Job 41:14 — Word Study
WLCדַּלְתֵ֣י פָ֭נָיו מִ֣י פִתֵּ֑חַ סְבִיב֖וֹת שִׁנָּ֣יו אֵימָֽה׃
BSAnecktsavvâʼr to lodgelûwn strengthʻôz to dancedûwts△ dismaydᵉʼâbâh△
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| דַּלְתֵ֣י | [the] doors of | Noun common, feminine dual construct |
| פָ֭נָיו | face its | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| מִ֣י | who? | Pronoun |
| פִתֵּ֑חַ | has he opened | Verb, Piel, perfect third person masculine singular |
| סְבִיב֖וֹת | [is] around | Noun common, both plural construct |
| שִׁנָּ֣יו | teeth its | Noun common feminine dual construct, suffix |
| אֵימָֽה׃ | terror | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Who can open his jaws, ringed by his fearsome teeth? |
| KJV | Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about. |
| ASV | Who can open the doors of his face? Round about his teeth is terror. |
| YLT | The doors of his face who hath opened? Round about his teeth [are] terrible. |
| WEB | Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth is terror. |
| BBE | Who has made open the doors of his face? Fear is round about his teeth. |
Translations agree on the imagery and meaning of the verse.
The sentence poses a rhetorical question, emphasizing the creature's fearsome attributes.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectלין
verbעֹז
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Job 41:14
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Description of the Leviathangenerated
Job 41:14 is part of a passage where God describes the Leviathan, a powerful and fearsome creature. This section illustrates the creature's might and the futility of human attempts to confront it. The verses preceding and following this one emphasize the creature's formidable nature and the awe it inspires in those who encounter it.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 38:10 | when I fixed its boundaries and set in place its bars and doors, |
| 2 | Ecclesiastes 12:4 | when the doors to the street are shut and the sound of the mill fades away, when one rises at the sound of a bird and all the daughters of song grow faint, |
| 3 | Psalm 57:4 | My soul is among the lions; I lie down with ravenous beasts— with men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords. |
| 4 | Psalm 58:6 | O God, shatter their teeth in their mouths; O LORD, tear out the fangs of the lions. |
| 5 | Proverbs 30:14 | there is a generation whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are knives, devouring the oppressed from the earth and the needy from among men. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — דַּלְתֵ֣י, dal.Teigenerated
The word דַּלְתֵ֣י (dal.Tei) means 'doors' and is a feminine dual construct, indicating two doors or a pair. In this context, it refers to the jaws of the creature, likening them to doors that can open and close. The use of the dual form suggests a significant and imposing structure, enhancing the imagery of the creature's fearsome presence.
This word is built from the root דָּל (dal), which refers to a door or gate. The concept of a door carries connotations of entrance or access, further emphasizing the overwhelming nature of the creature's jaws as barriers that inspire fear.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The verse is rendered in the Berean Standard Bible as 'Who can open his jaws, ringed by his fearsome teeth?' This is consistent across other translations like the KJV and ASV.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main clause is governed by the verb פִתֵּ֑חַ (fi.Te.ach), meaning 'has he opened.' The subject of the sentence is מִ֣י (mi), meaning 'who?', which introduces a rhetorical question about the creature's jaws.
The structure highlights the rhetorical nature of the question, with the subject first, followed by the verb, creating a sense of urgency and emphasis on the creature's terrifying attributes.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates the Hebrew word דַּלְתֵ֣י as ἐν (en), indicating the presence of the creature's jaws. This choice emphasizes the encompassing nature of the creature's fearsome presence.
The translation reflects a narrowing of focus on the creature's jaws, highlighting their significance in the context of the verse.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 41:14 asks a question about who can open the jaws of a fearsome creature, emphasizing its terrifying teeth. This verse is part of a larger description of the Leviathan, illustrating its might and the fear it inspires.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The 'fearsome teeth' refer to the terrifying nature of the creature, suggesting that it is a formidable and dangerous being.
The question highlights the creature's power and the futility of human attempts to confront such a being.
The imagery emphasizes the awe and fear inspired by the creature, reinforcing its status as a symbol of chaos and power.
This verse contributes to the theme of God's sovereignty over creation, illustrating the limits of human understanding and control.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does this verse teach us about the nature of fear and power?
- How can we apply the imagery of the Leviathan to our understanding of challenges in life?
- In what ways do we recognize the limits of our own strength when facing overwhelming situations?
- How does this verse reflect on the relationship between humanity and the divine?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentators reflect on this verse to discuss the nature of fear and the symbolism of the Leviathan.
Who will open the gates of his face? In a circle is the terror of his teeth. 46. The 'gates of his face' are wicked teachers, who are called the gates of his face for this reason, because, every one enters through them,Early Church Fathers on Job 41 →
This is not the fear of God but the fear that is all around [the Leviathan’s] teeth. But if you have Christ in you, you must not be worried by this fear. Indeed, you will fear the Lord God and will fear no one else.Early Church Fathers on Job 41 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 41:14 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleWho can open the doors of his face?.... Of his mouth, the jaws thereof, which are like a pair of folding doors: the jaws of a crocodile have a prodigious opening.
Read John Gill on Job 41 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryWho can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about. Doors of ... face - his jaws.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 41 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThe doors of his face, to wit, his mouth. If it be open, none dare enter within it, as he now said; and here he adds, that if it be shut, none dare open it. His teeth are terrible round about: this is true of some kinds of whales, though others are said to have either none, or no terrible teeth; but it is more eminently and unquestionably true of the crocodile, of which this very thing is observed by all authors who write of it.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 41 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 41:14 Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth [are] terrible round about.Ver. 14. Who can open the doors of his face?] The two leaved doors of his jaws, to let in a bridle? Samson dared to venture upon a roaring lion and rend him, as a man would rend a kid. But never dared any such thing be done to a whale. His teeth are terrible round about] The whale’ s teeth are said to be 120, each tooth four cubits long.
Read John Trapp on Job 41 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(14) Who can open the doors of his face?—i.e., his mouth. Round about his teeth is terror.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 41 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 14. The doors of his face?] His jaws which are most tremendous.
Read AdamClarke on Job 41 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges14. who can open] Or, who hath opened. The “doors of his face” is an expression for his “mouth” which has something artificial and forced in it. his teeth are terrible] The jaws of the crocodile are very extended; the two rows of long, pointed teeth, thirty-six, it is said, above, and thirty beneath, being bare, as the mouth has no lips, present a formidable appearance.
Read Cambridge on Job 41 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleWho can open the doors of his face? - His mouth. The same term is sti 1 used to denote the mouth - from its resemblance to a door. The idea is, that no one would dare to force open his mouth.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 41 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Who can open his jaws, ringed by his fearsome teeth?
Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth is terror.
Who can open his jaws, ringed by his fearsome teeth?
Who can open the doors of its mouth? Its teeth all around are fearsome.
Tyndale line
Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about.
Who can open the doors of his face? Round about his teeth is terror.
Who can open the doors of his face? round about his teeth is terror.
Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible around.
The members of his bodie are ioyned: they are strong in themselues, and cannot be mooued.
Strictly literal
Who can open the doors of his face? Round about his teeth is terror.
The doors of his face who hath opened? Round about his teeth [are] terrible.
Who has opened the doors of his face? Around his teeth [are] terrible.
(41:6) Who hath opened the doors of his face? all round about his teeth abideth terror.
Who can open the doors of his face— ringed with his teeth, which are a terror?
From the Latin
The members of his flesh cleave one to another: he shall send lightnings against him, and they shall not be carried to another place.
Simplified
Who can open its jaws? Its teeth are terrifying!
Who has made open the doors of his face? Fear is round about his teeth.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text reads דַּלְתֵ֣י פָ֭נָיו מִ֣י פִתֵּ֑חַ סְבִיב֖וֹת שִׁנָּ֣יו אֵימָֽה׃. The Septuagint matches 5 of the 7 words, indicating a strong agreement in the core imagery, although the word order differs.
דַּלְתֵ֣י פָ֭נָיו מִ֣י פִתֵּ֑חַ סְבִיב֖וֹת שִׁנָּ֣יו אֵימָֽה׃
5 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Job 41:14
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
דָּל (dal), דָּלָה (da.lah), and דֶּ֫לֶת (de.let) all refer to a 'door' or 'gate' in Hebrew. The entries indicate various uses, including literal doors and figurative meanings, such as a door of a chamber or even metaphorical doors in poetry. Notably, dal is mentioned in Psalm 141:3.
[דָּל] n.[m.] door only fig.: ψ 141:3.
ref
[דָּלָה] n.f. door, Is 26:20 fig., door of chamber in which people (personified) hides
ref
דֶּ֫לֶת n.f. door
door of house
door of room
gates of city
in other senses
base
H1817a דָּל door H1817b דָּלָה door H1817c דֶּ֫לֶת door
1817 deleth deh'-leth
from 1802; something swinging, i.e. the valve of a
door:--door (two-leaved), gate, leaf, lid. (In Psa. 141:3,
dal, irreg.).
see HEBREW for 01802
דָּל (dal) — door.
door (fig.)
דָּלָה (da.lah) — door.
door (fig., door of chamber in which people (personified) hide)
דֶּ֫לֶת (de.let) — door.
1) door, gate
1a) a door
1b) a gate
1c) (fig.)
1c1) of chest lid
1c2) of crocodile jaws
1c3) of doors of the heavens
1c4) of an easily-accessible woman
HNcfdc — Noun common · feminine dual constructHNcfdc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
The Hebrew word פָּנֶה (*pāneh*) is a noun meaning 'face' or 'presence,' and it appears in various contexts, including the faces of seraphim and animals, as well as the surface of the ground. It can also function as an adverb meaning 'before' or 'in front of.' The word is built from a root that suggests turning or facing, and it encompasses a wide range of applications, both literal and figurative.
[פָּנֶה], pl. פָּנִים 2123 n.m. face, also faces
face, faces
presence, person
technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence
face of seraphim
face of animals
face (= surface) of ground
as adv.loc. before
for other phrases
with prepositions
base
H6440 פָּנֶה, pl. פָּנִים face, also faces . . face, faces
. . presence, person
. technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence
. face of seraphim
. face of animals
. face (= surface) of ground
. as adv. loc. before
. for other phrases
. with prepositions
6440 paniym paw-neem'
plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun (paneh
{paw-neh'}; from 6437); the face (as the part that turns);
used in a great variety of applications (literally and
figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a
preposition (before, etc.):--+ accept, a-(be- )fore(-time),
against, anger, X as (long as), at, + battle, + because (of),
+ beseech, countenance, edge, + employ, endure, + enquire,
face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er
time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, X him(-self), +
honourable, + impudent, + in, it, look(-eth) (- s), X me, +
meet, X more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), X on,
open, + out of, over against, the partial, person, + please,
presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, + regard, right
forth, + serve, X shewbread, sight, state, straight, + street,
X thee, X them(-selves), through (+ - out), till, time(-s)
פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face: before.
: before/to/front
1) face
1a) face, faces
1b) presence, person
1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)
1d) face (of animals)
1e) face, surface (of ground)
1f) as adv of loc/temp
1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before
1g) with prep
1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of
פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face.
: face
1) face
1a) face, faces
1b) presence, person
1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)
1d) face (of animals)
1e) face, surface (of ground)
1f) as adv of loc/temp
1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before
1g) with prep
1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from…
HNcmpc/Sp3ms — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp3ms
מִי (mi) is an interrogative pronoun primarily used to ask about persons, meaning 'who?' or 'whose?'. It can also appear in rhetorical questions and has some idiomatic uses, such as 'who among...?' or 'whosoever'. The word is rarely applied to things, and its forms can vary in emphasis.
מִי 423 pron.interrog. who? of persons
מִי is rarely used of things, and usually where persons are understood or implied
in the gen. whose
in an indirect qu.
מִי ב׳ who among … ?
strengthened and emph. forms of interrog.
various rhetorical uses whose
מִי may sometimes be rendered whosoever, though, as the examples will shew, it does not really mean it
once, following a verb, any one
base
H4310 מִי who? of persons . מִי is rarely used of things, and usually where persons are understood or implied
. in the gen. whose
. in an indirect qu.
. מִי ב׳ who among … ?
. strengthened and emph. forms of interrog.
. various rhetorical uses whose
. מִי may sometimes be rendered whosoever, though, as the examples will shew, it does not really mean it
. once, following a verb, any one
4310 miy me
an interrogative pronoun of persons, as 4100 is of things,
who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also
(indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction
with prefix or suffix:--any (man), X he, X him, + O that!
what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), + would to God.
see HEBREW for 04100
מִי (mi) — who?.
who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever
HPi — PronounHPi
פָּתַח (pathach) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to open' and can refer to various actions such as opening doors, loosening restraints, or engraving. It has different forms, including Qal (to open), Niphal (to be opened), and Piel (to engrave). The entries highlight its literal and figurative uses, but there is some overlap in meaning regarding its applications in opening and engraving.
פָּתַח vb. open
Qal open sack
Niph. be opened
Pi. be opened
free, i.e. ungird, camels
loosen (and remove) sack-cloth
open gates, doors
Hithp. loosen thee the fetters of thy neck
base
[פָּתַח] vb. Pi. engrave
Pu. stones engraved with the engravings of a signet.
base
H6605a פָּתַח open .open sack
. be opened
. be opened . free, i.e. ungird, camels
. loosen (and remove) sack-cloth
. open gates, doors
. loosen thee the fetters of thy neck
H6605b פָּתַח Pi. engrave
6605 pathach paw-thakh'
a primitive root; to open wide (literally or figuratively);
specifically, to loosen, begin, plough, carve:--appear, break
forth, draw (out), let go free, (en-)grave(-n), loose (self),
(be, be set) open(-ing), put off, ungird, unstop, have vent.
פָּתַח (pa.tach) — to open.
1) to open
1a) (Qal) to open
1b) (Niphal) to be opened, be let loose, be thrown open
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to free
1c2) to loosen
1c3) to open, open oneself
1d) (Hithpael) to loose oneself
Aramaic equivalent: pe.tach (פְּתַח "to open" H6606)
פָּתַח (pa.tach) — to engrave.
1) to carve, engrave
1a) (Piel) to engrave
1b) (Pual) to be engraved
HVpp3ms — Verb · Piel · perfect third person masculine singularHVpp3ms
סָבִיב (cabiyb) primarily means 'around' and is used as a noun, adverb, and preposition. It denotes a circle, neighbors, or the surrounding area, often implying a sense of being on every side or in a circuit. The entries consistently emphasize its usage in contexts of proximity and encirclement.
סָבִיב 336 subst., used mostly as adv. and prep., circuit, round about
base
H5439 סָבִיב subst., used mostly as adv. and prep., circuit, round about
5439 cabiyb saw-beeb'
or (feminine) cbiybah {seb-ee-baw'}; from 5437; (as noun) a
circle, neighbour, or environs; but chiefly (as adverb, with
or without preposition) around:--(place, round) about,
circuit, compass, on every side.
see HEBREW for 05437
סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around.
: around/border
subst
1) places round about, circuit, round about
adv
2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about
prep
3) in the circuit, from every side
סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: side.
: side
subst
1) places round about, circuit, round about
adv
2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about
prep
3) in the circuit, from every side
סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: whole.
: whole
subst
1) places round about, circuit, round about
adv
2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about
prep
3) in the circuit, from every side
סָבִיב (sa.viv) — around: neighours.
: neighours
subst
1) places round about, circuit, round about
adv
2) in a circuit, a circuit, round about
prep
3) in the circuit, from every side
HNcbpc — Noun common · both plural constructHNcbpc
The Hebrew word שֵׁן (shen) primarily means 'tooth' and can also refer to 'ivory.' It is derived from the root associated with sharpness, and it can figuratively denote a cliff or crag. The entries highlight various contexts, including its use in legal terms (lex talionis) and as a material in commerce.
שֵׁן n.f. tooth, ivory
base
H8127 שֵׁן tooth, ivory
8127 shen shane
from 8150; a tooth (as sharp); specifically (for 8143) ivory;
figuratively, a cliff:--crag, X forefront, ivory, X sharp,
tooth.
see HEBREW for 08150
see HEBREW for 08143
שֵׁן (shen) — tooth.
: tooth
1) tooth, ivory
1a) tooth
1a1) of man, lex talionis, beast
1b) tooth, tine (of fork)
1c) ivory
1c1) as material
1c2) of commerce
1d) sharp pointed rock
שֵׁן (shen) — tooth: ivory.
: ivory
1) tooth, ivory
1a) tooth
1a1) of man, lex talionis, beast
1b) tooth, tine (of fork)
1c) ivory
1c1) as material
1c2) of commerce
1d) sharp pointed rock
שֵׁן (shen) — tooth: crag.
: crag
1) tooth, ivory
1a) tooth
1a1) of man, lex talionis, beast
1b) tooth, tine (of fork)
1c) ivory
1c1) as material
1c2) of commerce
1d) sharp pointed rock
שֵׁן (shen) — tooth: prong.
: prong
1) tooth, ivory
1a) tooth
1a1) of man, lex talionis, beast
1b) tooth, tine (of fork)
1c) ivory
1c1) as material
1c2) of commerce
1d) sharp pointed rock
HNcfdc/Sp3ms — Noun common feminine dual construct · suffixHNcfdc/Sp3ms
The Hebrew word אֵימָה (*'eymah*) means terror or dread. It is derived from a root related to fear and can also refer to an idol in a figurative sense. The entries consistently emphasize its meanings of fright and horror.
אֵימָה 17 n.f. terror, dread
base
H367 אֵימָה terror, dread
367 'eymah ay-maw'
or (shortened) remah {ay-maw'}; from the same as 366; fright;
concrete, an idol (as a bugbear):--dread, fear, horror, idol,
terrible, terror.
see HEBREW for 0366
אֵימָה (e.mah) — terror.
terror, dread
HNcfsa — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa