Bible Strands
Job 40:18
His bones are tubes of bronze; his limbs are rods of iron.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — God speaks to Job from the whirlwind, describing the behemoth’s physical resilience to demonstrate divine sovereignty over creation.
The words — The Hebrew עֲצָמָיו ('atzamayv) means "its bones" and נְחוּשָׁה (nechushah) translates literally to "bronze," while גְּרָמָיו (geramayv) means "its limbs" and בַרְזֶל (barzel) means "iron."
The thread — Isaiah 48:4 uses the same bronze and iron motifs to describe unyielding resistance, while Job 7:12 introduces the sea and deep without metal imagery.
Why it lands — The text states the creature's impenetrable physical structure to challenge Job's grasp of power and to direct attention to the Creator who fashioned it.
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
His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron.
Cross-references
- Job 7:12 Am I the sea, or the monster of the deep, that You must keep me under guard?
- Isaiah 48:4 For I knew that you are stubborn; your neck is iron and your forehead is bronze.