Job 1 17

Job 1:17 kjv

While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

Job 1:17 nkjv

While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!"

Job 1:17 niv

While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

Job 1:17 esv

While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, "The Chaldeans formed three groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you."

Job 1:17 nlt

While he was still speaking, a third messenger arrived with this news: "Three bands of Chaldean raiders have stolen your camels and killed your servants. I am the only one who escaped to tell you."

Job 1 verses

Job 1 17 Meaning

Job 1:17 describes the third swift calamity brought upon Job. While the previous messenger was still delivering news of the Sabean attack and the fire from heaven, another arrived, announcing a brutal raid by the Chaldeans. They strategically attacked in three divisions, plundering Job's numerous camels, and cruelly slaughtering his servants with swords, leaving only the messenger alive to deliver the devastating news. This successive, immediate, and compounding nature of the disasters is central to the verse's meaning, emphasizing the intensity of Job's test.

Job 1 17 Context

Job 1:17 falls immediately after Job hears of the Sabean attack (loss of oxen and donkeys, death of servants, v. 15) and the fire from God (loss of sheep, death of servants, v. 16). The rapid succession of these disasters is a key aspect of Job's testing, leaving him no time to process one grief before the next one hits. The specific details, like the use of "Chaldeans" and their raiding methods, ground the abstract idea of "calamity" in historical and cultural realities, portraying these as external, human-led assaults. These initial three messengers (representing Satan's orchestrated attacks) serve to strip Job of his material wealth and his labor force, leaving him vulnerable, a prelude to the ultimate familial loss that follows in verse 19.

Job 1 17 Word analysis

• While he was still speaking: This phrase emphasizes the swiftness and unrelenting nature of the calamities. There is no pause or relief between one devastating report and the next, amplifying the emotional shock and overwhelming nature of the trial. It highlights the coordinated nature of the attack, orchestrated by Satan.
• another messenger came: Reinforces the pattern of successive bad news, making it seem almost as if these events were choreographed in rapid sequence to overwhelm Job. Each messenger signifies a new, distinct disaster.
• Chaldeans (כַשְׂדִּים - Kaśdīm): This refers to the inhabitants of Chaldea, a region in southern Mesopotamia, particularly around Ur. Historically, Chaldeans were renowned as skilled warriors, astronomers, and influential during the Neo-Babylonian Empire. In the context of Job, before their later imperial rise, they likely represent nomadic tribes known for their brigandry and sudden, violent raids from the east. Their inclusion suggests a well-known, feared group in the region at the time. Their destructive nature aligns with their reputation as formidable and ruthless marauders, serving as agents of Job's destruction.
• formed three raiding parties (בְשָׁלֹשׁ רָאשִׁים - bəšāloš rā’šîm): Literally translates to "in three heads" or "in three divisions." This implies a coordinated, strategic attack, not a haphazard one. Attacking in multiple groups could surround their targets, cover more ground, or create confusion, ensuring maximum damage and preventing escape. This suggests professional military organization and cunning, indicating that the attack was deliberate and highly effective.
• swept down on (וַיִּפְשְׁטוּ עַל - wayyišṭû ʿal): This verb (pāšaṭ) describes a sudden, rapid, and aggressive military invasion or raid, often implying plunder. It conveys the swiftness and ferocity of their assault, like a military lightning strike that quickly overwhelms resistance.
• your camels (הַגְּמַלִּים - haggəmallîm): Camels were exceptionally valuable assets in ancient Near Eastern economies, serving as crucial transport animals and a measure of wealth and prestige due to their ability to carry heavy loads across long distances in harsh conditions. Their theft represents a significant economic blow, especially for a wealthy individual like Job (cf. Job 1:3).
• carried them off (וַיִּקָּחוּם - wayyiqāḥûm): Indicates complete removal and possession, emphasizing the theft and total loss of Job's camel herd. This was not merely an attack but an act of complete dispossession of this vital asset.
• put your servants to the sword (וַיַּכּוּ אֶת־הַנְּעָרִים לְפִי־חֶרֶב - wayyakkû ʾeṯ-han'nəʿārîm ləp̄î-ḥereḇ): This is a graphic idiom meaning to kill with a sword, indicating a massacre. "Servants" (ne'arim) likely refers to the young men or laborers tending the camels. Their indiscriminate slaughter demonstrates the ruthlessness of the Chaldean raiders and adds a profound human cost to the material loss. This brutality compounds Job's suffering, involving not just property but also the lives of those in his care.
• I am the only one who has escaped to tell you: The survival of a single messenger for each calamity emphasizes the overwhelming devastation, almost total annihilation of the work crews. This literary device highlights the thoroughness of the destruction and ensures that Job receives direct, eyewitness accounts of his ruin, intensifying his ordeal. The solitary survival underlines the severity of the slaughter, a stark contrast to the vast scale of his previous possessions and household.

Job 1 17 Bonus section

The detailed accounts of each successive loss in Job 1, specifically identifying the perpetrators (Sabeans, "fire from God," Chaldeans, great wind), serves to systematically dismantle Job's entire earthly foundation—his wealth, his means of livelihood, and ultimately, his family. The distinct agents highlight the multi-faceted nature of suffering permitted by God:

1. Human raiders (Sabeans and Chaldeans): Represent hostile human actions, brigandry, and warfare.
2. Natural phenomenon interpreted as divine judgment ("fire from God"): Implies an act of nature, yet attributed to a higher power (though not necessarily God's direct judgment against Job in this context).
3. Natural phenomenon (great wind): The ultimate "act of God" in its most neutral sense, responsible for the death of his children.This sequence systematically breaks down common human categories of security and loss, showing Job is assailed from all directions, revealing that the suffering is supernaturally orchestrated rather than merely random chance. The swiftness between reports, where one messenger speaks as the next arrives, creates a feeling of overwhelming, unstoppable catastrophe designed to crush Job's spirit. It is a psychological assault as much as a physical one, stripping him of any perceived security or respite. The phrase "the only one who has escaped to tell you" (repeated by each messenger) highlights the totality of the destruction and underscores the incredible magnitude of Job's material and human losses in an almost ritualistic, chilling manner.

Job 1 17 Commentary

Job 1:17 plunges Job deeper into his divinely permitted trial. The meticulous detail—the identity of the aggressors (Chaldeans), their coordinated tactics (three raiding parties), and their brutality (slaughtering servants)— underscores the intentional and calculated nature of the assaults against him. This wasn't merely a natural disaster; it involved human agents with malicious intent. The continuous flow of messengers, with one speaking as the next arrived, emphasizes the rapid succession and cumulative effect of the devastating news, giving Job no moment of respite or time to grieve before the next blow. The targeting of camels, vital for trade and transport, combined with the killing of his personnel, aimed at crippling his economic power and human resource, attacking his security and reputation. This sequence of calamities highlights that God's permissive will allows for widespread destruction and personal loss, sometimes through human instruments, testing faith in profound ways. The extreme and total nature of the losses prepares the ground for Job's iconic response of worship amidst unimaginable grief, demonstrating the depths of his spiritual resilience.