Job 39 18

Job 39:18 kjv

What time she lifteth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.

Job 39:18 nkjv

When she lifts herself on high, She scorns the horse and its rider.

Job 39:18 niv

Yet when she spreads her feathers to run, she laughs at horse and rider.

Job 39:18 esv

When she rouses herself to flee, she laughs at the horse and his rider.

Job 39:18 nlt

But whenever she jumps up to run,
she passes the swiftest horse with its rider.

Job 39 verses

Job 39 18 Meaning

Job 39:18 describes the extraordinary speed and powerful presence of the ostrich. After earlier verses depict the ostrich as lacking maternal wisdom regarding its eggs, this verse presents a striking contrast, showcasing its unmatched swiftness that surpasses even the renowned speed and might of a horse with its rider. This highlights God's mysterious and awe-inspiring design, where different creatures are endowed with unique and sometimes paradoxical attributes, challenging human understanding and demonstrating the vastness of divine wisdom.

Job 39 18 Context

Job 39:18 is part of the L-RD's direct address to Job from the whirlwind (chapters 38-41). This section serves as God's response to Job's earlier questioning of divine justice and wisdom. God confronts Job with a series of rhetorical questions, drawing examples from the natural world to demonstrate His boundless power, inscrutable wisdom, and sovereign control over creation. The preceding verses (39:13-17) describe the ostrich's peculiar behavior, specifically its perceived lack of parental care towards its eggs, attributing this "foolishness" to God's withholding of wisdom from it. Verse 18 then presents a dramatic pivot, highlighting the ostrich's astounding strength and speed, which surpasses that of the warhorse, a symbol of ancient military might and human control. This juxtaposition emphasizes God's multifaceted wisdom in granting creatures distinct attributes, challenging human comprehension and the limited perspectives of Job and his friends. It indirectly counters anthropocentric views and ancient Near Eastern wisdom traditions that attempted to categorize divine action and human suffering through rigid systems of retribution, demonstrating that God's ways are beyond human ability to fully grasp or critique.

Job 39 18 Word analysis

• What time: This phrase functions as a temporal conjunction, equivalent to "When" or "As soon as." It signals the moment the ostrich prepares for its decisive action.
• she lifeth up herself on high:
  • Hebrew: תָּרִים (tarim) and לַמָּרֹום (lammarom).
  • תָּרִים (tarim) derives from the root רום (rum), meaning "to be high," "to exalt," or "to lift up."
  • לַמָּרֹום (lammarom) means "to the height" or "on high."
  • Together, this powerfully describes the ostrich stretching its long neck and lifting its body to its full towering height at the onset of its run. It conveys a sense of grandeur and preparation for action, emphasizing its formidable stature and initial surge.
• she scorneth:
  • Hebrew: תִּשְׂחַק (tischak).
  • This word comes from the root שׂחק (śâḥaq), which can mean "to laugh," "to play," "to mock," or "to scorn."
  • In this context, it implies a confident, disdainful surpassing. The ostrich's superior speed is such that it outruns, and thus implicitly mocks or makes light of, the fastest creature of human control. It's not human-like arrogance, but rather an objective demonstration of its inherent speed making the horse appear slow by comparison.
• the horse and his rider:
  • Hebrew: לַסּוּס (lassus) and וּלְרֹכְבֹו (ulrokhevo).
  • סוּס (sus) means "horse," especially a warhorse known for its power and speed (as detailed in Job 39:19-25).
  • רֹכְבֹו (rokhevo) means "his rider" or "its rider."
  • This phrase represents the epitome of swift, powerful, and controlled movement in the ancient world, often symbolizing military might and human mastery over creation. By "scorning" this combination, the ostrich’s speed is dramatically highlighted as transcendent, defying human attempts at comparison or control.
• "What time she lifeth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider" (Words-group analysis): This entire phrase highlights the dramatic paradox of the ostrich. While verses 13-17 attribute a "lack of wisdom" or understanding to the ostrich in its parental care, this verse unveils another, equally divine, attribute: incredible speed and strength that overwhelms even human attempts to match or surpass it with a powerful, trained warhorse. It demonstrates that God's wisdom is multi-faceted and His purposes extend beyond singular human metrics. It shifts focus from the perceived "folly" to the astounding, divinely endowed physical prowess. The verse celebrates a creature's ability given by God to excel in its unique way, regardless of what humans might deem as 'deficiencies'.

Job 39 18 Bonus section

The contrast between the ostrich's perceived lack of parental wisdom (Job 39:13-17) and its exceptional speed (Job 39:18) is not a contradiction but a deliberate presentation by God. It teaches Job (and us) that God's wisdom operates on a plane far beyond human judgment of what is "wise" or "foolish." He allocates attributes uniquely to His creation for His own purposes, which might not always align with human logic or utility. The ostrich's formidable speed, rendering a horse and rider inconsequential, might even suggest that God has provided the ostrich with its means of survival instead of conventional nesting behaviors, demonstrating a distinct adaptive strategy divinely ingrained. This intricate and challenging portrayal of the ostrich reinforces a central theme of the L-RD's speeches in Job: the vastness of divine knowledge and power compared to the severe limitations of human understanding and wisdom. It encourages a reverent silence rather than continued questioning of divine actions.

Job 39 18 Commentary

Job 39:18 serves as a powerful testament to the intricate and often paradoxical wisdom of God embedded within creation. Having earlier presented the ostrich's curious parental behavior as divinely ordained "foolishness," God pivots to reveal its astonishing physical prowess. The image of the ostrich "lifting itself on high" captures its imposing stature and the very beginning of its legendary run. Its "scorning" of the horse and rider is not a sign of the bird's pride, but a vivid metaphor for its incomparable speed, making the symbol of human power and agility (the horse) seem trivial. This duality in the ostrich's nature—seemingly deficient in maternal instinct yet supremely gifted in speed—underscores God's incomprehensible sovereignty. It is a divine object lesson for Job, emphasizing that human understanding cannot fully grasp God's design or wisdom, nor can it impose its standards on divine creation. The verse encourages awe and humility before a Creator whose wisdom manifests in ways that defy simplistic human categorization and evaluation.