Job 39:11

KJV

Wilt thou trust him, because his strength [is] great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?

KJV (with Strong's)

Wilt thou trust {H982} him, because his strength {H3581} is great {H7227}? or wilt thou leave {H5800} thy labour {H3018} to him?

Complete Jewish Bible

Would you trust its great strength enough to let it do your heavy work,

Berean Standard Bible

Can you rely on his great strength? Will you leave your hard work to him?

American Standard Version

Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? Or wilt thou leave to him thy labor?

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Job 39:11 is part of God's profound discourse from the whirlwind, where He challenges Job's limited understanding by presenting the untamable nature of His creation. Specifically, God questions Job's ability to rely on the powerful yet wild *re'em* (often translated "unicorn" in the KJV, referring to a wild ox or aurochs) for human labor. This rhetorical query underscores the vast chasm between humanity's desire to control and harness power for its own purposes, and God's absolute sovereignty over all creation, much of which remains beyond human manipulation or comprehension, thereby humbling Job and revealing the unsearchable wisdom of the Almighty.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Job 39:11 is situated within God's extended speeches to Job, beginning in [Job 38](/job/38 "Job 38 - God's First Speech from the Whirlwind") and continuing through [Job 41](/job/41 "Job 41 - God's Description of Leviathan"). This section serves as God's direct response to Job's complaints and questioning of divine justice. Rather than providing a direct explanation for Job's suffering, God overwhelms Job with a majestic display of His creative power and providential control over the natural world, particularly focusing on creatures that are beyond human management. The immediate context of [Job 39](/job/39 "Job 39 - God's Control Over Wild Animals") details various wild animals—the mountain goat, wild donkey, wild ox (*re'em*), ostrich, and horse—each presented as a testament to God's unique design and ultimate dominion, highlighting their independence from human control. Verses 9-10 specifically set up the challenge regarding the *re'em*, asking if it would be willing to serve humanity, making verse 11 the logical continuation of this rhetorical line of questioning.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** In the ancient Near East, agriculture was the bedrock of society, and domesticated animals, especially oxen, were indispensable for plowing, harrowing, and other forms of heavy labor. The concept of harnessing animal strength for human benefit was deeply ingrained. The *re'em* (wild ox or aurochs, *Bos primigenius*) was a formidable beast, renowned for its immense strength, powerful horns, and fierce, untamable nature. Unlike domesticated oxen, the *re'em* could not be yoked or controlled for agricultural purposes. Its wildness made its strength useless for human enterprise. Biblical references elsewhere, such as [Numbers 23:22](/numbers/23-22 "Numbers 23:22 - Strength of the Wild Ox") and [Deuteronomy 33:17](/deuteronomy/33-17 "Deuteronomy 33:17 - The Horns of the Wild Ox"), emphasize its power. God's challenge to Job in this verse taps into this cultural understanding, contrasting the raw, unmanageable power of the *re'em* with the controlled, useful power of domesticated animals, thereby illustrating the limits of human dominion even over the physical world.

* **Key Themes:** The overarching theme of God's speeches in Job is divine sovereignty and the inscrutability of God's wisdom. Job 39:11 specifically contributes to the theme of the **limits of human wisdom and control**. By presenting creatures like the *re'em* that are beyond human taming, God demonstrates that His creation operates according to His design, not human convenience or understanding. This highlights the **vastness of God's power** which extends not only to creating but also to sustaining and governing all things, including those that defy human attempts at mastery. The passage also serves to **humble humanity**, reminding us that if we cannot even control the wild beasts of the field, how much less can we comprehend or challenge the ways of the Almighty, whose thoughts are higher than our thoughts ([Isaiah 55:8-9](/isaiah/55-8 "Isaiah 55:8-9 - God's Thoughts are Higher")). It underscores the theme of **trust in divine providence**, even when God's ways seem mysterious or contrary to human expectations, as seen in Job's suffering.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Trust (בטח, _bāṭaḥ_):** This Hebrew verb signifies to lean on, rely on, or have confidence in. In this context, it carries the implication of entrusting one's vital agricultural work or security to the creature. God's rhetorical question challenges Job to consider if such a wild, untamed beast could ever be a reliable object of trust for human labor, despite its immense physical power. The answer is an emphatic "no," highlighting the futility of placing reliance on something inherently uncontrollable.
* **Strength (כֹּחַ, _kōaḥ_):** This noun refers to power, might, vigor, or ability. It denotes the raw, inherent physical prowess of the *re'em*. God acknowledges the creature's formidable power, but immediately juxtaposes it with its untamable nature, demonstrating that raw strength, divorced from willingness or ability to be controlled, is useless for human purposes. This subtle distinction points to God's power being not merely raw might, but power perfectly coupled with wisdom and purpose.
* **Labour (עֲבוֹדָה, _ʿăḇōḏāh_):** This term broadly means work, service, or toil, often specifically referring to agricultural work or service. Here, it refers to the essential tasks of plowing, harrowing, and other field work necessary for survival in an agrarian society. The question "wilt thou leave thy labour to him?" directly challenges the idea of delegating such critical, daily tasks to a creature that cannot be yoked or directed, emphasizing its unsuitability for human service.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Wilt thou trust him, because his strength [is] great?":** God poses a rhetorical question to Job, challenging the very notion of relying on the wild ox (*re'em*). Despite its acknowledged "great strength," the question implies that its power is not harnessed for human benefit. This highlights the human tendency to value and seek to control power, yet God shows that some of His creation, though powerful, remains utterly beyond human dominion or trust for practical purposes. The implied answer is a resounding "no," underscoring human limitations.
* **"or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?":** This second rhetorical question reinforces the first, making the impossibility even more concrete. "Leaving one's labour" to the *re'em* would mean entrusting essential agricultural tasks—the very foundation of ancient life—to a creature that cannot be domesticated. This vividly illustrates that raw, untamed power, no matter how great, is useless for human ends if it cannot be controlled. It serves as an analogy for God's own power and wisdom, which Job cannot control or fully comprehend, and therefore cannot "leave his labor" (i.e., his understanding of justice or the universe) to his own limited perspective.

#### Literary Devices
The primary literary device at play in Job 39:11 is the **Rhetorical Question**. God poses questions that are not meant to be answered aloud by Job, but rather to provoke profound introspection and to highlight an undeniable truth: Job's inability to control or even understand the wild *re'em* underscores his even greater inability to comprehend or challenge God's management of the universe. This device effectively humbles Job by exposing the limits of his knowledge and power. There is also a strong element of **Contrast** in the verse, juxtaposing the raw, untamed strength of the wild ox with its complete unsuitability for human labor and control. This contrast serves to emphasize the distinction between mere power and power that is harnessed, directed, and purposeful—a distinction that ultimately points to God's own power as being both immense and perfectly ordered. Furthermore, the passage employs **Analogy** or **Metaphor**, where the untamable nature of the *re'em* serves as a tangible representation of the many aspects of God's creation and providential governance that remain beyond human grasp, understanding, or manipulation.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 39:11 powerfully articulates a core theological truth: God's absolute sovereignty extends over every facet of creation, including those aspects that defy human comprehension or control. The untamable *re'em* serves as a vivid metaphor for the vastness of God's power and wisdom, which are not merely great but also inscrutable to human minds. If humanity cannot even harness the strength of a wild animal for its own purposes, how much less can it presume to understand or question the intricate workings of divine justice, suffering, or the cosmos? This verse calls humanity to profound humility, reminding us that true reliability and ultimate control rest solely with God. It challenges our inherent desire to control our circumstances and understand everything, urging us instead to trust in a God whose ways are higher than our ways and whose thoughts are deeper than our thoughts.

* [Psalm 147:5](/psalms/147-5 "Psalm 147:5 - God's Great Power and Understanding")
* [Isaiah 40:28](/isaiah/40-28 "Isaiah 40:28 - God's Everlasting Power and Wisdom")
* [Romans 11:33](/romans/11-33 "Romans 11:33 - The Unsearchable Riches of God's Wisdom")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 39:11 invites us to reflect on the limits of our own control and understanding in a world that often feels chaotic or unjust. Like Job, we often desire to harness circumstances, to bend them to our will, or at least to comprehend why things unfold as they do. We might be tempted to "trust" in our own strength, intellect, or resources, or to "leave our labor" (our plans, our anxieties, our future) to human systems, powerful individuals, or even our own efforts. However, this verse serves as a powerful reminder that there are aspects of life, creation, and God's providence that are as untamable as the wild ox. We are called to humble ourselves before the God who alone possesses infinite power and unsearchable wisdom. True peace and security come not from our ability to control or comprehend everything, but from our willingness to surrender our "labor" and our trust to the One who sovereignly oversees all things, even those that seem wild and incomprehensible to us. It encourages us to find rest in His ultimate control, rather than striving to tame the untamable.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what areas of your life do you tend to "trust" in your own strength or the strength of human systems, rather than God's sovereign power?**
* **What "labor" or burdens are you trying to manage and control on your own, instead of entrusting them to God's care?**
* **How does acknowledging God's untamable power in creation challenge your desire for complete understanding or control over your circumstances?**
* **What practical steps can you take to cultivate a deeper sense of humility and trust in God's unsearchable wisdom, especially when faced with life's "wild" and uncontrollable elements?**

### FAQ
**What is the "unicorn" mentioned in the KJV of Job 39:11?**

Answer: The "unicorn" in the King James Version (KJV) is a translation of the Hebrew word *re'em* (רְאֵם). Modern scholarship widely agrees that *re'em* refers not to a mythical one-horned creature, but to a powerful, wild bovine, most likely the aurochs (*Bos primigenius*), which was a large, formidable wild ox now extinct. Its immense strength and untamable nature are consistently highlighted in biblical texts (e.g., [Numbers 23:22](/numbers/23-22 "Numbers 23:22 - Strength of the Wild Ox")), making it an apt example for God's rhetorical challenge to Job about the limits of human control over creation. The KJV translators likely chose "unicorn" based on ancient Greek (Septuagint) and Latin (Vulgate) translations that rendered *re'em* as a single-horned animal, perhaps due to the perspective of the animal in profile or a misunderstanding of its horns.

**Why does God use examples of wild animals like the *re'em* to challenge Job?**

Answer: God uses examples of wild animals throughout [Job 38-41](/job/38 "Job 38-41 - God's Speeches from the Whirlwind") to demonstrate His absolute and unquestionable sovereignty over all creation, which stands in stark contrast to Job's limited power and understanding. By highlighting creatures that are beyond human taming, control, or even full comprehension—like the *re'em* that cannot be yoked for labor, or the ostrich that abandons its eggs, or the leviathan that cannot be captured—God systematically dismantles Job's presumption to question divine justice or to understand the complexities of God's governance of the world. The point is not to explain Job's suffering directly, but to humble him by showing that if he cannot even manage the wild beasts of the earth, how can he possibly grasp or challenge the ways of the Almighty Creator, whose wisdom and power are infinite and unsearchable ([Isaiah 40:28](/isaiah/40-28 "Isaiah 40:28 - God's Unsearchable Understanding"))? It serves to reorient Job's perspective from his own suffering to the majestic and incomprehensible greatness of God.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job 39:11, with its portrayal of the untamable *re'em* and the limits of human control, finds its ultimate fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The wild ox, with its immense strength that cannot be harnessed by human hands for labor, serves as a powerful analogy for the aspects of God's power and wisdom that are beyond our comprehension and manipulation. Yet, in Christ, we see the very embodiment of this divine, untamable power, perfectly yoked to divine wisdom and purpose. While humanity cannot "trust" in the untamed forces of creation or "leave its labor" to them, we are called to trust completely in Christ, who is the one in whom "all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible... all things were created through him and for him" ([Colossians 1:16](/colossians/1-16 "Colossians 1:16 - Christ as Creator")). He is the one who upholds the universe by the word of His power ([Hebrews 1:3](/hebrews/1-3 "Hebrews 1:3 - Christ Upholds All Things")). The very power that Job could not grasp in the wild ox is perfectly revealed and exercised in Jesus, who has dominion over all creation, even commanding the winds and waves ([Mark 4:41](/mark/4-41 "Mark 4:41 - Jesus Calms the Storm")). Furthermore, while we cannot leave our physical labor to the *re'em*, Christ invites us to leave our spiritual labor and burdens to Him, promising rest for our souls: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" ([Matthew 11:28](/matthew/11-28 "Matthew 11:28 - Jesus' Invitation to the Weary")). He is the true Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world ([John 1:29](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God")), bearing our ultimate "labor" of sin and its consequences, offering us a righteousness we could never earn. Thus, the untamable power and wisdom of God, so vividly displayed in Job 39:11, ultimately find their perfect expression and redemptive purpose in Jesus Christ, who is both our sovereign Lord and our compassionate Savior.

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

Isaiah 31:1

¶ Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because [they are] many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!

Isaiah 31:3

Now the Egyptians [are] men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.

Psalms 144:14

[That] our oxen [may be] strong to labour; [that there be] no breaking in, nor going out; that [there be] no complaining in our streets.

Genesis 1:28

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Psalms 147:10

He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.

Psalms 20:7

Some [trust] in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.

Genesis 9:2

And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth [upon] the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.