The zoology of the unanswerable: mountain goats that calve unwatched, the wild ass sent out free — 'He scorns the tumult of the city' — the wild-ox that will not serve, the ostrich hardened against her young 'Because God has deprived her of wisdom', and the war-horse: 'Have you given the horse his strength? Have you clothed his neck with fierceness?' — 'he smells the battle afar off.' The vulture’s eye closes the catalogue: 'where the slain are, there is she.'
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
Do you know the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? Or can you mark when the hinds calve?
verse value 3128
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "time" (עֵ֭ת, 2 letters) and the longest is "wild·goats·of·rock" (יַעֲלֵי־סָ֑לַע, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "bearing·of" (לֶ֣דֶת), "wild·goats·of·rock" (יַעֲלֵי־סָ֑לַע), "travailing·of" (חֹלֵ֖ל). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "do·you·know" (root ידע, 73x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'wild·goats·of·rock', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: הֲיָדַ֗עְתָּ [do·you·know] (489) + עֵ֭ת [time] (470) + לֶ֣דֶת [bearing·of] (434) + יַעֲלֵי־סָ֑לַע [wild·goats·of·rock] (280) + חֹלֵ֖ל [travailing·of] (68) + אַיָּל֣וֹת [hinds] (447) + תִּשְׁמֹֽר [you·mark] (940) = 3128.
Rashi
mountain goats Estainboc in Old French. It hates its young, and, when preparing to give birth, goes to the top of a high rock, so that its young should fall to the earth and die. But the Holy One, blessed be He, prepares an eagle for it [the young], which receives it on its wings. Do you wait for the hinds to calve? Heb. חלל, an expression of (Jer. 6:24), “pain (חיל) as of a woman in travail.” The hind’s womb is narrow, and the young cannot come forth; and, at the time of birth, I prepare a snake for her that bites her womb so that it opens; should it be a moment too early or too late, she would die immediately. I know to distinguish these moments, so should the distinction between Job (אִיוֹב) and enemy (אוֹיֵב) escape Me?
Ralbag
'The wild goats of the rock' — 'steinbock' in the vernacular; she climbs to the top of the crag when she crouches to give birth, and Hashem arranges for an eagle to catch the young in its wings and save them from falling — so said our Sages, of blessed memory. If the matter is literally true, then this is the meaning of the verse; but if not, then I think the intent is rather this: that this creature is born only with great difficulty, so that its birth comes at the height of danger, were it not for the providence of Hashem, who brings the young forth with sufficient strength that they do not die at the time of birth. 'When the hinds calve' — [the word 'cholel'] relates to labor and the pangs of a woman in childbirth. Our Sages, of blessed memory, said that the hind's womb is narrow, and she cannot give birth unless a snake bites her in the womb; Hashem arranges for a snake to come to her at the time of birth and bite her there, so that she gives birth. And if the matter is not literally so, then I think the intent is rather this: that this creature, too, is born only with great difficulty, so that her case is like that of the wild goat of the rock; and for this reason her young come into being at the height of danger, and yet are saved through the providence of Hashem over His creatures.
Metzudat David
'Do you know' — our Sages, of blessed memory, said that the wild goat is cruel to her young: when she crouches to give birth, she climbs to the top of the rock so that her offspring will fall to the ground and die, and the Omnipresent arranges for an eagle to come and catch the young on its wings. That is why it says to Job: do you know the time of her giving birth, so as to arrange the eagle for her? 'Or can you mark when the hinds calve' — our Sages, of blessed memory, said that the hind has a narrow womb, and when she crouches to give birth, the Omnipresent arranges for a serpent to bite her in the womb, which loosens her so that she gives birth with ease. That is why it says: will you keep watch for the time when the pains and pangs of labor come upon her, so as to arrange the serpent for her?
Metzudat Zion
The wild goats of the rock (ya'alei sela) - It is the wild goat [ibex]. Bring forth (cholel) - [An expression of] labor and birth pangs; and so, "we were in labor (chalnu), as though we had given birth" (Isaiah 26:18). Can you mark (tishmor) - An expression of watching over something so that its appointed time does not pass; and so the priestly and Levitical divisions are called "mishmarot" (watches) for this reason.
Malbim
'Do you know' — he now recounts the providence by which He watches over living creatures in the matter of giving birth. The mountain goats dwell on the high mountains, as it is written, 'the high mountains are for the wild goats' (Psalms 104:18); and Hashem watched over the rock-goats at the time they give birth, so that the young should not fall from the rock, guarding that moment so that no harm befalls the newborn. And the hind has a narrow womb and is in danger at the time of birth, but Hashem arranges the causes so that she gives birth easily — and this is the meaning of 'can you mark when the hinds calve.'
Can you number the months that they fulfill? Or do you know the time when they bring forth?
verse value 2983
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "time" (עֵ֣ת, 2 letters) and the longest is "they·fulfill" (תְּמַלֶּ֑אנָה, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "you·number" (תִּסְפֹּ֣ר), "they·fulfill" (תְּמַלֶּ֑אנָה), "their·bearing" (לִדְתָּֽנָה). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·you·know" (root ידע, 73x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·fulfill', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: תִּסְפֹּ֣ר [you·number] (740) + יְרָחִ֣ים [months] (268) + תְּמַלֶּ֑אנָה [they·fulfill] (526) + וְ֝יָדַעְתָּ֗ [and·you·know] (490) + עֵ֣ת [time] (470) + לִדְתָּֽנָה [their·bearing] (489) = 2983.
Metzudat David
'Can you number' — do you count for her the months of her pregnancy, to know when they will be completed? And do you know the time of her giving birth, to attend to her then the way a midwife would?
Malbim
'Can you number' — He has fixed for each living creature how many months its pregnancy lasts, and He has set the time when it gives birth, whether by day or by night.
They bow themselves, they bring forth their young, They cast out their fruit.
verse value 2315
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 30 letters. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "they·bow·themselves" (תִּ֭כְרַעְנָה), "their·young" (יַלְדֵיהֶ֣ן), "they·bring·forth" (תְּפַלַּ֑חְנָה). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "they·cast·out" (root שלח, 22x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·bring·forth', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: תִּ֭כְרַעְנָה [they·bow·themselves] (745) + יַלְדֵיהֶ֣ן [their·young] (109) + תְּפַלַּ֑חְנָה [they·bring·forth] (573) + חֶבְלֵיהֶ֥ם [their·fruit] (95) + תְּשַׁלַּֽחְנָה [they·cast·out] (793) = 2315.
Rashi
they bring forth Their womb splits open and gives forth the young, and their birth pangs... they send forth from themselves in their birth at the moment that I prepare for them.
Ibn Ezra
'They bow themselves' — that is, “they bring forth their young,” [by crouching down] so that the young do not shift from their place. 'They cast out their fruit' — meaning: they send forth pains and labor-throes through it, and afterward they recover.
Ralbag
'They bring forth their young' — [the word 'teflachnah'] means they burst open and are battered and crushed. 'Their fruit' — [the word 'chavlehem,' literally 'their pangs'] means her labor pains.
Metzudat David
'They bow themselves' — is it not so that when they crouch down to give birth, their young come out on their own, through the opening that forms at the mouth of the womb, and she expels her own birth-pangs by herself? For the young go off immediately after birth, with no need of a midwife.
Metzudat Zion
They bow themselves (tichra'nah) - From the term "keri'ah" (kneeling) on the knees. They cast out (tiflachnah) - An expression of splitting; as in "he splits open my kidneys (yiflach kilyotai)" (above, 16); meaning, they [the young] emerge through the opening; and its parallel is "the hole of the pit from which you were dug (nikkartem)" (Isaiah 51:1), whose sense is, "you went forth through a cleft opening." Their fruit (chevleihem) - [Meaning] their birth pangs.
Malbim
'They bow themselves' — the mountain goats give birth while crouching, so that their young do not fall from the crag of the mountain. And 'they cast out their fruit' — meaning that the great pains she endured in her difficult labor pass away from her.
Their young ones wax strong, they grow up in the open field; They go forth, and return not again.
verse value 1151
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "in·the·open·field" (בַבָּ֑ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·not·they·return" (וְלֹא־שָׁ֥בוּ, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 107: their·young·ones, they·go·forth. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "they·wax·strong" (יַחְלְמ֣וּ), "their·young·ones" (בְ֭נֵיהֶם), "they·grow·up" (יִרְבּ֣וּ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not·they·return" (root שוב, 39x in Job); "they·go·forth" (root יצא, 28x in Job); "their·young·ones" (root בן, 26x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·the·open·field', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: יַחְלְמ֣וּ [they·wax·strong] (94) + בְ֭נֵיהֶם [their·young·ones] (107) + יִרְבּ֣וּ [they·grow·up] (218) + בַבָּ֑ר [in·the·open·field] (204) + יָ֝צְא֗וּ [they·go·forth] (107) + וְלֹא־שָׁ֥בוּ [and·not·they·return] (345) + לָֽמוֹ [to·them] (76) = 1151.
Rashi
and do not return to them When they have grown a little, they are raised on the grain, on seeds and grasses, and they do not require the raising of their father or mother.
Ibn Ezra
'Their young ones wax strong' [yachlemu] — as in the phrase “and You made me well” (Isaiah 38:16). 'They grow up in the open field' — meaning: they grow up in a place of openness, like the word “clear” [barur]. Some say that the word [“bar”] is the Targum's [Aramaic] rendering of “outside” [chutz].
Ralbag
'Wax strong' — relates to health, the same sense as in 'heal me, and give me life' (Isaiah 38:16). 'In the open field' — [the word 'bavar' means] outside.
Metzudat David
'Their young ones wax strong' — the young grow strong on their own and are healthy, not battered by the birth; and they grow up outdoors, exposed to the heat by day and the cold by night, and they go out from their mothers and do not return to them to be nourished by them.
Metzudat Zion
Wax strong (yechelmu) - An expression of health/vigor, as in "the white of an egg (chalamut)" (above, 6). In the open field (babar) - As in "and He brought him outside (vayotze oto hachutzah)" (Genesis 15:5), which Targum Onkelos renders "levara" [outside].
Malbim
'Their young ones wax strong' — the word rendered 'wax strong' here (yachalmu) also evokes 'they dream' (from chalom): it is as though, through the power of their imagination, the mothers dream that their young will multiply on the grain in the field and among the sheaves of the crop. Through this fantasy implanted in them they forget the pain of giving birth and no longer worry about their young. They go out and do not return to their young, who feed themselves on the grain on their own.
Who has sent out the wild ass free? Or who has loosed the bands of the wild ass?
verse value 2597
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "who?" (מִ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·bands·of" (וּמֹסְר֥וֹת, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "who?·has·sent" (מִי־שִׁלַּ֣ח), "and·bands·of" (וּמֹסְר֥וֹת), "wild·ass" (עָ֝ר֗וֹד). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "who?" (root מי, 32x in Job); "who?·has·sent" (root שלח, 22x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'free', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: מִי־שִׁלַּ֣ח [who?·has·sent] (388) + פֶּ֣רֶא [wild·ass] (281) + חׇפְשִׁ֑י [free] (398) + וּמֹסְר֥וֹת [and·bands·of] (712) + עָ֝ר֗וֹד [wild·ass] (280) + מִ֣י [who?] (50) + פִתֵּֽחַ [has·loosed] (488) = 2597.
Rashi
free For no man can raise a wild donkey to teach it the work of cattle. who loosed his bands so that the yoke of man is not upon him.
Ralbag
'Wild ass' — an animal found in the wilderness that eats grass like cattle. 'Wild ass' — [the word 'arod' means] the wild donkey.
Metzudat David
'Who has sent out the wild ass free,' etc. — free from bringing its neck under the yoke of labor. 'Or who has loosed the bands' — so that it should not be bound by the straps of the yoke.
Metzudat Zion
Wild ass (pere) - It is the wild donkey. Free (chofshi) - [Meaning] to freedom. The bands (umoserot) - The ties of the straps of the yoke, as in "bonds and bars (moserot umotot)" (Jeremiah 27). The wild ass (arod) - [As in] "a wild ass used to the wilderness (pere lamud midbar)" (Jeremiah 2); which is rendered by the Targum "ke'aruda."
Malbim
'Who' — he now tells of the providence relating to habitation. There are species that dwell in the wilderness and do not accept authority; and even among those whose kind is also found among human beings, there are some that do not accept authority and remain in their wild state, such as the wild bull and the wild ass. This is the meaning of 'who has sent out the wild ass free' — and the arod, which is the wild ass — 'who has loosed the bands of the wild ass,' that it should be free.
Whose house I have made the wilderness, And the salt land his dwelling-place.
verse value 2867
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "wilderness" (עֲרָבָ֣ה, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·his·dwelling-places" (וּֽמִשְׁכְּנוֹתָ֥יו, 9 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "whose·I·have·made" (אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֣מְתִּי), "and·his·dwelling-places" (וּֽמִשְׁכְּנוֹתָ֥יו), "salt·land" (מְלֵחָֽה). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "whose·I·have·made" (root שים, 38x in Job); "his·house" (root בית, 26x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·house', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֣מְתִּי [whose·I·have·made] (1251) + עֲרָבָ֣ה [wilderness] (277) + בֵית֑וֹ [his·house] (418) + וּֽמִשְׁכְּנוֹתָ֥יו [and·his·dwelling-places] (838) + מְלֵחָֽה [salt·land] (83) = 2867.
Ralbag
'The wilderness' — desert. 'The salt land' — a salted land, which is likewise a desert.
Metzudat David
'Whose house I have made the wilderness' — its home is in the wilderness, and its dwelling-place is the salt land.
Metzudat Zion
The wilderness and the salt land (aravah, melechah) - Their meaning is like "desert"; and so, "in a land of desert and pit (aravah vashuchah)" (Jeremiah 2); and like "a salt land" (Jeremiah 16).
Malbim
'Whose house I have made' — that although it is the nature of donkeys to dwell in settled places near human beings, this one's house is the wilderness, and its dwelling place, where it goes out to run, is the salt land.
He scorns the tumult of the city, Neither does he hear the shoutings of the driver.
verse value 2775
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·tumult·of" (לַהֲמ֣וֹן, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "to·tumult·of" (לַהֲמ֣וֹן), "city" (קִרְיָ֑ה). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 142x in Job); "he·hears" (root שמע, 42x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'city', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: יִ֭שְׂחַק [he·scorns] (418) + לַהֲמ֣וֹן [to·tumult·of] (131) + קִרְיָ֑ה [city] (315) + תְּשֻׁא֥וֹת [shoutings·of] (1107) + נֹ֝גֵ֗שׂ [driver] (353) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + יִשְׁמָֽע [he·hears] (420) = 2775.
Ibn Ezra
'The tumult' [teshu'ot] — [meaning] sounds, from the root “sha'on” [noise, tumult].
Ralbag
'Tumult' — a term for noise, commotion.
Metzudat David
'He scorns' — he mocks the din of the crowd heard in the city, since he is not there, and does not hear the shouting of a taskmaster driving him to work.
Metzudat Zion
The shoutings (teshu'ot) - An expression of noise and clamor, as in "shouts of, Grace, grace unto it (teshu'ot chen)" (Zechariah 4). The driver (noges) - He is the one who forces the work [a taskmaster].
Malbim
'He scorns the tumult of the city' — he has no desire to be in a settled place, for it is better for him in the wilderness, where he does not hear the shoutings of a driver; and freedom is better for him than the abundance of food he would have among human beings, and so he is content with meager provisions, for—
The range of the mountains is his pasture, And he searches after every green thing.
verse value 2293
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "range·of" (יְת֣וּר, 4 letters) and the longest is "every·green·thing" (כׇּל־יָר֣וֹק, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "range·of" (יְת֣וּר), "every·green·thing" (כׇּל־יָר֣וֹק), "he·searches" (יִדְרֽוֹשׁ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·after" (root אחר, 20x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·pasture', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: יְת֣וּר [range·of] (616) + הָרִ֣ים [mountains] (255) + מִרְעֵ֑הוּ [his·pasture] (321) + וְאַחַ֖ר [and·after] (215) + כׇּל־יָר֣וֹק [every·green·thing] (366) + יִדְרֽוֹשׁ [he·searches] (520) = 2293.
Rashi
He spies out the mountains for his pasture He personally spies out for himself a place of pasture.
Ibn Ezra
'Green thing' [yarok] — the sense is the same throughout: any green place.
Ralbag
'The range [of the mountains]' — [the word 'yetur'] is from the same root as in 'and they scouted the land' (Numbers 13:2); it is a noun on the pattern of 'yevul' (produce).
Metzudat David
'The range of the mountains' — he scouts out the mountains for himself as pasture, and on his own he seeks and searches after every green plant.
Metzudat Zion
He searches (yatur) - [Meaning] he scouts, as in "from scouting the land (mittur ha'aretz)" (Numbers 12).
Malbim
'The range of the mountains' — whatever he finds after searching and seeking in the mountains is his pasture; he seeks and searches to find any green thing for his food, and this is good in his eyes.
Will the wild-ox be willing to serve you? Or will he abide by your crib?
verse value 699
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "wild-ox" (רֵּ֣ים, 3 letters) and the longest is "by·your·crib" (עַל־אֲבוּסֶֽךָ, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "will·he·be·willing" (הֲיֹ֣אבֶה), "wild-ox" (רֵּ֣ים), "to·serve·you" (עׇבְדֶ֑ךָ). 5 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·serve·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: הֲיֹ֣אבֶה [will·he·be·willing] (23) + רֵּ֣ים [wild-ox] (250) + עׇבְדֶ֑ךָ [to·serve·you] (96) + אִם־יָ֝לִ֗ין [or·will·he·lodge] (141) + עַל־אֲבוּסֶֽךָ [by·your·crib] (189) = 699.
Rashi
wild ox Heb. רֵים, like רְאֵם. serve you To serve you.
Ralbag
'Wild-ox' — [the word 'rim' is another form of] 're'em.' 'Your crib' — the trough from which cattle eat.
Metzudat David
'Will the wild-ox be willing' — will the wild-ox be willing to serve you, and will he stay continually at your crib, eating from your provisions?
Metzudat Zion
Be willing (haya'aveh) - [Meaning] will he consent, as in "my brother-in-law refuses (lo avah yevami)" (Deuteronomy 25:7). Wild-ox (rim) - Like "re'em," and it is a large animal. Abide (yalin) - An expression of remaining, as in "righteousness lodged in her (tzedek yalin bah)" (Isaiah 1:21). Your crib (avusecha) - It is the place where the animals are fed; as in "and the donkey [knows] its owner's crib (evus be'alav)" (Isaiah 1).
Malbim
'Will the wild-ox be willing' — having spoken of the kind that is, in general, tamable — the donkey and the wild bull — he now speaks of the re'em, which cannot be tamed at all: not only will it not be willing to serve you, it will not even abide by your crib. Even if you give it abundant food to fatten it without labor, it will not want to stay there.
Can you bind the wild-ox with his band in the furrow? Or will he harrow the valleys after you?
verse value 3063
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 32 letters. The shortest word is "in·furrow" (בְּתֶ֣לֶם, 4 letters) and the longest is "can·you·bind·wild-ox" (הֲֽתִקְשׇׁר־רֵ֭ים, 8 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "can·you·bind·wild-ox" (הֲֽתִקְשׇׁר־רֵ֭ים), "in·furrow" (בְּתֶ֣לֶם), "his·band" (עֲבֹת֑וֹ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "after·you" (root אחר, 20x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·band', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: הֲֽתִקְשׇׁר־רֵ֭ים [can·you·bind·wild-ox] (1255) + בְּתֶ֣לֶם [in·furrow] (472) + עֲבֹת֑וֹ [his·band] (478) + אִם־יְשַׂדֵּ֖ד [or·will·he·harrow] (359) + עֲמָקִ֣ים [valleys] (260) + אַחֲרֶֽיךָ [after·you] (239) = 3063.
Rashi
to a furrow with his rope (Or did you tie a wild ox because of the furrow of your ox?) rope Heb. עבתו, a rope with which they tie [oxen] to the furrows of the plow. will he harrow, prepare the field.
Ibn Ezra
'Can you bind the wild-ox in the furrow' — [furrow, as in] “its furrows are watered” (Psalms 65:11); the sense is: can you bind the wild-ox to the furrow with ropes?
Ralbag
'Can you bind the wild-ox with his band in the furrow' — the sense is: can a rope bind the wild-ox to the furrow, to plow the furrows of the field, the way an ox or a donkey or other such animals are bound to the plow? 'Harrow' — from the root 'sadeh' (field); it means plowing, as in 'does he keep opening and harrowing his ground?' (Isaiah 28:24).
Metzudat David
'Can you bind the wild-ox with his band in the furrow' — can you bind the wild-ox to the plow with thick ropes suited to him, so that he will plow the furrows of your field? And will he break up the clods of the valleys after you have sown the ground, so that the seed is covered over with earth?
Metzudat Zion
'In the furrow [with] his band' [בתלם עבתו] — the letter bet does double duty for two [phrases], as though it said 'be-telem, be-avoto' [in the furrow, with his band]; and 'telem' is the row made in plowing, as in 'the furrows [talmei] of the field' (Hosea 12). 'Or will he harrow' [ישדד] — an expression of breaking up clods of earth; so too 'will Jacob harrow it (yesaded)' (Hosea 10).
Malbim
'Can you bind the wild-ox with his band in the furrow' — even if you do not ask it to plow the ground itself, since the ground has already been made into furrows — that is, you yourself have plowed the land — and you merely tie it in the furrow so that it should harrow the valleys after you (for after plowing, the surface of the ground is harrowed, meaning the plowed earth is leveled to make it a proper field, and this is very light work) — still, it will not be willing to harrow the valleys after you either, even though you went ahead of it and did the main work, and it would only need to help you. Even to this it will not consent.
Will you trust him, because his strength is great? Or will you leave your labor to him?
verse value 1343
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "his·strength" (כֹּח֑וֹ, 3 letters) and the longest is "will·you·trust·in·him" (הֲֽתִבְטַח־בּ֭וֹ, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "will·you·trust·in·him" (הֲֽתִבְטַח־בּ֭וֹ), "and·will·you·leave" (וְתַעֲזֹ֖ב), "your·labor" (יְגִיעֶֽךָ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·him" (root אל, 86x in Job); "because·great" (root רב, 23x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'his·strength', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: הֲֽתִבְטַח־בּ֭וֹ [will·you·trust·in·him] (432) + כִּֽי־רַ֣ב [because·great] (232) + כֹּח֑וֹ [his·strength] (34) + וְתַעֲזֹ֖ב [and·will·you·leave] (485) + אֵלָ֣יו [to·him] (47) + יְגִיעֶֽךָ [your·labor] (113) = 1343.
Rashi
Will you rely on him to gather your grain because his strength is great and he can bear great burdens? or will you leave your toil for him to gather into the house?
Ibn Ezra
'Will you trust in him' — [thinking,] “my wealth will be great,” because of his [the ox's] great power. 'Or will you leave your labor to him' — the meaning is: the sowing of the field, which he will plow and harrow by his strength, as an ox does. Some say that “leave” [ta'azov] means “you will place [a burden] on his back,” as in the phrase “you shall surely release it with him” (Exodus 23:5) — but this is very farfetched.
Metzudat David
'Will you trust him' — will you trust him because his strength is great, and leave to him the produce of your labor that is in the field, for him to guard?
Metzudat Zion
'Or will you leave' [ותעזוב] — an expression of entrusting, of leaving something [in another's care]. 'Your labor' [יגיעך] — the produce that comes through toil and labor.
Malbim
‘Will you trust him’ — likewise, you cannot rely on his great strength, that he would bring the grain home from the field on his own, so that you could leave your labor — the produce — to him.
Will you rely on him, that he will bring home your seed, And gather the corn of your threshing-floor?
verse value 1911
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 31 letters. Verse gematria: 1911 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "in·him" (בּ֭וֹ, 2 letters) and the longest is "will·you·rely" (הֲתַאֲמִ֣ין, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "will·you·rely" (הֲתַאֲמִ֣ין), "that·he·will·bring·home" (כִּֽי־יָשִׁ֣יב), "and·your·threshing-floor" (וְֽגׇרְנְךָ֥). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that·he·will·bring·home" (root שוב, 39x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·seed', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 2 words.
Ibn Ezra
'Will you rely on him that he will bring home your seed' — for when he plows and harrows, the crop will come back to you [in yield]. 'And gather the corn of your threshing-floor' — through threshing.
Metzudat David
'Will you rely on him' — will you rely on him, that he will bring home the grown yield of your seed and gather your threshing-floor into the house? This is a figure of speech, meaning: surely he cannot be relied on, for he will eat it all up. It is as if to say: and who is it that provides the food? Is it not I? How then can you say that I do not attend to the lowly?
Metzudat Zion
'And gather' [יאסוף] — [means] he brings it into the house.
Malbim
‘Will you rely on him, that he will bring home your seed’ — for he would surely run off with your seed and the grain of your threshing-floor into the wilds.
The wing of the ostrich beats joyously; But are her pinions and feathers the kindly stork’s?
verse value 1202
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "and·plumage" (וְנֹצָֽה, 4 letters) and the longest is "wing·of·ostrich" (כְּנַף־רְנָנִ֥ים, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "wing·of·ostrich" (כְּנַף־רְנָנִ֥ים), "she·rejoices" (נֶעֱלָ֑סָה), "or·pinion·of" (אִם־אֶ֝בְרָ֗ה). 5 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'she·rejoices', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: כְּנַף־רְנָנִ֥ים [wing·of·ostrich] (500) + נֶעֱלָ֑סָה [she·rejoices] (215) + אִם־אֶ֝בְרָ֗ה [or·pinion·of] (249) + חֲסִידָ֥ה [stork] (87) + וְנֹצָֽה [and·plumage] (151) = 1202.
Rashi
The wing of the renanim rejoices This is the name of a huge bird, called in the language of the Mishnah, Bar Yochni (Bechoroth 57b). the winged Heb. אֶבְרָה. Every bird is called אֶבְרָה because it flies; i.e., either the bird named “stork,” or the bird called nozah. Note her behavior.
Ibn Ezra
'The wing of the ostrich' [renanim] — the name of a bird; perhaps it is called this because of the pleasantness of its call. 'Beats joyously' [ne'elasah] — like “spreads out” [nifrasah]; and similarly, “let us delight ourselves with love” (Proverbs 7:18). And the sense is: did you give the ostrich [renanim] a wing, and give it a pinion [evrah] — that is, the wing? And similarly, “he bore him on his pinions” (Deuteronomy 32:11). And it also alludes to the stork [chasidah], a bird that comes at a set season, for so it is written in the book of Isaiah.
Ralbag
'The wing of the ostrich' — [the word 'renanim'] is the name of a bird; or perhaps it is the wing itself that is called 'renanim,' and he is speaking of the wing of that bird. 'Beats joyously' — [the word 'ne'elasah' means] rejoices and exults. 'Her pinions' — her wing. 'Stork' — the name of a bird. 'And feathers' — meaning, the plumage of that bird.
Metzudat David
'The wing of the ostrich' — renanim is the name of a bird; in the words of our Sages, of blessed memory, it is called the peacock, and it is called renanim ("joyous ones") because it rejoices and sings for joy over the beauty of its wings. And the verse is saying: behold, this joyous bird is joyful at all times — but is she, then, a winged creature like the stork, or comparable to it in her plumage? Do you know their character?
Metzudat Zion
'The wing' [כנף] — [means] the possessor of a wing, a winged creature; so too 'every winged fowl' (Genesis 1:21); the sense is: the winged creature called 'renanim' [the ostrich]. 'Beats joyously' [נעלסה] — an expression of joy and delight, as in 'let us delight ourselves (nit'alesah) with love' (Proverbs 7). 'But are' [אם] — this is like 'or'; and so too the reverse happens, 'or' being used in place of 'if' [אם], as in 'or it is known that the ox was wont to gore' (Exodus 21:36). 'Her pinions' [אברה] — its sense is like 'wing' [כנף], as in 'Oh that I had wings (ever) like a dove' (Psalms 55:7); the meaning is: the winged one called chasidah, or [the winged one called] notzah — these being names of species of birds.
Malbim
‘The wing of the ostrich beats joyously’ — the commentators explain this as referring to the female ostrich, who cannot fly up to the heights the way the stork can. This is the meaning of: does the wing of the ostrich exult, rising aloft on its wing to the heights above? Can the wing of the ostrich be compared to the pinion and plumage of the stork, that it should fly swiftly?
For she leaves her eggs on the earth, And warms them in dust,
verse value 1881
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 24 letters. The shortest word is "on·the·earth" (לָאָ֣רֶץ, 4 letters) and the longest is "for·she·leaves" (כִּי־תַעֲזֹ֣ב, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "for·she·leaves" (כִּי־תַעֲזֹ֣ב), "her·eggs" (בֵּצֶ֑יהָ), "and·in·dust" (וְֽעַל־עָפָ֥ר). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "on·the·earth" (root ארץ, 48x in Job); "and·in·dust" (root עפר, 24x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'her·eggs', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: כִּי־תַעֲזֹ֣ב [for·she·leaves] (509) + לָאָ֣רֶץ [on·the·earth] (321) + בֵּצֶ֑יהָ [her·eggs] (107) + וְֽעַל־עָפָ֥ר [and·in·dust] (456) + תְּחַמֵּֽם [she·warms] (488) = 1881.
Rashi
For she leaves her eggs on the ground and she goes and warms herself on the dust at a distance.
Ibn Ezra
'For she leaves her eggs on the earth' — this is her nature. 'And warms them' [techamem] — from the root “chom” [heat].
Metzudat David
'For she leaves her eggs on the earth' — each of them leaves her eggs on the ground and gives no thought to warming them; rather, as the verse goes on, 'she warms them in dust' — meaning, they warm themselves on their own in the dust of the roads.
Malbim
‘For she leaves’ — Hashem placed it in the nature of the ostrich that she leaves her eggs in the sand and deep in the earth, the opposite of the stork, whose home is among the cypress trees, and who leaves her eggs up high, in a guarded place; whereas the ostrich's eggs lie in the dust of the wilderness.
And forgets that the foot may crush them, Or that the wild beast may trample them.
verse value 3068
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 28 letters. Verse gematria: 3068 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "and·beast·of" (וְחַיַּ֖ת, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·she·forgets" (וַ֭תִּשְׁכַּח, 5 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "and·she·forgets" (וַ֭תִּשְׁכַּח), "that·foot" (כִּי־רֶ֣גֶל), "crushes·them" (תְּזוּרֶ֑הָ). 6 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'crushes·them', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַ֭תִּשְׁכַּח [and·she·forgets] (734) + כִּי־רֶ֣גֶל [that·foot] (263) + תְּזוּרֶ֑הָ [crushes·them] (618) + וְחַיַּ֖ת [and·beast·of] (424) + הַשָּׂדֶ֣ה [the·field] (314) + תְדוּשֶֽׁהָ [tramples·them] (715) = 3068.
Rashi
She forgets that a foot will crack it Heb. תְּזוּרֶהָ [i.e., it will crack] her egg. [תְּזוּרֶהָ means:] will crack it.
Ibn Ezra
'The foot may crush them' [tezureha] — from the root of “vayazer,” “and he scattered” (Exodus 32:20).
Ralbag
'That the foot may crush them' — [the word 'tezureha' means] it treads on it and crushes it; from the same root as 'and he wrung out the fleece' (Judges 6:38).
Metzudat David
'And forgets' — she goes off and leaves them, and forgets that the foot of a passerby may crush them, and that the feet of a wild beast of the field may trample them.
Metzudat Zion
'May crush' [תזורה] — an expression of squeezing so as to force out what is swallowed within; so too 'and that which is crushed (vehazoreh) breaks open like a viper's [egg]' (Isaiah 59:5). 'May trample' [תדושה] — from the language of threshing and crushing.
Malbim
‘And forgets’ — Hashem did not implant in her nature love for her young, since the eggs left in the ground can easily be lost: whether by chance, that a passing foot scatters them, trampled by the feet of passersby; or by intent, when a wild beast of the field that eats eggs ‘threshes’ them — that is, breaks the eggs open to get the food out of the shell, just as threshing extracts the kernel from the chaff.
She is hardened against her young ones, as if they were not hers; Though her labor be in vain, she is without fear;.
verse value 1158
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "her·sons" (בָּנֶ֣יהָ, 4 letters) and the longest is "without·fear" (בְּלִי־פָֽחַד, 6 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "she·hardens" (הִקְשִׁ֣יחַ), "her·sons" (בָּנֶ֣יהָ), "as·if·not·hers" (לְּלֹא־לָ֑הּ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "as·if·not·hers" (root לא, 142x in Job); "her·sons" (root בן, 26x in Job); "without·fear" (root בלי, 22x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'as·if·not·hers', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: הִקְשִׁ֣יחַ [she·hardens] (423) + בָּנֶ֣יהָ [her·sons] (67) + לְּלֹא־לָ֑הּ [as·if·not·hers] (96) + לְרִ֖יק [in·vain] (340) + יְגִיעָ֣הּ [her·labor] (98) + בְּלִי־פָֽחַד [without·fear] (134) = 1158.
Rashi
She is hardened She deals harshly with her young ones, [distancing them] from her heart as though they were not hers. her toil is in vain and she is not afraid to lose them.
Ibn Ezra
'She is hardened against her young ones' — the sense is that she treats her young cruelly, as if they were not hers; and similarly, 'harden our heart from fearing You' (Isaiah 63:17) — and there is no third instance of this [root] anywhere in Scripture. 'Though her labor be in vain, she is without fear' — she has no fear for the eggs, that a foot might scatter her young (cf. Job 39:15).
Ralbag
'She is hardened against her young ones' — she has removed from her nature any concern for her young, and has forgotten them.
Metzudat David
'She is hardened' — she turns cruel and hardens her heart, as though they were not hers, and she has no fear that her labor may be in vain — meaning, she is not troubled over the loss of the eggs that she brought forth in pain and toil.
Metzudat Zion
'Is hardened' [הקשיח] — this is a word compounded from [the roots] 'hard' [קשה] and 'turn away' [סח]; meaning, she hardens her heart and turns it away from awareness [of them] — even though [the second root] here is written with a shin [in place of a samech, the two being interchangeable letters]; so too 'why do You harden (takshiach) our heart from fearing You' (Isaiah 63).
Malbim
‘She is hardened’ — even after the chicks are born, she is hardhearted toward them, as though they were not hers. (The naturalists have already written that alongside the eggs the ostrich hen buries in the ground, she places one egg that spoils on top, in which worms breed, and by this she provides food for the chicks that are born; and beyond this she does not trouble herself with raising her young.) ‘Though her labor be in vain, she is without fear’ — meaning, she has no fear that her labor will come to nothing; she is not anxious or worried that her effort in producing the eggs will be wasted, and therefore she does not guard the eggs and the young the way other birds do.
Because God has deprived her of wisdom, Neither has He imparted to her understanding.
verse value 734
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "to·her" (לָ֝֗הּ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·not·He·imparted" (וְלֹא־חָ֥לַק, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "because·He·deprived·her" (כִּי־הִשָּׁ֣הּ), "and·not·He·imparted" (וְלֹא־חָ֥לַק), "in·the·understanding" (בַּבִּינָֽה). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God" (root אלוה, 41x in Job); "wisdom" (root חכם, 21x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'wisdom', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: כִּי־הִשָּׁ֣הּ [because·He·deprived·her] (340) + אֱל֣וֹהַּ [God] (42) + חׇכְמָ֑ה [wisdom] (73) + וְלֹא־חָ֥לַק [and·not·He·imparted] (175) + לָ֝֗הּ [to·her] (35) + בַּבִּינָֽה [in·the·understanding] (69) = 734.
Ibn Ezra
'Because God has deprived her of wisdom' — in the sense of 'for God has made me forget' (Genesis 41:51). 'Neither' — meaning: He gave her no share of understanding.
Ralbag
'Deprived her' — meaning, He made her forget it, and hid it from her.
Metzudat David
'Because God has deprived her of wisdom' — this is because God made her forget wisdom and gave her no share of understanding, to guard her eggs the way the other birds do.
Metzudat Zion
'Has deprived' [השה] — [means] He made her forget, as in 'yet you, O Israel, shall not be forgotten by Me (lo tinasheni)' (Isaiah 44).
Malbim
‘Because God’ — Hashem did not give them wisdom and understanding, as He gave the other birds, for guarding their eggs and chicks — as it is written, ‘the daughter of my people has become cruel, like ostriches in the wilderness’ (Lamentations 4:3).
When the time comes, she raises her wings on high, And scorns the horse and his rider.
verse value 2657
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "as·the·time" (כָּ֭עֵת, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·to·his·rider" (וּלְרֹכְבֽוֹ, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "as·the·time" (כָּ֭עֵת), "in·the·height" (בַּמָּר֣וֹם), "she·soars" (תַּמְרִ֑יא). 6 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'she·soars', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: כָּ֭עֵת [as·the·time] (490) + בַּמָּר֣וֹם [in·the·height] (288) + תַּמְרִ֑יא [she·soars] (651) + תִּֽשְׂחַ֥ק [she·scorns] (808) + לַ֝סּ֗וּס [to·the·horse] (156) + וּלְרֹכְבֽוֹ [and·to·his·rider] (264) = 2657.
Rashi
Like the time that she goes off on high [When she flies up, she scorns the horse. She is not afraid that he will tread on the eggs and crack them.] Every expression of הַמְרָאָה applies to a man whose heart prompts him to stray from his lifestyle, his upbringing, and his country, to roam in other countries and to try other lifestyles. Similarly (Deut. 21:18), “a stubborn and rebellious (וּמרֶה) son”; and in the language of the Talmud it is אִמְרָאִי: “Rav Zevid’s daughter-in-law rebelled (אִמְרָאִי) and went away” (Kethuboth 63b, Venice edition) (cf. Rashi to Hullin 58b, Baba Mezia 77a).
Ibn Ezra
'She raises her wings on high' — that is, she goes up high; this word has no parallel elsewhere [in Scripture]. Some say it is related to 'an ox and a fatling' (2 Samuel 6:13), and that the sense of 'fatling' is 'choice fat,' in the language of the Rabbis. 'Scorns the horse' — I will not elaborate on how great its speed is.
Ralbag
'She raises...on high' — [the word 'tamri'] relates to elevation.
Metzudat David
'When the time comes' — when the time comes that she wants to fly up into the sky, she turns against them and flies off on her way, scorning the horse and its rider — meaning, she is not concerned if a horse and its rider pass over them and trample them. It is as if to say: and who is it that watches over them? Is it not I? How then can you say that I do not attend to the lowly?
Metzudat Zion
'She raises [herself] on high' [תמריא] — from the language of defiance and rebellion. 'And scorns' [תשחק] — [means] she mocks.
Malbim
‘When the time comes, she raises her wings on high’ — meaning, He did not grant her a portion of understanding with respect to this: the birds that are able to fly up to the heights, Hashem gave them wisdom to guard their young, since they can protect them in their lofty nests. Not so the ostrich, who cannot fly up high — instead she takes pride in herself and ‘scorns the horse and his rider.’ Therefore Hashem, in His providence, arranged that she not be given this instinct of guarding her young; and this too is part of His providence, for Hashem also placed it in her nature to lay about thirty eggs, so that even when some of them are lost, enough remain to keep her line alive upon the face of the earth — since Hashem did not want this species to multiply so greatly. The stork, however, Hashem wants to multiply; and since it too does not lay many eggs, it requires extra guarding.
Have you given the horse his strength? Have you clothed his neck with fierceness?
verse value 2592
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 28 letters. Verse gematria: 2592 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "have·you·given" (הֲתִתֵּ֣ן, 4 letters) and the longest is "have·you·clothed" (הֲתַלְבִּ֖ישׁ, 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "have·you·given" (הֲתִתֵּ֣ן), "strength" (גְּבוּרָ֑ה), "have·you·clothed" (הֲתַלְבִּ֖ישׁ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "have·you·given" (root נתן, 33x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'strength', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: הֲתִתֵּ֣ן [have·you·given] (855) + לַסּ֣וּס [to·the·horse] (156) + גְּבוּרָ֑ה [strength] (216) + הֲתַלְבִּ֖ישׁ [have·you·clothed] (747) + צַוָּאר֣וֹ [his·neck] (303) + רַעְמָֽה [fierceness] (315) = 2592.
Rashi
fierceness Heb. רעמה, an expression of thunder and fright, like (Ezek. 27:35), “Their faces are as though thunderstruck (רעמו).”
Ibn Ezra
'Fierceness' — in the sense of a distorted, dread-filled look, from 'their faces were convulsed' (Ezekiel 27:35); or it is from the root of 'thunder.'
Ralbag
'Fierceness' — [the word 'ra'mah' refers to] the strength and power of the voice, the loftiness, and the whinnying sound that comes forth from it.
Metzudat David
'Have you given the horse his strength' — have you given the horse strength, so that his heart has more courage than that of any other living creature? 'Have you clothed his neck with fierceness' — have you clothed its neck with a voice as dreadful as thunder?
Malbim
‘Have you given the horse his strength?’ — He shows him yet another example of His wondrous providence: how He created animals for man's use, such as the horse, whose service is very necessary to man — for riding, for bearing burdens, and for labor, and especially for war; and just as all the poets of the ancient nations gave this animal special prominence in their poetry. (Quality 1) the quality of might — hence it says, ‘Have you given the horse his strength?’ (Quality 2) the quality of beauty and pride — hence it says, ‘Have you clothed his neck with fierceness?’
Have you made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is terrible.
verse value 1604
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 24 letters. The shortest word is "glory" (ה֖וֹד, 3 letters) and the longest is "have·you·made·him·leap" (הֲֽ֭תַרְעִישֶׁנּוּ, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "have·you·made·him·leap" (הֲֽ֭תַרְעִישֶׁנּוּ), "as·the·locust" (כָּאַרְבֶּ֑ה), "his·snorting" (נַחְר֣וֹ). 5 unique roots are used. First appearance of the root רעש ("have·you·made·him·leap") in Job. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'as·the·locust', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: הֲֽ֭תַרְעִישֶׁנּוּ [have·you·made·him·leap] (1041) + כָּאַרְבֶּ֑ה [as·the·locust] (228) + ה֖וֹד [glory] (15) + נַחְר֣וֹ [his·snorting] (264) + אֵימָֽה [terror] (56) = 1604.
Rashi
like a locust He skips and leaps like a locust and shakes himself all over. his snorting When he blows with his nostrils, it is with an awesome sound.
Ibn Ezra
'Have you made him to leap as a locust' — that you make a rumble sound out from him as he runs, the way one hears from a locust [swarm]. 'The glory of his snorting' — like 'the snorting of his horses' (Jeremiah 8:16); the sound of a horse's neighing.
Ralbag
'Have you made him to leap as a locust' — have you given him the quaking, trembling motion by which he quakes like a locust? 'The glory of his snorting is terrible' — the intensity of the snort that issues from his nostrils strikes terror into those who hear it.
Metzudat David
'Have you made him to leap as a locust' — is it you who make him leap, bounding and springing about like a locust that hops from place to place? And the majesty of his voice that comes out of his nostrils is a voice of terror.
Metzudat Zion
'Have you made him leap' [התרעישנו] — from the language of quaking motion. 'The glory' [הוד] — [means] majesty and splendor. 'His snorting' [נחרו] — the sound that comes out from his nostrils, which are the openings of the nose; so too 'the snorting (nachrat) of his horses' (Jeremiah 8:16); [and 'terrible' means] dread and fright.
Malbim
‘Have you made him to leap as a locust?’ — this speaks of his swiftness, that he leaps like a locust; and likewise in Joel (2:4) the locust is compared to horses. ‘The glory of his snorting’ — the majesty seen when he snorts, which casts terror upon those who see it.
He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength; He goes out to meet the clash of arms.
verse value 2454
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "in·strength" (בְּכֹ֑חַ, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·meet·weapon" (לִקְרַאת־נָֽשֶׁק, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "they·paw" (יַחְפְּר֣וּ), "in·the·valley" (בָ֭עֵמֶק), "and·he·rejoices" (וְיָשִׂ֣ישׂ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "he·goes·out" (root יצא, 28x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·strength', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 2 words. Full calculation: יַחְפְּר֣וּ [they·paw] (304) + בָ֭עֵמֶק [in·the·valley] (212) + וְיָשִׂ֣ישׂ [and·he·rejoices] (626) + בְּכֹ֑חַ [in·strength] (30) + יֵ֝צֵ֗א [he·goes·out] (101) + לִקְרַאת־נָֽשֶׁק [to·meet·weapon] (1181) = 2454.
Rashi
They spy in the valley Heb. יחפרו, like (Deut. 1:22), “that they may spy out (ויחפרו) the land for us,” for it is the habit of the horsemen to lie in wait in the valleys and in the ravines. and rejoices with strength The horse rejoices and goes forth toward the weapons.
Ibn Ezra
'He paws in the valley' — with his legs, and he exults. 'Rejoices in his strength' — that is, the strength that is in him. 'The clash of arms' — a well-known word.
Ralbag
'He paws in the valley' — his legs paw at the ground in the valley, as is the way of horses. 'Arms' — weapons of war.
Metzudat David
'He paws in the valley' — because of his great swiftness, horsemen use him to scout in the valley, a place suited for an ambush; and because of the great strength he has when he goes out to meet armed men, he trusts in his own strength to stand against weapons — and this last is said as a figure of speech.
Metzudat Zion
'He paws' [יחפרו] — [means] he scouts about and searches, as in 'to search out (lachpor) the land' (Joshua 2:2). 'Arms' [נשק] — weapons of war, as in 'they shall kindle fires with the weapons (baneshek)' (Ezekiel 39).
Malbim
‘He paws’ — it is the way of horses to strike the ground with their hooves so forcefully that they dig out a kind of pit in the valley, as though exulting in his strength, striking with his feet out of joy. Now He turns to consider the horse's usefulness in war, at the time he goes out to meet the clash of arms — then…
He mocks at fear, and is not affrighted; Neither does he turn back from the sword.
verse value 1740
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "and·not" (וְלֹ֣א, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·not·he·turns·back" (וְלֹא־יָ֝שׁ֗וּב, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 418: he·mocks, he·is·affrighted. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "to·fear" (לְ֭פַחַד), "he·is·affrighted" (יֵחָ֑ת), "and·not·he·turns·back" (וְלֹא־יָ֝שׁ֗וּב). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not" (root לא, 142x in Job); "from·face·of·sword" (root פנים, 68x in Job); "and·not·he·turns·back" (root שוב, 39x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'he·is·affrighted', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 2 words. Full calculation: יִשְׂחַ֣ק [he·mocks] (418) + לְ֭פַחַד [to·fear] (122) + וְלֹ֣א [and·not] (37) + יֵחָ֑ת [he·is·affrighted] (418) + וְלֹא־יָ֝שׁ֗וּב [and·not·he·turns·back] (355) + מִפְּנֵי־חָֽרֶב [from·face·of·sword] (390) = 1740.
Rashi
and is not dismayed He will not be frightened.
Ibn Ezra
'He mocks at fear' — at a thing that a person would [ordinarily] fear. 'Is not affrighted' — like 'do not be terrified or dismayed' (Joshua 1:9). 'Neither does he turn back' — that is, retreat, before the sword.
Metzudat David
'He mocks at fear' — he scoffs at anything that would frighten him, and does not tremble at anything, and does not turn back in fear of the sword.
Metzudat Zion
'Is affrighted' [יחת] — [means] he is afraid, as in 'be not afraid (al techat)' (Jeremiah 1).
Malbim
‘He mocks at fear, and is not affrighted’ — he does not fear, and also does not retreat from the sword, unlike other animals, who are afraid of the flash of a sharpened sword.
The quiver rattles upon him, The glittering spear and the javelin.
verse value 1758
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "flame·of" (לַ֖הַב, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·javelin" (וְכִידֽוֹן, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "it·rattles" (תִּרְנֶ֣ה), "quiver" (אַשְׁפָּ֑ה), "flame·of" (לַ֖הַב). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·him" (root על, 90x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'quiver', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: עָ֭לָיו [upon·him] (116) + תִּרְנֶ֣ה [it·rattles] (655) + אַשְׁפָּ֑ה [quiver] (386) + לַ֖הַב [flame·of] (37) + חֲנִ֣ית [spear] (468) + וְכִידֽוֹן [and·javelin] (96) = 1758.
Rashi
The quiver...rattles [i.e., the quiver that is] full of arrows, and they knock against each other so that their sound is heard. the blade of the spear An iron utensil (and an iron spear) is called לַהַב, as in (Jud. 3:22), “and the haft also went in after the blade (הלהב).”
Ibn Ezra
'The quiver rattles upon him' — the sound of the arrows going out from the quiver, like 'the cry passed through [the camp]' (1 Kings 22:36). 'The glittering spear and the javelin' — that is, they are polished, as though a blade of light flashed out from them.
Ralbag
'Rattles' — [the word 'tirneh'] means it cries out; from the same root as 'and a cry went throughout the camp' (I Kings 22:36). 'The quiver' — the container in which arrows are placed. 'Spear and javelin' — these are weapons.
Metzudat David
'The quiver rattles upon him' — when the quiver upon him rattles — meaning, when he hastens to run and the arrows in the quiver clatter and sound almost like a ringing cry — and when the blade of the spear and the blade of the javelin are brandished over him.
Metzudat Zion
'The quiver' [אשפה] — this is the name for the case that holds the arrows, as in 'his quiver is like an open grave' (Jeremiah 5). 'The glittering [spear]' [להב] — the iron head of the spear and the javelin are called 'lahav' [blade], because they flash like a flame of fire; so too 'the blade (lahavat) of his spear' (I Samuel 17).
Malbim
‘Upon him’ — when the blade of the spear and the javelin are piled upon him like a mast, it seems in his eyes as though they had merely set a quiver upon him.
He swallows the ground with storm and rage; Neither does he believe that it is the voice of the horn.
verse value 2033
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 32 letters. The shortest word is "in·quaking" (בְּרַ֣עַשׁ, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·not·he·believes" (וְלֹא־יַ֝אֲמִ֗ין, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "in·quaking" (בְּרַ֣עַשׁ), "and·rage" (וְ֭רֹגֶז), "he·swallows·ground" (יְגַמֶּא־אָ֑רֶץ). 6 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'he·swallows·ground', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: בְּרַ֣עַשׁ [in·quaking] (572) + וְ֭רֹגֶז [and·rage] (216) + יְגַמֶּא־אָ֑רֶץ [he·swallows·ground] (345) + וְלֹא־יַ֝אֲמִ֗ין [and·not·he·believes] (148) + כִּי־ק֥וֹל [that·voice·of] (166) + שׁוֹפָֽר [horn] (586) = 2033.
Rashi
he hollows out the ground Heb. יגמא. He makes holes (גומות) with his feet. Another explanation: יְגַמֶא is like (Gen. 24:17), “Let me please swallow (הגמיאיני).” and he does not believe out of the great joy that he longs for battle. that it is the sound of a shofar of battle.
Ibn Ezra
'He swallows the ground' — he strides across the ground; and close to this is 'the thrust of their faces' (Habakkuk 1:9), meaning straight ahead of them. He is so eager to reach the place of battle that he can hardly believe the sound of the horn is real.
Ralbag
'He swallows the ground with storm and rage' — with great commotion and powerful motion, and in fury, he runs until it seems as if he is swallowing up the ground and consuming it, so forceful is his gallop.
Metzudat David
'He swallows the ground with storm and rage' — then, with storm and rage, he covers a great distance so swiftly that it is as though he had drunk and swallowed up the ground so that it were gone — for a swift runner can cover a great distance quickly. 'Neither does he believe that it is the voice of the horn' — meaning, he pays no heed to the sound of the shofar blown in battle, and does not tremble at it.
Metzudat Zion
'And rage' [ורוגז] — an expression of agitation and swiftness of motion. 'He swallows' [יגמא] — an expression of gulping and drinking, as in 'let me sip (hagmi'ini), I pray you' (Genesis 24).
Malbim
‘With storm’ — when the battle begins, he swallows the ground with storm and rage, as though he still cannot believe the sound of the shofar is real, and hurries to run to the place of battle, which is the object of his desire.
As often as he hears the horn he says: ‘Ha, ha! ’ And he smells the battle afar off, The thunder of the captains, and the shouting.
verse value 3119
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 41 letters. The shortest word is "in·sufficiency·of" (בְּדֵ֤י, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·from·afar" (וּֽ֭מֵרָחוֹק, 6 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "horn" (שֹׁפָ֨ר), "aha!" (הֶאָ֗ח), "and·from·afar" (וּֽ֭מֵרָחוֹק). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "he·says" (root אמר, 108x in Job); "he·smells" (root רוח, 29x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'battle', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 3 words. Full calculation: בְּדֵ֤י [in·sufficiency·of] (16) + שֹׁפָ֨ר [horn] (580) + יֹ֘אמַ֤ר [he·says] (251) + הֶאָ֗ח [aha!] (14) + וּֽ֭מֵרָחוֹק [and·from·afar] (360) + יָרִ֣יחַ [he·smells] (228) + מִלְחָמָ֑ה [battle] (123) + רַ֥עַם [thunder·of] (310) + שָׂ֝רִ֗ים [captains] (550) + וּתְרוּעָֽה [and·shouting] (687) = 3119.
Rashi
To many shofaroth Heb. בדי, an expression of (Lev. 25:28), “sufficient (די) to get it back,” to many shofaroth. he says, ‘Hurrah!’ An expression that (the passersby) (the slaves—Berechiah) say when they are happy, much as they say, ‘Woe!’ out of pain.
Ibn Ezra
'As often as he hears the horn he says: ‘Ha, ha!’' — when he hears the shofar he cries out in triumph out of great joy, like 'Aha, aha' (Psalms 35:21); this word is used for joy, when a person's desire comes to him. [The particle] 'as often as' [bedei] is like [the phrase] 'weary themselves for vanity' [bedei riq] (Habakkuk 2:13), and it is close in sense to 'not enough to burn' (Isaiah 40:16). 'He smells the battle afar off' — in its plain sense, for so it truly is. 'The thunder of the captains, and the shouting' — the captains and the war-cry make themselves heard by him from afar.
Ralbag
'Ha, ha!' — an expression of joy.
Metzudat David
'As often as he hears the horn' — and more than that, he even says, "Aha!" and rejoices whenever he hears the shofar sounded again and again. 'And he smells the battle afar off' — it is among his special qualities that he can smell battle from a distance, meaning: from afar he senses the sound of men of war, and the din of the officers of the army, and the noise of the battle-cry, until the soldiers themselves can tell from the horse's movements that the army is coming upon them.
Metzudat Zion
'As often as' [בדי] — [means] in abundance, as in 'with abundant (bedei) fire' (Jeremiah 21). 'Ha, ha!' [האח] — this is an expression of joy, as in 'Aha, our desire!' (Psalms 35). 'He smells' [יריח] — from the language of scent [reiach]; the meaning is, he senses. 'The thunder' [רעם] — like [the word for] tumult [ra'ash].
Malbim
‘As often as [he hears] the horn’ — each time he hears the sound of the shofar without ceasing, he says, ‘Ha, ha!’ and runs joyfully. And with all this, Hashem implanted in his nature a sense for war, so that he can smell it from afar, and recognize the thunderous voice of the captains and the sound of the battle-cry — the signals and signs that the officers give to the troops.
Does the hawk soar by your wisdom, And stretch her wings toward the south?
verse value 2156
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "he·spreads" (יִפְרֹ֖שׂ, 4 letters) and the longest is "is·it·by·your·understanding" (הֲֽ֭מִבִּינָ֣תְךָ, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "is·it·by·your·understanding" (הֲֽ֭מִבִּינָ֣תְךָ), "he·soars·hawk" (יַאֲבֶר־נֵ֑ץ), "he·spreads" (יִפְרֹ֖שׂ). 5 unique roots are used. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'he·soars·hawk', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: הֲֽ֭מִבִּינָ֣תְךָ [is·it·by·your·understanding] (527) + יַאֲבֶר־נֵ֑ץ [he·soars·hawk] (353) + יִפְרֹ֖שׂ [he·spreads] (590) + כְּנָפָ֣ו [his·wings] (156) + לְתֵימָֽן [to·south] (530) = 2156.
Rashi
the hawk grows a wing Heb. יאבר, the hawk grows a wing. That is an angel resembling a hawk, who stays the severity of the south wind by spreading out his wings, lest it destroy the world.
Ibn Ezra
'Does the hawk soar by your wisdom, And stretch her wings toward the south' — she flies toward the south, because she seeks a warm place.
Ralbag
'Soar' — [the word 'ye'ever'] means it flies; and since flight occurs by means of the wing (kanaf), he used the term 'ye'ever,' from 'ever,' another word for wing. 'Hawk' — the name of a bird.
Metzudat David
'Does the hawk soar by your wisdom' — is it by an understanding that comes from you that the hawk flies and spreads its wings toward the south, since it is warm there in the winter season?
Metzudat Zion
'Soar' [יאבר] — from the language of 'evrah' [pinion] and 'kanaf' [wing]; the meaning is, he flies by means of his wings. 'The hawk' [נץ] — the name of a bird.
Malbim
‘Does the hawk soar by your wisdom’ — the hawk and the other migratory birds (and it must be said that there is also a migratory kind within the hawk species) — who placed within them this instinct, that they sense the approach of winter, and know to take wing and spread their pinions to migrate before winter comes, toward the south, to the warm lands, to remain there throughout the days of cold? This is a special providence over these species.
Does the vulture mount up at your command, And make her nest on high?
verse value 1283
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 25 letters. Notable word values: "and·that" (וְ֝כִ֗י) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "vulture" (נָ֑שֶׁר, 3 letters) and the longest is "is·it·at·your·mouth" (אִם־עַל־פִּ֭יךָ, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "is·it·at·your·mouth" (אִם־עַל־פִּ֭יךָ), "he·mounts·up" (יַגְבִּ֣יהַּ), "vulture" (נָ֑שֶׁר). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·that" (root כי, 75x in Job); "is·it·at·your·mouth" (root פה, 31x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'vulture', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: אִם־עַל־פִּ֭יךָ [is·it·at·your·mouth] (251) + יַגְבִּ֣יהַּ [he·mounts·up] (30) + נָ֑שֶׁר [vulture] (550) + וְ֝כִ֗י [and·that] (36) + יָרִ֥ים [he·raises·up] (260) + קִנּֽוֹ [his·nest] (156) = 1283.
Rashi
Or is it by your order that the eagle flies high [This refers to] the Shechinah, as it is said (Deut. 32:11): “As an eagle first stirs up its nest.” He would remove His court so that they should not injure Aaron when he entered the sanctuary on Yom Kippur.
Ibn Ezra
'Does the vulture mount up at your command' — there is no bird that flies higher than it.
Metzudat David
'Does the vulture mount up at your command' — is it by your word that the vulture flies up into the sky higher than all the other birds, and is it by your word that it raises its dwelling above them all?
Metzudat Zion
'Her nest' [קנו] — from the language of 'nest' [ken] and dwelling.
Malbim
‘Does the vulture mount up at your command’ — the vulture flies higher than all other birds, and likewise builds its nest in a very high place, out of love for its young.
She dwells and abides on the rock, Upon the crag of the rock, and the stronghold.
verse value 1847
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "upon" (עַ֥ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·she·lodges" (וְיִתְלֹנָ֑ן, 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "rock" (סֶ֣לַע), "she·dwells" (יִ֭שְׁכֹּן), "and·she·lodges" (וְיִתְלֹנָ֑ן). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon" (root על, 90x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·she·lodges', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: סֶ֣לַע [rock] (160) + יִ֭שְׁכֹּן [she·dwells] (380) + וְיִתְלֹנָ֑ן [and·she·lodges] (546) + עַ֥ל [upon] (100) + שֶׁן־סֶ֝֗לַע [tooth·of·rock] (510) + וּמְצוּדָֽה [and·stronghold] (151) = 1847.
Rashi
He dwells on the rock and lodges Aaron was confident when he placed the censer with the incense on the foundation stone [in the Holy of Holies].
Ibn Ezra
'She dwells and abides on the rock' — such is its nature.
Ralbag
'And the stronghold' — a strong, high crag.
Metzudat David
'She dwells and abides on the rock' — she dwells on a rocky mountain crag, and there she lodges through the cold of night; and even though at such a great height the wind blows hard, it does her no harm. 'Upon the crag of the rock' — she dwells on the sharp points of the rock that jut out like a tooth, and also on the stronghold, which is the jutting ledge of a tall tower; this repeats the same idea in different words.
Metzudat Zion
'The crag of the rock' [שן סלע] — this is the name for the sharp point that juts out from a rock; so too 'the crag (shen) of the rock on the one side' (I Samuel 14:4); the term is borrowed from a protruding tooth (shen) in the mouth. 'And the stronghold' [ומצודה] — [means] a high tower, as in 'strongholds (metzudot) of rocks' (Isaiah 33).
Malbim
‘Rock’ — and there it dwells, upon a rock, in a fortified place that no hand can reach.
From there she spies out the prey; Her eyes behold it afar off.
verse value 1286
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "from·there" (מִשָּׁ֥ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "she·spies·food" (חָֽפַר־אֹ֑כֶל, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "from·there" (מִשָּׁ֥ם), "she·spies·food" (חָֽפַר־אֹ֑כֶל), "they·behold" (יַבִּֽיטוּ). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "her·eyes" (root עין, 46x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'she·spies·food', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: מִשָּׁ֥ם [from·there] (380) + חָֽפַר־אֹ֑כֶל [she·spies·food] (339) + לְ֝מֵרָח֗וֹק [to·from·afar] (384) + עֵינָ֥יו [her·eyes] (146) + יַבִּֽיטוּ [they·behold] (37) = 1286.
Rashi
From there he searches for food He would pray for the needs of the entire year, and after all this honor he saw the death of his two eaglets, Nadab and Abihu, who died so that My name might be sanctified through them, for My fear fell upon those who remained.
Ibn Ezra
'From there she spies out the prey' — she searches, as though digging through the whole earth; this is close in sense to 'one who digs a pit' (Ecclesiastes 10:8). The meaning is that she is in a high place and seeks her food there, in the sense of 'one who digs for treasure' (cf. Job 3:21).
Ralbag
'She spies out the prey' — [the word 'chafar'] means she seeks and searches for the food on which she feeds; from the same root as 'and they scouted the land for us' (Deuteronomy 1:22).
Metzudat David
'From there' — meaning, she chooses to dwell in a high place, for from there she searches to find food, since from there her eyes can look out to a great distance, as is the way of one who stands in a high place.
Metzudat Zion
'She spies out' [חפר] — [means] she scouts and searches.
Malbim
‘From there she spies out the prey’ — through Hashem's providence, He gave her keen eyesight, so that her eyes can see from afar.
Her young ones also suck up blood; And where the slain are, there is she.
verse value 1510
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "there" (שָׁ֣ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "they·suck·up·blood" (יְעַלְעוּ־דָ֑ם, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Job. Unique to this verse in Job (hapax): "and·her·young" (וְאֶפְרֹחָ֥ו), "they·suck·up·blood" (יְעַלְעוּ־דָ֑ם), "and·where" (וּבַאֲשֶׁ֥ר). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "she" (root הוא, 48x in Job); "and·where" (root אשר, 25x in Job). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·suck·up·blood', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְאֶפְרֹחָ֥ו [and·her·young] (301) + יְעַלְעוּ־דָ֑ם [they·suck·up·blood] (230) + וּבַאֲשֶׁ֥ר [and·where] (509) + חֲ֝לָלִ֗ים [slain] (118) + שָׁ֣ם [there] (340) + הֽוּא [she] (12) = 1510.
Rashi
gulp down Heb. יעלעו. Only according to the measure that one is able to swallow of blood or water, but it appears as if one swallows much, in imitation of the sound “al al.” Similarly, in the language of the Sages, concerning the suspected adulteress [who must] drink [the cursing water] (Sotah 20a), “they make her swallow (מערערין) and drink against her will.” [Here too, the sound “ar ar” is alluded to.] Similarly (Isa. 15:5), “a cry of destruction they shall raise (יעוערו),” the prophet using the onomatopoetic word in imitation of the sound produced by the throat. and where there are slain, there he is to eat. Our Sages explain this entire passage as an allegory applying to Aaron, in the Pesikta to Acharei Moth (Pesikta Rabbathi, ch. 48, Meir Ayin edition, ch. 47).
Ibn Ezra
'Her young ones also suck up blood' — like 'and they drank, and gulped' (Obadiah 1:16); the sense is that they swallow the blood of the slain men's limbs that she brings them, with the first letter of the root doubled. Or it may be from the word for 'rib' [alla] in the language of the Sages, in which case the sense is that they break open the ribs of the slain to bring out the blood. The first explanation is grammatically sound; the second, too, holds on its own, since it belongs to the category of 'bone.' And this is a well-known fact: the vulture sees the place of the slain from a very great distance, and races there.
Ralbag
'Suck up' — they swallow. 'The slain' — those who are killed.
Metzudat David
'Her young ones' — and because of this [the eagle's lofty, inaccessible nest], food is always available to her, so that her young ones may swallow blood from what she brings them. 'And where' — and in whatever place she finds the slain, there she goes to eat flesh and drink blood; for she looks out to a great distance, and nothing is hidden or concealed from her sight. It is as though He were saying: behold, all this is under My providence — how then can you judge that I do not attend to the lowly? (What emerges from this entire response is that God rebukes him, as if to say: how did your heart dare draw near to murmur against Me? Do you understand all My works? He goes on to recount wonders that cannot be thought to come about through the workings of the constellations, but rather come about through providence. And since this is so, one cannot deny the resurrection of the dead, even though it runs contrary to nature — and thus his complaint concerning reward and punishment falls away, for then each person will receive according to his deeds. He continues to recount His awesome works, saying to him: why then do you not fear to murmur against Me? And He answers him further that he judged unjustly in saying that I do not attend to the lowly — for it is not so; I attend to everything, even to living creatures. And He goes on to describe the manner of His providence over them.)
Metzudat Zion
'Her young ones' [אפרוחיו] — this is the name given to birds in their infancy, as in 'young birds (efrochim) or eggs' (Deuteronomy 22:6). 'Suck up' [יעלעו] — [means] they swallow, as in 'and put a knife to your throat' (Proverbs 23:2).
Malbim
‘Her young ones also’ — prey is always ready before it, and its young suck up blood, and it is always found where there are slain bodies, from which to dig out food. Through this He showed him His providence over every species — in its sustenance, in its conception and birth, in the place of its dwelling, in the bird's egg-laying, in its migration during the winter, and in its flight to the heights of the sky. How much more, then, must there be individual providence over man, who is the loftiest of all creatures, crowned with the crown of intellect, and created in the image of God.
Rashi
Ralbag
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim