Job 39:7 (KJV)

What does Job 39:7 mean?

Job 39:7 describes the wild donkey as an animal that lives beyond human control. It keeps its distance from the crowded life of a city and pays no attention to the calls of a person who would drive an animal to work.

God is speaking to Job, using the wild donkey as an example from the animal world. The picture contrasts the noise of human settlement with the open country assigned to the animal in the preceding verse.

The Hebrew behind Job 39:7

• “multitude” — הָמוֹן (hamon): This word can mean a crowd or the noise associated with one. Here it brings to mind the bustle of city life, rather than simply a count of people.
• “regardeth” — שָׁמַע (shamaʿ): This word often means “hear,” but it can also carry the sense of listening or paying attention. The verse pictures the donkey as not heeding a driver’s calls.
• “driver” — נָגַשׂ (nagas): This word can refer to someone who presses others to work. In this setting, the driver is a person directing an animal, not someone driving a vehicle.

Why Job 39:7 matters

• The animal’s freedom is part of God’s question to Job: “Who hath sent out the wild ass free?” (verse 5). Verse 7 gives a concrete picture of that freedom in relation to human activity.
• The contrast includes the animal’s search for food. Verse 8 pictures the wild donkey ranging over the mountains for pasture, which helps explain why a driver’s direction has no place in the scene.