Job 1:2 kjv
And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.
Job 1:2 nkjv
And seven sons and three daughters were born to him.
Job 1:2 niv
He had seven sons and three daughters,
Job 1:2 esv
There were born to him seven sons and three daughters.
Job 1:2 nlt
He had seven sons and three daughters.
Job 1 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Psa 127:3 | Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. | Children as God's heritage and reward |
| Gen 1:28 | Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth... | God's original command and blessing of fruitfulness |
| Gen 9:1 | And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply..." | Renewed command and blessing after the flood |
| Deut 7:13 | ...He will bless the fruit of your womb and the produce of your ground... | Blessing of children tied to covenant obedience |
| Psa 128:3 | Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children like olive shoots... | Symbol of a blessed and thriving family |
| Ruth 4:11 | ...May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah... | Blessing for a large and established family |
| 1 Sam 2:6 | The Lord kills and brings to life; He brings down to Sheol and raises up. | God's sovereignty over life and death |
| Psa 139:13 | For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. | God's intricate involvement in creation of life |
| Deut 28:4 | Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, and the fruit of your ground... | Children as part of the covenant blessings |
| Prov 3:33 | The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous. | Prosperity, including family, often linked to righteousness |
| Job 42:12-13 | And the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning... He had also seven sons and three daughters. | Restoration and reaffirmation of family blessing |
| Job 42:15 | In all the land there were no women found so beautiful as Job's daughters. | Special note on the beauty of his daughters in restoration |
| Gen 2:2-3 | And on the seventh day God finished his work... so God blessed the seventh day and made it holy... | Significance of the number Seven (completion) |
| Exo 20:8-11 | Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor... but the seventh day is a Sabbath... | Seven as representing completeness in creation week and rest |
| Lev 23:15 | You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath... | Seven representing periods of time and sacred cycles |
| Rev 1:4 | Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits... | Seven as symbolic of divine Spirit's fullness |
| Rev 5:1 | ...a scroll with writing on both sides, sealed with seven seals. | Seven signifying divine will and revelation |
| Matt 28:19 | Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit... | Tri-unity of God, relating to the number Three |
| 1 John 5:7-8 | For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit... | Three as a number of divine witness or testimony |
| Luke 24:7 | ...the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise again. | Three days signifying resurrection and divine timing |
| Matt 17:1 | And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. | Three disciples witnessing the Transfiguration |
| Isa 6:3 | And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts..." | Threefold repetition for divine emphasis and perfection |
Job 1 verses
Job 1 2 Meaning
This verse details the initial measure of Job's abundant familial blessing, highlighting that his prosperity was comprehensive, including a large and balanced family. The numbers seven and three convey a sense of completeness and divine favor, reinforcing Job's exemplary state as described in the previous verse before his trials began. It immediately establishes a profound aspect of Job's pre-suffering blessedness.
Job 1 2 Context
Job chapter 1 opens by introducing Job as a righteous and exceedingly wealthy man residing in the land of Uz. Verse 1 describes his impeccable character ("blameless and upright, fearing God and turning away from evil") and his significant wealth, noting him as "the greatest of all the people of the East." Verse 2 builds directly upon this by detailing another critical aspect of his prosperity: his family. In the ancient Near East, a large number of children, especially sons, was considered a supreme blessing from God and a clear sign of His favor. This verse explicitly enumerates his children, solidifying the portrait of Job's comprehensive blessedness, which is essential for understanding the magnitude of the loss he is about to experience and the central theological problem of the book – why a righteous and blessed man suffers.
Job 1 2 Word analysis
Word-by-word:
- And: (waw connective) Connects this statement to the preceding description of Job's character and overall prosperity, showing the family as an integral part of his blessed state.
- there were born: (Vayyivvāl'dû, from Hebrew yalad, Niphal imperfect) This passive voice implies divine action or favor. These children were given to Job; they were a gift, not merely the result of natural procreation, emphasizing God's role in granting fruitfulness.
- unto him: (lô) The dative pronoun "to him" emphasizes Job as the recipient, directing the blessing specifically towards him and his household.
- seven: (shiv'â) This number is highly symbolic in biblical literature, often representing perfection, completion, fullness, and divine order or blessing. Its use here indicates that Job's family blessing was complete and abundant.
- sons: (bāniym) In ancient patriarchal societies, sons were crucial for maintaining the family lineage, providing security, and ensuring inheritance. Having seven sons signified immense strength and honor.
- and: (waw connective) Joins the enumeration of sons and daughters, portraying them as a complete family unit.
- three: (shālōsh) Another symbolic number in the Bible, often associated with divine completeness, divine activity, testimony, or importance. In conjunction with 'seven', it contributes to the overall sense of a divinely ordered and perfect family unit.
- daughters: (bānōwt) While sons were vital for lineage, daughters were also highly valued and considered an important part of a complete family, reflecting a rounded and full blessing.
Words-group by words-group:
- And there were born unto him: This phrase establishes the source of Job's family as a divine gift rather than simply human effort, aligning with the biblical understanding that children are a blessing from the Lord.
- seven sons and three daughters: This precise numerical detailing is critical. It signifies the absolute fullness and perfection of Job's familial blessings. The combined number (ten) is also symbolically important in the Bible, often representing divine order, completion, or testing. It emphasizes the maximum possible blessing in terms of children, setting a high standard for his initial prosperity.
Job 1 2 Bonus section
- Significance of the total (Ten Children): While "seven sons and three daughters" are enumerated distinctly, the total of ten children can also hold significance. Ten is often associated with divine order (Ten Commandments) or completion.
- Contrast for Restoration: The precise number of seven sons and three daughters is remarkably repeated in Job 42:13, signaling the perfect and complete restoration of Job's blessings. This symmetry emphasizes divine faithfulness and recompense, demonstrating God's capacity to restore fully, and even to double blessings (as he doubles his material possessions).
- Narrative Function: This detailed inventory of Job's family establishes his vulnerability, highlighting precisely what God allowed to be taken away. This magnifies the depth of his eventual sorrow and underscores the severity of the trial he faces.
Job 1 2 Commentary
Job 1:2 precisely defines the familial aspect of Job's initial and profound blessedness. Building on Job 1:1, where he is portrayed as a blameless and upright man, this verse details the concrete manifestations of divine favor in his life through the specific enumeration of his children: seven sons and three daughters. These numbers are deeply symbolic, particularly "seven," representing completeness and perfection, and "three," suggesting divine significance or wholeness. Together, they depict Job as having not merely a large family, but a perfectly formed, complete, and divinely favored household. This verse is pivotal as it amplifies the portrait of Job's ideal prosperity and establishes the high benchmark against which his subsequent devastating losses will be measured, setting the stage for the book's profound inquiry into suffering and divine justice. It demonstrates that Job's righteousness was initially met with abundant and comprehensive blessings.
- Example 1: It illustrates that biblical "blessings" often encompass tangible, familial prosperity, aligning with common cultural expectations of the time.
- Example 2: The verse immediately heightens the dramatic impact of the upcoming tragedies by establishing the full measure of Job's well-being that is about to be shattered.