Who provides for the raven its prey…? shifts from the king of beasts to another meat-eating creature, the bird called the raven. The raven, unlike the lion, feeds on dead flesh. It is a black bird similar to the crow. Psalm 147.9 says that “he gives … to the young ravens which cry.” Revised Standard Version follows the Hebrew order, which gives the impression in line c that the baby ravens are wandering about outside the nest. In order to avoid this impression, Good News Translation transposes lines b and c, which makes “wander about hungry” apply to the ravens in line a and not to their young. This improves the logic of the verse. The word translated as prey in line a is not the same as the word used for the lion’s prey in verse 39a. Good News Translation has restructured the line to say “… feeds the ravens.” The line may also be rendered, for example, as “Who provides food for the ravens.”

When its young ones cry to God describes the baby ravens in the nest calling out to God for food. Wander about translates a verb which can also mean “stagger about.” That is, a creature that is starving staggers when it moves. It is possible to understand this line as referring to their weakness from lack of food. In this case it is not necessary to transpose lines b and c. For example, Bible en français courant keeps the Hebrew line order and translates “Who provides food for the raven, when its little ones call out to God for help, and who are weakened by lack of something to eat?” This provides a good translation model to follow.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, Wiliam. A Handbook on Job. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1992. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .