“I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, or his mighty strength, or his goodly frame.
At verse 12 God promises to hold nothing back about leviathan — its limbs, its strength, its frame. Why spend so many words on a monster no one can catch, and what was Job meant to learn from it?
No Silence About the Enemy's Strength
God begins by refusing to stay quiet about the creature. That refusal says as much about God as about leviathan:
Leslie M. GrantBut the Lord says of Leviathan, "I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, or his mighty strength, or his goodly frame" (v.12). The Lord would not hesitate to describe him exactly as he is. He describes him so we would know that He knew him perfectly and took full account of his strength.
Where the Detailed Description Begins
This verse opens the door to the rest of the chapter, where even the creature's shields carry a kind of majesty:
William KellyDetails are then given, from verse 12 to the end. … Then what majesty the curved shields have! They close as tight as a seal, so no breath can get in, and every part holds together and cannot be pulled apart.
Another writer runs through the creature's parts and lands on its pride:
Arno Clemens GaebeleinA more detailed description of the leviathan follows. His frame is strong; his outer garment is so invulnerable — who can strip it off? His teeth are terrible; who can open the doors of his face, that is, his mouth? His scales, his armour, are his pride.
From the Creature to the Creator
God is not giving Job a nature lesson. The greatness of the work points to the greatness of the One who made it:
William KellyMen talk as if God's object was merely to occupy us with His works. God, on the contrary, brings forward His works to turn us away from our thoughts and bow us to Himself; for if the works of God are so wonderful, who is He that did the work, and what is man if he dares to judge such a God?
Yet greatness is not the whole lesson. The creature also stands for something evil:
Samuel RidoutIn all this first part of the description, we have the fierce, unapproachable, untamable character of this creature. The conclusion is clear, as already shown: if the creature is so mighty, what must the Creator be? But, as we said, we should expect something more than this declaration of God's greatness and power. This is not only a mighty power; it is a power for evil.
What Leviathan Stands For
Commentators differ on what leviathan pictures. One writer pairs leviathan with behemoth and reads both as figures of the same enemy:
Samuel RidoutBoth beasts typify power and pride. So we must admit that Wordsworth's comment does not seem entirely far-fetched: "It seems probable that behemoth represents the Evil One acting in the animal and fleshly parts of man's own makeup. Leviathan symbolises the Evil One working as his enemy from outside. Behemoth is the enemy within us; leviathan is the enemy outside us."
Another writer turns the creature's title on Job himself:
Arno Clemens GaebeleinHe is king over all the sons of pride. … And now the conclusion which Job could easily draw. If he is proud, then he belongs to leviathan, the king who rules over the sons of pride. Jehovah has touched the secret in Job's heart. He has searched out its depths. He had cherished pride, the Devil's crime.
The Result God Wants
Learning how strong his enemy is leaves Job one place to go:
Charles StanleyGod now shows Job, under the figure of leviathan, that the power of Satan is too great for him. … But what could God's object be in describing the power of the adversary like this? Surely it was to lead Job into complete dependence on Himself. "I know," says Job, "that You can do all things."
Summary
- Speaks — God refuses to keep silent about leviathan. He names the enemy's power out loud.
- Measures — God lists the limbs, the strength, the frame. He knows this creature perfectly and has taken full account of what it can do.
- Outmatches — If the creature is this mighty, what must the Creator be?
- Exposes — Leviathan's armour is his pride, and he is king over the sons of pride. A proud person belongs to that king.
- Bends — The whole description moves Job off himself and onto God, who can do all things.