Job 40:16 · Bible study
Job 40:16 Commentary: Behemoth’s Strength
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Job 40:16 describes Behemoth’s strength in loins and belly muscles, pointing to the hippopotamus rather than the elephant, a key debate in identifying
Research Summary
- Meaning: Behemoth’s power resides in the loins and belly sinews, indicating the hippopotamus rather than the elephant.
- Key words: שׁריר (sharir, “sinew/muscle”) and מתנים (motnayim, “loins”), both point to the hippo’s thick, powerful anatomy.
- Main debate: Whether Behemoth is a literal hippopotamus, an elephant, a water buffalo, or an allegorical figure (e.g., Satan). Contemporary scholarship favors the hippo.
- Theological theme: God’s incomprehensible power displayed through untamed creation, calling humans to humility and trust.
- Best use: To help congregations see that God’s ways are higher than ours, and that nature itself reveals His glory and our limits.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
See the strength of his loins and the power in the muscles of his belly.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Look now, his strength is in his thighs. His force is in the muscles of his belly.
KJV King James Version 1769
Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Lo now, his strength is in his loins, And his force is in the muscles of his belly.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Lo, I pray thee, his power is in his loins, And his strength in the muscles of his belly.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Behold now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the muscles of his belly.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
He sleepeth under the shadow, in the covert of the reed, and in moist places.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Echaráse debajo de las sombras, en lo oculto de las cañas, y de los lugares húmedos.
Eis que sua força está em seus lombos, e seu poder na musculatura de seu ventre.
Il se couche sous les lotus,
Siehe seine Kraft ist in seinen Lenden und sein Vermögen in den Sehnen seines Bauches.
Zie toch, zijn kracht is in zijn lenden, en zijn macht in den navel zijns buiks.
Ecco la sua forza è nei suoi lombi, e il vigor suo nei muscoli del ventre.
Pod cienistem drzewem lega w skrytościach trzciny i błota.
он ложится под тенистыми деревьями, под кровом тростника и в болотах;
牠的氣力 在腰間，能力 在肚腹 的筋上。
His strength is in his body, and his force in the muscles of his stomach.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Job 40:16
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse pinpoints Behemoth’s physical power in the loins and the sinews of the belly. Barnes, Gill, and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown all take this as evidence that Behemoth is not the elephant, whose belly is famously tender, Pliny and Aelian note that the rhinoceros attacks the elephant’s soft underbelly. The Hebrew word rendered “navel” in the KJV is שָׁרִיר (sharir), which properly means “sinew” or “muscle,” not navel. The description fits the hippopotamus, whose thick hide and powerful loins enable it to move with force even after crawling on its belly. Keil and Delitzsch add that the Hebrew שְׁרִירֵי (“sinews of”) points to the firm, hard parts of the body, exactly what a water-ox like the Nile horse displays. The consensus among modern scholars is that Behemoth is the hippopotamus, not a mythical beast or an elephant.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal hippopotamus: Strength in loins and tough belly muscles match the hippo's anatomy; Egyptian etymology (p-ehe-mau, 'water-ox') supports this. Commentators Barnes, Gill, Keil & Delitzsch.
- Literal elephant: Some earlier readers assumed an elephant because of its size, but the belly is soft and vulnerable—contradicting verse 16. Pliny and Aelian cited by Barnes note the elephant's tender underbelly.
- Allegorical (Satan/chaos): Gregory the Great and others see Behemoth as a symbol of demonic power. The loins and belly represent earthly, sensual strength that God alone conquers.
What is clear: The verse describes a creature of immense power, especially in the loins and midsection, whom God made and controls—leaving humans with no grounds for pride or complaint.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of Behemoth | Behemoth is a real, powerful creature made by God, representing raw physical strength that humans cannot control. | Some traditions (Barnes, Keil & Delitzsch) identify it as the hippopotamus; others (earlier commentators like Gregory the Great) read it allegorically as Satan or a symbol of chaos. A minority still argue for the elephant or aurochs. |
| Meaning of 'navel of his belly' | The Hebrew word (sharir) denotes sinews or muscles, not the navel itself. | KJV's 'navel' follows a traditional rendering that some defend as a figure for the central point of strength. Most modern translations prefer 'muscles' or 'sinews' on lexical grounds. |
| Strength in loins and belly | The verse describes the animal’s power concentrated in the hindquarters and midsection, not in tusks or head. | For the hippopotamus, this is accurate; for the elephant, the belly is tender and the strength is in the neck or trunk. This anatomical detail forms the main argument against the elephant identification. |
| Theological purpose of the description | God uses Behemoth to humble Job and assert divine sovereignty over creation. | Some emphasize that the description has no allegorical meaning, it is literal natural history. Others see it as a metaphor for God’s power over evil and chaos, with Behemoth representing the forces that only God can tame. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Job 40:16 sits within God’s second speech from the whirlwind (Job 38, 41). After challenging Job’s right to question divine justice, God parades two massive creatures, Behemoth and Leviathan, to display His own power and Job’s creaturely limits. The description draws on observable anatomy: a hippopotamus’s strength is concentrated in its loins and belly muscles, which it uses to propel itself through water and to rise from the riverbed. The word בְּהֵמוֹת (behemoth) is likely a Hebrew adaptation of the Egyptian p-ehe-mau, meaning “water-ox,” directly identifying the hippopotamus of the Nile. Ancient Egypt and Canaan knew this animal well; it was hunted and depicted in art. By highlighting the hippopotamus’s raw physicality, God forces Job to confront a wild creature that humans cannot tame, track, or control, unlike domesticated animals. The loins and belly muscles are the very parts a man might rely on to fight or flee, yet here they belong to a beast that laughs at human strength. The cultural context of a world where hippopotami were real, dangerous, and familiar makes the description vivid and humbling for Job and for the original audience.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Job 40:16. The slight differences among translations, 'thighs' vs 'loins,' 'navel' vs 'muscles', reflect differing interpretations of the same Hebrew consonants rather than manuscript variants. The Masoretic Text is stable at this point.
Reception History
Job 40:16 has been read both literally and allegorically across church history. Early church fathers like Gregory the Great (6th century) interpreted Behemoth as a type of Satan or the Antichrist, with the loins and belly representing carnal strength and pride. Medieval commentators often followed this allegorical path. During the Reformation, Calvin and others returned to a literal reading, arguing that the description matches the hippopotamus. The 19th-century commentators Barnes, Gill, and Keil & Delitzsch settled the case for the hippo through detailed anatomical and lexical analysis. Modern scholarship widely accepts the hippopotamus, though the allegorical reading still appears in some devotional and liturgical contexts as a warning against reliance on brute power.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God’s Power in Creation: The description of Behemoth’s loins and belly muscles showcases the creator’s design, raw, untamed strength that dwarfs human ability.
- Human Humility: Job is reminded that he cannot control or even fully understand this creature; so too he must submit to God’s wisdom in suffering.
- Trust in the Creator: If God gives such strength to a beast, He is more than able to sustain and guide those who trust Him.
Five-point outline
- Behemoth’s Anatomy: The loins and belly muscles reveal where the beast’s power lies, an anatomy lesson that humbles human pride.
- God’s Sovereignty: God made Behemoth “with thee” (v. 15), both creature and human come from the same hand, yet the beast’s strength mocks human pretension.
- Our Limitations: Like Job, we cannot command or comprehend all of God’s works; some mysteries remain beyond our grasp.
- God’s Provision: The hippopotamus eats grass (v. 15), showing that even this mighty beast depends daily on God’s care, a lesson in trust.
- A Call to Worship: The passage ends not with an answer to Job’s suffering, but with a vision of God’s majesty that invites wonder and worship.
Illustration hooks
- A hippopotamus can bite through a small boat and sprint faster than a human on land. Its bulk hides explosive power in its hindquarters.
- Watching a hippo rise from the water with effortless strength is a picture of raw, untamed force that no human technology can fully match.
- Contrast the elephant’s delicate belly with the hippo’s tough hide, the detail that helped early commentators rule out the elephant as Behemoth.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Is Behemoth a real animal or a symbol?
- Why does God devote so much space to describing animals instead of giving Job reasons for his suffering?
- What does this passage mean for our own struggles with not understanding God’s ways?
Leading a Discussion
Job 40:16 sits in the middle of God’s second speech, an extended tour of creation designed to humble Job and redirect his focus from his own pain to the Creator’s majesty. The description of Behemoth’s loins and belly muscles is not a biology lesson but a theological argument: If you cannot control this beast, how can you contend with its Maker? As you discuss, pay attention to what the text reveals about God’s power, our limits, and the proper response to mystery.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What specific body parts are mentioned in verse 16, and what do the Hebrew words (sharir, motnayim) actually mean?
- Interpretation: Why do commentators see this verse as ruling out the elephant and pointing to the hippopotamus?
- Context: How does this detailed description of Behemoth fit into God’s overall argument in Job 38, 41?
- Theology: What does the strength of a wild beast teach us about God’s sovereignty and human dependence?
- Application: In what areas of life do you try to “control” things that are ultimately under God’s authority?
- Hope: How can a passage about a dangerous animal bring comfort rather than fear?
- Tradition: Some Christians read Behemoth allegorically as Satan or as a symbol of chaos. How does that interpretation differ from the literal one, and what do both have to offer?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that the phrase refers to an animal’s great speed despite its large size. He explains that this strength lies in the muscles of its waist. This ability lets it leap huge distances quickly.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that the description of strength in the loins and a tough, firm belly points unmistakably to the hippopotamus, not the elephant. He notes that elephants have tender bellies, making them vulnerable. He also corrects the translation of "navel" to refer to the hard muscles of the belly.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges notes that the creature described has great physical strength in its belly muscles and thighs. Its bones are strong like brass and its limbs are solid as iron.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note directs attention to the creature's choice of hiding place, deep among trees and hidden in reed-filled marshes. The question highlights how even this massive beast finds shelter in the dense, watery cover, emphasizing its connection to the wild, untamed parts of creation.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that some read the elephant’s strength as being in its loins (the area known in Greek as στήθος) while others say it is in its navel (the area called στόμα). He also explains that some view the river horse’s protection as coming from a hard skin covering its whole body.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary explains that the word for navel refers to the belly muscles rather than a true navel. It states this is the elephant’s weakest spot and that the passage does not mean a navel at all.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch identify behemoth specifically as the hippopotamus, arguing its Hebrew name derives from the Egyptian phrase meaning water-ox. They develop the physical description through detailed word studies, comparing the tail to a cedar branch and the sinews to intertwined vine branches, all to emphasize the creature's immense strength as the giant among beasts.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that the second divine discourse directly confronts Job's doubt of God's justice, not just His power. God's ironic challenge for Job to take the throne and judge proves that claiming justice against the Almighty requires omnipotence. The descriptions of behemoth and leviathan are symbols of God's punitive justice, showing that no creature pride can stand against the Creator.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that this creature represents all large beasts together but specifically refers to one particular kind. He believes its description shows God’s power by proving Job was wrong.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that not every eagle species feeds on carcasses, but many do. He then emphasizes the eagle's remarkable speed, flying to the prey in an instant with astonishing swiftness.