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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Job 7:12 Am I the sea, or the monster of the deep, that You must keep me under guard?</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/job/7-12.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/8/18_Job_07_12.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Job 7:12 - Job Continues: Life Seems Futile" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="Am I the sea, or the monster of the deep, that You must keep me under guard?" /><script type="application/javascript" 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src="/ad12.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/job/7-11.htm" title="Job 7:11">◄</a> Job 7:12 <a href="/job/7-13.htm" title="Job 7:13">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#audio" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Audio Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Cross </a> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Study Bible"> Study </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Heb </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/job/7.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/job/7.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />Am I the sea, or the monster of the deep, that you put me under guard?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/job/7.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />Am I a sea monster or a dragon that you must place me under guard?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/job/7.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />Am I the sea, or a sea monster, that you set a guard over me?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/job/7.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />Am I the sea, or the monster of the deep, that You must keep me under guard?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/job/7.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br /><i>Am</i> I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/job/7.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br /><i>Am</i> I a sea, or a sea serpent, That You set a guard over me?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/job/7.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />“Am I the sea, or the sea monster, That You set a guard over me?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/job/7.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />&#8220Am I the sea, or the sea monster, That You set a guard over me?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/job/7.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />“Am I the sea, or the sea monster, That Thou dost set a guard over me?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/job/7.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />Am I the sea or the sea monster, That You set a guard over me?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/job/7.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />“Am I the sea, or the sea monster, That You set a guard over me?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/job/7.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />Am I the sea or a sea monster, that you keep me under guard?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/job/7.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />Am I the sea or a sea monster, that You keep me under guard? <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/job/7.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />Am I a sea, or a sea-monster, That thou settest a watch over me?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/job/7.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />Am I the sea or a sea monster? Is that why you imprison me? <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/job/7.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />Am I a sea, or a sea-monster, that thou settest a watch over me?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/job/7.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />"Am I the sea or a sea monster that you have set a guard over me?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/job/7.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />Why do you keep me under guard? Do you think I am a sea monster? <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/job/7.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />Am I the sea, or a sea monster, that you keep watching me?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/job/7.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />Am I the sea, or the monster of the deep, that You must keep me under guard?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/job/7.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />Am I the sea, or the creature of the deep, that you must put me under guard? <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/job/7.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />Am I a sea, or a sea monster, that you put a guard over me?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/job/7.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/job/7.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />Am I a sea, or a sea monster, that you put a guard over me? <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/job/7.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />Am I a sea [monster], or a dragon, "" That You set a watch over me?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/job/7.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> A sea -monster am I, or a dragon, That thou settest over me a guard?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/job/7.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />Am I the sea, or a dragon, that thou wilt set a watch over me?<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/job/7.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou hast enclosed me in a prison? <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/job/7.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />Am I an ocean or a whale, that you have encircled me in a prison?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/job/7.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />Am I the Sea, or the dragon, that you place a watch over me? <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/job/7.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />Am I the Sea, or the Dragon, that you set a guard over me?<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/job/7.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />Am I a sea, or a sea monster, that thou settest a watch over me?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/job/7.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />Am I the sea or a dragon that you post a watch over me?<div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/job/7.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />Am I a sea, or a sea-monster, That Thou settest a watch over me?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/job/7.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />Am I a sea, or a serpent, that thou hast set a watch over me?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/job/7-12.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XAwuD5NuZq0?start=1091" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/job/7.htm">Job Continues: Life Seems Futile</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">11</span>Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. <span class="reftext">12</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/589.htm" title="589: ’ā·nî (Pro-1cs) -- I. Contracted from 'anokiy; I.">Am I</a> <a href="/hebrew/3220.htm" title="3220: hăyām- (Art:: N-ms) -- A sea or large body of water; specifically, the Mediterranean Sea; sometimes a large river.">the sea,</a> <a href="/hebrew/518.htm" title="518: ’im- (Conj) -- If. A primitive particle; used very widely as demonstrative, lo!">or</a> <a href="/hebrew/8577.htm" title="8577: tan·nîn (N-ms) -- Serpent, dragon, sea monster. Or tanniym; intensive from the same as tan; a marine or land monster, i.e. Sea-serpent or jackal.">the monster of the deep,</a> <a href="/hebrew/3588.htm" title="3588: kî- (Conj) -- That, for, when. ">that</a> <a href="/hebrew/7760.htm" title="7760: ṯā·śîm (V-Qal-Imperf-2ms) -- To put, place, set. Or siym; a primitive root; to put.">You must keep me under</a> <a href="/hebrew/5921.htm" title="5921: ‘ā·lay (Prep:: 1cs) -- Properly, the same as al used as a preposition; above, over, upon, or against in a great variety of applications."></a> <a href="/hebrew/4929.htm" title="4929: miš·mār (N-ms) -- Place of confinement, jail, prison, guard, watch, observance. From shamar; a guard; a deposit; also a usage, or an example.">guard?</a> </span><span class="reftext">13</span>When I think my bed will comfort me and my couch will ease my complaint,…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/139-9.htm">Psalm 139:9-10</a></span><br />If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle by the farthest sea, / even there Your hand will guide me; Your right hand will hold me fast.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jonah/1-17.htm">Jonah 1:17</a></span><br />Now the LORD had appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the fish.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/74-13.htm">Psalm 74:13-14</a></span><br />You divided the sea by Your strength; You smashed the heads of the dragons of the sea; / You crushed the heads of Leviathan; You fed him to the creatures of the desert.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/27-1.htm">Isaiah 27:1</a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ezekiel/29-3.htm">Ezekiel 29:3</a></span><br />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.’<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/104-25.htm">Psalm 104:25-26</a></span><br />Here is the sea, vast and wide, teeming with creatures beyond number, living things both great and small. / There the ships pass, and Leviathan, which You formed to frolic there.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/matthew/8-24.htm">Matthew 8:24-27</a></span><br />Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was engulfed by the waves. But Jesus was sleeping. / The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” / “You of little faith,” Jesus replied, “why are you so afraid?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it was perfectly calm. ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/mark/4-39.htm">Mark 4:39-41</a></span><br />Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. “Silence!” He commanded. “Be still!” And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm. / “Why are you so afraid?” He asked. “Do you still have no faith?” / Overwhelmed with fear, they asked one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/luke/8-24.htm">Luke 8:24-25</a></span><br />The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters, and they subsided, and all was calm. / “Where is your faith?” He asked. Frightened and amazed, they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him!”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/revelation/12-9.htm">Revelation 12:9</a></span><br />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.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/51-9.htm">Isaiah 51:9-10</a></span><br />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? / Was it not You who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea for the redeemed to cross over?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/89-9.htm">Psalm 89:9-10</a></span><br />You rule the raging sea; when its waves mount up, You still them. / You crushed Rahab like a carcass; You scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/51-34.htm">Jeremiah 51:34</a></span><br />“Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured me; he has crushed me. He has set me aside like an empty vessel; he has swallowed me like a monster; he filled his belly with my delicacies and vomited me out.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/revelation/13-1.htm">Revelation 13:1</a></span><br />Then I saw a beast with ten horns and seven heads rising out of the sea. There were ten royal crowns on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/psalms/107-23.htm">Psalm 107:23-30</a></span><br />Others went out to sea in ships, conducting trade on the mighty waters. / They saw the works of the LORD, and His wonders in the deep. / For He spoke and raised a tempest that lifted the waves of the sea. ...</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">Am I a sea, or a whale, that you set a watch over me?</p><p class="hdg">I a sea.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/job/7-17.htm">Job 7:17</a></b></br> What <i>is</i> man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/job/38-6.htm">Job 38:6-11</a></b></br> Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; … </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/lamentations/3-7.htm">Lamentations 3:7</a></b></br> He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.</p><p class="hdg">a whale.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/job/41-1.htm">Job 41:1-34</a></b></br> Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord <i>which</i> thou lettest down? … </p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/job/6-4.htm">Deep</a> <a href="/nehemiah/2-13.htm">Dragon</a> <a href="/nehemiah/12-39.htm">Guard</a> <a href="/exodus/7-10.htm">Monster</a> <a href="/job/6-3.htm">Sea</a> <a href="/psalms/74-13.htm">Sea-'Monster</a> <a href="/deuteronomy/28-20.htm">Settest</a> <a href="/nehemiah/12-45.htm">Watch</a> <a href="/matthew/12-40.htm">Whale</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/job/10-21.htm">Deep</a> <a href="/psalms/91-13.htm">Dragon</a> <a href="/psalms/12-7.htm">Guard</a> <a href="/psalms/74-13.htm">Monster</a> <a href="/job/9-8.htm">Sea</a> <a href="/psalms/74-13.htm">Sea-'Monster</a> <a href="/job/7-17.htm">Settest</a> <a href="/job/13-27.htm">Watch</a> <a href="/ezekiel/32-2.htm">Whale</a><div class="vheading2">Job 7</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/job/7-1.htm">Job excuses his desire of death.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">12. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/job/7-12.htm">He complains of his own restlessness, and reasons with God.</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/job/7.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/job/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/job/7.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>Am I the sea</b><br>In ancient Near Eastern culture, the sea often symbolized chaos and disorder. The sea was seen as a powerful and uncontrollable force, representing the unknown and the untamed aspects of creation. In the context of Job, he is questioning why he is being treated as if he were a chaotic force that needs to be restrained. This reflects Job's feeling of being unjustly targeted by God, as he sees himself as a mere human, not a chaotic entity. The sea is also a recurring motif in Scripture, representing both physical and spiritual turmoil, as seen in <a href="/genesis/1-2.htm">Genesis 1:2</a> and <a href="/revelation/21.htm">Revelation 21:1</a>.<p><b>or the monster of the deep</b><br>The "monster of the deep" likely refers to mythological creatures such as Leviathan or Rahab, which are mentioned elsewhere in the Bible (e.g., <a href="/job/41.htm">Job 41</a>, <a href="/isaiah/27.htm">Isaiah 27:1</a>). These creatures symbolize chaos and evil, often depicted as being subdued by God. Job's reference to such a monster underscores his feeling of being unjustly treated as a threat or adversary. In a broader biblical context, these creatures can be seen as types of Satan or evil forces that God ultimately controls and defeats, as seen in <a href="/revelation/12-9.htm">Revelation 12:9</a>.<p><b>that You must keep me under guard?</b><br>Job feels as though he is being watched and restrained by God, similar to how one might guard against a dangerous entity. This reflects his sense of being under constant divine scrutiny and suffering without cause. The idea of God keeping watch is a theme throughout Scripture, often associated with protection and care (<a href="/psalms/121-3.htm">Psalm 121:3-4</a>), but here it is perceived negatively by Job. This phrase also highlights the tension between God's sovereignty and human suffering, a central theme in the Book of Job. Job's lament can be seen as a precursor to the suffering of Christ, who also experienced feelings of abandonment and unjust treatment, as seen in <a href="/matthew/27-46.htm">Matthew 27:46</a>.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/j/job.htm">Job</a></b><br>A man described as blameless and upright, who feared God and shunned evil. He is the central figure in the Book of Job, experiencing intense suffering and questioning God's justice.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/g/god.htm">God</a></b><br>The Almighty Creator, whom Job addresses in his lament, questioning the reasons for his suffering and the perceived need for divine surveillance.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_sea.htm">The Sea</a></b><br>Often symbolizing chaos and danger in ancient Near Eastern literature, the sea represents forces beyond human control.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_monster_of_the_deep.htm">The Monster of the Deep (Leviathan)</a></b><br>A mythical sea creature symbolizing chaos and evil, often used in biblical literature to depict God's power over creation.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/j/job's_suffering.htm">Job's Suffering</a></b><br>The context of Job's lament, where he feels overwhelmed by his afflictions and questions the necessity of his suffering.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/u/understanding_suffering.htm">Understanding Suffering</a></b><br>Job's question reflects a deep struggle with understanding the purpose of suffering. Believers can relate to this struggle and are encouraged to seek God's wisdom and perspective in times of trial.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/g/god's_sovereignty.htm">God's Sovereignty</a></b><br>The imagery of the sea and Leviathan reminds us of God's ultimate control over all creation, including the chaotic and seemingly uncontrollable aspects of our lives.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/f/faith_in_uncertainty.htm">Faith in Uncertainty</a></b><br>Like Job, we may not always understand God's ways, but we are called to trust in His goodness and sovereignty, even when life feels overwhelming.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_role_of_lament.htm">The Role of Lament</a></b><br>Job's honest expression of his feelings before God teaches us the importance of lament as a form of prayer, allowing us to bring our deepest concerns and questions to God.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/h/hope_in_redemption.htm">Hope in Redemption</a></b><br>The biblical account assures us that God will ultimately defeat chaos and evil, offering hope and redemption through Jesus Christ.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_job_7.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Job 7</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/does_job_7_12_imply_myth_over_history.htm">In Job 7:12, why does Job reference the sea or a monstrous creature (possibly Leviathan)—and does this suggest any mythological element at odds with a strictly historical reading of Scripture? </a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/key_themes_of_the_general_epistles.htm">How do you cut Rahab into pieces?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/evidence_for_rahab_and_dragon_in_isaiah.htm">Isaiah 51:9 references the defeat of Rahab and the dragon. Is there any historical or archaeological evidence to clarify who or what these entities represent?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_to_reconcile_psalm_55_22_with_suffering.htm">Psalm 55:22 promises God will sustain those who cast their burdens on Him. How do we reconcile this with the extensive suffering often seen in reality?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/job/7.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(12) <span class= "bld">Am I a sea, or a whale . . .?</span>--This very hard verse it seems most reasonable to explain, if we can, from Scripture itself: <span class= "ital">e.g., </span>in <a href="/jeremiah/5-22.htm" title="Fear you not me? said the LORD: will you not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?">Jeremiah 5:22</a> we read, "Fear ye not me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea?" The writer was probably familiar with Egypt when the Nile, which is still called the sea, was carefully watched and guarded by dykes that its overflow might not destroy the land. So Job exclaims, "Am I like the sea, or one of its monsters--like that Leviathan which Thou hast made to take his pastime therein, that Thou keepest guard over me and makest me thy prisoner continually, shutting me up on every side so fast in prison that I cannot get free?"<p><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/job/7.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 12.</span> - Job now begins his complaint, which is wholly addressed to God. The heads of it are: <p><span class="note_emph">(1)</span> that he is confined and restrained, allowed no liberty (ver. 12); <p><span class="note_emph">(2)</span> that he is terrified by visions in the night (vers. 13, 14); <p><span class="note_emph">(3)</span> that he is not "let alone" (ver. 16); . . . <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/job/7-12.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">Am I</span><br /><span class="heb">אָ֭נִי</span> <span class="translit">(’ā·nî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Pronoun - first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_589.htm">Strong's 589: </a> </span><span class="str2">I</span><br /><br /><span class="word">the sea,</span><br /><span class="heb">הֲ‍ֽיָם־</span> <span class="translit">(hăyām-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Article | Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3220.htm">Strong's 3220: </a> </span><span class="str2">A sea, the Mediterranean Sea, large river, an artifical basin</span><br /><br /><span class="word">or</span><br /><span class="heb">אִם־</span> <span class="translit">(’im-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunction<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_518.htm">Strong's 518: </a> </span><span class="str2">Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not</span><br /><br /><span class="word">the monster of the deep,</span><br /><span class="heb">תַּנִּ֑ין</span> <span class="translit">(tan·nîn)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_8577.htm">Strong's 8577: </a> </span><span class="str2">A marine, land monster, sea-serpent, jackal</span><br /><br /><span class="word">that</span><br /><span class="heb">כִּֽי־</span> <span class="translit">(kî-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunction<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3588.htm">Strong's 3588: </a> </span><span class="str2">A relative conjunction</span><br /><br /><span class="word">You must keep me under</span><br /><span class="heb">תָשִׂ֖ים</span> <span class="translit">(ṯā·śîm)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_7760.htm">Strong's 7760: </a> </span><span class="str2">Put -- to put, place, set</span><br /><br /><span class="word">guard?</span><br /><span class="heb">מִשְׁמָֽר׃</span> <span class="translit">(miš·mār)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_4929.htm">Strong's 4929: </a> </span><span class="str2">Place of confinement, jail, prison, guard, watch, observance</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/job/7-12.htm">Job 7:12 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/job/7-12.htm">Job 7:12 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/job/7-12.htm">Job 7:12 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/job/7-12.htm">Job 7:12 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/job/7-12.htm">Job 7:12 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/job/7-12.htm">Job 7:12 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/job/7-12.htm">Job 7:12 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/job/7-12.htm">Job 7:12 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/job/7-12.htm">Job 7:12 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/job/7-12.htm">Job 7:12 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/job/7-12.htm">OT Poetry: Job 7:12 Am I a sea or a sea (Jb) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/job/7-11.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Job 7:11"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Job 7:11" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/job/7-13.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Job 7:13"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Job 7:13" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>