God continues 'Though she is harsh with her young, as if they were not hers; though her labor be in vain, she has no fear.' This verse characterizes the ostrich's maternal behavior as harsh and seemingly unconcerned about whether her young survive. The ostrich works hard (labors) at reproduction, yet does so with apparent indifference to outcome. The language of labor being in vain suggests that the ostrich's effort may not issue in successful reproduction. The verse establishes that divine creation includes creatures whose maternal behavior seems inadequate or harsh by human standards. God has created such creatures. The verse raises implicit questions: if the ostrich reproduces with indifference to outcome, is this somehow compatible with divine wisdom? Does the ostrich's apparent indifference model a kind of freedom from attachment that Job should emulate?

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