Job 39:1 Meaning and Explanation
“Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →God asks Job whether he knows the hidden hour when mountain goats and wild deer give birth.
What Does Job 39:1 Mean?
The voice from the whirlwind continues its tour of the wild world, turning now from sky and sea to the high places where mountain goats clamber and deer hide to bear their young. These are creatures no shepherd tends, far from any human eye.
The question is gentle but searching. The birth of every wild thing happens by a timing Job did not set and cannot watch. If he cannot even keep track of a doe in the cliffs, how small his knowledge is, and how vast the care that holds creation. The Lord who numbers these hidden hours numbers ours as well, attending births no one else sees.
Job 39:1 in the Original Language
yael (יָעֵל), 'wild goat' -- the surefooted ibex of the high crags, at home where no person can follow.
Frequently Asked Questions About Job 39:1
What does Job 39:1 mean?
God asks Job whether he knows the hidden hour when mountain goats and wild deer give birth.