Job 41:8 (KJV)

What does Job 41:8 mean?

Job 41:8 warns that anyone who tries to seize Leviathan will face a fight so fierce that they will not attempt it again. The verse asks the listener to imagine reaching out to touch the creature, then to consider the struggle that would follow.

God is speaking to Job, and “him” refers to Leviathan, the powerful creature described in the surrounding passage. The command “remember the battle” places the imagined encounter before Job as a warning.

The Hebrew behind Job 41:8

• “hand” — כַּף (kaph): This word can mean the palm of the hand. It makes the imagined contact with Leviathan vivid and close.
• “remember” — זָכַר (zakar): This word can mean to call something to mind. Here, it asks Job to picture the consequences of the encounter.
• “more” — יָסַף (yasaph): This word can carry the sense of doing something again. In “do no more,” it points to the end of any further attempt.

Why Job 41:8 matters

• The warning is about a direct encounter, not merely seeing Leviathan from a distance. “Lay thine hand upon him” pictures someone trying to handle the creature.
• The verse makes the creature’s strength clear through the expected result: after the “battle,” the person will “do no more.” That helps explain why the description treats Leviathan as a formidable opponent.