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Monday, July 21st, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Green's Literal Translation

Job 39:5

Who has sent out the wild ass free, or who has loosened the bands of the wild ass?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ass (Donkey);   God;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Ass, the Wild;   Beasts;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Animals;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Ass;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Arabia;   Ass;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Knowledge;   Nature;   World;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Ass;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Bands;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Ass;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ass;   Band;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Wild Ass;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Who set the wild donkey free?Who released the swift donkey from its harness?
Hebrew Names Version
"Who has set the wild donkey free? Or who has loosened the bonds of the swift donkey,
King James Version
Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?
English Standard Version
"Who has let the wild donkey go free? Who has loosed the bonds of the swift donkey,
New Century Version
"Who let the wild donkey go free? Who untied its ropes?
New English Translation
Who let the wild donkey go free? Who released the bonds of the donkey,
Amplified Bible
"Who sent out the wild donkey free [from dependence on man]? And who has loosed the bonds of the wild donkey [to survive in the wild],
New American Standard Bible
"Who sent the wild donkey out free? And who opened the bonds of the swift donkey,
World English Bible
"Who has set the wild donkey free? Or who has loosened the bonds of the swift donkey,
Geneva Bible (1587)
Who hath set the wilde asse at libertie? or who hath loosed the bondes of the wilde asse?
Legacy Standard Bible
"Who sent out the wild donkey free?And who loosed the bonds of the swift donkey,
Berean Standard Bible
Who set the wild donkey free? Who released the swift donkey from the harness?
Contemporary English Version
Who set wild donkeys free?
Complete Jewish Bible
"Who lets the wild donkey roam freely? Who sets the wild donkey loose from its shackles?
Darby Translation
Who hath sent out the wild ass free? and who hath loosed the bands of the onager,
Easy-to-Read Version
"Who let the wild donkeys go free? Who untied their ropes and let them loose?
George Lamsa Translation
Who has left the wild ass to be free, and made him to escape the yoke?
Good News Translation
Who gave the wild donkeys their freedom? Who turned them loose and let them roam?
Lexham English Bible
"Who has sent forth the wild ass free? And who has released the wild donkey's bonds,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
who letteth the wilde asse go fre, or who lowseth the bodes of the Moole?
American Standard Version
Who hath sent out the wild ass free? Or who hath loosed the bonds of the swift ass,
Bible in Basic English
Who has let the ass of the fields go free? or made loose the bands of the loud-voiced beast?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Who hath sent out the wild ass free? Or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?
King James Version (1611)
Who hath sent out the wild asse free? or who hath looosed the bands of the wild asse?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Who letteth the wylde asse to go free? or who looseth the bondes of the wylde mule?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And who is he that sent forth the wild ass free? and who loosed his bands?
English Revised Version
Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Who let go the wielde asse fre, and who loside the boondis of hym?
Update Bible Version
Who has sent out the wild donkey free? Or who has loosed the bonds of the swift donkey,
Webster's Bible Translation
Who hath sent out the wild ass free? or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass?
New King James Version
"Who set the wild donkey free? Who loosed the bonds of the onager,
New Living Translation
"Who gives the wild donkey its freedom? Who untied its ropes?
New Life Bible
"Who has let the wild donkey go free? Who has taken off the ropes which held the fast donkey?
New Revised Standard
"Who has let the wild ass go free? Who has loosed the bonds of the swift ass,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Who hath sent forth the Wild Ass free? And, the bands of the swift-runner, who hath loosed?
Douay-Rheims Bible
Who hath sent out the wild ass free, and who hath loosed his bonds?
Revised Standard Version
"Who has let the wild ass go free? Who has loosed the bonds of the swift ass,
Young's Literal Translation
Who hath sent forth the wild ass free? Yea, the bands of the wild ass who opened?
THE MESSAGE
"Who do you think set the wild donkey free, opened the corral gates and let him go? I gave him the whole wilderness to roam in, the rolling plains and wide-open places. He laughs at his city cousins, who are harnessed and harried. He's oblivious to the cries of teamsters. He grazes freely through the hills, nibbling anything that's green.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Who sent out the wild donkey free? And who loosed the bonds of the swift donkey,

Contextual Overview

1 Do you know the time when the wild goats of the rock bear? Do you observe the calving of deer? 2 Can you tell the months they fulfill; or do you know the time for their bearing, 3 when they crouch and bring forth; they send out their pangs? 4 Their sons are strong; they multiply with grain; they go forth and do not return to them. 5 Who has sent out the wild ass free, or who has loosened the bands of the wild ass? 6 To whom I have assigned the desert for his home, and the salt land for his dwellings? 7 He laughs at the roar of the city; he does not hear the driver's shouts; 8 he seeks out mountains for his pasture; and he searches after every green thing. 9 Will the wild ox consent to be your servant, or spend the night by your feed-trough? 10 Can you tie the wild ox in the furrow with his rope? Or will he harrow the valleys for you?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the wild: Job 6:5, Job 11:12, Job 24:5, Genesis 16:12, Psalms 104:11, Isaiah 32:14, Jeremiah 2:24, Jeremiah 14:6, Daniel 5:21, Hosea 8:9

who hath loosed: Genesis 49:14

Reciprocal: Genesis 1:24 - Let Job 39:10 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 12:2
And I will make of you a great nation. And I will bless you and make your name great; and you will be a blessing.
Genesis 19:29
And it happened when God destroyed the cities of the plain, God remembered Abraham; and He sent Lot out from the overthrow when overturning the cities in which Lot lived.
Genesis 30:27
And Laban said to him, Please, if I have found favor in your eyes, stay. I have seen omens, also Jehovah has blessed me because of you.
Genesis 39:3
And his master saw that Jehovah was with him, and Joseph was prospering in his hand everything which he did.
Genesis 39:6
And he left all he owned in Joseph's hand. And he did not know anything that he had, except the bread which he was eating. And Joseph was beautiful in form and beautiful of appearance.
Genesis 39:11
And it happened on this day, that he went into the house to do his work. And none of the men of the house were there in the house.
Genesis 39:12
And she caught him by his robe, saying, Lie with me! And he left his robe in her hand and fled, and went outside.
Psalms 21:6
For You have set blessings for him forever; You have made him rejoice in the joy of Your face.
Psalms 72:17
His name shall be forever; His name shall continue before the sun; and they shall bless themselves by Him; all nations shall call Him blessed.
Acts 27:24
saying, Do not fear, Paul, You must stand before Caesar. And, behold, God has granted to you all those sailing with you.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Who hath sent out the wild ass free?.... Into the wide waste, where it is, ranges at pleasure, and is not under the restraint of any; a creature which, as it is naturally wild, is naturally averse to servitude, is desirous of liberty and maintains it: not but that it may be tamed, as Pliny m speaks of such as are; but it chooses to be free, and, agreeably to its nature, it is sent out into the wilderness as such: not that it is set free from bondage, for in that it never was until it is tamed; but its nature and inclination, and course it pursues, is to be free. And now the question is, who gave this creature such a nature, and desire after liberty? and such power to maintain it? and directs it to take such methods to secure it, and keep clear of bondage? It is of God;

or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass? not that it has any naturally upon it, and is loosed from them; but because it is as clear of them as such creatures are, which have been in bands and are freed from them: therefore this mode of expression is used, and which signifies the same as before.

m Nat. Hist. l. 8. c. 44.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Who hath sent out the wild ass free? - For a description of the wild ass, see the notes at Job 11:12. On the meaning of the word rendered “free” (חפשׁי chophshı̂y), see the notes at Isaiah 58:6. These animals commonly “inhabit the dry and mountainous parts of the deserts of Great Tartary, but not higher than about latitude 48 degrees. They are migratory, and arrive in vast troops to feed, during the summer, on the tracts to the north and east of the sea of Aral. About autumn they collect in herds of hundreds, and even thousands, and direct their course southward toward India to enjoy a warm retreat during winter. But they more usually retire to Persia, where they are found in the mountains of Casbin; and where part of them remain during the whole year. They are also said to penetrate to the southern parts of India, to the mountains of Malabar and Gelconda. These animals were anciently found in Palestine, Syria, Arabia Deserta, Mesopotamia, Phrygia, and Lycaonia, but they rarely occur in those regions at the present time, and seem to be almost entirely confined to Tartary, some parts of Persia and India, and Africa. Their manners resemble those of the wild horse.

They assembIe in troops under the conduct of a leader or sentinel; and are extremely shy and vigilant. They will, however, stop in the midst of their course, and even suffer the approach of man for an instant, and then dart off with the utmost rapidity. They have been at all times celebrated for their swiftness. Their voice resembles that of the common ass, but is shriller.” “Rob. Calmet.” The Onager or wild ass is doubtless “the parent stock from which we have derived the useful domestic animal, which seems to have degenerated the further it has been removed from its parent seat in Central Asia. It is greatly distinguished in spirit and grace of form from the domestic ass. It is taller and more dignified; it holds the head higher, and the legs are more elegantly shaped. Even the head, though large in proportion to the body, has a finer appearance, from the forehead being more arched; the neck by which it is sustained is much longer, and has a more graceful bend. It has a short mane of dark and woolly hair; and a stripe of dark bushy hair also runs along the ridge of the back from the mane to the tail. The hair of the body is of a silver gray, inclining to flaxen color in some parts, and white under the belly.

The hair is soft and silken, similar in texture to that of the camel.” - The Pictorial Bible. It is of this animal, so different in spirit, energy, agility, and appearance, from the domestic animal of that name, that we must think in order to understand this passage. We must think of them fleet as the wind, untamed and unbroken, wandering over vast plains in groups and herds, assembled by thousands under a leader or guide, and bounding off with uncontrollable rapidity on the approach of man, if we would feel the force of the appeal which is here made. God asks of Job whether he - who could not even subdue and tame this wild creature - had ordained the laws of its freedom; had held it as a captive, and then set it at liberty to exult over boundless plains in its conscious independence. The idea is, that it was one of the creatures of God, under no laws but such as he had been pleased to impose upon it, and wholly beyond the government of man.

Or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass? - As if he had been once a captive, and then set free. The illustration is derived from the feeling which attends a restoration to liberty. The freedom of this animal seems to be as productive of exhilaration as if it had been a prisoner or slave, and had been suddenly emancipated.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 39:5. Who hath sent out the wild ass free? — פרא pere, which we translate wild ass, is the same as the ονος αγριος of the Greeks, and the onager of the Latins; which must not, says Buffon, be confounded with the zebra, for this is an animal of a different species from the ass. The wild ass is not striped like the zebra, nor so elegantly shaped. There are many of those animals in the deserts of Libya and Numidia: they are of a gray colour; and run so swiftly that no horse but the Arab barbs can overtake them. Wild asses are found in considerable numbers in East and South Tartary, in Persia, Syria, the islands of the Archipelago, and throughout Mauritania. They differ from tame asses only in their independence and liberty, and in their being stronger and more nimble: but in their shape they are the same. See on Job 6:5.

The bands of the wild ass? — ערוד arod, the brayer, the same animal, but called thus because of the frequent and peculiar noise he makes. But Mr. Good supposes this to be a different animal from the wild ass, (the jichta or equus hemionus,) which is distinguished by having solid hoofs, a uniform colour, no cross on the back, and the tail hairy only at the tip. The ears and tail resemble those of the zebra; the hoofs and body, those of the ass; and the limbs, those of the horse. It inhabits Arabia, China, Siberia, and Tartary, in glassy saline plains or salt wastes, as mentioned in the following verse.


 
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