Lexical Summary abar: Mighty, strong, powerful Original Word: אָבַר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance fly A primitive root; to soar -- fly. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition to fly NASB Translation soars (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [אָבַר verb denominative Hiph`il fly (= move pinions); of hawk יַאֲבֶרנֵֿץ Job 39:29. Topical Lexicon Range of Meaning and Imagery אָבַר conveys the idea of darting or soaring through the air with speed and freedom. Its single appearance pictures an intentional, purposeful flight—an image that evokes marvel at the instinctive skill implanted by the Creator. Biblical Context Job 39:26 sets the word inside a sweeping survey of the animal kingdom. “Does the hawk take flight by your understanding and spread his wings toward the south?”. The question confronts Job—and every reader—with the gulf between human wisdom and divine omniscience. The migratory “southward” course is not random; it is ordered by God, who alone comprehends and directs the mysteries of instinct, season, and wind current. Theological Significance 1. God’s Sovereignty in Nature Job’s inability to account for the hawk’s flight showcases the Lord’s absolute governance over living creatures. As the stanza unfolds (Job 38–39), each rhetorical question turns Job’s gaze from personal suffering to the majesty of providence. אָבַר thus becomes a microcosm of Genesis 1:29–31, where every creature moves according to the purpose embedded at creation. 2. Human Limitation and Humility Job’s profound silence (Job 40:4–5) is the intended fruit of this inquiry. Preachers and teachers often employ the verse to cultivate reverence: if a single hawk’s trajectory is beyond human counsel, how much more the larger patterns of redemptive history? 3. Trust in Divine Order The hawk’s sure migration illustrates the reliability of creation’s rhythms. In ministry settings, Job 39:26 can reassure believers that the same God who guides the hawk also orders the steps of His people (Proverbs 16:9) and ensures that nothing in life is arbitrary (Romans 8:28). Historical and Cultural Notes Ancient observers in the Near East watched hawks and kites rise on thermal currents, then vanish toward warmer climates as autumn approached. Their predictable departure and return provided a living calendar for sowing and harvest (cf. Jeremiah 8:7). The author of Job draws on this shared knowledge to underscore that what appears ordinary is charged with divine wisdom. Ministry Applications • Worship: Songs and prayers that celebrate creation (Psalm 104) can incorporate Job 39:26 to highlight God’s wisdom. Summary Though אָבַר surfaces only once, its lone flight carries rich freight. It beckons the reader to look upward—past the bird itself—to the One whose understanding fashions every wing beat, every season, and every storyline of redemption. Forms and Transliterations יַֽאֲבֶר־ יאבר־ ya’ăḇer- ya·’ă·ḇer- yaaverLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 39:26 HEB: הֲֽ֭מִבִּינָ֣תְךָ יַֽאֲבֶר־ נֵ֑ץ יִפְרֹ֖שׂ NAS: that the hawk soars, Stretching KJV: Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, INT: your understanding soars the hawk Stretching 1 Occurrence |
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