This page offers Job 39 Bible study questions for a small group, a Sunday class, or personal reflection. Job 39 turns from Job’s complaints to God’s own questions about the animals he made, including mountain goats, wild donkeys, oxen, ostriches, horses, and eagles. Each section below pairs a question with a leader’s note, so you can teach the chapter without preparing a separate summary.
Job 39 at a Glance
God continues speaking out of the whirlwind. He asks Job whether he knows when the mountain goats give birth, who set the wild donkey free, and whether the wild ox will serve him. The chapter moves through several creatures in turn, and each one shows something about how God cares for life that lies beyond human control.
The middle section focuses on the ostrich, which seems careless with its eggs yet is described as deprived of wisdom, a sharp contrast with the wisdom God gives to his creation in other ways. The chapter then closes with the warhorse and the soaring hawk and eagle, creatures whose strength and vision humans cannot direct. The overall movement is from gentle observation to awe, pressing Job toward humility.
Observation Questions
Use these questions first to help the group see exactly what the chapter describes before anyone offers an interpretation. Ask people to point to the verse each time, and keep the answers short and close to the text.
Q: In verses 1-4, what details does God give about the mountain goats and their young?
1 “Do you know the time when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears fawns? 2 Can you count the months that they fulfill? Or do you know the time when they give birth? 3 They bow themselves, they bear their young. They end their labor pains. 4 Their young ones become strong. They grow up in the open field. They go out, and don’t return again.
Job 39:1-4 (WEB)
Leaders can ask the group to list every detail in the passage, such as the timing of birth, the bowing and labor, and the young growing strong in the open field. The answer should stay with what is written. Notice that the young leave and do not return, a detail that quietly shows how completely these creatures are cared for and then released.
Q: In verses 5-8, what does God say about the wild donkey’s home and freedom?
5 “Who has set the wild donkey free? Or who has loosened the bonds of the swift donkey, 6 Whose home I have made the wilderness, and the salt land his dwelling place? 7 He scorns the tumult of the city, neither does he hear the shouting of the driver. 8 The range of the mountains is his pasture, He searches after every green thing.
Job 39:5-8 (WEB)
Groups will notice that the wild donkey lives in the wilderness and salt land and scorns the city’s noise. God presents this freedom as something he has arranged. Ask the group to name what this creature does not need that a tamed animal would.
Q: In verses 9-12, what questions does God ask about the wild ox?
9 “Will the wild ox be content to serve you? Or will he stay by your feeding trough? 10 Can you hold the wild ox in the furrow with his harness? Or will he till the valleys after you? 11 Will you trust him, because his strength is great? Or will you leave to him your labor? 12 Will you confide in him, that he will bring home your seed, and gather the grain of your threshing floor?
Job 39:9-12 (WEB)
Every question in this passage expects the answer no. The group can count how many times God asks whether a human can control, trust, or depend on the ox. The point is that human power has limits, and the group should be encouraged to notice how the questions build.
Q: In verses 13-18, what is said about the ostrich’s wings and her eggs?
13 “The wings of the ostrich wave proudly; but are they the feathers and plumage of love? 14 For she leaves her eggs on the earth, warms them in the dust, 15 and forgets that the foot may crush them, or that the wild animal may trample them. 16 She deals harshly with her young ones, as if they were not hers. Though her labor is in vain, she is without fear, 17 because God has deprived her of wisdom, neither has he imparted to her understanding. 18 When she lifts up herself on high, she scorns the horse and his rider.
Job 39:13-18 (WEB)
The passage describes the ostrich leaving eggs on the ground and forgetting they may be crushed, and it says God has deprived her of wisdom. Ask the group to read the description plainly before discussing it. Leaders should not rush past the troubling phrase, since the text does not hide the strangeness of this creature.
Interpretation Questions
These questions ask the group to consider what the passage means in the wider book of Job. Let people disagree respectfully and return often to the text itself.
Q: How does the warhorse section in verses 19-25 describe strength and courage?
19 “Have you given the horse might? Have you clothed his neck with a quivering mane? 20 Have you made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is awesome. 21 He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength. He goes out to meet the armed men. 22 He mocks at fear, and is not dismayed, neither does he turn back from the sword. 23 The quiver rattles against him, the flashing spear and the javelin. 24 He eats up the ground with fierceness and rage, neither does he stand still at the sound of the trumpet. 25 As often as the trumpet sounds he snorts, ‘Aha!’ He smells the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
Job 39:19-25 (WEB)
Look closely at the horse’s fearlessness, its joy in strength, and its eagerness for battle. Leaders can ask whether the horse’s courage is admirable, dangerous, or both. The discussion can connect the horse’s fearlessness with the way Job has been overwhelmed by fear and loss.
Q: What do the hawk and eagle in verses 26-30 reveal about who directs creation?
26 “Is it by your wisdom that the hawk soars, and stretches her wings toward the south? 27 Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up, and makes his nest on high? 28 On the cliff he dwells, and makes his home, on the point of the cliff, and the stronghold. 29 From there he spies out the prey. His eyes see it afar off. 30 His young ones also suck up blood. Where the slain are, there he is.”
Job 39:26-30 (WEB)
God asks whether these birds fly by human wisdom or command. The answer points to God as the one who gives flight and vision to creatures. Ask the group how the eagle’s keen eyes and high nest speak to the way God sees and provides for what is beyond human reach.
Application Questions
These questions move from the text to daily life. Give people time to reflect quietly before inviting anyone to share, and make room for honest answers about trust and limits.
Key Verses to Read Aloud
Memory Verse for Job 39
Job 39:26
“Is it by your wisdom that the hawk soars, and stretches her wings toward the south?
(WEB)
This verse asks whether the hawk flies by human wisdom, a question that keeps the focus on God’s wisdom and our dependence. It is short enough to memorize and rich enough to return to during the week.
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we come before you having heard your questions to Job about the creatures you made. We confess that we often want to control what is beyond our reach, and we ask you to teach us to trust your care. Thank you for the mountain goats, the wild donkeys, the ostriches, the horses, and the eagles, each shaped by your wisdom and held in your hand. Help us to rest in the truth that you see what we cannot see and provide where we cannot reach. Give us humble hearts this week, and let our trust grow as we remember who you are. Amen.
