He paws in the valley and rejoices in his strength; he charges into battle.
Parallel translations
- WEB He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength. He goes out to meet the armed men.
- KJV He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men.
- NKJV He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength; He gallops into the clash of arms.
- NASB “He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength; He goes out to meet the battle.
- NLT It paws the earth and rejoices in its strength when it charges out to battle.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The horse paws the ground eagerly and charges joyfully into the fray. God displays a creature delighting in the very work for which he made it.
Overview
The war-horse rejoices in its strength, pawing the valley floor and rushing to meet armed men without hesitation. This eager courage is part of the animal's God-given nature. The scene underscores that God has equipped each creature perfectly for its calling, a wisdom Job is invited to admire rather than to question.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Jer 8:6I have listened and heard; they do not speak what is right. No one repents of his wickedness, asking, ‘What have I done?’ Everyone has pursued his own course like a horse charging into battle.
- Prov 21:31A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.
- 1 Sam 17:4–10Then a champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out from the Philistine camp. He was six cubits and a span in height,
- Judg 5:22Then the hooves of horses thundered—the mad galloping of his stallions.
- 1 Sam 17:42When the Philistine looked and saw David, he despised him because he was just a boy, ruddy and handsome.
- Ps 19:5Like a bridegroom emerging from his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course,
- Jer 9:23This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the wealthy man in his riches.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Job's cry for a mediator who can lay his hand on both God and man, and his confidence that 'my Redeemer lives' and will stand on the earth, reaches forward to Jesus the living Redeemer.
How Job 39:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.