Bible Studies

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At first I didn’t really think so. All that really matters to me is that God is my creator and I will fear Him. He sent His only Son to be my Savior and to be God with Us, so I will call Christ Jesus, my Lord and my Redeemer.

But there is a part of me that cannot rest, knowing that this part the Bible is causing such a disagreement among believers. There are strong Christians that believe that the behemoth is a hippopotamus and there are those that believe it is not.

So I had to ask myself, “What message to Job and the rest of mankind, was God trying to get across?” Was God trying to get across just how powerful and mighty He truly is and that none of His creation can claim His majesty or power? In fact, that none even come close?

The hippopotamus definitely would not get that point across. The hippos may be greatly feared, because they have killed many men, more so it is claimed than even crocodiles have killed. When studying animals though, you will find even deer have killed men when trapped and afraid. You can name many animals that have killed and terrified men, but of all those animals, there have been none that men cannot kill.

It is said that the best way to kill a hippo, is when it is in the water and to shoot it directly between the eyes. Fishermen and hunters are killing them all the time because they disturb the fishing and they make great lion bait. Lions will kill hippos by jumping on their backs to get one of their favored foods.

This above statement then would make God’s to claim to Job and the rest of mankind not very great. How great is God with His sword, when men have been killing hippos all along.

Job 40:19 He is the first of the ways of God;
Only He who made him can bring near His sword.

There is another verse that has brought much controversy on this subject.

Job 40:17 He moves his tail like a cedar;
The sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.

The problem with this verse is that some have tried to make it say that the tail of the behemoth looked like a cedar, when it really says that it moves it like a cedar.

But the problem with a hippopotamus and his tail, is that it doesn’t sway its tail like a mighty cedar tree (which is large and heavy). In fact, sometimes the hippo will twirl its tail like a propeller and then proceed to do its thing (which I won’t mention... you can look this info up for yourself). There are those who don’t even want to call it a tail, but something else, but that doesn’t fit either.


To have a tail that would sway like a cedar, it must have been a pretty special tail that would need strong hips, good stomach muscles and tightly bound ball and socket joints to move it.

Job 40:16 See now, his strength is in his hips, And his power is in his stomach muscles. 17 He moves his tail like a cedar; The sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.

Again the point being that God is using an animal that Job knows and is in awe of and being one of the first of the ways of God. In fact, if Job didn’t know of this animal, God’s speech to him, would not have meant very much to Job or to me either.

Job 40:19 He is the first of the ways of God;
Only He who made him can bring near His sword.

Can I tell you what animal that the behemoth is? No, because I have never seen a live animal that would fit all the criteria of the behemoth in Job.

But I will tell you that I believe that it was a land animal, created on the same day of creation as mankind and that it is extinct at this time and it was a very great animal. And I also believe that the Bible is the Truth and it is not a book of confusion or contradictions.

There are other reasons why this is important and I would be happy to discuss it with any that are interested. Knowing our creator is vital to our belief and faith in Him and in Him alone.

You can have all this world, just give me Jesus!

This article is dedicated to our Lord Jesus Christ, the Immanuel, who is “God with us”.
Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 8:8-10, Isaiah 9:6-7, Matthew 1:22-24, John 5:40-47

"Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson,
Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved."

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