Job 1:3
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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse isn't just listing possessions; it's painting a picture of immense, diversified wealth that blends nomadic pastoralism with settled agriculture. Notice the specific inclusion of oxen for plowing alongside sheep and camels, suggesting Job wasn't solely a wanderer but also a landowner actively working the soil, a more complex picture of Eastern wealth than is often assumed.
The book opens by introducing Job as a man of immense wealth, piety, and influence in his region. This detailed description of his vast possessions – sheep, camels, oxen, donkeys, and numerous servants – establishes him as "the greatest of all the people of the east" before God allows Satan to test him. The narrative immediately preceding this verse likely describes Job's upright character, setting the stage for his dramatic fall from prosperity.
Seven thousand sheep and three thousand camels – these aren't just numbers, they paint a picture of extraordinary prosperity in the ancient East. What did this kind of wealth really look like?
Job's possessions are listed with specific, impressive quantities: 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys. This wasn't just 'rich'; it was exceptionally wealthy by the standards of his time and region.
The text doesn't just say Job was rich; it says he was 'the greatest.' What does that tell us about the connection between wealth and status in the ancient world?
Job's immense wealth directly translated into his social and political standing. He wasn't just a wealthy man; he was the greatest among the people of the East.
This passage also highlights extreme wealth, specifically mentioning livestock and possessions, which provides a parallel to Job's vast estate and emphasizes the abundance God can bestow.
Genesis 26:12-14Here, Isaac prospers greatly in the land, acquiring flocks, herds, and a large household, mirroring Job's status as the 'greatest of all the people of the east' due to his immense possessions.
1 Chronicles 5:21This verse describes a battle where Israelites take a large number of livestock (camels, sheep, asses) as spoil, illustrating the significant value and quantity of such animals in the ancient East, similar to Job's wealth.
Proverbs 3:9-10While Job's wealth is a description of his pre-affliction state, this proverb speaks to the principle that honoring God with one's possessions leads to abundance, echoing the idea that Job's prosperity was, at least initially, a sign of his blessedness.
clarkeJob 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."
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…
jfbJob 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."
- 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…
This verse isn't just listing possessions; it's painting a picture of immense, diversified wealth that blends nomadic pastoralism with settled agriculture. Notice the specific inclusion of oxen for plowing alongside sheep and camels, suggesting Job wasn't solely a wanderer but also a landowner actively working the soil, a more complex picture of Eastern wealth than is often assumed.
The book opens by introducing Job as a man of immense wealth, piety, and influence in his region. This detailed description of his vast possessions – sheep, camels, oxen, donkeys, and numerous servants – establishes him as "the greatest of all the people of the east" before God allows Satan to test him. The narrative immediately preceding this verse likely describes Job's upright character, setting the stage for his dramatic fall from prosperity.
The book opens by introducing Job as a man of immense wealth, piety, and influence in his region. This detailed description of his vast possessions – sheep, camels, oxen, donkeys, and numerous servants – establishes him as "the greatest of all the people of the east" before God allows Satan to test him. The narrative immediately preceding this verse likely describes Job's upright character, setting the stage for his dramatic fall from prosperity.
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"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." — This verse isn't just listing possessions; it's painting a picture of immense, diversified wealth that blends nomadic pastoralism with settled agriculture. Notice the specific inclusion of oxen for p…
