TRV
Translation
King James Version
¶ Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?
Berean Standard Bible
“Do you know when mountain goats give birth? Have you watched the doe bear her fawn?
American Standard Version
Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? Or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?
World English Bible Messianic
“Do you know the time when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears fawns?
Geneva Bible (1599)
Wilt thou hunt the pray for the lyon? or fill the appetite of the lyons whelpes,
Young's Literal Translation
Hast thou known the time of The bearing of the wild goats of the rock? The bringing forth of hinds thou dost mark!
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Commentary on Job 39 verses 1–12
1 ¶ Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?
2 Canst thou number the months that they fulfil? or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?
3 They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones, they cast out their sorrows.
4 Their young ones are in good liking, they grow up with corn; they go forth, and return not unto them.
5 Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?
6 Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings.
7 He scorneth the multitude of the city, neither regardeth he the crying of the driver.
8 The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.
9 Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?
10 Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?
11 Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?
12 Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy barn?
God here shows Job what little acquaintance he had with the untamed creatures that run wild in the deserts and live at large, but are the care of the divine Providence. As,
I. The wild goats and the hinds. That which is taken notice of concerning them is the bringing forth and bringing up of their young ones. For, as every individual is fed, so every species of animals is preserved, by the care of the divine Providence, and, for aught we know, none extinct to this day. Observe here, 1. Concerning the production of their young, (1.) Man is wholly ignorant of the time when they bring forth, Job 39:1, Job 39:2. Shall we pretend to tell what is in the womb of Providence, or what a day will bring forth, who know not the time of the pregnancy of a hind or a wild goat? (2.) Though they bring forth their young with a great deal of difficulty and sorrow, and have no assistance from man, yet, by the good providence of God, their young ones are safely produced, and their sorrows cast out and forgotten, Job 39:3. Some think it is intimated (Psa 29:9) that God by thunder helps the hinds in calving. Let it be observed, for the comfort of women in labour, that God helps even the hinds to bring forth their young; and shall he not much more succour them, and save them in child-bearing, who are his children in covenant with him? 2. Concerning the growth of their young, (Job 39:4): They are in good liking; though they are brought forth in sorrow, after their dams have suckled them awhile they shift for themselves in the corn-fields, and are no more burdensome to them, which is an example to children, when they have grown up, not to be always hanging upon their parents and craving from them, but to put forth themselves to get their own livelihood and to requite their parents.
II. The wild ass, a creature we frequently read of in Scripture, some say untameable. Man is said to be born as the wild ass's colt, so hard to be governed. Two things Providence has allotted to the wild ass: - 1. An unbounded liberty (Job 39:5): Who but God has sent out the wild ass free? He has given a disposition to it, and therefore a dispensation for it. The tame ass is bound to labour; the wild ass has no bonds on him. Note, Freedom from service, and liberty to range at pleasure, are but the privileges of a wild ass. It is a pity that any of the children of men should covet such a liberty, or value themselves on it. It is better to labour and be good for something than ramble and be good for nothing. But if, among men, Providence sets some at liberty and suffers them to live at ease, while others are doomed to servitude, we must not marvel at the matter: it is so among the brute-creatures. 2. An unenclosed lodging (Job 39:6): Whose house I have made the wilderness, where he has room enough to traverse his ways, and snuff up the wind at his pleasure, as the wild ass is said to do (Jer 2:24), as if he had to live upon the air, for it is the barren land that is his dwelling. Observe, The tame ass, that labours, and is serviceable to man, has his master's crib to go to both for shelter and food, and lives in a fruitful land: but the wild ass, that will have his liberty, must have it in a barren land. He that will not labour, let him not eat. He that will shall eat the labour of his hands, and have also to give to him that needs. Jacob, the shepherd, has good red pottage to spare, when Esau, a sportsman, is ready to perish for hunger. A further description of the liberty and livelihood of the wild ass we have, Job 39:7, Job 39:8. (1.) He has no owner, nor will he be in subjection: He scorns the multitude of the city. If they attempt to take him, and in order to that surround him with a multitude, he will soon get clear of them, and the crying of the driver is nothing to him. He laughs at those that live in the tumult and bustle of cities (so bishop Patrick), thinking himself happier in the wilderness; and opinion is the rate of things. (2.) Having no owner, he has no feeder, nor is any provision made for him, but he must shift for himself: The range of the mountains is his pasture, and a bare pasture it is; there he searches after here and there a green thing, as he can find it and pick it up; whereas the labouring asses have green things in plenty, without their searching for them. From the untameableness of this and other creatures we may infer how unfit we are to give law to Providence, who cannot give law even to a wild ass's colt.
III. The unicorn - rhem, a strong creature (Num 23:22), a stately proud creature, Psa 112:10. He is able to serve, but not willing; and God here challenges Job to force him to it. Job expected every thing should be just as he would have it. "Since thou dost pretend" (says God) "to bring every thing beneath thy sway, begin with the unicorn, and try thy skill upon him. Now that thy oxen and asses are all gone, try whether he will be willing to serve thee in their stead (Job 39:9) and whether he will be content with the provision thou usedst to make for them: Will he abide by thy crib? No;" 1. "Thou canst not tame him, nor bind him with his band, nor set him to draw the harrow," Job 39:10. There are creatures that are willing to serve man, that seem to take a pleasure in serving him, and to have a love for their masters; but there are such as will never be brought to serve him, which is the effect of sin. Man has revolted from his subjection to his Maker, and is therefore justly punished with the revolt of the inferior creatures from their subjection to him; and yet, as an instance of God's good-will to man, there are some that are still serviceable to him. Though the wild bull (which some think is meant here by the unicorn) will not serve him, nor submit to his hand in the furrows, yet there are tame bullocks that will, and other animals that are not ferae naturae - of a wild nature, in whom man may have a property, for whom he provides, and to whose service he is entitled. Lord, what is man, that thou art thus mindful of him? 2. "Thou darest not trust him; though his strength is great, yet thou wilt not leave thy labour to him, as thou dost with thy asses or oxen, which a little child may lead or drive, leaving to them all the pains. Thou wilt never depend upon the wild bull, as likely to come to thy harvest-work, much less to go through it, to bring home thy seed and gather it into thy barn," Job 39:11, Job 39:12. And, because he will not serve about the corn, he is not so well fed as the tame ox, whose mouth was not to be muzzled in treading out the corn; but therefore he will not draw the plough, because he that made him never designed him for it. A disposition to labour is as much the gift of God as an ability for it; and it is a great mercy if, where God gives strength for service, he gives a heart; it is what we should pray for, and reason ourselves into, which the brutes cannot do; for, as among beasts, so among men, those may justly be reckoned wild and abandoned to the deserts who have no mind either to take pains or to do good.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–12. Public domain.
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John ChrysostomAD 407
COMMENTARY ON JOB 39:1B-3B
He is right in saying, “Have you protected the calving of the hinds?” Since flight, fear and anxiety are usual in this kind of animal, which never ceases from leaping and galloping, how, he says, can it not abort, so do you know how its young can be given birth at the right time? “Say if you have numbered the full months of their being with young, and if you have relieved their pangs. [Speak out if you] have reared their young without fear. Will you loosen their pangs?” This animal is timorous. How may its young ones, which cannot count on the speed of their legs, be devoid of fear? Who watches them? You see that nature never abandons them, neither the lion rules through its strength, nor is the hind abandoned.
Gregory the DialogistAD 604
MORALS ON THE BOOK OF JOB 30.49
“Their young ones leave and go to pasture.” Holy Scripture calls “pasture” that green place of eternity where our nourishment will never be spoiled by any drought. About this pasture the psalmist says, “The Lord is my shepherd, and I will never lack anything. In a green place, there he gave me rest.” And again, “We are his people and herd of his pasture.” And the Truth himself says about these pastures, “If one enters through me, he will be saved and will get out and will find pasture.” They go to pasture because, after going out of their body, they find the eternal green pastures. They go out and do not go back to them, because, after being received in that joyful contemplation, they do not need to hear the words of those who teach. And so, after going out they do not go back to them, because after escaping the afflictions of life, they do not seek to receive any longer from the doctors the doctrine of life.
Gregory the DialogistAD 604
36. The southern part of the world calls birds, which inhabit the streams of the Nile, ‘ibices.’ But the eastern and western quarters term small quadrupeds, ‘ibices,’ whose custom also it is to bring forth in the rocks, because they know not how to dwell except in the rocks. And if they ever fall down, even from the lofty tops of the mountains, they catch themselves without hurt on their own horns. For in falling they strike their head, and while they present the tips of its horns, the whole body is exempt from the injury of the fall. But it is the custom with hinds to destroy the serpents which they have found, and to mangle their limbs with their bites. But it is said that, if ever they cross rivers, they rest the weight of their heads on the backs of those in front, and that, succeeding in turn to each other, they do not feel at all the labour of the weight. Why is it then that blessed Job is questioned concerning the bringing forth of the wild goats, and the hinds, except that by wild goats, and hinds, is signified the character of spiritual masters? For they in truth bring forth as wild goats in the rocks; because by the teaching of the fathers, who are called rocks for their solidity, they bring forth souls to conversion. They, like wild goats, feel not the losses of any fall, when they are caught on their own horns; because whatever temporal ruin befals them, they support themselves on the testaments of Holy Scripture, and are saved, as it were, by being caught on their horns. For of these testaments it is said, Horns are in His hands. [Hab. 3, 4] They fly therefore to the consolation of Scripture, when they are struck with the loss of any temporal fall. Did not Paul, when sinking through the adversities of this world, catch himself, like the wild goats, on his horns; when he was saying, Whatsoever things were written were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. [Rom. 15, 4] They are also called hinds, as is said by Jeremiah of teachers carelessly deserting the children who were born to them; The hind calved in the field, and forsook it. [Jer. 14, 5] They, like hinds, live on destroyed sins, as on dead serpents; and from this very destruction of their sins are they more eagerly ardent for the fountain of life. Whence the Psalmist says, As the hart longeth for the fountains of water, so longeth my soul after Thee, O God. [Ps. 42, 1] They also, while they pass over the gliding moments of this temporal state, as if they were streams, place their burdens each on the other, being compassionate from love; because they keep with careful observation that which is written; Bear ye one anothers burdens, and so ye will fulfil the law of Christ. [Gal. 6, 2] But because after the coming of the Lord, spiritual teachers were scattered through the world, who were able by their preaching to travail with souls in conversion; and because this very season of the Lord’s Incarnation was not known, before the voices of the Prophets, though His coming Incarnation was foreknown to all the Elect, blessed Job is well questioned concerning the time when the wild goats and hinds bring forth, and it is said to him; Knowest thou the time when the wild goats bring forth in the rocks, or hast thou observed the hinds when they calve? As if it were said to him; Thou believest thyself to have acted in some sublime manner, because thou foreseest not, as yet, that time, when spiritual masters, sent into the world, beget children by the doctrine of the ancient fathers, and by their labours gather together for Me the gain of souls. For wert thou to behold their fruit, like the offspring of wild goats and hinds, thou wouldest think very humbly of thine own virtue. For the great things which we do, we regard as the very least, when we balance them with nobler examples. But they then increase in their merits with God, when through our humility they become less to ourselves.
37. But teachers can he understood by the designation of ‘hinds,’ but hearers by the term ‘wild goats,’ which are very small animals. But the wild goats bring forth in the rocks, because they are made fruitful in order to the performance of good works, by the examples of preceding fathers, in order that, if they hear perchance sublime precepts, and, conscious of their own infirmity, doubt their ability to fulfil them, they may look to the doings of their elders, and from considering their boldness, bring forth the offspring of good works. For to speak of a few instances among many, that the studious reader may learn much in few words, when such an one is hard pressed with insulting words, and is unable to maintain the virtue of patience, let him recal to his memory the conduct of David, who, when Semei was assailing him with so many insults, and the armed chieftains were striving to avenge him, says, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Saruia? Let him curse; for the Lord hath ordered him to curse David; and who is there who dareth to say, wherefore hath he done so. [2 Sam. 16] And a little after, Let him alone, that he may curse according to the command of the Lord, if perchance the Lord may look on my affliction, and requite me good for this cursing to-day. [ibid. 11, 12] In which words he plainly shows, that, when flying from his son rebelling against him, in consequence of the sins committed with Bethsabee, he recalled to his mind the evil which he had committed, and patiently submitted to what he heard, and that he believed insulting words to be not so much reproaches, as means of assistance, by which he considered that he could be purified, and have pity shown to him. For we then bear patiently reproaches heaped on us, when we recur in the secrecy of our mind to what we have done wrong. For it will seem a light thing that we are assailed undeservedly, when we perceive in our conduct that what we deserve is much worse. And thus it comes to pass that the insults deserve our thanks rather than our anger, by whose occurrence we trust that a greater punishment can he avoided in God’s judgment.
38. Behold, while another person is advancing in worldly prosperity, he feels himself assaulted with the provocations of lust, as the joy of his heart panders to his wishes; but he recals to his memory the conduct of Joseph, and maintains himself in the stronghold of chastity. For he, when he saw that he was persuaded by his mistress to forfeit his chastity, says; Behold my master, having given all things to me, knoweth not what he hath in his house, nor is there any thing which is not in my power, or which he hath not delivered to me, except thee, who art his wife; how then can I do this wickedness, and sin against my lord? [Gen. 39, 8. 9.] By which words there is shown one who suddenly brought to mind the good things he had obtained, and overcame the evil which was assailing him; and who, by bringing to mind the favour he had received, crushed the power of imminent sin. For when slippery pleasure assails us in prosperity, this very prosperity must be opposed to the sting of temptation; in order that we may be the more ashamed at committing sin, the more we call to mind that we have as a free gift received good things from God, and that we may convert the gift of outward blessings which has been conferred, into arms of virtues; that the goods we have received may be before our eyes, and that we may overcome those things that allure us. For because pleasure itself arises from prosperity, it must he struck down by a consideration of the same prosperity, in order that our enemy may perish by that same from which he takes his rise. For we must use consideration, lest we should turn into sin the gift we have received, and so, lest the whirlpool of wickedness should swallow us up, through the favour of life. For we kindle inextinguishably against us the wrath of the Heavenly Judge, if, even from His very bounty we fight against His goodness.
39. Another, seeking after the sweetness of inward knowledge, and unable to attain its secrets, looks at the life of Daniel as a pattern, and attains the desired eminence of wisdom. For he in truth who is afterwards called, by the voice of the angel, in consequence of his eagerness after inward knowledge, a man of desires, [Dan 10, 11] is said to have first tamed within him the desires of the flesh in the king’s court, so that he touched none of the delectable meats, but preferred a harder and rougher fare to that which was sumptuous and more delicate, [ib. 1, 8] in order that he might attain to the delight of inward nourishment, while taking from himself the pleasures of outward food, and that he might ‘enjoy more eagerly the taste of wisdom within, the more firmly he had outwardly restrained his fleshly taste, for the sake of this same wisdom. For if we cut off a pleasure from the flesh, we presently find a spiritual delight. For if outward wandering is shut out, an inward retreat is laid open to the earnestness of the mind. For the more the mind is unable, on account of its discipline, to spread itself beyond itself, the more is it able to extend and advance above itself: because even a tree is compelled to grow in height, which is prevented from spreading out into branches: and when we obstruct the streams of a fountain, we provoke the streams to rise to a higher level. Whilst then thoughtful persons look at the life of Saints as a model, the wild goats drop their young on the rocks. Hence it is that Paul was exhorting his hearers to bring forth as wild goats in the rocks, when, after having enumerated the virtues of their ancestors, he was saying; Having so great a cloud of witnesses placed over laying aside every weight, and the sin which surrounds us, let us run with patience to the contest set before. [Heb.12, 1] And again; Whose faith imitate, considering the end of their conversation. [ib. 13, 7]
40. But when we conceive in our heart the Divine precepts, we do not bring them forth at once, as if already compacted solidly by thought. Whence also blessed Job is questioned not as to the bringing forth of the wild goats, but as to the time of their bringing forth. For if in truth we hardly comprehend this time in ourselves, we are much more ignorant of it in the mind of another. For the seeds of heavenly fear having been first conceived in the womb of the heart, are consolidated by studious meditation in order to remain; after that, when, having been kept firm by strict attention of thought, they proceed to reasonable discretion, they are formed, as it were, into distinct limbs; next, having been conformed by a habit of perseverance, they come, as it were, to the solidity of bones, but lastly, when strengthened by perfect authority, they proceed, as it were, to the birth. But no one observes these growths of the Divine seeds in another’s heart, save Him Who creates it. For though we know, from the evidence of certain facts, that a person has conceived the might of heavenly desire, yet, when it comes forth to the birth, we cannot tell.
41. But the seeds which have been conceived in the mind frequently cannot arrive at perfection; because they precede, in their coming forth, the proper time of their birth. And because they come before the eyes of men not yet fully fashioned in thought, they die as if born out of due time. For the tongue of man frequently extinguishes virtues which are still tender, when it praises them as though already strong. For they perish the more rapidly, the more unseasonably they come forth to the knowledge of applause. But sometimes, when our imperfect and feeble thought is brought too soon before men, it is dissipated by the assault of opponents, and when it endeavours to appear to exist before the time, it causes itself not to be. But because holy men take care that all their good thoughts gain strength in secret, and first form within the womb of their mind the offspring which is about to be produced, blessed Job is rightly questioned concerning the season for bringing forth; because, namely, it is not known to any one, excepting to the Creator, what is the fitting season in each case. But He, when He looks to the secret recesses of the heart, discovers at what time our good deeds are properly brought forth to the knowledge of men. It is therefore well said; Knowest thou the time when the wild goats bring forth in the rocks? As if He openly said, As I, Who therefore cause the progeny of the Elect to live, because I bring them forth at the time foreknown. But when the birth of the hearers has been completed, it is well subjoined; Or hast thou observed the hinds when they calve? For to observe the hinds when they calve, is to examine with careful consideration those labours of fathers, who beget spiritual children.
42. For it should be carefully noticed, that this language is so strictly attended to, that it is said, Hast thou observed? Because it is in truth the habit of very few to consider what labour there is in the preachings of the fathers, with what great pains, and efforts, as it were, they bring forth souls in faith and conversation; with what careful circumspection they watch themselves, that they may be resolute in their commands, sympathizing in infirmities, fearful in threats, gentle in exhortations, humble in displaying their authority, overbearing in their contempt for temporal goods, unbending in the endurance of adversity, and yet weak, when they ascribe not to themselves their own strength; how great is their pain for those that fall, how great their fear for those who stand, with what ardour they seek to gain some things, with what anxiety they preserve others which they have gained. Because, therefore, it is the habit of very few to consider these things, it is well said to him,
Or hast thou observed the kinds when they calve?
43. But it is no objection, that God, when speaking of teachers, describes them under the type, not of stags, but of hinds. Because, doubtless, they are true teachers, who, while they are fathers through the vigour of their discipline, know how to be mothers through their bowels of compassion. Who endure the labours of holy conception, and bear within the womb of love children to be brought forth to God. For in the production of offspring mothers endure the greater labour, who bear for a long period of months the growing conception within their womb, and who deposit it, not without great pain, when it comes forth from the womb. Whence it is here also subjoined with fit consideration.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Job 39:1 presents a profound rhetorical challenge from God to Job, serving as a powerful demonstration of divine omniscience and sovereignty over the most hidden and instinctual aspects of the natural world. Within God's majestic discourse from the whirlwind, this verse specifically highlights the secretive birthing processes of wild animals, realms entirely beyond human observation, prediction, or control. It confronts Job's limited understanding and underscores the vast chasm between finite human knowledge and the infinite, meticulous wisdom of the Creator, compelling Job to acknowledge God's unsearchable ways.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Job 39:1 is situated within God's second major speech to Job, which begins in Job 38:1. This divine discourse follows Job's persistent lamentations and challenges to God's justice in the face of his immense suffering. God's speeches are a direct response to Job's desire for a divine hearing, but instead of providing an explanation for his suffering, God overwhelms Job with a series of rhetorical questions showcasing His unparalleled power, wisdom, and intricate control over creation. Chapters 38 and 39 focus on the untamed aspects of the natural world—the weather, celestial bodies, and wild animals—areas where human understanding and control are utterly absent. This particular verse continues the theme of God's intimate knowledge of creation's most elusive and instinctual phenomena, reinforcing the argument that if Job cannot comprehend or manage these basic elements of the physical world, how can he presume to understand or question the divine governance of the universe? The passage sets the stage for Job's ultimate humbling and repentance, culminating in Job's confession of his inability to contend with God in Job 40:3-5.
Historical & Cultural Context: In the ancient Near East, the wilderness was often perceived as a realm beyond human dominion, a place of mystery and untamed forces. Unlike domesticated animals, which were central to human survival and economy, wild animals represented the untamed power and unpredictability of nature. The ability to control or even comprehend the cycles of wild creatures, especially their most vulnerable moments like birth, would have been seen as a mark of supreme divine authority. The "wild goats of the rock" (likely the ibex) and "hinds" (female deer) were known for inhabiting rugged, inaccessible terrain and for their solitary, secretive birthing habits, making their reproductive cycles particularly opaque to human observation. By referencing these specific animals, God emphasizes His knowledge of the most remote and hidden aspects of creation, contrasting it with humanity's limited scope. This context highlights that God's sovereignty extends not just to the ordered human world, but also to the chaotic and mysterious wilderness, affirming His comprehensive reign over all existence.
Key Themes: This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the book of Job and biblical theology. Firstly, it profoundly underscores Divine Sovereignty and Omniscience. God's intimate knowledge of the precise timing and circumstances of every birth in the wilderness, even for creatures humans cannot observe, testifies to His meticulous oversight and absolute control over all creation. This theme is pervasive throughout God's speeches, demonstrating His unsearchable wisdom as highlighted in Job 38. Secondly, it highlights Human Limitation and Humility. The rhetorical questions "Knowest thou...?" and "canst thou mark...?" expose the inherent boundaries of human understanding and power. Job, despite his wisdom, cannot predict or influence these natural cycles, emphasizing the necessity of humility before the Creator. This theme resonates throughout the divine speeches, culminating in Job's confession of his inability to contend with God in Job 40:2. Thirdly, the verse celebrates The Wonders of Creation as a testament to God's wisdom and intricate design. The precise timing and instinctual behaviors of wild animals in birthing are presented as evidence of God's intricate design and wisdom. The natural world, even in its most inaccessible corners, silently declares God's glory, echoing the sentiment found in Psalm 19:1.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Knowest (Hebrew, yâdaʻ, H3045): This verb signifies not merely intellectual knowledge, but a deep, intimate, experiential knowing, implying personal acquaintance and understanding. As defined, it encompasses ascertaining by seeing, observation, care, recognition, and even instruction. By asking Job if he "knows" the time of birth for these wild animals, God is challenging Job's claim to comprehensive understanding and control. The rhetorical question highlights that such intimate, precise knowledge belongs solely to the Creator, who is personally involved in the intricate details of His creation, far beyond human capacity to "discern" or "comprehend."
Wild goats (Hebrew, yâʻêl, H3277): This term refers to the ibex, an agile species of wild goat known for its ability to climb and inhabit extremely rugged, rocky, and inaccessible mountainous terrain. As an "ibex (as climbing)," the word itself points to its characteristic habitat. The mention of their habitat ("of the rock," çelaʻ) further emphasizes the remote and hidden nature of their birthing process, making it virtually impossible for humans to observe or predict. This choice of animal underscores God's knowledge extending to the most elusive and untamed corners of the natural world.
Hinds (Hebrew, ʼayâlâh, H355): This term refers to a doe or female deer, known for their timidity, grace, and the solitary, often hidden, nature of their calving. Like the ibex, their birthing process is instinctual and takes place away from human eyes. The pairing of the "wild goats" and "hinds" creates a comprehensive picture of wild, untamed nature, reinforcing the idea that God's meticulous knowledge and oversight extend to all creatures, even those that intentionally conceal their most vulnerable moments from human view.
Verse Breakdown
"Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth?": This is the first of two parallel rhetorical questions, directly challenging Job's presumed knowledge and control. The phrase "the time" points to the precise, divinely ordained moment of birth, which for wild animals, particularly those inhabiting inaccessible terrain like the ibex, is entirely beyond human prediction or even awareness. This highlights God's perfect timing and intimate involvement in the natural cycles of life, contrasting sharply with human ignorance and inability to intervene or even observe.
"or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?": This second rhetorical question parallels the first, broadening the scope to another wild, elusive animal—the female deer. The verb "mark" (שָׁמַר, shâmar) implies observing, watching over, or guarding, meaning "to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to." The question asks if Job possesses the ability to monitor, protect, or even be aware of the secretive and instinctual calving process of hinds. Together, these two clauses emphasize humanity's profound lack of oversight, control, or even basic awareness over the most fundamental and vulnerable processes of life in the untamed wilderness, thereby magnifying God's unparalleled wisdom and sovereignty.
Literary Devices
The verse employs several powerful literary devices to convey its message. The most prominent is the Rhetorical Question, which serves not to elicit an answer from Job, but to underscore his profound ignorance and limited understanding compared to God's infinite knowledge. The questions are designed to humble Job by exposing the vast chasm between human and divine wisdom. Parallelism is evident in the structure of the verse, with the two clauses ("Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth?" and "or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?") mirroring each other in form and theme, reinforcing the central idea of human inability to comprehend the hidden aspects of creation. Imagery of wild, elusive animals like the "wild goats of the rock" and "hinds" evokes a sense of untamed nature and inaccessible wilderness, further emphasizing the scope of God's dominion beyond human reach. Finally, there's a subtle Anthropomorphism in God's direct address to Job, speaking to him as if he might possess such knowledge, only to highlight the absurdity of the premise and the depth of Job's limitations.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 39:1 serves as a profound theological statement on God's meticulous care and comprehensive knowledge extending to every corner of His creation, even the most remote and untamed. It challenges humanity's tendency to assume control or understanding over life's intricate processes, reminding us that true wisdom begins with acknowledging God's infinite wisdom and sovereignty. The verse invites us to trust in a God who not only orchestrates grand cosmic events but also intimately knows the precise moment a wild goat gives birth in a hidden crevice. This divine knowledge of the hidden and seemingly insignificant aspects of creation assures us that no detail of our lives, no matter how small or unseen, escapes His attention or care.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
This verse calls us to cultivate a profound sense of awe and humility before the Creator. In a world that often prizes human control, knowledge, and mastery, Job 39:1 reminds us of our inherent limitations. We are not the architects or overseers of creation, but creatures dependent on a God whose wisdom far surpasses our own. When we face uncertainties, unpredictable circumstances, or moments of deep mystery in our own lives—our "wild places" where we feel a lack of control—this verse encourages us to release our anxieties and trust in the God who knows the precise "time" for everything. It fosters a posture of worship, recognizing that the same God who intricately manages the birthing of wild animals also holds the details of our lives in His sovereign hand. This understanding can bring profound peace, allowing us to rest in His perfect plan even when it remains hidden from our view.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why does God choose these specific animals—wild goats and hinds—to make His point?
Answer: God chooses the "wild goats of the rock" (ibex) and "hinds" (female deer) precisely because they represent aspects of creation that are untamed, elusive, and largely inaccessible to human observation and control. The ibex inhabits rugged, mountainous terrain, making its birthing process hidden from human eyes. Hinds are known for their timidity and solitary calving in secluded areas. By referencing these animals, God emphasizes that His knowledge and sovereignty extend not only to the domesticated world that humans manage but also to the most remote, wild, and instinctual corners of creation. It highlights that God's meticulous care and understanding are so comprehensive that they encompass even the most hidden and unpredictable natural cycles, far beyond what any human could "know" or "mark." This reinforces the theme of God's unparalleled omniscience and His ability to provide for all creatures, even in the wilderness, as seen in Job 38:26-27.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job 39:1, with its emphasis on God's intimate knowledge of creation's hidden processes, finds its ultimate fulfillment and embodiment in Jesus Christ. As the eternal Word through whom "all things were made" (John 1:3), Jesus is the very wisdom and power of God revealed. The Creator who knows "the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth" is the same Christ who declares, "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered" (Matthew 10:29-30). His parables often drew from the natural world, demonstrating His intimate understanding of its workings, from the lilies of the field (Matthew 6:28-29) to the birds of the air. The divine omniscience and sovereignty showcased in Job 39:1 are perfectly mirrored in the person of Jesus, who knows the hearts of men (John 2:25), discerns the "times and seasons" (Acts 1:7), and holds all creation together by the word of His power (Colossians 1:16-17). Thus, the God who challenged Job's limited understanding is fully revealed in Christ, inviting us not merely to acknowledge divine wisdom, but to trust in the One who is Himself "the wisdom of God" (1 Corinthians 1:24).