Job 39:19-25

     19. The allusion to "the horse" (Job 39:18), suggests the description of him. Arab poets delight in praising the horse; yet it is not mentioned in the possessions of Job (Job 1:3; 42:12). It seems to have been at the time chiefly used for war, rather than "domestic purposes."

      thunder—poetically for, "he with arched neck inspires fear as thunder does." Translate, "majesty" [UMBREIT]. Rather "the trembling, quivering mane," answering to the "vibrating wing" of the ostrich (see on Job 39:13) [MAURER]. "Mane" in Greek also is from a root meaning "fear." English Version is more sublime.

     20. make . . . afraid—rather, "canst thou (as I do) make him spring as the locust?" So in Joe 2:4, the comparison is between locusts and war-horses. The heads of the two are so similar that the Italians call the locusts cavaletta, "little horse."

      nostrils—snorting furiously.

     21. valley—where the battle is joined.

      goeth on—goeth forth (Nu 1:3; 21:23).

     23. quiver—for the arrows, which they contain, and which are directed "against him."

      glittering spear—literally, "glittering of the spear," like "lightning of the spear" (Hab 3:11).

      shield—rather, "lance."

     24. swalloweth—Fretting with impatience, he draws the ground towards him with his hoof, as if he would swallow it. The parallelism shows this to be the sense; not as MAURER, "scours over it."

      neither believeth—for joy. Rather, "he will not stand still, when the note of the trumpet (soundeth)."

     25. saith—poetically applied to his mettlesome neighing, whereby he shows his love of the battle.

      smelleth—snuffeth; discerneth (Isa 11:3, Margin).

      thunder—thundering voice.
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