Job 39

King James Version

Full text for Job Chapter 39

1¶ Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? [or] canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?

2Canst thou number the months [that] they fulfil? or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?

3They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones, they cast out their sorrows.

4Their young ones are in good liking, they grow up with corn; they go forth, and return not unto them.

5Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?

6Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings.

7He scorneth the multitude of the city, neither regardeth he the crying of the driver.

8The range of the mountains [is] his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.

9Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?

10Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?

11Wilt thou trust him, because his strength [is] great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?

12Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather [it into] thy barn?

13¶ [Gavest thou] the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?

14Which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in dust,

15And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them.

16She is hardened against her young ones, as though [they were] not hers: her labour is in vain without fear;

17Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding.

18What time she lifteth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.

19¶ Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?

20Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils [is] terrible.

21He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in [his] strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men.

22He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword.

23The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield.

24He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that [it is] the sound of the trumpet.

25He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

26¶ Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, [and] stretch her wings toward the south?

27Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?

28She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place.

29From thence she seeketh the prey, [and] her eyes behold afar off.

30Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain [are], there [is] she.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

God continues His discourse to Job, challenging his understanding of the natural world by presenting various wild creatures. He questions Job's knowledge of the birthing cycles of wild goats and hinds, and highlights the untamed freedom of the wild ass and the unyokeable strength of the unicorn. God further describes the ostrich's peculiar parenting and the magnificent, battle-eager horse, concluding with the soaring hawk and eagle, all demonstrating divine wisdom in creation.

Medium Summary

Continuing His discourse, the Lord confronts Job with the mysteries of the natural world, emphasizing His exclusive dominion over it. He first queries Job's knowledge of the birthing cycles of wild goats and hinds, whose young quickly become independent. Next, God describes the wild ass, free from human restraint, dwelling in the wilderness and scorning the city. The untamable unicorn is presented as a creature of immense strength, yet unwilling to serve man's agricultural purposes. God then contrasts the peacock's beauty with the ostrich's apparent lack of wisdom in parenting, yet its swiftness. Finally, the formidable war horse, full of strength and fearless in battle, and the high-flying hawk and eagle, with their keen sight and predatory nature, are brought forth as testaments to God's unparalleled creative power and wisdom, far exceeding human comprehension.

Long Summary

In Job 39, the Lord continues His profound interrogation of Job, illustrating His infinite wisdom and power through a series of wild animals, whose existence and behaviors are entirely beyond human influence or understanding. He begins by asking Job if he knows the birthing times of wild goats and hinds, noting how their young thrive and quickly become independent, never returning to their mothers. God then describes the wild ass, a creature He has set free, whose home is the wilderness, and who disdains the noise of the city and the control of a driver, finding its pasture in the mountains. The untamable unicorn is next presented, a creature of immense strength that cannot be yoked for human labor or trusted with agricultural tasks, underscoring its wild, unyielding nature. The discourse then shifts to birds, contrasting the "goodly wings" of the peacock with the ostrich, which lays its eggs carelessly in the dust, seemingly hardened against its young, a behavior attributed to God having deprived it of wisdom. Yet, this same ostrich, when it lifts itself, scorns the horse and its rider with its speed. Subsequently, God describes the mighty horse, endowed with strength and a "neck clothed with thunder," fearless in battle, mocking fear, and eager to meet armed men, responding with exhilaration to the trumpet's call. The chapter concludes with the hawk, whose migratory flight is guided by divine wisdom, and the eagle, which builds its nest on high rocks, surveying its prey from afar, its young feeding on blood, always found where the slain are. Through these diverse examples, God powerfully demonstrates His sovereign control over all creation, highlighting the vast chasm between His divine knowledge and Job's limited human understanding.

Core Concepts

  • Divine Knowledge of NatureGod's intimate understanding of the cycles and behaviors of wild animals, such as the birthing of wild goats and hinds, which are beyond human observation or control.
  • Untamed FreedomThe inherent wildness and independence of certain creatures, like the wild ass and the unicorn, which resist human domestication, control, or service.
  • Paradoxical WisdomThe example of the ostrich, which appears to lack parental wisdom by leaving its eggs vulnerable, yet possesses remarkable speed, illustrating God's unique design and distribution of attributes.
  • Strength and FearlessnessThe portrayal of the war horse, endowed with immense strength, a majestic appearance, and an unyielding, eager spirit in the face of battle, serving as a testament to divine power.
  • Instinct and HabitatThe natural instincts and preferred habitats of creatures like the hawk and eagle, whose migrations, high nests, keen sight, and predatory nature are divinely ordained and sustained.
  • Human LimitationsThe overarching theme that Job, and humanity, lacks the power, knowledge, and wisdom to command or comprehend the intricate workings of the natural world, especially its wild inhabitants, which are solely under God's dominion.