This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Job 41:1-2
1 Canst thou draw out [mashak] leviathan [livyathan] with an hook [chakkah]? or his tongue [lashown] with a cord [chebel] which thou lettest down [shaqa`]?
2 Canst thou put [suwm] an hook ['agmown] into his nose ['aph]? or bore [naqab] his jaw [lachiy] through with a thorn [chowach]? KJV-Interlinear
1 'Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook? Or press down his tongue with a cord? 2 'Can you put a rope in his nose? Or pierce his jaw with a hook? NASB
Again, the Leviathan is a description of some sort of great fish or water animal, perhaps like a giant crocodile. This does not describe a single creature, but a category of dangerous creatures that are large and otherwise extremely difficult to catch let alone tame.
If we had a specific animal described, then as time went along, people would be tempted to call God on His claims, and in trying to capture a large animal, distort the whole point of this chapter.
In Jobs day, catching and taming, even making a large creature into a pet, was probably an impossible task. This gives the passage more meaning. And it makes it clearer that God alone is able to do these things, whereas man cannot.
In our current day, almost every type of creature has been captured and placed in zoos or aquariums and such. But the point here is not whether you can catch the fish, but whether you can build a relationship with it as one would with another person.
God possesses a unique relationship with all living things. Man has great difficulty in figuring out his own kind.
And so, is it possible to catch the giant beast, with a little fishhook? Is it possible to subdue the giant beasts mouth, under ones control? Can you lead the beast along on a leash as you would a pet dog, or restrain his mouth with a fastener (hook) as you would a horse with a bridle and bit?
And the answer to these questions is, 'No.'
And yes, you can find whales and dolphins and such as trained creatures in many water parks around the world, but these are not creatures of the wild nature such as the crocodile. When did you see someone walk up to a crocodile, pet it, saddle it, put on some reins, and ride it like a pet horse?
Man cannot accomplish these things, but God possesses the respect and admiration of animals such that all will pay attention when God speaks to them. That is the concept here. God possesses power over nature while man does not.
