God asks 'Who let the wild ass go free? Who loosed the bonds of the wild ass?' shifting focus to the wild ass and its freedom. The question presupposes that the wild ass's freedom is itself a divine action, that God has released the wild ass to roam rather than binding it in servitude. The poetic language of loosing bonds suggests that divine action includes the granting of freedom. The wild ass, unlike domesticated animals, runs free in the wilderness. God's role in granting this freedom is questioned: did Job grant this freedom, or did God? The focus on freedom raises implicit questions about bondage and liberty. Job himself feels bound by suffering; the question about the wild ass's freedom implicitly asks: who determines whether Job should be free from suffering?

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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