Job 40:17 · Bible study
Job 40:17 Commentary: Behemoth's Cedar Tail, Identity, and God's Power
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Examine the debated identity of Behemoth and how the cedar-like tail and knit sinews reveal God's unmatched creative power in Job 40:17.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The tail of Behemoth is as strong and firm as a cedar tree; its thigh sinews are tightly woven, indicating immense power under God's design.
- Key words: יַחְפֹּץ (bends/stiffens), זְנָב (tail), אֶרֶז (cedar), גִּיד (sinew), פַּחַד (thigh), יְשֹׂרָגוּ (intertwined).
- Main debate: Whether Behemoth is a hippopotamus, elephant, an extinct giant, or a symbolic creature; the tail description fits no known animal perfectly.
- Theological theme: God's creative power and authority over the untamable forces of nature, humbling human pride.
- Best use: To illustrate God's sovereignty and the limits of human understanding when confronting the grandeur of creation.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.
WEB World English Bible 2000
He moves his tail like a cedar. The sinews of his thighs are knit together.
KJV King James Version 1769
He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
He moveth his tail like a cedar: The sinews of his thighs are knit together.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
He doth bend his tail as a cedar, The sinews of his thighs are wrapped together,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
He bendeth his tail like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are woven together.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
The shades cover his shadow, the willows of the brook shall compass him about.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Los árboles sombríos lo cubren con su sombra; los sauces del arroyo lo cercan.
Ele torna sua cauda dura como o cedro, e os nervos de suas coxas são entretecidos.
Les lotus le couvrent de leur ombre,
Sein Schwanz streckt sich wie eine Zeder; die Sehnen seiner Schenkel sind dicht geflochten.
Als het hem lust, zijn staart is als een ceder; de zenuwen zijner schaamte zijn doorvlochten.
Stende rigida come un cedro la coda; i nervi delle sue cosce sono intrecciati insieme.
Okrywają go drzewa cieniste cieniem swoim, a ogarniają go wierzby nad potokami.
тенистые дерева покрывают его своею тенью; ивы при ручьях окружают его;
牠搖動 尾巴 如 香柏樹；牠大腿 的筋 互相聯絡。
His tail is curving like a cedar; the muscles of his legs are joined together.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Job 40:17
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 highlights the extraordinary strength of Behemoth's tail and the sinews of its thighs. The tail is compared to a cedar for its thickness, firmness, and ability to bend like a tree in the wind (Barnes, Gill, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown). The sinews are 'knit together' or 'firmly interwoven,' indicating tightly bound muscles that give the animal its power (Keil & Delitzsch). All see this description as pointing to a creature of immense physical might. Consensus breaks over Behemoth's identity: some argue for the hippopotamus (Gill, Keil & Delitzsch), others reject it because the hippo's tail is short (Clarke, Barnes), and a few suggest an extinct creature such as the ichthyosaurus (Barnes) or a more general 'giant beast.' The common thread is that the verse displays God's sovereign design, humbling Job by comparing him to this 'chief of the ways of God' (v. 19). The specific wording, bending a tail 'like a cedar', sets Behemoth apart from ordinary animals, inviting wonder at the Creator's work.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Hippopotamus: Supported by Gill, Keil & Delitzsch; the Egyptian background, water habitat (v. 21–23), and grass-eating nature (v. 15). The tail description is explained as smooth, round, thick, and able to bend.
- Elephant: Considered by Matthew Henry; tail is short but thick, and the overall size matches. Rejected by Clarke because the tail is too hog-like.
- Extinct creature: Barnes and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown suggest an animal like the ichthyosaurus; the tail of a cedar and the immense frame align with fossils unknown in Job's time.
- Symbolic/Mythological: Behemoth as a chaos monster, parallel to Leviathan; represents untamable forces of creation. The description is poetic rather than zoological.
What is clear: The verse describes a creature of immense physical power, carefully designed by God, meant to humble Job by confronting him with what he cannot control.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of Behemoth | The creature is a large, powerful land animal created by God, used to demonstrate His power. | Interpreters divide between hippopotamus (Gill, Keil & Delitzsch), elephant, extinct species (Barnes), or a mythical/symbolic beast. The tail length and thickness are key sticking points. |
| Interpretation of 'tail like a cedar' | The comparison highlights strength, thickness, and firmness. | Some focus on smoothness and roundness (Gill); others on the ability to bend like a tree in the wind (Barnes). A few see it as referring to the animal's penis (ancient Targum, Junius). |
| Interpretation of 'sinews of his thighs' | The sinews are tightly knit or interwoven, showing great muscular strength. | Whether 'thighs' or 'testicles' (KJV 'stones') is the correct translation. Most modern versions read 'thighs,' while some older interpreters saw a reference to reproductive anatomy. |
| Purpose in God's speech | The verse contributes to humbling Job and showing God's sovereignty over creation. | Whether the description is purely literal (a real animal) or also symbolic (representing chaos or evil). Both readings affirm God's ultimate control. |
| The Hebrew verb 'yachpotz' | The root meaning is 'to bend, curve, or be inclined.' | Whether it implies active movement ('moves,' 'sways') or a stiff, upright posture ('stiffens,' 'setteth up'). The KJV margin reads 'setteth up.' |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse comes from God's second speech to Job (Job 38, 41). After Job's complaints about suffering and divine justice, God challenges him by describing two immense creatures: Behemoth (ch. 40) and Leviathan (ch. 41). The Hebrew word behemoth is an intensive plural meaning 'great beast.' Most ancient interpreters identify it with the hippopotamus, which was well known in Egypt and the Nile region. Keil & Delitzsch trace the term to Egyptian p-ehe-mau ('water-ox'), a fitting name for the amphibious animal that eats grass like an ox (v. 15).
Yet the tail description, 'like a cedar', creates tension. The hippopotamus has a short, stubby tail, hardly cedar-like in length or shape. Adam Clarke argued this makes the hippo or elephant impossible, and Barnes agreed, noting the Hebrew verb yachpotz means 'to bend, to curve' and that the comparison might be to the smooth, thick, firm appearance of the tail, or to the way a wind sways a cedar. The sinews 'knit together' (Hebrew saragh, Pual) suggest tightly interwoven fibers, like a rope or muscle bundle. The image overall conveys a creature of unmatched strength, whose very tail is as formidable as a tree.
In the ancient Near East, cedars were symbols of strength, height, and durability (1 Kings 4:33; Psalm 92:12). By using this comparison, God places Behemoth among the strongest elements of creation. The purpose is not to identify a species precisely but to overwhelm Job with the sheer scale and power of a beast that only God can control. This prepares the ground for the even more terrifying description of Leviathan, driving home the lesson that human beings cannot stand before the Creator.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Job 40:17. The Hebrew text is stable. The difference between English translations, 'thighs' (WEB, BSB, ASV) versus 'stones' (KJV), reflects different interpretations of the Hebrew word pachad, which can mean 'thigh' or, in some contexts, 'testicles.' The grammar and morphology are consistent across Hebrew manuscripts.
Reception History
Early Christian interpreters, such as Gregory the Great, often read Behemoth allegorically as a type of Satan or of earthly pride. Medieval commentators like Thomas Aquinas treated it as a literal animal, usually the elephant. Reformation-era writers, including Matthew Henry and John Gill, debated between the hippopotamus and the elephant, drawing on natural histories of the Nile region. In the 19th century, Adam Clarke argued that neither the elephant nor the hippopotamus fit the description, and Barnes suggested an extinct reptile. Modern scholars are divided: some accept the hippopotamus, others see a mythical monster or an extinct giant. Across all traditions, the verse has been used to underscore God's creative sovereignty and the limits of human power, inviting humility before the Maker of heaven and earth.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Specific Detail: God chooses one feature, the tail, to show Behemoth's strength. Like a cedar, it is thick, firm, and able to move at will.
- The Tightly Knit Frame: The sinews of the thighs are woven together, a picture of raw power packed into the animal's frame. Nothing is loose or weak.
- The Purpose of the Description: This beast cannot be tamed by humans, yet it is completely under God's design. Job is called to trust the One who made it.
Five-point outline
- Tail Like a Cedar: An image of strength and flexibility, the tree bends but does not break.
- Sinews Knit Together: The muscles are tightly interwoven, like a braided rope, showing a design for immense force.
- Identity Debates: Whether hippopotamus, elephant, or an extinct giant, the point is the same, this is a creature beyond human mastery.
- The Humility of Job: God's speech forces Job to see his own limits. If he cannot explain or control Behemoth, how can he judge God's ways?
- The Glory of the Creator: Every part of Behemoth, even its tail, testifies to God's power and wisdom.
Illustration hooks
- A construction crane with a thick steel cable, strong, flexible, able to lift enormous loads, but completely dependent on the operator.
- A thick tree branch bent by the wind; it looks rigid but sways without snapping. Behemoth's tail is like that, powerful and under its own control.
- The woven strands of a climbing rope: no single strand gives the strength; only when tightly interwoven can it bear the climber's weight.
Questions your congregation is asking
- What exactly is Behemoth, and does it matter for our faith?
- Why does God spend so many verses describing an animal's tail and muscles?
- How does this passage help me when I feel small or defeated?
Leading a Discussion
Job 40:17 invites us into a moment of wonder. God is not arguing with Job about suffering; He is showing Job the world He made. This verse zooms in on one creature, one part of its body, to teach us about power, design, and trust. As you discuss, keep the focus on what the description communicates about God.
Discussion questions
- Read Job 40:15, 24 aloud. What impression does the whole description of Behemoth create?
- The tail is compared to a cedar. What qualities of a cedar would you associate with a tail? How does that shape your picture of Behemoth?
- The Hebrew verb for the tail's movement (yachpotz) can mean 'bend' or 'stiffen.' What does each nuance add to the image?
- Why do you think the sinews of the thighs are described as 'knit together'? What does that suggest about the animal's strength and design?
- Several commentators disagree on whether Behemoth is a hippopotamus, elephant, or an extinct creature. Does that debate affect the main point God is making? Why or why not?
- God says Behemoth 'is the chief of the ways of God' (v. 19). How does this description of tail and sinews support that claim?
- If you were Job, hearing this description, what would you feel about your own situation? How does this challenge or comfort you today?
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.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Job 41:23 | The flakes of his flesh are joined together. They are firm on him. They can’t be moved. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (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 the creature moves its tail like a cedar tree. He also says the strength comes from the sinews in its haunches.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes finds the tail comparison puzzling, noting the hippopotamus has a short, thick tail the animal can bend at will like wind moves cedar branches, yet he admits why this is remarkable is unclear. He firmly rejects translating "stones" as private parts, arguing the word means "terror" and refers to the animal's powerful thighs and haunches, whose sinews are tightly bound together.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges notes that the creature’s strength comes from its physical body parts (loins sinews belly muscles thighs bones limbs). It describes these parts as very strong like cedar wood and iron bars.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes draw attention to the rhetorical question as a way of underscoring the creature's immense size and power. No ordinary trees or river willows could provide it with shade or encircle it, which drives home the point that this beast is beyond anything nature can contain or conceal.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill focuses on the behemoth's tail, comparing it to a cedar for its smoothness, roundness, thickness, and firmness, not its length. He then notes the debate over the "sinews of his stones," whether this refers to the animal's testicles or, as Bochart argues, to the immense muscular strength of the river horse.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson Fausset Brown notes the cedar represents straightness and length. He also says the river horse has a short tail unlike the thick rope that tightly wraps together.
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 sees the description of behemoth's strength, including its tail like a cedar, as part of God's indirect lesson for Job. These mighty beasts symbolize all proud power that must submit to the Creator alone, preparing Job to abandon his own pride and repent.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that behemoth represents a specific huge animal created by God. He suggests it shows people should submit to God rather than try to fight him.
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.