Job 39 Of the wild goats and hinds, Job 39:1–4; the wild ass, Job 39:5–8; the unicorn, Job 39:9–12; the peacock, stork, and ostrich, Job 39:13–18; the horse, Job 39:19–25; the hawk; the eagle, Job 39:26–30.

Knowest thou the time, that thou mayst then go to them, and afford them thy help in their hard work? The wild goats of the rock; which dwell in high and steep rocks, where no man can come. See 1 Sam. 24:2, Ps. 104:18. Bring forth; which they do with great difficulty, as is implied, Ps.

Dost thou exactly know when they did conceive, and when they will bring forth? which is more uncertain in these than in other creatures, because there fall out many accidents which cause them to bring forth before their time, as thunder, Ps.

They bow themselves; being taught by a Divine instinct to dispose themselves in such a posture as may be fittest for their safe and easy bringing forth.

Are in good liking; or, grow strong, or fat; notwithstanding their great weakness caused by their hard entrance into the world. With corn; which they find and feed upon in the fields. Or, as with corn, i.e. as if they were fed with corn; the particle as being oft deficient, and to be supplied.

Who hath sent out the wild ass free? who hath given him this disposition, that he loves freedom, and avoids and hates that subjection which other creatures quietly and contentedly endure? Who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass? which is not to be understood privatively, as if God took off the…

Who useth and loveth to dwell in desert lands, Jer. 2:24, Hos. 8:3, Hos. 8:9. The barren land; called barren, not simply, for then he must be starved there; but comparatively, unmanaged, and therefore in a great measure unfruitful land.

He scorneth; either, 1. He feareth them not when they pursue him, because he is swift, and can easily escape them. Or, 2. He values them not, nor any provisions or advantages which he may have from them, but prefers a vagrant and solitary life in the wilderness before them. Or, 3.

The range of the mountains; that which he searcheth out or findeth in the mountains. He prefers that mean provision and hardship with his freedom, before the fattest pastures with servitude.

It is much disputed among the learned, but is not needful to be known by others, whether there be or ever was such a creature as we call the unicorn; or whether this reem, which is the Hebrew name of it, be the rhinoceros, as some would have it; or a certain kind of wild goat, called oryx, which is…

In the furrow, i.e. in thy furrowed field, by a metonymy. Or, to or for (as the prefix beth is oft used, as Gen. 11:4, Lev. 16:22, Job 24:5) the furrow, i.e.

Wilt thou trust him, to wit, for the doing of these works, because he is very able for thy work? And wilt thou by thy power make him willing, or force him, to put forth and spend his strength in thy service? Thy labour; either, 1. Thy work of ploughing and harrowing. Or rather, 2.

Will bring home thy seed, Heb. will return thy seed; either, 1. By ploughing and harrowing thy land so well that it shall make a good return to thee for thy seed. Or rather, 2. By bringing into thy barn, as it follows, thy seed, i.e.

Gavest thou: the style of this book is very concise, and some verb is manifestly wanting to supply the sense; and this seems to be fitly understood out of Job 39:19, where it is expressed. The goodly; or, triumphant; that wherein it triumpheth or prideth itself. Wings, or feathers; Heb.

Which, i.e. which ostrich; whose property this is noted to be by naturalists. Or, but; for this unnatural quality is opposed to the goodliness of her wings or feathers. In the earth; in the place where she lays them; where she leaves them, either, 1.

The feet, to wit, of wild beasts as it follows passing that way.

She is hardened; or, he, i.e. God, hardens her; or, she hardeneth herself. Against her young ones, i.e. against her eggs, which he calls her young ones emphatically, to aggravate her fault and folly in destroying those eggs, which, if not neglected, would have been young ones.

Because God hath not implanted in her that natural instinct, and providence, and affection, which he hath put into other birds and beasts towards their young. And yet no man presumes to reproach me for making this difference in my creatures.

She lifteth up herself on high, to flee from her pursuer; to which end she lifteth up her head and body, and spreads her wings. She scorneth the horse and his rider she despiseth them in regard of her greater swiftness; for though she cannot fly because of her great bulk, being said to be as big as…

Strength; either strength of body; or rather, courage and generous confidence, for which the horse is highly commended. With thunder, i.e. with snorting and neighing; in the making of which nereid the neck, in regard of the throat, which is within it, and a part of it, is a principal instrument;…

As a grasshopper; which is easily affrighted, and chased away by the least noise of a man. Or, as divers others render the place, Didst thou make him to move like a grasshopper, skipping and leaping as he goes? So he describes the posture of a gallant and generous horse, who curvets, and pranceth,…

He paweth; or, he diggeth. Through courage and wantonness he cannot stand still, but is beating, as it were digging, up the earth with his feet. In the valley: this he adds, partly because the ground being there more plain and smooth, he hath the better conveniency for his prancing and pawing with…

At fear, i.e. at all instruments and objects of terror, as fear is oft used, as Prov. 1:26, Prov. 10:21. He despiseth what other creatures dread. From the sword; or, because of the sword; or, for fear of the sword, as this phrase is used, Isa. 21:15, Isa. 31:8, Jer. 14:16, Jer. 1:16.

The quiver; or although the quiver &c. So this comes in as an aggravation of his courage, notwithstanding the just causes of fear which are mentioned in this verse.

The sense is either, 1. He is so earnest and eager upon the battle, that he rusheth into it with all speed; and runs over the ground so swiftly, that he might seem to have swallowed it tap. Or, 2.

Ha, ha; an expression of joy and alacrity, declared by his proud neighings; whereby he doth in some sort answer the sound of the trumpets, in way of scorn and challenge. He smelleth, i.e. he perceiveth, as this phrase is used, Judg. 16:9.

Doth the hawk fly in so singular a manner, so strongly and steadily, so constantly and unweariedly, so swiftly and speedily, so regularly and cunningly, to catch her prey, by thy wisdom; didst thou inspire her with that wisdom? Stretch her wings toward the south; which she doth, either. 1.

Mount up; fly directly upward, till she be out of thy sight; which no other bird can do. On high; in the highest and inaccessible rocks. Compare Jer. 49:16, Obad. 4.

Which she doth partly for the security of herself and her young; and partly that she may thence have the better prospect to discern her prey, as it followeth.

Her sight is exceeding sharp and strong, so that she is able to look upon the sun with open eyes, and to behold the smallest prey upon the earth or sea, when she is mounted out of our sight; which when she spies, she flies to it with incredible swiftness, even like an arrow out of a bow.

Blood; either of the prey which the eagle hath brought to her nest for them, or of that which themselves catch and kill, being betimes inured to this work by their dams. Naturalists note of the eagle, that she drinketh no water, but blood only.