Job 39:7
in Job 39He scorns the tumult of the city and never hears the shouts of a driver.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
He scorneth the tumult of the city, Neither heareth he the shoutings of the driver.
KJV
He scorneth the multitude of the city, neither regardeth he the crying of the driver.
⋯
This verse in Job 39
Commentary
12 notes on this verse[ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION OF THE WILD ASS AS CHRIST - continued] He scorneth the multitude of the city. 69. That is, He despises the customs of human conversation. For having been made a Man amongst men, He refused to observe the practice of men. For He was therefore made a Man amongst us, not only to redeem us by the shedding of His blood, but also to change us by setting an example. He found therefore one thing in our conversation at His coming, and taught us another by His life.
This site's exposition
Who set the wild donkey free
on Job 39:5-8
The wild donkey pictures a freedom Job knew. God names Himself the one who set him free, so the animal's liberty is a provision of God. Gill notes that “the salt flats” are salt land in the Hebrew, a country men call waste and God calls a home.
This site's exposition
the shouts of a driver
The driver was first a collector of taxes, Barnes notes, and so an oppressor. The wild donkey never hears his shouts. In the East, say Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, it stood for freedom, and some kings took its name.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
He scorneth the multitude of the city. 56. To scorn the multitude of the city, is to avoid the evil employments of human conversation, so as no longer to take pleasure in imitating the abandoned manners of earthly men, who, through the abundance of iniquity, are many. For they desire to enter, with the few, the narrow gate, and seek not, with the many, to enter the broad roads which lead to destruction. For they carefully behold by Whom, and for what, they are created; and from a right consideration of the image they have received, they disdain to follow the vulgar herd. Whence it is said by the voice of the Bridegroom to the Bride, in the Song of Songs, If thou knowest not thyself, O beautiful among women, go forth, and go thy way after the footsteps of the flocks, and feed thy kids. [Cant. 1, 8] For she who is beautiful among women knows herself, when every Elect soul, though placed amongst sinners, remembers that it was fashioned after the image and similitude of its Creator, and goes on, in accordance with the similitude it has perceived. But if it knows not itself, it goes forth; because, being expelled from the secret recess of its own heart, it is dissipated by outward objects of desire. But when it has gone forth, it goeth after the footsteps of the flocks, because namely, forsaking its own inward thoughts, it is led to the broad way, and follows the examples of the peoples. And it no longer feeds lambs, but kids, because it strives to nourish, not the harmless thoughts of the mind, but the evil motions of the flesh. Because then every Elect and continent person scorns to go after the footsteps of the herds, let it be rightly said, He scorneth the multitude of the city. Where it is also fitly subjoined; He heareth not the cry of the exactor. 57. […]
Although a dwelling of this sort seems more neglected and bleak because it is in a waste, still the wild ass prefers it as much as possible to any noble city, and so he says, "He scorns the multitude of the city," in comparison to …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Scorneth - He feareth them not when they pursue him, because he is swift, and can easily escape them. Driver - He will not be brought to receive his yoke, nor to do his drudgery.
Commentary on Chapter XXXIX 4. Young ones - Notwithstanding their great weakness caused by their hard entrance into the world. Grow up - As with corn, that is, as if they were fed with corn.
He scorneth the multitude of the city,....
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
(2.) Having no owner, he has no feeder, nor is any provision made for him, but he must shift for himself: The range of the mountains is his pasture, and a bare pasture it is; there he searches after here and there a green thing, as he can find it and pick it up; whereas the labouring asses have green things in plenty, without their searching for them.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
He scorneth the multitude of the city - That is, he sets all this at defiance; he is not intimidated by it. He finds his home far away from the city in the wild freedom of the wilderness. Neither regardeth he the crying of the driver - Margin, “exacter.” The Hebrew word properly means a collector of taxes or revenue, and hence, an oppressor, and a driver of cattle. The allusion here is to a driver, and the meaning is, that he is not subject to restraint, but enjoys the most unlimited freedom.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
multitude--rather, "din"; he sets it at defiance, being far away from it in the freedom of the wilderness. driver--who urges on the tame ass to work. The wild ass is the symbol of uncontrolled freedom in the East; even kings have, therefore, added its name to them.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
He scorneth the multitude - He is so swift that he cannot be run or hunted down. See the description in Job 39:5 (note).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יִ֭שְׂחַק | yischak | it laughs | H7832 → | 36 times |
| לַהֲמ֣וֹן | lahamon | to [the] tumult of | H1995 → | |
| קִרְיָ֑ה | kiryah | a town | H7151 → | |
| תְּשֻׁא֥וֹת | teshuot | [the] shouting<s> of | H8663 → | |
| נ֝וֹגֵ֗שׂ | noges | a driver | H5065 → | |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִשְׁמָֽע׃ | yishma' | it hears | H8085 → | 1159 times |
יִ֭שְׂחַקit laughs
yischakH7832 →36 times
לַהֲמ֣וֹןto [the] tumult of
lahamonH1995 →
קִרְיָ֑הa town
kiryahH7151 →
תְּשֻׁא֥וֹת[the] shouting<s> of
teshuotH8663 →
נ֝וֹגֵ֗שׂa driver
nogesH5065 →
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יִשְׁמָֽע׃it hears
yishma'H8085 →1159 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
Isaiah 31:4For this is what the LORD has said to me: “Like a lion roaring or a young lion over its prey—and though a band of shepherds is called out against it, it is not…
it leads to
- Hosea 11:10
They will walk after the LORD; He will roar like a lion. When He roars, His children will come trembling from the west.
- Amos 3:8
The lion has roared—who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken—who will not prophesy?
- Isaiah 42:13
The LORD goes forth like a mighty one; He stirs up His zeal like a warrior. He shouts; yes, He roars in triumph over His enemies:
- Zechariah 2:5
For I will be a wall of fire around it, declares the LORD, and I will be the glory within it.’”
- Zechariah 12:8
On that day the LORD will defend the people of Jerusalem, so that the weakest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of…
- Hosea 11:10
Through
Job 39:18Yet when she proudly spreads her wings, she laughs at the horse and its rider.
it leads to
- Job 39:22
He laughs at fear, frightened of nothing; he does not turn back from the sword.
- Job 39:22
Through
Exodus 5:18Now get to work. You will be given no straw, yet you must deliver the full quota of bricks.”
it leads to
- Ezekiel 18:18
As for his father, he will die for his own iniquity, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what was wrong among his people.
- Ezekiel 18:18
Through
Job 3:18The captives enjoy their ease; they do not hear the voice of the oppressor.
it leads to
- Isaiah 14:3–4
On the day that the LORD gives you rest from your pain and torment, and from the hard labor into which you were forced,
- Isaiah 14:3–4
About Job
This page draws on 10 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 XXX; 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); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.