Job 39:30

30 His young ones suck up blood; and where the slain are, there is he."

Job 39:30 Meaning and Commentary

Job 39:30

Her young ones also suck up blood
As well as herself, being brought up to it by her. The eagle cares not for water, but drinks the blood of her prey; and so her young ones after her, as naturalists report F23. And Aelianus says F24 the same of the hawk, that it eats no seeds, but devours flesh and drinks blood, and nourishes her young ones with the same.

And where the slain are, there is she;
where there has been a battle, and carcasses left on the field, the eagles will gather to them. This is particularly true of that kind of eagles called vulture eagles, as Aristotle F25 and Pliny F26 observe; see ( Matthew 24:28 ) . Now since Job was so ignorant of the nature of these creatures, and incapable of governing and directing them; and what they had of any excellency were of God, and not of him, nor of any man; how unfit must he be to dispute with God, and contend with him about his works of providence? which to convince him of was the design of this discourse about the creatures; and which had its intended effect, as appears in the next chapter.


FOOTNOTES:

F23 Aristot. de Animal. l. 8. c. 3. 18. Aelianus, l. 2. c. 26.
F24 Ib. l. 10. c. 14.
F25 Hist. Animal. l. 9. c. 32.
F26 Nat. Hist. l. 10. c. 3.

Job 39:30 In-Context

28 On the rock he dwells and makes his home in the fastness of the rocky crag.
29 Thence he spies out the prey; his eyes behold it afar off.
30 His young ones suck up blood; and where the slain are, there is he."
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.