Job 1:21
“And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Context
These are Job's first words after four messengers report, one after another, the loss of his livestock, servants, and all his children in a single day. The verse closes the account of his first great trial.
What Does Job 1:21 Mean?
Job 1:21 shows a man who has lost nearly everything choosing to worship instead of curse. In a single day Job has learned that his oxen, sheep, camels, servants, and all ten of his children are gone. He tears his robe, shaves his head, and falls to the ground -- but he falls down to worship. His words trace life back to its bare beginning: we arrive with nothing and we leave with nothing, so the things we hold are never truly ours to keep. Job grieves honestly and worships at the same time, refusing to pretend his pain away while also refusing to accuse God of wrong.
The heart of the verse is "the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." Job traces both the giving and the taking to God, yet he still blesses His name. This is not a cold resignation; it is trust that survives when every visible reason for trust has been stripped off. Job does not claim to understand why this has happened -- and the reader knows he cannot see the heavenly scene that opened the book. His confession sets the deepest question of the book in motion: can a person love God for who He is, not merely for what He gives? Here, at least, the answer is yes.
In the Original Language
The verb translated "blessed" is barak, the same word used for blessing God in worship; Job actively blesses rather than merely accepts. "Naked" (arom) recalls humanity's bare entrance into the world, owning nothing.
Cross References
“For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.”
- 1 Timothy 6:7
“As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.”
- Ecclesiastes 5:15
“Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.”
- James 5:11
Application
When loss strips away what you treasured, Job models a grief that is honest yet still turns toward God in worship rather than away from Him in bitterness.