Job · Chapter 1 · Gratitude

Job 1:21 — Bible Verse Meaning & Context

Read this verse slowly. Let it settle before you move on.

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Topics #gratitude #grief

Read in chapter context · Job 1

Both translations, side by side

WEB · World English Bible

"He said, “Naked I came out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. Yahweh gave, and Yahweh has taken away. Blessed be Yahweh’s name.”"

KJV · King James Version

"And said559, Naked6174 came I out3318 of my mother's517 womb990, and naked6174 shall I return7725 thither: the LORD3068 gave5414, and the LORD3068 hath taken away3947; blessed1288 be the name8034 of the LORD3068."

How the translations differ: The WEB is a modern public-domain revision of the 1901 ASV; the KJV dates to 1611. The KJV uses mother's, thither, the, lord, while the WEB renders these as mother, there, yahweh, has. Both translate the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text — the differences are stylistic, not theological.

In context

Job 1:21 in Job 1

A Bible verse rarely stands alone. Here is Job 1:21 read with the verses immediately before and after — the surrounding flow of Job 1. Read the full chapter →

v.19 and behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young men, and they are dead. I alone have escaped to tell you.”
v.20 Then Job arose, and tore his robe, and shaved his head, and fell down on the ground, and worshiped.
v.21 He said, “Naked I came out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. Yahweh gave, and Yahweh has taken away. Blessed be Yahweh’s name.”
v.22 In all this, Job did not sin, nor charge God with wrongdoing.

Book background

About the Book of Job

Testament: Old Testament
Genre: Wisdom literature
Author: Unknown
Date written: Possibly patriarchal era (c. 2000 BC); written down later
Audience: Ancient Israel
Chapters: 42

Job, "blameless and upright," loses his children, wealth, and health in a heavenly contest he never sees. His three friends insist his suffering must be punishment for sin; Job protests his innocence and demands an audience with God. When God finally speaks from the whirlwind, He does not answer the "why" but reveals Himself — and Job is satisfied. The book reframes how Christians read suffering.

Setting: The land of Uz; Job's story sits outside Israel's national history.

Key themes: suffering · God's sovereignty · integrity · mystery · restoration

Read Job from the beginning →

Memorisation aid

How to memorise Job 1:21

Job 1:21 contains 27 words in 6 clauses. Learn one clause at a time, then chain them. The first-letter mnemonic (FLM) under each clause is a memory hook — once you can speak the FLM from memory, the full clause follows.

1

He said

HS
2

“Naked I came out of my mother’s womb

NICOOM
3

and naked shall I return there

ANSIRT
4

Yahweh gave

YG
5

and Yahweh has taken away

AYHTA
6

Blessed be Yahweh’s name.”

BBYN

Frequently asked

FAQ about Job 1:21

What does Job 1:21 say?

Job 1:21 reads: "He said, “Naked I came out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. Yahweh gave, and Yahweh has taken away. Blessed be Yahweh’s name.”" — from the Old Testament, Job (Wisdom literature). The full verse is shown above with both the World English Bible (WEB) and King James Version (KJV) translations side by side.

What book of the Bible is Job 1:21 in?

Job 1:21 is in the book of Job, traditionally attributed to Unknown and written around Possibly patriarchal era (c. 2000 BC); written down later. Job is wisdom literature in the Old Testament, originally addressed to Ancient Israel. Best known for "the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD".

What is Job 1:21 about?

Job 1:21 is primarily a Bible verse about Gratitude, with related themes including Grief. Within Job, Job, "blameless and upright," loses his children, wealth, and health in a heavenly contest he never sees. Read the full passage above with surrounding context.

What is the difference between Job 1:21 in WEB and KJV?

Job 1:21 in the World English Bible (WEB) reads: "He said, “Naked I came out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. Yahweh gave, and Yahweh has taken away. Blessed be Yahweh’s name.”". The King James Version (KJV) reads: "And said559, Naked6174 came I out3318 of my mother's517 womb990, and naked6174 shall I return7725 thither: the LORD3068 gave5414, and the LORD3068 hath taken away3947; blessed1288 be the name8034 of the LORD3068.". The WEB is a modern public-domain translation that updates the KJV's 1611 English while keeping a similar formal-equivalence style. Both render the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text.

How long is Job 1:21?

Job 1:21 is 27 words in the WEB translation (146 characters), broken into 6 clauses. It is a longer verse, often broken into smaller phrases for memorisation. Estimated reading time is about 8 seconds.

How can I memorise Job 1:21?

To memorise Job 1:21, split it into its 6 natural clauses and learn one at a time. Repeat the full verse out loud five times, then write it from memory. Saving the verse as a photo wallpaper using our verse image studio helps daily review — the visual association with a memorable background dramatically improves recall.

Why does Job 1:21 matter in Job?

How can I apply Job 1:21 today?

Many readers use Job 1:21 as a daily reminder verse — saving it as a phone wallpaper, sharing it on Pinterest, or memorising it for prayer. The verse studio on this page lets you download Job 1:21 on 52 different backgrounds for free. Pair the verse with the surrounding chapter context shown above to understand its full meaning before applying it.

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