Behold, Behemoth: Behold calls Job’s attention, “Look at, consider, think about.” Behemoth is the transliteration, or English spelling, of the Hebrew word. It is the plural of a common word meaning “animal” or “beast.” In the singular it is sometimes used to refer to cattle or domestic animals. The plural form is rare, and in this verse and Psalm 73.22 the plural is used, but with a singular verb. According to Dhorme the pluralization adds a dimension of greatness to this creature. Some interpreters identify this animal with the Egyptian hippopotamus, as in the Revised Standard Version footnote. Pope argues against Behemoth being a Nile hippopotamus and connects both Behemoth here and “Leviathan” in chapter 41 with ancient legends. There are two solutions taken by most modern translations in rendering Behemoth: many transliterate the word, while others use “hippopotamus.” Some, like Good News Translation, provide a note. Translators for languages in which the hippopotamus is as unknown as Behemoth may say: (a) “big animal called behemoth,” or (b) “big animal that lives near the water.” In most cases it is not sufficient to use a loan word with some defining words, and, because of the uniqueness of this beast, it is normally not advisable to suggest substituting some local animal. Many translators may wish to provide a note similar to Good News Translation.

Which I made as I made you begins with a relative particle and emphasizes that Behemoth is a real creature, a part of God’s creation just as Job is.

He eats grass like an ox: grass translates the same word rendered “plants” in 8.12. Ox translates a noun which may refer to cattle collectively, to a cow, or to a work animal, the ox. For a discussion of ox see 39.9. The hippopotamus eats water plants growing in and along the banks of rivers as well as grass and green plants growing some distance from rivers.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, Wiliam. A Handbook on Job. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1992. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .