Job 39:26 — Word Study
WLCהֲֽ֭מִבִּינָ֣תְךָ יַֽאֲבֶר־ נֵ֑ץ יִפְרֹ֖שׂ כְּנָפָ֣יו לְתֵימָֽן׃
BSADoes the hawknêts [falcon, bird of prey] take flightʼâbar△▸ [soar, spread its wings] by your understandingbîynâh [wisdom, discernment] and spreadpâras▸ [stretch, scatter] his wingskânâph [the edge or extremity of something] toward the southtêymân [southern direction, wind]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הֲֽ֭מִבִּינָ֣תְךָ | ¿ from understanding your | Particle, preposition, noun common feminine singular construct |
| יַֽאֲבֶר־ | does it soar | Verb, Hiphil, jussive third person masculine singular |
| נֵ֑ץ | a falcon | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| יִפְרֹ֖שׂ | does it spread out? | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| כְּנָפָ֣יו | wings its | Noun common feminine dual construct, suffix |
| לְתֵימָֽן׃ | to [the] south | Preposition, noun common feminine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Does the hawk take flight by your understanding and spread his wings toward the south? |
| KJV | Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south? |
| ASV | Is it by thy wisdom that the hawk soareth, And stretcheth her wings toward the south? |
| YLT | By thine understanding flieth a hawk? Spreadeth he his wings to the south? |
| WEB | “Is it by your wisdom that the hawk soars, and stretches her wings toward the south? |
| BBE | Is it through your knowledge that the hawk takes his flight, stretching out his wings to the south? |
The translations agree on the wording and meaning of the verse.
The sentence structure emphasizes the main question about the hawk's flight while detailing the actions and direction in subordinate clauses.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectנֵץ
verbאָבַר
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 6 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Job 39:26
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — God's Sovereignty Over Creationgenerated
Job 39:26 presents a rhetorical question that highlights the limitations of human understanding in contrast to God's wisdom in the natural world. Job is reflecting on the majesty of creation, particularly the behavior of the hawk, which soars freely in the skies. This passage is part of a larger discourse where God demonstrates His omnipotence through the wonders of nature, reminding Job of his place in the world.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leviticus 16:11 | When Aaron presents the bull for his sin offering and makes atonement for himself and his household, he is to slaughter the bull for his own sin offering. |
| 2 | Deuteronomy 14:15 | the ostrich, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk, |
| 3 | Song of Solomon 2:12 | |
| 4 | Jeremiah 8:7 | Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons. The turtledove, the swift, and the thrush keep their time of migration, but My people do not know the requirements of the LORD. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — הֲֽ֭מִבִּינָ֣תְךָ, hami.bi.Na.te.khagenerated
The word בִּינָה (biynah) means understanding or discernment, encompassing both the act and the faculty of knowledge. It is derived from a root that signifies the ability to discern or comprehend, which is essential in making wise decisions.
In this verse, the question implies that the hawk's flight is not a result of human wisdom or understanding. Instead, it emphasizes the natural instincts given by God, suggesting that human intellect cannot fully grasp the intricacies of creation.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations agree on the wording of the verse, maintaining the essence of Job's inquiry about the hawk's flight and the role of understanding.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse consists of a main clause and two subordinate clauses. The finite verb יַֽאֲבֶר (ya.'a.ver-) governs the structure, indicating the action of the hawk, while the clauses describe the conditions of its flight and the source of understanding.
The order emphasizes the subject, נֵ֑ץ (netz), as the hawk, followed by the actions of flying and spreading its wings, highlighting the relationship between the bird and the divine wisdom that guides it.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates the Hebrew הֲֽ֭מִבִּינָ֣תְךָ with τῆς (tēs), which serves as a definite article, indicating a focus on the understanding being discussed. This choice reflects a narrowing of the Hebrew concept to a specific understanding.
The Greek word for the hawk is ἱέραχ (hierach), which emphasizes the bird's nature and function, aligning with the original Hebrew intent.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 39:26 asks if the hawk takes flight through human understanding and spreads its wings to the south. This question highlights the difference between divine wisdom and human perception, emphasizing that the hawk's natural behavior is guided by instincts rather than human knowledge.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Job is questioning whether human understanding has any role in the natural instincts of the hawk, suggesting that God's creation operates independently of human wisdom.
The south may refer to the direction the hawk flies during migration or hunting, illustrating the bird's natural behavior and instincts.
Understanding is portrayed as a divine quality that humans cannot fully comprehend, especially regarding the complexities of nature and animal behavior.
This verse reflects the broader theme of Job, which is the exploration of God's sovereignty and the limitations of human understanding in the face of divine wisdom.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life do I rely too much on my understanding rather than trusting in God's wisdom?
- How can I learn to appreciate the natural world as a reflection of God's design and intelligence?
- What does this verse teach me about the relationship between human knowledge and divine wisdom?
- How can I apply the lesson of humility in my understanding of life's complexities?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early Church Fathers comment on this verse to illustrate God's providence in nature, using the hawk as an example of divine wisdom.
How does God keep hawks hovering in the air? How does he provide them with nourishment? You can figure out all that he said from a small number of examples! Why did he not mention beefs or rams or other animals of this kind,Early Church Fathers on Job 39 →
Doth the hawk get feathers by thy wisdom, stretching her wings toward the South? 92. That the hawk casts off its old feathers every year, as the new grow up, and gets a plumage without intermission, hardly any one is ignorant.Early Church Fathers on Job 39 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 39:26 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleDoth the hawk fly by thy wisdom,.... With so much swiftness, steadiness, and constancy, until she has seized her prey.
Read John Gill on Job 39 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryDoth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south? The instinct by which some birds migrate to warmer climates before winter.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 39 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleDoth the hawk fly in so singular a manner, so strongly and steadily, so constantly and unweariedly, so swiftly and speedily, so regularly and cunningly, to catch her prey, by thy wisdom; didst thou inspire her with that wisdom? Stretch her wings toward the south; which she doth, either. 1. When she casts her old feathers, and gets new ones, which is furthered either by the warmth of southerly winds, or by the heat of the sun, which was southward from Job’ s country, as it is from ours; whence it is, that as wild hawks do this by natural instinct, so the places which men build for the keeping of tame hawks are built towards the south. Or, 2. In or towards winter, when wild hawks fly into…
Read Matthew Poole on Job 39 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 39:26 Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, [and] stretch her wings toward the south?Ver. 26. Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom?] Or, Doth the hawk ( plumescere) get her feathers by thy wisdom? The word cometh from a root which signifieth strong, because the strength of fowls is in their wings, their delight in high flying. Hath the hawk her wings from thee? and doth she recruit and use them, artificio et auspicio, by thy art or industry? Tame them indeed men may, and bring them to hand, as falconers do, for pleasure more than for profit; but neither can they give them their wings nor repair them when broken. And stretch her wings toward the south] Thereby to furnish herself with a second…
Read John Trapp on Job 39 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(26) Doth the hawk fly?—The more symmetrical order of these descriptions would be for the ostrich to have come after the war-horse and before the hawk; in that case there would have been a gradual transition from the fleetest of quadrupeds to the fleetest of birds by means of the ostrich, which, though winged like a bird, cannot use its wings as birds do, but only run on the ground like a quadruped.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 39 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 26. Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom] The hawk is called נץ nets, from its swiftness in darting down upon its prey; hence its Latin name, nisus, which is almost the same as the Hebrew. It may very probably mean the falcon, observes Dr. Shaw. The flight of a strong falcon is wonderfully swift. A falcon belonging to the Duke of Cleves flew out of Westphalia into Prussia in one day; and in the county of Norfolk, a hawk has made a flight at a woodcock of near thirty miles in an hour. Thuanus says, "A hawk flew from London to Paris in one night." It was owing to its swiftness that the Egyptians in their hieroglyphics made it the emblem of the wind. Stretch her wings toward the south?] Most…
Read AdamClarke on Job 39 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges26. The hawk. her wings toward the south] The allusion is to the migration of the bird southward when the cold season of the year begins. Is it Job’s wisdom that directs her flight to the south?
Read Cambridge on Job 39 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleDoth the hawk fly by thy wisdom - The appeal here is to the hawk, because it is among the most rapid of the birds in its flight.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 39 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Does the hawk take flight by your understanding and spread his wings toward the south?
“Is it by your wisdom that the hawk soars, and stretches her wings toward the south?
Does the hawk take flight by your understanding and spread his wings toward the south?
“Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars, and spreads its wings toward the south?
Tyndale line
Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south?
Is it by thy wisdom that the hawk soareth, And stretcheth her wings toward the south?
Doth the hawk soar by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south?
Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings towards the south?
Though the quiuer rattle against him, the glittering speare and the shield.
Strictly literal
Doth the hawk fly by thine intelligence, [and] stretch his wings toward the south?
By thine understanding flieth a hawk? Spreadeth he his wings to the south?
By your understanding does a hawk fly? Does he spread his wings to the south?
Is it through thy understanding that the hawk flieth along, and spreadeth out his wings toward the south?
Is it by your wisdom that the hawk soars, that he stretches out his wings for the south?
From the Latin
Doth the hawk wax feathered by thy wisdom, spreading her wings to the south?
Simplified
Is it through your wisdom that the hawk soars, spreading its wings towards the south?
Is it through your knowledge that the hawk takes his flight, stretching out his wings to the south?
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree in their wording, with five of the six words matched. The Septuagint's structure and articles differ, showing an interpretation rather than a direct translation.
הֲֽ֭מִבִּינָ֣תְךָ יַֽאֲבֶר־ נֵ֑ץ יִפְרֹ֖שׂ כְּנָפָ֣יו לְתֵימָֽן׃
5 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Job 39:26
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
בִּינָה (biynah) means understanding and encompasses the act, faculty, and object of knowledge, even personified in some contexts. It is derived from the root meaning to discern or comprehend. The Aramaic equivalent is בִּינָה (H0999).
בִּינָה n.f. understanding
the act
the faculty
the object of knowledge
personified
base
H998 בִּינָה understanding . the act
. the faculty
. the object of knowledge
. personified
998 biynah bee-naw'
from 995; understanding:--knowledge, meaning, X perfectly,
understanding, wisdom.
see HEBREW for 0995
בִּינָה (bi.nah) — understanding.
1) understanding, discernment
1a) act
1b) faculty
1c) object
1d) personified
Aramaic equivalent: bi.nah (בִּינָה "understanding" H0999)
Part | Prep | N-fs | Suff — Particle · preposition · noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHTi/R/Ncfsc/Sp2ms
אָבַר (abar) is a verb that primarily means to fly, specifically in the Hiphil form, which indicates an action of moving wings. It is noted in the context of a hawk in Job 39:28. The entries consistently emphasize the concept of soaring or flying.
[אָבַר] vb. denom. Hiph. fly (= move pinions); of hawk יַאֲבֶר־נֵץ Jb 39:28.
done
H82 אָבַר vb. denom. Hiph. fly (= move pinions)
82 'abar aw-bar'
a primitive root; to soar:--fly.
אָבַר (a.var) — to fly.
(Hiphil) to fly (to move wings)
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Hiphil · jussive third person masculine singularHVhj3ms
נֵץ (nets) refers to both a flower and a bird of prey, specifically a hawk or falcon. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to blossom' or 'to flash,' indicating brilliance or speed. It appears in contexts related to both flora and fauna, but its exact meaning as a bird may be uncertain, with some suggesting it could refer to an extinct species.
[נֵץ] n.m. only sf. נִצָּהּ Gn 40:10, v. foll. [n.ew.ad]
done
נֵץ n.m. a bird of prey, generic name, incl. hawk and falcon
base
H5322a נֵץ v. foll. [5328] H5322b נֵץ a bird of prey, generic name, incl. hawk and falcon
5322 nets nayts
from 5340; a flower (from its brilliancy); also a hawk (from
it flashing speed); --blossom, hawk.
see HEBREW for 05340
נֵץ (nets) — flower.
blossom
נֵץ (nets) — hawk.
1) a unclean bird of prey
1a) hawk, falcon
1b) perhaps an extinct bird, exact meaning unknown
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
fo'-k'-n, fol'-k'-n, fal'-kun: The Hebrews did not know the word. Their bird corresponding to our falcon, in all probability, was one of the smaller kestrels covered by the word nets, which seemed to cover all lesser birds of prey that we include in the hawk family. That some of our many divisions of species were known to them is indicated by the phrase "after its kind." The word occurs in the Revised Version (British and American) in Job 28:7, to translation 'ayyah, Greek gups (compare Le 11:14; De 14:13):
"That path no bird of prey knoweth,
Neither hath the falcon's eye seen it."
This substitutes "falcon" for "vulture" in the King James Version. The change weakens the force of the lines. All ornithologists know that eagles…
פָּרַשׂ (paras) is a Hebrew verb meaning to spread out or scatter. It encompasses actions like breaking apart, dispersing, and stretching forth. The word appears in various forms, including Qal (to spread), Niphal (to be scattered), and Piel (to scatter). The entries collectively highlight its use in contexts of spreading or scattering, but do not provide specific verse references.
פָּרַשׂ vb. spread out, spread
Qal
spread out
spread
Niph. they shall be scattered
Pi.
spread out
= scatter
base
H6566 פָּרַשׂ spread out, spread
6566 paras paw-ras'
a primitive root; to break apart, disperse, etc.:--break,
chop in pieces, lay open, scatter, spread (abroad, forth,
selves, out), stretch (forth, out).
פָּרַשׂ (pa.ra.s) — to spread.
1) to spread, spread out, stretch, break in pieces
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to spread out, display
1a2) to spread over
1b) (Niphal) to be scattered, be spread out
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to spread out
1c1) to scatter
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singularHVqi3ms
כָּנָף (kanaph) means 'wing' or 'extremity' and can refer to various edges or corners, such as those of a bird, garment, or building. It encompasses meanings like border, corner, and skirt, indicating both physical and metaphorical edges. The word is derived from a root that suggests an edge or extremity.
כָּנָף 109 n.f. wing, extremity
base
H3671 כָּנָף wing, extremity
3671 kanaph kaw-nawf'
from 3670; an edge or extremity; specifically (of a bird or
army) a wing, (of a garment or bed-clothing) a flap, (of the
earth) a quarter, (of a building) a pinnacle:--+ bird, border,
corner, end, feather(-ed), X flying, + (one an-)other,
overspreading, X quarters, skirt, X sort, uttermost part,
wing((-ed)).
see HEBREW for 03670
כָּנָף (ka.naph) — wing.
1) wing, extremity, edge, winged, border, corner, shirt
1a) wing
1b) extremity
1b1) skirt, corner (of garment)
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine dual construct · suffixHNcfdc/Sp3ms
תֵּימָן (teyman) refers to the direction south, including the south wind. It is derived from the root meaning 'right hand' when facing east. The term is primarily used in poetic contexts and encompasses various aspects of the southern quarter, including territory and direction.
תֵּימָן n.f. south, south wind, chiefly poet.
base
H8486 תֵּימָן south, south wind, chiefly poet.
8486 teyman tay-mawn'
or teman {tay-mawn'}; denominative from 3225; the south (as
being on the right hand of a person facing the east):--south
(side, -ward, wind).
see HEBREW for 03225
תֵּימָן (te.man) — south.
1) south, southward, whatever is on the right (so the southern quarter), south wind
1a) south (of territory)
1b) southern quarter (of the sky)
1c) toward the south, southward (of direction)
1d) south wind
Prep | N-fs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absoluteHR/Ncfsa
south:
(1) neghebh, according BDB from [?] naghabh, meaning "to be dry," the word most often used, in the Revised Version (British and American) capitalized (South) in those places where it seems to denote a particular region, i.e. to the South of Judah.
(2) yamin, "right hand," "right." The derived meaning, "south," seems to imply an eastern posture in prayer in which the right hand is toward the South; compare Arabic yamin, "right," and yemen, "Yemen," a region in Southwestern Arabia.
South
Heb. Negeb, that arid district to the south of Palestine through which lay the caravan route from Central Palestine to Egypt (Gen. 12:9; 13:1, 3; 46:1-6). “The Negeb comprised a considerable but irregularly-shaped tract of country, its main portion stretching from the mountains and lowlands of Judah in the north to the mountains of Azazemeh in the south, and from the Dead Sea and southern Ghoron the east to the Mediterranean on the west.” In Ezek. 20:46 (21:1 in Heb.) three different Hebrew words are all rendered “south.” (1) “Set thy face toward the south” (Teman, the region on the right, 1 Sam. 33:24); (2) “Drop thy word toward the south” (Negeb, the region of dryness,