Lexical Summary sharir: Navel, body, strength Original Word: שָׁרִיר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance navel From sharar in the original sense as in shor (compare shorer); a cord, i.e. (by analogy) sinew -- navel. see HEBREW sharar see HEBREW shor see HEBREW shorer NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as shor Definition sinew, muscle NASB Translation muscles (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [שָׁרִיר] noun [masculine] sinew, muscle (so context suggests); — pluralconstruct אוֺנוֺ בִּשְׁרִירֵי בִטְנוֺ Job 40:16 ("" כֹחוֺמְָתְנָיו). Topical Lexicon Biblical OccurrenceJob 40:16 is the sole use of שָׁרִיר. In the Lord’s second speech to Job, the verse reads: “Surely his strength is in his loins, and his power is in the muscles of his belly” (Berean Standard Bible). Here שָׁרִיר depicts the firm, corded muscles of the behemoth’s abdomen. Literary Context in Job The behemoth section (Job 40:15–24) is part of God’s climactic response that silences Job’s complaints. By pointing to the unseen, internal sinews of a creature no human can subdue, the Lord underscores His own sovereign, inscrutable power. The single appearance of שָׁרִיר therefore serves a strategic rhetorical purpose: it highlights invisible strength that comes solely from the Creator. Ancient Near Eastern Background Descriptions of primeval animals with immense internal strength appear in Mesopotamian texts and Egyptian iconography. The Hebrew poet, however, sets behemoth apart from mythic chaos monsters; it remains a real, divinely fashioned beast. שָׁרִיר evokes tangible anatomy—layered muscle rather than mythical magic—grounding the passage in observable creation and reinforcing the polemic against pagan deification of nature. Theological Significance 1. Divine Omnipotence The unyielding שָׁרִיר inside behemoth witnesses to the hidden workmanship of God (Psalm 139:15). Human beings may observe external might, but only the Lord fashions such sinews. 2. Human Limitation Job cannot see, much less replicate, this internal strength. The verse rebukes any claim to autonomous power (Job 40:9). 3. Integrity of Creation The same Hebrew root behind שָׁרִיר is associated with firmness and reliability. God’s world, though marred by suffering, is structurally sound. This undergirds the book’s wisdom message: the Creator remains trustworthy even when His ways are mysterious. Intertextual Connections • Job 10:11; Ezekiel 37:6 – other terms for sinews emphasize God’s role in anatomical assembly. Ministry and Practical Application • Pastoral Comfort Point sufferers to the behemoth passage: behind life’s visible chaos stands a Designer who places unbreakable sinews in His creatures and unbreakable purposes in His plan (Romans 8:28). • Discipleship Just as invisible muscles give behemoth its might, unseen spiritual disciplines—prayer, meditation on Scripture—fortify believers. External activity without inner formation lacks enduring power (2 Corinthians 4:16). • Apologetics Highlight the verse when addressing questions on God and natural history. The Bible’s nuanced portrayal of anatomical detail, set within theological narrative, showcases inspired coherence rather than primitive myth. Homiletical Themes 1. “Strength in Unseen Places” – God equips both creatures and Christians with hidden resources. Summary Though appearing only once, שָׁרִיר magnifies the Creator’s artistry, confronts human pride, and provides a vivid metaphor for spiritual strength that operates beneath the surface of life. Forms and Transliterations בִּשְׁרִירֵ֥י בשרירי biš·rî·rê bishriRei bišrîrêLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 40:16 HEB: בְמָתְנָ֑יו וְ֝אֹנ֗וֹ בִּשְׁרִירֵ֥י בִטְנֽוֹ׃ NAS: And his power in the muscles of his belly. KJV: and his force [is] in the navel of his belly. INT: his loins and his power the muscles of his belly 1 Occurrence |
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