The Behemoth of Job 40 Certainly Not a Hippopotamus!
Posted: Sunday, February 01, 2009
by Joel Kontinen
http://joelkontinen.blogspot.com/
The Behemoth is an intriguing creature. The word, found in God's reply to Job and in a few other Old Testament verses, has come to symbolise something that is huge.
Bible translators have often found it difficult to translate the word Behemoth. With the exception of Job 40:15, they have often rendered it as "beast".
Look at the behemoth, which I made along with you and which feeds on grass like an ox.
What strength he has in his loins, what power in the muscles of his belly!
His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are close-knit. (Job 40:15-17).
But then they explain in a footnote that the animal was possibly the hippopotamus or the elephant.
The hippo (Hippopotamus amphibius) is a huge animal that can weigh up to two tons. Its Greek name πποπόταμος means ‘river horse'.
Now, we should remember that while the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21), this only applies to the original texts. Translations are the work of fallible men. They are not inspired.
When I was about ten or twelfe, we sometimes went to a place called Hippo Point in Kisumu. The site is known for its spectacular sunsets. We could occasionally spot a yawning hippo above the waters of Lake Victoria.
I suspect strongly that the NIV translators have never seen the backside of a hippopotamus. The pig-like animal has a huge mouth but its tail does not look like a cedar at all. It has an exceptionally tiny tail.
The elephant is not a good suggestion, either. It has a tail that is possibly even narrower than that of a hippo. A crocodile has a more cedar-like backside than either a hippo or an elephant. There is a problem, however: crocs like to eat meat and the Behemoth does not.
So perhaps the Behemoth is a huge water animal that lived in Job's day but has since become extinct. Some have even suggested it might be a dinosaur.
Surprisingly many rock paintings describing dinosaurs have been found in different parts of the world. Perhaps the most spectacular find is an engraving of two fighting sauropod dinosaurs in a 15th century tomb in Carlisle Cathedral in the UK.
The creatures have been dubbed Bishop Bell's Brass Behemoths. Might this be a hint for future Bible translators?
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)Hi Joel, Sounds like a dinosaur to me. It always amazed me that so many commentators say it is a hippo. Perhaps they don't want to be so bold as to say that man and dinosaurs walk at the same time. They were created 1 day apart from man....but that's another story. Good job. One note I would add, is that its not the translation into english or other languages that is the problem, its man's added commentary. God said he would preserve his word throughout all generations and he holds his word above his own name. So the translations, as long as they are word for word and not paraphrased are accurate. Otherwise we could not trust the Bible. Again, great article!Hi Theresa. Yes, I would agree with your interpretation. BTW, while the NIV is not a word-for-word translation, it is probably better than most versions but the comments are fallible.Blessings to you,JoelHi Joel, it is certainly the most popular. But I prefer the NKJV, NASB and KJV, as they are word for word.At any rate, God's word is God's word and it stands the test of time and scrutiny everytime. Praise God for this!!Thanks Teresa. I actually prefer the Greek text for the New Testament, which, of course, is very literal. I don't know Hebrew (except for a few odd words) so I have to resort to a translation in reading the Old Testament.I agree with you and say amen to your view about God's word.Blessings,Joel
Very informative article, Joel. And scholarly too. Thanks for blowing it out of the water that Behemoth is no hippo. ~mogama~Thanks, Mogama. Nice to hear your view,Regards,Joel
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