Wild Goats, Donkeys, and Oxen
Study note
God asks Job if he knows when mountain goats give birth or can count the months of their pregnancy. The wild donkey lives free in the wasteland -- God gave it that freedom. Can the wild ox be tamed to plow Job's fields? These creatures live by God's design, not by human control.
1 'Do you know the exact time when mountain goats have their babies? Have you ever stood and watched a deer give birth to her fawn?' Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?
2 'Can you count down the months they carry their young? Do you know the precise moment when they are ready to deliver?' Canst thou number the months that they fulfil? or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?
3 'They squat down and push out their young. Their labor pains come to an end.' They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones, they cast out their sorrows.
4 'Their babies grow strong out in the open. They leave home and never come back.' Their young ones are in good liking, they grow up with corn; they go forth, and return not unto them.
5 'Who set the wild donkey free to roam? Who cut its ropes and let it go?' Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?
6 'I am the one who gave it the open wasteland as its home and the salty desert flats as its backyard.' Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings.
7 'It makes fun of all the noise and chaos of the city. It never has to put up with someone yelling orders at it.' He scorneth the multitude of the city, neither regardeth he the crying of the driver.
8 'It wanders through the hills as its grazing land and hunts for every green thing it can find.' The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.
9 'Do you think a wild ox is going to agree to work for you? Will it eat from your feeding trough at night?' Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?
10 'Can you strap a harness on a wild ox and make it plow your fields? Will it drag through the valleys behind you?' Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?
11 'because it is exceedingly strong, would you trust it to do your heavy lifting? Would you hand over your hard work to it?' Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?
12 'Would you count on it to bring your grain back home and stack it on your threshing floor?' Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy barn?
The Ostrich and the Horse
Study note
God describes the ostrich, which flaps its wings joyfully but cannot fly like a stork. She leaves her eggs on the ground, seemingly careless, because God did not give her wisdom. Yet when she runs, she laughs at the horse and rider. Then God describes the magnificent war horse: its power, its fearless charge into battle, the way it paws the ground and snorts. It laughs at fear and does not shy away from the sword.
13 'The ostrich flaps her wings with excitement, but those wings cannot carry her through the sky like a stork's can.' Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?
14 'She drops her eggs right on the ground and lets the warm sand do the work of keeping them heated.' Which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in dust,
15 'It never crosses her mind that a careless foot could crush them or a wild animal could stomp right on them.' And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them.
16 'She is rough with her babies, almost as if they were not even hers. She does not seem to care that all her effort might go to waste.' She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers: her labour is in vain without fear;
17 'That is because God chose not to give her wisdom. He left her without a share of good sense.' Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding.
18 'But the moment she unfolds her feathers and takes off running, she laughs at the horse and the person riding it.' What time she lifteth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.
19 'Were you the one who gave the horse its strength? Did you dress its neck with a flowing mane?' Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?
20 'Did you give it the ability to leap like a grasshopper? The blast of its proud snorting is enough to make you tremble.' Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is terrible.
21 'It stamps at the ground with fierce excitement and charges headlong into battle.' He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men.
22 'It laughs in the face of danger and is not scared of anything. It does not run away from a sword.' He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword.
23 'A quiver full of arrows rattles at its side, along with the gleam of spear and javelin.' The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield.
24 'It is so worked up with excitement that it practically eats up the ground. When the trumpet blasts, it cannot stand still.' He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet.
25 'Every time the trumpet sounds, it snorts, "Let's go!" It can smell the battle from miles away -- the roar of commanders and the war cry of soldiers.' He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
Hawks and Eagles
Study note
God asks Job: does the hawk fly by your wisdom and spread its wings toward the south? Does the eagle soar at your command and build its nest on high? The eagle lives on the cliff's edge, seeing its prey from far away. These creatures display God's power and design, not human ability.
26 'Is it your wisdom that teaches the hawk to fly and spread its wings toward the south?' Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south?
27 'Does the eagle soar high in the sky because you told it to? Does it build its nest on the mountaintop because you gave the order?' Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?
28 'It makes its home on the cliff face, perched on a rocky peak like a fortress.' She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place.
29 'From way up there, it scans for food. Its keen eyes can spot prey from an incredible distance.' From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.
30 'Its young drink blood from the kill. Wherever dead bodies are found, the eagle will be circling overhead.' Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain are, there is she.