Job 41:10
None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me?
Original Language Analysis
לֹֽא
H3808
לֹֽא
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
1 of 8
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
אַ֭כְזָר
None is so fierce
H393
אַ֭כְזָר
None is so fierce
Strong's:
H393
Word #:
2 of 8
violent; by implication deadly; also (in a good sense) brave
כִּ֣י
H3588
כִּ֣י
Strong's:
H3588
Word #:
3 of 8
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
יְעוּרֶ֑נּוּ
that dare stir him up
H5782
יְעוּרֶ֑נּוּ
that dare stir him up
Strong's:
H5782
Word #:
4 of 8
to wake (literally or figuratively)
וּמִ֥י
H4310
וּמִ֥י
Strong's:
H4310
Word #:
5 of 8
who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffix
ה֝֗וּא
H1931
ה֝֗וּא
Strong's:
H1931
Word #:
6 of 8
he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demo
Historical Context
Leviathan appears in ancient Near Eastern mythology as a chaos monster (cf. Ugaritic Lotan). God's description demonstrates sovereignty over chaos itself—what pagans feared as divine opponent, Yahweh created as mere creature. The theological point addresses Job's demand for legal confrontation with God: if Job cannot face Leviathan, how can he confront Leviathan's Creator? The passage emphasizes divine transcendence while answering Job's longing for encounter—God appears but establishes appropriate Creator-creature relationship.
Questions for Reflection
- How does God's sovereignty over chaos monsters like Leviathan address our fears and anxieties?
- What does the impossibility of standing before God teach about appropriate reverence and humility?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
God declares: 'None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me?' The adjective akzar (אַכְזָר, fierce) means cruel or fierce. The verb ur (עוּר, stir up) means to rouse or awaken. If no human dares provoke Leviathan (likely a crocodile or mythological chaos beast), how much less can anyone stand before God who created Leviathan? The rhetorical question mi efo lefanay yityatsav (מִי אֵפוֹא לְפָנַי יִתְיַצָּב, who then is able to stand before me) demands the answer: no one. God's argument moves from creature to Creator—if the created monster is unapproachable, the Creator is infinitely more so.