Job 41:4 Meaning and Explanation
“Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →God asks if leviathan would bind himself to Job in a lasting agreement or become his lifelong servant.
What Does Job 41:4 Mean?
The imagery shifts to covenant and servitude. A tamed ox or hired man enters an agreement and serves; God asks whether Job could so domesticate leviathan into a perpetual bondservant. He could not.
The word covenant rings with deeper resonance for the reader, for the God who speaks here is a God who makes covenants with His people and keeps them forever. What Job cannot extract from a beast, the Lord freely offers to us: a binding promise of faithfulness. The creature will not be servant to man, yet the Creator graciously calls man into covenant fellowship with Himself.
Job 41:4 in the Original Language
berith (בְּרִית), 'covenant' -- a binding, often lifelong bond of mutual obligation and loyalty.
Frequently Asked Questions About Job 41:4
What does Job 41:4 mean?
God asks if leviathan would bind himself to Job in a lasting agreement or become his lifelong servant.