Job 39 11

Job 39:11 kjv

Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?

Job 39:11 nkjv

Will you trust him because his strength is great? Or will you leave your labor to him?

Job 39:11 niv

Will you rely on it for its great strength? Will you leave your heavy work to it?

Job 39:11 esv

Will you depend on him because his strength is great, and will you leave to him your labor?

Job 39:11 nlt

Given its strength, can you trust it?
Can you leave and trust the ox to do your work?

Job 39 verses

Job 39 11 Meaning

Job 39:11 is a rhetorical question posed by God to Job, emphasizing the untamable nature of the wild ox (reem) and, by extension, the limitations of human power and control over creation. God asks if Job would be foolish enough to rely on the immense, uncontrollable strength of such a beast for arduous agricultural tasks like plowing, which require submission and domestication. The implied answer is a resounding "no," illustrating that if humans cannot even tame a powerful creature like the reem, how can they presume to comprehend or question the infinite power and complex wisdom of God, who commands all creation.

Job 39 11 Context

Job 39:11 is situated within the latter portion of God's second speech to Job, which began in Job chapter 38. God is systematically challenging Job's perceived wisdom and his arguments for God's injustice. Throughout chapters 38-41, God presents a breathtaking tour of the created world, focusing on natural phenomena (light, sea, weather) and wild animals, including the lion, raven, wild goat, wild donkey, and specifically, the wild ox (reem) in 39:9-12.

The overarching purpose is to humble Job by showcasing God's intimate knowledge of and absolute control over aspects of creation that are far beyond human comprehension or management. The rhetorical questions posed by God are designed to highlight Job's limited understanding and lack of power compared to the divine. If Job cannot command the sun, restrain the sea, or domesticate the wild creatures that God easily manages, how can he possibly question God's intricate governance of justice in the world? The passage concerning the reem directly contrasts the domesticated animal, used for human labor, with a powerful creature that remains untamed by human hands, serving as a powerful metaphor for God's ultimate sovereignty.

Job 39 11 Word analysis

• Will you trust him: Hebrew: הַתַּאֲמִין בּוֹ (hat'amin bo).

  • הַתַּאֲמִין (hat'amin): "Will you trust/believe?" Derived from the root אָמַן ('aman), which means "to confirm, support, be faithful, trust, believe." Here, it carries the nuance of entrusting work to, or having confidence in the capacity of, the wild ox. This is a rhetorical question implying absurdity.
  • בּוֹ (bo): "In him/it." Refers to the wild ox (reem), which was introduced in Job 39:9.
  • Significance: It questions not just trust in a personal sense but operational reliance. Can Job depend on such a creature for his most essential labors? The answer is an emphatic "no," illustrating human limitations in controlling natural power.

• because his strength is great?: Hebrew: כִּי־גָדֹול כֹּחֹו (ki gadol kocho)

  • כִּי־ (ki): "because" or "indeed," here introducing the reason for potential trust, immediately refuting it.
  • גָּדֹול (gadol): "Great, mighty." Implies immense, raw power.
  • כֹּחֹו (kocho): "His strength/power." Derived from כֹּחַ (koach), meaning "strength, might, power, ability." It refers to the physical prowess of the wild ox.
  • Significance: The reem's strength is a wild, untamed force. This line serves to underscore the paradox: one would not trust a creature because of its immense, wild strength, but despite it, for tasks requiring submission. The question highlights the inherent incompatibility.

• Or will you leave your labor to him?: Hebrew: וְתַעֲזֹב אֵלָיו יְגִיעֶךָ (wətarbəh 'elaw yəgieka)

  • וְתַעֲזֹב (wətarbəh): "Or will you leave/abandon/commit?" Derived from עָזַב ('azav), meaning "to leave, abandon, forsake, give over." In this context, it implies delegating responsibility or entrusting.
  • אֵלָיו ('elaw): "To him/it." Again, referring to the wild ox.
  • יְגִיעֶךָ (yəgieka): "Your labor/toil/produce of labor." Derived from יָגַע (yaga), "to be weary, toil, labor." It encompasses the physical effort and the resulting produce, highlighting critical aspects of sustenance.
  • Significance: This is a direct reference to human agricultural dependence. It points out the absurdity of entrusting vital, consistent, and obedient work like plowing or harrowing (implied from the preceding verses 9-10) to a creature defined by its refusal to be constrained or harnessed. This shows a complete disconnect between the nature of the reem and the demands of human enterprise.

Words-group analysis:

• "Will you trust him... his strength is great?": This rhetorical coupling contrasts the idea of trust with the nature of the reem's strength. The creature's "great strength" is precisely why it cannot be trusted for docile work; it's a force beyond human subjugation. It highlights a type of power that defies human dominion, a mere glimpse into the immeasurably greater, but controlled, power of God. This serves as a polemic against human overestimation of their own capacity for control.

• "Or will you leave your labor to him?": This directly speaks to the practical implications. "Your labor" refers to the painstaking, consistent, and essential work needed for survival in an agrarian society. To "leave" or commit such crucial tasks to an uncontrollable beast like the reem is pure folly. This phrase underscores human reliance on creatures they can domesticate, drawing a sharp distinction that reinforces human fragility when confronted with truly wild and divinely ordained strength.

Job 39 11 Bonus section

The Hebrew word reem (רְאֵם), translated as "wild ox" in most modern versions, was famously translated as "unicorn" in the King James Version due to the Septuagint's interpretation (monokeros, "one-horned"). While the scientific consensus identifies the reem as the aurochs (a large, powerful, wild ancestor of domestic cattle), the imagery of a single-horned, ferocious beast in ancient lore still effectively conveyed the sense of untamable power intended by the original Hebrew. Regardless of specific zoological identification, the key characteristic highlighted by God is the reem's inability to be domesticated and its immense, uncontrollable strength. This quality makes it a perfect example of a force of nature that defies human harnessing, standing in stark opposition to the obedient ox commonly used for labor. Thus, the passage asserts divine mastery over all aspects of creation, including those forces humans cannot subdue, prompting Job to grasp the unbridgeable chasm between his finite understanding and God's infinite wisdom and power.

Job 39 11 Commentary

Job 39:11 forms part of God's humbling discourse to Job, illustrating divine omnipotence and wisdom in stark contrast to human weakness and limited understanding. Through rhetorical questions about the untamable reem, God challenges Job to recognize that if he cannot even bend the will of a mere wild creature, he certainly cannot fathom or contest the workings of the Creator of the universe. The verse implies the absolute folly of humans relying on unmanageable, natural strength for their basic needs. The "wild ox" (often identified as the now-extinct aurochs, Bos primigenius, renowned for its immense size and ferocity) serves as a potent symbol of natural power completely outside human domestication. Its great strength, far from making it suitable for service, renders it useless for the very tasks that require a pliant, subservient creature. God's argument is that He manages these creatures and all of creation according to His purpose, independent of human efforts or understanding. The profound lesson for Job, and for all believers, is one of humility, encouraging trust in God's inscrutable ways rather than questioning them based on finite human reason.