Job 39

1 Knowest thou the time when the wild goats bring forth among the rocks, or hast thou observed the hinds when they fawn?

2 Hast thou numbered the months of their conceiving, or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?

3 They bow themselves to bring forth young, and they cast them, and send forth roarings.

4 Their young are weaned and go to feed: they go forth, and return not to them.

5 Who hath sent out the wild ass free, and who hath loosed his bonds?

6 To whom I have given a house in the wilderness, and his dwellings in the barren land.

7 He scorneth the multitude of the city, he heareth not the cry of the driver.

8 He looketh round about the mountains of his pasture, and seeketh for every green thing,

9 Shall the rhinoceros be willing to serve thee, or will he stay at thy crib?

10 Canst thou bind the rhinoceros with thy thong to plough, or will he break the clods of the valleys after thee?

11 Wilt thou have confidence in his great strength, and leave thy labours to him?

12 Wilt thou trust him that he will render thee the seed, and gather it into thy barnfloor?

13 The wing of the ostrich is like the wings of the heron, and of the hawk.

14 When she leaveth her eggs on the earth, thou perhaps wilt warm them in the dust.

15 She forgetteth that the foot may tread upon them, or that the beasts of the field may break them.

16 She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers, she hath laboured in vain, no fear constraining her.

17 For God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he given her understanding.

18 When time shall be, she setteth up her wings on high: she scorneth the horse and his rider.

19 Wilt thou give strength to the horse or clothe his neck with neighing?

20 Wilt thou lift him up like the locusts? the glory of his nostrils is terror.

21 He breaketh up the earth with his hoof, he pranceth boldly, he goeth forward to meet armed men.

22 He despiseth fear, he turneth not his back to the sword.

23 Above him shall the quiver rattle, the spear and shield shall glitter.

24 Chasing and raging he swalloweth the ground, neither doth he make account when the noise of the trumpet soundeth.

25 When he heareth the trumpet he saith: Ha, ha: he smelleth the battle afar off, the encouraging of the captains, and the shouting of the army.

26 Doth the hawk wax feathered by thy wisdom, spreading her wings to the south?

27 Will the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest in high places?

28 She abideth among the rocks, and dwelleth among cragged flints, and stony hills, where there is no access.

29 From thence she looketh for the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.

30 Her young ones shall suck up blood: and wheresoever the carcass shall be, she is immediately there.

Job 39 Commentary

Chapter 39

God inquires of Job concerning several animals.

- In these questions the Lord continued to humble Job. In this chapter several animals are spoken of, whose nature or situation particularly show the power, wisdom, and manifold works of God. The wild ass. It is better to labour and be good for something, than to ramble and be good for nothing. From the untameableness of this and other creatures, we may see, how unfit we are to give law to Providence, who cannot give law even to a wild ass's colt. The unicorn, a strong, stately, proud creature. He is able to serve, but not willing; and God challenges Job to force him to it. It is a great mercy if, where God gives strength for service, he gives a heart; it is what we should pray for, and reason ourselves into, which the brutes cannot do. Those gifts are not always the most valuable that make the finest show. Who would not rather have the voice of the nightingale, than the tail of the peacock; the eye of the eagle and her soaring wing, and the natural affection of the stork, than the beautiful feathers of the ostrich, which can never rise above the earth, and is without natural affection? The description of the war-horse helps to explain the character of presumptuous sinners. Every one turneth to his course, as the horse rushes into the battle. When a man's heart is fully set in him to do evil, and he is carried on in a wicked way, by the violence of his appetites and passions, there is no making him fear the wrath of God, and the fatal consequences of sin. Secure sinners think themselves as safe in their sins as the eagle in her nest on high, in the clefts of the rocks; but I will bring thee down from thence, saith the Lord, ( Jeremiah 49:16 ) . All these beautiful references to the works of nature, should teach us a right view of the riches of the wisdom of Him who made and sustains all things. The want of right views concerning the wisdom of God, which is ever present in all things, led Job to think and speak unworthily of Providence.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 39

This chapter treats of various creatures, beasts and birds, which Job had little knowledge of, had no concern in the making of them, and scarcely any power over them; as of the goats and hinds, Job 39:1-4; of the wild ass, Job 39:5-8; of the unicorn, Job 39:9-12; of the peacock and ostrich, Job 39:13-18; of the horse, Job 39:19-25; and of the hawk and eagle, Job 39:26-30.