Job 39

General context

The Lord's questions continue. Does Job know when the wild goats of the rock bring forth or when the hinds calve; can he number their months? They bow, bring forth, cast out their sorrows; their young grow up with corn, go forth and do not return. Who sent out the wild ass free, whose house is the wilderness and the barren land? He scorns the multitude of the city and the crying of the driver; the mountains are his pasture. Will the unicorn serve Job or stay by his crib; can Job bind him in the furrow, trust him to bring home the seed to the barn? Did Job give wings to the peacocks, or wings and feathers to the ostrich, who leaves her eggs in the dust, forgets that a foot may crush them, and is hardened against her young because God has deprived her of wisdom; yet when she lifts herself up she scorns the horse and his rider. Did Job give the horse strength and clothe his neck with thunder? He paws in the valley, rejoices in his strength, goes to meet the armed men, mocks at fear and does not turn from the sword; the quiver rattles, the spear and shield glitter; he swallows the ground, says Ha, ha among the trumpets and smells the battle afar off. Does the hawk fly by Job's wisdom toward the south? Does the eagle mount at his command and nest on the crag, seeking prey with far-seeing eyes? Her young suck up blood, and where the slain are, there is she.

Cited passages: Job 39:1, Job 39:2, Job 39:3, Job 39:4, Job 39:5, Job 39:6, Job 39:7, Job 39:8, Job 39:9, Job 39:10, Job 39:12, Job 39:13, Job 39:14, Job 39:15, Job 39:16, Job 39:17, Job 39:18, Job 39:19, Job 39:21, Job 39:22, Job 39:23, Job 39:24, Job 39:25, Job 39:26, Job 39:27, Job 39:28, Job 39:29, Job 39:30

Job 39 (KJV)

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Historical context

There is no new heading; the chapter continues the Lord's speech begun at the start of chapter 38, and the next heading, at the start of chapter 40, again names the Lord answering Job. "Unicorn" and "peacocks" are the KJV's words; the chapter describes the first as a strong animal that will not be bound in the furrow or trusted with the harvest, and says nothing more about what it is. In the ostrich passage the speaker says "God hath deprived her of wisdom," a third-person reference to God inside the Lord's own speech, printed as it stands. The horse is described in battle, with armed men, sword, spear, shield, trumpets and captains, but no battle, army or place is named. The hawk flies "toward the south," the only direction given. The wild ass whose house is the wilderness is the same creature Job used earlier as an image for the poor going out for food and for the outcasts who brayed among the bushes; here the Lord claims the animal's freedom as his own doing. None of the animals in the chapter is one Job kept; the prologue lists his sheep, camels, oxen and she asses.

Cited passages: Job 38:1, Job 40:1, Job 39:10, Job 39:17, Job 39:25, Job 39:26, Job 39:6, Job 24:5, Job 30:7, Job 1:3

Literary context

The chapter is a catalogue of creatures, each introduced by a question about Job's knowledge, power or use: Knowest thou, Who hath sent, Will the unicorn serve thee, Gavest thou, Hast thou given, Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom. The answer implied each time is that the creature lies outside Job's reach. The goats give birth unseen; the wild ass is loosed from bands and scorns the driver; the unicorn will not harrow or bring home seed; the ostrich acts without wisdom and still scorns the horse and his rider; the horse mocks at fear; the hawk and eagle fly by no man's command. Two threads run through the list. One is freedom from human service, stated most sharply in the wild ass who scorns the city. The other is fearlessness: the ostrich "without fear," the horse who "mocketh at fear," pointing ahead to leviathan, "made without fear," at the end of the speeches. The chapter closes on blood and the slain, an image the speech does not soften. Where Job had compared himself to dragons and owls and the outcasts to braying wild asses, the Lord shows the same wild creatures as his own, housed and fed by him.

Cited passages: Job 39:1, Job 39:5, Job 39:9, Job 39:13, Job 39:19, Job 39:26, Job 39:7, Job 39:16, Job 39:22, Job 41:33, Job 39:30, Job 30:29, Job 39:6, Job 39:18

Key moments

1. When the wild goats bring forth (Job 39:1). The Lord asks whether Job knows the birth times of the wild goats and hinds.
2. The wild ass set free (Job 39:5). The Lord asks who loosed the wild ass, whose home is the wilderness.
3. The unyoked unicorn (Job 39:9). The Lord asks whether the unicorn will serve Job or bring in his harvest.
4. Eggs left in the dust (Job 39:14). The ostrich leaves her eggs in the earth and forgets a foot may crush them.
5. The horse clothed with thunder (Job 39:19). The Lord asks whether Job gave the horse its strength.
6. Ha, ha among the trumpets (Job 39:25). The horse laughs at the trumpet and smells the battle from afar.
7. Where the slain are (Job 39:30). The eagle's young drink blood, and she is found where the slain lie.

For reflection

The Lord describes an ostrich deprived of wisdom who leaves her eggs to be crushed, and a horse that laughs at the sword. What do creatures like these tell Job about the order he asked God to account for?