Job 41: King Over the Sons of Pride
The LORD describes Leviathan, the fearsome, untamable sea creature, to show that no one can stand against the God who alone is sovereign over all.
Job 41 (WEB)
1 “Can you draw out Leviathan with a fish hook, or press down his tongue with a cord?
2 Can you put a rope into his nose, or pierce his jaw through with a hook?
3 Will he make many petitions to you, or will he speak soft words to you?
4 Will he make a covenant with you, that you should take him for a servant forever?
5 Will you play with him as with a bird? Or will you bind him for your girls?
6 Will traders barter for him? Will they part him among the merchants?
7 Can you fill his skin with barbed irons, or his head with fish spears?
8 Lay your hand on him. Remember the battle, and do so no more.
9 Behold, the hope of him is in vain. Won’t one be cast down even at the sight of him?
10 None is so fierce that he dare stir him up. Who then is he who can stand before me?
11 Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Everything under the heavens is mine.
12 “I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, nor his mighty strength, nor his goodly frame.
13 Who can strip off his outer garment? Who shall come within his jaws?
14 Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth is terror.
15 Strong scales are his pride, shut up together with a close seal.
16 One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.
17 They are joined one to another. They stick together, so that they can’t be pulled apart.
18 His sneezing flashes out light. His eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
19 Out of his mouth go burning torches. Sparks of fire leap out.
20 Out of his nostrils a smoke goes, as of a boiling pot over a fire of reeds.
21 His breath kindles coals. A flame goes out of his mouth.
22 There is strength in his neck. Terror dances before him.
23 The flakes of his flesh are joined together. They are firm on him. They can’t be moved.
24 His heart is as firm as a stone, yes, firm as the lower millstone.
25 When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid. They retreat before his thrashing.
26 If one attacks him with the sword, it can’t prevail; nor the spear, the dart, nor the pointed shaft.
27 He counts iron as straw; and brass as rotten wood.
28 The arrow can’t make him flee. Sling stones are like chaff to him.
29 Clubs are counted as stubble. He laughs at the rushing of the javelin.
30 His undersides are like sharp potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.
31 He makes the deep to boil like a pot. He makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
32 He makes a path shine after him. One would think the deep had white hair.
33 On earth there is not his equal, that is made without fear.
34 He sees everything that is high. He is king over all the sons of pride.”
Job 41 (KJV)
1 Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?
2 Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?
3 Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words unto thee?
4 Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever?
5 Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?
6 Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants?
7 Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish spears?
8 Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more.
9 Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him?
10 None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me?
11 Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.
12 I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion.
13 Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle?
14 Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about.
15 His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal.
16 One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.
17 They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.
18 By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
19 Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.
20 Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.
21 His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.
22 In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him.
23 The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved.
24 His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone.
25 When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves.
26 The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon.
27 He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.
28 The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble.
29 Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.
30 Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire.
31 He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.
32 He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary.
33 Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.
34 He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.
Job 41 (ASV)
1 Canst thou draw out leviathan with a fishhook? Or press down his tongue with a cord?
2 Canst thou put a rope into his nose? Or pierce his jaw through with a hook?
3 Will he make many supplications unto thee? Or will he speak soft words unto thee?
4 Will he make a covenant with thee, That thou shouldest take him for a servant for ever?
5 Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? Or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?
6 Will the bands of fishermen make traffic of him? Will they part him among the merchants?
7 Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons, Or his head with fish-spears?
8 Lay thy hand upon him; Remember the battle, and do so no more.
9 Behold, the hope of him is in vain: Will not one be cast down even at the sight of him?
10 None is so fierce that he dare stir him up; Who then is he that can stand before me?
11 Who hath first given unto me, that I should repay him? Whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.
12 I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, Nor his mighty strength, nor his goodly frame.
13 Who can strip off his outer garment? Who shall come within his jaws?
14 Who can open the doors of his face? Round about his teeth is terror.
15 Hisstrong scales are his pride, Shut up together as with a close seal.
16 One is so near to another, That no air can come between them.
17 They are joined one to another; They stick together, so that they cannot be sundered.
18 His sneezings flash forth light, And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
19 Out of his mouth go burning torches, And sparks of fire leap forth.
20 Out of his nostrils a smoke goeth, As of a boiling pot and burning rushes.
21 His breath kindleth coals, And a flame goeth forth from his mouth.
22 In his neck abideth strength, And terror danceth before him.
23 The flakes of his flesh are joined together: They are firm upon him; they cannot be moved.
24 His heart is as firm as a stone; Yea, firm as the nether millstone.
25 When he raiseth himself up, the mighty are afraid: By reason of consternation they are beside themselves.
26 If one lay at him with the sword, it cannot avail; Nor the spear, the dart, nor the pointed shaft.
27 He counteth iron as straw, And brass as rotten wood.
28 The arrow cannot make him flee: Sling-stones are turned with him into stubble.
29 Clubs are counted as stubble: He laugheth at the rushing of the javelin.
30 His underparts are like sharp potsherds: He spreadeth as it were a threshing-wain upon the mire.
31 He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: He maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.
32 He maketh a path to shine after him; One would think the deep to be hoary.
33 Upon earth there is not his like, That is made without fear.
34 He beholdeth everything that is high: He is king over all the sons of pride.
Summary
The LORD devotes an entire chapter to Leviathan, a fearsome creature no human can capture or tame, to drive home the truth of his unrivaled sovereignty. He asks whether Job can draw out Leviathan with a fishhook, put a rope in his nose, make a covenant with him, or play with him as with a pet bird. No one dares to rouse this creature, God says, and from this he draws a piercing conclusion: “Who then is he who can stand before me? Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Everything under the heavens is mine.” God then describes Leviathan in vivid, terrifying detail, his strong scales shut up like a close seal, his eyes like the eyelids of the morning, flames and smoke from his mouth and nostrils, his neck full of strength, and his heart as firm as the lower millstone. Sword, spear, arrow, and sling are useless against him; he counts iron as straw and laughs at the rushing javelin. He makes the deep boil like a pot and leaves a shining wake behind him, so that on earth there is nothing like him, a creature made without fear. The chapter closes by naming him king over all the sons of pride. If Job cannot stand before a creature, how much less before its Creator. The towering portrait reduces every human boast to silence before the Lord who rules all things.
Voices
- The LORD (Yahweh) — The sovereign Creator who points to Leviathan to prove that no one can stand against him.
- Leviathan — The fearsome, untamable sea creature, king over all the sons of pride, beyond any human power to capture.
- Job — The sufferer challenged to consider that, unable to face a creature, he cannot contend with its Maker.
Key Verse
Job 41:11 (WEB)
Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Everything under the heavens is mine.
Lessons Learned
- If we cannot stand before a creature God made, how much less can we contend with God himself.
- Everything under heaven belongs to God; no one can put him in their debt.
- God's power tames the most fearsome forces, including those that terrify human beings.
- The Creator is king even over the proud and the chaotic, ruling what we cannot.
- No one can stand before God. If none dare rouse Leviathan, God asks, “Who then is he who can stand before me?” (Job 41:10, WEB); the lesser fear teaches a greater reverence.
- Everything belongs to God. “Everything under the heavens is mine” (Job 41:11, WEB); we cannot put God in our debt, for all we have was first his gift.
- God rules what we most fear. Leviathan, before whom “the mighty are afraid” (Job 41:25, WEB), is still God's creature; the forces that terrify us are subject to him.
- God reigns over all pride. Leviathan is “king over all the sons of pride” (Job 41:34, WEB), yet he answers to the Lord; ultimately every proud power bows to God's sovereignty.
- Why does God devote an entire chapter to describing Leviathan?
- What conclusion does God draw from Job's inability to capture this creature?
- What does the statement “Everything under the heavens is mine” teach about our relationship to God?
- How does Leviathan being “king over all the sons of pride” point to God's deeper sovereignty?
- What fearsome force or circumstance feels untamable in your life, and how does it help to remember it is still God's creature?
- The lengthy portrait of an untamable creature overwhelms Job and reduces his confidence to silence (41:1-34). If Job cannot face Leviathan, he certainly cannot contend with Leviathan's Maker.
- God reasons that if no one dares stir up the creature, no one can stand before the Creator (41:10). The argument moves from a lesser terror to the far greater majesty of God himself.
- It teaches that all we have comes from God and belongs to him, so we can never make him our debtor (41:11). This grounds humility and gratitude, since grace is always gift, never payment.
- Even the proudest and most fearsome creature is still God's subject (41:34). It signals that every arrogant power, human or cosmic, is finally under the rule of the sovereign Lord.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to name what feels uncontrollable and to rest in God's rule over it. As leader, point gently to Christ, who has authority over wind, sea, and every power, so that nothing we fear is beyond his reign.