Job 1:2 — Word Study
WLCוַיִּוָּ֥לְדוּ ל֛וֹ שִׁבְעָ֥ה בָנִ֖ים וְשָׁל֥וֹשׁ בָּנֽוֹת׃
BSAHe had sevenshebaʻ [been given, born unto him] sonsbên [male descendants, children] and threeshâlôwsh daughtersbath [female children, girls]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיִּוָּ֥לְדוּ | and they were born | Verb, Niphal, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
| ל֛וֹ | to him | Preposition, suffix |
| שִׁבְעָ֥ה | seven | Adj |
| בָנִ֖ים | sons | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| וְשָׁל֥וֹשׁ | and three | Conjunction |
| בָּנֽוֹת׃ | daughters | Noun common, feminine plural absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | He had seven sons and three daughters, |
| KJV | And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. |
| ASV | And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. |
| YLT | And there are borne to him seven sons and three daughters, |
| WEB | There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. |
| BBE | And he had seven sons and three daughters. |
Where they part company is שִׁבְעָ֥ה — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence is straightforward, with a main clause followed by a conjunction and an additional noun phrase.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them ›
clause
verbיָלַד
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Job 1:2
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Introduction to Job's Storygenerated
Job 1:2 introduces Job, a man from the land of Uz, who is described as blameless and upright. The verse highlights his family, consisting of seven sons and three daughters, which reflects his prosperity and the blessings he received from God. This introduction sets the stage for the trials and discussions that follow in the book of Job.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 13:13 | Be silent, and I will speak. Then let come to me what may. |
| 2 | Esther 5:11 | Haman recounted to them his glorious wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored and promoted him over the other officials and servants. |
| 3 | Psalm 107:38 | He blesses them, and they multiply greatly; He does not let their herds diminish. |
| 4 | Psalm 127:3–5 | Children are indeed a heritage from the LORD, and the fruit of the womb is His reward. |
| 5 | Psalm 128:3 | Your wife will be like a fruitful vine flourishing within your house, your sons like olive shoots sitting around your table. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יָלַד, vai.yi.Val.dugenerated
The Hebrew word יָלַד (*yalad*) means to bear, bring forth, or beget. It encompasses the act of giving birth and can also refer to the role of a midwife. The parsing indicates that it is a verb in the Niphal stem, which often conveys a passive meaning, suggesting that the sons and daughters were born to Job.
This word is significant in the context of family lineage and inheritance, as it emphasizes Job's role as a father. The use of this term in the verse underscores the importance of offspring in biblical narratives, often associated with blessings and legacy.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against. The BSB has He had seven sons and three daughters, which is consistent across many translations.
Where others part company with the BSB is in the rendering of שִׁבְעָ֥ה — seven (BBE, KJV, ASV) versus born unto him (ILT, KJV). The translations agree on the number but differ in how they phrase the relationship to Job.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb in the verse is יָלַד, they were born, which governs the entire clause. The structure is straightforward, with a subject noun phrase seven sons and a conjunction introducing the additional phrase and three daughters.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the sons first, followed by the daughters, indicating a familial structure that highlights the male descendants.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates יָלַד with ἐγένοντο, which means they were born. This choice reflects a direct correspondence to the Hebrew meaning, emphasizing the act of birth.
The LXX maintains the familial context but may imply a broader interpretation of lineage and descent, consistent with its use in Greek literature.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 1:2 tells us that Job had seven sons and three daughters. This detail about his family is important as it shows his prosperity and the blessings he received from God.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Having seven sons signifies Job's wealth and status in society, as large families were often seen as a blessing from God.
The mention of daughters highlights the completeness of Job's family and the importance of both sons and daughters in biblical narratives.
Yes, seven is often considered a sacred number in the Bible, symbolizing completeness and perfection.
Job's family reflects his righteousness and the blessings he received from God, setting the stage for the trials he will face.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does having a large family mean in the context of blessings in the Bible?
- How can I reflect on my own family and the blessings I have received?
- In what ways can I support and nurture my family, as Job did?
- What can we learn from Job's character about handling prosperity and family relationships?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early Church Fathers comment on Job's family, noting the significance of his children in relation to his virtue and the blessings from God.
Notice how the author first of all speaks about Job’s virtue and then of the goods Job has received from God. Observe the opportunity Job received to have children, and the proportion of children who are boys,Early Church Fathers on Job 1 →
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION. And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. The heart of the parent is often enticed into avarice by a numerous offspring, for he is the more inflamed with ambition for laying up an inheritance,Early Church Fathers on Job 1 →
ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION. And there were born to him seven sons and three daughters. What is conveyed to us in the number of seven,Early Church Fathers on Job 1 →
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 1:2 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd there were born unto him,.... By his wife, in lawful wedlock, who was now living, and after mentioned: seven sons and three daughters; next to his religious character, his graces, and spiritual
Read John Gill on Job 1 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. Seven sons-three daughters - (Proverbs 17:6).
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 1 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 1:2 And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.Ver. 2. And there were born unto him seven sons] This was a main part of his prosperity, to have such a numerous issue to build up his house and to heir his estate, though it proved to be luctuosa fecunditas, mournful fertility, as Jerome said Laeta’ s was, who lived to see her children buried before her. Job’ s children are spoken of before his wealth, because better valued; and yet after this fearing God and eschewing evil, to show (saith Fetus) that he was not like the men of these times, who, if they have many children, will take any evil course to get something for them, and think it a sufficient plea against works of…
Read John Trapp on Job 1 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(2) Seven sons and three daughters.—The like number was restored to him after his probation (Job 42:13).
Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 1 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges2, 3. Job’s family and wealth. A first principle in the Oriental Wisdom, which corresponds in part to our Ethics, was, that it is well with the righteous and ill with the wicked, Isaiah 3:10-11. This principle is set at the head of the Psalter in Psalms 1, and is reiterated in many shapes as an unalterable law in the Book of Proverbs. According to this principle Job and all acquainted with him would see his piety reflected in his worldly prosperity, and regard this as God’s blessing upon him on account of it. It is not the intention of the writer of the Book to break with this principle absolutely. On the contrary when he lets Job at the end of his trials be restored to a prosperity double…
Read Cambridge on Job 1 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleAnd there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters - The same number was given to him again after these were lost, and his severe trials had been endured; see Job 42:13.
Read Albert Barnes on Job 1 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible2. Seven sons — The head of a large family has always been regarded in the East as pre-eminently happy.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Job 1 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
He had seven sons and three daughters,
There were born to him seven sons and three daughters.
He had seven sons and three daughters,
Seven sons and three daughters were born to him.
Tyndale line
And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.
And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.
And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.
And there were born to him seven sons and three daughters.
And he had seue sonnes, and three daughters.
Strictly literal
And there were born to him seven sons and three daughters.
And there are borne to him seven sons and three daughters,
And seven sons and three daughters are borne to him,
And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.
There were born to him seven sons and three daughters.
From the Latin
And there were born to him seven sons and three daughters.
Simplified
He had seven sons and three daughters.
And he had seven sons and three daughters.
Word by word, the decisions they made
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text states, וַיִּוָּ֥לְדוּ ל֛וֹ שִׁבְעָ֥ה בָנִ֖ים וְשָׁל֥וֹשׁ בָּנֽוֹת׃, which aligns closely with the Septuagint, where five of the six words match. This agreement indicates a strong consistency in the transmission of this verse.
וַיִּוָּ֥לְדוּ ל֛וֹ שִׁבְעָ֥ה בָנִ֖ים וְשָׁל֥וֹשׁ בָּנֽוֹת׃
5 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Job 1:2
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word יָלַד (*yalad*) means to bear, bring forth, or beget, and it encompasses various forms of childbirth and lineage declaration. It can refer to both the act of giving birth and the role of a midwife. The entries also note its use in contexts of distress and wicked behavior, as well as in reference to birthdays.
יָלַד 497 vb. bear, bring forth, beget
Qal
bear, bring forth
less often beget
of both parents
Niph. be born
Pi. cause (or help) to bring forth, viz., assist or tend as midwife
Pu. be born
Hiph.
beget (a father a child)
bear
Hoph. day of one's being born = birthday
Hithp. declared their pedigree
base
H3205 יָלַד bear, bring forth, beget .. bear, bring forth
. less often beget
. of both parents
. be born
. cause (or help) to bring forth, viz., assist or tend as midwife
. be born
. . beget (a father a child)
. bear
. day of one's being born = birthday
. declared their pedigree
3205 yalad yaw-lad'
a primitive root; to bear young; causatively, to beget;
medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show
lineage:--bear, beget, birth((-day)), born, (make to) bring
forth (children, young), bring up, calve, child, come, be
delivered (of a child), time of delivery, gender, hatch,
labour, (do the office of a) midwife, declare pedigrees, be
the son of, (woman in, woman that) travail(-eth, -ing woman).
יָלַד (ya.lad) — to beget.
1) to bear, bringforth, beget, gender, travail
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to bear, bring forth
1a1a) of child birth
1a1b) of distress (simile)
1a1c) of wicked (behaviour)
1a2) to beget
1b) (Niphal) to be born
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to cause or help to bring forth
1c2) to assist or tend as a midwife
1c3) midwife (participle)
1d) (Pual) to be born
1e) (Hiphil)
1e1) to beget (a child)
1e2) to bear (fig. -of wicked bringing forth iniquity)
1f) (Hophal) day of birth, birthday (infinitive)
1g) (Hithpael) to declare one's birth (pedigree)
Hc/VNw3mp — Verb · Niphal · sequential imperfect third person masculine pluralHc/VNw3mp
See BORN.
וֹ (o) — him.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person masculine singular
HR/Sp3ms — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp3ms
שֶׁ֫בַע (sheba`) means 'seven' and is a cardinal number. It can also imply 'seven times' or refer to a week. The term appears in various contexts, including combinations like 17 or 700. Its Aramaic equivalent is שִׁבְעָה (shiv.ah), also meaning 'seven'.
שֶׁ֫בַע, שִׁבְעָה 394 n.m. et f. seven
base
H7651 שֶׁ֫בַע, שִׁבְעָה seven
7651 sheba` sheh'-bah
or (masculine) shibrah {shib-aw'}; from 7650; a primitive
cardinal number; seven (as the sacred full one); also
(adverbially) seven times; by implication, a week; by
extension, an indefinite number:--(+ by) seven(-fold),-s,
(-teen, -teenth), -th, times). Compare 7658.
see HEBREW for 07650
see HEBREW for 07658
שֶׁ֫בַע (she.va) — seven.
1) seven (cardinal number)
1a) as ordinal number
1b) in combination-17, 700 etc
Aramaic equivalent: shiv.ah (שִׁבְעָה "seven" H7655)
Adj — AdjHAcbsa
sev'-'-n (shebha`; hepta).
See NUMBER.
Seven
This number occurs frequently in Scripture, and in such connections as lead to the supposition that it has some typical meaning. On the seventh day God rested, and hallowed it (Gen. 2:2, 3). The division of time into weeks of seven days each accounts for many instances of the occurrence of this number. This number has been called the symbol of perfection, and also the symbol of rest. “Jacob’s seven years’ service to Laban; Pharaoh’s seven fat oxen and seven lean ones; the seven branches of the golden candlestick; the seven trumpets and the seven priests who sounded them; the seven days’ siege of Jericho; the seven churches, seven spirits, seven stars, seven seals, seven vials, and many others, sufficiently prove the importance of this sacred number” (see Lev. 25:4;
The frequent recurrence of certain numbers in the sacred literature of the Hebrews is obvious to the most superficial reader, but seven so far surpasses the rest, both in the frequency with which it recurs and in the importance of the objects with which it is associated, that it may fairly be termed the representative symbolic number. The influence of the number seven was not restricted to the Hebrews; it prevailed among the Persians, ancient Indians, Greeks and Romans. The peculiarity of the Hebrew view consists in the special dignity of the seventh, and not simply in that of seen. The Sabbath being the seventh day suggested the adoption of seven as the coefficient, so to say, for their appointment of all sacred periods; and we thus find the 7th month ushered in by the Feast of Trumpets, and signalized by the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles and the Great Day of Atonement; 7…
As from the beginning this was the number of days in the week, so it often has in Scripture a sort of emphasis attached to it, and is very generally used as a round or perfect number. Clean beasts were taken into the ark by sevens, Ge 7:1-24. The years of plenty and famine in Egypt were marked by sevens, Ge 41:1-57. With the Jews, not only was there a seventh day Sabbath, but every seventh year was a Sabbath, and after every seven times seven years came a jubilee. Their great feasts of unleavened bread and of tabernacles were observed for seven days; the number of animals in many of their sacrifices was limited to seven. The golden candlestick had seven branches. Seven priests with seven trumpets went around the walls of Jericho seven days, and seven times on the seventh day. In…
בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.
בֵּן 4870 n.m. son
son, male child, born of a woman
children (male and female)
youth, young men
the young of animals
of plant shoots
fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
member of a guild, order or class
of animals son of (the) herd
ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
n. relat. of age
base
בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.
done
H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman
. children (male and female)
. youth, young men
. the young of animals
. of plant shoots
. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
. . member of a guild, order or class
. of animals son of (the) herd
. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
. n. relat. of age
H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son
1121 ben bane
from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the
widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,
including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,
etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)
(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,
(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,
bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X
came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of
first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +
kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)
people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +
spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous
one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
see HEBREW for 01129
see HEBREW for 01
see HEBREW for 0251
בֵּן (ben) — son: child.
: child/son
בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;
son of: Jaaziah (H3269);
brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)
§ Beno = "his son"
the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)
בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.
: descendant, people, tribe, nation
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : child/son
בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.
: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : descendant
בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.
: rebel/son(Belial)
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : people/men/nation/tribe
בֵּן (ben) — son.
: [inheriting]son/heir
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.
: warrior/son(strong)
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
The Hebrew word שָׁלֹשׁ (*shalosh*) means 'three' or 'triad.' It can also refer to the ordinal 'third' and is used in various contexts, including multiplication as 'thrice.' The entries consistently define it as a primitive number without significant disagreement.
שָׁלֹשׁ, שָׁלוֹשׁ, שְׁלֹשָׁה 430 n.m. et f. a three, triad
base
H7969 שָׁלֹשׁ, שָׁלוֹשׁ, שְׁלֹשָׁה a three, triad
7969 shalowsh shaw-loshe'
or shalosh {shaw-loshe'}; masculine shlowshah {shel-o-shaw'};
or shloshah {shel-o-shaw'}; a primitive number; three;
occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multipl.) thrice:--+ fork,
+ often(-times), third, thir(-teen, -teenth), three, + thrice.
Compare 7991.
see HEBREW for 07991
שָׁלֹשׁ (sha.losh) — three.
1) three, triad
1a) 3, 300, third
Aramaic equivalent: te.lat (תְּלָת "three" H8532)
Conj | Adj — ConjunctionHC/Acbsa
(shalosh; treis).
See NUMBER.
The phrase "three days and three nights," Mt 12:40, was equivalent in Hebrew to the English "three days;" the Jews employing the expression "a day and a night" to denote our "day" of twentyfour hours. Nor did "three days," 1Sa 30:13, literally "this third day," according to their usage, necessarily include the whole of three days, but a part of three days, a continuous period including one whole day of twenty-four hours, and a portion of the day preceding it and the day following it. Compare Ge 7:12,17 1Sa 30:12-13.
בַּת (bat) means 'daughter' and encompasses a range of meanings including female child, young women, and even personifications of cities or inhabitants. It can also refer to villages in certain contexts. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and is used in various figurative senses, such as 'branch' or 'apple of the eye.'
בַּת 587 n.f. daughter
daughter, female child
young women, women
with name of city, land, or people, poet. personif. of that city or inhabitants
pl. = villages, after name of city
in phrases denoting character, quality, etc.
ostrich
fig.
of vine = branch
as n. relat.
base
H1323 בַּת daughter . daughter, female child
. young women, women
. with name of city, land, or people, poet. personif. of that city or inhabitants
. pl. = villages, after name of city
. in phrases denoting character, quality, etc.
. ostrich
. fig.
. of vine = branch
. as n. relat.
1323 bath bath
from 1129 (as feminine of 1121); a daughter (used in the same
wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and
figuratively):--apple (of the eye), branch, company, daughter,
X first, X old, + owl, town, village.
see HEBREW for 01129
see HEBREW for 01121
בַּת (bat) — daughter.
: daughter
1) daughter
1a) daughter, girl, adopted daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, granddaughters, female child, cousin
1a1) as polite address
1a2) as designation of women of a particular place
2) young women, women
1a3) as personification
1a4) daughter-villages
1a5) description of character
Also means: bat (בַּת ": village" H1323H)
בַּת (bat) — daughter: village.
: village
1) daughter
1a) daughter, girl, adopted daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, granddaughters, female child, cousin
1a1) as polite address
1a2) as designation of women of a particular place
2) young women, women
1a3) as personification
1a4) daughter-villages
1a5) description of character
בַּת (bat) — Bath (Shua).
A woman living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.38.2;
daughter of: Shua (H7770); married to Judah (H3063);
mother of: Er (H6147), Onan (H0209) and Shelah (H7956)
N-fp — Noun common · feminine plural absoluteHNcfpa