Job 39 17

Job 39:17 kjv

Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding.

Job 39:17 nkjv

Because God deprived her of wisdom, And did not endow her with understanding.

Job 39:17 niv

for God did not endow her with wisdom or give her a share of good sense.

Job 39:17 esv

because God has made her forget wisdom and given her no share in understanding.

Job 39:17 nlt

For God has deprived her of wisdom.
He has given her no understanding.

Job 39 verses

Job 39 17 Meaning

Job 39:17 reveals that the peculiar behavior of the ostrich, as previously described (Job 39:13-16), is not an accident of nature but a deliberate design by God. It states that the Creator Himself withheld practical foresight (wisdom) and insightful discernment (understanding) from the ostrich. This points to divine sovereignty, where even the specific characteristics and instincts of creatures are intentionally ordered by God according to His own inscrutable purposes, defying human expectations of what is "wise" or "perfect."

Job 39 17 Context

Job 39:17 is part of God's majestic and challenging discourse to Job, found in chapters 38-41. Following Job's complaints and search for divine justification, God silences Job's presumption by demonstrating His unsearchable wisdom and unparalleled power through His creation. God poses a series of rhetorical questions, illustrating His intimate knowledge and control over the natural world, far beyond human comprehension.

Specifically, verses 13-18 describe the ostrich (rᵉnānim). God highlights its magnificent speed and strength but immediately contrasts it with what humans would perceive as peculiar parental neglect—leaving her eggs exposed and being unconcerned about her offspring. Verse 17 directly answers why the ostrich exhibits this behavior: it is a consequence of God's deliberate design, as He chose to withhold from her the practical judgment and discerning insight typically associated with parental care in other creatures. This serves to humble Job, demonstrating that even what appears to be a "flaw" from a human perspective is, in God's divine plan, purposeful and serves His greater design, affirming His complete sovereignty over every aspect of His creation.

Job 39 17 Word analysis

• for: This connective links the descriptive aspects of the ostrich's behavior (Job 39:13-16) to the underlying divine reason presented in this verse. It explains the 'why.'

• God: Hebrew: ʾEloah (אֱל֫וֹהַּ). This singular form for "God" emphasizes His unique and singular authority and role as the sole agent of creation and wisdom. In the book of Job, ʾEloah is often used when contemplating God's power and moral governance.

• hath deprived her: Hebrew: heʾībbaṯah (הֵ֫אִבִּיתָהּ). This verb comes from the root ʾābav (אבב), which means "to be dull," "to be senseless," or "to cause to forget." In the Hiphil (causative) stem, as used here, it means "He caused her to forget," or "He removed from her," "He deprived her." It highlights a purposeful, active, and intentional act of divine withholding, rather than an accidental absence or defect. It is not an inherent flaw but a characteristic directly ordained by the Creator.

• of wisdom: Hebrew: ḥokhmāh (חׇכְמָה). This term refers to practical wisdom, discernment, prudence, common sense, and the ability to act with sound judgment and skill. In the context of the ostrich, it denotes a lack of prudent foresight and good judgment, specifically concerning the vulnerable state of its eggs and young as described in previous verses.

• neither hath he imparted: Hebrew: wəlōʾ ḥālak lah (וְלֹא־חָלַק לָהּ). ḥālak (חָלַק) means "to divide," "to allot," or "to assign a portion." The negative particle wəlōʾ ("neither") intensifies the preceding statement. It means "He did not allot a share to her," further reinforcing that the ostrich's characteristic is a deliberate exclusion or absence by God's decree.

• to her understanding: Hebrew: təvunāh (תְבוּנָה), a variation of bīnāh (בִּינָה). This word refers to deep insight, discerning comprehension, the faculty of distinguishing between things, and understanding the connections and implications of facts. Paired with ḥokhmāh (wisdom), it underscores a complete lack of perceptive judgment necessary for proper care. The combination of "wisdom" and "understanding" forms a common Hebrew literary device (merism) to emphasize a complete absence of rational discernment concerning her offspring's well-being.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "God hath deprived her of wisdom": This phrase clearly establishes divine causality for the ostrich's unique behavior. It highlights God's ultimate sovereignty even over the instinctual nature of His creatures. The lack of wisdom is not an error but part of a specific, intentional design, challenging human assumptions about nature's perfection or purpose.
  • "neither hath he imparted to her understanding": This second clause strongly echoes and reinforces the first, employing parallelism to emphasize the total and deliberate nature of the withholding. The paired concepts of 'wisdom' and 'understanding' serve as a comprehensive descriptor for the cognitive abilities needed for careful parental instincts. This phrase underscores that the ostrich's behavior is part of an orchestrated design, distinct from other creatures that God endows with strong nurturing instincts, thereby demonstrating God's diverse and varied creative power.

Job 39 17 Bonus section

The portrayal of the ostrich in Job 39:13-18 presents what some refer to as the "ostrich paradox." On one hand, God describes it with immense physical capabilities—joyous flapping wings (v.13), laughing at horses and their riders, tremendous speed (v.18). On the other, He describes an apparent deficiency in basic parental instinct. This contrast serves to magnify God's complex and diverse creative hand, where different creatures are endowed with a unique mix of strengths and seeming weaknesses as ordained by Him. This underscores that there is no uniform "perfect" design from a human perspective, but rather specific endowments for God's purposes, revealing the intricate tapestry of His creation that far exceeds simple human categorization or judgment. It encourages us to look beyond immediate appearances and marvel at the purposeful design behind all creation, no matter how unusual.

Job 39 17 Commentary

Job 39:17 serves as a theological statement about divine sovereignty rather than a mere zoological observation. God uses the ostrich as an example of His absolute freedom and unchallengeable wisdom in creation. From a human viewpoint, the ostrich's behavior (leaving eggs, apparently heedless of danger) seems profoundly irrational or "unwise" for survival, particularly for its young. However, God asserts that this apparent lack of judgment is not a biological accident but a specific, purposeful withholding of 'wisdom' and 'understanding' on His part.

This verse challenges human expectations of uniform design or predictable perfection in nature. God is not bound by human logic concerning what constitutes "good" or "rational" creation. He sovereignly determines the unique characteristics, instincts, and limitations of each creature, often for purposes that transcend immediate human comprehension. The ostrich's peculiarities are as much a testament to God's diverse and multifaceted design as the lion's strength or the horse's might.

The ultimate aim is to humble Job (and us) by revealing the Creator's mysterious and absolute power over all aspects of His universe. It implies that what we perceive as oddities or deficiencies are intentional components of a grand, divinely orchestrated cosmos. This passage draws us to a deeper reverence for a God whose ways are beyond full human understanding, compelling us to trust in His wisdom even when His creative choices seem counterintuitive.