Job 39:16
in Job 39She treats her young harshly, as if not her own, with no concern that her labor was in vain.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
She dealeth hardly with her young ones, as if they were not hers: Though her labor be in vain, she is without fear;
KJV
She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers: her labour is in vain without fear;
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This verse in Job 39
Commentary
10 notes on this verseShe is hardened against her young - See before, and the extracts from Dr. Shaw at the end of the chapter, Job 39:30 (note). She neglects her little ones, which are often found half starved, straggling, and moaning about, like so many deserted orphans, for their mother.
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
She treats her young harshly
Her eggs may be left for good at a slight noise, say Jamieson, Fausset and Brown. Clarke cites Shaw on her young left half starved. Henry notes that her labor is in vain because she has no fear for them.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church3 voices
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistMorals on the Book of Job, Book XXXI · Written before 604.
proposed
She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers. She hath laboured in vain; no fear compelling her. 17. For he whom the grace of charity bedews not, looks upon his neighbour as a stranger, even though he has himself begotten him to God. As doubtless are all hypocrites, whose minds in truth, while ever aiming at outward objects, become insensible within: and while they are ever seeking their own, in every thing they do, they are not softened by any compassion of charity, for the feelings of their neighbour. O what bowels of tenderness was Paul bearing, when he was panting for his children, with so great a warmth of love, saying, We live, if ye stand fast in the Lord. And, God is my witness, how I wish for you all in the bowels of Christ Jesus. [1 Thess. 3, 8] To the Romans also he says, God is my witness, Whom I serve in my spirit, in the Gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, making request, if by any means, now at length, I may have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come to you; for I long to see you. [Rom. 1, 9-11] He says also to Timothy, I thank my God, Whom I serve from my forefathers in pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers, night and day desiring to see thee. [2 Tim. 1, 3. 4.] He says also, pointing out his love to the Thessalonians, But we, brethren, being taken away from you for a short time, in presence, not in heart, hastened the more abundantly to see your face with great desire. [l Thess. 2, 17] Who when pressed by hard persecutions, and yet anxious for the safety of his children, added, We sent Timotheus our brother, and minister of God in the Gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to exhort you concerning your faith, that no man should be moved by these afflictions. For ye yourselves know that we were appointed thereunto. [1 Thess. […]
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistMorals on the Book of Job, Book XXXI · Written before 604.
proposed
She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers. She hath laboured in vain, no fear compelling her. [MYSTICAL INTERPRETATION] 39. It despises, as though they were not its own, those whom it discovers to be living otherwise than it has itself taught, and, as its cruelty becomes obdurate, it applies terrors, and exercises itself in torturing them, and, inflamed by the firebrands of envy, it labours that they should perish, for whom it laboured not that they should live.
Just as she does not care to guard her eggs, so she does not care to nourish her young, and so he says, "She deals cruelly with her young as if they are not hers," because she takes no care for their nutrition, so, as …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Her labour in laying her eggs is in vain and all lost, because she has not that fear and tender concern for them that she should have. Those are most likely to lose their labour that are least in fear of losing it. [2.] For want of wisdom (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
On a slight noise she often forsakes her eggs, and returns not, as if she were "hardened towards her young." her labour--in producing eggs, is in vain, (yet) she has not disquietude (about her young), unlike other birds, who, if one egg and another are taken away, will go on laying till their full number is made up.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
She is hardened against her young ones - The obvious meaning of this passage, which is a fair translation of the Hebrew, is, that the ostrich is destitute of natural affection for her young; or that she treats them as if she had not the usual natural affection manifested in the animal creation. This sentiment also occurs in Lam 4:3, “The daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.” This opinion is controverted by Buffon, but seems fully sustained by those who have most attentively observed the habits of the ostrich. Dr. Shaw, as quoted by Paxton, and in Robinson’s Calmet, says, “On the least noise or trivial occasion she forsakes her eggs or her young ones, to which perhaps she never returns; or if she does, it may be too late either to restore life to the one, or to preserve the lives of the others.” “Agreeable to this account,” says Paxton, “the Arabs meet sometimes with whole nests of these eggs undisturbed, some of which are sweet and good, and others addle and corrupted; others again have their young ones of different growths, according to the time it may be presumed they have been forsaken by the dam. They oftener meet a few of the little ones, not bigger than well-grown pullets, half-starved, straggling and moaning about like so many distressed orphans for their mothers.” Her labour is in vain without fear - Herder renders this,” In vain is her travail, but she regards it not.” The idea in the passage seems to be this; that the ostrich has not that apprehension or provident care for her young which others birds have. […]
The words behind it
8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הִקְשִׁ֣יחַ | hikshiach | it treats roughly | H7188 → | |
| בָּנֶ֣יהָ | baneiha | young its | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| לְּלֹא־ | lelo'- | to not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| לָ֑הּ | lah | [belonging] to it | ||
| לְרִ֖יק | lerik | [is] to emptiness | H7385 → | |
| יְגִיעָ֣הּ | yegiah | labor its | H3018 → | 16 times |
| בְּלִי־ | beli- | not | H1097 → | 58 times |
| פָֽחַד׃ | fachad | fear | H6343 → | 49 times |
הִקְשִׁ֣יחַit treats roughly
hikshiachH7188 →
בָּנֶ֣יהָyoung its
baneihaH1121 →4930 times
לְּלֹא־to not
lelo'-H3808 →5168 times
לָ֑הּ[belonging] to it
lah
לְרִ֖יק[is] to emptiness
lerikH7385 →
יְגִיעָ֣הּlabor its
yegiahH3018 →16 times
בְּלִי־not
beli-H1097 →58 times
פָֽחַד׃fear
fachadH6343 →49 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Habakkuk 2:13Is it not indeed from the LORD of Hosts that the labor of the people only feeds the fire, and the nations weary themselves in vain?
it leads to
- Jeremiah 51:58
This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Babylon’s thick walls will be leveled, and her high gates consumed by fire. So the labor of the people will be for nothing; the nations will…
- Proverbs 21:30
There is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel that can prevail against the LORD.
- Isaiah 50:11
Behold, all you who kindle a fire, who array yourselves with firebrands, walk in the light of your fire and of the firebrands you have lit! This is what you will receive from My…
- Genesis 11:6–9
And the LORD said, “If they have begun to do this as one people speaking the same language, then nothing they devise will be beyond them.
- Psalms 39:6
Surely every man goes about like a phantom; surely he bustles in vain; he heaps up riches not knowing who will haul them away.
- Jeremiah 51:58
Through
Lamentations 4:3Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like an ostrich in the wilderness.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 5:10
As a result, fathers among you will eat their sons, and sons will eat their fathers. I will execute judgments against you and scatter all your remnant to every wind.’
- Luke 23:28–29
But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.
- Lamentations 4:10
The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
- Ezekiel 5:10
About Job
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; 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; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; 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.