Job 39:20

20 Can you frighten him like a locust? His majestic snorting strikes terror.

Job 39:20 Meaning and Commentary

Job 39:20

Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper?
&c.] Which is frightened at every noise, and at any approach of men; but not so the horse; or canst thou move him, or cause him to skip and jump, or rather leap like a grasshopper? that is, hast thou given, or canst thou give him the faculty of leaping over hedges and ditches, for which the horse is famous? so Neptune's war horses are said F17 to be (euskarymoi) , good leapers;

the glory of his nostrils [is] terrible:
which may be understood of his sneezing, snorting, pawing, and neighing, when his nostrils are broad, spread, and enlarged; and especially when enraged and in battle, when he foams and fumes, and his breath comes out of his nostrils like smoke {r}, and is very terrible.


FOOTNOTES:

F17 Homeri Iliad. 13. v. 31.
F18 "Iguescunt patulae nares". Claudian. in 4. Consul. Honor.

Job 39:20 In-Context

18 When she lifts herself on high, She scorns the horse and its rider.
19 "Have you given the horse strength? Have you clothed his neck with thunder?
20 Can you frighten him like a locust? His majestic snorting strikes terror.
21 He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength; He gallops into the clash of arms.
22 He mocks at fear, and is not frightened; Nor does he turn back from the sword.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.