Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version when they crouch in their dens or lie in wait in a thicket? New Living Translation as they lie in their dens or crouch in the thicket? English Standard Version when they crouch in their dens or lie in wait in their thicket? Berean Standard Bible when they crouch in their dens and lie in wait in the thicket? King James Bible When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait? New King James Version When they crouch in their dens, Or lurk in their lairs to lie in wait? New American Standard Bible When they crouch in their hiding places, And lie in wait in their lair? NASB 1995 When they crouch in their dens And lie in wait in their lair? NASB 1977 When they crouch in their dens, And lie in wait in their lair? Legacy Standard Bible When they crouch in their dens And lie in wait in their lair? Amplified Bible When they crouch in their dens And lie in wait in their lair? Christian Standard Bible when they crouch in their dens and lie in wait within their lairs? Holman Christian Standard Bible when they crouch in their dens and lie in wait within their lairs? American Standard Version When they couch in their dens, And abide in the covert to lie in wait? Contemporary English Version Do you send an animal into their den? English Revised Version When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait? GOD'S WORD® Translation as they crouch in their dens and lie ready to ambush from their lairs? Good News Translation when they hide in their caves, or lie in wait in their dens? International Standard Version when they crouch in their dens and lie in ambush in their lairs? NET Bible when they crouch in their dens, when they wait in ambush in the thicket? New Heart English Bible when they crouch in their dens, and lie in wait in the thicket? Webster's Bible Translation When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait? Majority Text Translations Majority Standard Biblewhen they crouch in their dens and lie in wait in the thicket? World English Bible when they crouch in their dens, and lie in wait in the thicket? Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionWhen they bow down in dens—Abide in a thicket for a covert? Young's Literal Translation When they bow down in dens -- Abide in a thicket for a covert? Smith's Literal Translation For they will sink down in the dwellings; they will dwell in the thicket to lie in wait. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleWhen they couch in the dens and lie in wait in holes? Catholic Public Domain Version as they rest in their dens or lie in wait in pits? New American Bible While they crouch in their dens, or lie in ambush in the thicket? New Revised Standard Version when they crouch in their dens, or lie in wait in their covert? Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleWho has multiplied the beasts in the field? Or who has provided food for the raven? Peshitta Holy Bible Translated Who multiplies animals in the wilderness OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917When they couch in their dens, And abide in the covert to lie in wait? Brenton Septuagint Translation For they fear in their lairs, and lying in wait couch in the woods. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context God Challenges Job…39Can you hunt the prey for a lioness or satisfy the hunger of young lions 40when they crouch in their dens and lie in wait in the thicket? 41Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God as they wander about for lack of food?… Cross References Psalm 104:21 The young lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God. Psalm 34:10 Young lions go lacking and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. Psalm 147:9 He provides food for the animals, and for the young ravens when they call. Matthew 6:26 Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Luke 12:24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storehouse or barn; yet God feeds them. How much more valuable you are than the birds! Psalm 145:15-16 The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in season. / You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. Psalm 104:27-28 All creatures look to You to give them their food in due season. / When You give it to them, they gather it up; when You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good things. Psalm 50:10-11 for every beast of the forest is Mine—the cattle on a thousand hills. / I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are Mine. Isaiah 31:4 For this is what the LORD has said to me: “Like a lion roaring or a young lion over its prey—and though a band of shepherds is called out against it, it is not terrified by their shouting or subdued by their clamor—so the LORD of Hosts will come down to do battle on Mount Zion and its heights. Hosea 13:7-8 So like a lion I will pounce on them; like a leopard I will lurk by the path. / Like a bear robbed of her cubs I will attack them, and I will tear open their chests. There I will devour them like a lion, like a wild beast tearing them apart. 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Amos 3:4 Does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey? Does a young lion growl in his den if he has caught nothing? Genesis 1:30 And to every beast of the earth and every bird of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth—everything that has the breath of life in it—I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. Psalm 22:13 They open their jaws against me like lions that roar and maul. Psalm 17:12 like a lion greedy for prey, like a young lion lurking in ambush. Treasury of Scripture When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait? Genesis 49:9 Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? Numbers 23:24 Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain. Numbers 24:9 He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee. Jump to Previous Abide Bow Brushwood Couch Covert Crouch Dens Holes Lie Stretched Thicket Wait WaitingJump to Next Abide Bow Brushwood Couch Covert Crouch Dens Holes Lie Stretched Thicket Wait WaitingJob 38 1. God challenges Job to answer4. God, by his mighty works, convinces Job of ignorance 31. and weakness when they crouch in their dens This phrase refers to the behavior of lions, which are often used in Scripture to symbolize strength and ferocity. In the context of Job, God is speaking to Job out of the whirlwind, highlighting His creation's complexity and the natural instincts He has instilled in animals. The imagery of lions crouching in their dens suggests a sense of readiness and anticipation, reflecting God's provision for all creatures. This can be connected to Psalm 104:21, where the lions seek their food from God, emphasizing divine providence. and lie in wait in the thicket? Persons / Places / Events 1. GodThe speaker in this passage, addressing Job out of the whirlwind, demonstrating His sovereignty and wisdom over creation. 2. Job The recipient of God's discourse, a man who has suffered greatly and questioned the justice and reasons behind his suffering. 3. Lions The animals referenced in this verse, symbolizing God's provision and the natural order He has established. 4. Dens The places where lions crouch, representing the natural habitats and instincts given by God to His creatures. 5. Thicket The area where lions lie in wait, illustrating the hidden and mysterious aspects of God's creation. Teaching Points God's Sovereignty in CreationThis verse reminds us of God's ultimate control and wisdom in the natural world. He has designed every creature with purpose and provides for their needs. Trust in God's Provision Just as God provides for the lions, He will provide for us. We are encouraged to trust in His care and provision, even when we do not understand His ways. The Mystery of God's Ways The imagery of lions in their dens and thickets points to the hidden and often mysterious ways of God. We are called to have faith in His unseen plans. Humility Before God Job's encounter with God teaches us humility. We may not always comprehend God's actions, but we can rest in His wisdom and goodness. Reflection on Our Place in Creation Recognizing our role in God's creation can lead us to a deeper appreciation of His majesty and a commitment to stewarding the earth responsibly. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Job 38:40?2. How does Job 38:40 illustrate God's sovereignty over creation and nature's instincts? 3. What does Job 38:40 reveal about God's provision for His creatures? 4. How can understanding Job 38:40 deepen our trust in God's care for us? 5. Compare Job 38:40 with Matthew 6:26 on God's provision for His creation. 6. How can we apply the lesson of God's provision in Job 38:40 today? 7. How does Job 38:40 challenge our understanding of God's control over nature? 8. What does Job 38:40 reveal about God's provision for creation? 9. How does Job 38:40 fit into the broader context of God's response to Job? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Job 38? 11. What does being rescued from mud and mire mean? 12. Does Job 38:22's reference to 'storehouses of snow' suggest a misunderstanding of meteorology? 13. Job 40:8: Why would an all-knowing God demand Job to 'discredit' His justice, and is this consistent with the broader biblical portrayal of divine fairness? 14. Job 40:17: If 'Behemoth' truly has a tail like a cedar, why do some translations or commentators equate it with a hippopotamus or elephant, which clearly have short tails? What Does Job 38:40 Mean Setting the context• In Job 38, the Lord speaks out of the whirlwind, challenging Job’s limited understanding of creation (Job 38:1–3). • Verses 39–41 focus on lions and ravens, two creatures that depend entirely on God’s provision (cf. Psalm 104:21; Luke 12:24). • The question in verse 40—“when they crouch in their dens and lie in wait in the thicket?”—highlights details of lion behavior that only their Creator fully comprehends. Reading the verse “Can you hunt the prey for a lioness or satisfy the hunger of young lions, when they crouch in their dens and lie in wait in the thicket?” (Job 38:39–40) Crouch in their dens • Lions retreat to rocky caves or thick brush for protection and rest (Psalm 10:9 pictures this same posture). • God reminds Job that He alone provides food even while the lions appear inactive. • The image underscores divine care for every life-stage of creation, echoing Genesis 1:24–25 where God declares wild animals “good” and under His sustaining hand. Lie in wait in the thicket • Lions ambush prey from concealed cover (Proverbs 30:30). • Their stealth is not random; it functions within God-designed instincts that ensure ecological balance (Psalm 104:24–25). • Job, a righteous man yet finite, cannot direct or predict these hidden moments—only the Lord can (Isaiah 40:26). God’s point to Job • If Job cannot manage the daily feeding of lions, he certainly cannot fathom the mysteries of his own suffering. • God’s rhetorical questions magnify His sovereignty (Job 38:12, 33) and humble human pride (Job 40:4–5). • Trust in the Creator, not comprehension of every circumstance, is the rightful response (Proverbs 3:5–6). Lessons for believers today • Acknowledge God’s intimate governance over all creation, from galaxies to hidden dens (Matthew 10:29–31). • Rest when circumstances seem “in the thicket”; unseen by us, God is actively providing (Romans 8:28). • Worship grows as we see lions’ instincts as living sermons of divine wisdom (Revelation 4:11). summary Job 38:40 paints a vivid scene of lions crouching in dens and lurking in thickets to reveal God’s unmatched authority and care. While fierce predators wait unseen, the Lord orchestrates their provision—an everyday miracle Job could never replicate or oversee. The verse calls every reader to humility, renewed trust, and worship of the Creator who governs even the hidden corners of His world. Verse 40. - When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait (comp. Psalm 10:9, 10; Psalm 17:12).Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew whenכִּי־ (kî-) Conjunction Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction they crouch יָשֹׁ֥חוּ (yā·šō·ḥū) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 7817: To bow, be bowed down, crouch in their dens בַמְּעוֹנ֑וֹת (ḇam·mə·‘ō·w·nō·wṯ) Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine plural Strong's 4585: An abode, of God, men, animals, a retreat and lie יֵשְׁב֖וּ (yê·šə·ḇū) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry in לְמוֹ־ (lə·mōw-) Preposition Strong's 3926: To or foreign wait אָֽרֶב׃ (’ā·reḇ) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 695: A lying in wait, a covert, lair in the thicket? בַסֻּכָּ֣ה (ḇas·suk·kāh) Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular Strong's 5521: A thicket, booth Links Job 38:40 NIVJob 38:40 NLT Job 38:40 ESV Job 38:40 NASB Job 38:40 KJV Job 38:40 BibleApps.com Job 38:40 Biblia Paralela Job 38:40 Chinese Bible Job 38:40 French Bible Job 38:40 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Job 38:40 When they crouch in their dens (Jb) |
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