Job 39 summary meaning ai explained commentary

Job 39 meaning explained in AI Summary

Job chapter 39 is the climax of a series of speeches where God directly addresses Job, who has been questioning God's justice in the face of immense suffering. Instead of providing direct answers to Job's complaints, God uses a powerful rhetorical device: He showcases His unmatched power and wisdom through the wonders of the natural world, particularly focusing on the animal kingdom.

of the chapter's key themes:

God's Sovereignty over Creation: God reminds Job that He alone controls the birth, life, and death of all creatures. He highlights the wild goats and deer, emphasizing their freedom and His intimate knowledge of their reproductive cycles.
Unmatched Power and Incomprehensible Ways: God describes the impressive strength and untamable nature of wild animals like the wild donkey, wild ox, ostrich, and horse. He emphasizes that humans have no control over these creatures, highlighting the vast difference between human power and divine power.
Intricate Design and Purpose: God points out the unique characteristics and behaviors of each animal, implying that He has designed them with specific purposes, even if those purposes remain mysterious to humans. The hawk's ability to fly great distances, the eagle's keen eyesight, and the instinctive behaviors of prey animals all point to a divine intelligence at work.
A Call for Humility: By showcasing His awe-inspiring creation, God implicitly challenges Job's limited perspective. He encourages Job to acknowledge the vastness of creation and the limitations of human understanding. The chapter implicitly asks: If humans cannot fully comprehend the animal world, how can they possibly grasp the complexities of divine justice?

Overall, Job 39 serves as a powerful reminder of God's sovereignty, wisdom, and power. It doesn't offer easy answers to the problem of suffering, but instead invites Job (and the reader) to approach these questions with humility and awe in the face of an incomprehensibly vast and intricate creation.

Job 39 bible study ai commentary

In Job 39, God continues His speech from the whirlwind, shifting Job's perspective from the inanimate cosmos to the animal kingdom. Through a series of rhetorical questions about wild, untamable animals, God demonstrates His sovereign power, intimate knowledge, and sustaining providence over a world that operates entirely outside of human control or understanding. This "divine safari" serves to humble Job by revealing the vastness of God's wisdom and the severe limitations of human perspective, showing that the principles governing the universe are far more complex than Job’s simplistic view of retributive justice.

Job 39 Context

The book of Job is set in a patriarchal era, likely around the time of Abraham. The discourse in chapter 39 uses examples of animals familiar to the ancient Near East, such as the wild donkey of the Arabian desert and the formidable wild ox (auroch). In this context, divine power was often associated with controlling the forces of nature and wild beasts. Deities in surrounding cultures (e.g., Babylonian, Egyptian) were often depicted as taming or battling chaotic creatures. Yahweh’s speech is a polemic against such views, portraying Him not as a competitor with chaos, but as the sole, sovereign designer and sustainer of even the wildest and most independent creatures. He establishes their nature, habitat, and life cycles as part of His perfect, though incomprehensible, order.

Job 39:1-4

“Do you know the time when the mountain goats give birth? Do you observe the calving of the does? Can you number the months that they fulfill? Or do you know the time when they give birth? They bow down, they bring forth their young, they cast out their sorrows. Their young ones are strong, they grow up in the open; they go forth and do not return to them.”

In-depth-analysis

Intimate Knowledge: The questioning starts with the most secret and intimate knowledge: the precise timing (‘et, time/season) of birth for wild goats and deer. This is knowledge inaccessible to any human.
Hiddenness & Providence: These animals give birth in seclusion, hidden from predators and humans. God is presented as the sole observer and midwife.
"Cast out their sorrows": This phrase poetically refers to the labor pains (cheḇel, pangs/sorrows). God is intimately aware of their suffering and relief in birth.
Innate Independence: The young are immediately strong and self-sufficient (yaḥalmu, they are healthy/strong). Their immediate departure from their mothers highlights a divinely programmed instinct for independence, a life cycle completely managed by God, not man.

Bible references

Psalm 104:18: "The high mountains are for the wild goats..." (God provides their specific habitat).
Psalm 29:9: "The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth..." (Connects God's power directly to this event).
Matthew 10:29: "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father." (God's intimate care for all creatures).

Cross references

Psa 147:9 (He provides food), Pro 30:24-28 (innate wisdom in small creatures), Mat 6:26 (God feeds the birds).

Job 39:5-8

“Who set the wild donkey free? Who loosed the bonds of the swift donkey, to whom I have given the arid plain for his home and the salt land for his dwelling place? He scorns the tumult of the city; he hears not the shouts of the driver. He ranges the mountains as his pasture, and he searches after every green thing.”

In-depth-analysis

Freedom by Divine Decree: The central theme is freedom. God Himself is the one who "set free" (shillach chophshi) the wild donkey, giving it a nature that despises subjugation.
Word: Pere (wild donkey) is an emblem of untamable liberty. It is contrasted with the domesticated donkey.
Contempt for Human Society: This animal "scorns the tumult of the city," existing happily in barren lands ("salt land") that humans deem uninhabitable. It represents a sphere of life that finds human civilization and control repulsive. This directly challenges Job's human-centric view of the world.

Bible references

Genesis 16:12: "[Ishmael] shall be a wild donkey of a man..." (Describes a person of untamable, free, and aggressive character).
Jeremiah 2:24: "...a wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness, that sniffs the wind in her desire..." (An image of unrestrained, instinct-driven behavior).
Hosea 8:9: "For they have gone up to Assyria, a wild donkey wandering alone..." (Symbol of willful independence and isolation).

Cross references

Job 24:5 (The poor live like wild donkeys), Isa 32:14 ( desolate places become a joy for wild donkeys), Dan 5:21 (Nebuchadnezzar dwelling with wild donkeys).

Job 39:9-12

“Is the wild ox willing to serve you? Will he spend the night at your manger? Can you bind him in the furrow with ropes, or will he harrow the valleys after you? Will you trust him because his strength is great, and will you leave your labor to him? Will you have faith in him that he will return your grain and gather it to your threshing floor?”

In-depth-analysis

Word: Re'em (wild ox), likely the auroch, a powerful and now-extinct ancestor of domestic cattle known for its immense strength and ferocity.
Unusable Power: The questions focus on domestic utility. Unlike a domestic ox, the re'em's massive strength is completely inaccessible and unusable for human purposes (plowing, harrowing, harvesting).
Rhetorical Humiliation: God hammers Job with practical questions, all with the obvious answer "No." The point is to emphasize Job's powerlessness. He cannot control or even trust this one creature, yet he presumes to understand and judge the God who made it and governs all things.

Bible references

Psalm 92:10: "But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox..." (A symbol of divinely given strength).
Numbers 23:22: "God brings them out of Egypt and is for them like the horns of the wild ox." (Represents God's irresistible, protective power for His people).
Deuteronomy 33:17: "His glory is like a firstborn bull, and his horns are like the horns of a wild ox..." (A prophecy of the strength of the tribes of Joseph).

Cross references

Psa 22:21 (A cry to be saved from its horns), Psa 29:6 (God's voice makes mountains skip like a young wild ox), Isa 34:7 (Used in a description of judgment).

Job 39:13-18

“The wings of the ostrich wave proudly, but are they the pinions and plumage of love? For she leaves her eggs to the earth and lets them be warmed in the dust, forgetting that a foot may crush them and that a wild beast may trample them. She deals cruelly with her young, as if they were not hers; though her labor be in vain, she is without fear, because God has made her forget wisdom and given her no share in understanding. When she rouses herself to flee, she scorns the horse and his rider.”

In-depth-analysis

The Paradoxical Creature: The ostrich is presented as a paradox: foolish and seemingly cruel (leaving eggs on the ground), yet possessing incredible speed and survival instinct.
Divine Sovereignty in "Flawed" Design: The key verse is 17: "God has made her forget wisdom." What appears to be a design flaw from a human perspective is, in fact, divinely ordained. This directly challenges the idea that everything in God's creation must seem "wise" to humans.
Hidden Purpose: Despite her apparent lack of "maternal instinct," this "flawed" design is paired with the gift of speed, allowing her to "scorn the horse and his rider." God's design serves a purpose Job cannot see. Her survival mechanism is flight, not fight or clever concealment.
Polemics: This is a powerful argument against any theology that demands God's actions always appear logical or benevolent by human standards. God's wisdom transcends human definitions of it.

Bible references

Lamentations 4:3: "Even jackals offer the breast and nurse their young, but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness." (The ostrich as a biblical symbol of cruel or unnatural behavior).
Isaiah 55:8-9: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways..." (God's wisdom is alien and superior to human wisdom).
1 Corinthians 1:25: "For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." (What seems foolish or weak to humans is part of God's transcendent plan).

Cross references

Isa 13:21 (Ostriches in descriptions of desolate places), Jer 50:39 (In prophecy of Babylon's fall), Pro 30:24-28 (Wisdom in unlikely creatures).

Job 39:19-25

“Do you give the horse his might? Do you clothe his neck with a mane? Do you make him leap like the locust? His majestic snorting is terrifying. He paws in the valley and exults in his strength; he goes out to meet the weapons. He laughs at fear and is not dismayed; he does not turn back from the sword. Upon him rattle the quiver, the flashing spear, and the javelin. With impatient fury he swallows the ground; he cannot stand still at the sound of the trumpet. When the trumpet sounds, he says, ‘Aha!’ He smells the battle from afar, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.”

In-depth-analysis

Awe-Inspiring Power: This section is a magnificent poem celebrating the divinely endowed power and spirit of the warhorse. Unlike the previous animals, this one partners with man, but its terrifying glory is not man-made.
Courage from God: The horse’s key attribute is fearlessness ("He laughs at fear"). This courage, which allows it to charge into the chaos and terror of battle—the very thing Job fears—is a gift from God.
Joy in Chaos: The horse "exults in his strength," says "Aha!" at the trumpet, and "swallows the ground" with impatience. It finds its purpose and joy in the battlefield, a concept completely foreign to Job's desire for peace and predictable order. It's a portrayal of power unleashed, controlled only by its God-given nature.

Bible references

Proverbs 21:31: "The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD." (Human preparation is useless without God's sovereign will).
Revelation 6:2-8: "And I looked, and behold, a white horse... a red horse... a black horse... a pale horse." (Horses as symbols of conquest, war, famine, and death, powerful agents in eschatological events).
Psalm 147:10: "His delight is not in the strength of the horse..." (God's true delight is in those who fear Him, not in raw physical power).

Cross references

Exo 15:1 (God throwing horse and rider into the sea), Isa 31:1 (Woe to those who rely on horses of Egypt), Rev 19:11-14 (Christ returning on a white horse).

Job 39:26-30

“Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars and spreads his wings toward the south? Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up and makes his nest on high? On the rock he dwells and makes his home, on the rocky crag and stronghold. From there he spies out the food; his eyes behold it from far away. His young ones suck up blood, and where the slain are, there is he.”

In-depth-analysis

Innate, God-Given Wisdom: The final examples, the hawk and eagle, highlight divinely imparted wisdom and instinct. Job's binah (understanding) has nothing to do with the hawk's migratory flight.
Transcendence and Sovereignty: The eagle lives "on high," in inaccessible strongholds, far above the human sphere. It represents a majestic, sovereign existence that looks down on the world.
Amoral Natural Law: The chapter ends on a stark, unsentimental note: "His young ones suck up blood, and where the slain are, there is he." This is the brutal reality of the natural order created and sustained by God. It is a world of life and violent death, operating on principles that are not sentimental. This directly counters Job’s demand for a world governed by tidy, moralistic justice.

Bible references

Deuteronomy 32:11: "Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young..." (God's protective, caring nature is likened to an eagle's).
Isaiah 40:31: "...they who wait for the LORD... shall mount up with wings like eagles..." (The eagle as a symbol of renewed strength and soaring above earthly troubles).
Matthew 24:28: “Wherever the corpse is, there the eagles will gather.” (Jesus uses this natural proverb to describe the certainty and visibility of His future coming).

Cross references

Pro 30:17-19 (The way of an eagle in the sky is a wonder), Jer 49:16 (Prideful Edom dwelling high like an eagle), Rev 12:14 (Woman given two wings of a great eagle to fly to safety).

Job chapter 39 analysis

Theological Argument via Zoology: The entire chapter is a sustained theological argument. God is not giving a biology lesson but is systematically dismantling Job's anthropocentric worldview. Each animal highlights a different aspect of God's wisdom that is alien to human logic: hidden knowledge (goat), absolute freedom (donkey), untamable power (ox), paradoxical design (ostrich), divinely-gifted courage (horse), and transcendent instinct (eagle).
Amoral Power vs. Moral Justice: A key insight from studying the chapter as a whole is its confrontation with amoral power. The horse thrives on war, and the eagle thrives on death. God is showing Job that the universe He governs contains raw, untamed forces that do not operate on the simple moral calculus Job has been using. This prepares Job to accept that his own suffering might be part of a divine purpose that is beyond his comprehension, not necessarily a punishment for sin.
A "Tour of the Other": God takes Job on a tour of a world that is completely "other." It does not exist for humanity's benefit, cannot be controlled by human strength, and cannot be understood by human wisdom. It exists for God's own glory and operates by His laws. This is the necessary corrective to Job's perspective, which had become myopically focused on his own situation.
Completion from the New Testament: The New Testament completes this picture of sovereignty by revealing that the agent of this creation is Christ himself. Colossians 1:16-17 states that "all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together." The one speaking from the whirlwind is the same Logos through whom the hawk was given its instinct and the wild ox its strength.

Job 39 summary

God confronts Job's limited understanding by showcasing His absolute sovereignty and inscrutable wisdom through the wildness of creation. Citing six untamable animals—from the mountain goat with its secret birthing cycle to the eagle thriving on carnage—God demonstrates that He presides over a vast, complex world that operates entirely independent of human control or moral comprehension, thus revealing the folly of Job's attempt to judge God's governance.

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Job chapter 39 kjv

¹ Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?
² Canst thou number the months that they fulfil? or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?
³ They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones, they cast out their sorrows.
⁴ Their young ones are in good liking, they grow up with corn; they go forth, and return not unto them.
⁵ Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?
⁶ Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings.
⁷ He scorneth the multitude of the city, neither regardeth he the crying of the driver.
⁸ The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.
⁹ Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?
¹⁰ Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?
¹¹ Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?
¹² Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy barn?
¹³ Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?
¹⁴ Which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in dust,
¹⁵ And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them.
¹⁶ She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not her's: her labour is in vain without fear;
¹⁷ Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding.
¹⁸ What time she lifteth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.
¹⁹ Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?
²⁰ Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is terrible.
²¹ He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men.
²² He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword.
²³ The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield.
²⁴ He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet.
²⁵ He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
²⁶ Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south?
²⁷ Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?
²⁸ She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place.
²⁹ From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.
³⁰ Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain are, there is she.

Job chapter 39 nkjv

¹ "Do you know the time when the wild mountain goats bear young? Or can you mark when the deer gives birth?
² Can you number the months that they fulfill? Or do you know the time when they bear young?
³ They bow down, They bring forth their young, They deliver their offspring.
⁴ Their young ones are healthy, They grow strong with grain; They depart and do not return to them.
⁵ "Who set the wild donkey free? Who loosed the bonds of the onager,
⁶ Whose home I have made the wilderness, And the barren land his dwelling?
⁷ He scorns the tumult of the city; He does not heed the shouts of the driver.
⁸ The range of the mountains is his pasture, And he searches after every green thing.
⁹ "Will the wild ox be willing to serve you? Will he bed by your manger?
¹⁰ Can you bind the wild ox in the furrow with ropes? Or will he plow the valleys behind you?
¹¹ Will you trust him because his strength is great? Or will you leave your labor to him?
¹² Will you trust him to bring home your grain, And gather it to your threshing floor?
¹³ "The wings of the ostrich wave proudly, But are her wings and pinions like the kindly stork's?
¹⁴ For she leaves her eggs on the ground, And warms them in the dust;
¹⁵ She forgets that a foot may crush them, Or that a wild beast may break them.
¹⁶ She treats her young harshly, as though they were not hers; Her labor is in vain, without concern,
¹⁷ Because God deprived her of wisdom, And did not endow her with understanding.
¹⁸ When she lifts herself on high, She scorns the horse and its rider.
¹⁹ "Have you given the horse strength? Have you clothed his neck with thunder?
²⁰ Can you frighten him like a locust? His majestic snorting strikes terror.
²¹ He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength; He gallops into the clash of arms.
²² He mocks at fear, and is not frightened; Nor does he turn back from the sword.
²³ The quiver rattles against him, The glittering spear and javelin.
²⁴ He devours the distance with fierceness and rage; Nor does he come to a halt because the trumpet has sounded.
²⁵ At the blast of the trumpet he says, 'Aha!' He smells the battle from afar, The thunder of captains and shouting.
²⁶ "Does the hawk fly by your wisdom, And spread its wings toward the south?
²⁷ Does the eagle mount up at your command, And make its nest on high?
²⁸ On the rock it dwells and resides, On the crag of the rock and the stronghold.
²⁹ From there it spies out the prey; Its eyes observe from afar.
³⁰ Its young ones suck up blood; And where the slain are, there it is."

Job chapter 39 niv

¹ "Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?
² Do you count the months till they bear? Do you know the time they give birth?
³ They crouch down and bring forth their young; their labor pains are ended.
⁴ Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds; they leave and do not return.
⁵ "Who let the wild donkey go free? Who untied its ropes?
⁶ I gave it the wasteland as its home, the salt flats as its habitat.
⁷ It laughs at the commotion in the town; it does not hear a driver's shout.
⁸ It ranges the hills for its pasture and searches for any green thing.
⁹ "Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will it stay by your manger at night?
¹⁰ Can you hold it to the furrow with a harness? Will it till the valleys behind you?
¹¹ Will you rely on it for its great strength? Will you leave your heavy work to it?
¹² Can you trust it to haul in your grain and bring it to your threshing floor?
¹³ "The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, though they cannot compare with the wings and feathers of the stork.
¹⁴ She lays her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand,
¹⁵ unmindful that a foot may crush them, that some wild animal may trample them.
¹⁶ She treats her young harshly, as if they were not hers; she cares not that her labor was in vain,
¹⁷ for God did not endow her with wisdom or give her a share of good sense.
¹⁸ Yet when she spreads her feathers to run, she laughs at horse and rider.
¹⁹ "Do you give the horse its strength or clothe its neck with a flowing mane?
²⁰ Do you make it leap like a locust, striking terror with its proud snorting?
²¹ It paws fiercely, rejoicing in its strength, and charges into the fray.
²² It laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; it does not shy away from the sword.
²³ The quiver rattles against its side, along with the flashing spear and lance.
²⁴ In frenzied excitement it eats up the ground; it cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.
²⁵ At the blast of the trumpet it snorts, 'Aha!' It catches the scent of battle from afar, the shout of commanders and the battle cry.
²⁶ "Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom and spread its wings toward the south?
²⁷ Does the eagle soar at your command and build its nest on high?
²⁸ It dwells on a cliff and stays there at night; a rocky crag is its stronghold.
²⁹ From there it looks for food; its eyes detect it from afar.
³⁰ Its young ones feast on blood, and where the slain are, there it is."

Job chapter 39 esv

¹ "Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you observe the calving of the does?
² Can you number the months that they fulfill, and do you know the time when they give birth,
³ when they crouch, bring forth their offspring, and are delivered of their young?
⁴ Their young ones become strong; they grow up in the open; they go out and do not return to them.
⁵ "Who has let the wild donkey go free? Who has loosed the bonds of the swift donkey,
⁶ to whom I have given the arid plain for his home and the salt land for his dwelling place?
⁷ He scorns the tumult of the city; he hears not the shouts of the driver.
⁸ He ranges the mountains as his pasture, and he searches after every green thing.
⁹ "Is the wild ox willing to serve you? Will he spend the night at your manger?
¹⁰ Can you bind him in the furrow with ropes, or will he harrow the valleys after you?
¹¹ Will you depend on him because his strength is great, and will you leave to him your labor?
¹² Do you have faith in him that he will return your grain and gather it to your threshing floor?
¹³ "The wings of the ostrich wave proudly, but are they the pinions and plumage of love?
¹⁴ For she leaves her eggs to the earth and lets them be warmed on the ground,
¹⁵ forgetting that a foot may crush them and that the wild beast may trample them.
¹⁶ She deals cruelly with her young, as if they were not hers; though her labor be in vain, yet she has no fear,
¹⁷ because God has made her forget wisdom and given her no share in understanding.
¹⁸ When she rouses herself to flee, she laughs at the horse and his rider.
¹⁹ "Do you give the horse his might? Do you clothe his neck with a mane?
²⁰ Do you make him leap like the locust? His majestic snorting is terrifying.
²¹ He paws in the valley and exults in his strength; he goes out to meet the weapons.
²² He laughs at fear and is not dismayed; he does not turn back from the sword.
²³ Upon him rattle the quiver, the flashing spear, and the javelin.
²⁴ With fierceness and rage he swallows the ground; he cannot stand still at the sound of the trumpet.
²⁵ When the trumpet sounds, he says 'Aha!' He smells the battle from afar, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
²⁶ "Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars and spreads his wings toward the south?
²⁷ Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up and makes his nest on high?
²⁸ On the rock he dwells and makes his home, on the rocky crag and stronghold.
²⁹ From there he spies out the prey; his eyes behold it from far away.
³⁰ His young ones suck up blood, and where the slain are, there is he."

Job chapter 39 nlt

¹ "Do you know when the wild goats give birth?
Have you watched as deer are born in the wild?
² Do you know how many months they carry their young?
Are you aware of the time of their delivery?
³ They crouch down to give birth to their young
and deliver their offspring.
⁴ Their young grow up in the open fields,
then leave home and never return.
⁵ "Who gives the wild donkey its freedom?
Who untied its ropes?
⁶ I have placed it in the wilderness;
its home is the wasteland.
⁷ It hates the noise of the city
and has no driver to shout at it.
⁸ The mountains are its pastureland,
where it searches for every blade of grass.
⁹ "Will the wild ox consent to being tamed?
Will it spend the night in your stall?
¹⁰ Can you hitch a wild ox to a plow?
Will it plow a field for you?
¹¹ Given its strength, can you trust it?
Can you leave and trust the ox to do your work?
¹² Can you rely on it to bring home your grain
and deliver it to your threshing floor?
¹³ "The ostrich flaps her wings grandly,
but they are no match for the feathers of the stork.
¹⁴ She lays her eggs on top of the earth,
letting them be warmed in the dust.
¹⁵ She doesn't worry that a foot might crush them
or a wild animal might destroy them.
¹⁶ She is harsh toward her young,
as if they were not her own.
She doesn't care if they die.
¹⁷ For God has deprived her of wisdom.
He has given her no understanding.
¹⁸ But whenever she jumps up to run,
she passes the swiftest horse with its rider.
¹⁹ "Have you given the horse its strength
or clothed its neck with a flowing mane?
²⁰ Did you give it the ability to leap like a locust?
Its majestic snorting is terrifying!
²¹ It paws the earth and rejoices in its strength
when it charges out to battle.
²² It laughs at fear and is unafraid.
It does not run from the sword.
²³ The arrows rattle against it,
and the spear and javelin flash.
²⁴ It paws the ground fiercely
and rushes forward into battle when the ram's horn blows.
²⁵ It snorts at the sound of the horn.
It senses the battle in the distance.
It quivers at the captain's commands and the noise of battle.
²⁶ "Is it your wisdom that makes the hawk soar
and spread its wings toward the south?
²⁷ Is it at your command that the eagle rises
to the heights to make its nest?
²⁸ It lives on the cliffs,
making its home on a distant, rocky crag.
²⁹ From there it hunts its prey,
keeping watch with piercing eyes.
³⁰ Its young gulp down blood.
Where there's a carcass, there you'll find it."