Job 39:15
in Job 39She forgets that a foot may crush them, or a wild animal may trample them.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, Or that the wild beast may trample them.
KJV
And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them.
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This verse in Job 39
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And forgetteth that the foot may crush them - She lays her eggs in the sand, and not, as most birds do, in nests made on branches of trees, or on the crags of rocks, where they would be inaccessible, as if she was forgetful of the fact that the wild beast might pass along and crush them. She often wanders away from them, also, and does not stay near them to guard them, as most parent birds do, as if she were unmindful of the danger to which they might be exposed when she was absent.
This site's exposition
The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully
on Job 39:13-18
Where the King James has peacocks, the Hebrew has the ostrich. “God has deprived her of wisdom”, so her want of sense is His appointment. Yet she “laughs at the horse and its rider” with a speed no wisdom could buy, so her lack and gift come from one hand.
This site's exposition
a foot may crush them
Henry asks how the ostrich survives at all. He offers two answers, that God hatches the neglected eggs by the heat of sun and sand, or that she leaves them only at times. Barnes adds that she often wanders far from them.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church3 voices
The ostrich is naturally a forgetful animal and exhibits no care to preserve her eggs, and so he says, "she forgets that a foot," of a man passing that way, "may crush them," the eggs, "or a beast of the field trample them," either in …
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistMorals on the Book of Job, Book XXXI · Written before 604.
proposed
She forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the beast of the field may break them. 16. What is understood by 'foot,' but the passing over of active work? What is signified by the 'field,' but this world? Of which the Lord says in the Gospel, But the field is the world. [Matt. 13, 38] What is expressed by the 'beast,' but the ancient enemy, who, lying in wait for the spoils of this world, is daily satiated with the death of men? Of which it is said by the Prophet, the Lord promising; No evil beast shall pass through it. [Is. 35, 9] The ostrich, therefore, deserting her eggs, forgets that the foot may crush them; because, namely, hypocrites abandon those whom they beget as their children in conversation, and care not at all, lest the examples of evil in doings should lead them astray, when deprived of either the earnestness of exhortation, or of the care of discipline. For see next did they love the eggs, which they produce, they would doubtless be afraid, lest any one should crush them by pointing out evil doings. This foot Paul was fearing for his weak disciples, as for eggs which he had laid, when he said, Many walk, of whom I told you often, but now I tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ. [Phil. 3, 18] And again, Beware of dogs; beware of evil workers. [ib. 2] And again, We command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which they received of us. [2 Thess. 3, 6] This foot John was dreading for Caius; for when he had mentioned before many wickednesses of Diotrephes, he added, Dearly beloved, imitate not that which is evil, but that which is good. […]
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistMorals on the Book of Job, Book XXXI · Written before 604.
proposed
She forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the beast of the field may break them. [MYSTICAL INTERPRETATION]
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
But how then are any young ones brought forth, and whence is it that the species has not perished? We must suppose either that God, by a special providence, with the heat of the sun and the sand (so some think), hatches the neglected eggs of the ostrich, as he feeds the neglected young ones of the raven, or that, though the ostrich often leaves her eggs thus, yet not always.
And forgetteth that the foot may crush them,....
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
For she leaves her eggs on the ground and she goes and warms herself on the dust at a distance.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
7 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַ֭תִּשְׁכַּח | vatishkach | and it has forgotten | H7911 → | 102 times |
| כִּי־ | ki- | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| רֶ֣גֶל | regel | a foot | H7272 → | 247 times |
| תְּזוּרֶ֑הָ | tezureha | it will crush it | H2115 → | |
| וְחַיַּ֖ת | vechaiyat | and [the] animal of | H2416 → | 498 times |
| הַשָּׂדֶ֣ה | hasadeh | the field | H7704 → | 334 times |
| תְּדוּשֶֽׁהָ׃ | tedusheha | it will trample it | H1758 → |
וַ֭תִּשְׁכַּחand it has forgotten
vatishkachH7911 →102 times
כִּי־that
ki-H3588 →4482 times
רֶ֣גֶלa foot
regelH7272 →247 times
תְּזוּרֶ֑הָit will crush it
tezurehaH2115 →
וְחַיַּ֖תand [the] animal of
vechaiyatH2416 →498 times
הַשָּׂדֶ֣הthe field
hasadehH7704 →334 times
תְּדוּשֶֽׁהָ׃it will trample it
tedushehaH1758 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
About Job
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Job; Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book XXXI; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.