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Job 41:30

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Job 41:30 in Multiple Translations

Berean Standard Bible BSB

His undersides are jagged potsherds, spreading out the mud like a threshing sledge.

King James Version KJV

Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire.

American Standard Version ASV

His underparts are like sharp potsherds: He spreadeth as it were a threshing-wain upon the mire.

Bible in Basic English BBE

Under him are sharp edges of broken pots: as if he was pulling a grain-crushing instrument over the wet earth.

Free Bible Version FBV

Its underparts are covered with points as sharp as broken pots; when it drags itself through the mud it leaves marks like a threshing sledge.

Young's Literal Translation YLT

Under him [are] sharp points of clay, He spreadeth gold on the mire.

World English Bible WEB

His undersides are like sharp potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.

Noah Webster Bible WBS

Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire.

Translation for Translators T4T

Their bellies are covered with scales that are as sharp as broken pieces of pottery. When they drag themselves through the mud, their bellies tear up the ground like a plow.

Study Highlights

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Berean Amplified Bible — Job 41:30

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Word Study

Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.

Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.

Study Notes — Job 41:30

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Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1 Isaiah 41:15 Behold, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff.

Job 41:30 Summary

[The Leviathan's undersides are described as 'jagged potsherds' in Job 41:30, which means it has very sharp and rough edges, like broken pottery. This shows just how powerful and strong this creature is, and it's a reminder of God's amazing creative power, as seen in Psalm 104:25-26. The Leviathan can also spread out the mud like a threshing sledge, which is a tool used to separate grain from chaff, as described in Isaiah 28:27. This means the Leviathan is able to move through the water and stir up the mud, leaving a trail behind it, much like a threshing sledge leaves a trail of separated grain and chaff.]

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the description of the Leviathan's undersides as 'jagged potsherds' signify in Job 41:30?

The description of the Leviathan's undersides as 'jagged potsherds' signifies the powerful and destructive nature of this creature, much like the sharp edges of broken pottery, as seen in Job 41:30, and is a testament to God's creative power as described in Psalm 104:25-26.

How does the Leviathan's ability to spread out the mud like a threshing sledge relate to its character?

The Leviathan's ability to spread out the mud like a threshing sledge, as mentioned in Job 41:30, demonstrates its immense strength and dominance over its environment, much like the way a threshing sledge is used to separate grain from chaff, as described in Isaiah 28:27.

What does this verse reveal about God's sovereignty over creation?

This verse reveals that God is the creator and sustainer of all living things, including the powerful and fearsome Leviathan, as stated in Job 41:30, and is a testament to His sovereignty over creation, as seen in Job 38:4-7 and Psalm 95:3-5.

How does the description of the Leviathan in Job 41:30 relate to the rest of the chapter?

The description of the Leviathan in Job 41:30 is part of a larger description of this creature's power and strength, as seen in Job 41:28-32, and serves to emphasize God's power and authority over all creation, as stated in Job 42:2-3.

Reflection Questions

  1. As I consider the Leviathan's powerful undersides, how does this impact my understanding of God's creative power and authority?
  2. In what ways can I apply the image of the threshing sledge to my own life, separating the 'wheat' from the 'chaff' in my thoughts and actions?
  3. How does the description of the Leviathan's dominance over its environment challenge or comfort me in my own relationship with God?
  4. What does the Leviathan's ability to spread out the mud like a threshing sledge teach me about the importance of humility and recognizing God's sovereignty?

Gill's Exposition on Job 41:30

Sharp stones [are] under him,.... And yet give him no pain nor uneasiness; he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire; and makes his bed of them and lies upon them; as sharp stones, as before,

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 41:30

Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire.

Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 41:30

According to this translation the sense is, his skin is so hard and impenetrable, that the sharpest stones are as easy to him as the mire, and make no more impression upon him. But the words are and may be otherwise rendered, as continuing the former sense, They (to wit, the arrows, darts, or stones cast at him) are or fall under him, like (which particle is oft understood) sharp shreds, or fragments of stones; he spreadeth sharp pointed things (to wit, the pieces of swords or darts which were flung at him, and broken upon him) upon the mire. The fragments of broken weapons lie as thick at the bottom of the water in the place of the fight as little stones do in the mire, or as they do in a field after some fierce and furious battle. Or thus, With him (or for him, i.e. for his defence) are sharp stones; he spreadeth himself like an arrow or threshing instrument (which is filled and fortified with iron) in the mire or mud in the bottom of the water: so he doth not describe his resting-place, but rather his back, which he not unfitly compares to sharp stones or threshing instruments, because the darts or stones east at him pierce no more into him than they would do into them if they were thrown at them.

Trapp's Commentary on Job 41:30

Job 41:30 Sharp stones [are] under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire.Ver. 30. Sharp stones are under him] Heb. Sharp pieces of the potsherd, Acumina testacea, which prick him no more than if he lay upon the softest couch, so hard is his belly. He spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire] When he might lie softer, he scorns it; as our hardy forefathers some two or three hundred years ago, who ordinarily lay upon straw pallets covered with canvas, and a round log under their heads instead of a bolster. As for pillows, they said they were fit only for women in childbed, &c. (Hollinshed).

Ellicott's Commentary on Job 41:30

(30) He spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire.—Some render, “He spreadeth, as it were, a threshing-wain upon the mire.” The statement is, that he not only can lie without inconvenience upon sharp-pointed things, but his own body presents a sharp surface to the mud he lies on.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 41:30

Verse 30. Sharp stones are under him] So hard and impenetrable are his scales, that splinters of flint are the same to him as the softest reeds.

Cambridge Bible on Job 41:30

30. The impression left where he has lien. Under him he hath sharp potsherds, He spreadeth a threshing-sledge upon the mire. The scales of the belly, though smoother than those on the back, still are sharp, particularly those under the tail, and leave an impression on the mire where he has lien as if a sharp threshing-sledge with teeth had stood on it or gone over it (Isaiah 41:15).

Barnes' Notes on Job 41:30

Sharp stones are under him - Margin, as in Hebrew, “pieces of pot sherd.” The Hebrew word (חדוד chaddûd), means “sharp, pointed”; and the phrase used here means “the sharp points of a potsherd,” or broken pieces of earthenware.

Whedon's Commentary on Job 41:30

30. Sharp stones — Literally, pieces of potsherd. For description of potsherd, see Job 2:8.

Sermons on Job 41:30

SermonDescription
T. Austin-Sparks Service and Servanthood of the Lord - Part 7 of 8 by T. Austin-Sparks In this sermon, the speaker discusses the significance of the sharp threshing instrument in the ministry of Jesus. The instrument represents the dividing line between the false and
Henry Law Psalm 114 by Henry Law Henry Law preaches on the greatness and glory of God as shown in His dealings with Israel, highlighting their deliverance from Egypt and consecration as a peculiar people, drawing
Charles E. Cowman A Bar of Steel by Charles E. Cowman Charles E. Cowman preaches on the transformative process of God's refining work in our lives, using the analogy of a bar of steel being shaped into valuable tools through intense d
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