Job 40:22

The shady trees cover him [with] their shadow,.... Under which it lies, as in Job 40:21; which is thought not so well to agree with the elephant, since, according to Aelianus h and other writers, it lies not down, at least but rarely, but sleeps standing; it being very troublesome to it to lie down and rise up again; and besides it is represented by some authors i as higher than the trees, and therefore this is supposed to agree better with the river horse; especially since it follows,

the willows of the brook compass him about; or the willows of the Nile, as some choose to render it; which would put it out of all doubt that the river horse is intended, if it could be established, it being an inhabitant of that river; and yet the above writer k speaks of elephants, when grown old, seeking large thick and shady woods to take up their abode in.

h Ibid. (Aelian. de Animal.) c. 31. i Ibid. l. 7. c. 6. k Ibid. c. 2.