Job 39:21

"Have you made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is awesome."

Key Reflection

In Job 39:21, God is questioning whether Job has the power to make a wild animal as awe-inspiring as an angry locust. The imagery of the locust's snorting evokes fear and respect, highlighting the creature’s formidable presence in the wilderness. For the original audience, this vivid portrayal would have emphasized the raw power and unpredictable nature of God's creation, reminding them that even seemingly small or insignificant creatures possess the might of their Creator.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

He paweth in the valley -Margin, “or, His feet dig.” The marginal reading is more in accordance with the Hebrew. The reference is to the well known fact of the “pawing” of the horse with his feet, as if he would dig up the ground. The same idea occurs in Virgil, as quoted above: Tellurem, et solido graviter solar ungula cornu. Also in Apollonius, L. iii. “Argonauticon:” Ὡς δ ̓ ἀρήΐος ἵππος, ἐελδόμενος πολεμοίο, Σκαρθμῷ ἐπιχρεμέθων κρούει πέδον. Hōs d' arēios hippos,eeldomenos polemoio, Skarthmō epichremethōn krouei pedon.

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