Job 41:18

Job 41:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
• New International Version (NIV)Its snorting throws out flashes of light; its eyes are like the rays of dawn.
• English Standard Version (ESV)His sneezings flash forth light, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the dawn.
• New King James Version (NKJV)His sneezings flash forth light, And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.

Context of Job 41:18

16One scale is so close to another that no air can pass between them. 17They are joined to one another, so closely connected they cannot be separated. His snorting flashes with light, while his eyes are like the rays of dawn. 19Flaming torches shoot from his mouth; fiery sparks fly out! 20Smoke billows from his nostrils as from a boiling pot or burning reeds.

Job 41:18 word by word

עֲֽ֭טִישֹׁתָיו תָּ֣הֶל א֑וֹר וְ֝עֵינָ֗יו כְּעַפְעַפֵּי־שָֽׁחַר׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• By his neesingsעֲטִישָׁה‛ăţîyshâh · sneezingH5846
• a lightאוֹר'ôr · lightH216
• doth shineהָלַלhâlal · to shineH1984
• and his eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
• like the eyelidsעַפְעַף‛aph‛aph · eyelidH6079
• of the morningשַׁ֫חַרshachar · dawnH7837

Cross-references for Job 41:18

• Job 3:9May its morning stars grow dark. May it wait for daylight but have none; may it not see the breaking of dawn.
• Revelation 1:14The hair of his head was white as wool — white as snow — and his eyes like a fiery flame.

Commentaries on Job 41:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18By his neesings a light doth shine - It is very likely that this may be taken literally. When he spurts up the water out of his nostrils, the drops form a sort of iris or rainbow. We have seen this effect produced when, in certain situations and state of the atmosphere, water was thrown up forcibly, so as to be broken into small drops, which has occasioned an appearance like the rainbow. The eyelids of the morning - It is said that, under the water, the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18By his neesings a light doth shine - The word rendered “neesings” means properly sneezing, and the literal sense here would be, “His sneezings, light shines.” Coverdale renders it, “His nesinge is like a glisteringe fyre.” Bochart says that the meaning is, “that when the crocodile sneezes, the breath is driven through the nostrils with such force that it seems to scintillate, or emit fire.” Probably the meaning is, that when the animal emits a sudden…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. Translate: "his sneezing, causeth a light to shine." Amphibious animals, emerging after having long held their breath under water, respire by violently expelling the breath like one sneezing: in the effort the eyes which are usually directed towards the sun, seem to flash fire; or it is the expelled breath that, in the sun, seems to emit light. eyelids of morning--The Egyptian hieroglyphics paint the eyes of the crocodile as the symbol for morning…Read the comment

Topics related to Job 41:18

• God

In the dictionaries

• Comely
• Iron
• Lay
• Leap
• Leviathan
• Dawn; Dawning
• Eyelid
• Neesing
• Night-Monster
• Sneeze

Commentaries on Job 41

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary