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Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Job 41:19-21

Out of his mouth go burning lamps, &c.— This is nearer the truth, says Dr. Young, than at first view may be imagined. The crocodile, according to the naturalists, lying long under water, and being there forced to hold its breath; when it emerges, the breath, long repressed, is hot, and bursts out so violently, that it resembles fire and smoke. The horse suppresseth not his breath by any means so long; neither is he so fierce and animated, yet the most correct of poets ventures to use the same metaphor concerning him. By this I would caution against a false opinion of the boldness of the eastern metaphors from passages ill understood.

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See also Job 41:19-21 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Job 41:19. _OUT OF HIS MOUTH GO BURNING LAMPS_] Dr. _Young_, in his paraphrase, has a sensible note on this passage: - "This is nearer the truth than at first view may be imagined. The crocodil...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    OUT OF HIS MOUTH GO BURNING LAMPS - The word “lamps” here is probably used to denote torches, or fire-brands. The animal is here described as in pursuit of his prey on land; and the description is exc...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 41 _ 1. Leviathan, the untamable beast of power (Job 41:1)_ 2. Its description (Job 41:12) 3. His remarkable strength (Job 41:25)...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    JOB 40:15 TO JOB 41:34. BEHEMOTH AND LEVIATHAN. Most scholars regard this passage as a later addition to the poem. The point of Job 40:8 is God's reply to Job's criticism of His righteousness; the des...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    JOB 41. LEVIATHAN. The author regards the crocodile as impossible of capture. In Job 41:1 b perhaps the meaning is that when caught the crocodile cannot be led about by a rope round his tongue and low...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    These verses refer probably to the animal's emergence from the water, when the long-repressed hot breath is blown out along with water from his mouth, and shines in the sun like a fiery stream....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _burning lamps_ Or, burning TORCHES....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    The monster breathes smoke and flame....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Description of the parts of Leviathan....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Job 40:6 to Job 42:6. The Lord's Second Answer to Job out of the Storm Shall Man charge God with unrighteousness in His Rule of the World? All that the first speech of the Lord touched upon was the...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    TEXT 41:1-34 41 Canst thou draw out leviathan with a fishhook? Or press down his tongue with a cord? 2 Canst thou put a rope Into his nose? Or pierce his jaw through with a hook? 3 Will he make ma...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _OUT OF HIS MOUTH GO BURNING LAMPS, AND SPARKS OF FIRE LEAP OUT._ Burning lamps - torches: namely, in respiring (Job 41:18) seem to go out....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE SECOND SPEECH OF THE ALMIGHTY (CONCLUDED) The second great creature, the Crocodile (with which the 'leviathan' is generally identified) is now described. If Job cannot control the crocodile, dare...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    These verses are difficult to understand. In the EasyEnglish translation, we have put some words in brackets (…). These words are not in the original Book of Job. We have included these words to help...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    JOB, A SERVANT OF GOD Job _KEITH SIMONS_ Words in boxes (except for words in brackets) are from the Bible. This commentary has been through Advanced Checking. CHAPTER 41 GOD FINISHES HIS SPEECH...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    _[Job 41:11]_ מִ֭ פִּיו לַפִּידִ֣ים יַהֲלֹ֑כוּ כִּידֹ֥ודֵי...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    XXVIII. THE RECONCILIATION Job 38:1 - Job 42:6 THE main argument of the address ascribed to the Almighty is contained in Chapter s 38 and 39 and in the opening verses of chapter 42. Job makes submis...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE PARABLE OF THE CROCODILE Job 41:1 The last paragraph described the hippopotamus; the whole of this chapter is devoted to the crocodile. In a series of striking questions the voice of the Almighty...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Leviathan is almost certainly the crocodile, and there is the playfulness of a great tenderness in the suggestions Jehovah makes to Job about these fierce creations. Can Job catch him with a rope or a...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Are. Literally, "are turned into stubble," as in Hebrew. (Haydock) --- They have no more effect. (Menochius)_...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (11) В¶ Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine. (12) I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion. (13) Who can discover...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 38 THROUGH 42. Jehovah then speaks, and addressing Job, carries on the subject. He makes Job sensible of his nothingness. Job confesses himself to be vile, an...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    OUT OF HIS MOUTH GO BURNING LAMPS, [AND] SPARKS OF FIRE LEAP OUT. Which, though hyperbolical expressions, have some foundation for them in the latter; in the vast quantities of water thrown out by the...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Out of his mouth go burning lamps, [and] sparks of fire leap out. Ver. 19. _Out of his mouth go burning lamps_] This and those that follow are all hyperbolic expressions. Here he is brought in as a s...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Out of his mouth go burning lamps_ “This,” says Dr. Young, “is nearer truth than at first view may be imagined. The crocodile, says the naturalists, lying long under water, and being there forced to...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Out of his mouth go burning lamps, streams of water shining like torches, AND SPARKS OF FIRE LEAP OUT....

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    JOB'S WEAKNESS WHEN COMPARED WITH THE STRENGTH OF THE CROCODILE...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    LEVIATHAN (vv.1-34) Leviathan was a water creature, and appears to be the crocodile, the most fearsome of all aquatic beasts, unless it was another similar animal, now extinct. Job could use a hook...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    i.e. His breathings and blowings are very hot, or flaming, as the following verses explain this. This also may seem better to agree to the crocodile, which breathes (as Aristotle affirms) like the hip...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Job 41:19 mouth H6310 go H1980 (H8799) lights H3940 Sparks H3590 fire H784 out H4422 (H8691)...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: God's challenge to Job concluded. CHARACTERS: God, Job. CONCLUSION: Man is utterly unable to contend against the Almighty. If the inferior creatures keep man in awe, how wonderful must the...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Job 41:1. _Canst thou draw out leviathan?_ This word is rendered by the LXX, “dragon.” It occurs in Isaiah 27:1, and is rendered _whale, dragon,_ and _serpent._ Men are now satisfied that it is not th...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Canst thou draw out Leviathan?_ BEHEMOTH AND LEVIATHAN The description of the “behemoth” in the preceding chapter and the “leviathan” here suggests a few moral reflections. I. The prodigality of c...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JOB—NOTE ON JOB 41:1 The Lord describes the power of LEVIATHAN in terms of man’s inability to subdue him. He compares such power to his own (vv. Job 41:9)....

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    NOTES Job 41:1. “_Canst thou draw out Leviathan with a hook_.” The term “Leviathan” (לִוְיָתָן) rendered here by the SEPTUAGINT, SYRIAC, and ARABIC, “the dragon.” The VULGATE and TARGUM leave it untra...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION JOB 41:1 The crowning description of a natural marvel—the "leviathan," or crocodile—is now given, and with an elaboration to which there is no parallel in the rest of Scripture. It forms,...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    And then in the next chapter God speaks of the leviathan. Now just what the leviathan is, they're not quite sure. Some think that it is perhaps a crocodile, some think that it's perhaps even a dragon,...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Psalms 18:8...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Lamps — This also better agrees with the crocodile, which breathes like the river — horse, of which ancient authors affirm, that his nostrils are very large, and he breathes forth a fiery smoke like t...

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