It makes its tail stiff ¹  like a cedar, the sinews of its thighs are tightly wound.

biblegateway Job 40:17

"He bends his tail like a cedar; The sinews of his thighs are knit together.

He stiffens his tail like a cedar tree; the tendons of his thighs are woven firmly together.

It makes its tail stiff like a cedar. The ligaments of its thighs are intertwined.

biblegateway Job 40:17

His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are close-knit.

He makes his tail stiff like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are knit together.

bibleoremus Job 40:17

It makes its tail stiff like a cedar; the sinews of its thighs are knit together.

His tail is rigid as a cedar, the sinews of his flanks are tightly knit;

biblegateway Job 40:17

He moves his tail like a cedar; The sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.

He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together.

biblegateway Job 40:17

It makes its tail stiff ¹  like a cedar, the sinews of its thighs are tightly wound.

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.