Job 39:30
Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain are, there is she.
Original Language Analysis
דָ֑ם
blood
H1818
דָ֑ם
blood
Strong's:
H1818
Word #:
3 of 7
blood (as that which when shed causes death) of man or an animal; by analogy, the juice of the grape; figuratively (especially in the plural) bloodshe
וּבַאֲשֶׁ֥ר
H834
וּבַאֲשֶׁ֥ר
Strong's:
H834
Word #:
4 of 7
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc
חֲ֝לָלִ֗ים
and where the slain
H2491
חֲ֝לָלִ֗ים
and where the slain
Strong's:
H2491
Word #:
5 of 7
pierced (especially to death); figuratively, polluted
שָׁ֣ם
H8033
Historical Context
Eagles were observed following armies and gathering at battlefields to feed on the slain, making them associated with both war and death. This natural behavior became proverbial for divine judgment's inevitability—where there is spiritual death, divine judgment will certainly find it, just as eagles find carrion.
Questions for Reflection
- How does Jesus's use of this eagle imagery inform your understanding of the certainty and swiftness of divine judgment?
- What does this verse teach about the harsh realities of both natural and spiritual life under God's governance?
- In what ways should the eagle's instinct to find the slain warn you about spiritual death and its consequences?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
God concludes the eagle section with a stark image of predatory success. 'Her young ones also suck up blood' (aph-ephroach ya'au dam, אַף־אֶפְרֹחַיו יְעַעוּ־דָם) describes eaglets consuming bloody prey brought by parents—a vivid picture of nature's harsh realities. 'Where the slain are, there is she' (ba-asher chalalim, בַּאֲשֶׁר חֲלָלִים) points to eagles gathering at battlefields and places of death. This verse, quoted by Jesus in Matthew 24:28 and Luke 17:37 regarding judgment, carries eschatological significance. The eagle's instinctive movement toward death becomes a metaphor for divine judgment's certainty and swiftness. What appears merely natural—eagles feeding on carrion—actually testifies to God's design and foreshadows His final judgment where spiritual eagles gather for the great supper of God (Revelation 19:17-18). The verse's gruesomeness reminds us that God's creation includes both beauty and terror, both providence and judgment.