Bereansearching Bible Studies

Introduction

In the Book of Job, chapter 40, God dedicates the last ten verses of the chapter to provide His description of a very large and fearsome land dwelling creature, which is called “behemoth”, leaving one to wonder what is the point of that? Was it simply to provide an example of God’s great might and superior creative power whereby Job would thus be diminished by comparison? Or is there something else…beyond the physical…which could easily be overlooked when understanding the Bible only from a literal, grammatical, and historical perspective?

This study will show that there is, indeed, far more than just meets the “physical” eye as viewed from only a human perspective, if God is so pleased to allow one to see from a “spiritual” perspective, having blessed him or her with “Spiritual Ears and Spiritual Eyes“. God also specifies in 1 Corinthians 2:13, “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” The means of comparing spiritual things with spiritual is by carefully comparing of scripture with scripture, searching out the words for their original Hebrew meanings, because all Biblical scripture is spiritual, precisely as we are told in 2 Peter 1:21, “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake [as they were] moved by the Holy Ghost.“

Spiritual Perspective: This study will show that God provided to Job (and us) with a spiritual allegorical portrait of the great adversary of God and all mankind, the Devil/Satan.

Dear reader, please read on to see the explanation of this otherwise hidden spiritual truth.

Before reading further, this teacher would like the reader to understand what is a “parable” and how and why Jesus ALWAYS employed parables when speaking to the multitudes. Moreover, the purpose of “parables” (often referred to as “earthly stories with heavenly meanings”) has everything to do with God’s Magnificent Plan of Salvation. Therefore, the Bible should NEVER be assumed to be read and understood from a purely superficial, earthly, perspective.

Verse by Verse, Hebraic Word Study of Job 40:15-24

Beginning in Job 40:15, when God was speaking to Job out of a “whirlwind“, we are first introduced to an unusually large and strong creature whom God describes as the “behemoth“, saying:

1) Job 40:15, “Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass (חָצִיר (ḥāṣîr))^H2682 as an ox.”

So then the behemoth, which in the original Hebrew is בַּהֲמוֹת (bahămôṯ)^H930 (a masculine noun that is found only once in the whole Bible), is another “creature”, just like Job, a man, who only God, Alone, could make. The Behemoth was also evidently created at about the same time. Note that the behemoth is described as being a vegetarian because he eats “grass” like an ox (and hence not a carnivore, at least it appears to be the case until we look more closely at this verse).

But what does God have to say about “grass” in the Bible? One thing that we are told in both the Old and New Testaments is that, from a spiritual perspective, mankind can be likened to grass as we read in Psalm 103:15&16, “[As for] man, his days [are] as grass (חָצִיר (ḥāṣîr))^H2682: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.” and 1 Peter 1:24, “For all flesh [is] as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower  thereof falleth away:“

Spiritual Perspective: So, oddly enough, it would seem that the behemoth could be “spiritually” viewed as capable of eating people? It is therefore worth remembering what we are told in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:“

* Interestingly, the Hebrew word for “behemoth” is closely associated with another Hebrew word, בְּהֵמָה (bᵊhēmâ)^H929, which is found nearly 200 times in the Bible, interpreted as either beast (136x), cattle (53x). And it should be particularly noted what we are told in Genesis 3:14&15, when God cursed the devil, “And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou [art] cursed above all cattle (בְּהֵמָה (bᵊhēmâ))^H929 and above every beast (חַי (ḥay))^H2416of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” [NOTE: The word that is translated as “beast”, חַי (ḥay)^H2416, is translated elsewhere in the Old Testament variously as live (197x), life (144x), beast (76x), alive (31x), creature (15x),running (7x), living thing (6x), raw (6x), miscellaneous (19x). Therefore, from a spiritual standpoint, it could be interpreted to mean “all living creatures”.]

2) Job 40:16, we read, “Lo now, his strength [is] in his loins, and his force [is] in the navel of his belly.”

Each word has various alternative ways of being translated into English.

The word for “strength” is in the original Hebrew כֹּחַ (kōaḥ) ^H3581, which has been translated by the King James translators variously as strength (58x), power (47x), might (7x), force (3x), ability (2x),  able (2x), able (with H6113) (1x), chameleon (1x), fruits (1x),  powerful (1x), substance (1x), wealth (1x). [Note that one time it is translated as a large unclean lizard, which is a bit surprising to say the least.]

The word for “force” is in the original Hebrew is אוֹן (‘ôn)^H202, which has been translated by the King James translators variously as strength (7x), might (2x), force (1x), goods (1x), substance (1x). It can be said that it is referring to vigor, generative power, wealth, or physical strength. However, interestingly, it is derived from the root word, אָוֶן (‘āven)^H205, which has been translated by the King James translators variously as iniquity (47x), wicked(ness) (8x), vanity (6x),  affliction (3x), mischief (3x), unrighteous (2x), evil (1x), false (1x),  idol (1x), mourners (1x), mourning (1x), nought (1x), sorrow (1x), unjust (1x), vain (1x).

Spiritual Perspective: Note that each of these attributes can be “spiritually” ascribed to the devil, one way or another.

The word for “navel” is שָׁרִיר (šārîr)^H8306, which is only found once in the entire Bible (here in Job), but is similar to שֹׁר (H8270) and שֹׁרֶר (H8326), which have also been translated as “navel” and refer to a hard part of the belly or umbilical cord. However, interestingly enough, the word is said to derived from a root word, שָׁרַר (shârar)^H8324, which is said to be hostile, an opponent, hence an “enemy”.

Spiritual Perspective: So then, we see repetitive indications that the behemoth is a creature that is NOT “good”, but has power and might that can be associated with a large lurking lizard, that is potentially “wicked” and having negative connotations such as that which can be associated with an “enemy” just like the devil. For additional insights on how these words can be metaphorically linked to the devil, please see “The Devil in Disguise: Haman the Agagite and Amalekite“

3) Job 40:17, “He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together.“

The original Hebrew word that has been translated into English as “moveth” is חָפֵץ (ḥāp̄ēṣ)^H2654, which has been interpreted variously as delight (39x), please (14x), desire (9x), will (3x), pleasure (3x), favour (2x), like (2x), moveth (1x), would (1x), at all (1x). So, therefore, we could say that this behemoth uses his tail for his pleasure and delight.

His “Tail”

Remember the red dragon, which served as a picture of the devil in Revelation 12:4, “And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.“

Spiritual Perspective: The devil “delighted”, and was “pleased”, to destroy one third of the angels with his “tail”. (Please see for example Jude 1:6)

The original Hebrew word that has been translated into English as “tail” is זָנָב (zānāḇ)^H2180, and has consistently been interpreted solely as meaning “tail” (11x).

It is therefore worth a moment to consider the implications of this word, given that it consistently suggests a negative connotation. A few examples:

1. In Deuteronomy 28:13, while discussing the blessings that would come upon Israel if it continued in obedience to God, God said, “And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do [them]:” Note also that the reverse would be the case if Israel became disobedient according to Deuteronomy 28:44.
2. Isaiah 9:15, “The ancient and honourable, he [is] the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he [is] the tail. [Bearing in mind that God is the Ancient and Honorable and the Head, while the devil is the father of lies, and along with his prophets, is the tail. Jesus said, while describing the devil in John 8:44, “…When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.“]
3. Revelation 9:19, “For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails [were] like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.“

Note that the “tail” of the behemoth is compared with a “cedar” (a tree), which is quite large and strong, hence the thought of the tail being something equivalent to a large dinosaur’s tail (when viewed from a purely earthly perspective).

Finally, regarding “tail”, not how in Revelation, Chapter Nine, we read in verses 1&2 that, “¶And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.” A bit later in verse 10&11 we read how an army of locusts that had been loosed from the bottomless pit (a picture of Hell) and were described thusly, “And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. And they had a king over them, [which is] the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue [is] Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath [his] name Apollyon.” Abaddon and Apollyon means “Destroyer”, hence that king/angel is the devil, who we know will be loosed by God during the Final Tribulation.

Near the end of the chapter we read of an army of 200 million horsemen described in verses 17-19, “And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses [were] as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and  brimstone.“By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone,  which issued out of their mouths. For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails [were] like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.”

So these “horses” embodied the three key elements of God’s Judgment as we read in Revelation 14:10&11, “The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth  the mark of his name.”

Note also that their “power” was in their “mouths” and their “tails” which were like that of “serpents”. This is clearly reminding us that the devil (represented by the serpent), “destroys” both with his tail like the serpent and with his mouth by telling lies. In similar fashion, the behemoth’s tail is clearly powerful, and so is his mouth, which we will read about further on in Job 40:23.

The Sinews and Stones Are Wrapped Together

In the last part of the verse we read “the sinews of his stones are wrapped together“, where the word that is translated as “stones” is פחד (p̄ḥḏ)^H6344 is found only this once in the whole Bible. However, nearly the exact same word, פַּחַד (paḥaḏ)^H6343, is translated variously as fear (40x), dread (3x), great (2x), terror (2x), dreadful (1x), greatly (1x).

Spiritual Perspective: We could therefore say that, somehow, within the behemoth’s sinews and loins is only fear, dread, and terror wrapped together, therefore the behemoth is, by his very essence, quite dreadful…just like the devil.

There is also another more subtle implication when we look at both verses 16 and 17 taken together in that the “loins” and “stones” can also point to the behemoth’s progeny. And the devil’s progeny, or offspring, are his followers. Remember what Jesus said to the self righteous Pharisees in John 8:44, “Ye are of [your] father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.“

4) Job 40:18, “His bones [are as] strong pieces of brass; his bones [are] like bars of iron.”

This is a very important verse because it is describing the behemoth’s skeletal structure as being equivalent to both “strong pieces of brass” and “bars of iron“. “Brass” and “Iron” are used by God in the Bible to relate to the dominion of Hell. Let’s look at some examples, while bearing in mind what Jesus said to Peter in Matthew 16:18, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter (Πέτρος (petros)) ^G4074, and upon this rock (πέτρα (petra))^G4073 I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.“

1. In Psalm 107:16, we read prophetically about Jesus conquering Hell for the believers, “For he (Jesus)hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.” and in:
2. Isaiah 45:2, “I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:“
3. In Deuteronomy 4:20, we read where God compares the salvation of His people, National Israel, as thought they had been taken out Hell (Egypt) where the evil pharaoh was a “type” of the devil, “But the LORD hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, [even] out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as [ye are] this day.” The “Iron furnace” is a clear reference to Hell, in which Egypt is being used as an allegory of Hell, from which God (by a mighty stretched out arm) brought out and saved His people.
4. Remember also the penalties that God promised to national Israel if they were disobedient to His Commandments, which included what we are told in Leviticus 26:18&19, “And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass:” In other words, the disobedient’s heaven will be like Hell.
5. Leviticus 26:19, “And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass:”
6. Similarly, in Deuteronomy 28:23, “And thy heaven that [is] over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee [shall be] iron.” and
7. Deuteronomy 33:25, “Thy shoes [shall be] iron and brass; and as thy days, [so shall] thy strength [be].”
8. Isaiahj 48:4, “Because I knew that thou [art] obstinate, and thy neck [is] an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;“
9. Job 28:2, “Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten [out] of the stone.“

Remember also the description of the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ first in Daniel 10:6, “His body also [was] like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.” and then in Revelation 1:15, “And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.” Similarly we read in Revelation 10:1, “And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow [was] upon his head, and his face [was] as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:” Indeed, in order to defeat death and Hell, Jesus had to endure death and Hell. And let’s not forget the Brass Serpent on the pole, which God used to represent the fact that Jesus had to become sin for His Elect and that Jesus had to endure the fires of Hell in order to save them.

For more on how God uses “Iron” as a metaphor for “Hell”, please see this post: “The Songs of Moses“

Spiritual Perspective: We could therefore say, from a “spiritual” perspective, that the behemoth can be integrally associated with Hell, given that Hell is consistently represented in the Bible by both “brass” and “bars of iron”.

5) Job 40:19, “He [is] the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach [unto him].“

The word for “chief” is in the original Hebrew רֵאשִׁית (rē’šîṯ)^H7225, which has been translated by the King James translators variously as  beginning (18x), firstfruits (11x), first (9x), chief (8x), miscellaneous (5x). The word for “ways” is in the original Hebrew דֶּרֶךְ (dereḵ)^H1870, which has been translated by the King James translators variously as way (590x), toward (31x), journey (23x), manner (8x), miscellaneous (53x).

The first part of this verse could therefore also be interpreted as saying that the behemoth was from the “beginning”, or “first”, accustomed with the ways of God. Remembering that in Daniel 8:23, which describes the anti-Christ, the devil, “And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.” Note that the word that is translated as “dark sayings” is from the original Hebrew חִידָה (ḥîḏâ)^H2420, which has been translated variously as riddle (9x), dark sayings (3x), hard question (2x), dark sentence (1x), proverb (1x), dark speech (1x). Hence the devil understands spiritual implications of God’s Word, but the devil cannot obey it, and can only pervert God’s Word and the devil is forever in rebellion to the Word because the devil is the epitome of evil.

Genesis 3:1 describes the devil (“the serpent“) thusly, “¶Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made…” God created him that way, and the devil serves Go’s purposes as the adversary (which in the Hebrew is שָׂטָן (śāṭān)^H7854). Remember what God said in Isaiah 45:7, “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these [things].“

In the second part of the verse we see that it is God who not only made the behemoth, fashioned him, and purposed him, but it is only God who can approach near to that behemoth with a “sword”. What does that imply?

The word for “sword” is in the original Hebrew, חֶרֶב (ḥereḇ)^H2719, which has been translated by the King James translators variously as sword (401x), knife (5x), dagger (3x), axes (1x), mattocks (1x), TOOL (1x), sword (with H3027) (1x), so it is safe to say that this is meant to be a weapon that is used to kill and destroy. For more on how this word is used by God in the Bible, particularly as it relates to God’s Judgment, please see this post: “Lightning, Swords, and Arrows: Weapons of Judgment Coming on Judgment Day“

The words taken together “make” “to approach” are from the original Hebrew word, נָגַשׁ (nāḡaš)^H5066, which as been translated by the King James translators variously as (come, draw, etc)..near (55x), come (14x), (come, draw, etc)..nigh (12x), bring (13x), … hither (7x), offer (7x), approach (5x), forth (3x), miscellaneous (9x). Hence, the word is suggesting a very close approach.

The “Sword” is the “Word of God” Coming Out of the Mouth of Jesus!

The Word of God is equated to a “sword” here in Ephesians 6:17, “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:” and  Revelation 19:21, “And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which [sword] proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.“ Also, Revelation 2:16, “Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

We were also told earlier in the Book of Revelation in Revelation 1:16, “He (Jesus) had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two–edged sword, and His countenance [was] like the sun shining in its strength.” and in Revelation 2:12, “¶And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he (Jesus) which hath the sharp sword with two edges;“

Hosea 6:5, “Therefore have I hewed [them] by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments [are as] the light [that] goeth forth.“

Spiritual Perspective: It will be the Word of God (Jesus Christ), coming as a Sword of Judgment that will come near to kill and destroy the devil forever on Judgment Day.

6) Job 40:20, “Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play.”

The mountains in the Bible refer to kingdoms. And the kingdoms of this world provide this behemoth his food/prey and it is where the “beasts” of the fields “play”.

As was noted earlier, referring back to Genesis 3:14&15, the original Hebrew word that has been translated into English as “beasts” is חַי (ḥay)^H2416, which has been interpreted variously as live (197x), life (144x), beast (76x), alive (31x), creature (15x),  running (7x),living thing (6x), raw (6x), miscellaneous (19x). Therefore, from a spiritual standpoint, in this case, it could be interpreted to mean those who are “physically” “alive”.

The original Hebrew word that has been translated into English as “play” is שָׂחַק (śāḥaq)^H7832, which has been interpreted variously as play (10x), laugh (10x), rejoice (3x), scorn (3x), sport (3x), merry (2x), mock (2x), deride (1x), derision (1x), mockers (1x), which for the most part can be viewed in the negative context consistent with mock, scorn, laugh, deride or showing contempt.

Note also that the Bible refers to the unsaved of mankind as “brute beasts” in both 2 Peter 2:12, “But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;” and in regard to what Jude 1:8 refers to as “filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.“, we read in Jude 1:10, “But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.”

And with regard to “mockers” and “scorners”, we read in Jude 1:17-19, “But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.” and in Proverbs 3:34, “Surely he (the LORD) scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.” and Proverbs 19:29, “Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of fools.“

Spiritual Perspective: So we can again see that the context can be viewed from a spiritual perspective as describing the devil finding his prey in the earthly kingdoms, where the unsaved live, typified by the beasts and mockers/scorners.

7) Job 40:21, “He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens.“

The word in the original Hebrew that has been translated into English as “lieth” is שָׂחַק (śāḥaq)^H7832, which has been interpreted by the King James translators variously as lie (106x), sleep (48x), lie down (43x), rest (3x), lien (2x), miscellaneous (10x). Interestingly, the Bible also uses this word to suggest a sexual context, as we see in Genesis 19:32-35 and elsewhere (e.g.,Genesis 26:10 and Genesis 30:15).

The word in the original Hebrew that has been translated into English as “shady trees” is צֶאֱלִים (ṣe’ĕlîm)^H6628 is found only twice in the Bible, here and in the very next verse. It is said to also mean “Lotus tree” or “slender”, so it is difficult to ascribe a “spiritual meaning”, however the double use of the word and the context of the next verse makes clear that these shady trees provide a place of concealment and a hiding place. This context is made even more clear by the use of the next key word, “covert“.

The word in the original Hebrew that has been translated into English as “covert” is סֵתֶר (sēṯer)^H5643, which has been interpreted by the King James translators variously as secret (12x), secretly (9x), covert (5x), secret place (3x), hiding place (2x), backbiting (1x), covering (1x), disguiseth (1x), privily (1x), protection (1x).

Then the word in the original Hebrew that has been translated into English as “reed” is קָנֶה (qānê) ^H7070, which has been interpreted by the King James translators variously as reed (28x), branch (24x), calamus (3x), cane (2x),  stalk (2x), balance (1x), bone (1x), spearmen (1x), so we can conclude that it is a reedy plant that is associated with a marshland based on it relationship with mire depicted by the next word “fens”

The word in the original Hebrew that has been translated into English as “fens” is בִּצָּה (biṣṣâ)^H1207, which has been interpreted by the King James translators variously as mire (1x), fens (1x), miry place (1x) suggesting a damp, swampy place. In fact, it is also found earlier in the Book of Job, in Job 8:11, “Can the rush grow up without mire בִּצָּה (biṣṣâ)^H1207? can the flag grow without water?”

When we look elsewhere in the Bible for references to “mire” we find that it is almost always provided in a negative context, most particularly with Hell.

Among the original Hebrew words that are also translated as “mire” is חֹמֶר (ḥōmer)^H2563, which is also translated variously as clay (11x), homer (11x), morter (4x), mire (2x), heap (2x). It is also found in Job 30:19, “He hath cast me into the mire (חֹמֶר (ḥōmer))^H2563, and I am become like dust and ashes.“

Another word in the original Hebrew that is translated as “mire” or “mirey” is יָוֵן (yāvēn)^H3121 as we find in Psalm 69:2, “I sink in יָוֵן (yāvēn)^H3121 deep mire יָוֵן (yāvēn)^H3121, where [there is] no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.” and in Psalm 40:2, “He (The LORD, Who heard his cry) brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, [and] established my goings.“, which in both these cases makes a clear association between Hell (an “horrible pit”) and both “mirey” and deep “mire”, from the which salvation is sought from God.

Spiritual Perspective: Once again there is a negative context, in the which the behemoth (devil) can been seen to be spiritually bankrupt in a concealment setting that can also be associated with Hell.

8) Job 40:22, “The shady trees cover him [with] their shadow; the willows of the brook compass him about.“

The word in the original Hebrew that has been translated into English as “brook” is נַחַל (naḥal)^H5158, which has been interpreted by the King James translators variously as river (56x), brook (46x), valley (23x), stream (11x), flood (5x).

Spiritual Perspective: This verse is similar to the previous one, and reinforces that the behemoth, like the devil, is concealed among the shadows, and that he is concealing himself and his activity, which activity also implicitly suggests sexual fornication. The devil and his activities are withheld from the eyes of unsaved and unsuspecting mankind (but not God).

9) In Job 40:23, “Behold, he drinketh up a river, [and] hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth.“

The original Hebrew word that has been translated into English as “drinketh” is עָשַׁק (ʿāšaq)^H6231, which has been interpreted by the King James translators variously as: oppress (23x), oppressor (4x), defraud (3x), wrong (2x), deceived (1x), deceitfully gotten (1x), oppression (1x), drink up (1x), violence (1x). Note how in every single other context, besides “drink up”, the implication is once again entirely negative. And, as a result we could also interpret this verse as saying that the behemoth obtains by “deceit” and “oppresses”/”does violence” and hence has taken dominion over the “river”, נָהָר (nāhā)^H5104 which is generally understood to be a source of life. Note that the first place that this word is found in the Bible is in Genesis 2:10, pertaining to the Garden of Eden where both “the tree of life” and “the tree of knowledge of good and evil” were located: “And a river (נָהָר (nāhā)^H5104 went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.“

The original Hebrew word that has been translated into English as “hasteth” is חָפַז (ḥāp̄az)^H2648, which has been interpreted by the King James translators variously as haste (3x), to haste (3x), make haste (2x), tremble (1x). Therefore, the behemoth is not alarmed or fearful.

The original Hebrew word that has been translated into English as “trusteth” is בָּטַח (bāṭaḥ)^H982, which has been interpreted by the King James translators variously as trust (103x), confidence (4x), secure (4x), confident (2x), bold (1x), careless (1x), hope (1x), hoped (1x), ones (1x), sure (1x), women (1x). The behemoth seems to be confident that he can swallow up the river Jordan as though he believes that he has dominion over it.

But what does the river Jordan represent? The Jordan River is a 156-mile-long river that flows north to south from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea. It is mentioned in the Bible over 185 times, and each time is significant in its own way. For example, Jesus was baptized in the river Jordan by John the Baptist (Mark 1:9-11). Naaman the Syrian was cleansed of Leprosy in it (2 Kings 5:10-14).

But we also know that the Jordan river played an important role in serving as an allegorical reference for Hell in Joshua 3:15-17, that apart from God’s intervention, the Jordan River, being at “flood” stage, would have prevented God’s people from entering into the Promised Land (picturing Heaven) after their wilderness sojourn. In the last verse we read, “And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.” Similarly, both Elijah and Elisha were able to cross over the river Jordan without getting wet, as we read in 2 Kings 2:8, “And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped [it] together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.” The waters of Jordan did not touch God’s people in those two cases, just as the fires of Hell cannot touch the elect children of God.

It is no coincidence that we read of the serpent/dragon in Revelation 12:15&16, “And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.”

Spiritual Perspective: So does not this appear to be saying…from a spiritual perspective…that the devil had taken over dominion of the source of life from Adam and Eve by his “deceit” (he lied to Eve) and that he only “oppresses”/”does violence” to all of mankind as a result. The devil, in his pride, is not afraid of Hell and is confident that he can have dominion over Hell and hence over all of those who are destined for it.

10) In Job 40:24, “He taketh it with his eyes: [his] nose pierceth through snares.“

The original Hebrew word that has been translated into English as “taketh” is לָקַח (lāqaḥ)^H3947, which has been interpreted by the King James translators variously as take (747x), receive (61x), take away (51x), fetch (31x), bring (25x), get (6x), take out (6x), carry away (5x), married (4x), buy (3x), miscellaneous (26x).

The original Hebrew word that has been translated into English as “nose” is אַף (‘ap̄)^H639, which has been interpreted by the King James translators variously as anger (172x), wrath (42x), face (22x), nostrils (13x), nose (12x),  angry (4x), longsuffering (with H750) (4x), before (2x), countenance (1x), forbearing (1x), forehead (1x), snout (1x), worthy (1x). So we could say that the behemoth might be viewed as acting in “anger/wrath”.

The original Hebrew word that has been translated into English as “pierceth through” is נָקַב (nāqaḇ)^H5344, which has been interpreted by the King James translators variously as curse (6x), expressed (6x), blaspheme (3x), bore (2x), name (2x), pierce (2x), Appoint (1x), holes (1x), pierce through (1x), strike through (1x).

So we might therefore say that the behemoth could be viewed as acting in “anger/wrath” to “curse” or “blaspheme“.

NOTE: Regarding “Blasphemies”, it is worth noting what we find in Revelation 13:1-5, where the John the Revelator saw “a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.” That beast was given power by the red dragon and further described in verses 5&6 as “¶And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty [and] two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.”

The original Hebrew word that has been translated into English as “snares” is מוֹקֵשׁ (môqēš)^H4170, which has been interpreted by the King James translators variously as snare (20x), gin (3x), trap (2x), ensnared (1x), snared (1x). Note in particular these verses, 2 Samuel 22:6 (and Psalm 18:4), “The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares (מוֹקֵשׁ (môqēš))^H4170 of death prevented (went before)me;” [Please see all of 2 Samuel 22:1–51  to see this wonderful Psalm of David that points us to the Jesus’ Atonement]

Two other verses link this word for “snare” with death:

1. Proverbs 13:14, “The law of the wise [is] a fountain of life, to depart from the snares (מוֹקֵשׁ (môqēš))^H4170 of death.”
2. Proverbs 14:27, “The fear of the LORD [is] a fountain of life, to depart from the snares (מוֹקֵשׁ (môqēš))^H4170 of death.”

For more on the significance of snares in the Bible, please see: “Psalm 9:16 & Biblical Irony: Understanding God’s Temporal vs. Eternal Judgment and Justice” and “The Snare of Judgment Day“

Spiritual Perspective: The devil captures and takes away, hence controls, what he sees (mankind, starting with Adam and Eve), and in his “anger/wrath”, he “curses/blasphemes” God, as he captures the majority of mankind with the “snares” of death.

Conclusion

Whatever the specific “earthly” beast that is being described as the “behemoth” in the Book of Job, it is not the focus of this study, because it inconsequential to God’s “spiritual” purpose. In reality, the behemoth is just an allegory, given in a parable, to spiritually represent the devil and his character and powerful attributes, who God created and only God can overcome and vanquish.

It is a true mystery that God created the devil, indeed all evil…which is defined by any and all those of mankind who reject and rebel against Him…to ultimately serve God’s purposes.

Just as the devil was allowed by God to tempt Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden in the beginning of the Bible in Genesis that led the Fall of Adam (and hence all mankind) into sin, so we see at the beginning of the Book of Job the devil being allowed to put Job to the test through many harmful means. God is telling us that the behemoth was created by God to serve as a powerful adversary, just like the devil, and that only God can (and will) destroy the devil by the Sword, the Word (The Lord Jesus Christ), on Judgment Day.

In closing, please remember that the historical figure, Job, was a man described in Job 1:1 as being uniquely “perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.” Yet, the man Job was still a sinner in need of a Savior who said in Job 19:25, “I know [that] my redeemer liveth“. But we also can see how Job could serve as an allegorical “Type” for the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave up everything to save His people for God’s Glory. And only Jesus (not Job, or any “man” from Adam) could affirmatively respond to every question posed by God to Job. Hence, from that spiritual standpoint, God was speaking to Jesus in a rhetorical fashion, hence the whole book of Job is a historical parable. For some additional spiritual insights regarding the Book of Job, please also see: “Job’s Friends“.

More verses to ponder:

Proverbs 16:4, “The LORD hath made all [things] for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.” and the day of evil is “Judgment Day”!

Colossians 1:16&17, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.“

And when God told Moses to speak these words to Pharaoh, God was in fact explaining to us the role of the devil being used for God’s purposes as we read in Exodus 9:16, “And in very deed for this [cause] have I raised thee up, for to shew [in] thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.” This is reiterated also in Romans 9:17, in the context of election and God’s perfect plan of Salvation for His chosen people, “For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.“

So it is neither in, nor of, man to be pure and sinless…It is not in man (including even Job) to warrant God’s favor by his own works and ways, as we read in Romans 9:16, “So then [it is] not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” God is entirely Sovereign over all of His creation. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

POSTSCRIPT: The Red Dragon Is Another Allegory describing the Devil, and Satan

In Revelation 12:3-9, we read about another fearsome beast, who God created, who is called the “red dragon” and identified as “the Devil, and Satan“, “¶ And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child (Jesus Christ), who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and [to] his throne.And the woman (the church) fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred [and] threescore days. ¶And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought  against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which  deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.“

NOTE to the Reader: This teacher, just before posting this study on the website (New Year’s Day 2026,) had begun to read the Bible through again in a year and discovered the following: In Genesis 1:21, “And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good.” Interestingly, the original Hebrew word that is translated by the King James translators as “whales” is תַּנִּין (tannîn)^H8577, which has been translated variously in the Old Testament as dragon (21x), serpent (3x), but as whale only twice. In the “Song of Moses” (Deuteronomy Chapter 32), the same original Hebrew word in Deuteronomy 32:33, is translated as “dragons“. Moses was describing reprobates (the unsaved) and said, “Their wine [is] the poison of dragons (תַּנִּין (tannîn))^H8577, and the cruel venom of asps.” and then in Isaiah 27:1, “In that day (Judgment Day) the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent (נָחָשׁ (nāḥāš))^H5175, even leviathan that crooked serpent (נָחָשׁ (nāḥāš))^H5175; and he shall slay the dragon  (תַּנִּין (tannîn))^H8577 that [is] in the sea.”

Moreover the very same original Hebrew word, נָחָשׁ (nāḥāš)^H5175, which is translated as “serpent” in the above verse, is the same word first found in the Bible in Genesis 3:1, “¶Now the serpent (נָחָשׁ (nāḥāš))^H5175was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” So then,  it would seem that God has not only equated that “serpent” with the devil, but also the “dragon“, the “leviathan” (and even the great “whales“ תַּנִּין (tannîn)^H8577 going all the way back in Genesis 1:24)

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