John Gill Commentary Job 38:41

John Gill Commentary

Job 38:41

1697–1771
Reformed Baptist
John Gill
John Gill

John Gill Commentary

Job 38:41

1697–1771
Reformed Baptist
SCRIPTURE

"Who provideth for the raven his prey, When his young ones cry unto God, [And] wander for lack of food?" — Job 38:41 (ASV)

Who provides for the raven his food ?
&c.] Not man, but God; he feeds the ravens, creatures very voracious, mean, and useless, (Luke 12:24) ;

when his young ones cry unto God ;
cry for want of food; which is interpreted by the Lord as a cry unto him, and he relieves them, (Psalms 147:9) ;

when deserted by the old ones; either left in their nests through forgetfulness, as some F26 ; or because they are not, till fledged, black like them, as others F1 ; when God feeds them, as some say F2 , with a kind of dew from heaven, or with flies that fly about them, and fall into their mouths; or with worms bred out of their dung but these things are not to be depended on;

it may rather respect them when cast out of the nest by the old ones, when able to fly, which is testified by naturalists F3 ; and with this agrees what follows:

they wander for lack of meat ;
being obliged to shift for themselves, when God takes care of them; which is an instance of his providential goodness; and how this is to be improved, see (Matthew 6:26) (Luke 12:24) .


FOOTNOTES:

  • F26: Plin. apud Servium in Virgil. Georgic. l. 1. p. 189.
  • F1: Pirke Eliezer, c. 21.
  • F2: Hieron. in Pasl. cxlvii. 9.
  • F3: Aristot. Hist. Animal. l. 9. c. 3. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 10. c. 12.