What creature is described as "the first of the works of God" in Job 40:19? BEHEMOTH – “THE FIRST OF THE WORKS OF GOD” (Job 40:19) Scriptural Text “Look at Behemoth, which I made along with you. He eats grass like an ox. See the strength of his loins and the power in the muscles of his belly. His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are tightly knit. His bones are tubes of bronze; his limbs are rods of iron. He ranks first among the works of God; his Maker can approach him with His sword.” (Job 40:15-19) Immediate Literary Context Job 38–42 records the Lord’s answer to Job’s challenge. Two unparalleled animals are spotlighted: Behemoth (40:15-24) and Leviathan (41:1-34). These creatures function as living testimonies of the Creator’s power and wisdom, silencing human complaint and pointing back to the glory displayed in Genesis 1. Historical Interpretations 1. Traditional Jewish and many Christian commentators (e.g., Targum, Augustine) read Behemoth as a literal, massive land animal created on Day 6. 2. Post-Enlightenment suggestions of hippopotamus or elephant arose by equating “tail” with “trunk” or a small tail—yet neither animal matches the cedar-like tail, iron-rod limbs, or bronze-tube bones. 3. A minority allegorize Behemoth as chaos personified, but the plain reading shows a zoological description arranged among other literal animals in the same divine speech (e.g., mountain goats, wild donkeys, ostriches). Identification with Sauropod Dinosaur A straightforward, young-earth reading harmonizes the text with a colossal, long-necked sauropod such as Apatosaurus or Diplodocus: • Plant-eating (“eats grass like an ox”). • Lofty belly muscles and thigh sinews matching gigantic torsos. • A tail comparable to a cedar’s girth and sway. • Skeletons reveal vertebrae exceeding one meter and limb bones exceeding human height, aptly described as “tubes of bronze” and “rods of iron.” Geologic formations like the Morrison Formation span North America and yield fossilized sauropods consistent with this portrait. Trackways in the Paluxy River (Glen Rose, Texas) include large sauropod prints in cretaceous limestone within strata often interpreted as Flood deposits, aligning with a biblical Flood/post-Flood continuum. Chronological Placement (“first”) In Job’s time (post-Flood, patriarchal era), Behemoth would remain among the most awe-inspiring living creatures. Being called “first” (or “chief”) underscores its unparalleled greatness, not that it predated all creation. Genesis 1:24-25 affirms land animals created on Day 6 alongside humanity—“which I made along with you” (v. 15). Ancient Testimony Beyond Scripture • Greco-Roman writers (Pliny, Aelian) mention “serpents” of Libyan swamps thirty cubits long. • The Babylonian “sirrush” relief on Ishtar Gate resembles a sauropod-like creature with powerful hind legs. • Dragon legends from China to Scandinavia preserve collective memory of outsized reptiles, consistent with human-dinosaur coexistence. Theological Significance 1. Divine Sovereignty: Behemoth’s inapproachable size magnifies God, not the creature. 2. Human Limitation: Job, righteous yet finite, cannot subdue Behemoth; only the Maker “can approach him with His sword” (v. 19b). 3. Creation Integrity: The passage confirms that God’s created order, even post-Fall, still reflects His glory and wisdom. Pastoral and Practical Application • Humility: Recognizing the limits of human strength fosters reliance on the Lord (Proverbs 3:5-6). • Worship: Observing God’s craftsmanship in the natural world fuels awe (Revelation 4:11). • Witness: The reality of such “chief” creatures provides a bridge for gospel conversations—moving from creation’s grandeur to Christ’s greater work of redemption (Colossians 1:15-20). Conclusion In Job 40:19 the creature called Behemoth—the massive, plant-eating, cedar-tailed colossus—stands as the “first (chief) of the works of God.” A biblically consistent, literal reading best aligns with a sauropod-type dinosaur witnessed by post-Flood humanity. Whether or not such animals survive today, their fossilized remains and the inspired record together proclaim the Creator’s unmatched power, leading the thoughtful observer toward reverent submission and, ultimately, to the resurrected Christ who upholds “all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3). |
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