Job 39:23

23. rattleth against him] Rather perhaps, upon him. The quiver is that of his rider, the clang of which excites him.

the shield] Rather, the javelin, or, lance. The Poet does not seek to describe the actual conflict; it is a picture of the horse that he gives, and the moment before the conflict is that at which the animal’s extraordinary attributes are most strongly exhibited. “Although docile as a lamb, and requiring no other guide than the halter, when the Arab mare hears the war-cry of the tribe (cf. Job_39:25), and sees the quivering spear of her rider (cf. Job_39:23), her eyes glitter with fire, her blood-red nostrils open wide, her neck is nobly arched, and her tail and mane are raised and spread out to the wind (cf. Job_39:19). A Bedouin proverb says, that a high-bred mare when at full speed should hide her rider between her neck and her tail” (Layard, Discoveries, p. 330).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Job 39:23 The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield.

Ver. 23. The quiver rattleth against him] The arrow; those messengers of death come whisking and singing about his ears (so the bullets now in so much use), but he is unappalled by this.

The glittering spear] Heb. The flaming spear, as Gen 3:24, that is, bright and clear, shining like a flame of fire, which must needs be terrible; but not at all to the war horse.

And the shield] Or rather javelin, lance, or the like; he feareth not a wood of pikeman set in array against him.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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."

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The quiver rattleth against him,.... The quiver is what arrows are put into and carried in, and seems here to be put for arrows, which being shot by the enemy come whizzing about him, but do not intimidate him; unless this is to be understood of arrows rattling in the quiver when carried by the rider "upon him", so some render the last word; and thus Homer (w) and Virgil (x) speak of the rattling quiver and sounding arrows in it, as carried on the back or shoulder; but the first sense seems best, in which another poet uses it (y);

the glittering spear and the shield; the lance or javelin, as Mr. Broughton renders it, and others; that is, he does not turn back from these, nor is he frightened at them when they are pointed to him or flung at him; so Aelianus (z) speaks of the Persians training their horses and getting them used to noises, that in battle they might not be frightened at the clashing of arms, of swords and shields against each other; in like manner as our war horses are trained, not to start at the firing of a gun, or the explosion of a cannon.

(w) Iliad. 1. v. 4. (x) "Pharetramqne sonantem". Aeneid. 9. v. 666. (y) "----audito sonitu per inane pharetrae". Ovid. Metamorph. l. 6. v. 230. (z) De Animal. l. 16. c. 25.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The quiver rattleth against him - The quiver was a case made for containing arrows. It was usually slung over the shoulder, so that it could be easily reached to draw out an arrow. Warriors on horseback, as well as on foot, fought with bows and arrows, as well as with swords and spears; and the idea here is, that the war-horse bore upon himself these instruments of war. The rattling of the quiver was caused by the fact that the arrows were thrown somewhat loosely into the case or the quiver, and that in the rapid motion of the warrior they were shaken against each other. Thus, Virgil, Aeneid ix. 660:

- pharetramque fuga sensere sonantem.

Silius, L. 12:

Plena tenet et resonante pharetra.

And again:

Turba ruunt stridentque sagittiferi coryti.

So Homer (“Iliad, a.”), when speaking of Apollo:

Τόξ ὤμοισιν ἔχων, ἀμφηρεφέα τε φαρέτρην

Ἔκλαγξαν δ ̓ ἄῤ ὀΐστοὶ ἐπ ̓ ὤμων χωομένοιο.

Tox́ ōmoisin echōn, amfērefea te faretrēn

Eklangxan d' aŕ oistoi ep' ōmōn chōmenoio.

See Seheutzer’s “Phys. Sac., in loc.”

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Shield, or lance, Josue viii. 18. (Calmet) --- The din of armour does not disturb the horse, which has been inured to such things. (Haydock) --- It is of singular courage. (Worthington)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

The quiver; or although the quiver &c. So this comes in as an aggravation of his courage, notwithstanding the just causes of fear which are mentioned in this verse. And the quiver is here put for the arrows contained in it, by a metonymy, very usual in this very case, and in all sorts of authors, which being shot against the horse and rider, make this rattling noise here mentioned.

The glittering spear and the shield; or rather, the lance or javelin. For that this was not a defensive, but an offensive weapon, seems plain, both from this place, where it is mentioned among such, and as an object of fear, which the shield is not, and from Jos 8:18; 1Sa 17:45, where it is so used.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

23. The quiver — Used metaphorically for its contents — the arrows.

The glittering spear — Literally, the flame of a spear.

Shield — Hebrews, kidhon. More properly “javelin,” or “spear.” See note Job_41:29. Arrows and gleaming spears hurtle against him, and he turns not back.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The quiver rattleth against him. In the Aasyrian sculptures the quiver of mounted archers is often hung at the side, instead of at the back. In this position it would rattle against the neck of the war-horse (see "Ancient Monarchies," vol. 2 p. 25). The glittering spear and the shield would occasionally strike against his neck or his shoulders.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Quiver - The quiver is here put for the arrows contained in it, which being shot against the horse and rider, make a rattling noise.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

The quiver...rattles [i.e., the quiver that is] full of arrows, and they knock against each other so that their sound is heard.

the blade of the spear An iron utensil (and an iron spear) is called לַהַב, as in (Jud. 3:22), “and the haft also went in after the blade (הלהב).”

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.