Job

Job 39:13–18

¹³The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully,

but cannot match the pinions^a and feathers of the stork.

¹⁴For she leaves her eggs on the ground

and lets them warm in the sand.

¹⁵She forgets that a foot may crush them,

or a wild animal may trample them.

¹⁶She treats her young harshly, as if not her own,

with no concern that her labor was in vain.

¹⁷For God has deprived her of wisdom;

He has not endowed her with understanding.

¹⁸Yet when she proudly spreads her wings,

she laughs at the horse and its rider.

Footnotes

a 39:13 Pinions are the outer parts of a bird’s wings, including the flight feathers.

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
The wings	כְּנַף־	kə·nap̄-	Noun - feminine singular construct	H3671 wing, extremity
of the ostrich	רְנָנִ֥ים	rə·nā·nîm	Noun - masculine plural	H7443 ostrich
flap joyfully	נֶעֱלָ֑סָה	ne·‘ĕ·lā·sāh	Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person feminine singular	H5965 rejoice
but cannot	אִם־	’im-	Conjunction	H518 if
the pinions	אֶ֝בְרָ֗ה	’eḇ·rāh	Noun - feminine singular	H84 pinion
and feathers	וְנֹצָֽה׃	wə·nō·ṣāh	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular	H5133 plumage
of the stork	חֲסִידָ֥ה	ḥă·sî·ḏāh	Noun - feminine singular	H2624 stork

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
For	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
she leaves	תַעֲזֹ֣ב	ṯa·‘ă·zōḇ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular	H5800 leave, forsake, loose
her eggs	בֵּצֶ֑יהָ	bê·ṣe·hā	Noun - feminine plural construct; third person feminine singular	H1000 egg
on the ground	לָאָ֣רֶץ	lā·’ā·reṣ	Preposition-l, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H776 earth, land
and lets them warm	תְּחַמֵּֽם׃	tə·ḥam·mêm	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person feminine singular	H2552 be or become warm
in	וְֽעַל־	wə·‘al-	Conjunctive waw; Preposition	H5921 height
the sand	עָפָ֥ר	‘ā·p̄ār	Noun - masculine singular	H6083 dry earth, dust

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
She forgets	וַ֭תִּשְׁכַּח	wat·tiš·kaḥ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H7911 forget
that	כִּי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
a foot	רֶ֣גֶל	re·ḡel	Noun - feminine singular	H7272 foot
may crush them	תְּזוּרֶ֑הָ	tə·zū·re·hā	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular; third person feminine singular	H2115 press down and out
or a wild	הַשָּׂדֶ֣ה	haś·śā·ḏeh	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H7704 id.
animal	וְחַיַּ֖ת	wə·ḥay·yaṯ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular construct	H2416 alive, living
may trample them	תְּדוּשֶֽׁהָ׃	tə·ḏū·še·hā	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular; third person feminine singular	H1758 tread, thresh

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
She treats her young	בָּנֶ֣יהָ	bā·ne·hā	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person feminine singular	H1121 son
harshly	הִקְשִׁ֣יחַ	hiq·šî·aḥ	Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H7188 make hard
as if not	לְּלֹא־	lə·lō-	Preposition-l; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
her own	לָ֑הּ	lāh	Preposition; third person feminine singular
with no	בְּלִי־	bə·lî-	Adverb	H1097 wearing out
concern	פָֽחַד׃	p̄ā·ḥaḏ	Noun - masculine singular	H6343 dread
that her labor	יְגִיעָ֣הּ	yə·ḡî·‘āh	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H3018 toil, product
was in vain	לְרִ֖יק	lə·rîq	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular	H7385 emptiness, vanity

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
For	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
God	אֱל֣וֹהַּ	’ĕ·lō·w·ah	Noun - masculine singular	H433 god, God
has deprived her	הִשָּׁ֣הּ	hiš·šāh	Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular; third person feminine singular	H5382 forget
of wisdom	חָכְמָ֑ה	ḥāḵ·māh	Noun - feminine singular	H2451 wisdom
He has not	וְלֹא־	wə·lō-	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
endowed	חָ֥לַק	ḥā·laq	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H2505 divide, share
her	לָ֝֗הּ	lāh	Preposition; third person feminine singular
with understanding	בַּבִּינָֽה׃	bab·bî·nāh	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H998 understanding

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Yet when	כָּ֭עֵת	kā·‘êṯ	Preposition, Article; Noun - common singular	H6256 time
she proudly	בַּמָּר֣וֹם	bam·mā·rō·wm	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4791 height
spreads her wings	תַּמְרִ֑יא	tam·rî	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person feminine singular	H4754 rebel, whip, lash
she laughs	תִּֽשְׂחַ֥ק	tiś·ḥaq	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular	H7832 laugh
at the horse	לַ֝סּ֗וּס	las·sūs	Preposition-l, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H5483 swallow or swift
and its rider	וּלְרֹֽכְבֽוֹ׃	ū·lə·rō·ḵə·ḇōw	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H7392 mount and ride, ride

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Job 39:13 Jeremiah 8:7 · Zechariah 5:9

Job 39:16 Lamentations 4:3

Job 39:17 Job 35:11

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.