Job 39 Study Notes

39:1-4 The female mountain goats (ibex) and deer are able to reproduce without human help. God controls the entire process.

39:5-8 God implied that he looks after the wild donkey in the desert, free from the work and constraints of its domesticated counterpart. There is a theme here: God has placed every animal in a suitable environment. The Hebrew word rendered scoffs can mean “laughs” or “plays”; it occurs six times in the divine speeches (vv. 7,18,22; 40:20; 41:5,29).

39:9-12 Only God could control the powerful wild ox (Hb re’em; probably the aurochs, Bos primigenius). Unlike the domesticated ox, the wild ox could not be harnessed to harvest man’s grain. The Assyrian King Sennacherib compared his indomitable courage and strength to that of the wild ox. Its long horns were symbolic of strength (Nm 23:22; 24:8; Dt 33:17).

39:13-18 The depiction of the ostrich conforms to popular conception rather than scientific observation. Because some females shared the same nesting area, one ostrich might look with disdain at another’s eggs. Though they are unintelligent, they can outrun horses. Even this strange animal is designed and watched over by God.

39:19-25 The horse was particularly prized and possessed by royalty (1Kg 4:26; 10:26-28). The horse’s great strength and swiftness made it an important part of ancient military forces, especially in pulling war chariots (Ex 15:1; Jdg 5:22; Jr 4:13; Nah 3:2). The leaping ability of locusts as well as their appearance and swift orderly advance when swarming made their comparison with horses a familiar one (Jl 2:4; Rv 9:7). The horse’s fearlessness, eagerness, and confidence in the face of battle is personified as his saying “Aha!” (John E. Hartley, The Book of Job, NICOT, textual footnote at Jb 39:25). The horse’s amazing physical qualities can only be attributed to God’s creative genius. He alone can strike terror into the otherwise fearless horse (Zch 12:4).

39:26-30 God closed this portion of his questioning of Job in the same way he began it. He challenged Job’s understanding about the workings of nature (38:4). Job had not taught the hawk how to fly or when and where to migrate. The eagle did not build its lofty nest in an inaccessible rocky crag (Ob 4) at Job’s direction. Job did not equip the eagle with keen eyesight. Eagles (and vultures) are at hand after military battles that leave corpses on the ground (Mt 24:28).