Matt 6:19-21 | "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth... but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven..." | Heavenly vs. earthly treasures |
Job 41 verses
Job 41 6 Meaning
Job 41:6 is part of God's rhetorical questioning of Job from the whirlwind, challenging human capacity and highlighting divine omnipotence as demonstrated in the untamable Leviathan. The verse emphatically asks if human merchants or organized groups could ever acquire, commercialize, or divide Leviathan as common merchandise or prey for profit or a feast. The implied answer is a resounding no, underscoring the creature's immense power, which only God controls, and thus showcasing human weakness in contrast to divine sovereignty.
Job 41 6 Context
Job 41:6 is part of God's detailed description of Leviathan, which extends throughout Job chapter 41 (following Behemoth in Job 40). This passage occurs within the magnificent divine monologue from the whirlwind (Job 38-41), where God challenges Job's understanding and wisdom by recounting the wonders of His creation and control over all things, especially the untamable and formidable creatures like Leviathan. The primary purpose is to humble Job, demonstrating the infinite gap between human wisdom and divine omniscience and omnipotence. Historically, such creatures, whether literal large animals (like a crocodile) or symbolic of chaotic forces (like primordial sea monsters), were a common theme in ancient Near Eastern cosmology. God's ability to create and master them distinguishes Him from any human or false deity, directly countering any pagan beliefs in deities requiring appeasement or humans having ultimate control over chaos or nature.
Word Analysis
הַיִּכְרוּ (Ha-yikru): An interrogative particle "Ha-" meaning "Will...?" combined with the verb root כָּרָה (karah). "Karah" has a primary meaning of "to dig" or "to excavate," but it extends to "to make a bargain," "to trade," or "to prepare a feast" (as in preparing a pit for cooking or digging a well for guests). Here, the sense is distinctly about commercial transaction or preparation for a shared meal/spoils. The rhetorical "Will...?" signals an impossible scenario, emphasizing Leviathan's immunity to human control or exploitation.
עָלָיו (alav): "Upon him," or "over him," referring directly to Leviathan, indicating the target of the proposed commercial activity or division.
חַבָּרִים (chabbarim): Plural of חָבֵר (chaver), meaning "companion," "associate," or "fellow." It can also specifically refer to a "band," "company," or "group of traders/merchants." The use here highlights organized human collective effort, whether for a commercial venture or a shared feast from hunting spoils. It suggests a collaborative human attempt to subdue Leviathan, which is portrayed as futile.
יַחְלְקֻהוּ (yachlekuhu): From the verb חָלַק (chalaq), "to divide," "to apportion," or "to share." The suffix "-hu" means "him." This implies the act of distributing Leviathan, as one would divide a catch, merchandise, or spoils among associates, suggesting an ownership or dominion that is utterly absent.
בֵּין (bein): "Between," or "among." This preposition signifies the distribution or sharing context.
כֵּנַעֲנִים (kena'aniym): Literally "Canaanites." Historically, the Canaanites were known as prominent traders and merchants in the ancient world (cf. Prov 31:24, Hos 12:7, Zech 14:21 - though the last can be interpreted symbolically for "those who do business with the sacred"). Thus, the term "Canaanites" often functions as a synonym for "merchants" or "traders." This usage underscores the commercial context and highlights human commercial systems and networks as incapable of grasping or managing Leviathan. It implies a polemic against reliance on human enterprise, wealth, or bargaining power against what is divinely established and controlled.
"Will merchants traffic in him? Will they divide him?": This phrase group emphasizes the complete unsuitability of Leviathan for human commerce. Traffic implies trade, buying, or selling, while dividing points to distribution as prey or goods. Both actions signify ownership and control, which God implicitly denies humans over Leviathan, a creature of immense power. It exposes the utter absurdity of humans attempting to apply their commercial practices to an entity under exclusive divine control.
"among the merchants": This phrase reiterates the commercial context, specifying that not just individuals but entire organized systems of trade (represented by the "Canaanites" as archetypal merchants) are powerless. It showcases that collective human enterprise, despite its organizational strength and resourcefulness in worldly affairs, is utterly helpless before God's mighty works.
Job 41 6 Bonus section
The rhetorical question form "Ha-yikhru... yachlekuhu?" is highly effective. It requires no explicit answer because the impossibility is self-evident. This literary device throughout Job 38-41 serves to directly challenge Job's human perspective and subtly critique his arguments, which presumed some degree of human ability to comprehend or even challenge divine ways. The juxtaposition of Leviathan's raw power with the delicate process of mercantile trade is a vivid illustration of this power disparity. Furthermore, the term "Canaanites" being used metaphorically for "merchants" underlines a pervasive biblical understanding that excessive or idolatrous commercial pursuit often represents human reliance on worldly strength rather than divine providence, thus reinforcing the core message of the futility of human ambition apart from God.
Job 41 6 Commentary
Job 41:6 is a rhetorical masterpiece. God uses the most formidable creature imaginable—Leviathan, a symbol of primal power and chaos—and contrasts it with the mundane, often prideful, world of human commerce. Can the untamed power of the cosmos, under God's exclusive dominion, be bought, sold, or parceled out by mere mortals for profit or pleasure? The question is absurd on its face. It crushes Job's (and humanity's) illusion of control or even understanding over the profound might of creation. It demonstrates that the greatest human endeavors—accumulating wealth, organizing trade, exerting collective strength—are utterly inconsequential against the divine order. This highlights God's unassailable sovereignty, demonstrating that even what humans perceive as chaotic or uncontrollable in creation is still within the divine hand, far beyond the reach of human schemes or enterprise.