Job 39 20

Job 39:20 kjv

Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is terrible.

Job 39:20 nkjv

Can you frighten him like a locust? His majestic snorting strikes terror.

Job 39:20 niv

Do you make it leap like a locust, striking terror with its proud snorting?

Job 39:20 esv

Do you make him leap like the locust? His majestic snorting is terrifying.

Job 39:20 nlt

Did you give it the ability to leap like a locust?
Its majestic snorting is terrifying!

Job 39 verses

Job 39 20 Meaning

Job 39:20 is part of God's discourse to Job, highlighting His power and wisdom through the marvel of creation. This verse specifically describes the formidable warhorse, emphasizing its immense strength and the terror it instills. It poetically contrasts human inability to command such a creature with God's effortless mastery, depicting the horse's overwhelming force through its ground-shaking movements and intimidating snort, which fills observers with dread and awe.

Job 39 20 Context

Job chapter 39 is a continuation of God's extensive discourse to Job, commencing in chapter 38. In this section, God highlights His unfathomable wisdom and absolute sovereignty by contrasting His perfect command over the natural world, particularly wild and powerful creatures, with Job's limited understanding and human weakness. The purpose is not to answer Job's direct accusations but to humble him by revealing the sheer complexity and wildness of creation, which only God orchestrates and controls.

Verses 19-25 specifically focus on the warhorse, detailing its might, courage, and fearlessness in battle. Job 39:20 thus fits within this description of the horse's immense power, serving to illustrate that humans cannot impart or direct such a creature's overwhelming force. Historically and culturally, the horse, especially the warhorse, symbolized raw power, speed, and military dominance in the ancient Near East. This verse would resonate deeply with an original audience accustomed to both the terror and the glory associated with these animals in warfare. The portrayal of the horse as untamed yet magnificent also serves as an indirect polemic against human arrogance, demonstrating that humanity's grandest tools of war ultimately derive their very nature and capabilities from God's design.

Job 39 20 Word Analysis

• Can you make him leap: The Hebrew is "הַתַּרְעִישֶׁנּוּ" (haṯ·tar·‘î·še·nnū). This comes from the root רָעַשׁ (ra‘aš), meaning "to quake," "to tremble," or "to shake." It is a Hiphil form, meaning "to cause to tremble" or "to make tremble/quake."

  • Significance: While some translations render this as "leap" or "prance" (suggesting a vigorous, shaking motion), the primary sense is about causing a powerful disturbance, like an earthquake (ra'ash also refers to earthquake). The query is rhetorical: "Can you make him (the horse) shake the ground or make others tremble with his powerful presence, just as a terrifying locust swarm shakes a land or trembles the earth with its sound/mass?" This highlights human inability to command such awe-inspiring might.

• like a locust: אַרְבֶּה ('arbeh). Locusts were a powerful image of overwhelming, devastating force, often causing terror due to their swarms and destructive capacity (Joel 1:4-7).

  • Significance: The comparison can refer to the horse's earth-shaking tread (mimicking the ground seeming to tremble under countless locusts), its sudden, overwhelming charge, or the sheer terror it inspires. It underlines the scale of the horse's formidable nature, drawing a parallel between the horse's individual might and the collective destructive power of a locust swarm.

• The glory: הֹד (hôḏ). This term signifies "majesty," "splendor," or "awe-inspiring beauty/power." It is often used in the Old Testament to describe divine glory or the majesty of a king.

  • Significance: Attributing "glory" to the horse's snorting elevates the animal's physical manifestation of power to a level that demands reverence, albeit reflecting God's own glory in its creation. It emphasizes the magnificence inherent in its strength.

• of his snorting: נַחְרָתוֹ (naḥ·rā·ṯōw). From the verb נָחַר (nāḥar), meaning "to snort." It refers to the deep, explosive exhalation of air through the nostrils, characteristic of a horse.

  • Significance: The snort of a warhorse is not just a sound; it's an auditory symbol of its excitement, strength, and eagerness for battle. It precedes the charge and fills the air with an intimidating presence.

• is awe-inspiring: אֵימָה (êy·māh). This word conveys "terror," "dread," "fright," or "awe."

  • Significance: The effect of the horse's snorting is to evoke strong feelings of fear and profound respect. This awe is directed at the horse's might, but implicitly, it points back to the Creator who endowed the animal with such terrifying splendor. It underlines the theme of God's power as being beyond human comprehension or control.

• "Can you make him leap like a locust? The glory of his snorting is awe-inspiring." (Phrase Analysis)

  • This two-part statement serves as a rhetorical question followed by an emphatic declaration, typical of God's speeches to Job. The question ("Can you...?") highlights Job's (and humanity's) utter inability to replicate or control such raw power. The declarative statement about the horse's "glory" and "awe-inspiring" snorting underscores the divine origin and formidable nature of this creation. The "leap/tremble like a locust" creates a powerful dual image: one of devastating collective power (locust) applied to an individual animal (horse) to convey its might, both in its shaking movement and its ability to inspire terror. The contrast between Job's powerlessness and God's perfect design is the central message.

Job 39 20 Bonus Section

The mention of the warhorse in Job 39 stands out as it’s a detailed depiction of an animal directly involved in human conflict. Yet, God claims responsibility for its might, not humanity. This illustrates that even the instruments of human power and conflict derive their very being and capacities from the Divine Creator. This reinforces a theology where nothing, not even human warfare, operates outside God's ultimate creative and providential oversight. The horse, described with such power and disregard for danger (v. 21-25), is God's creation, inherently imbued with a nature designed by Him, not by man. The warhorse's fearless plunge into battle (v. 25) showcases an innate bravery that no human could instill, pointing to a wisdom and purpose beyond Job's understanding.

Job 39 20 Commentary

Job 39:20 stands as a poignant rhetorical question from the Lord to Job, masterfully illustrating God's absolute sovereignty and immense creative power. God had previously described the warhorse's physical might; here, He moves to its psychological impact. The initial phrase, best rendered "Can you make him tremble like a locust?" or "cause the earth to shake like a locust swarm?" points to the horse's powerful, unsettling movement or the profound terror it inflicts, similar to the desolating impact of a locust plague. This comparison underscores the horse's overwhelming force. Humans cannot infuse such an animal with its innate, terrifying dynamism or control its fundamental nature. The second part, "The glory of his snorting is awe-inspiring," attributes majesty (Hôd) to the very sound of the horse, emphasizing its intrinsic power. The snort of a warhorse is a sound of anticipatory violence, signaling its readiness for battle, and it evokes profound dread and reverence (eimah). This single verse powerfully consolidates the theme: the formidable warhorse, a creature beyond human control or creation, serves as a humble yet magnificent testament to the Creator's incomprehensible wisdom and boundless strength. It reminds us that even the most formidable earthly powers are mere echoes of God's true might, entirely sustained by His divine hand.