Job 40:14-16

The Voice

¹⁴    If you can execute all this,
        then I—yes, even I—will praise you,
        for your great and mighty right hand earned you the victory!

¹⁵    But before you undertake My challenge,
        turn your attention to Behemoth,
    The beast which I fashioned along with you.

Behemoth isn’t just any beast. Because of the Hebrew grammatical construction, it is apparent that Behemoth is the largest, strongest beast the Lord ever created. With the exception of his dreadful size and strength, Behemoth’s description seems to be one of a peaceful animal—hanging out by the river and chewing its cud. Ancient Jewish myth describes him otherwise: the primal land monster will one day fight against the primal sea monster, Leviathan, bringing chaos; their deaths will end the world. This legend may be the backdrop of Behemoth’s description here, and some see it obliquely referenced in the New Testament. In Revelation the beast who is the antichrist is accompanied by the false prophet; but Leviathan isn’t the one who kills Behemoth, or the false prophet as some see him. God throws the false prophet and the antichrist into the “lake of fire that burns with sulfur” (Revelation 19:20; 20:10).

Eternal One: It eats grass like an ox.
¹⁶ Look carefully: it has a sturdy, muscular base
and draws its power from its brawny core.

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