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Easy-to-Read Version

Job 6:5

Even a wild donkey does not complain when it has grass to eat. And a cow is quiet when it has food.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Afflictions and Adversities;   Ass (Donkey);   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Ass, the Wild;   Beasts;   Grass;   Ox, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Poetry of the Hebrews;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Contrite;   Greatness of God;   Sanctification;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Ass;   Fodder;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ass;   Cattle;   Grass;   Job, the Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Fodder;   Meals;   Provender;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Manger;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Bray;   Dredge;   Grass;   Provender;   Tender;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Wild Ass;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Does a wild donkey bray over fresh grassor an ox low over its fodder?
Hebrew Names Version
Does the wild donkey bray when he has grass? Or does the ox low over his fodder?
King James Version
Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder?
English Standard Version
Does the wild donkey bray when he has grass, or the ox low over his fodder?
New Century Version
A wild donkey does not bray when it has grass to eat, and an ox is quiet when it has feed.
New English Translation
"Does the wild donkey bray when it is near grass? Or does the ox low near its fodder?
Amplified Bible
"Does the wild donkey bray when he has grass? Or does the ox low over his fodder?
New American Standard Bible
"Does the wild donkey bray over his grass, Or does the ox low over his feed?
World English Bible
Does the wild donkey bray when he has grass? Or does the ox low over his fodder?
Geneva Bible (1587)
Doeth the wilde asse bray when he hath grasse? or loweth the oxe when he hath fodder?
Legacy Standard Bible
Does the wild donkey bray over his grass,Or does the ox low over his fodder?
Berean Standard Bible
Does a wild donkey bray over fresh grass, or an ox low over its fodder?
Contemporary English Version
Do oxen and wild donkeys cry out in distress unless they are hungry?
Complete Jewish Bible
"Does a wild donkey bray when it has grass? Does an ox low when it has fodder?
Darby Translation
Doth the wild ass bray by the grass? loweth an ox over his fodder?
George Lamsa Translation
Does the wild ass bray over grass? Or does the ox low over the fodder?
Good News Translation
A donkey is content when eating grass, and a cow is quiet when eating hay.
Lexham English Bible
Does the wild ass bray over grass, or the ox bellow over its fodder?
Literal Translation
Does the wild ass bray over tender grass? Or does the ox low over his fodder?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Doth the wilde asse roare when he hath grasse? Or crieth the oxe, whe he hath fodder ynough?
American Standard Version
Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? Or loweth the ox over his fodder?
Bible in Basic English
Does the ass of the fields give out his voice when he has grass? or does the ox make sounds over his food?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Doth the wild asse rore when he hath grasse? or loweth the oxe when he hath fodder [inough]
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder?
King James Version (1611)
Doeth the wilde asse bray when he hath grasse? or loweth the oxe ouer his fodder?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
What then? will the wild ass bray for nothing, if he is not seeking food? or again, will the ox low at the manger, when he has a fodder?
English Revised Version
Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whether a feeld asse schal rore, whanne he hath gras? Ethir whether an oxe schal lowe, whanne he stondith byfor a `ful cratche?
Update Bible Version
Does the wild donkey bray when he has grass? Or does the ox low over his fodder?
Webster's Bible Translation
Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder?
New King James Version
Does the wild donkey bray when it has grass, Or does the ox low over its fodder?
New Living Translation
Don't I have a right to complain? Don't wild donkeys bray when they find no grass, and oxen bellow when they have no food?
New Life Bible
Does the wild donkey make noise when it has grass? Or does the bull make noise when it has food?
New Revised Standard
Does the wild ass bray over its grass, or the ox low over its fodder?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Doth the wild ass bray over grass? Or loweth the ox over his fodder?
Douay-Rheims Bible
Will the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or will the ox low when he standeth before a full manger?
Revised Standard Version
Does the wild ass bray when he has grass, or the ox low over his fodder?
Young's Literal Translation
Brayeth a wild ass over tender grass? Loweth an ox over his provender?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Does the wild donkey bray over his grass, Or does the ox low over his fodder?

Contextual Overview

1 Then Job answered: 2 "I wish my suffering could be weighed and all my trouble be put on the scales. 3 They would be heavier than all the sand of the sea! That is why my words are so crazy. 4 God All-Powerful has shot me with his arrows. My spirit feels their poison! God's terrible weapons are lined up against me. 5 Even a wild donkey does not complain when it has grass to eat. And a cow is quiet when it has food. 6 Food without salt does not taste good, and the white of an egg has no taste. 7 I refuse to touch that kind of food; it makes me sick!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

when he hath grass: Heb. at grass, Psalms 104:14

loweth: Psalms 42:1, Jeremiah 14:6, Joel 1:18-20

Reciprocal: Job 11:12 - a wild Job 12:5 - of him Job 30:7 - brayed Job 39:5 - the wild

Cross-References

Genesis 6:1
The number of people on earth continued to increase. When these people had daughters, the sons of God saw how beautiful they were. So they chose the women they wanted. They married them, and the women had their children. Then the Lord said, "People are only human. I will not let my Spirit be troubled by them forever. I will let them live only 120 years." During this time and also later, the Nephilim people lived in the land. They have been famous as powerful soldiers since ancient times.
Genesis 6:9
This is the history of Noah's family. He was a good man all his life, and he always followed God.
Genesis 6:19
Also, you will take two of every living thing on the earth with you into the boat. Take a male and female of every kind of animal so that they might survive with you.
Genesis 6:20
Two of every kind of bird, animal, and creeping thing will come to you so that you might keep them alive.
Genesis 6:21
Also bring every kind of food into the boat, for you and for the animals."
Genesis 8:21
The Lord smelled these sacrifices, and it pleased him. The Lord said to himself, "I will never again curse the earth as a way to punish people. People are evil from the time they are young, but I will never again destroy every living thing on the earth as I did this time.
Genesis 13:13
The Lord knew that the people of Sodom were very evil sinners.
Deuteronomy 29:19
"Some people might hear these curses and comfort themselves by saying, ‘I will continue doing what I want. Nothing bad will happen to me.' But that attitude will bring total disaster.
Job 15:16
People are even worse. They are disgusting and dirty. They drink up evil like water.
Psalms 53:2
God looks down from heaven to see if there is anyone who is wise, anyone who looks to him for help.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder?] No, they neither of them do, when the one is in a good pasture, and the other has a sufficiency of provender; but when they are in want of food, the one will bray, and the other will low, which are tones peculiar to those creatures, and express their mournful complaints; wherefore Job suggests, that should he make no moan and complaint in his sorrowful circumstances, he should be more stupid and senseless than those brute creatures: and he may have some respect to the different circumstances of himself and his friends; he himself, when he was in prosperity, made no complaints, as the wild ass brays not, and the ox lows not, when they have both food enough; but now, being in distress, he could not but utter his sorrow and trouble, as those creatures when in lack of food; and this may serve as an answer to his different conduct now and formerly, objected to him, Job 4:3; and so his friends; they lived in great tranquillity and prosperity, as Aben Ezra observes, and roared and grieved not, which doubtless they would, were they in the same circumstances he was; though it became them, as things were, to have uttered words of condolence to their friend in distress, instead of sharp reproofs and hard censures.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? - On the habits of the wild ass, see the notes at Job 11:12. The meaning of Job here is, that he did not complain without reason; and this he illustrates by the fact that the wild animal that had a plentiful supply of food would be gentle and calm, and that when its bray was heard it was proof that it was suffering. So Job says that there was a reason for his complaining. He was suffering; and perhaps he means that his complaint was just as natural, and just as innocent, as the braying of the ass for its food. He should have remembered however, that he was endowed with reason, and that he was bound to evince a different spirit from the brute creation.

Or loweth the ox over his fodder? - That is, the ox is satisfied and uncomplaining when his needs are supplied. The fact that he lows is proof that he is in distress, or there is a reason for it. So Job says that his complaints were proof that he was in distress, and that there was a reason for his language of complaint.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 6:5. Doth the wild ass — פרא pere, translated onager, by the Vulgate, from the ονος αγριος of the Septuagint, which we properly enough, translate wild ass. It is the same with the tame ass; only in a wild state it grows to a larger size, is stronger, and more fleet. The meaning of Job appears to be this: You condemn me for complaining; do I complain without a cause? The wild ass will not bray, and the ox will not low, unless in want. If they have plenty of provender, they are silent. Were I at rest, at ease, and happy, I would not complain.


 
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