Job 39 Study Notes: God’s Care for the Wild Animals
The LORD continues questioning Job about the wild animals He made and sustains. He points to the birth of mountain goats, the free wild donkey, the untamable wild ox, the odd ostrich, the fearless war horse, and the soaring hawk and eagle, all guided by His wisdom rather than Job’s.
General
True or False: In chapters 38-39 the LORD answers Job by explaining the reasons for his suffering.
Answer: False
This is false. The LORD answers Job out of the whirlwind (38:1) with a stream of questions about the world He made and rules: earth, sea, light, weather, stars and wild animals (38-39). He begins by asking where Job was when He laid the earth’s foundations (38:4). Rather than giving reasons, He reveals Himself as the wise and powerful Creator who cares for His creatures, even feeding the young ravens (38:41). Job’s response is to put his hand over his mouth and say he has nothing more to add (40:4-5), and later he says that now he has seen God for himself (42:5). God’s ways rise far above ours (Isaiah 55:8-9), and His ways are beyond tracing out (Romans 11:33).
- Job 38:4 (BSB)“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.”The LORD answers Job with questions that display His work as Creator.
- Job 40:4-5 (BSB)““Behold, I am insignificant. How can I reply to You? I place my hand over my mouth. I have spoken once, but I have no answer—twice, but I have nothing to add.””Job responds to the speech by covering his mouth and adding nothing more.
- Job 42:5 (BSB)“My ears had heard of You, but now my eyes have seen You.”Job later confesses that he now sees God for himself.
- Isaiah 55:8-9 (BSB)““For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”God’s thoughts and ways are higher than human thoughts and ways.
- Romans 11:33 (BSB)“O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!”Paul praises the depth of God’s wisdom and the untraceable nature of His ways.
Theological
True or False: The LORD’s speech in Job 38-39 answers Job by setting out the specific reasons for his afflictions.
Answer: False
This is false. The LORD answers from the whirlwind (38:1) not with reasons but with a revelation of Himself: the Creator who laid the earth’s foundations (38:4) and whose wisdom, power and providential care span the cosmos and the animal world, down to the young ravens (38:41). Job’s first reply is to place his hand over his mouth and add nothing more (40:4-5), and finally the confession that his eyes now see God (42:5). God’s sovereign purposes remain higher than human thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9) and His ways untraceable (Romans 11:33); what Job receives is not the reason but the God who is wise enough to be trusted with it.
- Job 38:4 (BSB)“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.”The LORD answers Job with questions that display His work as Creator.
- Job 40:4-5 (BSB)““Behold, I am insignificant. How can I reply to You? I place my hand over my mouth. I have spoken once, but I have no answer—twice, but I have nothing to add.””Job responds to the speech by covering his mouth and adding nothing more.
- Job 42:5 (BSB)“My ears had heard of You, but now my eyes have seen You.”Job later confesses that he now sees God for himself.
- Isaiah 55:8-9 (BSB)““For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”God’s thoughts and ways are higher than human thoughts and ways.
- Romans 11:33 (BSB)“O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!”Paul praises the depth of God’s wisdom and the untraceable nature of His ways.
General
In Job 39:26-27, what do the LORD’s questions imply directs the hawk’s flight and the eagle’s nesting?
Answer: God Himself, by a wisdom that Job does not possess
God asks whether the hawk flies and spreads its wings southward because Job understands such things, and whether the eagle soars and builds its nest high up because Job commands it (39:26-27). The answer is no; God guides them. The eagle lives on a rocky cliff, spots its food from far away, and its young feed where the slain lie (39:28-30). With this, the LORD closes His survey of the animals in this speech. Other passages say God knows every bird of the mountains (Psalm 50:11), and even the birds of the sky keep the seasons He appointed (Jeremiah 8:7).
- Job 39:26-30 (BSB)“Does the hawk take flight by your understanding and spread his wings toward the south? Does the eagle soar at your command and make his nest on high? He dwells on a cliff and lodges there; his stronghold is on a rocky crag. From there he spies out food; his eyes see it from afar. His young ones feast on blood; and where the slain are, there he is.””God asks whether the hawk and the eagle fly and nest by Job’s understanding or command, and describes the eagle’s high home.
- Psalm 50:11 (BSB)“I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are Mine.”God says He knows every bird in the mountains.
- Jeremiah 8:7 (BSB)“Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons. The turtledove, the swift, and the thrush keep their time of migration, but My people do not know the requirements of the LORD.”Birds of the sky keep the seasons that have been appointed for them.
Theological
What do the LORD’s questions about the hawk and the eagle in Job 39:26-27 imply directs their flight and nesting?
Answer: God Himself, by a wisdom that Job does not possess
The final animal questions ask whether the hawk’s flight southward depends on Job’s understanding and the eagle’s lofty nest on Job’s command (39:26-27); both expect the answer that God alone directs them. The eagle dwells on the crag, sees its food from afar and feeds its young where the slain lie (39:28-30), a stark image of the order God sustains in the wild. God knows every bird of the mountains (Psalm 50:11), and migratory birds keep the seasons appointed for them (Jeremiah 8:7).
- Job 39:26-30 (BSB)“Does the hawk take flight by your understanding and spread his wings toward the south? Does the eagle soar at your command and make his nest on high? He dwells on a cliff and lodges there; his stronghold is on a rocky crag. From there he spies out food; his eyes see it from afar. His young ones feast on blood; and where the slain are, there he is.””God asks whether the hawk and the eagle fly and nest by Job’s understanding or command, and describes the eagle’s high home.
- Psalm 50:11 (BSB)“I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are Mine.”God says He knows every bird in the mountains.
- Jeremiah 8:7 (BSB)“Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons. The turtledove, the swift, and the thrush keep their time of migration, but My people do not know the requirements of the LORD.”Birds of the sky keep the seasons that have been appointed for them.
General
What does the LORD ask Job about the mountain goats and the doe in Job 39:1-4?
Answer: Whether he knows when they give birth and has watched them do it
God asks whether Job knows the birthing time of the mountain goats, whether he has watched a doe deliver her fawn, or counted the months of their pregnancy (39:1-2). He describes the birth and how the young grow strong out in the open and then leave for good (39:3-4). These things happen far from any human eye, yet God knows and oversees each one. The lofty peaks belong to the wild goats (Psalm 104:18), every creature of the field belongs to God (Psalm 50:11), and Jesus says not even a sparrow falls apart from the Father’s will (Matthew 10:29).
- Job 39:1-4 (BSB)““Do you know when mountain goats give birth? Have you watched the doe bear her fawn? Can you count the months they are pregnant? Do you know the time they give birth? They crouch down and bring forth their young; they deliver their newborn. Their young ones thrive and grow up in the open field; they leave and do not return.”God asks whether Job knows the birthing times of the wild goats and deer.
- Psalm 104:18 (BSB)“The high mountains are for the wild goats, the cliffs a refuge for the rock badgers.”The high mountains are given to the wild goats by God’s design.
- Psalm 50:11 (BSB)“I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are Mine.”God says He knows the birds of the mountains and owns the creatures of the field.
- Matthew 10:29 (BSB)“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.”Jesus teaches that not one sparrow falls apart from the Father’s will.
Theological
What do the LORD’s questions about the mountain goats and the doe in Job 39:1-4 concern?
Answer: Whether he knows when they give birth and has watched them do it
The LORD’s questions now dwell on the wild animals. He asks whether Job knows the birthing time of the mountain goats, has watched the doe give birth, or can number the months of gestation (39:1-2), and describes the young thriving in the open and departing for good (39:3-4). The whole life cycle unfolds beyond human observation, yet entirely within God’s knowledge and care. The mountains are assigned to the wild goats (Psalm 104:18), every animal of the open country is God’s (Psalm 50:11), and Jesus extends the same meticulous providence to a single sparrow (Matthew 10:29).
- Job 39:1-4 (BSB)““Do you know when mountain goats give birth? Have you watched the doe bear her fawn? Can you count the months they are pregnant? Do you know the time they give birth? They crouch down and bring forth their young; they deliver their newborn. Their young ones thrive and grow up in the open field; they leave and do not return.”God asks whether Job knows the birthing times of the wild goats and deer.
- Psalm 104:18 (BSB)“The high mountains are for the wild goats, the cliffs a refuge for the rock badgers.”The high mountains are given to the wild goats by God’s design.
- Psalm 50:11 (BSB)“I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are Mine.”God says He knows the birds of the mountains and owns the creatures of the field.
- Matthew 10:29 (BSB)“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.”Jesus teaches that not one sparrow falls apart from the Father’s will.
General
What reason does Job 39:17 give for the ostrich’s careless treatment of her eggs and young?
Answer: God did not give her wisdom or a share of understanding
The ostrich flaps her wings joyfully, though they cannot match the stork’s (39:13). She abandons her eggs in the open to be warmed by the sand, does not consider that they could be crushed underfoot or trampled by a beast, and is hard on her chicks as though they belonged to another (39:14-16). The reason given is that God withheld wisdom from her and did not give her understanding (39:17). Yet once she lifts her wings in pride, she can scoff at a horse and the one riding it (39:18). God made this odd creature too, giving and withholding gifts as He chose. Wisdom and understanding are God’s to give (Job 38:36), and the world is crowded with creatures He made in wisdom (Psalm 104:24).
- Job 39:13-18 (BSB)“The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, but cannot match the pinions and feathers of the stork. For she leaves her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand. She forgets that a foot may crush them, or a wild animal may trample them. She treats her young harshly, as if not her own, with no concern that her labor was in vain. For God has deprived her of wisdom; He has not endowed her with understanding. Yet when she proudly spreads her wings, she laughs at the horse and its rider.”The ostrich neglects her eggs because God withheld wisdom from her, yet she scorns the horse and rider.
- Job 38:36 (BSB)“Who has put wisdom in the heart or given understanding to the mind?”God has just asked who puts wisdom and understanding in any creature.
- Psalm 104:24 (BSB)“How many are Your works, O LORD! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures.”God made all His many creatures in wisdom.
Theological
To what does Job 39:17 attribute the ostrich’s neglect of her eggs and her young?
Answer: God did not give her wisdom or a share of understanding
The portrait of the ostrich is almost comic: joyful wings that cannot rival the stork’s (39:13), eggs left on the ground in the sand and forgotten, chicks treated as though they belonged to another (39:14-16). The explanation lies with God, who withheld wisdom from her and did not endow her with understanding (39:17); yet once she lifts her wings in pride she can scoff at horse and rider (39:18). God distributes gifts and lacks among His creatures as He wills. The endowment of wisdom is His prerogative (Job 38:36), and all His works are made in wisdom (Psalm 104:24).
- Job 39:13-18 (BSB)“The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, but cannot match the pinions and feathers of the stork. For she leaves her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand. She forgets that a foot may crush them, or a wild animal may trample them. She treats her young harshly, as if not her own, with no concern that her labor was in vain. For God has deprived her of wisdom; He has not endowed her with understanding. Yet when she proudly spreads her wings, she laughs at the horse and its rider.”The ostrich neglects her eggs because God withheld wisdom from her, yet she scorns the horse and rider.
- Job 38:36 (BSB)“Who has put wisdom in the heart or given understanding to the mind?”God has just asked who puts wisdom and understanding in any creature.
- Psalm 104:24 (BSB)“How many are Your works, O LORD! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures.”God made all His many creatures in wisdom.
General
How does the LORD describe the war horse in Job 39:19-25?
Answer: Fearless and eager, it charges into battle when the horn blows
God asks whether Job gave the horse its strength or its mane, or made it spring forward like a locust (39:19-20). He describes the war horse pawing the ground, rejoicing in its strength, laughing at fear, never retreating before the sword, and unable to keep still once the horn sounds for battle (39:21-25). Its courage and power are gifts from God, not from Job. Yet Scripture also warns that no horse can be trusted for rescue (Psalm 33:17), because victory belongs to the LORD (Proverbs 21:31).
- Job 39:19-25 (BSB)“Do you give strength to the horse or adorn his neck with a mane? Do you make him leap like a locust, striking terror with his proud snorting? He paws in the valley and rejoices in his strength; he charges into battle. He laughs at fear, frightened of nothing; he does not turn back from the sword. A quiver rattles at his side, along with a flashing spear and lance. Trembling with excitement, he devours the distance; he cannot stand still when the ram’s horn sounds. At the blast of the horn, he snorts with fervor. He catches the scent of battle from afar, the shouts of captains and the cry of war.”God asks whether Job gave the horse its strength and describes its fearlessness in battle.
- Psalm 33:17 (BSB)“A horse is a vain hope for salvation; even its great strength cannot save.”Even the great strength of a horse cannot save.
- Proverbs 21:31 (BSB)“A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.”The horse is readied for battle, but victory comes from the LORD.
Theological
What picture of the war horse does the LORD give in Job 39:19-25?
Answer: Fearless and eager, it charges into battle when the horn blows
God asks whether Job gave the horse its might or gave it its flowing mane (39:19-20), then portrays the war horse pawing in the valley, exulting in strength, scorning fear, unmoved by sword and spear, and unable to stand still at the sound of the horn (39:21-25). The animal’s courage is the Creator’s gift. Scripture elsewhere sets the horse’s strength in its place: it cannot secure deliverance (Psalm 33:17), for the outcome of battle belongs to the LORD (Proverbs 21:31).
- Job 39:19-25 (BSB)“Do you give strength to the horse or adorn his neck with a mane? Do you make him leap like a locust, striking terror with his proud snorting? He paws in the valley and rejoices in his strength; he charges into battle. He laughs at fear, frightened of nothing; he does not turn back from the sword. A quiver rattles at his side, along with a flashing spear and lance. Trembling with excitement, he devours the distance; he cannot stand still when the ram’s horn sounds. At the blast of the horn, he snorts with fervor. He catches the scent of battle from afar, the shouts of captains and the cry of war.”God asks whether Job gave the horse its strength and describes its fearlessness in battle.
- Psalm 33:17 (BSB)“A horse is a vain hope for salvation; even its great strength cannot save.”Even the great strength of a horse cannot save.
- Proverbs 21:31 (BSB)“A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.”The horse is readied for battle, but victory comes from the LORD.
General
According to Job 39:5-8, who gave the wild donkey its freedom, and where does it live?
Answer: God freed it and gave it the wilderness and salt flats as home
God asks who gave the wild donkey its freedom and loosed it from the harness, and He answers that He Himself gave it the wilderness and the salt country to live in (39:5-6). The wild donkey scorns the noise of the city, never hears a driver shouting at it, and roams the mountains looking for anything green (39:7-8). God made some creatures to live wholly beyond human control and use, yet they are still His and He provides for them. The psalms describe God giving water to the wild donkeys (Psalm 104:11) and preserving both people and animals (Psalm 36:6).
- Job 39:5-8 (BSB)“Who set the wild donkey free? Who released the swift donkey from the harness? I made the wilderness his home and the salt flats his dwelling. He scorns the tumult of the city and never hears the shouts of a driver. He roams the mountains for pasture, searching for any green thing.”God says He set the wild donkey free and gave it the wilderness as its home.
- Psalm 104:11 (BSB)“They give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst.”God’s springs give drink to the beasts, including the wild donkeys.
- Psalm 36:6 (BSB)“Your righteousness is like the highest mountains; Your judgments are like the deepest sea. O LORD, You preserve man and beast.”The LORD preserves both people and animals.
Theological
In Job 39:5-8, to whom is the wild donkey’s freedom credited, and what home is it given?
Answer: God freed it and gave it the wilderness and salt flats as home
The LORD claims the wild donkey’s freedom as His own act: He released it from the harness and assigned it the wilderness and the salt country for its dwelling (39:5-6). It disdains the city’s clamor and the driver’s shouts, ranging the hills for pasture (39:7-8). Here is a creature deliberately placed outside human dominion and utility, yet sustained by its Maker. The psalmist likewise sees God watering the wild donkeys (Psalm 104:11) and preserving man and beast alike (Psalm 36:6).
- Job 39:5-8 (BSB)“Who set the wild donkey free? Who released the swift donkey from the harness? I made the wilderness his home and the salt flats his dwelling. He scorns the tumult of the city and never hears the shouts of a driver. He roams the mountains for pasture, searching for any green thing.”God says He set the wild donkey free and gave it the wilderness as its home.
- Psalm 104:11 (BSB)“They give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst.”God’s springs give drink to the beasts, including the wild donkeys.
- Psalm 36:6 (BSB)“Your righteousness is like the highest mountains; Your judgments are like the deepest sea. O LORD, You preserve man and beast.”The LORD preserves both people and animals.
General
True or False: The LORD tells Job that he can easily harness the wild ox to plow his fields and bring in his grain (Job 39:9-12).
Answer: False
This is false. God asks whether the wild ox will agree to serve Job, stay by his feeding trough at night, pull a plow in the furrow, or haul his grain to the threshing floor (39:9-12). Every question expects the answer no. The wild ox has great strength, but Job cannot rely on it or make it work for him. Scripture uses the wild ox as a picture of mighty strength (Numbers 23:22). God made it strong and free, showing that human power over creation has limits, while God made every creature in His wisdom (Psalm 104:24).
- Job 39:9-12 (BSB)“Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will he stay by your manger at night? Can you hold him to the furrow with a harness? Will he plow the valleys behind you? Can you rely on his great strength? Will you leave your hard work to him? Can you trust him to bring in your grain and gather it to your threshing floor?”God asks whether the wild ox will ever serve Job or work his fields.
- Numbers 23:22 (BSB)“God brought them out of Egypt with strength like a wild ox.”The wild ox is used as a picture of great strength.
- Psalm 104:24 (BSB)“How many are Your works, O LORD! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures.”God made all His creatures in wisdom, including those beyond human control.
Theological
True or False: In Job 39:9-12 the LORD presents the wild ox as a strong animal that Job could readily put to work in his fields.
Answer: False
This is false. The questions about the wild ox serving Job, lodging at his manger, plowing his furrows and gathering his harvest (39:9-12) all expect a negative answer. The animal’s great strength is precisely what Job cannot harness or trust. Elsewhere the wild ox is a byword for raw strength (Numbers 23:22). Humanity’s dominion over creation has real limits, while God has made all His works, untamed ones included, in wisdom (Psalm 104:24).
- Job 39:9-12 (BSB)“Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will he stay by your manger at night? Can you hold him to the furrow with a harness? Will he plow the valleys behind you? Can you rely on his great strength? Will you leave your hard work to him? Can you trust him to bring in your grain and gather it to your threshing floor?”God asks whether the wild ox will ever serve Job or work his fields.
- Numbers 23:22 (BSB)“God brought them out of Egypt with strength like a wild ox.”The wild ox is used as a picture of great strength.
- Psalm 104:24 (BSB)“How many are Your works, O LORD! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures.”God made all His creatures in wisdom, including those beyond human control.