Job 39:13

Peacocks. The Hebrew of this verse is difficult to translate. It is generally thought that the ostrich is referred to rather than the peacock. The ostrich was common in Job’s country.

From the alternative reading given in the margin of the second clause, “the feathers of the stork and ostrich,” some have concluded that God is contrasting the stork and the ostrich, as He contrasted the tame and wild ass and the tame and wild ox. The stork is a bird that can fly easily and gracefully. The ostrich has large wings that flap while the bird runs, but these wings will scarcely lift the heavy creature off the ground. There is also a marked difference in the habits of the two birds. The stork is kind to its young, but the ostrich seems to have little regard for its young. This characteristic is developed in subsequent verses of the chapter. The idea seems to be that God, in His providence, endowed the various creatures with differing characteristics. These variations cannot be explained or controlled by man.

Other attempts to translate the extremely obscure second line are, “but are they the pinions and plumage of love?” (RSV), and “but are her pinions and feathers kindly?” (RV).