Job 41:16

Job 41:16 One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.

Ver. 16. One is so near to another, that no air, &c.] One scale or flake is. This is more proper, say some, to the crocodile than to the whale; but who can tell the different kinds of whales, some whereof are said to have great and thick scales close compacted, as here? Quod si squammae Leviathan ita cohaereant, ut earum opere textili densato, &c. (Vide Cocceium in locum). Let the saints strengthen themselves by close sticking the one to the other, as the primitive Christians did; so that the very heathens acknowledged that no people under heaven did so hold together and love one another as they, being like that Sacra cohors, holy band of soldiers in the Theban army, which consisted εξ εραστων και ερωμενων, of such only who were joined together in the bonds of love; and these they esteemed the prime of all their strength in battle (Athenaeus, lib. 3).

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 16. One is so near to another] It has already been stated, that a musket-ball fired at him in any direction cannot make a passage through his scales.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

16, 17. These verses refer to the close coherence of the scales to one another.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

One is so near to another, that no air can come between them. This shows that it cannot be understood of the skin of the whale, and the hardness and strength of that, which is alike and of a piece; whereas those scales, or be they what they may, though closely joined, yet are distinct: those who interpret this of whales that have teeth, and these of the teeth, observe, that as they have teeth to the number of forty or fifty in the lower jaw, in the upper one fire holes or sockets into which they go; and they are so very close that no wind or air can come between them (g).

(g) Vid. Scheuchzer. ut supra. (Physic. Sacr. vol. 4. p. 848.)

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Angels. Elim. That is, the mighty, the most valiant, shall fear this monstrous fish, and in their fear shall seek to be purified, (Challoner) by contribution. (Sanchez) --- R. Levi has given a ridiculous exposition, which is adopted by Sa (Amama) and others, (Haydock; see Ezechiel ii. 7.; Aristotle iv. prob. 32.) as the natural consequences of fear. (Calmet) (Menochius) --- The Fathers refer this to the fall of Lucifer, when the other angels might tremble for their own safety. (Haydock) --- Angels with reverent fear honour God’s power, and his mot perfect servants are filled with apprehensions at his judgments; as the most valiant are terrified at the sight of this huge fish. (Worthington) --- Septuagint, "If he turn, there is fear among the wild quadrupeds, jumping on the land." Hebrew, ’When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings, they purify themselves." (Protestants) or "spoil themselves," (Calmet) expecting nothing but certain death. (Amama)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Which plainly shows that the shields or scales are several; which agrees better to the crocodile than to the whale, whose skin is all one entire piece, unless there were a sort of whales having thick and strong scales, which some have affirmed, but is not yet known and proved.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

16. No air — Rouahh, used in an active sense for air in motion, and poetically rendered by Scott, “no breath of wind.”

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

One is so near to another, that no air can come between them (see the comment on the preceding verse).

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

One is so near to another

One row of shields is so near to another (Job 41:15).

them ... they

The words "them" and "they" refer to the rows of shields (Job 41:15).

they cannot be pulled apart

This can be translated in active form. AT: "no one can pull them apart" (See: Active or Passive)

from his snorting

"when he snorts." A snort is a sound like a short snore. Another possible meaning is "from his sneezing" or "when he sneezes."

his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning dawn

This means that his eyes are red as the morning dawn is red. (See: Simile)

his

The word "his" refers to Leviathan.

translationWords

light

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

His heart is as strong as stone His heart within him is as strong and basic as a permanent stone that is placed securely in the foundation of a building.

and as strong as a lower millstone This clause is repetitious, meaning that his heart is as basic and permanent as the millstone that is placed under the upper millstone, for the upper millstone revolves and rotates and grinds, whereas the lower one does not move from its place because it is fastened to its place, so that it should not move. That is called פֶּלַח [רֶכֶב] as it is stated (Jud. 9:53): “And a certain woman cast an upper millstone: פֶּלַח רֶכֶב, upon Abimelech’s head.” The lower one is called פֶלַח תַּחתִּית the lower piece.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.