Job 38:40-41 · Bible study
Job 38:40-41 Commentary: God Provides for Lion and Raven
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
God's rhetorical questions about lions and ravens reveal His sovereign care over all creatures, humbling Job's claims to understand providence.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God alone provides for wild creatures, showing His sovereign care and Job's limitations.
- Key words: “crouch” (H7817 shachach), “lie in wait” (H0695 'erev), “raven” (H6158 'orev), “cry for help” (H7768 shava).
- Main debate: Whether the raven's young literally “cry to God” in prayer or their desperate condition is figuratively heard by God; most see it as a real appeal answered by Providence.
- Theological theme: Divine providence over all creation, including creatures humans cannot control or value.
- Best use: Preaching on God's care in suffering, or teaching about trust in daily provision.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
40when they crouch in their dens and lie in wait in the thicket?
41Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God as they wander about for lack of food?
WEB World English Bible 2000
40when they crouch in their dens, and lie in wait in the thicket?
41Who provides for the raven his prey, when his young ones cry to God, and wander for lack of food?
KJV King James Version 1769
40When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?
41Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
40When they couch in their dens, Andabide in the covert to lie in wait?
41Who provideth for the raven his prey, When his young ones cry unto God, Andwander for lack of food?
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
40When they bow down in dens--Abide in a thicket for a covert?
41Who doth prepare for a raven his provision, When his young ones cry unto God? They wander without food.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
40When they crouch in [their] dens, [and] abide in the thicket to lie in wait?
41Who provideth for the raven his food, when his young ones cry unto God, [and] they wander for lack of meat?
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
40When they couch in the dens and lie in wait in holes?
41Who provideth food for the raven, when her young ones cry to God, wandering about, because they have no meat?
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Job 38:40
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that these two verses form a single unit within God's speech, demonstrating that He alone provides for wild creatures. Barnes notes that the lion's method of hunting, crouching in ambush and springing suddenly, is entirely dependent on God's arrangement of circumstances. The raven, by contrast, is a despised bird, yet God hears the cry of its young and supplies food. Gill and Cambridge both emphasize the contrast: the powerful lion and the lowly raven are equally under God's care. Matthew Henry observes that God shows His sovereignty by providing for creatures that man cannot tame or control. The consensus is clear: Job is being asked if he can do what God does every day, sustain the animal world. The point is not cruelty or neglect in creation, but God's intimate involvement with every creature's needs.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God, not Job, is the ultimate provider for all living creatures, and the passage is designed to humble human pride and build trust in divine care.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| God's provision for wild animals | God alone provides food for the lion and raven; humans cannot do this. | Whether this provision is direct (God miraculously brings prey) or indirect (God designed instincts and ecosystems that naturally supply food). |
| Meaning of the raven's cry | The young ravens make a sound that God hears and answers. | Some interpret the cry as a genuine prayer (the animals call on their Creator), while others see it as a poetic description of their helpless state, not a conscious prayer. |
| Comparison between lion and raven | Both creatures show God's care; the contrast highlights His sovereignty over all kinds. | Some emphasize the contrast (powerful vs. despised) to show God's universal care; others see a progression from predators to scavengers to illustrate dependence. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Job 38:40-41 sits in the middle of God's whirlwind speech, a long series of rhetorical questions designed to humble Job. Chapters 38 and 39 move from the cosmos (stars, weather) to the animal kingdom. Verses 39-41 focus on predators and scavengers, the lioness stalking prey and the raven seeking food. In the ancient Near East, lions were symbols of royal power and danger; ravens were considered unclean (Leviticus 11:15) and birds of ill omen. God's decision to mention both extremes shows that no creature is outside His provision.
The Hebrew text uses specific hunting vocabulary: yāshōḥu (“they crouch,” H7817) describes a predator lowering itself to ambush prey, and yešəvû bassukkâ (“they lie in wait in the thicket,” H5521) reinforces the image of a concealed attack. For the raven, the verb yešavvēʻu (H7768) means “cry for help”, the young ravens' croaking is interpreted as an appeal to God. Keil and Delitzsch note parallels with Psalm 104:27-28 and Psalm 147:9, where all creatures wait on God for food. The literary effect of these verses is to confront Job with his inability to explain or control the daily provision of food for wild animals, something that happens apart from human effort.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Job 38:40-41. The Hebrew text is stable, and the few minor differences among modern translations (e.g., “couch” vs. “crouch,” “food” vs. “meat”) reflect translation choices rather than textual uncertainty.
Reception History
This passage has been read throughout church history as a key statement of God's providence. Early Christian writers like Basil of Caesarea and Ambrose referred to these verses to argue that God cares for the whole creation, not just humans. The raven's young crying to God was sometimes allegorized as the prayer of the repentant sinner. In the Reformation, Calvin cited Job 38:39-41 in his Institutes to illustrate general providence, God's ongoing care for all creatures. The verses also appear in nature poetry and hymns, such as Isaac Watts's “Our God, Our Help in Ages Past,” which echoes the theme of divine sustenance. Modern preachers often connect the passage with Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6:26, using it to comfort those anxious about material needs.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God Provides for the Powerful, The lioness and young lions cannot hunt without God's arrangement (vv.39-40).
- God Provides for the Despised, The raven, a bird humans reject, receives its food from the Creator (v.41a).
- God Provides for the Helpless, The young ravens, too weak to find their own food, cry out and are fed (v.41b).
Five-point outline
- The question: “Can you hunt prey for the lioness?”, exposes our helplessness in creation.
- The ambush: lions crouch in thickets, relying on God's timing to bring prey near.
- The contrast: from the powerful lion to the despised raven, no creature is beneath God's notice.
- The cry: young ravens “cry to God”, their instinctual call is heard by the Creator.
- The lesson: if God provides for lions and ravens, He surely will provide for His people (Matthew 6:26).
Illustration hooks
- Watching a mother bird feed her chicks: she brings food from a source she did not create. Who placed the worm in the ground?
- Farmers who cannot protect livestock from predators at night, they rely on fences and dogs, but the ultimate safety of the herd is beyond human control.
- A parent who cannot find enough groceries one week, then receives an unexpected gift of food, a small picture of God's provision for the ravens.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If God provides for lions and ravens, why does He seem to let some people go hungry?
- Does my anxiety about finances show that I trust God less than a raven trusts Him?
- What does it mean that the raven's young “cry to God”? Are my prayers heard the same way?
Leading a Discussion
In Job 38, God shifts from the cosmos to the animal world. These two verses ask Job if he can provide for wild predators and scavengers, things he cannot control. Let's see what they reveal about God and about us.
Discussion questions
- Read Job 38:39-41. What do the lion and the raven have in common? What is different about them?
- The word “crouch” (H7817) is used for animals lying in ambush. Why does God describe the lion's hunting method so carefully?
- Why might the raven be singled out? What does its reputation add to the argument (see Lev 11:15)?
- In verse 41, the young ravens “cry to God.” Do you think they are praying? What does this teach about God's awareness of all creatures?
- How does this passage connect to Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6:26 about the birds of the air?
- If God provides for wild animals without human help, what does that say about our worry over basic needs?
- Job is being humbled. Where do you need to accept that you cannot control or provide for yourself, and trust God instead?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 49:9 | Judah is a lion’s cub. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down, he crouched as a lion, as a lioness. Who will rouse him up? |
| Numbers 23:24 | Behold, a people rises up as a lioness. As a lion he lifts himself up. He shall not lie down until he eats of the prey, and drinks the blood of the slain.” |
| Numbers 24:9 | He couched, he lay down as a lion, as a lioness; who shall rouse him up? Everyone who blesses you is blessed. Everyone who curses you is cursed.” |
| Job 37:8 | Then the animals take cover, and remain in their dens. |
| Psalms 104:27 | These all wait for you, that you may give them their food in due season. |
| Psalms 104:28 | You give to them; they gather. You open your hand; they are satisfied with good. |
| Psalms 147:9 | He provides food for the livestock, and for the young ravens when they call. |
| Matthew 6:26 | See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they? |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes the word kephirim comes from a Hebrew root meaning to cover. He says this explains why young lions hide before they are strong enough to hunt. Christians who hold historic Christian teaching hold that both the lion and the raven show God provides for all creatures.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the lion hides in wait before attacking its prey with a single swift move. He also says that God provides food for young ravens even when they cry for help because he cares for all his creatures.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges notes that the lion and raven are shown together as opposite examples. The lion depends on others to find food while the raven seeks it out by itself.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill sees the old lions and ravens as symbols of wicked people who commit murder and steal. He shows that God provides food for these creatures even when their parents abandon them.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
The commentary notes that the Bible links this verse to Psalm 10 and Luke 12. It also states that God cares for ravens just as He cares for lions.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch highlights the precise Hebrew vocabulary for lions, noting the specific mention of the lioness who must hunt for her cubs, distinct from the older young lions left on their own. This careful naming underscores God’s provision for each stage of need, mirroring the ravens’ young crying out to Him.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange notes that the God who speaks in the storm shows Job his own weakness by proving he cannot know when animals give birth or control wild creatures. This reveals
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that God created natural forces without a creator himself. He believes Job’s questions show Job’s own weakness since he knows so little about God’s work.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley highlights the contrast between noble and contemptible creatures to show God's care extends to both. He points out that young ravens are abandoned so early that only God's special provision keeps them alive, reasoning that if God provides for such helpless birds, He will surely provide for His own children.