Within the structure, chapter 39 is grouped into the Verdict section with the following outline:[10]
Elihu's Verdict (32:1–37:24)
God's Appearance (Yahweh Speeches) and Job's Responses (38:1–42:6)
God's First Speech (38:1–40:2)
Theme Verse and Summons (38:1–3)
The Physical World (38:4–38)
The Physical Earth (38:4–7)
The Sea (38:8–11)
The Morning (38:12–15)
The Outer Limits of the Earth (38:16–18)
Light and Darkness (38:19–21)
The Waters – Snow, Hail, Rain, Frost, Ice (38:22–30)
The Heavenly Bodies (38:31–33)
Storms (38:34–38)
The Animal World (38:39–40:2)
God Provides for the Lions and Ravens (38:39–41)
The Mountain Goats (39:1–4)
The Wild Donkey (39:5–8)
The Wild Ox (39:9–12)
The Ostrich (39:13–18)
The Warhorse (39:19–25)
The Hawk and the Eagle (39:26–30)
Brief Challenge to Answer (40:1–2)
Job's First Reply – An Insufficient Response (40:3–5)
God's Second Speech (40:6–41:34)
Job's Second Reply (42:1–6)
God's speeches in chapters 38–41 can be split in two parts, both starting with almost identical phrases and having a similar structure:[11]
First speech
Second speech
A. Introductory formula (38:1)
A1. Introductory formula (40:6)
B. Thematic challenge (38:2–3)
i. Theme A (key verse – verse 2)
ii. Summons (verse 3)
B1. Thematic challenge (40:7–14)
i. Summons (verse 7)
ii. Theme B (key verse – verse 8)
iii. Challenge expanded (verses 9–14)
C, Particularization of theme
i. In the physical world (38:4–38)
ii. In the animal and bird kingdoms (38:39–39:30)
C1, Particularization of theme
i. With Behemoth (40:15–24)
ii. With Leviathan (41:1–34)
D. Brief Challenge to Answer (40:1–2)
The revelation of the Lord to Job is the culmination of the book of Job, that the Lord speaks directly to Job and displays his sovereign power and glory. Job has lived through the suffering—without cursing God, holding his integrity, and nowhere regretted it – but he was unaware of the real reason for his suffering, so God intervenes to resolve the spiritual issues that surfaced.[12] Job was not punished for sin and Job’s suffering had not cut him off from God, now Job sees the end the point that he cannot have the knowledge to make the assessments he made, so it is wiser to bow in submission and adoration of God than to try to judge him.[12]
Chapter 39 completes the survey of animals that began at Job 38:39 (feeding of the lions and the ravens) with the habits and instincts of the "wild goat", the "wild donkey", and "wild ox" (verses 1–12); then a transitionto the most remarkable of birds, the ostrich (verses 13–18), followed by the horse in a passage of extraordinary fire and brilliancy (verses 19–25), closed by the depiction of remarkable birds, the hawk and eagle (verses 26–30).[13][14]
"Mountain goats": or "wild goats"; identified with Nubian ibex (Capra nubianaorCapra sinaitica[13][14][16]
"Does": or "hinds" (female deer); in parallel to the first statement, here may refer to 'the females of the species of ibex'.[13]
The ibex can only be observed from distance in the En Gedi area of Israel as the animals resist domestication by humans, but manage to survive with the instinct that God has given.[17]
"Wild ox": generally identified with Aurochs (Bos primigenius),[13] now extinct cattle species (considered to be the wild ancestor of modern domestic cattle), one of the largest herbivores in the Holocene.[19] The last known aurochs herd in the world, which lived in a marshy woodland in Poland's Jaktorów Forest, died in 1627 from natural causes.[20]
Art depictions of aurochs exist since as early as the Paleolithic period (such as cave paintingsinLascaux) also in Egyptian, Ugaritic and Mesopotamian paintings, reliefs and literature (including in the hunting scenes).[17]
^ abcdExell, Joseph S.; Spence-Jones, Henry Donald Maurice (Editors). On "Job 39". In: The Pulpit Commentary. 23 volumes. First publication: 1890. Accessed 24 April 2019.
^Capra nubiana sinaitica. MCZbase: The Database of Zoological Collections. Museum of Comparative Zoology. Harvard University. Accessed on October 3, 2022.
Estes, Daniel J. (2013). Walton, John H.; Strauss, Mark L. (eds.). Job. Teach the Text Commentary Series. United States: Baker Publishing Group. ISBN9781441242778.