^40:10 Behold Behemoth, whom I made with you. He will eat hay like an ox.
^40:11 His strength is in his loins, and his power is in the navel of his belly;
^40:12 he draws together his tail like a cedar; the sinews of his testicles are intertwined.
^40:13 His bones are like pipes of bronze; his cartilage is like plates of iron.
^40:14 He is the beginning of the ways of God. He who made him will apply his sword.
^40:15 For him the mountains bring forth grasses; all the beasts of the field will play there.
^40:16 Under the shade he sleeps, in the covert of the reed, in moist places.
^40:17 The shades protect his shade; the willows of the torrent will surround him.
^40:18 He will swallow a river and not be amazed; he has confidence that the Jordan may flow into his mouth.
^40:19 He will catch him by his eyes as with a hook, and with stakes he will pierce his nostrils.

534. Behold Behemoth, whom I made with you, etc. Above, the Lord had recounted the effects of his power that he works in wicked men; but now he proceeds to describe the malice of the devil. Now it is manifest from the preceding things that among Job and his friends there was the same opinion concerning demons that the Catholic Church now holds, namely, that they fell through sin from angelic dignity; whence above in 4:18 it was said: behold, those who serve him are not stable. And just as man through sin falls from the dignity of reason and, acting against reason, is compared to irrational animals, so also the devil, through sin turning himself away from the highest and intelligible goods, while he sought dominion over lower and earthly things, is compared to brute animals, in whose appearance demons frequently appear to men, God providing this, that they be permitted to assume such figures of bodies by which their condition may be designated.

535. Now it should be considered that, just as the Angels remaining in their dignity have a certain excellence above the dignity of men, whence they also appear to men in a certain brighter splendor, so also the demons have a certain excellence and principality in malice above men, and therefore they are described under the figure of certain excellent and, as it were, monstrous animals. But among all terrestrial animals the elephant excels in size and strength, while among aquatic animals the whale excels; and therefore the Lord describes the devil under the figure of the elephant and the whale, so that this name Behemoth, which signifies animal, is referred to the elephant, which among the other terrestrial animals, which are more commonly called animals, holds a certain principality because of the size of its body; but the name Leviathan, which signifies their addition, is referred to the great whales, which have an addition of size beyond every genus of animals.

536. Now perhaps it could seem to someone that the Lord intended literally to express the properties of the elephant and the whale because of the size by which they surpass the other animals. But that the properties of these animals are described as a figure of another is manifest from the fact that, once the properties pertaining to the figure have been set down, the truth is added. For after the properties of Behemoth, that is, of the elephant, have been set forth, as though explaining the truth, he adds: He is the beginning of the ways of God; and after the properties of Leviathan, that is, of the whale, have been set forth, he adds: He is king over all the children of pride. And quite fittingly the disputation of Job, which is about his adversity, is brought to an end in the description of the devil, because above also Satan is recalled as having been the beginning of his adversity. And so, while the friends of Job were striving to refer the cause of his adversity to Job himself, thinking that he had been punished because of his sins, the Lord, after he had reproved Job for disordered speech, as though applying the final determination to the disputation, treats of the malice of Satan, which was the beginning of Job’s adversity and is the beginning of human damnation, according to Wisdom 2:24: by the envy of the devil, death entered into the world.

537. Therefore, beginning first to describe Satan under the figure of Behemoth, he assigns his fitting relation to man, saying: Behold Behemoth, whom I made with you. And if this is referred to the time of the beginning of both with respect to the figure, the truth is apparent: for on the sixth day the terrestrial animals were produced together with man. But if it is referred to the devil, of whom these things are said figuratively or metaphorically, it does not seem that the devil was made together with man: for man is read to have been made on the sixth day, but Satan is believed to have been made among the Angels in the beginning, when God created heaven and earth. But if that enumeration of days does not designate a succession of time, but the different kinds of things produced, according to the opinion of Augustine, no contradiction is found; but if, according to the exposition of others, the creation of the Angels preceded the production of man in duration, this word can be understood in two ways. In one way, the sense is: whom I made with you, that is, whom I made just as I made you; and he says this to exclude the error of those who, considering the malice of the devil, judged that he was not a creature of the good God. In another way, the sense is: whom I made with you, that is, having a likeness with you with respect to intellectual nature. And some trace of this likeness also appears in the elephant: for Aristotle says in the eighth book On Animals that the elephant is the most tamable of wild animals: for it is taught and understands many things, since they are also taught to adore kings; this is not said because it has intellect, but because of the goodness of its natural estimative power.

538. Therefore, after describing the fitting relation of Behemoth with man, he describes its properties; and, to refer this first to the figure, he seems to describe three things concerning Behemoth:

first indeed its food, when he says: He will eat hay like an ox; for literally it is not an animal that eats flesh, but herbs and other such things, in the manner of an ox. And because herbs are born from the earth, through this is figured that Satan feeds, that is, delights, in dominion over earthly things; whence he also boastfully says of himself in Luke 4:6: they have been handed over to me, namely, the kingdoms of the world, and to whomever I wish, I give them.

539. Second, he describes its coitus: for in food and coitus the principal pleasures of animals consist.

Now he describes the coitus of the elephant first indeed with respect to the principle of lust, by which animals are moved to coitus, when he says: His strength is in his loins; for from the loins, or from the kidneys, seed is derived to the genital organs.

Second, he describes the manner of coitus: for, as the Philosopher says in the fifth book On Animals, the female elephant undergoes coitus sitting down, and the male mounts, and he signifies this by adding: and his power is in the navel of his belly, because, namely, he places his navel over the back of the female in coitus; and there must be great strength in the navel lest it be broken because of the collision of such large bodies. But animals in which such a manner of coitus is found draw their tail between their hind legs when they mate; whence he adds: he draws together his tail like a cedar, which is said because of its size.

Third, he describes the organs that serve coitus when he adds: the sinews of his testicles are intertwined, that is, they have certain convolutions, as the Philosopher describes in the third book On Animals concerning the testicles of all animals that walk and generate animals.

540. But these things cannot be referred literally to the devil, as though the demons themselves had bodily intercourse in the manner of animals, as though delighted by the very act of intercourse. For although, as Augustine says in the fifteenth book of The City of God, certain wicked incubi are often said to have appeared to women, and to have desired and accomplished intercourse with them, nevertheless they do not do this as though delighted by intercourse, but they delight in this, that they induce men to such sins, to which they are especially prone. Hence Augustine says in the second book of The City of God: Who does not understand how greatly malign spirits strive by their example to provide authority for crimes? And because of this, as he himself says elsewhere in the same book, spirits of this kind are delighted by the obscenities of lust; and their delight is expressed metaphorically in the preceding words. And because, on account of concupiscence of the flesh, they can especially overcome men according to this vice, he therefore says: His strength is in his loins, so that this be referred to men, and his power is in the navel of his belly, so that this be referred to women; he draws together his tail like a cedar, because those whom he casts down into this sin he holds bound in the end by the sweetness of pleasure; the sinews of his testicles are intertwined, because if anyone cast down into this vice strives to escape, he is repeatedly ensnared by various occasions.

541. Third, he describes the movement of elephants, of which it is said that they have inflexible feet, shanks, and legs for sustaining the weight of the body, and they have solid bones without joints. And to designate this he says: His bones are like pipes of bronze, because they cannot be bent, just as neither can pipes of bronze; and this is referred to the exterior organs of motion, which are the shanks and legs. But the interior organs of motion are certain cartilages and sinews, which also in elephants are not easily bent, and with respect to this he adds: his cartilage is like plates of iron, which, namely, cannot be bent and extended. And through this is signified the obstinacy of the devil, who cannot be drawn back from the purpose of his malice, and his cruelty, by which he does not cease from outward harm to men.

542. But the Lord explains these things, which have been said figuratively, adding: He, namely Satan, of whom the foregoing things have been said metaphorically, is the beginning of the ways of God, that is, of his works. And if this is referred to the works of creation, this is said for this reason, that Satan was established among the first creatures, or also because, according to some, he was more excellent among the other creatures. But it seems more fitting to the present purpose that by the ways of God we understand the works of his providence. Now it should be considered that for God there is one work alone that is proper and fitting to his goodness, namely, to do good and to have mercy; but that he punishes and brings in adversities happens because of the malice of the rational creature, which was first found in the devil and by his suggestion was derived to men. And therefore he expressly says that he is the beginning of the ways of God, that is, of the fact that God uses diverse ways, namely, by doing good and by punishing. And lest he be believed to be the beginning of the ways of God in such a way that by himself he is powerful to harm, he excludes this by adding: He who made him, namely God, will apply his sword, that is, his harmful operation; but the will to harm belongs to the devil from himself, on account of which it is called his sword,

but he has the effect of harming only from the divine will or permission. And because he had said that he eats hay like an ox, he shows whence he receives hay to eat, whence he adds: For him the mountains bring forth grasses, by which is understood that those who are lofty and proud in this age bring to the devil the matter of his delight or refreshment. And how this is so he shows, adding: all the beasts of the field will play there: for just as, literally, wild animals gather on mountains for security and leisure, so under a certain protection of lofty men, those who rage like beasts rest secure; this is signified in Daniel 4:9, where it is said that beneath the tree, by which royal dignity is signified, animals and beasts were dwelling.

543. Then he describes his dwelling. Here it should be considered that, as Aristotle says in the fifth book On Animals, elephants remain in solitary places, and especially around rivers; and because around rivers there are usually reed beds, willows, and shady places, therefore, to designate the dwelling of the elephant, he says: Under the shade he sleeps, in the covert of the reed, in moist places. And because this animal does not seek just any shade, but a dense one, he adds: The shades protect his shade, so that, namely, the lower shade may be defended from heat by the higher shade; and he designates the cause making the shade by adding: the willows of the torrent surround him, for willows make a denser and cooler shade than reeds. Now literally this animal inhabits shady places because it is a melancholic animal and of a dry complexion, and it dwells in hot lands; hence against the heat and dryness of summer it seeks the refreshment of moisture and shade. By this is designated that the sword of the devil has its effect not only in the mountains, that is, in the proud, who both bring him grasses and sustain the beasts of the field playing, but also in men who live in idleness as though in shade, which they strive with manifold effort to continue for themselves, so that shades protect shades, and who are nourished in delights as though in moist places.

544. But for the same reason for which this animal seeks moist and shady places, it also drinks much water; hence Aristotle says in the seventh book On Animals that a certain elephant once drank fourteen Macedonian metretae of water at one time, and again in the evening another eight. And therefore, to describe the greatness of its drinking, he adds: He will swallow a river and not be amazed, because, namely, he is accustomed to drink much; and again, after he has drunk much, he expects another great drink, whence he adds: he has confidence that the Jordan may flow into his mouth, which, namely, is a river known in that land where these things were being said. And these things are said hyperbolically insofar as they are referred to the elephant; but insofar as they are referred to the devil, in whose figure these things are said, his presumption is signified, by which he trusts that he can easily incorporate all unstable men to himself through consent, even if they have some knowledge of God. To signify this, the Jordan is introduced especially, which is a river in the land in which true knowledge of God was possessed: for in these three kinds of men the sword of the devil especially has its effect, namely, in the proud, the voluptuous, and the unstable, or those devoted to the cares of the world, who can be designated by a river.

545. Yet there are some who are not overcome by the devil, but rather obtain victory against him. This indeed belongs principally to Christ, of whom it is said in Revelation 5:5: Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered; but consequently it belongs to others through the grace of Christ, according to 1 Corinthians 15:57: But thanks be to God, who has given us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. And the Lord describes this victory under the likeness of elephant hunting, saying: By his eyes, as with a hook, he will catch him, namely, the hunter, by whom Christ and his own are signified. One method of hunting elephants is said to be this: an underground pit is made in the path of the elephant, into which it falls unknowingly; when one hunter comes to it, he strikes and goads it, but another of the hunters, coming, strikes the first hunter and removes him so that he does not strike the elephant, and gives the elephant barley to eat. When he has done this three or four times, the elephant loves the one freeing it, and thereafter, obeying him, becomes tame; and so they are captured by the food offered to them, just as fish are by a hook.

But there is also another method of hunting elephants, as Aristotle says in the eighth book On Animals, where he says that hunters ride domesticated elephants and pursue wild elephants and goad them with certain instruments; and to this can pertain what is added: and with stakes he will pierce his nostrils, in which, namely, they have more sensitive flesh, and therefore they are goaded there more by hunters. But by this it is mystically designated that Christ overcame the devil by showing him a weak nature, so that he might thus be caught by him as by a hook, and afterward he exercised his power against him, according to Colossians 2:15: despoiling principalities and powers, he led them away confidently.