God’s Word Translation
Job 1:21
21He said, “Naked I came from my mother, and naked I will return. The Lord has given, and the Lord has taken away! May the name of the Lord be praised.”
Job 1:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.
- New International Version (NIV)and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And he said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."
- New King James Version (NKJV)And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Context of Job 1:21
19when suddenly a great storm swept across the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It fell on the young people, and they died. I’m the only one who has escaped to tell you.” 20Job stood up, tore his robe in grief, and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground and worshiped. He said, “Naked I came from my mother, and naked I will return. The Lord has given, and the Lord has taken away! May the name of the Lord be praised.” 22Through all this Job did not sin or blame God for doing anything wrong.
Read all of Job 1Job 1:21 word by word
וַיֹּאמֶר֩ עָרֹ֨ם יָצָ֜אתִי מִבֶּ֣טֶן אִמִּ֗י וְעָרֹם֙ אָשׁ֣וּב שָׁ֔מָה יְהוָ֣ה נָתַ֔ן וַיהוָ֖ה לָקָ֑ח יְהִ֛י שֵׁ֥ם יְהוָ֖ה מְבֹרָֽךְ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Nakedעָרוֹם‛ârôm ‛ârôm · nakedH6174
- came I outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: produceH3318
- of my mother’sאֵם'êm · motherH517
- wombבֶּ֫טֶןbeţen · belly: wombH990
- shall I returnשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
- thither: the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- gaveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- hath taken awayלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- blessedבָּרַךְbârak · to blessH1288
- be the nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
Cross-references for Job 1:21
- Genesis 3:19By the sweat of your brow, you will produce food to eat until you return to the ground, because you were taken from it. You are dust, and you will return to dust.”
- Psalms 49:17He will not take anything with him when he dies. His greatness cannot follow him.
- Ecclesiastes 5:15They came from their mother’s womb naked. They will leave as naked as they came. They won’t even be able to take a handful of their earnings with them from all their hard work.
- Ecclesiastes 12:7Then the dust ⌞of mortals⌟ goes back to the ground as it was before, and the breath of life goes back to God who gave it.
- 1 Timothy 6:7We didn’t bring anything into the world, and we can’t take anything out of it.
- Job 2:10He said to her, “You’re talking like a godless fool. We accept the good that God gives us. Shouldn’t we also accept the bad?” Through all this Job’s lips did not utter one sinful word.
- Genesis 30:2Jacob became angry with Rachel and asked, “Can I take the place of God, who has kept you from having children?”
- Ecclesiastes 5:19It is a gift from God when God gives some people wealth and possessions, the power to enjoy them, ⌞the ability⌟ to accept their lot in life, and ⌞the ability⌟ to rejoice in their own hard work.
- Lamentations 3:38Both good and bad come from the mouth of the Most High God.
- James 1:17Every good present and every perfect gift comes from above, from the Father who made the sun, moon, and stars. The Father doesn’t change like the shifting shadows produced by the sun and the moon.
- Genesis 45:5Now, don’t be sad or angry with yourselves that you sold me. God sent me ahead of you to save lives.
- 2 Samuel 16:12Maybe the Lord will see my misery and turn his curse into a blessing for me today.”
- 1 Kings 12:15The king refused to listen to the people because the Lord was directing these events to carry out the promise he had made to Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) through Ahijah from Shiloh.
- Psalms 39:9I remained speechless. I did not open my mouth because you are the one who has done this.
- Isaiah 42:24Who gave Jacob away as loot and handed Israel over to robbers? Wasn’t it the Lord, against whom we have sinned? They didn’t want to live his way. They didn’t obey his teachings.
- Isaiah 45:7I make light and create darkness. I make blessings and create disasters. I, the Lord, do all these things.
Commentaries on Job 1:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Naked came I out of my mother's womb - I had no earthly possessions when I came into the world; I cannot have less going out of it. What I have the Lord gave: as it was his free gift, he has a right to resume it when he pleases; and I owe him gratitude for the time he has permitted me to enjoy this gift. Naked shall I return thither - Whither? Not to his mother's womb surely; nor does he call the earth his mother in this place. In the first clause of the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21And said, Naked came I out - That is, destitute of property, for so the connection demands; compare 1 Timothy 6:7; “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.” A similar expression also occurs in Pliny, “Hominem natura tanturn nudism.” Nat. Hist. proem. L. vii. Job felt that he was stripped of all, and that he must leave the world as destitute as he entered it. My mother‘s womb - The earth - the universal mother…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 20-22Verses 20-22 Job humbled himself under the hand of God. He reasons from the common state of human life, which he describes. We brought nothing of this world's goods into the world, but have them from others; and it is certain we can carry nothing out, but must leave them to others. Job, under all his losses, is but reduced to his first state. He is but where he must have been at last, and is only unclothed, or unloaded rather, a little sooner than he…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-22God and Satan agree to test Job, which causes his troubles and confirms his integrity (1:20–21; 2:10). None of the book's characters ever learn of this council in heaven.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. Naked--(1Ti 6:7). "Mother's womb" is poetically the earth, the universal mother (Ec 5:15; 12:7; Psa 139:15). Job herein realizes God's assertion (Job 1:8) against Satan's (Job 1:11). Instead of cursing, he blesses the name of Jehovah (Hebrew). The name of Jehovah, is Jehovah Himself, as manifested to us in His attributes (Is 9:6).Read the comment
Topics related to Job 1:21
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Job 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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