Job 6:5
Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder?
Original Language Analysis
עֲלֵי
H5921
עֲלֵי
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
3 of 9
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
אִ֥ם
H518
אִ֥ם
Strong's:
H518
Word #:
5 of 9
used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not
Historical Context
Animal behavior as metaphor for human responses appears throughout ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature. Job's comparison to distressed animals emphasizes the instinctive, involuntary nature of crying out in genuine suffering.
Questions for Reflection
- How do you respond when others characterize your legitimate grief as mere complaining?
- What does Job's animal metaphor teach us about the naturalness and appropriateness of crying out in suffering?
Analysis & Commentary
Job asks rhetorical questions: 'Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder?' Animals only cry out when they lack necessities. Job's point: his complaints aren't groundless grumbling but legitimate response to genuine deprivation. The Hebrew 'na'aq' (bray) and 'ga'ah' (low) are animal cries of distress. Job implies his friends treat him like an animal complaining over nothing when in fact he's been stripped of everything that makes life bearable.