Chapter commentary
Job Chapter 41
1
Job 41:1-34.
简体中文
English original
Job 41:1-34.
1. leviathan--literally, "the twisted animal," gathering itself in folds: a synonym to the Thannin
(Job 3:8,
Margin; see
Ps 74:14;
type of the Egyptian tyrant;
Ps 104:26; Isa 27:1;
the Babylon tyrant). A poetical generalization for all cetacean, serpentine, and saurian monsters (see on
Job 40:15,
hence all the description applies to no one animal); especially the crocodile; which is naturally described after the river horse, as both are found in the Nile.
tongue . . . lettest down?--The crocodile has no tongue, or a very small one cleaving to the lower jaw. But as in fishing the tongue of the fish draws the baited hook to it, God asks, Canst thou in like manner take leviathan?
2
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简体中文
2. 钩子（hook）——更当译作“灯心草绳”。
荆棘（thorn）——更当译作“环”或“钩”。野兽被捕获后就是如此被牵着走的（赛37:29；结29:4）；鱼也用此法系住，扔在水中以保活。
English original
2. hook--rather, "a rope of rushes."
thorn--rather, a "ring" or "hook." So wild beasts were led about when caught
(Isa 37:29; Eze 29:4);
fishes also were secured thus and thrown into the water to keep them alive.
3
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3. 柔声的话（soft words）——你好留它的性命。不：它是不可驯服的。
English original
3. soft words--that thou mayest spare his life. No: he is untamable.
4
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简体中文
4. 它能被驯服作家用吗？（参伯39:10-12）。
English original
4. Can he be tamed for domestic use (so
Job 39:10-12)?
5
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简体中文
5. 一只鸟？（a bird?）——即被驯服的。
English original
5. a bird?--that is, tamed.
6
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简体中文
6. 更当译作：“伙伴”（即合伙打鱼）。
设摆筵席（make a banquet）——平行句更支持翁布雷特（UMBREIT）：“伙伴（生意上的）要购买它吗？”希伯来文如此（申2:6）。
商人（merchants）——原文作“迦南人”，他们是大商家（何12:7，边注）。
English original
6. Rather, "partners" (namely, in fishing).
make a banquet--The parallelism rather supports UMBREIT, "Do partners (in trade) desire to purchase him?" So the Hebrew
(De 2:6).
merchants--literally, "Canaanites," who were great merchants
(Ho 12:7,
Margin).
7
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简体中文
7. 它的皮不能穿透，不像鱼的皮。
English original
7. His hide is not penetrable, as that of fishes.
8
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简体中文
8. 你若按住……你必永远记得……并且永不再试。
English original
8. If thou lay . . . thou wilt have reason ever to remember . . . and thou wilt never try it again.
9
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9. 指望（the hope）——即捕取它的指望。
丧胆（cast down）——因“见它的（仅仅是）样子”而惧怕。
English original
9. the hope--of taking him.
cast down--with fear "at the (mere) sight of him."
10
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10. 凶猛（fierce）——即勇敢。人若敢攻击我的一种受造物（创49:9；民24:9），谁敢（如约伯所愿）与我这造物主为敌呢（诗2:2）？这是鳄鱼描述的主旨。
English original
10. fierce--courageous. If a man dare attack one of My creatures
(Ge 49:9; Nu 24:9),
who will dare (as Job has wished) oppose himself
(Ps 2:2)
to Me, the Creator? This is the main drift of the description of leviathan.
11
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11. 在我以先（prevented）——即先施恩于我：以服事在先（诗21:3）。无人能因我收回对他的恩惠（如约伯的事例）而指控我（“站在我面前”，伯41:10）为不义；因无人曾以那本已属我之物施恩于我，使我负先前之责。人能给那拥有一切——包括人自己——的神什么呢？人尚不能使受造物作他的“仆人”（伯41:4），何况造物主。
English original
11. prevented--done Me a favor first: anticipated Me with service
(Ps 21:3).
None can call Me to account ("stand before Me,"
Job 41:10)
as unjust, because I have withdrawn favors from him (as in Job's case): for none has laid Me under a prior obligation by conferring on Me something which was not already My own. What can man give to Him who possesses all, including man himself? Man cannot constrain the creature to be his "servant"
(Job 41:4),
much less the Creator.
12
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12. I will not conceal——重接此前因离题而中断的描述;那离题之作恰成可喜的变换。
his power——字面意为“道路”,即其力量的真实比例或表达(希伯来文用法亦如此,见
De 19:4)。
comely proportion——字面意为“他体格的俊美”(他的装备:正如“一套衣裳”
Jud 17:10)
[MAURER]。UMBREIT 译作“他的铠甲”。但那是之后才提到的。
English original
12. I will not conceal--a resumption of the description broken off by the digression, which formed an agreeable change.
his power--literally, "the way," that is, true proportion or expression of his strength (so Hebrew,
De 19:4).
comely proportion--literally, "the comeliness of his structure" (his apparatus: so "suit of apparel"
Jud 17:10)
[MAURER]. UMBREIT translates, "his armor." But that follows after.
13
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13. discover——更宜译作“揭开他外衣(皮肤,
Job 10:11)
的表面”:剥去那覆盖内层皮肤的坚硬外层。
with——更宜作“在他双额之间”;字面作“髌”;故指髌所套之处,即双排牙齿;但用“髌”暗示无人敢将手伸入以插入髌——这在别的兽类身上是髌所在之处
(Job 41:4; 39:10)。
English original
13. discover--rather, "uncover the surface" of his garment (skin,
Job 10:11):
strip off the hard outer coat with which the inner skin is covered.
with--rather, "within his double jaws"; literally, "bridle"; hence that into which the bridle is put, the double row of teeth; but "bridle" is used to imply that none dare put his hand in to insert a bridle where in other animals it is placed
(Job 41:4; 39:10).
14
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14. doors of . . . face——他的口。他的牙齿有六十颗,比身体比例更大,有些突出,有些锯齿状,彼此相合如梳[BOCHART]。
English original
14. doors of . . . face--his mouth. His teeth are sixty in number, larger in proportion than his body, some standing out, some serrated, fitting into each other like a comb [BOCHART].
15
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15. 更宜作:他的“盾牌之垄”(如“管子”、“沟槽”,见
Job 40:18),
等等,即如盾牌般覆盖他的鳞片垄:他有十七垄之多。
shut up——紧紧闭合。火枪弹不能穿透他,唯眼、喉、腹例外。
English original
15. Rather, his "furrows of shields" (as "tubes," "channels," see on
Job 40:18),
are, &c., that is, the rows of scales, like shields covering him: he has seventeen such rows.
shut up--firmly closed together. A musket ball cannot penetrate him, save in the eye, throat, and belly.
18
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18. 译作:“他的喷嚏发出闪光。”两栖动物在水下憋气良久之后浮出,呼吸时猛烈地吐气如打喷嚏;在这股劲中,那通常朝向太阳的眼睛似乎冒火;或是那喷出的气在日光中似乎发光。
eyelids of morning——埃及象形文字以鳄鱼的眼睛为清晨的象征,因为眼睛是最先出现的,在全身体从深处出来之前[Horæ Hieroglyphicæ 1.65. BOCHART]。
English original
18. 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, because the eyes appear the first thing, before the whole body emerges from the deep [Horæ Hierogliphicæ 1.65. BOCHART].
19
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19. burning lamps——“火炬”;即呼吸时\n (Job 41:18)
似乎喷出的。
English original
19. burning lamps--"torches"; namely, in respiring
(Job 41:18),
seem to go out.
20
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20. seething——沸腾:字面作“在下吹”,其下有火在吹。
English original
20. seething--boiling: literally, "blown under," under which a fire is blown.
21
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21. kindleth coals——诗意的喻象\n (Ps 18:8)。
English original
21. kindleth coals--poetical imagery
(Ps 18:8).
22
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22. remaineth——永久常存。他的主要力量在颈。
sorrow——拟人化的忧虑或惊惶。
is turned into joy——更宜作:“跳舞”、“欢跃”;他所到之处,都在“他前面”散布惊惶。
English original
22. remaineth--abideth permanently. His chief strength is in the neck.
sorrow--anxiety or dismay personified.
is turned into joy--rather, "danceth," "exulteth"; wherever he goes, he spreads terror "before him."
23
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23. flakes——更宜作:“垂肉”;那垂下之物(旁记)。它们紧相连,紧固,不松垂,如牛的垂肉。
are firm——UMBREIT 与 MAURER 作“展开”。
in themselves——更宜作:“在他身上”。
English original
23. flakes--rather, "dewlaps"; that which falls down (Margin). They are "joined" fast and firm, together, not hanging loose, as in the ox.
are firm--UMBREIT and MAURER, "are spread."
in themselves--rather, "upon him."
24
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24. heart——“在感觉较迟钝的大兽中,心极为坚实,运动也较慢”[BOCHART]。下磨石——上磨石在其上转动——尤其坚硬。
English original
24. heart--"In large beasts which are less acute in feeling, there is great firmness of the heart, and slower motion" [BOCHART]. The nether millstone, on which the upper turns, is especially hard.
25
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简体中文
25. he——鳄鱼;是创造主在怒中兴起时所赐敬畏的预表。
breakings——即心的破碎,即恐怖。
purify themselves——更宜作:“他们偏离道路”,即困惑地逃跑[MAURER 与 UMBREIT]。
English original
25. he--the crocodile; a type of the awe which the Creator inspires when He rises in wrath.
breakings--namely, of the mind, that is, terror.
purify themselves--rather, "they wander from the way," that is, flee away bewildered [MAURER and UMBREIT].
26
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26. cannot hold——在他坚硬的皮肤上无法抓住。
habergeon——铠甲;无效一词必须以轭式修辞法从第二句动词“抓住”中取义:“抓住”不适用于“铠甲”。
English original
26. cannot hold--on his hard skin.
habergeon--coat of mail; avail must be taken by zeugma out of "hold," as the verb in the second clause: "hold" cannot apply to the "coat of mail."
27
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简体中文
27. iron . . . brass——即武器。
English original
27. iron . . . brass--namely, weapons.
28
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28. arrow——字面作“弓之子”;乃东方的意象
(La 3:13;
旁注)。
stubble——箭矢射在他身上,如同向他掷碎秸一般,毫无作用。
English original
28. arrow--literally, "son of the bow"; Oriental imagery
(La 3:13;
Margin).
stubble--Arrows produce no more effect than it would to throw stubble at him.
29
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29. Darts——更宜作:“棍棒”;飞镖(箭矢)前文已提及
(Job 41:26)。
English original
29. Darts--rather, "clubs"; darts have been already mentioned
(Job 41:26).
30
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30. stones——更宜作:“碎瓦片”,即它腹部如破陶碎片般尖锐的鳞甲。
sharp-pointed things——更宜作:“打谷的器具”,却不在地的出产上,而在“泥上”;这是反讽。它伏在泥上之时,鳞甲的印记如此深印其上,人恍以为一架利齿交错的打谷器刚从上面拖过
(Isa 28:27)。
English original
30. stones--rather, "potsherds," that is, the sharp and pointed scales on the belly, like broken pieces of pottery.
sharp-pointed things--rather, "a threshing instrument," but not on the fruits of the earth, but "on the mire"; irony. When he lies on the mire, he leaves the marks of his scales so imprinted on it, that one might fancy a threshing instrument with its sharp teeth had been drawn over it
(Isa 28:27).
31
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31. 每当它动弹之时。
sea——尼罗河
(Isa 19:5; Na 3:8)。
pot of ointment——调制香膏之器。此喻贴切于鳄鱼,因它发出麝香之气。
English original
31. Whenever he moves.
sea--the Nile
(Isa 19:5; Na 3:8).
pot of ointment--the vessel in which it is mixed. Appropriate to the crocodile, which emits a musky smell.
32
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32. path——它行过时留下的泡沫。
hoary——如老人的白发。
English original
32. path--the foam on his track.
hoary--as hair of the aged.
33
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33. who——即“作为一位……”,云云。
English original
33. who--being one who, &c.
34
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34. beholdeth——以居高临下之态观看。
children of pride——骄傲凶猛的野兽。如
Job 28:8;
希伯来文作“骄傲之子”。谦抑人的骄傲、教导人无条件顺服,正是耶和华的发言以及本书的宗旨;故此他论到鳄鱼——神在受造之物中主权之象征——以此作结。
English original
34. beholdeth--as their superior.
children of pride--the proud and fierce beasts. So
Job 28:8;
Hebrew, "sons of pride." To humble the pride of man and to teach implicit submission, is the aim of Jehovah's speech and of the book; therefore with this as to leviathan, the type of God in His lordship over creation, He closes.
伯41:1-34。
1. 鳄鱼（leviathan）——原文直译作“扭曲的动物”，指将身体蜷曲成褶皱的活物：是 Thannin（伯3:8边注；参诗74:14，为埃及暴君的预表；诗104:26；赛27:1，为巴比伦暴君的预表）的同义词。这是对所有鲸类、蛇类、蜥蜴类巨兽的诗意概括（参伯40:15的注释，故全部描述并不适用于任何单一动物），尤指鳄鱼；鳄鱼既与河马同出于尼罗河，自然在河马之后加以描述。
舌头……拉出来？（tongue . . . lettest down?）——鳄鱼没有舌头，或只有一条很小的舌头贴在下颚上。但正如钓鱼时鱼的舌头将上了饵的钩吸住，神问：你能否照样钓取鳄鱼？