Job 41:8
New International Version
If you lay a hand on it, you will remember the struggle and never do it again!

New Living Translation
If you lay a hand on it, you will certainly remember the battle that follows. You won’t try that again!

English Standard Version
Lay your hands on him; remember the battle—you will not do it again!

Berean Standard Bible
If you lay a hand on him, you will remember the battle and never repeat it!

King James Bible
Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more.

New King James Version
Lay your hand on him; Remember the battle— Never do it again!

New American Standard Bible
“Lay your hand on him. Remember the battle; you will not do it again!

NASB 1995
“Lay your hand on him; Remember the battle; you will not do it again!

NASB 1977
“Lay your hand on him; Remember the battle; you will not do it again!

Legacy Standard Bible
Place your hand on it; Remember the battle; you will not do that again!

Amplified Bible
“Lay your hand on him; Remember the battle [with him]; you will not do such [an ill-advised thing] again!

Christian Standard Bible
Lay a hand on him. You will remember the battle and never repeat it!

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Lay a hand on him. You will remember the battle and never repeat it!

American Standard Version
Lay thy hand upon him; Remember the battle, and do so no more.

Contemporary English Version
Wrestle it just once--that will be the end.

English Revised Version
Lay thine hand upon him; remember the battle, and do so no more.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Lay your hand on it. Think of the struggle! Don't do it again!

Good News Translation
Touch him once and you'll never try it again; you'll never forget the fight!

International Standard Version
Lay your hand on him, and you'll remember the struggle. You'll never do that again!

Majority Standard Bible
If you lay a hand on him, you will remember the battle and never repeat it!

NET Bible
If you lay your hand on it, you will remember the fight, and you will never do it again!

New Heart English Bible
Lay your hand on him. Remember the battle, and do so no more.

Webster's Bible Translation
Lay thy hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more.

World English Bible
Lay your hand on him. Remember the battle, and do so no more.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Place your hand on him, "" Remember the battle—do not add!

Young's Literal Translation
Place on him thy hand, Remember the battle -- do not add!

Smith's Literal Translation
Put thy hand upon him; remember the battle, thou shalt not add.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Lay thy hand upon him : remember the battle, and speak no more.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Place your hand upon him; remember the battle and speak no more.

New American Bible
Once you but lay a hand upon him, no need to recall any other conflict!

New Revised Standard Version
Lay hands on it; think of the battle; you will not do it again!
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Try to capture him; such a battle you will have! You will never forget it.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Lay your hand upon him and you shall have no more memory of war
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Lay thy hand upon him; Think upon the battle, thou wilt do so no more.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But thou shalt lay thy hand upon him once, remembering the war that is waged by his mouth; and let it not be done any more.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
God's Power Shown in Leviathan
7Can you fill his hide with harpoons or his head with fishing spears? 8If you lay a hand on him, you will remember the battle and never repeat it! 9Surely hope of overcoming him is false. Is not the sight of him overwhelming?…

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

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.’

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

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.

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.

Genesis 3:15
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

Psalm 89:10
You crushed Rahab like a carcass; You scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm.

Isaiah 43:16-17
Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea and a path through the surging waters, / who brings out the chariots and horses, the armies and warriors together, to lie down, never to rise again; to be extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:

Jeremiah 51:34
“Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured me; he has crushed me. He has set me aside like an empty vessel; he has swallowed me like a monster; he filled his belly with my delicacies and vomited me out.

Matthew 12:29
Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and steal his possessions, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.

Mark 3:27
Indeed, no one can enter a strong man’s house to steal his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.

Luke 11:21-22
When a strong man, fully armed, guards his house, his possessions are secure. / But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted, and then he divides up his plunder.


Treasury of Scripture

Lay your hand on him, remember the battle, do no more.

1 Kings 20:11
And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.

2 Kings 10:4
But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand?

Luke 14:31,32
Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? …

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Add Battle Fight Hand Hands Lay Remember Struggle Think Wilt
Job 41
1. Of God's great power in the leviathan














If you lay a hand on him
This phrase refers to the creature Leviathan, a powerful and fearsome sea monster described in the preceding verses. In the ancient Near Eastern context, Leviathan symbolizes chaos and is often associated with the sea, a place of danger and unpredictability. The imagery of laying a hand on Leviathan suggests an attempt to control or subdue something beyond human capability. This reflects the broader theme of God's sovereignty over creation, as seen in other biblical passages like Psalm 104:26 and Isaiah 27:1, where Leviathan is also mentioned.

you will remember the battle
The mention of "the battle" implies a struggle or confrontation with Leviathan, which serves as a metaphor for the challenges and trials that humans face. In the context of the Book of Job, this can be seen as a reminder of the futility of contending with God's creation or questioning His wisdom. The battle imagery is reminiscent of other biblical narratives where humans encounter divine or supernatural forces, such as Jacob wrestling with the angel in Genesis 32:24-30. It underscores the theme of human limitation and the need for humility before God.

and never repeat it!
This phrase emphasizes the lesson learned from the encounter with Leviathan: the recognition of human limitations and the wisdom in not challenging forces beyond one's control. It serves as a cautionary note, highlighting the importance of respecting God's order and the boundaries He has set. The idea of learning from past experiences and not repeating mistakes is a common biblical theme, echoed in Proverbs 26:11, which warns against returning to folly. This reflects the broader biblical principle of gaining wisdom through experience and reverence for God's power.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Job
A man of great faith and patience, who undergoes severe trials and suffering. The book of Job explores his dialogue with friends and God about the nature of suffering and divine justice.

2. Leviathan
A creature described in Job 41, symbolizing chaos and power beyond human control. It is often interpreted as a sea monster or dragon-like being, representing forces that only God can tame.

3. God
The ultimate speaker in this passage, who challenges Job's understanding of divine power and sovereignty through a series of rhetorical questions and descriptions of Leviathan.

4. The Sea
Often a symbol of chaos and danger in ancient Near Eastern literature, representing the untamable aspects of creation that God alone can master.

5. The Battle
A metaphorical reference to the struggle against Leviathan, symbolizing human attempts to confront or control forces beyond their capacity.
Teaching Points
Understanding God's Sovereignty
Recognize that there are forces and situations in life that are beyond human control, and only God has the power to manage them.

Human Limitations
Acknowledge our limitations and the futility of trying to control everything. This should lead us to trust in God's wisdom and power.

The Fear of the Lord
Develop a healthy reverence for God's power and majesty, understanding that He is the only one capable of taming the chaos in our lives.

Trust in Divine Protection
Find comfort in knowing that God is sovereign over all creation, including the chaotic and dangerous aspects symbolized by Leviathan.

Learning from Experience
Reflect on past experiences where attempts to control or confront overwhelming situations led to failure, and use these lessons to deepen reliance on God.(8) Remember the battle.--"Bear in mind what thou dost attempt, and thou wilt not do it again."

Verse 8 - Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more. This is again ironical, like vers. 3-6. "Only just put forth thy hand against him - bethink thee of war - do it once and no more." (comp. Rosenmuller, 'Scholia in Jobum,' p. 976). The idea is that once will be enough. A man will not live to do it a second time.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
If you lay
שִׂים־ (śîm-)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

a hand
כַּפֶּ֑ךָ (kap·pe·ḵā)
Noun - fdc | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3709: Hollow or flat of the hand, palm, sole (of the foot), a pan

on him,
עָלָ֥יו (‘ā·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

you will remember
זְכֹ֥ר (zə·ḵōr)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 2142: To mark, to remember, to mention, to be male

the battle
מִ֝לְחָמָ֗ה (mil·ḥā·māh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4421: A battle, war

and never
אַל־ (’al-)
Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

repeat it!
תּוֹסַֽף׃ (tō·w·sap̄)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect Jussive - second person masculine singular
Strong's 3254: To add, augment


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OT Poetry: Job 41:8 Lay your hand on him (Jb)
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