Job 1 · Verse 3

Job 1:3

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.
Job 1:3, King James Version

Job 1:3 in other translations

BSBand he owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very large number of servants. Job was the greatest man of all the people of the East.
WEBHis possessions also were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the children of the east.
ASVHis 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 children of the east.
YLTand his substance is seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred pairs of oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and a service very abundant; and that man is greater than any of the sons of the east.
DARBYAnd his substance was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and very many servants; and this man was greater than all the children of the east.
BBEAnd of cattle he had seven thousand sheep and goats, and three thousand camels, and a thousand oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and a very great number of servants. And the man was greater than any of the sons of the east.
WebsterHis 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.

What does Job 1:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
3. 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 "ships of the desert," especially valuable for caravans, as being able to lay in a store of water that suffices them for days, and to sustain life on a very few thistles or thorns. household--(Ge 26:14). The other rendering which the Hebrew admits, "husbandry," is not so probable. men of the east--denoting in Scripture those living east of Palestine; as the people of North Arabia-Deserta (Jud 6:3; Eze 25:4).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 3 His 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 - עבדה רבה מאד abuddah rabbah meod, "a very great estate." The word עבדה abuddah refers chiefly to husbandry, including all manner of labor in the field, with cattle, and every description of servants. The greatest of all the men of the East - He was more eminent than any other person in that region in wisdom, wealth, and piety. He was the chief emir of that district.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Job 1:1-5

Job was prosperous, and yet pious. Though it is hard and rare, it is not impossible for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. By God's grace the temptations of worldly wealth may be overcome. The account of Job's piety and prosperity comes before the history of his great afflictions, showing that neither will secure from troubles. While Job beheld the harmony and comforts of his sons with satisfaction, his…

Read the full comment on Job 1:1-5 →

Job 1:3 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיְהִ֣יvay.Hiand it wasH1961
מִ֠קְנֵהוּMik.ne.hulivestock hisH4735
שִֽׁבְעַ֨תshiv.'AtsevenH7651
אַלְפֵי\־'al.fei-thousand<s>H505
צֹ֜אןtzonsheepH6629
וּשְׁלֹ֧שֶׁתu.she.Lo.shetand threeH7969
אַלְפֵ֣י'al.Feithousand<s>H505
גְמַלִּ֗יםge.ma.LimcamelsH1581
וַחֲמֵ֨שׁva.cha.Meshand fiveH2568
מֵא֤וֹתme.'othundred<s>H3967
צֶֽמֶד\־tze.med-pair[s] ofH6776
בָּקָר֙ba.Karox[en]H1241
וַחֲמֵ֣שׁva.cha.Meshand fiveH2568
מֵא֣וֹתme.'othundred<s>H3967
אֲתוֹנ֔וֹת'a.to.Notfemale donkeysH860
וַעֲבֻדָּ֖הva.'a.vu.Dahand serviceH5657
רַבָּ֣הra.BahmuchH7227
מְאֹ֑דme.'OdveryH3966
וַיְהִי֙vay.Hiand he wasH1961
הָאִ֣ישׁha.'Ishthe manH376
הַה֔וּאha.Hu'<the> thatH1931
גָּד֖וֹלga.DolgreatH1419
מִכָּל\־mi.kolmore than allH3605
בְּנֵי\־be.nei-[the] people ofH1121
קֶֽדֶם\׃Ke.dem[the] eastH6924

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Job 1:3

  • Job 42:12

    So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.

  • Proverbs 10:22

    The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.

  • 1 Kings 4:30

    And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.

  • Judges 6:3

    And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;

  • Job 29:25

    I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.

  • Numbers 23:7

    And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.

  • Genesis 12:16

    And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.

  • Genesis 12:5

    And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.

  • Genesis 29:1

    Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.

  • Job 29:9-10

    The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth. The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.

  • Genesis 13:6

    And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.

  • Judges 6:5

    For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
substance. or, cattle.
Ge 12:5; 13:6; 34:23; 2Ch 32:29
seven.
42:12; Ge 12:16; Nu 31:32-34; Jud 6:5; 1Sa 25:2; 2Ki 3:4; Pr 10:22
household. or, husbandry.
2Ch 26:10
greatest.
29:9,10,25
men. Heb. sons.
Jud 6:3; 7:12; 8:10; 1Ki 4:30
of the east.
Ge 25:6; 29:1; Nu 23:7

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Job 1:2

    And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.

  • Job 1:3

    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.

  • Job 1:4

    And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.

Read all of Job 1

Job 1:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y su hacienda era siete mil ovejas, y tres mil camellos, y quinientas yuntas de bueyes, y quinientas asnas, y muchísimos criados: y era aquel varón grande más que todos los Orientales.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
et il possédait 7 000 brebis, et 3 000 chameaux, et 500 paires de bœufs, et 500 ânesses; et il avait un très grand nombre de serviteurs; et cet homme était plus grand que tous les fils de l’orient.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und sein Besitztum bestand in siebentausend Schafen und dreitausend Kamelen und fünfhundert Joch Rindern und fünfhundert Eselinnen, und in sehr vielem Gesinde. Und selbiger Mann war größer als alle Söhne des Ostens.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Et fuit possessio ejus septem millia ovium, et tria millia camelorum, quingenta quoque juga boum, et quingentæ asinæ, ac familia multa nimis: eratque vir ille magnus inter omnes orientales.