Ayub 40:17-18

40:17 It makes its tail stiff ¹  like a cedar,

the sinews of its thighs are tightly wound.

40:18 Its bones are tubes of bronze,

its limbs like bars of iron.

Yehezkiel 37:4-8

37:4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and tell them: ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 37:5 This is what the sovereign Lord says to these bones: Look, I am about to infuse breath ²  into you and you will live. 37:6 I will put tendons ³  on you and muscles over you and will cover you with skin; I will put breath ⁴  in you and you will live. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

37:7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. There was a sound when I prophesied – I heard ⁵  a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 37:8 As I watched, I saw ⁶  tendons on them, then muscles appeared, ⁷  and skin covered over them from above, but there was no breath ⁸  in them.

Efesus 4:16

4:16 From him the whole body grows, fitted and held together ⁹  through every supporting ligament. ¹⁰  As each one does its part, the body grows in love.

[40:17]  ¹ tn The verb חָפַץ (khafats) occurs only here. It may have the meaning “to make stiff; to make taut” (Arabic). The LXX and the Syriac versions support this with “erects.” But there is another Arabic word that could be cognate, meaning “arch, bend.” This would give the idea of the tail swaying. The other reading seems to make better sense here. However, “stiff” presents a serious problem with the view that the animal is the hippopotamus.

[37:5]  ² tn Heb “I am about to bring a spirit.”

[37:6]  ³ tn The exact physiological meaning of the term is uncertain. In addition to v. 8, the term occurs only in Gen 32:33; Job 10:11; 40:17; and Jer 48:4.

[37:6]  ⁴ tn Or “a spirit.”

[37:7]  ⁵ tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.

[37:8]  ⁶ tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.

[37:8]  ⁷ tn Heb “came up.”

[37:8]  ⁸ tn Or “spirit.”

[4:16]  ⁹ tn The Greek participle συμβιβαζόμενον (sumbibazomenon) translated “held together” also has in different contexts, the idea of teaching implied in it.

[4:16]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “joint of supply.”