Job 40:20 · Bible study
Job 40:20 Commentary: Why Behemoth Lets Animals Play
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
In Job 40:20, the mighty Behemoth feeds on mountain grass while animals play safely. This study reveals God's peaceful provision.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Behemoth's vegetarian diet allows animals to play safely near him.
- Key words: “mountains carry” (יִשְׂאוּ), “play” (יְשַׂחֲקוּ), “produce” (בּוּל).
- Main debate: Identity of Behemoth (hippopotamus vs. elephant vs. mythical).
- Theological theme: God's peaceful provision for all creatures.
- Best use: A sermon on God's power matched with gentleness, or a Bible study on creation's harmony.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
The hills yield him their produce, while all the beasts of the field play nearby.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Surely the mountains produce food for him, where all the animals of the field play.
KJV King James Version 1769
Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Surely the mountains bring him forth food, Where all the beasts of the field do play.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
For food do mountains bear for him, And all the beasts of the field play there.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
For the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Canst thou draw out the leviathan with a hook, or canst thou tie his tongue with a cord?
Translations in other languages (9 available)
Pois os montes lhe produzem pasto; por isso todos os animais do campo ali se alegram.
Prendras-tu le crocodile à l’hameçon?
Die Berge tragen ihm Kräuter, und alle wilden Tiere spielen daselbst.
Omdat de bergen hem voeder voortbrengen, daarom spelen al de dieren des velds aldaar.
perché i monti gli producon la pastura; e là tutte le bestie de’ campi gli scherzano intorno.
Wyciągnieszże wędą wieloryba? albo sznurem utopionym w języku jego?
Можешь ли ты удою вытащить левиафана и веревкою схватить за язык его?
諸山 給牠 出 食物，也是 百 獸 遊玩 之處。
He takes the produce of the mountains, where all the beasts of the field are at play.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Job 40:20
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
The commentators agree on the surprising picture: Behemoth, despite its massive size and formidable teeth, is not a predator. Barnes notes that the point is not simply that mountains bring food, but that the creature gathers it while wild beasts play in his presence without fear. Gill echoes this, observing that neither the hippopotamus nor the elephant is carnivorous, so the animals have nothing to fear. Keil and Delitzsch confirm that the mountains grow herbage for him, and the creature climbs there to eat. The Hebrew verb for “play” (יְשַׂחֲקוּ, from שָׂחַק) is the same used in Psalm 104:26 of leviathan sporting, implying a peaceful scene rather than mockery. The consensus is that Behemoth's vegetarian diet explains the coexistence. This highlights the wisdom of a Creator who orders the world so that even the mightiest beast does not threaten the weak.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Behemoth is a grass-eating creature, and the animals of the field play near him without fear.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of Behemoth | A large land creature, first of God's works (v.19). | Literal animal (hippopotamus, elephant, or aurochs) vs. symbolic or mythical chaos beast. |
| Meaning of “play” (שָׂחַק) | The animals are not threatened; they behave freely. | Some (e.g., Clarke) see it as mocking or derision; others (Barnes, Gill) see literal playful frolicking. |
| Location “mountains” | Mountains are a source of food for Behemoth. | Clarke uses it to reject the hippopotamus; Barnes (citing Bochart) accepts that hippos may come to high ground. |
| Purpose in God's speech | Demonstrates God's power and wisdom over creation. | Some focus on provision and non‑threat; others on humbling Job by emphasizing his inability to control Behemoth. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Job 40:20 sits inside God's final speech to Job (chapters 38, 41), where God parades creation to humble human pride. Behemoth appears as “the chief of the ways of God” (v.19), a creature of extraordinary strength. The description includes an interesting habitat detail: mountains. As Clarke argues, this makes the hippopotamus identification unlikely, since hippos rarely leave rivers. Barnes, following Bochart, accepts that the hippopotamus is sometimes found on higher ground. The word “play” (שָׂחַק) brings in a cross‑reference: Psalm 104:26 uses the same verb for leviathan playing in the sea. In the ancient Near East, large beasts often symbolized chaos, but Scripture subverts that expectation. Here, the mighty Behemoth feeds on grass, allowing other animals to frolic in peace. This fits God's strategy in the speech: Job wanted a legal contest with God, but God shows him a world of order and trust. Even the ox‑like behemoth (v.15) lives without threat, because his Maker provides. The mountains produce food (בּוּל, bul, produce or outgrowth) for him, and the animals respond not with fear but with play.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is consistent across manuscripts, with the key terms (בּוּל, הָרִים, יְשַׂחֲקוּ) stable.
Reception History
In the Reformed and Wesleyan traditions, commentators such as Matthew Henry and Adam Clarke read Job 40:20 as a literal description of a real animal, emphasizing God's providential care. The peaceful play of the animals was seen as evidence of the harmony originally intended for creation. Earlier exegetes, particularly in rabbinic and some medieval Christian circles, treated Behemoth and Leviathan as eschatological figures that would be served at the messianic banquet; this verse contributed to the picture of divine provision. The plain sense, however, has remained the primary interpretation in most Protestant Bible studies and sermons.
Preaching This Verse
Three‑point outline
- God provides for the mightiest. The mountains bear food for Behemoth (יִשְׂאוּ, “they carry”). No creature is too large for God's provision.
- Power does not equal predation. Behemoth's teeth are like a sickle, but he eats grass. The animals play without fear.
- Peace is part of God's design. The verb “play” (שָׂחַק) echoes the joyful sporting of leviathan. Creation includes rest and delight.
Five‑point outline
- Surprising habitat: Behemoth climbs mountains for food, unlikely for a river‑dweller.
- Peaceful existence: wild animals play right beside him.
- Vegetarian diet: even with formidable teeth, he does not hunt.
- The Creator's provision: the mountains themselves supply his need.
- God's design for harmony: no need for fear among the beasts.
Illustration hooks
- A large farm dog that shares its food bowl with kittens, size does not mean threat.
- A zoo's herbivore yard where elephants, zebras, and birds graze together without alarm.
- A school playground where children play freely because a trusted adult watches nearby, not because danger is absent.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If God made Behemoth so powerful, why does he let smaller animals play without fear?
- How does this peaceful scene fit with a world where predators and prey seem to exist?
- What does Behemoth's diet tell us about God's care for his creatures?
Leading a Discussion
This verse shows a surprising peace: the mightiest creature lets others play. How does that shape your view of God? Start by looking at what the text says.
Discussion questions
- What does the verse tell you about Behemoth's location and food?
- Why do you think the animals of the field “play” (שָׂחַק) rather than flee?
- How does the context of Job 38, 41 (God's speech) affect the way you read this detail?
- What is surprising about a creature with such strength having a vegetarian diet?
- How does this verse connect with Psalm 104:26, where leviathan plays in the sea?
- What does this description reveal about God's character, his power, provision, or peace?
- How might this picture of peaceful coexistence challenge your assumptions about God and his creation?
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 40:15 | “See now behemoth, which I made as well as you. He eats grass as an ox. |
| Psalms 104:14 | He causes the grass to grow for the livestock, and plants for man to cultivate, that he may produce food out of the earth: |
| Psalms 104:26 | There the ships go, and leviathan, whom you formed to play there. |
| Psalms 147:8 | who covers the sky with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who makes grass grow on the mountains. |
| Psalms 147:9 | He provides food for the livestock, and for the young ravens when they call. |
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 that the creature brings food from mountains and is found where game is plentiful. He says it mocks other animals because they cannot resist its power or escape its speed.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes emphasizes the striking contrast between the hippopotamus's size and its peaceful nature. The real wonder, he observes, was not simply that it found food on the mountains, but that wild beasts could play safely in its presence. Its slow movements and preference for plants made it harmless, not a predator.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges sees the creature named chief as the greatest in size and strength because it carries the full creative power of God. It also explains that the word chief means first in magnitude and power.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Geneva Bible Notes asks whether a hook and line can truly pull Leviathan from the water. It points to the word meaning sea monster to show the task is impossible.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights the remarkable fact that this huge creature, though bred in water, comes onto mountains to graze. He compares it to a northern sea animal called the morss. He also notes that other wild animals play safely nearby because behemoth feeds only on grass, not on other creatures.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson Fausset Brown notes that the lion stays away from this mountain because it is not its usual hunting ground. The lion allows other animals to play near it even though they have sharp teeth since its food is grass.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch argue that “firstling of God’s ways” means Behemoth is foremost in size and rank, not in time. The “sword” refers to its massive incisor teeth, like a sickle for grazing. They emphasize the creature’s peaceful nature even when a river like the Jordan floods around it.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that God’s second speech drives home one point: omnipotence and justice are inseparable. The descriptions of behemoth and leviathan are not mere displays of power but living symbols of punitive justice, meant to crush any remaining pride in Job and force him to see that even the mightiest creatures exist only to serve God’s righteous rule.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that God creates both behemoth and leviathan to show his own power and to show Job that human wisdom is powerless against him. He believes this creature represents a specific kind of large animal.
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.