Job 1:3

Job 1:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.
• New International Version (NIV)and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.
• English Standard Version (ESV)He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.

Context of Job 1:3

1There once was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless—a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil. 2He had seven sons and three daughters. He owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 teams of oxen, and 500 female donkeys. He also had many servants. He was, in fact, the richest person in that entire area. 4Job’s sons would take turns preparing feasts in their homes, and they would also invite their three sisters to celebrate with them. 5When these celebrations ended—sometimes after several days—Job would purify his children. He would get up early in the morning and offer a burnt offering for each of them. For Job said to himself, “Perhaps my children have sinned and have cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular practice.

Job 1:3 word by word

וַיְהִ֣י מִ֠קְנֵהוּ שִֽׁבְעַ֨ת אַלְפֵי־צֹ֜אן וּשְׁלֹ֧שֶׁת אַלְפֵ֣י גְמַלִּ֗ים וַחֲמֵ֨שׁ מֵא֤וֹת צֶֽמֶד־בָּקָר֙ וַחֲמֵ֣שׁ מֵא֣וֹת אֲתוֹנ֔וֹת וַעֲבֻדָּ֖ה רַבָּ֣ה מְאֹ֑ד וַיְהִי֙ הָאִ֣ישׁ הַה֔וּא גָּד֖וֹל מִכָּל־בְּנֵי־קֶֽדֶם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• His substanceמִקְנֶהmiqneh · livestockH4735
• also was sevenשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
• thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
• sheepצֹאןtsô'n tse'ôn · flockH6629
• and threeשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
• camelsגָּמָלgâmâl · camelH1581
• and fiveחָמֵשׁchâmêsh chămishshâh · fiveH2568
• hundredמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
• yokeצֶ֫מֶדtsemed · pairH6776
• of oxenבָּקָרbâqâr · cattleH1241
• she assesאָתוֹן'âthôn · she-assH860
• and a veryמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966
• greatרַבrab · manyH7227
• householdעֲבֻדָּה‛ăbûddâh · serviceH5657
• so that this manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• was the greatestגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• of all the menבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of the eastקֶ֫דֶםqedem qêdmâh · front: eastH6924

Cross-references for Job 1:3

• Genesis 12:5He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his wealth—his livestock and all the people he had taken into his household at Haran—and headed for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in Canaan,
• Genesis 13:6But the land could not support both Abram and Lot with all their flocks and herds living so close together.
• Genesis 34:23But if we do this, all their livestock and possessions will eventually be ours. Come, let’s agree to their terms and let them settle here among us.”
• 2 Chronicles 32:29He built many towns and acquired vast flocks and herds, for God had given him great wealth.
• Job 42:12So the Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning. For now he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 teams of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys.
• Genesis 12:16Then Pharaoh gave Abram many gifts because of her—sheep, goats, cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.
• Numbers 31:32The plunder remaining from everything the fighting men had taken totaled 675,000 sheep and goats,
• Judges 6:5These enemy hordes, coming with their livestock and tents, were as thick as locusts; they arrived on droves of camels too numerous to count. And they stayed until the land was stripped bare.
• 1 Samuel 25:2There was a wealthy man from Maon who owned property near the town of Carmel. He had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats, and it was sheep-shearing time.
• 2 Kings 3:4King Mesha of Moab was a sheep breeder. He used to pay the king of Israel an annual tribute of 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams.
• Proverbs 10:22The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.
• 2 Chronicles 26:10He also constructed forts in the wilderness and dug many water cisterns, because he kept great herds of livestock in the foothills of Judah and on the plains. He was also a man who loved the soil. He had many workers who cared for his farms and vineyards, both on the hillsides and in the fertile valleys.
• Job 29:9The princes stood in silence and put their hands over their mouths.
• Judges 6:3Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, marauders from Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east would attack Israel,
• Judges 7:12The armies of Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east had settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts. Their camels were like grains of sand on the seashore—too many to count!
• Judges 8:10By this time Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with about 15,000 warriors—all that remained of the allied armies of the east, for 120,000 had already been killed.

Commentaries on Job 1:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3His substance also was seven thousand sheep - A thousand, says the Chaldee, for each of his sons. Three thousand camels: a thousand for each of his daughters. Five hundred yoke of oxen for himself. And five hundred she-asses for his wife. Thus the Targum divides the substance of this eminent man. A very great household - מאד רבה עבדה abuddah rabbah meod, "a very great estate." The word עבדה abuddah refers chiefly to husbandry, including all manner of…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3His substance - Margin, or “cattle.” The word used here מקנה mı̂qneh is derived from קנה qânâh to gain or acquire, to buy or purchase, and properly means anything acquired or purchased - property, possessions, riches. The wealth of nomadic tribes, however, consisted mostly in flocks and herds, and hence the word in the Scripture signifies, almost exclusively, property in cattle. The word, says Gesenius, is used “strictly” to denote sheep, goats, and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-3God gave Job prosperity with many sons, daughters, cattle and other domestic animals, and servants (compare Genesis 30:43; Deuteronomy 7:13; Psalm 107:38). Numbers like seven and three (and 7,000 and 3,000) show the full extent of God's blessings for Job (see Job 42:13; also see Psalms 127:3–5; 128:3). Job was the greatest man of all the people of the East: The numbers describing Job’s wealth might not be exact, but they are realistic for a wealthy man of…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. she-asses--prized on account of their milk, and for riding (Jud 5:10). Houses and lands are not mentioned among the emir's wealth, as nomadic tribes dwell in movable tents and live chiefly by pasture, the right to the soil not being appropriated by individuals. The "five hundred yoke of oxen" imply, however, that Job tilled the soil. He seems also to have had a dwelling in a town, in which respect he differed from the patriarchs. Camels are well called…Read the comment

Topics related to Job 1:3

• Camel
• Job
• Rich, the

In the dictionaries

• Ass
• Cattle
• Charge
• Consider
• Eschew
• Feast
• Naked
• Naught
• Present
• Substance

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