Arthur Walker-Jones, «The So-called Ostrich in the God Speeches of the Book of Job (Job 39,13-18)», Vol. 86 (2005) 494-510
The so-called ostrich passage (39,13-18) has been much discussed by scholars
both because of the difficulties it presents and the importance of its position in the
book of Job. Discussions have focused on why an ostrich appears, rather than
whether the Mynnr is, in fact, an ostrich. Quite a number of Hebrew words and
expressions have to be emended or explained to make them fit an ostrich.
Moreover, H.-P. Müller has shown that Mynnr is not the name for ostrich in Hebrew
or any Semitic languages, is not translated "ostrich" in early Greek versions, the
Peshitta, or Targums, and the translation "ostrich" probably came from a false
identification in early Christian reflection on nature. This article uses contemporary
ornithological literature and the information the passage provides on the
nest, habitat, behaviours, and calls of the Mynnr to identify a more likely type of
bird. The identification of the Mynnr as a sand grouse helps resolve a number of
problems in the text and clarify the literary connections of the passage to the rest
of the animal discourse, God speeches, and book of Job.
The So-called Ostrich in the God Speeches 509
number of other ways, however, an oblique response to Job. The book
began with Job losing his oxen, donkeys, sheep, camels, house, and
children (Job 1,13-22). In the epilogue, all Job’s brothers and sisters
come to eat with him in his house (42,11). He again has seven sons and
three daughters (42,13), and lives long enough to see his children and
“children’s children†(42,16). The emphasis on home, food, and
offspring in the animal discourse form a literary connection with the
prologue of the book of Job. God responds to the loss of Job’s children
with questions about God’s care for the children of many animals that
are wild and fearsome to humans.
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In conclusion, correctly identifying the µynnr as a sand grouse
clarifies the meaning of the Hebrew of the passage and its wider
literary connections. Sand grouse have distinctive, musical calls that
explain a name with an intensive plural ending whose root in the
context refers to a cry of joy. These musical calls combined with
strong, acrobatic flight also explain the expression “the wing of the
µynnr rejoices†(v. 13a). Sand grouse lay their eggs directly on arid,
dusty ground (v. 14). When a predator approaches, they forget their
own safety and risk being stepped on (v. 15) in order to draw the
predator away from the nest. If this fails, the chicks are “hardyâ€
enough to look after themselves “without her†(v. 16). The sudden,
noisy flight of adult sand grouse who have relied on their camouflage
until the last moment, could startle a horse. Moreover, some of their
alarm calls sound like laughter so that, when the sand grouse “soars on
high†it might seem to be “laughing at the horse†(v. 18).
Clearing away Western folk tales helps clarify the literary
relationship of the pericope to the rest of the animal discourse, the God
speeches, and the book of Job. The sand grouse pericope shares with
them an emphasis on home and young. The book of Job begins with
Job losing his children and ends with the restoration of community
and, although it could never replace the first one, a new family. God
responds to Job’s questions about the justice of the world with an
enigmatic portrayal of the sand grouse whose musical calls and strong
flight seem joyous, but who appears unkind and unwise as a parent.
Yet she risks her life to draw away predators and her young are hardy
and independent enough to survive on their own. Although they lack
the fearsome power of a horse, sand grouse may startle a horse. Their