Job 39:5 Meaning and Explanation
“Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →God asks who gave the wild donkey its freedom and untied every harness from it.
What Does Job 39:5 Mean?
The catalogue turns to the wild donkey, the untamed cousin of the beast that bears burdens in the city. The Lord asks who set it loose, who removed from it every rope and yoke that bind its domestic kin.
The answer, unspoken, is God. He is the author of this creature's liberty. Job, who could tame and harness many animals, never gave the wild donkey its freedom; that gift belongs to the Creator alone. The verse hints at a wider truth, that true freedom is not seized by the strong but granted by the One who made all things, and that the Maker delights to give His creatures room to run.
Job 39:5 in the Original Language
pere (פֶּרֶא), 'wild ass' -- the untamable desert onager, a byword for ungoverned freedom.
Frequently Asked Questions About Job 39:5
What does Job 39:5 mean?
God asks who gave the wild donkey its freedom and untied every harness from it.