איוב, פרק מ׳, פסוק כ״ג

The raw power and unimaginable size of this mighty creature are vividly displayed in its ability to consume enormous quantities of water without a trace of fear. This behavior highlights its absolute dominance over nature and its complete self-assurance within its environment.

The primary approach among commentators is that the creature's drinking is akin to an act of robbery. It is so colossal that when it drinks, the water level visibly drops. It appears to be stealing the river for itself, depriving all other living beings of their water supply [רש״י, רמב״ן, אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד]. While some understand this as referring to any river [מצודת ציון], a specific view identifies this as the abundant Euphrates River [רש״י]. Expanding on this idea of theft, another perspective suggests that the creature does not merely steal the water, but also devours and destroys all the animals living within it [מלבי״ם].

As it consumes these massive waters, the creature acts without any sense of haste. Commentators agree that it drinks slowly and peacefully, completely free from the anxiety or fear of any predator or human hunter [אבן עזרא, רמב״ן, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. It can linger for hours at the water's edge, feeling no need to rush off in search of shelter or shade [אלשיך]. Alternatively, this lack of distress might describe the creature's physical resilience, meaning its stomach does not ache or harden despite the staggering volume of water it ingests [רש״י]. Another interpretation shifts the focus from the creature to the water itself, suggesting that the river's current actually slows down and stops rushing because the creature is pulling the water in so forcefully [רלב״ג].

This absolute confidence extends to its ability to draw the entirety of the Jordan River directly into its mouth [רש״י, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The process is understood as a powerful, continuous pulling and extracting of the water [אבן עזרא, רלב״ג, מצודת ציון], drawing the river straight into its massive belly [מלבי״ם]. The creature takes a monumental gulp, calmly waits for more water to flow down from upstream, and then effortlessly draws it in again [אלשיך]. To truly grasp the sheer scale of this consumption, a tradition illustrates that with just one single swallow, the creature consumes the equivalent of half a year's worth of the Jordan River's entire water flow [מנחת שי].