Job 39

1 Whether thou knowest the time of birth of wild goats in (the) stones, either hast thou espied hinds bringing forth calves? (Knowest thou the time of birth for the wild mountain goats, or hast thou seen the deer bringing forth their calves?)

2 Hast thou numbered the months of their conceiving, and hast thou known the time of their calving?

3 They be bowed down to [the] calf, and so calve; and they send out then roarings (and then they send out their roarings).

4 Their calves be separated from them, and go forth to pasture; they go out, and they turn not again to their mothers.

5 Who hath let go the wild ass free, and who hath loosed the bonds of him? (Who hath let the wild donkey go free, and who hath loosened his bonds?)

6 To whom I have given an house in (the) wilderness, and the tabernacles of him in the land of saltness. (To whom I have given a home in the desert, and his dwelling places in the salty land.)

7 He despiseth the multitude of the city; he heareth not the cry of the asker.

8 He looketh about the hills of his pasture, and he seeketh (after) all green things.

9 Whether an unicorn shall desire to serve thee, either shall dwell at thy cratch? (Shall a wild ox desire to serve thee, or shall he stay in thy stall?)

10 Whether thou shalt bind the unicorn with thy chain, for to ear thy land, either shall he break the clots of the valleys after thee? (Shalt thou bind the wild ox with thy chain, to plow thy land, or shall he break up the clods of the valleys after thee?)

11 Whether thou shalt have trust in his great strength, and shalt thou leave to him thy travails? (Shalt thou have trust in his great strength, and shalt thou leave thy work for him to do?)

12 Whether thou shalt believe to him (Shalt thou believe him), that he shall yield seed to thee, and shall gather (it) together (for) thy cornfloor?

13 The feather of an ostrich is like the feathers of a gyrfalcon, and of an hawk;

14 the which ostrich forsaketh his eggs in the earth, in hap thou shalt make those hot in the dust. (who forsaketh his eggs in the earth, and warmeth them under the sand.)

15 He forgetteth, that a foot treadeth those eggs, either that a beast of the field all-breaketh them.

16 He is made hard to his young, as if they were not his; he travailed in vain, while no dread constrained him. (He is hardened against his young, as if they were not his; he laboured in vain, while no fear constrained him.)

17 For God hath deprived him from wisdom, and he hath not given understanding to him. (For God hath deprived him of wisdom, and he hath not given him understanding.)

18 When time is, he raiseth the wings on high (And then the time cometh that he raise up his wings on high); he scorneth the horse, and his rider.

19 Whether thou shalt give strength to an horse, either shalt give neighing about his neck? (Hast thou given strength to a horse, and hast thou clothed his neck with a mane?)

20 Whether thou shalt raise him as locusts? The glory of his nostrils is dreaded. (Hast thou made that horse as frightening as a horde of locusts? The glory of his nostrils is fearful indeed!)

21 He diggeth [the] earth with his foot, he full out joyeth; and he goeth boldly against [the] armed men.

22 He despiseth fearedfulness, and he giveth not stead to [the] sword.

23 An arrow case shall sound upon him; a spear and a shield shall shine.

24 He is hot, or fervent, and gnasheth, and swalloweth the earth; and he areckoneth not that the cry of the trump soundeth (and he cannot be held when the cry of the trumpet soundeth).

25 When he heareth a clarion, he saith, Joy! he smelleth (the) battle afar (off); the exciting of dukes, and the yelling of the host (the orders of the leaders, and the yelling of the army).

26 Whether an hawk spreading abroad his wings to the south, beginneth to have feathers by thy wisdom? (Be it by thy wisdom that a hawk haveth feathers, and spreadeth his wings towards the south?)

27 Whether an eagle shall be raised up at thy commandment, and shall set his nest in high places?

28 He dwelleth in stones, and he abideth in flints broken before, and in rocks, to which men may not nigh. (He liveth on the stones, yea, on broken stones and rocks, to which men cannot come near.)

29 From thence he beholdeth (his) meat (From there he seeth his prey), and his eyes look from [a]far.

30 His young suck blood, and wherever a carrion is, anon he is present. (His young suck up the blood, and wherever there is a carcass, at once he is present.)

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.