Bible Strands
Job 40:17
His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — God addresses Job directly, continuing his rhetorical examination of the behemoth’s physical composition immediately after describing the loins and before detailing the bones.
The words — The Hebrew יַחְפֹּץ (yach.Potz) translates to "it stiffens," and יְשֹׂרָגוּ (ye.so.Ra.gu) translates to "they are intertwined." These terms describe the rigid, knotted structure of the creature's tail and thigh sinews.
The thread — The description of structural strength continues in Job 40:16 and Job 40:18, while Job 41:23 parallels the concept with flesh folds that are tightly joined and immovable.
Why it lands — The text presents a portrait of unyielding physical tension and dense muscular architecture. It demands the reader acknowledge the sheer mechanical power and structural integrity described without embellishment.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together.
Cross-references
- Job 41:23 The folds of his flesh are tightly joined; they are firm and immovable.