Job 39:5
“Who has let the wild donkey go free? Who has loosed the bonds of the swift donkey,
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse uses two different words for "wild ass," subtly highlighting not just its untamed nature but its specific, inherent freedom from human control. God is asking if you are the one who granted this creature its wildness and its inherent resistance to being tamed and yoked.
This passage appears within God's powerful speech to Job, where He challenges Job’s understanding by describing the wonders of creation. After God has spoken about the wild goats and the hind, He shifts to the untamed, swift wild donkey, emphasizing its natural freedom and aversion to human control. The verses that follow will continue this theme, detailing the lives of other incredible creatures like the ostrich and the war horse.
Ever noticed how some things just can't be broken or tamed? The wild ass is one of them. This verse throws us headfirst into a creature that embodies pure, unbridled liberty.
These opening verses of Job 39 aren't just a nature documentary. They're a direct challenge from God to Job. When God asks, 'Who has let the wild donkey go free? Who has loosed the bonds of the swift donkey?', He's not asking for a biological explanation.
A Divine Design
He's pointing to the origin of the wild ass's freedom. The questions imply that no human could engineer this kind of absolute independence. This isn't a creature that escaped; it's a creature that was given freedom. It scorns the noise of cities and the shouts of drivers, unlike its tame cousin.
Beyond Human Control
The scholars mention two Hebrew words for 'wild donkey,' both pointing to a creature known for its speed, its wildness, and its aversion to human control. Attempts to domesticate it have failed. Its nature is to roam free, to be governed by its own instincts, not by man's reins. This untamable spirit is a testament to its Creator.
The wild ass isn't just wild; it's wild in contrast to something else. This comparison highlights the unique masterpiece God has crafted.
The power of these questions is amplified when we consider the stark difference between the wild ass and its domesticated counterpart.
The Domesticated Life
We know the tame donkey. It's a creature of burden, of service, often obedient (or at least resigned) to human direction. It can be yoked, guided, and put to labor.
The Wild Spirit
But the wild ass? It 'scorns the noise of cities and laughs at the shouts of the driver.' Its existence is defined by its independence. It's a flash of color and speed across the desert plains, utterly unconcerned with human commands. This isn't just a difference in behavior; it's a difference in .
Understand the original words
pere' · Hebrew Noun
An animal known in the Ancient Near East for its untamable, independent, and rugged nature; it represents creatures that defy human domestication and thrive in desolate spaces by divine decree.
shalach / pathach · Hebrew Verb
To set loose, release, or untie; signifies the act of providing freedom or removing constraints, which in the biblical worldview is a prerogative of God as Creator.
moserah · Hebrew Noun
Restraints, ropes, or chains; in Scripture, these can represent bondage or limitation, but here they specifically refer to the control mechanisms that humanity fails to impose on God's untamable creation.
This passage uses the same imagery of the wild donkey, emphasizing its untamed nature and freedom, directly paralleling the questions God poses to Job about who created such creatures.
Hosea 8:9This verse also speaks of the wild donkey's solitary and independent nature, highlighting its untamed spirit that God observes and questions.
Psalm 104:11While not about the wild donkey specifically, this psalm speaks of God providing for all the wild animals, echoing the theme of divine provision and care for creatures in their natural, free state.
Job 39:9-12Following the wild donkey, God asks about the wild ox and unicorn, continuing the theme of challenging Job's understanding of His power over formidable and untamable creatures.
pulpitJob 39:5: "Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?"
Verse 5. - Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass? Two kinds of onager or wild ass, seem to be intended - the one called pore' (פִרֶא), and the other 'arod (עָרוד). These correspond probably to the Asinus hemippus and the Asinus onager of modern naturalists, the former of which is still found in the deserts of Syria, Mesopotamia, and Northern Arabia, while th…
cambridgeJob 39:5: "Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?"
5–8 . The wild ass. Who gave the wild ass his freedom and his indomitable love of liberty—who scorns the noise of cities and laughs at the shouts of the driver, which his tame brother obeys? The point of the questions lies not only in the striking peculiarities of the beautiful creature itself, but in the strange contrast between it and the tame ass, which in external appearance it resembles.
The verse uses two different words for "wild ass," subtly highlighting not just its untamed nature but its specific, inherent freedom from human control. God is asking if you are the one who granted this creature its wildness and its inherent resistance to being tamed and yoked.
This passage appears within God's powerful speech to Job, where He challenges Job’s understanding by describing the wonders of creation. After God has spoken about the wild goats and the hind, He shifts to the untamed, swift wild donkey, emphasizing its natural freedom and aversion to human control. The verses that follow will continue this theme, detailing the lives of other incredible creatures like the ostrich and the war horse.
This passage appears within God's powerful speech to Job, where He challenges Job’s understanding by describing the wonders of creation. After God has spoken about the wild goats and the hind, He shifts to the untamed, swift wild donkey, emphasizing its natural freedom and aversion to human control. The verses that follow will continue this theme, detailing the lives of other incredible creatures like the ostrich and the war horse.
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God intentionally created the wild ass with this untamable spirit, highlighting His power to ordain such distinct natures.
"“Who has let the wild donkey go free? Who has loosed the bonds of the swift donkey," — The verse uses two different words for "wild ass," subtly highlighting not just its untamed nature but its specific, inherent freedom from human control. God is asking if you are the one who gran…
