1Či vieš, kedy sa skalné kozy rodia? Či pozoruješ bolesti liahnutia sa jeleníc? 2Počítaš mesiace ich brezivosti a poznáš čas, kedy vrhajú? 3Skrčia sa, liahnu svoje mláďatá, zbavia sa svojich bôľov, 4ich mladé mocnejú, rastú na slobode, odídu a viac sa nevrátia. 5Kto pustil zebru na slobodu, kto uvoľnil opraty divému oslovi, 6ktorému som step určil za domov a soľnú zem za príbytok? 7Zo zhonu mesta sa vysmieva a krik poháňača nečuje; 8sliedi po vrchoch, po svojej pastve, a hľadá akúkoľvek zeleň. 9Či ti chce slúžiť divý byvol, alebo nocovať pri tvojich jasliach? 10Či zapriahneš byvola v brázde povrazom, či pobráni za tebou doliny? 11Dôveruješ mu, pretože má veľkú silu, a prenecháš mu svoju námahu? 12Veríš mu, že ti dovezie obilie a zhromaždí ho na tvoju holohumnicu? 13Či krídlo pštrosice veselo trepoce, má snáď peruť a perie bociana? 14Lebo necháva na zemi svoje vajcia a dáva ich v piesku hriať. 15Zabúda, že ich noha môže zadláviť a poľná zver rozmliaždiť! 16Tvrdo nakladá so svojimi mláďatami ako s nevlastnými, nemrzí ju, ak jej námaha je márna. 17Lebo Boh jej odoprel múdrosť, neudelil jej rozum. 18Ale ak sa zdvihne, vysmeje sa koňovi i jazdcovi na ňom. 19Ty dávaš silu koňovi a ty odievaš hrivou jeho šiju? 20Ty mu dávaš skákať ako kobylke? Hrozný je jeho nádherný frkot. 21Hrebie v údolí a teší sa; so silou vybehne proti pancieru. 22Vysmieva sa strachu, neľaká sa, pred mečom neustúpi. 23Rinčí na ňom tulec, hrot oštepu i kopije. 24S hrmotom a zúrením hrebie zem, nedá sa zadržať, keď zaznie trúby zvuk. 25Keď zvrieskne trúba, zaerdží: Hi! Zďaleka zvetrí boj, povely vodcov a vojnový pokrik. 26Či podľa tvojho rozumu vzlietne sokol a rozopne krídla smerom na juh? 27Či na tvoj povel zdvíha sa orol a vysoko si stavia svoje hniezdo? 28Na brale býva i hniezdi, na skalnom výbežku a na horskom končiari. 29Odtiaľ si vyhliadne potravu, jeho oči zďaleka ju zbadajú. 30Jeho mladé strebú krv, a kde sú pobití, tam je aj on.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 (Job 39:1-30)
Even wild beasts, cut off from all care of man, are cared for by God at their seasons of greatest need. Their instinct comes direct from God and guides them to help themselves in parturition; the very time when the herdsman is most anxious for his herds.
wild goats--ibex (
Ps 104:18;
1Sam 24:2).
hinds--fawns; most timid and defenseless animals, yet cared for by God.
2 They bring forth with ease and do not need to reckon the months of pregnancy, as the shepherd does in the case of his flocks.
3 bow themselves--in parturition; bend on their knees (
1Sam 4:19).
bring forth--literally, "cause their young to cleave the womb and break forth."
sorrows--their young ones, the cause of their momentary pains.
4 are in good liking--in good condition, grow up strong.
with corn--rather, "in the field," without man's care.
return not--being able to provide for themselves.
5 wild ass--Two different Hebrew words are here used for the same animal, "the ass of the woods" and "the wild ass." (See on
Job 6:5;
Job 11:12;
Job 24:5; and
Jer 2:24).
loosed the bands--given its liberty to. Man can rob animals of freedom, but not, as God, give freedom, combined with subordination to fixed laws.
6 barren--literally, "salt," that is, unfruitful. (So
Ps 107:34, Margin.)
7 multitude--rather, "din"; he sets it at defiance, being far away from it in the freedom of the wilderness.
driver--who urges on the tame ass to work. The wild ass is the symbol of uncontrolled freedom in the East; even kings have, therefore, added its name to them.
8 The range--literally, "searching," "that which it finds by searching is his pasture."
9 unicorn--PLINY [Natural History, 8.21], mentions such an animal; its figure is found depicted in the ruins of Persepolis. The Hebrew reem conveys the idea of loftiness and power (compare Ramah; Indian, Ram; Latin, Roma). The rhinoceros was perhaps the original type of the unicorn. The Arab rim is a two-horned animal. Sometimes "unicorn" or reem is a mere poetical symbol or abstraction; but the buffalo is the animal referred to here, from the contrast to the tame ox, used in ploughing (
Job 39:10,
Job 39:12).
abide--literally, "pass the night."
crib-- (
Isa 1:3).
10 his band--fastened to the horns, as its chief strength lies in the head and shoulders.
after thee--obedient to thee; willing to follow, instead of being goaded on before thee.
11 thy labour--rustic work.
12 believe--trust.
seed--produce (
1Sam 8:15).
into thy barn--rather, "gather (the contents of) thy threshing-floor" [MAURER]; the corn threshed on it.
13 Rather, "the wing of the ostrich hen"--literally, "the crying bird"; as the Arab name for it means "song"; referring to its night cries (
Job 30:29;
Mic 1:8) vibrating joyously. "Is it not like the quill and feathers of the pious bird" (the stork)? [UMBREIT]. The vibrating, quivering wing, serving for sail and oar at once, is characteristic of the ostrich in full course. Its white and black feathers in the wing and tail are like the stork's. But, unlike that bird, the symbol of parental love in the East, it with seeming want of natural (pious) affection deserts its young. Both birds are poetically called by descriptive, instead of their usual appellative, names.
14 Yet (unlike the stork) she "leaveth," &c. Hence called by the Arabs "the impious bird." However, the fact is, she lays her eggs with great care and hatches them, as other birds do; but in hot countries the eggs do not need so constant incubation; she therefore often leaves them and sometimes forgets the place on her return. Moreover, the outer eggs, intended for food, she feeds to her young; these eggs, lying separate in the sand, exposed to the sun, gave rise to the idea of her altogether leaving them. God describes her as she seems to man; implying, though she may seem foolishly to neglect her young, yet really she is guided by a sure instinct from God, as much as animals of instincts widely different.
16 On a slight noise she often forsakes her eggs, and returns not, as if she were "hardened towards her young."
her labour--in producing eggs, is in vain, (yet) she has not disquietude (about her young), unlike other birds, who, if one egg and another are taken away, will go on laying till their full number is made up.
17 wisdom--such as God gives to other animals, and to man (
Job 35:11). The Arab proverb is, "foolish as an ostrich." Yet her very seeming want of wisdom is not without wise design of God, though man cannot see it; just as in the trials of the godly, which seem so unreasonable to Job, there lies hid a wise design.
18 Notwithstanding her deficiencies, she has distinguishing excellences.
lifteth . . . herself--for running; she cannot mount in the air. GESENIUS translates: "lashes herself" up to her course by flapping her wings. The old versions favor English Version, and the parallel "scorneth" answers to her proudly "lifting up herself."
19 The allusion to "the horse" (
Job 39:18), suggests the description of him. Arab poets delight in praising the horse; yet it is not mentioned in the possessions of Job (
Job 1:3;
Job 42:12). It seems to have been at the time chiefly used for war, rather than "domestic purposes."
thunder--poetically for, "he with arched neck inspires fear as thunder does." Translate, "majesty" [UMBREIT]. Rather "the trembling, quivering mane," answering to the "vibrating wing" of the ostrich (see on
Job 39:13) [MAURER]. "Mane" in Greek also is from a root meaning "fear." English Version is more sublime.
20 make . . . afraid--rather, "canst thou (as I do) make him spring as the locust?" So in
Joel 2:4, the comparison is between locusts and war-horses. The heads of the two are so similar that the Italians call the locusts cavaletta, "little horse."
nostrils--snorting furiously.
21 valley--where the battle is joined.
goeth on--goeth forth (
Num 1:3;
Num 21:23).
23 quiver--for the arrows, which they contain, and which are directed "against him."
glittering spear--literally, "glittering of the spear," like "lightning of the spear" (
Hab 3:11).
shield--rather, "lance."
24 swalloweth--Fretting with impatience, he draws the ground towards him with his hoof, as if he would swallow it. The parallelism shows this to be the sense; not as MAURER, "scours over it."
neither believeth--for joy. Rather, "he will not stand still, when the note of the trumpet (soundeth)."
25 saith--poetically applied to his mettlesome neighing, whereby he shows his love of the battle.
smelleth--snuffeth; discerneth (
Isa 11:3, Margin).
thunder--thundering voice.
26 The instinct by which some birds migrate to warmer climes before winter. Rapid flying peculiarly characterizes the whole hawk genus.
27 eagle--It flies highest of all birds: thence called "the bird of heaven."
28 abideth--securely (
Ps 91:1); it occupies the same abode mostly for life.
crag--literally, "tooth" (
1Sam 14:5, Margin).
strong place--citadel, fastness.
29 seeketh--is on the lookout for.
behold--The eagle descries its prey at an astonishing distance, by sight, rather than smell.
30 Quoted partly by Jesus Christ (
Matt 24:28). The food of young eagles is the blood of victims brought by the parent, when they are still too feeble to devour flesh.
slain--As the vulture chiefly feeds on carcasses, it is included probably in the eagle genus.
He had paused for a reply, but Job was silent.