Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
Attention!
Take your personal ministry to the Next Level by helping StudyLight build churches and supporting pastors in Uganda.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Job 41:26

The sword that reaches him has no effect, nor does the spear or dart or arrow.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - God;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Leviathan;   Spear;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Habergeon;   Leviathan;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Habergeon;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Leviathan;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Armour;   Dart;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Leviathan;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Obsolete or obscure words in the english av bible;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Dart;   Habergeon;   Hunting;   Leviathan;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Dart;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The sword that reaches him will have no effect,nor will a spear, dart, or arrow.
Hebrew Names Version
If one lay at him with the sword, it can't avail; Nor the spear, the dart, nor the pointed shaft.
King James Version
The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon.
English Standard Version
Though the sword reaches him, it does not avail, nor the spear, the dart, or the javelin.
New Century Version
The sword that hits it does not hurt it, nor the arrows, darts, and spears.
New English Translation
Whoever strikes it with a sword will have no effect, nor with the spear, arrow, or dart.
Amplified Bible
"The sword that reaches him cannot avail, Nor [does] the spear, the dart, or the javelin.
New American Standard Bible
"The sword that reaches him cannot prevail, Nor the spear, the dart, or the javelin.
World English Bible
If one lay at him with the sword, it can't avail; Nor the spear, the dart, nor the pointed shaft.
Geneva Bible (1587)
When the sword doeth touch him, he will not rise vp, nor for the speare, dart nor habergeon.
Legacy Standard Bible
The sword that reaches it cannot avail,Nor the spear, the dart, or the javelin.
Contemporary English Version
No sword or spear can harm it,
Complete Jewish Bible
He looks straight at all high things. He is king over all proud beasts."
Darby Translation
If any reach him with a sword, it cannot hold; neither spear, nor dart, nor harpoon.
Easy-to-Read Version
Swords, spears, and darts only bounce off when they hit him. These weapons don't hurt him at all!
George Lamsa Translation
Because of the fear of him, the mighty are afraid;
Good News Translation
There is no sword that can wound him; no spear or arrow or lance that can harm him.
Lexham English Bible
Reaching it with the sword does not avail, nor with the spear, the dart, or the javelin.
Literal Translation
The sword overtakes him, but will not hold firm, nor the spear, the dart, or the javelin.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yff he drawe out the swearde, there maye nether speare ner brest plate abyde him.
American Standard Version
If one lay at him with the sword, it cannot avail; Nor the spear, the dart, nor the pointed shaft.
Bible in Basic English
The sword may come near him but is not able to go through him; the spear, or the arrow, or the sharp-pointed iron.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
He looketh at all high things; he is king over all the proud beasts.
King James Version (1611)
The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the speare, the dart, nor the habergeon.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
If any man drawe out a sword at him, it shall not hurt him: there may neither speare, laueling, nor brestplate abide him.
English Revised Version
If one lay at him with the sword, it cannot avail; nor the spear, the dart, nor the pointed shaft.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whanne swerd takith hym, it may not stonde, nethir spere, nether haburioun.
Update Bible Version
If one lays at him with the sword, it can't avail; Nor the spear, the dart, nor the pointed shaft.
Webster's Bible Translation
The sword of him that attacketh him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon.
New King James Version
Though the sword reaches him, it cannot avail; Nor does spear, dart, or javelin.
New Living Translation
No sword can stop it, no spear, dart, or javelin.
New Life Bible
The sword that hits him cannot cut. And spears are of no use.
New Revised Standard
Though the sword reaches it, it does not avail, nor does the spear, the dart, or the javelin.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
As for him that assaileth him, the sword availeth not, spear, dart, or coat of mail:
Douay-Rheims Bible
(41-17) When a sword shall lay at him, it shall not be able to hold, nor a spear, nor a breastplate.
Revised Standard Version
Though the sword reaches him, it does not avail; nor the spear, the dart, or the javelin.
Young's Literal Translation
The sword of his overtaker standeth not, Spear -- dart -- and lance.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"The sword that reaches him cannot avail, Nor the spear, the dart or the javelin.

Contextual Overview

11Who has given to Me that I should repay him? Everything under heaven is Mine. 12I cannot keep silent about his limbs, his power and his graceful form. 13Who can strip off his outer coat? Who can approach him with a bridle? 14Who can open his jaws, ringed by his fearsome teeth? 15His rows of scales are his pride, tightly sealed together. 16One scale is so near to another that no air can pass between them. 17They are joined to one another; they clasp and cannot be separated. 18His snorting flashes with light, and his eyes are like the rays of dawn. 19Firebrands stream from his mouth; fiery sparks shoot forth! 20Smoke billows from his nostrils as from a boiling pot over burning reeds.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

The sword: Job 39:21-24

habergeon: or, breastplate

Reciprocal: Exodus 28:32 - as it were Job 39:23 - General Job 41:7 - fish

Cross-References

Genesis 2:24
For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
Genesis 40:12
Joseph replied, "This is the interpretation: The three branches are three days.
Genesis 40:18
Joseph replied, "This is the interpretation: The three baskets are three days.
Genesis 41:2
when seven cows, sleek and well-fed, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds.
Genesis 41:5
but he fell back asleep and dreamed a second time: Seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, came up on one stalk.
Genesis 41:29
Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt,
Genesis 41:47
During the seven years of abundance, the land brought forth bountifully.
Genesis 41:53
When the seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end,
Exodus 12:11
This is how you are to eat it: You must be fully dressed for travel, with your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. You are to eat in haste; it is the LORD's Passover.
Exodus 26:6
Make fifty gold clasps as well, and join the curtains together with the clasps, so that the tabernacle will be a unit.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold,.... It is either broken by striking at him, or however cannot pierce him and stick in him; but since a sword is not used in fishery, rather the harpagon or harpoon may be meant, which cannot enter into the crocodile, being so fenced with scales; but the whale being struck with it, it enters deep into his flesh, and is wounded by it; wherefore this and what follows in the next verses seems best to agree with the crocodile, or some other fish;

the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon; that is, neither of these can fasten upon him or enter into him: and yet it is certain that the whale, after he has been struck and wounded by the harping-iron, men approach nearer to him and thrust a long steeled lance or spear under his gills into his breast, and through the intestines, which dispatches him: darts are not made use of in the whale fishery; and as for crocodiles, as Peter Martyr says c, they are not to be pierced with darts: the habergeon, or coat of mail, being a defensive piece of armour, seems not to be designed, as being never used in taking such creatures; rather therefore a javelin or hand dart may be intended; since, as Bochart observes, in the Arabic language such an one is expressed by this word.

c Apud Bochart. Hierozoic. par. 2. l. 5. c. 17. col. 785.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The sword of him that layeth at him - The word “sword” here (חרב chereb) means undoubtedly “harpoon,” or a sharp instrument by which an attempt is made to pierce the skin of the monster.

Cannot hold - That is, in the hard skin. It does not penetrate it.

The spear, the dart - These were doubtless often used in the attempt to take the animal. The meaning is, that “they” would not hold or stick to the animal. They flew off when hurled at him.

Nor the habergeon - Margin, “breastplate.” Noyes, “javelin.” Prof. Lee, “lance.” Vulgate, “thorax, breastplate.” So the Septuagint, θώρακα thōraka. The word used here (שׁריה shiryâh), the same as שׁריון shiryôn 1 Samuel 17:5, 1 Samuel 17:38; Neh 4:16; 2 Chronicles 26:14, means properly a “coat of mail,” and is so called from its shining - from שׁרה shârâh, “to shine.” It is not used in the sense of spear or javelin elsewhere, though perhaps it may have that meaning here - denoting a “bright” or “shining” weapon. This agrees best with the connection.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 41:26. Habergeon. — The hauberk, the Norman armour for the head, neck, and breast, formed of rings. See on Nehemiah 4:16.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile