TRV
Translation
Complete Jewish Bible
"Does a wild donkey bray when it has grass? Does an ox low when it has fodder?
American Standard Version
Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? Or loweth the ox over his fodder?
World English Bible Messianic
Does the wild donkey bray when he has grass? Or does the ox low over his fodder?
Geneva Bible (1599)
Doeth the wilde asse bray when he hath grasse? or loweth the oxe when he hath fodder?
Young's Literal Translation
Brayeth a wild ass over tender grass? Loweth an ox over his provender?
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In the KJVVerse 12,984 of 31,102
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Commentary on Job 6 verses 1–7
1 ¶ But Job answered and said,
2 Oh that my grief were throughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together!
3 For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea: therefore my words are swallowed up.
4 For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me.
5 Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder?
6 Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the white of an egg?
7 The things that my soul refused to touch are as my sorrowful meat.
Eliphaz, in the beginning of his discourse, had been very sharp upon Job, and yet it does not appear that Job gave him any interruption, but heard him patiently till he had said all he had to say. Those that would make an impartial judgment of a discourse must hear it out, and take it entire. But, when he had concluded, he makes his reply, in which he speaks very feelingly.
I. He represents his calamity, in general, as much heavier than either he had expressed it or they had apprehended it, Job 6:2, Job 6:3. He could not fully describe it; they would not fully apprehend it, or at least would not own that they did; and therefore he would gladly appeal to a third person, who had just weights and just balances with which to weigh his grief and calamity, and would do it with an impartial hand. He wished that they would set his grief and all the expressions of it in one scale, his calamity and all the particulars of it in the other, and (though he would not altogether justify himself in his grief) they would find (as he says, Job 23:2) that his stroke was heavier than his groaning; for, whatever his grief was, his calamity was heavier than the sand of the sea: it was complicated, it was aggravated, every grievance weighty, and all together numerous as the sand. "Therefore (says he) my words are swallowed up;" that is, "Therefore you must excuse both the brokenness and the bitterness of my expressions. Do not think it strange if my speech be not so fine and polite as that of an eloquent orator, or so grave and regular as that of a morose philosopher: no, in these circumstances I can pretend neither to the one nor to the other; my words are, as I am, quite swallowed up." Now, 1. He hereby complains of it as his unhappiness that his friends undertook to administer spiritual physic to him before they thoroughly understood his case and knew the worst of it. It is seldom that those who are at ease themselves rightly weigh the afflictions of the afflicted. Every one feels most from his own burden; few feel from other people's. 2. He excuses the passionate expressions he had used when he cursed his day. Though he could not himself justify all he had said, yet he thought his friends should not thus violently condemn it, for really the case was extraordinary, and that might be connived at in such a man of sorrows as he now was which in any common grief would by no means be allowed. 3. He bespeaks the charitable and compassionate sympathy of his friends with him, and hopes, by representing the greatness of his calamity, to bring them to a better temper towards him. To those that are pained it is some ease to be pitied.
II. He complains of the trouble and terror of mind he was in as the sorest part of his calamity, Job 6:4. Herein he was a type of Christ, who, in his sufferings, complained most of the sufferings of his soul. Now is my soul troubled, Joh 12:27. My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, Mat 26:38. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Mat 27:46. Poor Job sadly complains here, 1. Of what he felt The arrows of the Almighty are within me. It was not so much the troubles themselves he was under that put him into this confusion, his poverty, disgrace, and bodily pain; but that which cut him to the heart and put him into this agitation, was to think that the God he loved and served had brought all this upon him and laid him under these marks of his displeasure. Note, Trouble of mind is the sorest trouble. A wounded spirit who can bear! Whatever burden of affliction, in body or estate, God is pleased to lay upon us, we may well afford to submit to it as long as he continues to the use of our reason and the peace of our consciences; but, if in either of these we be disturbed, our case is sad indeed and very pitiable. The way to prevent God's fiery darts of trouble is with the shield of faith to quench Satan's fiery darts of temptation. Observe, He calls them the arrows of the Almighty; for it is an instance of the power of God above that of any man that he can with his arrows reach the soul. He that made the soul can make his sword to approach to it. The poison or heat of these arrows is said to drink up his spirit, because it disturbed his reason, shook his resolution, exhausted his vigour, and threatened his life; and therefore his passionate expressions, though they could not be justified, might be excused. 2. Of what he feared. He saw himself charged by the terrors of God, as by an army set in battle-array, and surrounded by them. God, by his terrors, fought against him. As he had no comfort when he retired inward into his own bosom, so he had none when he looked upward towards Heaven. He that used to be encouraged with the consolations of God not only wanted those, but was amazed with the terrors of God.
III. He reflects upon his friends for their severe censures of his complaints and their unskilful management of his case. 1. Their reproofs were causeless. He complained, it is true, now that he was in this affliction, but he never used to complain, as those do who are of a fretful unquiet spirit, when he was in prosperity: he did not bray when he had grass, nor low over his fodder, Job 6:5. But, now that he was utterly deprived of all his comforts, he must be a stock or a stone, and not have the sense of an ox or a wild ass, if he did not give some vent to his grief. He was forced to eat unsavoury meats, and was so poor that he had not a grain of salt wherewith to season them, nor to give a little taste to the white of an egg, which was now the choicest dish he had at his table, Job 6:6. Even that food which once he would have scorned to touch he was now glad of, and it was his sorrowful meat, Job 6:7. Note, It is wisdom not to use ourselves or our children to be nice and dainty about meat and drink, because we know not how we or they may be reduced, nor how that which we now disdain may be made acceptable by necessity. 2. Their comforts were sapless and insipid; so some understand Job 6:6, Job 6:7. He complains he had nothing now offered to him for his relief that was proper for him, no cordial, nothing to revive and cheer his spirits; what they had afforded was in itself as tasteless as the white of an egg, and, when applied to him, as loathsome and burdensome as the most sorrowful meat. I am sorry he should say thus of what Eliphaz had excellently well said, Job 5:8, etc. But peevish spirits are too apt thus to abuse their comforters.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–7. Public domain.
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Gregory the DialogistAD 604
14. Who else are denoted by the term of ‘the wild ass,’ saving they who being set in the field of faith, are not bound by the reins of any ministration? Or whom does the designation of ‘the ox’ set forth, saving those, whom within the bounds of Holy Church, the yoke of Orders taken upon them constrains to the ministry of preaching? Now the ‘grass’ of the wild ass, and the ox's ‘fodder,’ is the inward refreshing of the faithful folk. For some within the pale of Holy Church are held after the manner of an ox by the bands of the employment taken upon them, others after the manner of a ‘wild ass’ know nothing of the stalls of Holy Orders, and pass their time in the field of their own will. But when any one in the secular life glows with aspirations after the interior vision, when he yearns for the food of the inward refreshing, when seeing himself starved in the darkness of this pilgrim state, he refreshes himself with what tears he may, it is as if ‘the wild ass brayed,’ not finding ‘grass.’ Another one too is subject to the obligation of the Order he has taken upon him, he spends himself in the labour of preaching, and longs to be henceforth refreshed by eternal contemplation; but forasmuch as he does not see the likeness of His Redeemer, it is as if the chained ox lowed at the empty manger. For because being set at the widest distance from the interior wisdom, we see nothing of the verdure of the eternal inheritance, like brute animals we go hungering after the longed for grass. Of which same grass it is said by the voice of our Redeemer, By Me if any man enter in, he shall be sated, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. [John 10, 9] But most often, which is wont to be a grievous woe to those that love, the life of the wicked is arrayed against the holy aims of the good, and when the soul is transported in heavenly aspirations, the purpose of mind, which we have began with well, is dashed to the ground, being crossed by the words and practices of the foolish; so that the soul, which had already soared up to things above in the efforts of contemplation, for the defeating of the foolishness of the froward, girds itself for the encounter down below.
Gregory the DialogistAD 604
7. For what is denoted by ‘the onager,’ that is, the wild ass, saving the Gentile people, which, as nature has produced it without the stalls of training, so has continued roaming abroad in the field of its pleasures? What is represented by ‘the ox,’ saving the Jewish people, which being bowed down to the yoke of the dominion above, in gathering together proselytes unto hope, drew the ploughshare of the Law through all the hearts that it was able? But we learn from the witness of blessed Job's life to believe, that many even of the Gentiles looked for the coming of the Redeemer. And at the birth of the Lord, we have learnt by Simeon's coming in the spirit into the Temple, with what longing desire holy men of the Israelitish people coveted to behold the mystery of His Incarnation. Whence too the same Redeemer saith to His Disciples, For I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them. [Luke 10, 24] The ‘grass’ of the wild ass then, and the ox's ‘fodder,’ is this very Incarnation of the Mediator, by which both the Gentile world and Judaea are together filled to the full. For because it is said by the Prophet, All flesh is grass [Is. 40, 6]; the Creator of the universe taking flesh of our substance, willed to be made ‘grass,’ that our flesh might not remain grass for ever; and so ‘the wild ass’ then found ‘grass,’ when the Gentile people received the grace of the Divine Incarnation. Then ‘the ox’ had not an empty manger, when to the Jewish people, looking for His Flesh, the Law showed Him forth, Whom it prophesied to them whilst long kept in expectation of Him. Whence too the Lord, when He was born, is placed in a manger, that it might be signified, that the holy animals, which under the Law had long been found an hungred, are filled with ‘the fodder’ of His Incarnation. For at His birth He filled a manger, Who gave Himself for food to the souls of mortal beings, saying, He that eateth My Flesh, and drinketh My Blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him. [John 5, 56] But because both the longings of the Elect from among the Gentiles were for long deferred, and the holy men severally of the Hebrew people groaned long while in expectation of their redemption, blessed Job, in giving forth the mysteries of prophecy, rightly implies the causes of distress in the case of either people, by saying, Will the wild ass bray while he hath grass? Or will the ox low over his full manger? As though it were in plain speech, ‘The Gentile world for this reason groans, because the grace of the Redeemer does not yet yield it refreshment, and Judaea on this account draws out her lowings, for that in holding the Law, but not seeing the author of the Law, standing before the manger she goes hungering. And because this same Law, before the coming of our Mediator, was held not in a spiritual but in a carnal manner.
Ishodad of MervAD 850
COMMENTARY ON JOB 6:5
By mentioning the wild ass, the author speaks about all wild animals, and by referring to the ox, about all cattle. His point is that neither wild animals nor cattle complain when they have food to eat. Nor do humans complain when they can have at their disposal the necessary things they need and what is seasoned with salt.
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 6:5 serves as Job's poignant and powerful rhetorical defense of his profound lamentations to his friends. Through the vivid, relatable imagery of a wild ass braying only when hungry and an ox lowing only when without fodder, Job asserts that his cries of anguish are not arbitrary or unwarranted. Instead, they are a natural, instinctual, and entirely justifiable response to the overwhelming, inexplicable, and relentless suffering he endures. This verse fundamentally underscores the authenticity and legitimacy of his pain, implicitly challenging his friends' lack of empathy and their simplistic theological explanations, suggesting that genuine distress naturally compels a cry, just as contentment brings silence.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Job 6:5 masterfully employs several literary devices to convey its powerful and emotionally charged message. The most prominent is the Rhetorical Question, which is not designed to elicit an answer but rather to make a self-evident point, thereby emphasizing the speaker's unwavering conviction and the undeniable truth of his statement. By posing two parallel questions about universally understood animal behavior, Job compels his friends to acknowledge a basic, instinctual principle of nature: creatures only cry out when in genuine need. This leads directly to the use of Analogy or Simile, where Job implicitly compares his own profound lament to the natural, instinctual cries of hungry or deprived animals. His suffering, he argues, is as real and as justifiable a cause for lament as hunger is for a wild ass or an ox. Furthermore, the verse exhibits striking Parallelism, specifically Synonymous Parallelism, where the second clause ("or loweth the ox over his fodder?") echoes, reinforces, and intensifies the meaning of the first ("Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass?"), strengthening the argument through the repetition of a similar idea with different, yet complementary, imagery. The vivid Imagery of braying wild asses and lowing oxen grounds the abstract concept of suffering in concrete, relatable experiences from the ancient Near Eastern world, making Job's plea for understanding more immediate, visceral, and impactful.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 6:5 offers profound theological insights into the nature of human suffering and the inherent legitimacy of lament before God. It fundamentally challenges the simplistic, often cruel, theological framework of retribution, which frequently asserts that suffering is always a direct and proportional result of sin. Job argues vehemently that his cries are not a sign of rebellion, spiritual failing, or unrighteousness, but rather an authentic, instinctual, and unavoidable response to profound, inexplicable pain. This verse powerfully validates the human experience of distress, affirming that it is natural, necessary, and even spiritually healthy to vocalize deep sorrow, confusion, and protest. It underscores that true spiritual maturity does not necessarily equate to stoic silence or forced composure in the face of agony, but rather encompasses the courage and honesty to bring one's raw emotions, including lament and protest, directly before God and within the community. This perspective aligns with a broader biblical understanding that God is not distant from human suffering but intimately hears and responds to the cries of His people, even when those cries are born of confusion, pain, and a sense of injustice.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 6:5 serves as a powerful validation for the authentic human experience of pain and the spiritual necessity of lament. In a world that frequently pressures individuals to "be strong," "have faith," or "look on the bright side" by suppressing their genuine sorrow, Job's words remind us that a vibrant, authentic spiritual life includes the freedom and space to express profound distress. Just as a hungry animal's cry is an undeniable, natural signal of its need, so too are our tears, groans, questions, and even protests in times of overwhelming suffering. This verse calls us, as individuals and as communities, to cultivate a posture of deep empathy towards others, recognizing that their outward expressions of pain are often direct echoes of deep inner agony, not necessarily signs of spiritual weakness, lack of faith, or hidden sin. It challenges us to listen with compassionate presence, to offer genuine solace rather than simplistic theological explanations or trite platitudes, and to intentionally create safe, non-judgmental spaces where individuals can voice their true feelings without fear of condemnation. Ultimately, it encourages us to bring our whole selves—including our brokenness, confusion, and raw emotions—into our relationship with God, trusting that He is vast enough to handle our lament and compassionate enough to hear our cries.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why does Job use animal analogies here?
Answer: Job uses these vivid animal analogies to make a profoundly self-evident point: his suffering is so deep, real, and overwhelming that his lament is as natural and unavoidable as an animal's cry when it is hungry or distressed. He argues that just as a wild ass would not bray if it had ample grass, nor an ox low if it were well-fed with fodder, a human being would not lament so deeply and persistently without genuine, overwhelming, and justifiable cause. This common-sense observation from the natural world serves to powerfully validate his expressions of pain and to implicitly challenge his friends' lack of understanding and empathy, highlighting the instinctual, undeniable nature of his anguish.
Does this verse suggest it's okay to complain to God?
Answer: Absolutely. Job's entire narrative, and this verse in particular, strongly suggests that it is not only "okay" but often a necessary and authentic aspect of a relationship with God to express one's raw emotions, including complaints, questions, and even protests. The rich biblical tradition of lament, found extensively throughout the Psalms (e.g., Psalm 22:1-2), provides a divinely sanctioned framework for bringing pain, confusion, anger, and a sense of injustice directly to the Lord. Job's rhetorical questions here are a powerful form of protest and a plea for understanding, demonstrating that God is indeed big enough to handle our deepest struggles and our most honest, unvarnished expressions of distress.
How does this verse relate to the concept of "suffering well"?
Answer: This verse challenges a narrow or superficial interpretation of "suffering well" that might imply stoic silence, emotional suppression, or a forced cheerfulness in the face of pain. For Job, "suffering well" involves the authentic expression of his agony, a relentless pursuit of understanding, and an honest wrestling with God and his circumstances. It suggests that true resilience is not the absence of lament, but rather the courage to voice one's pain, even to God, without shame or pretense. It encourages a deeply compassionate response to those who are suffering, prioritizing empathy and presence over simplistic theological explanations or demands for emotional suppression. The lament of Job, much like the laments found throughout the Psalms, demonstrates that "suffering well" often includes crying out, questioning, and expressing profound sorrow, while still holding onto a deeper, albeit often strained, trust in God's ultimate justice and goodness.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job 6:5, with its poignant defense of the legitimacy of lament, finds its most profound and ultimate fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. While Job's lament stems from inexplicable suffering and a perceived lack of justice, Christ's life uniquely validates, sanctifies, and transforms the human experience of suffering. Jesus, the ultimate Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, did not "bray" or "low" in contented ease, but rather experienced the deepest possible human anguish, culminating in His agonizing cries on the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). This cry, echoing Psalm 22:1, was not a sign of spiritual weakness or doubt, but the authentic, visceral expression of the sinless Son of God bearing the full, crushing weight of humanity's sin and the resulting separation from the Father. Jesus' agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, where He wrestled with His impending suffering, sweating drops of blood (Luke 22:44), further validates the right to express profound distress and even to plead for an alternative. In Christ, our laments are not only fully understood but are met with perfect divine empathy, for we have a High Priest who "in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). He entered into the full spectrum of human suffering, including the "braying" of deep sorrow, so that our own cries of pain are never unheard or dismissed, but are brought into His redemptive work, ultimately leading to the "joy that was set before him" (Hebrews 12:2) and the glorious promise that He will one day "wipe away every tear from their eyes" (Revelation 21:4).