Thomas Aquinas Commentary Job 40:10-19

"Deck thyself now with excellency and dignity; And array thyself with honor and majesty. Pour forth the overflowings of thine anger; And look upon every one that is proud, and abase him. Look on every one that is proud, [and] bring him low; And tread down the wicked where they stand. Hide them in the dust together; Bind their faces in the hidden [place]. Then will I also confess of thee That thine own right hand can save thee. Behold now, behemoth, which I made as well as thee; He eateth grass as an ox. Lo now, his strength is in his loins, And his force is in the muscles of his belly. He moveth his tail like a cedar: The sinews of his thighs are knit together. His bones are [as] tubes of brass; His limbs are like bars of iron. He is the chief of the ways of God: He [only] that made him giveth him his sword." — Job 40:10-19 (ASV)

In the preceding remarks, the Lord had spoken of the effects of His power, which He works in evil men. Here, He goes on to describe the evil of the devil. It is clear from what has already been said that Job and his friends have the same opinion about the demons as the one the Catholic Church holds: that is, they fell from angelic dignity through sin. As the text has already said, Behold, those who serve Him are not stable (Job 4:18). Just as man falls from the dignity of reason through sin and, by acting against reason, is compared to irrational creatures, so the devil turned away from the supreme and intelligible goods through sin. Because he desired power over lower, earthly things, he is compared to brute animals. The demons frequently appear to man in the likeness of beasts. God foresaw this and gave them the ability to assume such bodily forms to fittingly represent their condition.

Consider that just as the angels who remain in their dignity possess a certain excellence above the dignity of men, and so appear to men in a brilliant light, so also the demons possess a certain excellence and primacy in evil over men. They are therefore described using the figures of certain extraordinary and almost monstrous animals. Among all land animals, the elephant excels in size and strength, and among aquatic animals, the whale. So the Lord describes the devil using the metaphor of an elephant and a whale. Thus, the name Behemoth, which means "animal," is applied to the elephant, which has a certain preeminence among other land animals because of the size of its body. The name Leviathan, which means "their addition," is applied to the large whales, which have an increase in size over every other genus of animal.

It might seem that the Lord, in the literal sense, intended to describe the characteristics of the elephant and whale because of the size in which they surpass other animals. However, the properties of these animals are described as a metaphor for something else. This is clear because after He has described the characteristics pertaining to this figure, the truth is added. After describing the properties of Behemoth, that is, the elephant, He adds, as if explaining the truth, He is the first of the ways of God (Job 40:14). When He has explained the properties of Leviathan, that is, the whale, He says, He is king over all the sons of pride (Job 41:25).

Job's dispute is concluded quite fittingly with a description of the devil, who is his adversary, for Satan was the beginning of his adversity, as stated above (Job 1:12). While Job's friends strove to attribute the cause of his adversity to Job himself, thinking he was punished for his sins, the Lord acts differently. After He contradicted Job about the disorder in his speech, He addresses the evil of Satan as if making the final determination of the argument. This was the origin of Job's adversity and is the origin of human damnation, in accord with Wisdom: By the envy of the devil, death entered the world .

First, He begins to describe Satan using the analogy of Behemoth, describing his resemblance to man by saying, Behold Behemoth, which I made with you. If this refers to the time of their origin as a metaphor, the truth is apparent, for man and the earthly animals were created together on the sixth day (Genesis 1:24). If, however, it refers to the devil, about whom these things are said figuratively, the devil does not seem to have been created at the same time as man. For we read that man was created on the sixth day, whereas Satan is believed to have been created with the angels in the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth.

But if the enumeration of days does not designate a succession of time but rather the different kinds of created things, according to the opinion of Augustine, there is no inconsistency. If, however, as others say, the creation of the angels preceded the creation of man in time, the word "with" can be understood in two ways. In one sense, "which I made with you" means "whom I made just as I made you." This is said to exclude the error of those who, considering the devil's evil, thought he was not a creature of the good God. In another sense, it means "whom I made with you" because the devil is like you in his intellectual nature. Some trace of this likeness is found in the elephant. For Aristotle says in his History of Animals 8 that "the animal most capable of domestication is the wild elephant, for one can teach it and it understands many things, since they are even trained to kneel before kings." This is not because it has an intellect but because of the quality of its natural estimative power.

After describing how Behemoth resembles man, the text describes his characteristics. To refer us first to the image, it describes three things about Behemoth. First is his food, when it says, He will eat grass like an ox. Literally, he is not a carnivorous animal but eats grass and other such things like an ox. Because grasses grow on land, this figuratively expresses that Satan feeds on—that is, he delights in—dominion over earthly things. Thus he says, boasting about himself in Luke, "They"—namely, the kingdoms of all the earth—"have been given to me, and I give them to whom I will" (Luke 4:6).

Second, it describes his mating habits, for the principal animal pleasures consist in food and intercourse. It describes the intercourse of the elephant first as to the source of pleasure by which animals are excited to intercourse, when it says, His strength is in his loins, for semen is drawn to the genital members from the loins or kidney area. Second, it describes the manner of intercourse. For, as the Philosopher says in History of Animals 5, "The female elephant undergoes coitus sitting down, and the male mounts her." This is what is meant by, and his power is in the navel of his belly; that is, he places his navel during coitus on the back of the female, and the navel must be very strong so as not to be ruptured due to the collision of such large bodies. Animals who perform coitus of this kind press the tail between their legs when they perform the sexual act, and so it says, He stiffens his tail like a cedar, which is said because of its great size. Third, it describes the organs serving coitus when it says, the sinews of his testicles are intertwined, that is, they are twisted, as the Philosopher says in History of Animals 3 about the testicles of all animals that walk and generate other animals.

These things cannot be literally applied to the devil, as if demons themselves have carnal intercourse like animals, taking pleasure in the act itself. For although, as Augustine says in Book 15 of The City of God, "the evil spirits are often said to have appeared to women, lusted after them, and consummated intercourse with them," they did not do this for their own enjoyment of intercourse. Rather, they enjoy leading people into these kinds of sins, to which they are especially prone. So Augustine says in Book 2 of The City of God, "Who does not understand what efforts these malignant spirits use to give authority and an example for criminal acts?" Because of this, as he says elsewhere in the same book, "Spirits of this kind delight in the obscenities of lust." Their delight is metaphorically expressed in the passages cited above. Since they are especially able to conquer people with this sin because of the concupiscence of the flesh, the text says, His strength is in his loins, which refers to men, and his power is in the navel of his belly, which refers to women. He stiffens his tail like a cedar, because those he casts into this sin he ultimately holds bound together in the sweet pleasure of their desire. The sinews of his testicles are intertwined, because if anyone cast down by this vice desires to flee, he is ensnared a second time on various occasions.

Third, the text describes the elephant's movement. They are said to have inflexible feet, shins, and legs in order to sustain their body's weight, and "they have solid bones without joints." To show this, it says, His bones are like tubes of bronze, because like bronze tubes they cannot be bent. This refers to the exterior organs of motion, which are the shins and legs. The interior organs of motion are certain cartilages and tendons, which are also not easily bent in elephants. Expressing this, it says, Their cartilage is like plates of iron, which cannot be flexed or extended. This indicates both the obstinacy of the devil, who cannot renounce his malicious designs, and his cruelty, by which he does not cease from the exterior harm of men.

The Lord explains these things that have been said figuratively, continuing, "He"—that is, Satan, about whom these metaphors are used—"is the first of the ways of God," that is, of His works. If "ways" refers to the works of creation, it is because Satan was created among the first creatures, or also because, according to some commentators, he was more excellent than other creatures. But it seems more fitting to the author's intention to understand the "ways of God" to mean the works of His providence. We should consider that for God, there is only one work that is properly fitting to His goodness: to give benefits and be merciful. The fact that He punishes and allows adversities to happen is due to the evil of rational creatures, which was first found in the devil and spread to humanity through his suggestion. Therefore, it clearly says, He is the first of the ways of God, because God uses different ways: to give benefits and to punish evil.

To prevent anyone from thinking that the devil is the "first of the ways of God" because he has the power to harm from himself alone, the text adds, He who made him will direct his sword, that is, his power to injure. The will to do harm comes from the devil himself, and for this reason, this power is called "his sword." But the act of harming can only come from the divine will or permission. Since it was said, He will eat grass like an ox (Job 40:10), the text now shows where he gets this grass to eat, saying, The mountains yield grass for him. By this, we understand that the proud and lofty people of this world offer the devil the material for his delight, or his "food." The text shows how this is done, saying, All the beasts of the field will play there. For just as wild animals gather in the mountains for security and leisure, according to the literal sense, so under the protection of people in high places, those who rage like beasts rest secure. This is clearly shown in Daniel: "beneath the tree"—which signifies kingly dignity—"animals and beasts live" (Daniel 4:9).

Next, the text describes his habitat. Consider here that Aristotle says in History of Animals 5, "Elephants stay in the wilderness and especially on the banks of rivers." Because there are usually reeds, willows, and shady places on the banks of rivers, the text therefore shows the habitat of the elephant, saying, He sleeps in the shade, in a thicket of reeds, in marshy places. Since this animal desires not just any kind of shade but deep, dark shade, it says, The shadows protect his shade, meaning that the smaller shade is protected by the larger shade from the heat. It shows the cause of this shade, saying, the willows of the brook cover him, for willows make a thicker and cooler shade than reeds. According to the literal sense, this animal dwells in shadowy places because it is a melancholy animal with a dry constitution and lives in hot climates. So it seeks the refreshment of dampness and shade against the warmth and dryness of the summer. By this is described the fact that the devil's sword has its effect not only in the "mountains" (the proud who nourish him with grass and protect the beasts playing in the fields) but also in people who live in leisure, as if in the shade. These people take care of this shade for themselves with great zeal, so that "the shadows protect their shade," and they nourish themselves on pleasure, as if in damp places.

For the same reason this animal seeks damp and shady places, it also drinks a lot of water. Aristotle says in History of Animals 7 that "an elephant drinks fourteen Macedonian measures of water in one draft and then later another eight." To describe the great quantity of his drink, the text says, He will swallow a river and not be amazed, because he is used to drinking a lot of water. After he has drunk a lot, he expects to drink even more, and so it says, he is confident that the Jordan can be drawn into his mouth. This is a river known in that part of the world where these things were recounted. When referring to the elephant, this is hyperbole. However, as these things refer to the devil, they describe his presumption, by which he confidently unites to himself, by their consent, all unstable people, even if they have some knowledge of God. To show this, the text specifically mentions the Jordan, a river that flows in the land where the true knowledge of God was found. The devil's sword has a special effect on these three kinds of people: the proud, the sensual, and the unstable, or those given over to the cares of this world, who can be symbolized by a river.

Yet some are not overcome by the devil but instead obtain victory over him. This pertains principally to Christ, about whom the Apocalypse says, Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah... has conquered (Revelation 5:5). Consequently, this happens to others through the grace of Christ, as 1 Corinthians says, Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57). The Lord describes this victory using the image of hunting the elephant, saying, In his eyes, the hunter will capture him as with a hook. The hunter is Christ and those who belong to Him.

One method of hunting elephants is said to consist of digging a deep pit in the elephant's path, into which it falls unknowingly. One hunter approaches the pit to strike and stab the elephant. Another hunter then comes, strikes the first hunter, and drives him away so that he cannot harm the elephant. This second hunter then gives the elephant barley to eat. After he has done this three or four times, the elephant comes to love the one who freed him, and in time, it becomes tame and obeys him. Thus, they are captured by food offered to them, like a fish on a hook.

There is another way of hunting elephants. As Aristotle says in History of Animals 9, "the hunters ride tame elephants, pursue wild elephants, and wound them with various kinds of weapons." The text expresses this, saying, and with stakes they will pierce his nose, where its flesh is more sensitive, which is why it is more often wounded there by hunters. In the spiritual sense, this describes how Christ overcame the devil by showing him a weak nature, so that the devil might be caught by it as if by a hook. Afterward, Christ exercised His power against him, as Colossians says, He disarmed the principalities and powers and made a public spectacle of them (Colossians 2:15).