the Week of Proper 22 / Ordinary 27
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King James Version
Job 40:23
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
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- InternationalParallel Translations
If a river oppresses, it is not alarmed;It is secure, though the Jordan bursts forth to its mouth.
"If a river rages, he is not alarmed; He is confident, though the Jordan rushes to his mouth.
Beholde, he drinketh vp whole ryuers and feareth not, he thinketh that he can drawe vp Iordane into his mouth.
Lo, the river overfloweth—he startleth not: he is confident though a Jordan break forth against his mouth.
Indeed the river may rage, Yet he is not disturbed; He is confident, though the Jordan gushes into his mouth,
Behold, he is confident, even if Jordan burst forth against his mouth.
If the river floods, the behemoth will not run away. He is not afraid if the Jordan River splashes on his face.
Behold, if a river overflows, he doesn't tremble. He is confident, though the Jordan swells even to his mouth.
Behold, he drinketh vp a riuer, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw vp Iordan into his mouth.
Lo, without eny laboure might he drynke out the whole floude, and suppe off Iordane without eny trauayle.
Behold, if a river overflow, he trembleth not; He is confident, though a Jordan swell even to his mouth.
Truly, if the river is overflowing, it gives him no cause for fear; he has no sense of danger, even if Jordan is rushing against his mouth.
Look, if a river overflows, he does not tremble; He is confident, though a Jordan swells even to his mouth.
Behold, he drinketh up a river, [and] hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth.
If the river rages, it is not disturbed, it is secure, though the Jordan should surge up to its mouth.
It remains calm and unafraid with the Jordan River rushing and splashing in its face.
If the river overflows, it doesn't worry him; he is confident even if the Yarden rushes by his mouth.
Behold, he spoyleth the riuer, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw vp Iorden into his mouth.
Behold, if he plunges into the river, he is not afraid; he is confident, though the Jordan reaches to his mouth.
"If a river rages and overflows, he does not tremble; He is confident, though the Jordan [River] swells and rushes against his mouth.
Behold, if a river overflows, he doesn't tremble. He is confident, though the Yarden swells even to his mouth.
Behold, if a river overflow, he trembleth not; he is confident, though the Jordan rush forth to his mouth.
It is not disturbed by the raging river, not concerned when the swelling Jordan rushes around it.
If a river flows over, he is not afraid. He is sure of himself even if the Jordan rushes against his mouth.
And will he make a covenant with thee? and wilt thou take him for a perpetual servant?
Behold, if a river overflow, he trembleth not: he is confident, though Jordan swell even to his mouth.
Though the river rages, Behemoth is unafraid; he remains secure, though the Jordan surges to his mouth.
Even if the river is turbulent, it is not frightened; it is confident though Jordan rushes against its mouth.
Lo! the river becometh insolent - he is not alarmed! He is confident, though a Jordan burst forth to his mouth:
(40-18) Behold, he will drink up a river, and not wonder: and he trusteth that the Jordan may run into his mouth.
Look, if the river is turbulent, it is not frightened; it is confident even though the Jordan rushes against its mouth.
Behold, if the river is turbulent he is not frightened; he is confident though Jordan rushes against his mouth.
"If a river rages, he is not alarmed; He is confident, though the Jordan rushes to his mouth.
If the river floods, it will not be afraid; it is safe even if the Jordan River rushes to its mouth.
He is not afraid of a rushing river; he is calm when the Jordan dashes in his face.
Though the river rages, Behemoth is unafraid; he remains confident, even if the Jordan surges up to his mouth.
He schal soupe vp the flood, and he schal not wondre; he hath trist, that Jordan schal flowe in to his mouth.
Lo, a flood oppresseth -- he doth not haste, He is confident though Jordan Doth come forth unto his mouth.
Behold, if the river is turbulent he is not frightened; he is confident though Jordan rushes against his mouth.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
drinketh: Heb. oppresseth, Isaiah 37:25
hasteth: Psalms 55:8, Isaiah 28:16
Jordan: Genesis 13:10, Joshua 3:15
Reciprocal: Ezekiel 47:18 - Jordan
Cross-References
For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.
When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three white baskets on my head:
My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.
I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel.
Until the time that his word came: the word of the Lord tried him.
That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Behold, he drinketh up a river, [and] hasteth not,.... The elephant is indeed a very thirsty animal, and drinks largely; the philosopher l says it drinks nine Macedonian bushels at a feeding, and that it will drink fourteen Macedonian measures of water at once, and eight more at noon; but to drink up a river seems to be too great an hyperbole; wherefore the words may be rendered, "Behold, let a river oppress him", or "bear" ever so hard upon him, and come with the greatest force and pressure on him m, "he hasteth not" to get out of it; or he is not frightened or troubled, as the Targum; which agrees with the river horse, who walks into the river, and proceeds on in it, with the greatest ease and unconcernedness imaginable; now and then lifting up his head above water to take breath, which he can hold a long time; whereas the elephant cannot wade in the water any longer than his trunk is above it, as the philosopher observes n; and Livy o speaks of fear and trembling seizing an elephant, when about to be carried over a river in boats;
he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan in his mouth; so bold and confident he is, and not at all disturbed with its rapidity; or "though Jordan", or rather any descending flowing stream, "gushes into his mouth", so Mr. Broughton: for perhaps Jordan might not be known by Job; nor does it seem to have any connection with the Nile, the seat of the river horse; which has such large holes in its nostrils, and out of which, water being swallowed down, he can throw it with great force. Diodorus Siculus p represents it as lying all day in the water, and employing itself at the bottom of it, easy, careless, and unconcerned.
l Aristot. ut supra. (l. 9. c. 56.) m Vid. Bochart. ut supra, (Apud Hierozic. par. 2. l. 5. c. 14.) col. 766. n Aristot. ut supra. (l. 9. c. 56.) Vid Aelian. l. 7. c. 15. o Hist. l. 21. c. 28. p Bibliothec. l. 1. p. 31. Isidor. Origin. l. 12. c. 6.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Behold he drinketh up a river - Margin, “oppresseth.” The margin expresses the proper meaning of the Hebrew word, עשׁק ‛âshaq. It usually means to oppress, to treat with violence and injustice; and to defraud, or extort. But a very different sense is given to this verse by Bochart, Gesenius, Noyes, Schultens, Umbreit, Prof. Lee, and Rosenmuller. According to the interpretation given by them the meaning is, “The stream overfloweth, and he feareth not; he is secure, even though Jordan rush forth even to his mouth.” The reference then would be, not to the fact that he was greedy in his mode of drinking, but to the fact that this huge and fierce animal, that found its food often on the land, and that reposed under the shade of the lotus and the papyrus, could live in the water as well as on the land, and was unmoved even though the impetuous torrent of a swollen river should overwhelm him.
The “names” by which this translation is recommended are a sufficient guarantee that it is not a departure from the proper meaning of the original. It is also the most natural and obvious interpretation. It is impossible to make good sense of the phrase “he oppresseth a river;” nor does the word used properly admit of the translation “he drinketh up.” The word “river” in this place, therefore (נהר nâhâr), is to be regarded as in the nominative case to יעשׁק ya‛âshaq, and the meaning is, that when a swollen and impetuous river rushes along and bears all before it, and, as it were, “oppresses” everything in its course, he is not alarmed; he makes no effort to flee; he lies perfectly calm and secure. What was “remarkable” in this appears to have been, that an animal that was so much on land, and that was not properly a fish, should be thus calm and composed when an impetuous torrent rolled over him. The Septuagint appears to have been aware that this was the true interpretation, for they render this part of the verse, Ἐάν γέηται πλνμμύρα, κ.τ.λ. Ean genētai plēmmura, etc. - “Should there come a flood, he would not regard it.” Our common translation seems to have been adopted from the Vulgate - ”Ecceabsorbebit fluvium.”
He trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth - Or, rather, “He is confident, i. e. unmoved, though Jordan should rush forth to his mouth.” The idea is, that though the whole river Jordan should seem to pour down upon him as “if” it were about to rush into his mouth, it would not disturb him. Even such an impetuous torrent would not alarm him. Being amphibious, he would not dread what would fill a land animal with alarm. There is no evidence that the hippopotamus was ever found in the river Jordan, nor is it necessary to suppose this in order to understand this passage. The mention of the Jordan shows indeed that this river was known to the writer of this book, and that it was probably written by someone who resided in the vicinity. In speaking of this huge foreign animal, it was not unnatural to mention a river that was familiarly known, and to say that he would not be alarmed should such a river rush suddenly and impetuously upon him. Even though the hippopotamus is an inhabitant of the Nile, and was never seen in the Jordan, it was much more natural to mention this river in this connection than the Nile. It was better known, and the illustration would be better understood, and to an inhabitant of that country would be much more striking. I see no reason, therefore, for the supposition of Bechart and Rosenmuller, that the Jordan here is put for any large river. The illustration is just such as one would have used who was well acquainted with the Jordan - that the river horse would not be alarmed even though such a river should pour impetuously upon him.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Job 40:23. Behold, he drinketh up a river — A similar mode of expression, and of precisely the same meaning, as that in Job 39:24: "He swalloweth the ground with fierceness." No river can stop his course: he wades through all; stems every tide and torrent; and hurries not as though he were in danger.
He trusteth that he can draw up Jordan — Even when the river overflows its banks, it is no stoppage to him: though the whole impetuosity of its stream rush against his mouth, he is not afraid. Mr. Good has seized the true idea in his translation of this verse: -
"If the stream rage, he revileth not:
He is unmoved, though Jordan rush against his mouth."
From this mention of Jordan it is probable that the behemoth was once an inhabitant of the mountains, marshes, and woods, of the land of Palestine.
