He mocks at fear, and is not dismayed, neither does he turn back from the sword.
Parallel translations
- KJV He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword.
- BSB He laughs at fear, frightened of nothing; he does not turn back from the sword.
- NKJV He mocks at fear, and is not frightened; Nor does he turn back from the sword.
- NASB “He laughs at fear and is not dismayed; And he does not turn back from the sword.
- NLT It laughs at fear and is unafraid. It does not run from the sword.
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 mocks fear and will not flee the sword, showing fearless courage in battle. Such boldness is a gift of its Maker, not of man.
Overview
Undaunted by terror and unflinching before the sword, the war-horse embodies fearless strength. God presents this courage as part of the creature's design, something Job could never instill. The passage continues the relentless display of God's creative power, leading Job to recognize how small his understanding truly is before the wisdom of God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 39:22 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.