Job 39:4 · Bible study
Job 39:4 Commentary: Wild Independence and God's Care
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Job 39:4 shows God's direct care for young wild goats as they leave and never return. Hebrew terms, commentary insights, and theological themes of providence.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The strong young wild goats grow up in the open field, leave permanently, and are sustained by God alone.
- Key words: ḥalam (become strong), bar (open field), yātsā (go out), shuv (return)
- Main debate: Whether bar means 'corn' (KJV) or 'open field' (most modern translations), affecting the emphasis on human cultivation vs. divine provision.
- Theological theme: Divine providence extends to all creation, even creatures beyond human observation and care.
- Best use: Teaching God's sovereignty and care for the vulnerable, in a pastoral Bible study or sermon on trust.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Their young ones thrive and grow up in the open field; they leave and do not return.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Their young ones become strong. They grow up in the open field. They go out, and don’t return again.
KJV King James Version 1769
Their young ones are in good liking, they grow up with corn; they go forth, and return not unto them.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Their young ones become strong, they grow up in the open field; They go forth, and return not again.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Safe are their young ones, They grow up in the field, they have gone out, And have not returned to them.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Their young ones become strong, they grow up in the open field, they go forth, and return not unto them.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Their young are weaned and go to feed: they go forth, and return not to them.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
¿ Sabes tú el tiempo en que paren las cabras monteses? ¿ ó miraste tú las ciervas cuando están pariendo?
Seus filhos se fortalecem, crescem como o trigo; saem, e nunca mais voltam a elas.
Sais-tu quand les chèvres sauvages font leurs petits?
Ihre Jungen werden feist und groß im Freien und gehen aus und kommen nicht wieder zu ihnen.
Haar jongen worden kloek, worden groot door het koren; zij gaan uit, en keren niet weder tot dezelve.
i lor piccini si fanno forti, crescono all’aperto, se ne vanno, e non tornan più alle madri.
Izali wiesz czas rodzenia kóz skalnych, a kiedy rodzą łanie, postrzegłżeś?
дети их приходят в силу, растут на поле, уходят и не возвращаются к ним.
這子 漸漸肥壯，在荒野 長大，去 而不 回。
Their young ones are strong, living in the open country; they go out and do not come back again.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Job 39:4
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse illustrates God's providential care for wild animals, specifically the offspring of mountain goats and hinds. Barnes notes that the young become strong without human assistance, growing up in the open field (not on cultivated corn). Clarke, Cambridge, and JFB concur: the Hebrew word bar (commonly 'corn') should here be rendered 'open field' or 'desert,' as required by the context of untamed creatures. The young gain strength quickly, leave their mothers, and do not return. This independence highlights that God himself nurtures and protects them, even when they wander away from the dam. The rhetorical intention in Job 39 is to humble humans by showing that divine wisdom and care sustain all life, including the most vulnerable and solitary creatures. There is strong agreement that this verse demonstrates God's direct, sustaining providence over his creation.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The verse affirms that God cares for and sustains the young of wild animals, even after they leave their mothers and live independently.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'bar' | The word appears only here with the sense of 'open field'; all traditions see it as describing a place without human cultivation. | Older translations read 'corn' (KJV) because of the usual meaning; modern versions prefer 'open field' based on context and cognate languages. |
| Significance of independence | All agree that the young's independence shows God's direct care, not neglect. | Some traditions (e.g., Reformed) emphasize this as a model of trusting God; others (e.g., Wesleyan) focus on God's sustaining grace in nature. |
| Application to human life | The verse humbles human pride and teaches dependence on God. | While most see it as a call to trust, some emphasize God's care even when we feel abandoned, others see it as a reminder of our limits. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Job 39:4 occurs within God's speech from the whirlwind (Job 38, 41), where God challenges Job's understanding of the natural world. The immediate context (vv. 1, 4) describes the birthing and rearing of mountain goats and hinds, animals that inhabit rocky, inaccessible terrain. In ancient Israel, these were seen as creatures beyond human control, dependent solely on God. The Hebrew phrase ba/bar (translated 'open field') contrasts with cultivated land; wild animals live not on grain but on what God provides in the wilderness. The verb ḥalam ('become strong') often implies gaining vigor, and rāvah ('grow up') suggests rapid physical development. The young's departure and failure to return highlight self-sufficiency under divine care, a theme also found in Psalm 104:21 (lions seeking food from God). Culturally, the untamed nature of these animals, free from human domestication, served as a powerful example of God's sovereignty. The question 'Do you know?' invites Job (and the reader) to acknowledge limits of human knowledge and trust in God's wise governance. This passage thus grounds natural theology in the observation of wildlife, a common motif in ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Job 39:4. The only variation is the translation of the Hebrew noun bar, which in the received Masoretic Text is pointed consistently but can mean either 'corn' or 'open field' depending on context. This lexical ambiguity, not a textual one, is resolved by most modern translations based on context.
Reception History
In the history of interpretation, Job 39:4 has been consistently seen as a display of God's providential care. Matthew Henry (1710) noted that the young are 'the care of the divine Providence.' Adam Clarke (1826) used the verse to refute deistic notions of God's absence, insisting that God directly sustains wild creatures. The verse has been a favorite in natural theology, cited in sermons on God's fatherly care for all creation. Amid debates about evolution and chance, this passage continues to remind readers of a sovereign hand behind even the most independent-seeming life.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God's hidden hand in the wild: The birth and growth of mountain goats occur far from human eyes, yet God watches over them.
- Independence as divine gift: The young leave and never return, a sign of God's sustaining provision, not abandonment.
- Human limitation and trust: We cannot explain this process; we can only marvel at God's wisdom and care.
Five-point outline
- Context of God's challenge: Job is asked about things beyond his control.
- The specific animals: Wild goats and hinds, untamed and hidden.
- Birth and rapid growth: No human midwifery, only divine help.
- Self-sufficiency: The young feed and survive without parental return.
- Providence for all creatures: Even the most vulnerable are held by God.
Illustration hooks
- Watching a bird's nest: We see eggs hatch, chicks grow, and fledge, never to return. That final flight mirrors the wild goats' departure.
- A child leaving for college: The mix of pride and worry parallels the dam's experience, yet God's care exceeds our own.
- Gardening without control: We plant seeds, but growth and fruiting depend on forces beyond us, just as the goats thrive in the field.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God really care about animals, or only people?
- If God cares for wild creatures, why does life seem so hard for them?
- How does this help me trust God when I feel alone and unseen?
Leading a Discussion
This verse shows that God's care extends to creatures that cannot return the favor. As you discuss, think about where you see independence as a gift from God, and where it feels like abandonment. The wild goats never come back, yet they survive. What does that say about the God who lets us go?
Discussion questions
- What does the phrase 'they go out, and don't return again' tell you about the young goats' development?
- How do the commentators explain the Hebrew word bar? Why does the translation matter?
- In what sense does this verse demonstrate God's providence without human involvement?
- Compare this independence with the dependence of domesticated animals. What does the contrast reveal about God's different ways of caring?
- How might this passage comfort someone who feels unnoticed by God?
- What does this teach us about the limits of human wisdom? Should we expect to understand everything God does?
- How can we apply the truth of God's care for wild animals to our own trust in him for daily needs?
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.
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that the Hebrew word for corn refers to open fields rather than grain. He also says that mountain goat young become independent of their mothers soon after birth and never return.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that wild animals are raised without human help and instead depend on God alone. Their young grow strong and wander far from home yet return safely because God guards them.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges notes that these animals live alone in the desert without human help to birth their young. Their young are strong and can care for themselves soon after birth.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note emphasizes that God alone knows the hidden timing of birth for wild goats and deer—something utterly beyond human observation or control. This question humbles Job by showing that even the natural processes animals follow depend entirely on God’s secret governance.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights how quickly young deer become independent. They grow plump and sleek on field grain, develop fast, and then leave their mothers for good. Once gone, they never return, and their dams no longer recognize them.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson Fausset Brown notes that these creatures live in the field without human help and cannot feed themselves. They grow strong there under God’s care.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch note that God possesses unique knowledge of animals including their birth times and growth processes. This knowledge enables Him to guide and control all creation.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange notes that God shows Job his own power by describing various creatures (like wild asses and eagles) that show no fear of humans. This demonstrates that these animals trust only God because he gave them strength. It gives hope that those who rely on God will find safety.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that humans do not know when wild animals give birth. He says these creatures are cared for by God even as each one is fed.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that young animals are weak because they are born into the world with difficulty. He also says they grow strong like corn when fed and find enough food outside thanks to God’s care.