Job 39:10

KJV

Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?

KJV (with Strong's)

Canst thou bind {H7194} the unicorn {H7214} with his band {H5688} in the furrow {H8525}? or will he harrow {H7702} the valleys {H6010} after {H310} thee?

Complete Jewish Bible

Could you tie a rope around its neck and make it plow furrows for you?

Berean Standard Bible

Can you hold him to the furrow with a harness? Will he plow the valleys behind you?

American Standard Version

Canst thou bind the wild-ox with his band in the furrow? Or will he harrow the valleys after thee?

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Job 39:10 is a profound rhetorical question posed by God to Job from the whirlwind, challenging humanity's limited power and understanding in contrast to divine omnipotence. Through the vivid imagery of attempting to domesticate the wild and untamable aurochs (mistranslated as "unicorn" in KJV) for agricultural labor, God underscores His absolute sovereignty over all creation, even its most formidable and independent elements, thereby humbling Job and expanding his perspective on God's unsearchable wisdom and control.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is situated within God's magnificent discourse to Job, spanning [chapters 38-41](/job/38 "Job 38-41 - God's Speeches from the Whirlwind"). Following Job's persistent laments, self-justification, and challenges to divine justice, God responds not by explaining Job's suffering, but by overwhelming him with a series of rhetorical questions about the natural world. God systematically parades before Job the wonders of creation—from the cosmos to the weather, and then to various wild animals—all of which are beyond human comprehension or control. The questions about the untamable "re'em" (aurochs) in [Job 39:9-12](/job/39-9 "Job 39:9-12 - The Wild Aurochs") serve as a powerful climax to this section, demonstrating that if humanity cannot even harness a wild beast for a simple farm task, how can it presume to grasp or critique the divine administration of the universe and its intricate moral order? The immediate context contrasts the wildness of God's creation with humanity's limited dominion.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** Ancient Israel was an agrarian society, deeply familiar with the domestication of animals for labor, particularly oxen for plowing and harrowing. The imagery of binding an animal with a "band" (yoke) and using it to "furrow" (plow) or "harrow the valleys" (break up soil) would have resonated immediately with Job and his contemporaries. The "unicorn" in the KJV is a mistranslation of the Hebrew `re'em` (רְאֵם), which refers to the aurochs (Bos primigenius), a now-extinct species of large, powerful, and notoriously wild cattle that roamed the ancient Near East. Unlike domesticated oxen, the aurochs was renowned for its immense strength, ferocity, and absolute resistance to human subjugation. The choice of this animal highlights the stark contrast between human attempts at control and the raw, untamed power of God's creation, which remains solely under His dominion.
* **Key Themes:** Job 39:10 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in the book of Job and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it underscores **God's Absolute Sovereignty and Power** over all creation, asserting that His control extends even to the most formidable and independent aspects of the natural world, far beyond human capacity to manage or comprehend. This divine omnipotence is a recurring motif, also seen in passages like [Psalm 24:1](/psalm/24-1 "Psalm 24:1 - The Earth is the Lord's"). Secondly, the verse emphasizes **Human Limitation and Humility**, reminding Job—and all humanity—of our finite understanding, limited power, and inability to fully grasp or control the complexities of God's design and His ways. This theme is central to Job's journey from self-justification to humble submission, as reflected in [Job 42:1-6](/job/42-1 "Job 42:1-6 - Job's Repentance"). Finally, it speaks to **Divine Wisdom in Creation**, suggesting that God creates creatures for purposes beyond immediate human utility or domestication. The existence of untamable beasts testifies to a divine wisdom that transcends human needs and desires, reminding us that not everything in creation is for our benefit or under our control, aligning with the celebration of God's creative wisdom in [Psalm 104](/psalm/104 "Psalm 104 - A Psalm of Creation").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Unicorn (Hebrew, _re'em'_):** The KJV translation "unicorn" is a misnomer, leading to confusion with the mythical one-horned creature. The Hebrew word `רְאֵם` (re'em) refers to the aurochs (Bos primigenius), a large, powerful, wild ox, now extinct. This animal was known for its immense strength, ferocity, and, crucially, its untamable nature. Its inclusion here emphasizes a creature that no human could ever subjugate for agricultural labor, serving as a stark contrast to the domesticated oxen common in ancient farming.
* **Band (Hebrew, _môṯāh'_):** This term refers to a yoke or harness, the apparatus used to bind a draft animal to a plow or other farm implement. The question highlights the absurdity of attempting to fit such a wild and powerful beast into the restrictive and submissive role of a farm animal, underscoring humanity's inability to impose its will on certain aspects of God's creation.
* **Harrow (Hebrew, _yēšādēd'_):** To "harrow" involves breaking up and leveling plowed ground, typically with a heavy frame or implement pulled by an animal. It's a common agricultural task following plowing. The rhetorical question posits whether the wild aurochs, known for its independence and power, would ever submit to such mundane, domesticated labor, further emphasizing the creature's untamable nature and, by extension, God's unique control over it.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow?"**: This opening clause challenges Job directly on his capacity to control the wild aurochs. The imagery is specific: binding this notoriously untamable beast with a "band" (yoke) and forcing it into the "furrow" (plow line). The implied answer is a resounding "no," highlighting humanity's limited dominion over even the physical world and its creatures. It contrasts human weakness with divine power.
* **"or will he harrow the valleys after thee?"**: This second clause continues the challenge, extending the agricultural metaphor. To "harrow the valleys" means to break up the soil in preparation for planting. The question implies whether the aurochs would willingly follow human direction to perform this labor. Again, the answer is negative, reinforcing the idea that this creature, unlike domesticated animals, is not subject to human will or utility, but remains wild and free under God's sole authority.

#### Literary Devices
Job 39:10 is rich in **Rhetorical Question**. God poses these questions not to elicit information from Job, but to make a forceful point, compelling Job to acknowledge his own ignorance and limited power in contrast to God's infinite wisdom and control. The verse also employs vivid **Imagery**, painting a clear picture of an untamable beast being absurdly forced into a domestic, subservient role. This creates a sense of **Irony**, as the very idea of the mighty aurochs submitting to human agricultural labor is preposterous. The entire discourse, including this verse, is an example of **Anthropomorphism**, as God speaks to Job in human terms and uses human-relatable scenarios (like farming) to convey profound theological truths about His divine attributes.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 39:10 serves as a powerful reminder of the vast chasm between human capacity and divine omnipotence. It underscores that God's power is not limited to what humans can comprehend or control; rather, His sovereignty extends over every aspect of creation, including the wild, untamed, and seemingly unproductive elements. This challenges anthropocentric views of creation, asserting that God's purposes are grander than human utility. The untamable aurochs symbolizes those aspects of life, nature, or even our circumstances that remain beyond our grasp, forcing us to confront our limitations and trust in a God whose wisdom and control are absolute. This humility is a foundational step towards true worship and reliance on the Creator.

* [Psalm 147:5](/psalm/147-5 "Psalm 147:5 - God's Understanding is Infinite")
* [Isaiah 40:28](/isaiah/40-28 "Isaiah 40:28 - The Everlasting God")
* [Romans 11:33](/romans/11-33 "Romans 11:33 - The Depth of God's Wisdom")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 39:10 invites us to a profound posture of humility and awe before our Creator. In a world that often seeks to control, categorize, and utilize everything for human benefit, this verse reminds us that there are aspects of God's creation, and indeed of His providence, that remain wild, untamed, and utterly beyond our manipulation. When we encounter circumstances that defy our understanding, resist our efforts to control, or seem to serve no immediate human purpose, this passage calls us to surrender our need for mastery. It encourages us to trust that the same God who sovereignly manages the untamable beasts of the wild also holds all our life's unmanageable complexities in His wise and powerful hand. Our peace is found not in our ability to bind every "unicorn" in our lives, but in resting in the omnipotence of the One who alone can.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What "wild animals" or uncontrollable circumstances in your life are you trying to "bind" or bring under your own control, rather than entrusting them to God?**
* **How does recognizing God's absolute sovereignty over creation, even its untamed aspects, humble your perspective on your own wisdom and power?**
* **In what ways can acknowledging your limitations lead to deeper trust and peace in God's overarching plan for your life?**

### FAQ
**What is the "unicorn" mentioned in Job 39:10?**

Answer: The "unicorn" in the King James Version of Job 39:10 is a mistranslation of the Hebrew word `re'em` (רְאֵם). This word refers not to a mythical one-horned horse, but to the aurochs (Bos primigenius), an extinct species of large, powerful, and notoriously wild bovine. These animals were known for their immense strength and untamable nature, making them impossible for humans to domesticate for agricultural work like plowing or harrowing. The KJV translators likely chose "unicorn" based on ancient Greek and Latin translations that associated the `re'em` with a single, prominent horn, or simply as a general term for a powerful, wild beast. The point of the verse is to highlight a creature that is utterly beyond human control, emphasizing God's unique sovereignty over it, as also referenced in [Numbers 23:22](/numbers/23-22 "Numbers 23:22 - Strength of the Wild Ox").

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Job 39:10 speaks of God's untamable creation, its Christ-centered fulfillment points to the One who perfectly embodies and exercises divine sovereignty, yet paradoxically came in ultimate humility. Jesus Christ is the Creator through whom all things were made, including the wild beasts and the untamed forces of nature, as affirmed in [John 1:3](/john/1-3 "John 1:3 - All Things Made Through Him") and [Colossians 1:16](/colossians/1-16 "Christ as Creator"). He is the one who *can* bind the "unicorn" – not literally, but metaphorically, He possesses absolute authority over all that is wild, chaotic, and untamable in creation and in the human heart. He calmed raging storms with a word ([Mark 4:39](/mark/4-39 "Jesus Calms the Storm")), cast out demons who defied human control ([Luke 8:29](/luke/8-29 "The Demoniac of Gadara")), and ultimately conquered the untamable forces of sin and death through His crucifixion and resurrection ([Hebrews 2:14](/hebrews/2-14 "Christ Destroys the Power of Death")). In Christ, God's sovereign power, which humbles Job, is revealed as redemptive power, inviting us not merely to acknowledge our limitations but to find our true freedom and purpose in submitting to the gentle yoke of the One who is truly Lord of all ([Matthew 11:29-30](/matthew/11-29 "Take My Yoke Upon You")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Job 39:7

He scorneth the multitude of the city, neither regardeth he the crying of the driver.

Hosea 10:10

[It is] in my desire that I should chastise them; and the people shall be gathered against them, when they shall bind themselves in their two furrows.

Hosea 10:11

And Ephraim [is as] an heifer [that is] taught, [and] loveth to tread out [the corn]; but I passed over upon her fair neck: I will make Ephraim to ride; Judah shall plow, [and] Jacob shall break his clods.

Micah 1:13

O thou inhabitant of Lachish, bind the chariot to the swift beast: she [is] the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion: for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee.

Psalms 129:3

The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows.

Job 39:5

Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?

Job 1:14

And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: