King James Version

Job 39:9

Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?

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Hebrew

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הֲיֹ֣אבֶהhayovehbe willingאָבָהparticle, interrogative, verb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “be willing”, an unfinished actionH14to breathe after, i.e. (figuratively) to be acquiescentconsent, rest content will, be willing.רֵּ֣יםreymunicornרְאֵםnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “unicorn”, the ordinary formH7214a wild bull (from its conspicuousness)unicorn.עָבְדֶ֑ךָavedekhakeep in bondageעָבַדverb, qal, infinitive construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “keep in bondage”, the to-form of the verbH5647to work (in any sense); by implication, to serve, till, (causatively) enslave, etc.[idiom] be, keep in bondage, be bondmen, bond-service, compel, do, dress, ear, execute, [phrase] husbandman, keep, labour(-ing man, bring to pass, (cause to, make to) serve(-ing, self), (be, become) servant(-s), do (use) service, till(-er)…אִםimoh thatאִםconjunction — “oh that”H518used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), [phrase] but, either, [phrase] except, [phrase] more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, [phrase] save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, [phrase] surely (no more, none, not), t…יָ֝לִ֗יןyalinbe leftלוּןverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “be left”, an unfinished actionH3885to stop (usually over night); by implication, to stay permanently; hence (in a bad sense) to be obstinate (especially in words, to complain)abide (all night), continue, dwell, endure, grudge, be left, lie all night, (cause to) lodge (all night, in, -ing, this night), (make to) murmur, remain, tarry (all night, that night).עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…אֲבוּסֶֽךָavusekhacribאֵבוּסnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “crib”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH18a manger or stallcrib.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Will the wild-ox be willing to serve thee? Or will he abide by thy crib?

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

Will the wild-ox be content to serve thee? Or will he abide by thy crib?

Young’s Literal Translation

Is a Reem willing to serve thee? Doth he lodge by thy crib?

World English Bible

“Will the wild ox be content to serve you? Or will he stay by your feeding trough?

Darby Translation

Will the buffalo be willing to serve thee, or will he lodge by thy crib?

Douay-Rheims

Shall the rhinoceros be willing to serve thee, or will he stay at thy crib?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Will the wild-ox be willing to serve thee? Or will he abide by thy crib?

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or to lie down at thy manger?

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Βουλήσεται δέ σοι μονόκερως δουλεῦσαι, ἢ κοιμηθῆναι ἐπὶ φάτνης σου;