Job 41:27 — Word Study
WLCיַחְשֹׁ֣ב לְתֶ֣בֶן בַּרְזֶ֑ל לְעֵ֖ץ רִקָּב֣וֹן נְחוּשָֽׁה׃
BSAit considersyach.Sho▸ to strawle.Te.ven ironbar.Zel to wood ofle.'Etz rottennessri.ka.Von△ bronzene.chu.Shah
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| יַחְשֹׁ֣ב | it considers | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| לְתֶ֣בֶן | to straw | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| בַּרְזֶ֑ל | iron | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| לְעֵ֖ץ | to wood of | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct |
| רִקָּב֣וֹן | rottenness | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| נְחוּשָֽׁה׃ | bronze | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
The verse consists of a main clause with two objects, emphasizing the creature's evaluation of both iron and bronze.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbH2803
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 6 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.
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 41:27
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 Creaturegenerated
Job 41:27 is part of a larger passage where God describes a powerful creature, emphasizing its strength and how human weapons are ineffective against it. The surrounding verses highlight the futility of human efforts to confront such a being, illustrating the creature's dominance and invulnerability.
Cross References
The Key Word — יַחְשֹׁ֣ב, yach.Shogenerated
The verb חָשַׁב (chashab) means to think or devise, and in this context, it conveys the idea of considering or regarding something. The parsing indicates it is a Qal imperfect verb, third person masculine singular, suggesting an ongoing or habitual action.
In this verse, the creature is depicted as evaluating iron and bronze as insignificant, akin to straw and rotten wood. This reflects a sense of superiority and invulnerability, emphasizing the creature's strength.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
Translations consistently render יַחְשֹׁ֣ב as 'considers' or 'esteems', indicating agreement on the meaning of the verb.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb יַחְשֹׁ֣ב governs the entire clause, with two noun phrases as its objects: בַּרְזֶ֑ל (iron) and נְחוּשָֽׁה (bronze). This structure emphasizes the creature's evaluation of these materials.
The Hebrew word order places the verb first, highlighting the action of considering, followed by the objects that illustrate what is being regarded as insignificant.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 41:27 describes a creature that regards iron as if it were straw and bronze as rotten wood. This illustrates the creature's immense strength and the ineffectiveness of human weapons against it.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It indicates that the creature is so powerful that it sees traditional weapons as utterly ineffective.
Straw symbolizes something weak and insignificant, emphasizing the creature's invulnerability.
The creature is portrayed as formidable and unbothered by human attempts to harm it, showcasing its strength.
It reflects the theme of God's sovereignty and the limitations of human power in the face of His creation.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life do I feel overwhelmed by challenges that seem insurmountable?
- How can I better understand my own limitations in comparison to God's power?
- What does this verse teach me about the nature of strength and vulnerability?
- How can I apply the lesson of humility in my own life when faced with difficulties?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentators reference this verse to illustrate the creature's invulnerability and the ineffectiveness of human weapons against it.
For he shall esteem iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood. 19. That which above He called a 'spear,' he mentioned again below under the appellation of 'iron:' and that which He spoke of as a 'breastplate,' He again designated by…Early Church Fathers on Job 41 →
The spiritual weapons [of humans], he says, are unable to kill him, and [the devil] considers as straw and rotten wood those weapons that cannot inflict a lethal wound on him.Early Church Fathers on Job 41 →
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 41:27 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleHe esteemeth iron as straw,.... You may as well cast a straw at him as a bar of iron; it will make no impression on his steeled back, which is as a coat of mail to him; so Eustathius affirms (d) that
Read John Gill on Job 41 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryHe esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood. Iron ... brass - namely, weapons.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 41 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleHe neither fears nor feels the blows of the one more than of the other.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 41 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 41:27 He esteemeth iron as straw, [and] brass as rotten wood.Ver. 27. He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood] He makes nothing of anything that shall be done against him. Bears and lions may be wounded with hunting weapons; other fishes with eel spears, and the like: not so the whale, or not so easily.
Read John Trapp on Job 41 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges12–34. Description of the parts of Leviathan.
Read Cambridge on Job 41 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleHe esteemeth iron as straw - He regards instruments made of iron and brass as if they were straw or rotten wood. That is, they make no impression on him. This will agree better with the crocodile than any other animal.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 41 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible27. He esteemeth iron as straw — An expression some suppose to refer to the enormous power of the crocodile’s snap.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 41 →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: יַחְשֹׁ֣ב לְתֶ֣בֶן בַּרְזֶ֑ל לְעֵ֖ץ רִקָּב֣וֹן נְחוּשָֽׁה׃. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the Dead Sea Scrolls agree with this reading, maintaining the same wording and meaning.
יַחְשֹׁ֣ב לְתֶ֣בֶן בַּרְזֶ֑ל לְעֵ֖ץ רִקָּב֣וֹן נְחוּשָֽׁה׃
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 41:27
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.
The Hebrew word חָשַׁב (chashab) is a primitive root meaning to think, account, or devise. It encompasses a range of actions including planning, valuing, and inventing, both for humans and in relation to God. The entries indicate various grammatical forms, such as Qal, Niphal, Piel, and Hithpael, each reflecting different nuances of thought and consideration.
חָשַׁב vb. think, account
Qal
of man:
think, account
devise, plan, mean
charge, impute
esteem, value, regard
invent ingenious and artistic things
of God:
think
devise, plan, mean
inpute, reckon
esteem, value, regard
invent ingenious and artistic things
Niph.
be accounted, thought, esteemed
be computed, reckoned
be imputed to any one
Pi.
think upon, consider, be mindful of
think to do, devise, plan
count, reckon, the years since a sale of land
Hithp. among the nations it shall not reckon itself
base
H2803 חָשַׁב think, account .. of man: . think, account
. devise, plan, mean
. charge, impute
. esteem, value, regard
. invent ingenious and artistic things
. of God: . think
. devise, plan, mean
. inpute, reckon
. esteem, value, regard
. invent ingenious and artistic things
. . be accounted, thought, esteemed
. be computed, reckoned
. be imputed to any one
. . think upon, consider, be mindful of
. think to do, devise, plan
. count, reckon, the years since a sale of land
. among the nations it shall not reckon itself
2803 chashab khaw-shab'
a primitive root; properly, to plait or interpenetrate, i.e.
(literally) to weave or (gen.) to fabricate; figuratively, to
plot or contrive (usually in a malicious sense); hence (from
the mental effort) to think, regard, value, compute:--(make)
account (of), conceive, consider, count, cunning (man, work,
workman), devise, esteem, find out, forecast, hold, imagine,
impute, invent, be like, mean, purpose, reckon(-ing be made),
regard, think.
חָשַׁב (cha.shav) — to devise: design.
: design/skillful
1) to think, plan, esteem, calculate, invent, make a judgment, imagine, count
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to think, account
1a2) to plan, devise, mean
1a3) to charge, impute, reckon
1a4) to esteem, value, regard
1a5) to invent
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be accounted, be thought, be esteemed
1b2) to be computed, be reckoned
1b3) to be imputed
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to think upon, consider, be mindful of
1c2) to think to do, devise, plan
1c3) to count, reckon
1d) (Hithpael) to be considered
חָשַׁב (cha.shav) — to devise: count.
: count/regard_as
1) to think, plan, esteem, calculate, invent, make a judgment, imagine, count
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to think, account
1a2) to plan, devise, mean
1a3) to charge, impute, reckon
1a4) to esteem, value, regard
1a5) to invent
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be accounted, be thought, be esteemed
1b2) to be computed, be reckoned
1b3) to be imputed
HVqi3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singularHVqi3ms
תֶּ֫בֶן (teben) means straw, specifically the refuse or stalks of grain, often used for fodder or as building material. The word's root is uncertain, but it is linked to the concept of material refuse. It appears in contexts related to agriculture and livestock.
תֶּ֫בֶן n.m. straw (√ unknown)
base
H8401 תֶּ֫בֶן straw (√ unknown)
8401 teben teh'-ben
probably from 1129; properly, material, i.e. (specifically)
refuse haum or stalks of grain (as chopped in threshing and
used for fodder):--chaff, straw, stubble.
see HEBREW for 01129
תֶּ֫בֶן (te.ven) — straw.
1) straw, stubble
1a) as building material
1b) as fodder for livestock
HR/Ncmsa — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa
Straw
Used in brick-making (Ex. 5:7-18). Used figuratively in Job 41:27; Isa. 11:7; 25:10; 65:25.
Both wheat and barley straw were used by the ancient Hebrews chiefly as fodder for the horses cattle and camels. (Genesis 24:25; 1 Kings 4:28; Isaiah 11:7; 66:25) There is no intimation that straw was used for litter. It was employed by the Egyptians for making bricks, (Exodus 5:7,16) being chopped up and mixed with the clay to make them more compact and to prevent their cracking. [See BRICK] The ancient Egyptians reaped their corn close to the ear, and afterward cut the straw close to the ground and laid it by. This was the straw that Pharaoh refused to give to the Israelites who were therefore compelled to gather "stubble" instead --a matter of considerable difficulty, seeing that the straw itself had been cut off near to the…
בַּרְזֶל (barzel) means 'iron' and can refer to iron ore or iron implements like tools and utensils. It also carries figurative meanings related to harshness, strength, or oppression. The word may be derived from a root associated with cutting. There is an Aramaic equivalent, פַּרְזֶל (parzel), also meaning 'iron'.
בַּרְזֶל n.m. iron
iron, lit.
tool of iron
iron in fig. of unwatered earth
base
H1270 בַּרְזֶל iron
1270 barzel bar-zel'
perhaps from the root of 1269; iron (as cutting); by
extension, an iron implement:--(ax) head, iron.
see HEBREW for 01269
בַּרְזֶל (bar.zel) — iron.
1) iron
1a) iron
1a1) iron ore
1a2) as material of furniture, utensils, implements
2) tool of iron
3) harshness, strength, oppression (fig.)
Aramaic equivalent: par.zel (פַּרְזֶל "iron" H6523)
HNcmsa — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
Iron
Tubal-Cain is the first-mentioned worker in iron (Gen. 4:22). The Egyptians wrought it at Sinai before the Exodus. David prepared it in great abundance for the temple (1 Chr. 22:3: 29:7). The merchants of Dan and Javan brought it to the market of Tyre (Ezek. 27:19). Various instruments are mentioned as made of iron (Deut. 27:5; 19:5; Josh. 17:16, 18; 1 Sam. 17:7; 2 Sam. 12:31; 2 Kings 6:5, 6; 1 Chr.…
is mentioned with brass as the earliest of known metals. (Genesis 4:22) The natural wealth in iron of the soil of Canaan is indicated by describing it as a land whose stones are iron." (8:9) (Recent explorations have shown that iron ore is abundant in the northern part of Palestine. --ED.) The book of Job contains passages which indicate that iron was a metal well known. Sheet-iron was used for cooking utensils. (Ezekiel 4:3) cf. Levi 7:9 That it was plentiful in the time of David appears from (1 Chronicles 22:3) The market of Tyre was supplied with bright or polished iron by the merchants of by Dan and Javan. (Ezekiel 27:19) The Chalybes of the Pontus were celebrated as…
Was early known and wrought, Ge 4:22. Moses often alludes to it. He compares the bondage in Egypt to a furnace for smelting iron, and speaks of the iron ore of Canaan, De 3:11 4:20 8:9. Many different articles and tools were anciently made of it. Immense quantities were provided for the building of the temple, 1Ch 29:2,7. "Iron" is used to illustrated slavery, strength, obstinacy, fortitude, affliction, etc., De 28:48 Job 40:18 Isa 48:4 Jer 1:18 Eze 22:18,20…
עֵץ (ets) refers to a tree or wood, encompassing various forms such as timber, sticks, and planks. It can denote both singular and plural trees, as well as specific uses like gallows and firewood. The word is derived from a root meaning firmness, indicating its solid nature.
עֵץ 329 n.m. tree, trees, wood
(c. 150 t.)
a standing tree
coll. trees
(c. 175 t.; c. 120 t. pl., to denote pieces [or articles] of wood)
base
H6086 עֵץ tree, trees, wood . (c. 150 t.) . a standing tree
. coll. trees
. (c. 175 t.; c. 120 t. pl., to denote pieces [or articles] of wood)
6086 `ets ates
from 6095; a tree (from its firmness); hence, wood (plural
sticks):--+ carpenter, gallows, helve, + pine, plank, staff,
stalk, stick, stock, timber, tree, wood.
see HEBREW for 06095
עֵץ (ets) — tree: wood.
: wood
1) tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows
1a) tree, trees
1b) wood, pieces of wood, gallows, firewood, cedar-wood, woody flax
עֵץ (ets) — tree.
: tree
1) tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows
1a) tree, trees
1b) wood, pieces of wood, gallows, firewood, cedar-wood, woody flax
עֵץ (ets) — tree: stick.
: stick/log
1) tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows
1a) tree, trees
1b) wood, pieces of wood, gallows, firewood, cedar-wood, woody flax
עֵץ (ets) — tree: stake.
: stake/shaft
1) tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows
1a) tree, trees
1b) wood, pieces of wood, gallows, firewood, cedar-wood, woody flax
עֵץ (ets) — tree: carpenter.
: carpenter/wood(worker)
1) tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows
1a) tree, trees
HR/Ncmsc — Preposition · noun common masculine singular constructHR/Ncmsc
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…
רִקָּבוֹן (riqqabown) refers to rottenness or decay, derived from the root word for decay. It is used in the context of something that has become rotten, as noted in Job 41:19. The entries consistently emphasize the concept of decay without significant disagreement.
רִקָּבוֹן n.[m.] id. [t.ek.ab];—Jb 41:19
ref
H7539 רִקָּבוֹן
7539 riqqabown rik-kaw-bone'
from 7538; decay (by caries):--rotten.
see HEBREW for 07538
רִקָּבוֹן (riq.qa.von) — rottenness.
rottenness, decay, decayed
HNcmsa — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
נְחוּשָׁה (nchuwshah) refers to copper or bronze, indicating materials used in ancient metallurgy. It is a feminine form derived from the root word for copper, and it encompasses both pure copper and bronze, which is an alloy. The term appears in contexts related to metalworking and materials in the Old Testament.
נְחוּשָׁה and נְחֻשָׁה n.f. copper, bronze
base
H5154 נְחוּשָׁה and נְחֻשָׁה copper, bronze
5154 nchuwshah nekh-oo-shaw'
or nchushah {nekh-oo-shaw'}; feminine of 5153;
copper:--brass, steel. Compare 5176.
see HEBREW for 05153
see HEBREW for 05176
נְחוּשָׁה (ne.chu.shah) — bronze.
1) copper, bronze
1a) copper (made from melting copper ore)
1b) bronze (made from copper and alloy)
Aramaic equivalent: ne.chash (נְחָשׁ "bronze" H5174)
HNcfsa — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa