Job 41:25
He beholdeth every high thing, he is king over all the children of pride.
The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Omne sublime videt : ipse est rex super universos filios superbiæ.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- πᾶν ὑψηλὸν ὁρᾷ, αὐτὸς δὲ βασιλεὺς πάντων τῶν ἐν τοῖς ὕδασιν.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Job 41:26
- אֵֽת כָּל גָּבֹ֥הַּ יִרְאֶ֑ה ה֝֗וּא מֶ֣לֶךְ עַל כָּל בְּנֵי שָֽׁחַץ
Haydock's commentary
He is king, &c. He is superior in strength to all that are great and strong amongst living creatures: mystically it is understood of the devil, who is king over all the proud. (Challoner) (St. Gregory xxxiv. 4., and 17.) (Worthington)
Hence Job perceived that God has also now permitted this cruel foe to exercise a dominion over him, and to pull him from his high station, though innocent. (Haydock)
This would henceforward be more frequently the order of Providence, and therefore he expresses his entire resignation, chap. xlii. (Houbigant)
Pride: the strongest and fiercest animals. (Haydock)
The crocodile has been seen encountering even the elephant, and gaining the victory. He is king of all fishes. Septuagint, "of all in the waters." Chaldean, "of all the sons of the mountains:" or Theodotion, "of arrogance." This may particularly denote the Egyptians, as the crocodile was one of their gods; and people are often styled after them, Numbers xxi. 29., and Jeremias xlviii. 46. (Calmet)
Pharao even means "a crocodile," in Arabic. (Bochart, Anim. p. ii. b. v. 16.)
He is styled simply, the proud, Psalm lxxxviii. 11. (Calmet)
The pride of the Egyptians was notorious, Ezechiel xxxii. 12. (Calmet)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
Origen Origen De Principiis, Chapter VIII
3. But perhaps this question is asked, If it be the understanding which prays and sings with the spirit, and if it be the same which receives both perfection and salvation, how is it that Peter says, “Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls?” If the soul neither prays nor sings with the spirit, how shall it hope for salvation? or when it attains to blessedness, shall it be no longer called a soul? Let us see if perhaps an answer may be given in this way, that as the Saviour came to save what was lost, that which formerly was said to be lost is not lost when it is saved; so also, perhaps, this which is saved is called a soul, and when it has been placed in a state of salvation will receive a name from the Word that denotes its more perfect condition. …