Job 38:40
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?

Majority Standard Bible
when they crouch in their dens and lie in wait in the thicket?

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?

World English Bible
when they crouch in their dens, and lie in wait in the thicket?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
When 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 Bible
When 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 Bible
Who 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 1917
When 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.

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Abide Bow Brushwood Couch Covert Crouch Dens Holes Lie Stretched Thicket Wait Waiting
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Abide Bow Brushwood Couch Covert Crouch Dens Holes Lie Stretched Thicket Wait Waiting
Job 38
1. God challenges Job to answer
4. God, by his mighty works, convinces Job of ignorance
31. and weakness














when they crouch
The phrase "when they crouch" evokes an image of anticipation and readiness. In the Hebrew text, the word used here is "כָּרַע" (kara), which means to bend the knee or to stoop. This posture is often associated with animals preparing to pounce or humans in a position of humility or submission. In the context of Job, God is illustrating His intimate knowledge and control over the natural world, including the instincts and behaviors of animals. This imagery serves to remind Job of God's sovereignty and the intricate design of creation, which operates under His command.

in their dens
The term "in their dens" refers to the natural habitats or shelters where animals reside. The Hebrew word "מְעוֹן" (ma'on) signifies a dwelling place or habitation. Dens are places of safety and rest for animals, highlighting God's provision for His creatures. In the broader scriptural context, dens can symbolize refuge and security, themes that resonate throughout the Bible. This imagery underscores the idea that God not only created the world but also sustains and cares for it, providing for the needs of all living beings.

and lie in wait
The phrase "and lie in wait" suggests a sense of patience and strategic planning. The Hebrew root "אָרַב" (arab) means to ambush or to lurk, often with the intent of capturing prey. This behavior is typical of predators, who must rely on stealth and timing to survive. In the context of God's discourse with Job, this serves as a metaphor for the hidden and often mysterious ways in which God operates. Just as animals lie in wait for the right moment, so too does God work in ways that are not always immediately visible or understandable to humans.

in the thicket
The term "in the thicket" refers to a dense group of bushes or trees, providing cover and concealment. The Hebrew word "סֵתֶר" (seter) implies a secret or hidden place. Thickets offer protection and camouflage for animals, allowing them to remain unseen by both prey and predators. This imagery highlights the complexity and interconnectedness of creation, where every element serves a purpose. In the context of Job, it serves as a reminder of the hidden wisdom and knowledge of God, which surpasses human understanding. The thicket symbolizes the mysteries of life that are known only to God, encouraging believers to trust in His divine plan.

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
when
כִּי־ (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


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OT Poetry: Job 38:40 When they crouch in their dens (Jb)
Job 38:39
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