The Pulpit Commentary — Job — Section 620

III. THE UNIOORN, (Vere. 9-12.) 1. The na'TM of el~ animal ~ e d . The rem, which our tranele.tors have erroneously supposed to be a one-horned bee.et we.s undoubtedly two-horned-I\ wild, fierce, trntame.ble brute, "resembling e.n ox ~ a wild &89 resembles an 1189" (Gesenh1s). Rege.rded by som11 commente.tors IM! the buffe.lo (Sohultena, De Wette, Umbreit, Gesenius), though this animal "only came from India. to W eetern Asia. e.nd Europe e.t a more recent date," and is besides "te.mRble" (Delitzsch), it is more probably to be identified with the Bos primigeni'Utl. 'fristram affirms th&t the ram was the urus of Cresar, the nueroch, of which "the nearest ext&nt representative is the bison, which still lingers in the forests of Lithuania and the Cauce.sus" (Cox). 2. The Btrength of the animal deBcribed. This, with inimitable irony, Jehovah depicts by asking Job if be thought he could m&eter this prodigious brute-first drive him home like a peaceful ox to be shut up and fed within the narrow precincts of a stall, then take him out, e.e a farmer now does his horses, or then did his oxen, and yoke him to his wains or ce.rts, setting him to plough his fields or draw home his harvest-sheaves, IV. THE OBTll.IOH. (Vere. 13-18.) 1. The description of the bird. In this are noted three points: (1) Its we.nt of parental affection. "The wing of the ostrich [feme.le] exulteth," i.e. vibrates briskly; "is she pious, wing and feather? "-the allu- sion being to the pious bird, the stork, which the ostrich resembles in its stilt-like structure, the be&uty of its plume.ge, the quivering of its wings, and the gregarious habit of it!i life, but from which it differs in its lack of maternal affection. Depositing her eggs in the sand, where the foot of any passer-by me.y crush them, or they may fall e. prey to jackals, wild cats, and other animals, although she does not entirely abandon the work of bat-ching them to the sun or her male companion, but also really incubates herself, at least during the night, yet, so easily is she startled from her nest, and so readily induced to forsake it, that she may be truthfully described as" hardened against her young ones, e.e though they were not hers," and as being quite indifferent to the fa.et the.t her labour is without result. In consequence of this peculiarity, the heii ostrich is called· by the Arabs " the wicked bird." (2) Its remarkably defective intelligence.. This is emphasized as the cause of the above-described unnatural behaviour of the bird. "God bath deprived her of wisdom, neither bath he imparted to her understanding~" and yet that the above-described are not the only stupidities of which the creature is guilty may be reasonably inferred from the circumstance that the foolishness of the ostrich is quite proverbial throughout the East, as the Arab proverb indicates, "More stupid than an ostrich." (3) Its power of speedy flight. This also is certified by an Arab proverb, "Swifter than an ostrich," and is here poetically set forth with much beauty. Starting from her nest in alarm, and lifting up herself on high, i.e., as the language probe.bly imports, flapping the air with. her wings, "she scornetb tho horse e.nd his rider," leaving them behind her with perfect ease. 2. The reason of its introduction. Job's attention appears to be directed to the ostrich to suggest the thought the.t here, too, in the world of birds, there are mys- teries and seeming anomalies which be cannot understand. Why should the ostrich be so differently constituted from the stork? Why should it be devoid of intelligence and parental affection, while excelling most birds in speed of foot and beauty of wing? When Job can answer that, b~ will have e. title to challenge God for making enigmas in human life, and dark problems in the moral history of earth. V. THE WAU-HORSE. (Vers. 19-25.) 1. The poetical representation. The oldest description of the war-horse, it is also the most beautiful, the most brilliant, the most impressive that bas in any language been penned. As Carlyle says, "Such a living likeness bas never since been drawn." "It deserves the praise of majestic simplicity, which is the first fee.ture of classic superiority" (Delit.zsch). Ancient authors supply occasional touches which remind one of the language here employed (vide Exposition). In respect of fulness and acouraoy of details, the present sketch stands unrivalled. So intensely viyid is the picturing, that the splendid beast appears to the imagination as a Jiving, breathing reality, e. richly caparisoned steed, a perfect model of physical strength.and beauty, curveting e.nd caracoling in the very exuberance of its animal spirits, pawing the ground in its impatience, snorting through its dilated nostrils, sniffing the battle from Rfe.r, bouuding as with conscious exulte.tion when the trumpet 10undeth, at every blast thereof ma.king known by a joyous neigh. e.s if it cried. "Ha,  THE BOOK OF JOD. [oil. XXXII. 1--ao.