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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

Job 39:5

"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.

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,
Literal Translation
Who has sent out the wild ass free, or who has loosened the bands of the wild ass?
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?
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 month when mountain goats give birth? Have you ever watched a doe bear her fawn? Do you know how many months she is pregnant? Do you know the season of her delivery, when she crouches down and drops her offspring? Her young ones flourish and are soon on their own; they leave and don't come back. 5"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. 9"Will the wild buffalo condescend to serve you, volunteer to spend the night in your barn? Can you imagine hitching your plow to a buffalo and getting him to till your fields? He's hugely strong, yes, but could you trust him, would you dare turn the job over to him? You wouldn't for a minute depend on him, would you, to do what you said when you said it?

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
I'll make you a great nation and bless you. I'll make you famous; you'll be a blessing. I'll bless those who bless you; those who curse you I'll curse. All the families of the Earth will be blessed through you."
Genesis 19:29
And that's the story: When God destroyed the Cities of the Plain, he was mindful of Abraham and first got Lot out of there before he blasted those cities off the face of the Earth.
Genesis 30:27
Laban said, "If you please, I have learned through divine inquiry that God has blessed me because of you." He went on, "So name your wages. I'll pay you."
Genesis 39:11
On one of these days he came to the house to do his work and none of the household servants happened to be there. She grabbed him by his cloak, saying, "Sleep with me!" He left his coat in her hand and ran out of the house. When she realized that he had left his coat in her hand and run outside, she called to her house servants: "Look—this Hebrew shows up and before you know it he's trying to seduce us. He tried to make love to me but I yelled as loud as I could. With all my yelling and screaming, he left his coat beside me here and ran outside."
Ephesians 1:3
How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.

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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