Job 39: The Wild and the Free
The LORD continues his questions, parading the mountain goats, wild donkey, ox, ostrich, war horse, hawk, and eagle, creatures untamed and beyond Job's control.
Job 39 (WEB)
1 “Do you know the time when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears fawns?
2 Can you number the months that they fulfill? Or do you know the time when they give birth?
3 They bow themselves, they bear their young. They end their labor pains.
4 Their young ones become strong. They grow up in the open field. They go out, and don’t return again.
5 “Who has set the wild donkey free? Or who has loosened the bonds of the swift donkey,
6 Whose home I have made the wilderness, and the salt land his dwelling place?
7 He scorns the tumult of the city, neither does he hear the shouting of the driver.
8 The range of the mountains is his pasture, He searches after every green thing.
9 “Will the wild ox be content to serve you? Or will he stay by your feeding trough?
10 Can you hold the wild ox in the furrow with his harness? Or will he till the valleys after you?
11 Will you trust him, because his strength is great? Or will you leave to him your labor?
12 Will you confide in him, that he will bring home your seed, and gather the grain of your threshing floor?
13 “The wings of the ostrich wave proudly; but are they the feathers and plumage of love?
14 For she leaves her eggs on the earth, warms them in the dust,
15 and forgets that the foot may crush them, or that the wild animal may trample them.
16 She deals harshly with her young ones, as if they were not hers. Though her labor is in vain, she is without fear,
17 because God has deprived her of wisdom, neither has he imparted to her understanding.
18 When she lifts up herself on high, she scorns the horse and his rider.
19 “Have you given the horse might? Have you clothed his neck with a quivering mane?
20 Have you made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is awesome.
21 He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength. He goes out to meet the armed men.
22 He mocks at fear, and is not dismayed, neither does he turn back from the sword.
23 The quiver rattles against him, the flashing spear and the javelin.
24 He eats up the ground with fierceness and rage, neither does he stand still at the sound of the trumpet.
25 As often as the trumpet sounds he snorts, ‘Aha!’ He smells the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
26 “Is it by your wisdom that the hawk soars, and stretches her wings toward the south?
27 Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up, and makes his nest on high?
28 On the cliff he dwells, and makes his home, on the point of the cliff, and the stronghold.
29 From there he spies out the prey. His eyes see it afar off.
30 His young ones also suck up blood. Where the slain are, there he is.”
Job 39 (KJV)
1 Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?
2 Canst thou number the months that they fulfil? or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?
3 They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones, they cast out their sorrows.
4 Their young ones are in good liking, they grow up with corn; they go forth, and return not unto them.
5 Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?
6 Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings.
7 He scorneth the multitude of the city, neither regardeth he the crying of the driver.
8 The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.
9 Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?
10 Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?
11 Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?
12 Wilt 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?
14 Which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in dust,
15 And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them.
16 She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers: her labour is in vain without fear;
17 Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding.
18 What 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?
20 Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is terrible.
21 He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men.
22 He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword.
23 The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield.
24 He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet.
25 He 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?
27 Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?
28 She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place.
29 From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.
30 Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain are, there is she.
Job 39 (ASV)
1 Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? Or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?
2 Canst thou number the months that they fulfil? Or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?
3 They bow themselves, they bring forth their young, They cast out their pains.
4 Their young ones become strong, they grow up in the open field; They go forth, and return not again.
5 Who hath sent out the wild ass free? Or who hath loosed the bonds of the swift ass,
6 Whose home I have made the wilderness, And the salt land his dwelling-place?
7 He scorneth the tumult of the city, Neither heareth he the shoutings of the driver.
8 The range of the mountains is his pasture, And he searcheth after every green thing.
9 Will the wild-ox be content to serve thee? Or will he abide by thy crib?
10 Canst thou bind the wild-ox with his band in the furrow? Or will he harrow the valleys after thee?
11 Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? Or wilt thou leave to him thy labor?
12 Wilt thou confide in him, that he will bring home thy seed, And gatherthe grainof thy threshing-floor?
13 The wings of the ostrich wave proudly; But are they the pinions and plumage of love?
14 For she leaveth her eggs on the earth, And warmeth them in the dust,
15 And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, Or that the wild beast may trample them.
16 She dealeth hardly with her young ones, as if they were not hers: Though her labor be in vain, she is without fear;
17 Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, Neither hath he imparted to her understanding.
18 What time she lifteth up herself on high, She scorneth the horse and his rider.
19 Hast thou given the horsehismight? Hast thou clothed his neck with the quivering mane?
20 Hast thou made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is terrible.
21 He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: He goeth out to meet the armed men.
22 He mocketh at fear, and is not dismayed; Neither turneth he back from the sword.
23 The quiver rattleth against him, The flashing spear and the javelin.
24 He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage; Neither believeth he that it is the voice of the trumpet.
25 As oft as the trumpetsoundethhe saith, Aha! And he smelleth the battle afar off, The thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
26 Is it by thy wisdom that the hawk soareth, And stretcheth her wings toward the south?
27 Is it at thy command that the eagle mounteth up, And maketh her nest on high?
28 On the cliff she dwelleth, and maketh her home, Upon the point of the cliff, and the stronghold.
29 From thence she spieth out the prey; Her eyes behold it afar off.
30 Her young ones also suck up blood: And where the slain are, there is she.
Summary
The LORD continues his interrogation by leading Job on a tour of the wild creatures, each one a marvel beyond human understanding or control. He asks whether Job knows the time the mountain goats give birth or watches the deer in their labor, whose young grow strong and leave for the open field. He points to the wild donkey he set free in the wilderness, scorning the city's tumult, and to the wild ox that will never consent to serve Job or plow his furrows. He describes the ostrich, who leaves her eggs in the dust and deals harshly with her young, lacking wisdom yet able to scorn the horse and rider when she runs. The war horse receives a vivid portrait, clothed with a quivering mane, leaping like a locust, paws the valley, mocks at fear, and races into battle at the trumpet's sound, smelling the fight from afar. Finally God asks whether it is by Job's wisdom that the hawk soars and the eagle mounts up to build its nest on the high cliff, spying out its prey from a great distance. None of these creatures answer to Job; they live by an instinct and freedom that God alone gave and governs. The relentless cascade of wonders presses home that the world teems with life Job neither designed nor sustains. The chapter humbles human pretension and magnifies the Creator's wild, generous wisdom.
Voices
- The LORD (Yahweh) — The Creator who parades the wild creatures before Job to display his untamed and generous wisdom.
- Job — The sufferer shown that the wild world lives and thrives entirely beyond his knowledge and control.
- The wild creatures — The mountain goats, donkey, ox, ostrich, war horse, hawk, and eagle, marvels of instinct and freedom given by God.
Key Verse
Job 39:5 (WEB)
“Who has set the wild donkey free? Or who has loosened the bonds of the swift donkey,
Lessons Learned
- The wild creatures that no human can tame display a wisdom and freedom that belong to God alone.
- God delights in creatures that serve no human purpose, revealing a goodness beyond utility.
- Our inability to govern the natural world should humble our claims to understand God's ways.
- The Creator who gives the horse its courage and the eagle its flight is worthy of our awe.
- God's freedom is woven into creation. “Who has set the wild donkey free?” (Job 39:5, WEB); the untamed world answers to God, not to us, reminding us who actually rules.
- God values what we cannot use. The wild ox will not serve Job's plow (Job 39:9-10, WEB), yet God made and sustains it; his creation has worth beyond human usefulness.
- Even apparent folly is under God's hand. The ostrich lacks wisdom “because God has deprived her of wisdom” (Job 39:17, WEB), yet she still runs with God-given speed; nothing falls outside his design.
- Courage and flight are gifts of God. God gives the horse its might and the eagle its soaring nest (Job 39:19, 27, WEB); the strength and grace we admire in creatures are his handiwork.
- What is the effect of God parading so many wild creatures before Job?
- What does the wild donkey and the wild ox teach about freedom and human control?
- Why might God include the ostrich, who lacks wisdom, in this catalog of wonders?
- How does the portrait of the war horse display the Creator's artistry?
- When you consider creatures and wonders entirely beyond your control, how does that shape your trust in God's governance of your life?
- The cascade of untamed creatures overwhelms Job with how much of the world lives beyond his knowledge or power (39:1-30). It dismantles any pretension that Job could manage the cosmos or judge its Maker.
- Neither the wild donkey nor the wild ox will submit to Job; God set them free and gave them their nature (39:5-12). The lesson is that God governs a world that does not answer to human mastery.
- Even the ostrich, deprived of wisdom yet swift, shows that God's design includes creatures whose ways puzzle us (39:13-18). His wisdom embraces what looks foolish to us, deepening our humility.
- The war horse, with quivering mane, leaping strength, and fearless charge, displays God's delight in power and beauty (39:19-25). The artistry of a single creature testifies to the genius of its Maker.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to let the wildness of creation enlarge their confidence in the God who rules it. As leader, connect the untamed yet ordered world to a providence we can trust even when we cannot control or comprehend it.