Job 41:30 — Word Study
WLCתַּ֭חְתָּיו חַדּ֣וּדֵי חָ֑רֶשׂ יִרְפַּ֖ד חָר֣וּץ עֲלֵי־ טִֽיט׃
BSAunder itTach.tav [are] sharp points ofcha.Du.dei△ potsherd[s]Cha.res it spreads outyir.Pad▸ a threshing sledgecha.Rutz on'a.lei- mudTit
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| תַּ֭חְתָּיו | under it | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| חַדּ֣וּדֵי | [are] sharp points of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| חָ֑רֶשׂ | potsherd[s] | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| יִרְפַּ֖ד | it spreads out | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| חָר֣וּץ | a threshing sledge | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| עֲלֵי־ | on | Preposition |
| טִֽיט׃ | mud | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | His undersides are jagged potsherds, spreading out the mud like a threshing sledge. |
| KJV | Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire. |
| ASV | His underparts are like sharp potsherds: He spreadeth as it were a threshing-wain upon the mire. |
| YLT | Under him [are] sharp points of clay, He spreadeth gold on the mire. |
| WEB | His undersides are like sharp potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge. |
| BBE | Under him are sharp edges of broken pots: as if he was pulling a grain-crushing instrument over the wet earth. |
Where they part company is יִרְפַּ֖ד — see How Translations Differ.
The main clause describes the creature's physical attributes, with two phrases elaborating on its action and comparison.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbH7502
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 7 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 41:30
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 Majesty of Creationgenerated
Job 41:30 describes a formidable creature, illustrating its powerful nature and the impact it has on its environment. This section of Job emphasizes the greatness of God's creation and the awe it inspires. The imagery of jagged potsherds and mud evokes a sense of the creature's raw power and the chaos it can create, paralleling themes found throughout the book of Job regarding the mysteries of God's works.
Cross References
The Key Word — חָרֶשׂ, Cha.resgenerated
The word חָרֶשׂ (cha.res) refers to earthenware or pottery, specifically broken pieces or shards. In this verse, it emphasizes the jagged nature of the creature's undersides, suggesting a rough and dangerous quality.
This term is used in a literal sense to describe the physical characteristics of the creature, highlighting its formidable presence and the potential harm it can inflict on its surroundings.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb יִרְפַּ֖ד (it spreads out) governs the entire clause, with a noun phrase describing the subject and a prepositional phrase indicating what it affects. The Hebrew structure places emphasis on the action of spreading, highlighting the creature's impact on the environment.
The order of the words emphasizes the creature's jagged undersides first, followed by the action of spreading, which draws attention to the destructive nature of its movement.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates חָרֶשׂ as ὄψον (opson), which means 'a dish' or 'a meal.' This choice shifts the imagery slightly, focusing on the creature's potential to consume or destroy rather than its physical characteristics.
This translation indicates a broader interpretation of the creature's role in the ecosystem, suggesting it may also represent a force of destruction in a more figurative sense.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 41:30 describes a powerful creature with jagged undersides that drags mud like a threshing sledge. This imagery emphasizes its strength and the chaos it can create in its environment.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The jagged underside symbolizes the creature's power and potential for destruction, illustrating the awe-inspiring aspects of God's creation.
Mud represents the chaotic and messy impact the creature has on its surroundings, highlighting its formidable nature.
A threshing sledge is a tool used in agriculture to separate grain from chaff, symbolizing the creature's ability to leave a significant mark on the earth.
This verse contributes to the theme of God's sovereignty and the mysteries of creation, emphasizing the power and majesty of the creatures He has made.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What aspects of God's creation inspire awe in me, similar to the creature described in this verse?
- How do I respond to the idea of God's power in the world around me?
- In what ways can I recognize the impact of powerful forces in my own life?
- What lessons can I learn from the imagery used in this verse about strength and chaos?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Gregory the Dialogist comments on this verse, interpreting the imagery of the sun and gold in relation to divine truths.
The rays of the sun will be under him. He will strew gold under him like clay. 25. For in Holy Scripture when the 'sun' is used figuratively, there is designated sometimes the Lord, sometimes persecution,Early Church Fathers on Job 41 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 41:30 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleSharp 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,
Read John Gill on Job 41 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentarySharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 41 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleAccording 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…
Read Matthew Poole on Job 41 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 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).
Read John Trapp on Job 41 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(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.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 41 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 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.
Read AdamClarke on Job 41 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges30. 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).
Read Cambridge on Job 41 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleSharp 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.
Read Albert Barnes 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
His undersides are jagged potsherds, spreading out the mud like a threshing sledge.
His undersides are like sharp potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.
Tyndale line
Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire.
His underparts are like sharp potsherds: He spreadeth as it were a threshing-wain upon the mire.
Simplified
Under him are sharp edges of broken pots: as if he was pulling a grain-crushing instrument over the wet earth.
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.
Strictly literal
Under him [are] sharp points of clay, He spreadeth gold on the mire.
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 preserved in the witnesses, with no significant variations noted in the wording. The consistency across the texts reinforces the imagery and themes present in Job 41:30.
תַּ֭חְתָּיו חַדּ֣וּדֵי חָ֑רֶשׂ יִרְפַּ֖ד חָר֣וּץ עֲלֵי־ טִֽיט׃
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 41:30
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.
תַּחַת (tachath) refers to the concept of being underneath or below. It can function as a noun meaning 'the under part,' or as an adverb and preposition indicating position or substitution, such as 'instead of' or 'for the sake of.' The word encompasses various uses, including physical placement and metaphorical meanings related to subjection or exchange.
תַּחַת n.[m.] the under part, hence as adv. accus. and prep. underneath, below, instead of
base
H8478 תַּחַת the under part, hence as adv. accus. and prep. underneath, below, instead of
8478 tachath takh'-ath
from the same as 8430; the bottom (as depressed); only
adverbially, below (often with prepositional prefix
underneath), in lieu of, etc.:--as, beneath, X flat,
in(-stead), (same) place (where...is), room, for...sake, stead
of, under, X unto, X when...was mine, whereas, (where-)fore,
with.
see HEBREW for 08430
תַּחַת (ta.chat) — underneath: under.
: under/below
1) the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas n m
1a) the under part adv accus
1b) beneath prep
1c) under, beneath
1c1) at the foot of (idiom)
1c2) sweetness, subjection, woman, being burdened or oppressed (fig)
1c3) of subjection or conquest
1d) what is under one, the place in which one stands
1d1) in one's place, the place in which one stands (idiom with reflexive pronoun)
1d2) in place of, instead of (in transferred sense)
1d3) in place of, in exchange or return for (of things mutually interchanged)
conj
1e) instead of, instead of that
1f) in return for that, because that in compounds
1g) in, under, into the place of (after verbs of motion)
1h) from under, from beneath, from under the hand of, from his place, under, beneath
תַּחַת (ta.chat) — underneath: instead.
: instead/in_place/exchange
HNcmpc/Sp3ms — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp3ms
חַדּוּד (chadduwd) refers to something that is sharp or pointed. It is derived from the root word for 'point' and is used in a superlative sense. The only specific Old Testament reference noted is Job 41:22, where it describes a sharp quality.
[חַדּוּד] adj. sharpened, sharp, pointed, only cstr., with superlat. sense = subst.: Jb 41:22
ref
H2303 חַדּוּד
2303 chadduwd khad-dood'
from 2300; a point:--sharp.
see HEBREW for 02300
חַדּוּד (chad.dud) — point.
sharp, pointed, sharpened
HNcmpc — Noun common · masculine plural constructHNcmpc
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…
חֶ֫רֶשׂ (cheres) refers to earthenware or pottery, including terms like sherd and potsherd. It is derived from a form that connects to other Hebrew words related to pottery. The entries consistently emphasize its use in describing clay vessels and fragments.
חֶ֫רֶשׂ n.[m.] earthenware, earthen vessel, sherd potsherd
base
H2789 חֶ֫רֶשׂ earthenware, earthen vessel, sherd potsherd
2789 cheres kheh'-res
a collateral form mediating between 2775 and 2791; a piece of
pottery:--earth(-en), (pot-)sherd, + stone.
see HEBREW for 02775
see HEBREW for 02791
חֶ֫רֶשׂ (che.re.s) — earthenware.
earthenware, clay pottery, shard, potsherd, earthen vessel
HNcmsa — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
רָפַד (raphad) is a Hebrew verb meaning to spread. It can refer to spreading a bed or providing support, with nuances in different forms such as Qal and Piel. The entries indicate its use in contexts like comfort and refreshment, but do not provide specific verse references.
[רָפַד] vb. spread
Qal he (the crocodile) spreadeth a threshing-sledge upon the mud (leaves marks upon it from his scales).
Pi. then (spread out any support, hence) support me with apples
base
H7502 רָפַד
7502 raphad raw-fad'
a primitive root; to spread (a bed); by implication, to
refresh:--comfort, make (a bed), spread.
רָפַד (ra.phad) — to spread.
1) to spread
1a) (Qal) to spread
1b) (Piel) to spread out, support
HVqi3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singularHVqi3ms
The Hebrew word חָרוּץ (*charuwts*) is derived from a root meaning to incise or be incisive. It encompasses a range of meanings including sharp, diligent, strict decision, trench, and gold, with specific references in the Old Testament such as in Job 4:14 and Daniel 9:25. The lexicons agree on these meanings without significant disagreement.
חָרוּץ adj. sharp, diligent
base
חָרוּץ n.[m.] strict decision, only Jo 4:14, 14
ref
חָרוּץ n.[m.] trench, moat—only in Dn 9:25
ref
חָרוּץ n.m. gold, poet.
base
H2742a חָרוּץ sharp, diligent H2742b חָרוּץ strict decision H2742c חָרוּץ trench, moat H2742d חָרוּץ gold poet.
2742 charuwts khaw-roots'
or charuts {khaw-roots'}; passive participle of 2782;
properly, incised or (active) incisive; hence (as noun
masculine or feminine) a trench (as dug), gold (as mined), a
threshing-sledge (having sharp teeth); (figuratively)
determination; also eager:--decision, diligent, (fine) gold,
pointed things, sharp, threshing instrument, wall.
see HEBREW for 02782
חָרוּץ (cha.ruts) — sharp.
adj
sharp-pointed, sharp, diligent
חָרוּץ (cha.ruts) — decision.
strict decision, decision
חָרוּץ (cha.ruts) — trench.
trench, moat, ditch
חָרוּץ (cha.ruts) — gold.
gold (poetical)
HNcmsa — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
The Hebrew word עַל (*al*) is a preposition meaning 'upon' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including 'on account of,' 'beside,' 'above,' and 'against.' It can indicate physical placement, emotional burdens, or duties imposed on a person. The entries also note its use in idiomatic expressions and with verbs of motion. There is a mention of its function as a conjunction in certain contexts.
כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as
base
עַל, עָ֑ל
subst. height
As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against
Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed
—
of clothing, etc., which any one wears
With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it
Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him
Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him
על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him
חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)
H5921a עַל, עָ֑ל . As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against . Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed . — . of clothing, etc., which any one wears
. With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it
. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him
. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him
. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him
. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)
5921 `al al
properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the
singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a
particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always
in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great
variety of applications (as follow):--above, according
to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because
of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both
and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in
(that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than,
through(-out), to, touching, X with.
see HEBREW for 05920
עַל (al) — upon.
prep
1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against
1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards
1b) above, beyond, over (of excess)
1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence)
1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition)
1e) over (of suspension or extension)
1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity)
1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion)
1h) to (as a dative)
[כִּי] עַל [כֵּן] ([ki] al [ken]) — as.
conj
HR — PrepositionHR
On
Light; the sun, (Gen. 41:45, 50), the great seat of sun-worship, called also Bethshemesh (Jer. 43:13) and Aven (Ezek. 30:17), stood on the east bank of the Nile, a few miles north of Memphis, and near Cairo, in the north-east. The Vulgate and the LXX. Versions have “Heliopolis” (“city of the sun”) instead of On in Genesis and of Aven in Ezekiel. The “city of destruction” Isaiah speaks of (19:18, marg. “of Heres;” Heb. ‘Ir-ha-heres, which some MSS. read Ir-ha-heres, i.e., “city of the sun”) may be the name given to On, the prophecy being that the time will come when that city which was known as the “city of the sun-god” shall become the “city of destruction” of the sun-god, i.e., when idolatry shall cease, and the worship…
(abode or city of the sun), a town of lower Egypt, called BETH-SHEMESH in (Jeremiah 43:13) On is better known under its Greek name Heliopolis. It was situated on the east side of the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, just below the point of the Delta, and about twenty miles northeast of Memphis. The chief object of worship at Heliopolis was the sun, whose temple, described by Strabo, is now only represented by the single beautiful obelisk, of red granite so feet 2 inches high above the pedestal which has stood for more than 4000 years, having been erected by Usirtesen, the second king of the twelfth dynasty. Heliopolis was anciently famous for its learning, and Eudoxus and Plato studied under its priests. The first mention of this place in the Bible is in the history of Joseph, to whom we read Pharaoh gave "to wife Asenath the daughter…
See HELIOPOLIS.
pain; force; iniquity
טִיט (tiyt) refers to mud, mire, or clay, and is derived from a root that suggests stickiness. It can also figuratively denote calamity. The term appears in various contexts, including poetic uses for clay. There is an Aramaic equivalent, טִין (tin), meaning 'common.'
טִיט n.m. mud, mire, clay
base
H2916 טִיט mud, mire, clay
2916 tiyt teet
from an unused root meaning apparently to be sticky (rath.
perb. a demon. from 2894, through the idea of dirt to be swept
away); mud or clay; figuratively, calamity:--clay, dirt, mire.
see HEBREW for 02894
טִיט (tit) — mud.
1) mud, clay, mire, damp dirt
1a) mud, mire
1b) clay (poetical)
Aramaic equivalent: tin (טִין "common" H2917)
HNcmsa — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa