Job 39:18 Yet when she spreads her feathers to run, she laughs at horse and rider.

◄ Job 39:18 ►

Parallel Verses

New International Version
Yet when she spreads her feathers to run, she laughs at horse and rider.

English Standard Version
When she rouses herself to flee, she laughs at the horse and his rider.

New American Standard Bible
"When she lifts herself on high, She laughs at the horse and his rider.

King James Bible
What time she lifteth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When she proudly spreads her wings, she laughs at the horse and its rider.

International Standard Version
And yet when she gets ready to run, she laughs at the horse and its rider."

American Standard Version
What time she lifteth up herself on high, She scorneth the horse and his rider.

Douay-Rheims Bible
When time shall be, she setteth up her wings on high : she scorneth the horse and his rider.

Darby Bible Translation
What time she lasheth herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.

Young's Literal Translation
At the time on high she lifteth herself up, She laugheth at the horse and at his rider.

Commentaries

Matthew Henry's Commentary

39:1-30 God inquires of Job concerning several animals. - In these questions the Lord continued to humble Job. In this chapter several animals are spoken of, whose nature or situation particularly show the power, wisdom, and manifold works of God. The wild ass. It is better to labour and be good for something, than to ramble and be good for nothing. From the untameableness of this and other creatures, we may see, how unfit we are to give law to Providence, who cannot give law even to a wild ass's colt. The unicorn, a strong, stately, proud creature. He is able to serve, but not willing; and God challenges Job to force him to it. It is a great mercy if, where God gives strength for service, he gives a heart; it is what we should pray for, and reason ourselves into, which the brutes cannot do. Those gifts are not always the most valuable that make the finest show. Who would not rather have the voice of the nightingale, than the tail of the peacock; the eye of the eagle and her soaring wing, and the natural affection of the stork, than the beautiful feathers of the ostrich, which can never rise above the earth, and is without natural affection? The description of the war-horse helps to explain the character of presumptuous sinners. Every one turneth to his course, as the horse rushes into the battle. When a man's heart is fully set in him to do evil, and he is carried on in a wicked way, by the violence of his appetites and passions, there is no making him fear the wrath of God, and the fatal consequences of sin. Secure sinners think themselves as safe in their sins as the eagle in her nest on high, in the clefts of the rocks; but I will bring thee down from thence, saith the Lord, #Jer 49:16". All these beautiful references to the works of nature, should teach us a right view of the riches of the wisdom of Him who made and sustains all things. The want of right views concerning the wisdom of God, which is ever present in all things, led Job to think and speak unworthily of Providence.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

18. Notwithstanding her deficiencies, she has distinguishing excellences.

lifteth … herself—for running; she cannot mount in the air. Gesenius translates: "lashes herself" up to her course by flapping her wings. The old versions favor English Version, and the parallel "scorneth" answers to her proudly "lifting up herself."