Job 39:1
“Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you observe the calving of the does?
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The questions about when wild goats give birth and when does calve aren't just about timing; they probe whether Job truly observes and understands the intricate, divinely orchestrated circumstances surrounding these births. It's a challenge to his claim of wisdom, suggesting his knowledge is limited compared to God's intimate care for even the most inaccessible, wild creatures.
God shifts from inanimate creation to the animal kingdom, questioning Job's understanding of the intricate lives of wild creatures. These verses introduce a series of animals, starting with the mountain goat and the hind, highlighting their inaccessible habitats and the specific timing of their births. The implication is that Job, who cannot even observe these natural processes, is ill-equipped to comprehend divine wisdom.
Ever felt like you just don't have all the answers? God's challenge to Job in this verse is a powerful reminder of the limits of our knowledge, especially when it comes to His creation.
God kicks off this section of His dialogue with Job by posing a series of questions, and this first one sets the tone. He asks Job if he knows the precise timing of the birth of mountain goats or the calving of does.
The Divine Perspective
These aren't just simple questions about animal husbandry. God is highlighting the vast difference between human observation and His own perfect, all-encompassing knowledge. While humans might observe general seasons, God knows the exact 'when' – the intricate details of conception, gestation, and birth for creatures living in remote, inaccessible places.
Limits of Human Insight
The wild goat, for example, lives on high, steep rocks where humans can't easily go. The hind is a timid creature, often on the move. How could Job possibly track their every moment, their every need? The point isn't that Job couldn't know anything about these animals, but that he couldn't possibly know the fullness of their life cycles, the precise moments of their greatest vulnerability, and how they are sustained. This points to God's intimate and detailed knowledge of every creature, even those far removed from human oversight.
When you think of 'providence,' you might picture it guiding human lives. But God's watchful care extends even to the most untamed corners of His creation.
The questions about the wild goats and hinds aren't just about knowing; they're about caring. God is subtly showing Job that His providence actively sustains these wild creatures.
Instinct and Divine Guidance
Many commentators note that these animals possess an instinct, given by God, that guides them during their times of greatest need, particularly during childbirth. This isn't random luck; it's a divinely orchestrated provision. The text implies that these animals, living in harsh, inaccessible environments, face significant difficulties in bringing forth their young. Yet, they survive and reproduce.
Understand the original words
ya'alah · Hebrew Noun
Referring to animals adapted to rugged, mountainous terrain, used in the Bible as a symbol of God's provision for creatures in inaccessible or difficult places.
'ayalah · Hebrew Noun
A female deer; in this context, it represents wildlife that exists and reproduces entirely outside of human control or intervention.
This passage directly mentions the wild goats and hyrax finding refuge in the high mountains, highlighting their habitat and dependence on God's provision, just as Job 39:1 points to God's awareness of their birthing seasons in such inaccessible places.
Psalm 29:9This Psalm speaks of God's voice making the hinds (female deer) calve, suggesting a divine influence over the reproductive cycles of animals, which parallels the questioning nature of Job 39:1 about Job's knowledge of these intimate, divinely orchestrated events.
Matthew 6:26Jesus uses the example of birds, which God feeds, to teach about trusting God's care. This echoes the larger theme in Job 39 where God points to the instincts and provisions for wild animals, implying that if God cares for them, He certainly cares for humanity.
Luke 12:24Similar to Matthew 6:26, this verse emphasizes God's provision for the ravens, which do not sow or reap but are fed by God. It reinforces the idea that God's providence extends to even the most obscure and wild creatures, a principle exemplified by the questions in Job 39:1.
clarkeJob 39:1: "Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?"
Knowest thou the time - To know time, etc., only, was easy, and has nothing extraordinary in it; but the meaning of these questions is, to know the circumstances, which have something peculiarly expressive of God's providence, and make the questions proper in this place. Pliny observes, that the hind with young is by instinct directed to a certain herb, named seselis, which…
jfbJob 39:1: "Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?"
CHAPTER 39Job 39:1-30.1. Even wild beasts, cut off from all care of man, are cared for by God at their seasons of greatest need. Their instinct comes direct from God and guides them to help themselves in parturition; the very time when the herdsman is most anxious for his herds.wild goats—ibex (Ps 104:18; 1Sa 24:2).hinds—fawns; most timid and defenseless animals, yet cared…
The questions about when wild goats give birth and when does calve aren't just about timing; they probe whether Job truly observes and understands the intricate, divinely orchestrated circumstances surrounding these births. It's a challenge to his claim of wisdom, suggesting his knowledge is limited compared to God's intimate care for even the most inaccessible, wild creatures.
God shifts from inanimate creation to the animal kingdom, questioning Job's understanding of the intricate lives of wild creatures. These verses introduce a series of animals, starting with the mountain goat and the hind, highlighting their inaccessible habitats and the specific timing of their births. The implication is that Job, who cannot even observe these natural processes, is ill-equipped to comprehend divine wisdom.
God shifts from inanimate creation to the animal kingdom, questioning Job's understanding of the intricate lives of wild creatures. These verses introduce a series of animals, starting with the mountain goat and the hind, highlighting their inaccessible habitats and the specific timing of their births. The implication is that Job, who cannot even observe these natural processes, is ill-equipped to comprehend divine wisdom.
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God's Unseen Hand
This survival points to God's 'custody' and 'oversight.' Even when no human is present to help or even observe, God is there. He directs them to specific resources (like certain herbs, as mentioned by naturalists) or uses natural phenomena (like thunder, as noted in Psalm 29:9) to aid them. This demonstrates that God's care is not limited to what we can see or understand; it permeates the entire created order, ensuring life continues even in the wild.
"“Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you observe the calving of the does?" — The questions about when wild goats give birth and when does calve aren't just about timing; they probe whether Job truly observes and understands the intricate, divinely orchestrated circumstanc…
