Job 41:16
New International Version
each is so close to the next that no air can pass between.

New Living Translation
They are so close together that no air can get between them.

English Standard Version
One is so near to another that no air can come between them.

Berean Standard Bible
One scale is so near to another that no air can pass between them.

King James Bible
One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.

New King James Version
One is so near another That no air can come between them;

New American Standard Bible
“One is so close to another That no air can come between them.

NASB 1995
“One is so near to another That no air can come between them.

NASB 1977
“One is so near to another, That no air can come between them.

Legacy Standard Bible
One is so near to another That no air can come between them.

Amplified Bible
“One is so near to another That no air can come between them.

Christian Standard Bible
One scale is so close to another that no air can pass between them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
One scale is so close to another that no air can pass between them.

American Standard Version
One is so near to another, That no air can come between them.

Contemporary English Version
firmly bound and closer together

English Revised Version
One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
One is so close to the other that there is no space between them.

Good News Translation
Each one is joined so tight to the next, not even a breath can come between.

International Standard Version
Each one is so close to the other that not even air comes in between them.

Majority Standard Bible
One scale is so near to another that no air can pass between them.

NET Bible
each one is so close to the next that no air can come between them.

New Heart English Bible
One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.

Webster's Bible Translation
One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.

World English Bible
One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
They draw near to one another, "" And air does not enter between them.

Young's Literal Translation
One unto another they draw nigh, And air doth not enter between them.

Smith's Literal Translation
One shall touch upon another, and the wind shall not come between them.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
One is joined to another, and not so much as any air can come between them :

Catholic Public Domain Version
One is joined to another, and not even air can pass between them.

New American Bible
They are fitted so close to each other that no air can come between them;

New Revised Standard Version
One is so near to another that no air can come between them.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
His mouth is tied up, and closely shut, as with a seal.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
They are touching one another, and air does not enter between them
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
One is so near to another, That no air can come between them.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
One part cleaves fast to another, and the air cannot come between them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
God's Power Shown in Leviathan
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.…

Cross References
Isaiah 27:1
In that day the LORD will take His sharp, great, and mighty sword, and bring judgment on Leviathan the fleeing serpent—Leviathan the coiling serpent—and He will slay the dragon of the sea.

Psalm 104:26
There the ships pass, and Leviathan, which You formed to frolic there.

Ezekiel 29:3
Speak to him and tell him that this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I am against you, O Pharaoh king of Egypt, O great monster who lies among his rivers, who says, ‘The Nile is mine; I made it myself.’

Isaiah 51:9
Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD. Wake up as in days past, as in generations of old. Was it not You who cut Rahab to pieces, who pierced through the dragon?

Psalm 74:14
You crushed the heads of Leviathan; You fed him to the creatures of the desert.

Revelation 12:9
And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

Revelation 20:2
He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.

Isaiah 43:16-17
Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea and a path through the surging waters, / who brings out the chariots and horses, the armies and warriors together, to lie down, never to rise again; to be extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:

Psalm 18:10
He mounted a cherub and flew; He soared on the wings of the wind.

Psalm 89:10
You crushed Rahab like a carcass; You scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm.

Ezekiel 32:2
“Son of man, take up a lament for Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him: ‘You are like a lion among the nations; you are like a monster in the seas. You thrash about in your rivers, churning up the waters with your feet and muddying the streams.’

Amos 9:3
Though they hide themselves atop Carmel, there I will track them and seize them; and though they hide from Me at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent to bite them.

Matthew 12:29
Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and steal his possessions, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.

Luke 11:21-22
When a strong man, fully armed, guards his house, his possessions are secure. / But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted, and then he divides up his plunder.

Mark 3:27
Indeed, no one can enter a strong man’s house to steal his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.


Treasury of Scripture

One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.

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Job 41
1. Of God's great power in the leviathan














One scale
The Hebrew word for "scale" here is "מַשְׁפֵּה" (mashpeh), which refers to the protective outer layer of a creature, specifically the Leviathan in this context. In ancient times, scales were seen as symbols of strength and impenetrability. The imagery of scales in the Bible often represents protection and defense, suggesting that the Leviathan is a creature of immense power and invulnerability. This can be seen as a metaphor for God's creation, which is both majestic and beyond human control.

is so near to another
The phrase emphasizes the closeness and tightness of the scales. In Hebrew, the concept of closeness here can be linked to the idea of unity and completeness. This reflects the perfection and meticulous design of God's creation. The scales being so near to each other that they form an unbreakable barrier can be seen as a representation of the divine order and the seamless nature of God's work.

that no air can pass between them
The Hebrew word for "air" is "רוּחַ" (ruach), which can also mean spirit or breath. The inability of air to pass between the scales signifies the impenetrable nature of the Leviathan's armor. In a broader spiritual sense, this can be interpreted as the impenetrability of God's wisdom and the futility of human attempts to fully comprehend His ways. The phrase suggests that just as air cannot penetrate the scales, human understanding cannot fully grasp the mysteries of God's creation.

Verse 16. - One is so near to another, that no air can come between them (see the comment on the preceding verse).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
One scale
אֶחָ֣ד (’e·ḥāḏ)
Number - masculine singular
Strong's 259: United, one, first

is so near
יִגַּ֑שׁוּ (yig·ga·šū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5066: To draw near, approach

to another
בְּאֶחָ֣ד (bə·’e·ḥāḏ)
Preposition-b | Number - masculine singular
Strong's 259: United, one, first

that no
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

air
וְ֝ר֗וּחַ (wə·rū·aḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular
Strong's 7307: Wind, breath, exhalation, life, anger, unsubstantiality, a region of the sky, spirit

can pass
יָב֥וֹא (yā·ḇō·w)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

between them.
בֵֽינֵיהֶֽם׃ (ḇê·nê·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's 996: An interval, space between


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OT Poetry: Job 41:16 One is so near to another that (Jb)
Job 41:15
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