wild ass

In the context of being in the wilderness, the Aramaic, Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “wild ass” in English is translated in Chitonga as cibize or “zebra,” because “from the Tonga perspective, no ‘donkey of the bush’ [the literal correspondent of ‘wild ass’] could be expected to live very long, due to predators like lions, etc.” (Source: Wendland 1987, p. 130)

 

Two species of wild ass were known by the Israelites, the Nubian Wild Ass Equus asinus africanus, which lived on the African side of the Red Sea, and the Persian Wild Ass or Onager Equus hemionus, which was common in the land of Israel, Syria, and Mesopotamia. It seems likely that the Hebrew ‘arod and the Aramaic ‘arad refer to the Nubian wild ass, and the Hebrew pere’ to the onager.

Both species of wild ass were hunted for their meat.

The Nubian wild ass is probably the ancestor of virtually all domestic donkeys. It is a smallish, light brown donkey with a characteristic dark stripe down its spine and across its shoulders. It originally had stripes on the lower part of its forelegs. It has long ears and a tufted tail. It is still found in Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia.

The onager, or Persian wild ass, is a larger animal, classified scientifically as a species of horse. It looks something like a mule. The scientific name hemionus means “half-ass”. It has smaller ears than a typical donkey. It is a fawn color but has a whitish chest and belly. It was evidently never fully domesticated, although one ancient Sumerian illustration shows onagers harnessed to a chariot. Onagers are still found in very small numbers in parts of Syria and Iraq and have been reintroduced into Israel.

The onager was a symbol of untameable wildness, and thus the metaphor “wild ass” was used to describe anyone with wild uncontrolled behavior.

In Africa the closest equivalent to the wild ass is the zebra, which is about the same size and belongs to the same animal family. Like the onager, the zebra has never been widely domesticated. Where the phrase “wild donkeys” would refer to domestic donkeys that have returned to living in a wild state (“feral donkeys”), a phrase meaning “wild horse” is a better choice, since feral donkeys are easily captured and domesticated, whereas feral horses are harder to domesticate. Languages that use the same word for horse and zebra may still have a problem.

The same word or expression can be used for both Hebrew words and for the Aramaic ‘arad, since no distinction between the wild ass species is intended in the biblical text, except in Job 39:5. In this verse, the Hebrew pere’ and ‘arod are both used:

The parallelism can be preserved either by using a pronoun in the second line (Who untied its ropes?) or by using “zebra” or “wild horse” for pere’ and “wild ass” for ‘arod.

Nubian Wild Ass, Wikimedia Commons

Persian Wild Ass / Onager, Wikimedia Commons

Source: All Creatures Great and Small: Living things in the Bible (UBS Helps for Translators)

See also wild ass of a man / wild donkey and donkey.

complete verse (Job 39:5)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Job 39:5:

  • Kupsabiny: “Who opened up for the donkeys of the bush?
    Who released/untied them to go away?” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Who let the wild donkey loose?
    Who untied the rope the rope that the wild donkey had been tied up with?” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Who gave freedom to the wild donkey?” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “’Who allows the wild donkeys to go wherever they want?” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Job 39:5

In verses 5-8 the writer thinks of the wild donkey as a domestic donkey that has been granted its freedom, released from its bondage to the city. Translators may consider leaving blank space before verse 5 to show that a new subject is beginning.

Who has let the wild ass go free? implies that it is God who has liberated these animals. Wild ass is the same animal named in 6.5. See there for comments. Wild ass is singular, but translators may find it more natural to use the plural and also the plural pronouns throughout these nature passages. Compare also 11.12 and 24.5. Go free means “to be free to go where it wishes.”

Loosed the bonds is equivalent to “untied the ropes” or “taken off the rope that held the animal.” This usage is figurative and means “given them their freedom” or “let them roam free.” Swift ass translates an Aramaic word found nowhere else in the Old Testament. However, there is no reason to assume that the animal in line b is any other than the one in line a. Distinguishing between these two animals is not the point of the verse, and Good News Translation and others use only one term. The meaning of the two lines is nearly identical and without poetic focusing or intensification. If the “who” questions are used here, it may be necessary in translation to insert the reply “I did.” In some languages it will be clearer to translate “I let the wild donkey go free” or “I am the one who let the wild donkey roam.” The line may be rendered, for example, “I am the one who gave them their freedom” or “… who let them go free.”

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 .