His bones are tubes of bronze; his limbs are rods of iron.
Parallel translations
- WEB His bones are like tubes of brass. His limbs are like bars of iron.
- KJV His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron.
- NKJV His bones are like beams of bronze, His ribs like bars of iron.
- NASB “His bones are tubes of bronze; His limbs are like bars of iron.
- NLT Its bones are tubes of bronze. Its limbs are bars of iron.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Behemoth's bones are like bronze tubes and his limbs like bars of iron. His indestructible frame reflects the Creator's might.
Overview
Behemoth's bones and limbs are likened to bronze and iron, emphasizing a body of formidable solidity and strength. No human force can break such a creature. The imagery presses Job to recognize that the God who fashioned this beast holds power beyond anything Job can imagine, deepening Job's reverence and trust.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
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Christ at the center
Job's cry for a mediator who can lay his hand on both God and man, and his confidence that 'my Redeemer lives' and will stand on the earth, reaches forward to Jesus the living Redeemer.
How Job 40:18 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.