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.
Original Language Analysis
וַיְהִ֣י
H1961
וַיְהִ֣י
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
1 of 25
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
מִ֠קְנֵהוּ
His substance
H4735
מִ֠קְנֵהוּ
His substance
Strong's:
H4735
Word #:
2 of 25
something bought, i.e., property, but only live stock; abstractly, acquisition
שִֽׁבְעַ֨ת
also was seven
H7651
שִֽׁבְעַ֨ת
also was seven
Strong's:
H7651
Word #:
3 of 25
seven (as the sacred full one); also (adverbially) seven times; by implication, a week; by extension, an indefinite number
אַלְפֵ֣י
thousand
H505
אַלְפֵ֣י
thousand
Strong's:
H505
Word #:
4 of 25
hence (the ox's head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral) a thousand
צֹ֜אן
sheep
H6629
צֹ֜אן
sheep
Strong's:
H6629
Word #:
5 of 25
a collective name for a flock (of sheep or goats); also figuratively (of men)
וּשְׁלֹ֧שֶׁת
and three
H7969
וּשְׁלֹ֧שֶׁת
and three
Strong's:
H7969
Word #:
6 of 25
three; occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multiple) thrice
אַלְפֵ֣י
thousand
H505
אַלְפֵ֣י
thousand
Strong's:
H505
Word #:
7 of 25
hence (the ox's head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral) a thousand
צֶֽמֶד
yoke
H6776
צֶֽמֶד
yoke
Strong's:
H6776
Word #:
11 of 25
a yoke or team (i.e., pair); hence, an acre (i.e., day's task for a yoke of cattle to plough)
בָּקָר֙
of oxen
H1241
בָּקָר֙
of oxen
Strong's:
H1241
Word #:
12 of 25
a beeve or an animal of the ox family of either gender (as used for plowing); collectively, a herd
וַֽעֲבֻדָּ֖ה
household
H5657
וַֽעֲבֻדָּ֖ה
household
Strong's:
H5657
Word #:
16 of 25
something wrought, i.e., (concretely) service
רַבָּ֣ה
great
H7227
רַבָּ֣ה
great
Strong's:
H7227
Word #:
17 of 25
abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality)
מְאֹ֑ד
and a very
H3966
מְאֹ֑ד
and a very
Strong's:
H3966
Word #:
18 of 25
properly, vehemence, i.e., (with or without preposition) vehemently; by implication, wholly, speedily, etc. (often with other words as an intensive or
וַֽיְהִי֙
H1961
וַֽיְהִי֙
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
19 of 25
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
הָאִ֣ישׁ
so that this man
H376
הָאִ֣ישׁ
so that this man
Strong's:
H376
Word #:
20 of 25
a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
הַה֔וּא
H1931
הַה֔וּא
Strong's:
H1931
Word #:
21 of 25
he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demo
גָּד֖וֹל
was the greatest
H1419
גָּד֖וֹל
was the greatest
Strong's:
H1419
Word #:
22 of 25
great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent
מִכָּל
H3605
מִכָּל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
23 of 25
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
Cross References
Job 29:25I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.Job 42:12So 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.Judges 6:3And 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;1 Kings 4:30And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.Numbers 23:7And 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.Proverbs 10:22The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.Genesis 12:16And 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 12:5And 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 29:1Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.Genesis 13:6And 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.
Historical Context
In the ancient Near East, livestock wealth determined social status and economic power. The 'east' likely refers to the region of Uz, possibly in Edom or Northern Arabia, where patriarchal society flourished before Israel's formation.
Questions for Reflection
- Does God still measure blessing in material terms, or has the gospel redefined prosperity?
- How should Christians view wealth in light of Job's story?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
The specific enumeration of Job's wealth (7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 donkeys) demonstrates that blessing in the patriarchal era was tangible and measurable. The phrase 'greatest of all the men of the east' establishes Job's international reputation, making his subsequent suffering a public spectacle that demands theological explanation.