Job 39:3 kjv
They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones, they cast out their sorrows.
Job 39:3 nkjv
They bow down, They bring forth their young, They deliver their offspring.
Job 39:3 niv
They crouch down and bring forth their young; their labor pains are ended.
Job 39:3 esv
when they crouch, bring forth their offspring, and are delivered of their young?
Job 39:3 nlt
They crouch down to give birth to their young
and deliver their offspring.
Job 39 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Job 39:1-2 | "Do you know when the mountain goats give birth...? Do you mark the months?" | God's comprehensive knowledge of creation's cycles. |
| Job 38:39-41 | "Can you hunt the prey for the lion...? Do you provide food for the raven?" | God's provision for all wild creatures. |
| Ps 104:21 | "The young lions roar for their prey...seeking their food from God." | Divine provision sustains animals. |
| Ps 147:9 | "He gives to the beast its food, and to the young ravens that cry." | God provides for all living things. |
| Matt 6:26 | "Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap...your heavenly Father feeds them." | God cares for animals; human value is greater. |
| Matt 10:29 | "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one...will fall apart from your Father." | God's meticulous awareness of all creation. |
| Rom 1:20 | "For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen..." | God's attributes displayed through creation. |
| Ps 8:3-4 | "When I consider your heavens...what is mankind that you are mindful of them?" | Humanity's place relative to God's vast creation. |
| Gen 1:24-25 | "God said, 'Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds...' And it was so." | God established biological reproduction. |
| Gen 3:16 | "To the woman he said, 'I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children...'" | The connection of pain (pangs) to childbirth. |
| Isa 13:8 | "Pangs and anguish will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in labor." | Metaphorical use of birth pangs for great distress. |
| Rom 8:22 | "For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now." | Creation's suffering is likened to birth pangs. |
| Job 12:7-9 | "But ask the beasts, and they will teach you...that the hand of the LORD has done this." | Nature proclaims God's creative work. |
| Job 38:25-27 | "Who has cleft a channel for the torrents...? To satisfy the desolate wasteland...?" | God provides for wilderness, even unseen parts. |
| Col 1:16-17 | "For by him all things were created...And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together." | Christ as Creator and Sustainer of all. |
| Heb 1:3 | "He is the radiance of the glory of God...and he upholds the universe by the word of his power." | Christ actively sustains creation. |
| Ps 139:13-16 | "For you formed my inward parts...my frame was not hidden from you..." | God's intimate knowledge of life's formation. |
| Jer 31:35 | "Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon..." | God orders and controls creation. |
| Job 40:1-2 | "And the LORD said to Job: 'Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty?..." | God's continued challenge to Job's limited understanding. |
| Prov 30:24-28 | Descriptions of small, wise creatures: "ants...rock badgers...locusts...lizards." | God's wisdom evident even in small creatures. |
| Jer 14:5-6 | "Even the doe in the field forsakes her newborn fawns...because there is no grass." | Highlights the desperation and natural processes of animals. |
| Ps 50:10-11 | "For every beast of the forest is mine...I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine." | God's ownership and intimate knowledge of all animals. |
Job 39 verses
Job 39 3 Meaning
Job 39:3 vividly portrays the intricate process of wild mountain goats or deer giving birth in the wilderness. It emphasizes God's direct and intimate knowledge of every detail, from their posture of labor ("they crouch") to the emergence of their young ("they bring forth their young"), and the intense struggle involved ("they cast out their pangs"). This verse highlights the Creator's awareness of even the most hidden and primal aspects of life within the natural world, reinforcing His absolute sovereignty, omnipresence, and detailed providence over all creation, even the untamed.
Job 39 3 Context
Job 39:3 is part of God's profound discourse to Job (chapters 38-41), initiated in response to Job's questions and complaints about his suffering and God's apparent indifference or injustice. In this section, God systematically interrogates Job, not about his suffering, but about his knowledge of the vast and intricate workings of the natural world. Chapter 39 specifically focuses on the untamed creatures of the wilderness—mountain goats, wild donkeys, wild oxen, ostriches, horses, and hawks—each presented with a unique characteristic that demonstrates God's intricate design and absolute control over aspects Job cannot comprehend or influence.
Verse 3 hones in on the hidden and challenging birthing process of mountain goats or wild deer (often rendered "does" or "hind"). The rhetorical questions in the preceding verses ("Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you mark the months of their delivery?") set the stage. God asks if Job has any part in or even knowledge of such intimate, unseen moments in the wild. This serves to humble Job by showing the profound limitation of human understanding and power compared to God's omnipresence and precise orchestration of all life, even in its most vulnerable and painful phases. It underscores that God, who intricately oversees the reproduction of wild animals, is infinitely more aware and in control of Job's life and trials.
Job 39 3 Word analysis
They crouch (כָּרְעוּ, kā·rə·‘ū): From the Hebrew verb כָּרַע (kārac), meaning to bow, kneel, or bend the knee. It describes the physical posture adopted for intense effort, specifically here, for labor and childbirth. It implies a moment of profound vulnerability, struggle, and natural instinct, guided by an unseen divine hand. God knows the very stance and straining of creation.
They bring forth (יַלְדוּ, yal·ḏū): From יָלַד (yalad), the common Hebrew verb meaning to bear, give birth, or beget. This is the core act of procreation and continuation of life. Its inclusion emphasizes God's direct orchestration of life's fundamental cycles.
Their young (בְּנֵיהֶם, bə·nê·hem): Literally "their sons" or "their children," referring to the offspring of the animals. This term highlights the new life emerging, signaling renewal and the continuation of species, all within God's sustaining plan.
They cast out (תְּשַׁלַּחְנָה, tə·šal·laḥ·nāh): From שָׁלַח (shalach), meaning to send, send away, or put forth. In this context, it describes the expulsion of the young and the culmination of the birthing process. It denotes a forceful, decisive act of delivery, highlighting the physical demands of labor.
Their pangs (עַצְבוֹתָם, ‘aṣ·ḇō·w·ṯām): From עֶצֶב (‘etsev), which can mean pain, sorrow, toil, or labor. This is the same root word used in Genesis 3:16 for the pain of human childbirth. Its use here indicates the inherent suffering, strain, or distress involved in the birthing process, even for animals. It signifies God's complete knowledge not only of the mechanics of birth but also of the struggle and effort accompanying it.
Words-group analysis
"They crouch, they bring forth their young": This phrase details the entire progression of labor, from the initial strenuous posture to the successful delivery of offspring. It encapsulates the complete cycle of a significant, vulnerable, and ultimately life-giving event in the animal kingdom, demonstrating God's direct involvement in its every phase.
"They cast out their pangs": This powerfully concludes the description of birth by focusing on the culmination of the struggle and the intense effort required. It highlights that the process is not effortless but involves a significant outpouring of pain and exertion. This reinforces God's intimate understanding of the depths of creation's processes, including suffering inherent in the life cycle, which provides a parallel to human experience and pain, inviting Job to trust God's awareness of his own suffering.
Job 39 3 Bonus section
This verse implicitly polemicizes against ancient Near Eastern pagan deities, who were often associated with fertility but depicted as limited or squabbling, certainly not intimately involved with the difficult birth of every wild animal. Yahweh, the God of Israel, demonstrates unique sovereignty over every aspect of creation, including the raw and often unseen processes of life in the untamed wilderness. This depth of care, extending to creatures with no inherent "value" by human standards, magnifies God's glory and challenges human anthropocentric views. It calls for profound humility, reminding Job and all believers that God's ways and knowledge are far beyond human comprehension or control, reinforcing trust in His unseen but active providence even in the midst of unexplainable suffering.
Job 39 3 Commentary
Job 39:3 serves as a profound testament to God's omniscient and omnipresent control over creation. It takes a seemingly mundane, yet deeply significant, natural event—animal childbirth in the wild—and elevates it to a demonstration of divine majesty. God challenges Job to consider if he possesses such intimate knowledge of these processes. The detailed description of "crouching," "bringing forth," and "casting out pangs" emphasizes that nothing, not even the hidden suffering of a wild creature in isolation, escapes God's meticulous awareness and active supervision. This passage subtly yet powerfully communicates that the same God who intimately cares for the painful delivery of a mountain goat's fawn also fully comprehends and oversees Job's complex suffering. It highlights that creation operates according to a divine blueprint, ensuring species survival, and that every detail, every struggle, is within the scope of God’s knowing and sovereign will.