Job 39 1

Job 39:1 kjv

Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?

Job 39:1 nkjv

"Do you know the time when the wild mountain goats bear young? Or can you mark when the deer gives birth?

Job 39:1 niv

"Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?

Job 39:1 esv

"Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you observe the calving of the does?

Job 39:1 nlt

"Do you know when the wild goats give birth?
Have you watched as deer are born in the wild?

Job 39 verses

Job 39 1 Meaning

Job 39:1 opens a series of rhetorical questions posed by God to Job, emphasizing divine omniscient knowledge and sovereign control over creation, especially concerning wild and inaccessible natural phenomena. It highlights humanity's limited understanding compared to God's intimate awareness of the intricacies of life in the untamed wilderness. The verse specifically challenges Job's knowledge about the reproductive cycles and birthing places of wild mountain goats (ibex) and female deer (hinds), creatures whose natural behaviors occur largely beyond human observation and control. This serves to humble Job, demonstrating that if he lacks understanding of even these observable yet elusive aspects of creation, how much less can he comprehend God's intricate governance of the universe or His ultimate justice.

Job 39 1 Context

Job 39:1 is part of God's second discourse to Job, found in chapters 38-41, following Job's complaints and God's initial challenges. Throughout these chapters, God directly confronts Job's attempts to question divine justice and governance, not by explaining why Job suffered, but by asserting His own unparalleled wisdom, power, and sovereignty. God illustrates this through a vivid display of His intimate control over creation, from the cosmos to various wild animals. Chapter 39 specifically focuses on several wild animals that symbolize aspects beyond human control – their habitats, procreation, strength, or unique instincts. This verse sets the stage by inquiring about creatures (ibex and deer) known for their secluded lives and the mysterious timing of their births, highlighting God's omnipresent observation and management of life even where humans cannot intrude. Historically and culturally, a close connection to nature was vital for survival, and the behavior of wild animals often seemed inexplicable or unpredictable. God's detailed knowledge of these behaviors thus powerfully demonstrated His preeminence over any limited human or pagan understanding of the natural world. This polemically asserts YHWH's exclusive claim as the ultimate and true deity, master of all life cycles, in contrast to ancient Near Eastern polytheistic beliefs that attributed such dominion to multiple lesser gods.

Job 39 1 Word analysis

• Knowest thou (הֲיָדַעְתָּ, haya'data): This is a direct, rhetorical question. The Hebrew verb is in the Qal perfect form, suggesting an completed action but here functions as an emphatic challenge: "Have you truly known, or do you now know?" It strongly implies the negative, highlighting Job's utter lack of knowledge. This confronts human intellect directly.
• the time (עֵת, 'et): Refers to the precise, appointed moment. It's not just "when," but the specific season, cycle, and instance of parturition. This precision underlines God's meticulous governance, a contrast to the seemingly arbitrary or chaotic nature from a human perspective.
• when the wild goats of the rock (יַעֲלֵי צָעִים, ya'ale-tzayim): Literally "ibex of the rocks/cliffs." The ibex is a mountain goat (Capra ibex), known for its agility and dwelling in high, inaccessible, precipitous rocky terrains. Their habitat renders human observation of their most private moments, like birth, virtually impossible. The term signifies wildness, remoteness, and resistance to human domestication or scrutiny, highlighting God's domain extending into untouched, perilous places.
• bring forth? (תֵלֶדְנָה, telednah): From the verb יָלַד (yalad), "to bear, give birth." The emphasis is on the natural act of procreation and its specific timing. God's knowledge encompasses not only the animals themselves but the biological processes that perpetuate life, deep within their secluded existence.
• or canst thou mark (אִם־תִּשְׁמֹר, im-tishmor): An alternative question, carrying the sense of "can you watch, observe, keep track of?" It reinforces the challenge to Job's observational capacity and ability to intervene or even be present.
• when the hinds (אַיָּלוֹת, ayyālot): Female deer, known for their grace, shyness, and reclusive nature, particularly during calving. Like the ibex, they seek solitary places for birth.
• do calve? (תֶּחֱלֶלְנָה, tekhelelna): From the verb חָלַל (chalal), in the Po'el stem, meaning "to writhe in travail," specifically referring to the pain and process of birth. This goes beyond just knowing when they give birth, but understanding the labor, struggle, and specific moment of parturition itself. This points to God's deep insight into the most vulnerable and private moments of animal life.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "Knowest thou the time...or canst thou mark": This parallel structure of rhetorical questions immediately sets up a contrast between God's comprehensive knowledge and Job's lack thereof. It's not about what Job should know, but what only God can know. This establishes divine omniscience as fundamental.
• "the wild goats of the rock...the hinds": The pairing of two different wild creatures emphasizes that God's detailed knowledge is universal across the untamed animal kingdom, not limited to a single species. Both are known for their reclusive nature when birthing, underscoring God's penetration into areas inaccessible to human observation or control. The choice of animals that cannot be tamed reinforces God's sovereignty over aspects of creation independent of humanity.

Job 39 1 Bonus section

• The question concerning the "wild goats of the rock" (יעלת צעים - ya'alath tze'im), usually identified as the Nubian Ibex, particularly highlights their birth in precarious cliff faces, making any human supervision impossible. God alone oversees these hidden moments of creation in extreme environments.
• The rhetorical nature of these questions implies that Job cannot answer. This contrasts sharply with God's earlier questions in Job 38 regarding the creation of the universe, suggesting that even on a microcosmic scale, human knowledge is profoundly limited.
• The Hebrew verb chalal (תֶּחֱלֶלְנָה), translated as "do calve," can also carry the nuance of "to be wounded" or "to be in labor pains," highlighting the vulnerable and sometimes perilous aspect of childbirth even in the animal kingdom, which is fully under God's watchful eye.
• This verse, like the rest of God's speeches, acts as a demonstration of "right knowledge" – it's not about Job knowing everything, but knowing that he doesn't know compared to God, thus fostering humility and awe. It sets a theological boundary on human questioning of God's ultimate plan and wisdom.

Job 39 1 Commentary

Job 39:1 profoundly communicates God's unparalleled wisdom and absolute sovereignty. Instead of engaging with Job's arguments about justice, God redirects the discourse by posing questions about the most fundamental, yet mysterious, aspects of the natural world. The choice of the ibex and the hind is significant: these are creatures that live independently of human intervention, secluded in wild, rugged environments. Their reproductive cycles, particularly the moment and place of birth, are private, painful, and precisely timed, yet completely hidden from human gaze and manipulation. God's rhetorical questions underscore that if Job lacks knowledge of such commonplace yet hidden biological processes, which God intimately knows and controls, how can he possibly presume to understand the intricacies of divine governance over the universe or critique God's dealings with humanity? This verse is a powerful declaration that God's wisdom far transcends human intellect and experience, grounding His righteous authority in His comprehensive control over every detail of creation, seen and unseen, tame and wild. It serves to humble Job and prepare him for true repentance and worship, recognizing God as utterly other and supremely capable.