Job 40:17
New International Version
Its tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of its thighs are close-knit.

New Living Translation
Its tail is as strong as a cedar. The sinews of its thighs are knit tightly together.

English Standard Version
He makes his tail stiff like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are knit together.

Berean Standard Bible
His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.

King James Bible
He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together.

New King James Version
He moves his tail like a cedar; The sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.

New American Standard Bible
“He hangs his tail like a cedar; The tendons of his thighs are knit together.

NASB 1995
“He bends his tail like a cedar; The sinews of his thighs are knit together.

NASB 1977
“He bends his tail like a cedar; The sinews of his thighs are knit together.

Legacy Standard Bible
It hangs its tail like a cedar; The sinews of its thighs are knit together.

Amplified Bible
“He sways his tail like a cedar; The tendons of his thighs are twisted and knit together [like a rope].

Christian Standard Bible
He stiffens his tail like a cedar tree; the tendons of his thighs are woven firmly together.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He stiffens his tail like a cedar tree; the tendons of his thighs are woven firmly together.

American Standard Version
He moveth his tail like a cedar: The sinews of his thighs are knit together.

Contemporary English Version
and legs. Its tail is like a cedar tree, and its thighs are thick.

English Revised Version
He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his thighs are knit together.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
It makes its tail stiff like a cedar. The ligaments of its thighs are intertwined.

Good News Translation
His tail stands up like a cedar, and the muscles in his legs are strong.

International Standard Version
His tail protrudes stiffly, like cedar; the sinews of his thigh interlink for strength.

Majority Standard Bible
His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.

NET Bible
It makes its tail stiff like a cedar, the sinews of its thighs are tightly wound.

New Heart English Bible
He moves his tail like a cedar. The sinews of his thighs are knit together.

Webster's Bible Translation
He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his male organs are wrapped together.

World English Bible
He moves his tail like a cedar. The sinews of his thighs are knit together.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
He bends his tail as a cedar, "" The sinews of his thighs are wrapped together,

Young's Literal Translation
He doth bend his tail as a cedar, The sinews of his thighs are wrapped together,

Smith's Literal Translation
He will bend his tail as a cedar; the sinews of his thighs will be woven together.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
He setteth up his tail like a cedar, the sinews of his testicles are wrapped together.

Catholic Public Domain Version
He draws up his tail like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs have been drawn together.

New American Bible
He carries his tail like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are like cables.

New Revised Standard Version
It makes its tail stiff like a cedar; the sinews of its thighs are knit together.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The sinews of his thighs bulge out.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
He lifts up his tail like a cedar and the sinews of his thighs stand up
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
He straineth his tail like a cedar; The sinews of his thighs are knit together.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
He sets up his tail like a cypress; and his nerves are wrapped together.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Job Humbles Himself Before the LORD
16See the strength of his loins and the power in the muscles of his belly. 17His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are tightly knit. 18His bones are tubes of bronze; his limbs are rods of iron.…

Cross References
Psalm 104:26
There the ships pass, and Leviathan, which You formed to frolic there.

Isaiah 27:1
In that day the LORD will take His sharp, great, and mighty sword, and bring judgment on Leviathan the fleeing serpent—Leviathan the coiling serpent—and He will slay the dragon of the sea.

Ezekiel 29:3
Speak to him and tell him that this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I am against you, O Pharaoh king of Egypt, O great monster who lies among his rivers, who says, ‘The Nile is mine; I made it myself.’

Ezekiel 32:2
“Son of man, take up a lament for Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him: ‘You are like a lion among the nations; you are like a monster in the seas. You thrash about in your rivers, churning up the waters with your feet and muddying the streams.’

Psalm 74:14
You crushed the heads of Leviathan; You fed him to the creatures of the desert.

Isaiah 51:9
Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD. Wake up as in days past, as in generations of old. Was it not You who cut Rahab to pieces, who pierced through the dragon?

Amos 9:3
Though they hide themselves atop Carmel, there I will track them and seize them; and though they hide from Me at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent to bite them.

Genesis 1:21
So God created the great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters teemed according to their kinds, and every winged bird after its kind. And God saw that it was good.

Psalm 148:7
Praise the LORD from the earth, all great sea creatures and ocean depths,

Isaiah 43:20
The beasts of the field will honor Me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I provide water in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My chosen people.

Matthew 12:40
For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Luke 11:30
For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so the Son of Man will be a sign to this generation.

Revelation 12:9
And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

Revelation 20:2
He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.

Romans 11:33
O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!


Treasury of Scripture

He moves his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together.

moveth.

Job 41:23
The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved.

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Bend Bendeth Bends Cedar Joined Knit Legs Makes Male Moves Moveth Muscles Organs Sinews Stiff Stones Sways Tail Thighs Together Woven Wrapped
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Bend Bendeth Bends Cedar Joined Knit Legs Makes Male Moves Moveth Muscles Organs Sinews Stiff Stones Sways Tail Thighs Together Woven Wrapped
Job 40
1. Job humbles himself to God
6. God stirs him up to show his righteousness, power, and wisdom
16. Of the behemoth














He bends his tail like a cedar
The phrase "He bends his tail like a cedar" draws a vivid comparison between the tail of the creature described, often thought to be the Behemoth, and the majestic cedar tree. In Hebrew, the word for "cedar" is "אֶרֶז" (erez), a tree known for its strength, height, and durability. Cedars were highly valued in the ancient Near East, used in construction and symbolizing power and longevity. This imagery suggests that the creature's tail is not only large but also strong and flexible, capable of movement that is both graceful and powerful. The cedar's prominence in biblical literature, such as in the construction of Solomon's temple (1 Kings 6:9-10), underscores the grandeur and might of God's creation, reminding us of the divine craftsmanship in nature.

the sinews of his thighs are tightly knit
The phrase "the sinews of his thighs are tightly knit" emphasizes the creature's formidable strength and muscular structure. The Hebrew word for "sinews" is "גִּיד" (gid), which refers to tendons or ligaments, the fibrous tissues that connect muscle to bone. The description of these sinews as "tightly knit" suggests a design of intricate strength and resilience, indicating that the creature is built for power and endurance. This imagery reflects the meticulous and intentional design of God in creation, where every part is purposefully crafted. In a broader theological context, it serves as a reminder of the complexity and wonder of God's works, encouraging believers to trust in His wisdom and sovereignty. The strength of the Behemoth, as depicted here, is a testament to the Creator's unmatched power, inviting us to marvel at His handiwork and to recognize our place within His vast and ordered universe.

(17) The sinews of his stones.--Rather, of his thighs.

Verse 17. - He moveth his tail like a cedar. The tail of the hippopotamus is remarkably short and thick. It only bends slightly, being stiff and unyielding, like the stem of a cedar. The sinews of his stones (rather, of his thighs) are wrapped together; or, interwoven one with another (so Professor Lee and Mr. Houghton).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
His tail
זְנָב֣וֹ (zə·nā·ḇōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 2180: Tail, end, stump

sways
יַחְפֹּ֣ץ (yaḥ·pōṣ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2654: To incline to, to bend, to be pleased with, desire

like
כְמוֹ־ (ḵə·mōw-)
Preposition
Strong's 3644: Like, as, when

a cedar;
אָ֑רֶז (’ā·rez)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 730: A cedar tree

the sinews
גִּידֵ֖י (gî·ḏê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1517: A thong, a tendon

of
פחדו (p̄a·ḥă·ḏōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

his thighs
פַחֲדָ֣יו (p̄a·ḥă·ḏāw)
Noun - mdc | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6344: A testicle

are tightly knit.
יְשֹׂרָֽגוּ׃ (yə·śō·rā·ḡū)
Verb - Pual - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 8276: To be intertwined


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OT Poetry: Job 40:17 He moves his tail like a cedar (Jb)
Job 40:16
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