Job 41:29 — Word Study
WLCכְּ֭קַשׁ נֶחְשְׁב֣וּ תוֹתָ֑ח וְ֝יִשְׂחַ֗ק לְרַ֣עַשׁ כִּידֽוֹן׃
BSAlike chaffKe.kash they are regardednech.she.Vu■ a clubto.Tach△ so it may laughve.yis.Chak to [the] shaking ofle.Ra.'ash a javelinki.Don
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| כְּ֭קַשׁ | like chaff | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| נֶחְשְׁב֣וּ | they are regarded | Verb, Niphal, perfect third person common plural |
| תוֹתָ֑ח | a club | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| וְ֝יִשְׂחַ֗ק | so it may laugh | Conjunction, verb qal third person masculine singular |
| לְרַ֣עַשׁ | to [the] shaking of | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct |
| כִּידֽוֹן׃ | a javelin | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | A club is regarded as straw, and he laughs at the sound of the lance. |
| KJV | Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear. |
| ASV | Clubs are counted as stubble: He laugheth at the rushing of the javelin. |
| YLT | As stubble have darts been reckoned, And he laugheth at the shaking of a javelin. |
| WEB | Clubs are counted as stubble. He laughs at the rushing of the javelin. |
| BBE | A thick stick is no better than a leaf of grass, and he makes sport of the onrush of the spear. |
The translations agree on the insignificance of the club compared to the Leviathan's might.
The sentence consists of a main clause followed by a conjunction and a subordinate clause, emphasizing the creature's dismissive attitude.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectH8455
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 41:29
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 Might of the Leviathangenerated
Job 41:29 describes the Leviathan's indifference to human weapons, illustrating its immense power and invulnerability. In this passage, Job emphasizes that even a club, a symbol of human strength, is seen as worthless by this creature. The surrounding verses further highlight the futility of trying to harm such a formidable being, as seen in Job 41:28 and Job 41:30.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 Chronicles 26:14 | Uzziah supplied the entire army with shields, spears, helmets, armor, bows, and slingstones. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — נֶחְשְׁב֣וּ, nech.she.Vugenerated
The verb נֶחְשְׁב֣וּ (nech.she.Vu) is a Niphal form, indicating a passive sense of being regarded or considered. It conveys the idea of something being evaluated or appraised, which in this context emphasizes how the Leviathan perceives weapons as trivial.
This word appears frequently in the Hebrew Bible, often in contexts where value or significance is assessed. Here, it underscores the vast difference between human weapons and the creature's overwhelming strength.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations agree on the rendering of the club as something insignificant compared to the Leviathan's might.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb נֶחְשְׁב֣וּ (they are regarded) governs the sentence, with a prepositional phrase describing the object of regard and a second clause detailing the creature's reaction.
The structure emphasizes the Leviathan's dismissive attitude towards human weaponry, with the verb placed prominently to highlight its importance.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates נֶחְשְׁב֣וּ as ἐλογίσθησαν (they were considered), which reinforces the idea of evaluation or appraisal. This choice aligns with the Hebrew sense of the word, focusing on the creature's perception of human attempts to harm it.
The LXX captures the essence of the Hebrew text while also reflecting the Greek understanding of worth and significance.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 41:29 tells us that a club, which is a weapon, is seen as worthless by the Leviathan, as it laughs at the sound of the lance. This highlights the creature's immense power and disregard for human attempts to harm it.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means that the Leviathan sees a club as insignificant and worthless, showing its overwhelming strength.
The laughter signifies contempt and mockery, indicating that the creature is unfazed by human weapons.
This verse illustrates the theme of God's creation being beyond human control, emphasizing the power and majesty of God's creatures.
The Leviathan is portrayed as a powerful and invulnerable creature, demonstrating that some aspects of creation are beyond human understanding and strength.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does this verse teach us about the limits of human power in comparison to God's creation?
- How can we apply the lesson of humility from this verse in our own lives?
- In what ways do we sometimes underestimate the challenges we face, similar to how the Leviathan regards human weapons?
- How does understanding the power of the Leviathan shape our view of God's sovereignty?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Gregory the Dialogist comments on this verse, arguing that the Leviathan's disregard for weapons reflects its invulnerability to divine reproof.
He will esteem the hammer as stubble. And will laugh at Him that shaketh the spear. 23. As if he were saying, He despises even the weight of that reproof, which strikes him by a punishment coming from above.Early Church Fathers on Job 41 →
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 41:29 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleDarts are counted as stubble,.... Darts being mentioned before, perhaps something else is meant here, and, according to Ben Gersom, the word signifies an engine out of which stones are cast to batter
Read John Gill on Job 41 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryDarts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear. Darts , [ towtaach (H8455), from yaatach] - Arabic, 'smite with a club:' rather, clubs; darts have been already mentioned.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 41 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleSo far is he from fearing it, and fleeing from it, that he scorns and defies it.
Read Matthew Poole on Job 41 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 41:29 Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.Ver. 29. Darts are counted as stubble] When any thing in the decrees or decretals likes not the pope, he sets pales, that is, stubble, upon it; or Hoc non credo: so doth this leviathan upon all kinds of weapons; he slights them. The word here rendered darts is as strange as the weapon it signifieth is to us unknown, lapides ballistic, an engine whereby great stones were thrown against walls or towers (as now cannon balls), to make a breach in them. Catapulta, aries vel simile aliquod tormentum. Be they what they will, the whale fears them not, no, though they were as terrible to others as those two great pieces of…
Read John Trapp on Job 41 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 29. Darts are counted as stubble] All these verses state that he cannot be wounded by any kind of weapon, and that he cannot be resisted by any human strength. A young crocodile, seen by M. Maillet, twelve feet long, and which had not eaten a morsel for thirty-five days, its mouth having been tied all that time, was nevertheless so strong, that with a blow of its tail it overturned a bale of coffee, and five or six men, with the utmost imaginable ease! What power then must lodge in one twenty feet long, well fed, and in health!
Read AdamClarke on Job 41 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleDarts are counted as stubble - The word rendered “darts” (תותח tôthâch) occurs nowhere else in the Scriptures. It is from יתח, obsolete root, “to beat with a club.” The word here probably means clubs.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 41 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible29. Darts — Thothahh. Either clubs, battle axe, or bludgeon. (Furst.) The like meaning of the same word in the Arabic favours the first of these definitions.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 41 →The verse in English, compared — 7 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
A club is regarded as straw, and he laughs at the sound of the lance.
Clubs are counted as stubble. He laughs at the rushing of the javelin.
Tyndale line
Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.
Clubs are counted as stubble: He laugheth at the rushing of the javelin.
Simplified
A thick stick is no better than a leaf of grass, and he makes sport of the onrush of the spear.
Clubs are also treated like stubble; it laughs at the sound made by flying spears.
Strictly literal
As stubble have darts been reckoned, And he laugheth at the shaking of a javelin.
T4T (Translation for Translators) is not shown above. It restates the passage rather than the verse, so there is no line of English to set beside the others — which is a fact about that translation, not a fault in it.
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 is consistent with the Septuagint's translation, both conveying the idea that the Leviathan regards human weapons as insignificant. There are no significant differences among the witnesses regarding this verse.
כְּ֭קַשׁ נֶחְשְׁב֣וּ תוֹתָ֑ח וְ֝יִשְׂחַ֗ק לְרַ֣עַשׁ כִּידֽוֹן׃
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 41:29
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.
קַשׁ (qash) refers to stubble or chaff, typically associated with dry straw. The entries indicate that it is derived from another Hebrew word, but they do not provide further details on its usage in specific verses.
קַשׁ n.m. stubble, chaff
base
H7179 קַשׁ stubble, chaff
7179 qash kash
from 7197; straw (as dry):--stubble.
see HEBREW for 07197
קַשׁ (qash) — stubble.
stubble, chaff
HR/Ncmsa — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa
chaf: Four different words have been translated "chaff" in the Old Testament:
(1) mots, is found in Job 21:18; Ps 1:4; 35:5; Isa 17:13; 29:5; 41:15; Ho 13:3; Ze 2:2.
(2) chashash, occurs in two verses (Isa 5:24; 33:11). Compare "chashish," an Arabic word which, as commonly used, denotes grass either standing or cut, green or dry, although, strictly speaking, dry or cut grass alone. In the Revised Version (British and American) Isa 5:24 the translation is "dry grass."
Chaff
The refuse of winnowed corn. It was usually burned (Ex. 15:7; Isa. 5:24; Matt. 3:12). This word sometimes, however, means dried grass or hay (Isa. 5:24; 33:11). Chaff is used as a figure of abortive wickedness (Ps. 1:4; Matt. 3:12). False doctrines are also called chaff (Jer. 23:28), or more correctly rendered “chopped straw.” The destruction of the wicked, and their powerlessness, are likened to the carrying away of chaff by the wind (Isa. 17:13;
the husk of corn or wheat which was separated from the grain by being thrown into the air, the wind blowing away the chaff, while the grain was saved. The carrying away of chaff by the wind is an ordinary scriptural image of the destruction of the wicked and of their powerlessness to resist God’s judgments. (Psalms 1:4; Isaiah 17:13; Hosea 13:3; Zephaniah 2:2)
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
HVNp3cp — Verb · Niphal · perfect third person common pluralHVNp3cp
תּוֹתָ֑ח (towthach) refers to a type of weapon, likely a club or mace. It is derived from an unused root meaning to smite. The word appears in Job 41:21, where it is associated with weaponry.
תּוֹתָ֑ח n.m. name of a weapon, perh. club, mace;—Jb 41:21.
ref
H8455 תּוֹתָ֑ח
8455 towthach to-thawkh'
from an unused root meaning to smite; a club:--darts.
תּוֹתָ֑ח (to.tach) — club.
1) a weapon
1a) perhaps a club or mace
HNcmsa — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
klub.
See ARMOR, III, 1; SHEPHERD; STAFF.
שָׂחַק (sachaq) is a Hebrew verb meaning to laugh, with connotations of playfulness and mockery. It can express laughter in pleasure or derision, as well as the act of playing or making sport. The entries indicate various forms, such as Qal for general laughter, Piel for making sport, and Hiphil for mockery.
שָׂחַק vb. laugh
Qal
laugh at
appar. of friendly laugh
sport, play
Pi.
make sport
jest
play
Hiph. (declar.) they uttered mockery
base
H7832 שָׂחַק laugh
7832 sachaq saw-khak'
a primitive root; to laugh (in pleasure or detraction); by
implication, to play:--deride, have in derision, laugh, make
merry, mock(-er), play, rejoice, (laugh to) scorn, be in
(make) sport.
שָׂחַק (sa.chaq) — to laugh.
1) to laugh, play, mock
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to laugh (usually in contempt or derision)
1a2) to sport, play
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to make sport
1b2) to jest
1b3) to play (including instrumental music, singing, dancing)
1c) (Hiphil) to laugh mockingly
HC/Vqu3ms — Conjunction · verb qal third person masculine singularHC/Vqu3ms
רַ֫עַשׁ (ra`ash) refers to various forms of quaking or shaking, including earthquakes and trembling. It encompasses meanings like vibration, uproar, and rattling. The word is derived from a root that suggests movement or noise, and it can describe both natural phenomena and physical reactions in people.
רַ֫עַשׁ n.m. quaking, shaking
specif. earthquake
quaking, trembling
shaking, quivering
base
H7494 רַ֫עַשׁ quaking, shaking
7494 ra`ash rah'-ash
from 7493; vibration, bounding, uproar:--commotion,
confused noise, earthquake, fierceness, quaking, rattling,
rushing, shaking.
see HEBREW for 07493
רַ֫עַשׁ (ra.ash) — quaking.
1) quaking, rattling, shaking
1a) earthquake
1b) quaking, trembling (of person)
1c) shaking, quivering (of dart)
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…
כִּידוֹן (kiydown) refers to a javelin or dart, something used for striking. It may also denote a short sword or a piece of armor for the throat. The word is derived from a root meaning to strike, and it appears in contexts related to weaponry, such as in 1 Samuel 17:6.
כִּידוֹן n.[m.] dart, javelin
base
H3591 כִּידוֹן
3591 kiydown kee-dohn'
from the same as 3589; properly, something to strike with,
i.e. a dart (perhaps smaller that 2595):--lance, shield,
spear, target.
see HEBREW for 03589
see HEBREW for 02595
כִּידוֹן (ki.don) — javelin.
1) javelin, short sword, dart
2) gorget, a piece of armour for the throat (1Sa 17.6)
HNcmsa — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
jav'-lin, jav'-e-lin.
See ARMOR; ARMS.
Javelin
(1.) Heb. hanith, a lance, from its flexibility (1 Sam. 18:10, 11; 19:9, 10; 20:33).
(2.) Heb. romah, a lance for heavy-armed troops, so called from its piercing (Num. 25:7). (See ARMS.)
[ARMS, ARMOR]