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Read the Bible

Good News Translation

Job 6:5

A donkey is content when eating grass, and a cow is quiet when eating hay.

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?
Easy-to-Read Version
Even a wild donkey does not complain when it has grass to eat. And a cow is quiet when it has food.
George Lamsa Translation
Does the wild ass bray over grass? Or does the ox low over the fodder?
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

1If my troubles and griefs were weighed on scales, < 3 they would weigh more than the sands of the sea, so my wild words should not surprise you. 4 Almighty God has shot me with arrows, and their poison spreads through my body. God has lined up his terrors against me. 5 A donkey is content when eating grass, and a cow is quiet when eating hay. 6 But who can eat flat, unsalted food? What taste is there in the white of an egg? 7 I have no appetite for food like that, and everything I eat 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
When people had spread all over the world, and daughters were being born,
Genesis 6:3
Then the Lord said, "I will not allow people to live forever; they are mortal. From now on they will live no longer than 120 years."
Genesis 6:4
In those days, and even later, there were giants on the earth who were descendants of human women and the heavenly beings. They were the great heroes and famous men of long ago.
Genesis 6:9
This is the story of Noah. He had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Noah had no faults and was the only good man of his time. He lived in fellowship with God,
Genesis 6:19
Take into the boat with you a male and a female of every kind of animal and of every kind of bird, in order to keep them alive.
Genesis 6:21
Take along all kinds of food for you and for them."
Genesis 8:21
The odor of the sacrifice pleased the Lord , and he said to himself, "Never again will I put the earth under a curse because of what people do; I know that from the time they are young their thoughts are evil. Never again will I destroy all living beings, as I have done this time.
Genesis 13:13
whose people were wicked and sinned against the Lord .
Deuteronomy 29:19
Make sure that there is no one here today who hears these solemn demands and yet convinces himself that all will be well with him, even if he stubbornly goes his own way. That would destroy all of you, good and evil alike.
Job 15:16
And we drink evil as if it were water; yes, we are corrupt; we are worthless.

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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