Job 39 10

Job 39:10 kjv

Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?

Job 39:10 nkjv

Can you bind the wild ox in the furrow with ropes? Or will he plow the valleys behind you?

Job 39:10 niv

Can you hold it to the furrow with a harness? Will it till the valleys behind you?

Job 39:10 esv

Can you bind him in the furrow with ropes, or will he harrow the valleys after you?

Job 39:10 nlt

Can you hitch a wild ox to a plow?
Will it plow a field for you?

Job 39 verses

Job 39 10 Meaning

Job 39:10 is a rhetorical question posed by God to Job, challenging Job's ability to exert control over the magnificent and untamable wild ox (re'em). It highlights the vast difference between human strength and God's power over creation. God asks if Job can compel this wild and powerful creature to perform mundane agricultural tasks like plowing and harrowing, which typically require domesticated animals. The implied answer is a resounding "No," thereby emphasizing humanity's limitations and God's absolute sovereignty over His creation, both domesticated and wild.

Job 39 10 Context

Job 39:10 is part of God's second discourse to Job (chapters 38-41), where God continues to interrogate Job about his understanding of the universe and its creation. Prior to this, Job had questioned God's justice and wisdom. In response, God uses a series of rhetorical questions, drawing Job's attention to the intricacies and untamable nature of the creation. Each example, from stars to storms to wild animals, serves to demonstrate God's unchallengeable wisdom, power, and sovereign control over a creation far too complex for human comprehension or mastery. The purpose is to humble Job, making him recognize his own limitations in contrast to God's omnipotence and omnibenevolence in sustaining a world beyond human control or capacity to manage. Specifically, the challenge of domesticating a wild ox for menial labor underlines the absurdity of Job's presumption to question God, who effortlessly manages all these things.

Job 39 10 Word analysis

• Can you: (הֲתִקְשֹׁר `Ha-tiq·šōr` - interrogative prefix `ha` 'can, whether' + verb `tiqšōr` 'you can bind') This immediate challenge places the burden of capability directly on Job, contrasting his limited human power with divine omnipotence. It is not merely a question, but a strong assertion of Job's inability.
• bind: (`tiqšōr` - from `qašar`, קָשַׁר - "to tie, bind, conspire"). Refers to securing or controlling an animal for work. It highlights man's ambition to harness and exploit nature, but underscores that some elements are beyond human capacity.
• the wild ox: (`rĕ’em`, רְאֵם). This powerful creature, often translated as aurochs or wild ox, was a large, formidable, and reputedly untamable bovine. In ancient Near Eastern literature and biblical passages (e.g., Num 23:22, Deut 33:17, Psa 92:10), the `re'em` consistently symbolizes immense, untamed strength and majesty, contrasting sharply with domesticated livestock. Its inclusion here magnifies the challenge; God selects an animal renowned for its sheer power and refusal to submit.
• with a rope: (`bəḥebel`, בְּחֶבֶל - "with a cord, rope"). A common agricultural implement used to lead or restrain animals. Its presence underscores the mundane, controlled task for which the wild ox is unfit. The rope here symbolizes human effort to control and direct.
• to furrow?: (`taʾăleh`, תַּאֲלֵף - "you will plough, furrow"). The verb derives from `alaph`, 'to plough' or 'to train, teach'. The agricultural action of making furrows for planting implies submission to repetitive, domestic work, which is diametrically opposed to the nature of the wild ox. This term directly contrasts the majestic creature with humble labor.
• Or will he: (`im-yēšaddēd`, אִם־יְשַׂדֵּד - "if he will harrow"). This part poses a similar alternative, continuing the challenge of domestication.
• harrow: (`yēšaddēd` - from `šādad`, שָׁדַד - "to level, to harrow, break clods"). This refers to the process of breaking up and smoothing the soil after plowing, in preparation for sowing. It's another agricultural task requiring tamed beasts of burden. The image of the powerful re'em performing such a task emphasizes the ludicrousness of human control.
• the valleys: (`‘ămmāqīm`, עֲמָקִים - "valleys, lowlands"). Often fertile areas where crops are grown, implying agricultural fields. This sets the scene for the proposed task, emphasizing its domesticity.
• after you?: (`aḥăreḵā`, אַחֲרֶיךָ - "after you, following you"). Implies obedience and subjection to human direction and command. This phrase highlights the loss of freedom and independence the re'em would experience if subjugated to Job's will.

• "Can you bind... to furrow?": This phrase group directly contrasts human attempts at subduing immense power with an unsuitable, subservient task. It highlights the natural order as established by God versus man's ambition.
• "Or will he harrow... after you?": This expands on the initial challenge, re-emphasizing the same point through a different yet equally domestic agricultural activity. The repetition strengthens the rhetorical impact, affirming God's unique authority over nature's wildness.

Job 39 10 Bonus section

The re'em (wild ox) is an excellent choice for God's argument because its characteristics—untamed strength, refusal to submit to human will, and natural majesty—directly oppose the qualities required for a farm animal. This choice directly counters the biblical emphasis in Gen 1:28 on human "dominion" over creation by setting clear boundaries: while humans are granted dominion over certain aspects, God maintains ultimate and supreme sovereignty over all things, especially those that defy human control, thereby ensuring that humanity never elevates itself to divine status. The polemic is against human hubris and any ancient pagan belief that attributed creation or power over nature to multiple deities or lesser beings; instead, all power resides in the one true God, Yahweh.

Job 39 10 Commentary

Job 39:10 serves as a powerful rhetorical question within God's extended discourse to Job, designed to underscore human frailty and limitations in contrast to divine omnipotence. God points to the re'em, an animal known for its strength, independence, and resistance to domestication. The thought of harnessing such a creature for mundane farm tasks like plowing and harrowing would have been absurd to Job's original audience. This example functions as a stark illustration: if Job cannot even control one of God's wild creatures to perform simple tasks, how can he presume to comprehend or challenge God's intricate governance of the entire cosmos? The verse highlights God's majestic authority over even the wildest and most powerful elements of His creation, elements that defy human subjugation. It teaches Job (and by extension, the reader) a lesson in humility, recognizing that God sustains His creation, wild and tame, in His wisdom and power, without human assistance or understanding. This serves to correct Job's mistaken belief that his suffering implied a defect in God's governance.