Job 39 · Verse 9

Job 39:9

Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?

Job 39:9, King James Version

Job 39:9 in other translations

BSB	Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Will he stay by your manger at night?
WEB	“Will the wild ox be content to serve you? Or will he stay by your feeding trough?
ASV	Will the wild-ox be content to serve thee? Or will he abide by thy crib?
YLT	Is a Reem willing to serve thee? Doth he lodge by thy crib?
DARBY	Will the buffalo be willing to serve thee, or will he lodge by thy crib?
BBE	Will the ox of the mountains be your servant? or is his night's resting-place by your food-store?
Webster	Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?

What does Job 39:9 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

9. unicorn--Pliny [Natural History, 8.21], mentions such an animal; its figure is found depicted in the ruins of Persepolis. The Hebrew reem conveys the idea of loftiness and power (compare Ramah; Indian, Ram; Latin, Roma). The rhinoceros was perhaps the original type of the unicorn. The Arab rim is a two-horned animal. Sometimes "unicorn" or reem is a mere poetical symbol or abstraction; but the buffalo is the animal referred to here, from the contrast to the tame ox, used in ploughing (Job 39:10, 12). abide--literally, "pass the night." crib--(Is 1:3).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 9 Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee? - The "fine elegant animal like a horse, with one long rich curled horn growing out of his forehead," commonly called the unicorn, must be given up as fabulous. The heralds must claim him as their own; place him in their armorial bearings as they please, to indicate the unreal actions, fictitious virtues, and unfought martial exploits of mispraised men. It is not to the honor of the royal arms of Great Britain that this fabulous animal should be one of their supporters. The animal in question, called רים reim, is undoubtedly the rhinoceros, who has the latter name from the horn that grows on his nose. The rhinoceros is known by the name of reim in Arabia to the present day. He is allowed to be a savage animal, showing nothing of the intellect of the elephant. His horn enables him to combat the latter with great success; for, by putting his nose under the elephant's belly, he can rip him up. His skin is like armor, and so very hard as to resist sabres, javelins, lances, and even musket-balls; the only penetrable parts being the belly, the eyes, and about the ears. Or abide by thy crib? - These and several of the following expressions are intended to point out his savage, untameable nature.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Job 39:9 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

הֲיֹ֣אבֶהha.Yoeh¿ is it willingH14

רֵּ֣יםreima wild oxH7214

עָבְדֶ֑ךָ'a.ve.De.khato serve youH5647

אִם\־'im-or?H518

יָ֝לִ֗יןya.Linwill it pass [the] nightH3885

עַל\־'al-atH5921

אֲבוּסֶֽךָ\׃'a.vu.Se.khafeeding trough yourH18

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Job 39:9

Numbers 23:22
God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.
Psalms 92:10
But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.
Deuteronomy 33:17
His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.
Psalms 22:21
Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
Isaiah 1:3
The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

the.
Nu 23:22; De 33:17; Ps 22:21; 92:10
or.
Isa 1:3

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Job 39:8
The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.
Job 39:9
Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?
Job 39:10
Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?

Read all of Job 39

Job 39:9 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Al cual yo puse casa en la soledad, y sus moradas en lugares estériles.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Le buffle voudra-t-il être à ton service? Passera-t-il la nuit auprès de ta crèche?
German Elberfelder 1871	Wird der Wildochs dir dienen wollen, oder wird er an deiner Krippe übernachten?
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Numquid volet rhinoceros servire tibi, aut morabitur ad præsepe tuum?