The Meaning of Job 42:12 Explained

Job 42:12

KJV: So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.

YLT: And Jehovah hath blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning, and he hath fourteen thousand of a flock, and six thousand camels, and a thousand pairs of oxen, and a thousand she-asses.

Darby: And Jehovah blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning; and he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses.

ASV: So Jehovah blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: And he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

So the LORD  blessed  the latter end  of Job  more than his beginning:  for he had fourteen  thousand  sheep,  and six  thousand  camels,  and a thousand  yoke  of oxen,  and a thousand  she asses. 

What does Job 42:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Job 42:1-17 - Restored To Right Relations With God
In complete surrender Job bowed before God, confessing his ignorance and owning that he had spoken glibly of things which he understood not. He had retorted to his friends that he was as good as they, but now he confessed, as did the Apostle after him, that he was of sinners the chief. It is one thing to hear of God, another to see and know Him close at hand. Well may we loathe our proud words and repent in dust and ashes, Job 42:6, r.v., margin.
When Job was right with God, the Almighty took his side against his accusers and silenced them. It was through Job's intercessions that they were forgiven. He himself was not fully forgiven till he could pray for them with loving forgiveness. But immediately he had done so God turned "the shadow of death into the morning" and gave him the double portion of the first-born. Thus men, when forgiven and restored, are heirs of riches greater than they had forfeited. [source]

Chapter Summary: Job 42

1  Job submits himself unto God
7  God, preferring Job's cause, makes his friends submit themselves, and accepts him
10  He magnifies and blesses Job
16  Job's age and death

What do the individual words in Job 42:12 mean?

And Yahweh blessed - the latter [days] of Job more than his beginning for had he four [and] ten thousand sheep and six thousand camels and a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand female donkeys
וַֽיהוָ֗ה בֵּרַ֛ךְ אֶת־ אַחֲרִ֥ית אִיּ֖וֹב מֵרֵאשִׁת֑וֹ וַֽיְהִי־ ל֡וֹ אַרְבָּעָה֩ עָשָׂ֨ר אֶ֜לֶף צֹ֗אן וְשֵׁ֤שֶׁת אֲלָפִים֙ גְּמַלִּ֔ים וְאֶֽלֶף־ צֶ֥מֶד בָּקָ֖ר וְאֶ֥לֶף אֲתוֹנֽוֹת

וַֽיהוָ֗ה  And  Yahweh 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
בֵּרַ֛ךְ  blessed 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּרַךְ 
Sense: to bless, kneel.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אַחֲרִ֥ית  the  latter  [days] 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אַחֲרִית  
Sense: after part, end.
אִיּ֖וֹב  of  Job 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִיּׄוב  
Sense: a patriarch, the subject of the book of Job.
מֵרֵאשִׁת֑וֹ  more  than  his  beginning 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רֵאשִׁית  
Sense: first, beginning, best, chief.
וַֽיְהִי־  for  had 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
אַרְבָּעָה֩  four 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: אַרְבַּע  
Sense: four.
עָשָׂ֨ר  [and]  ten 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂר 
Sense: ten, -teen (in combination with other numbers).
אֶ֜לֶף  thousand 
Parse: Number, masculine singular construct
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
צֹ֗אן  sheep 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: צֹאן  
Sense: small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks.
וְשֵׁ֤שֶׁת  and  six 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, masculine singular construct
Root: שֵׁשׁ  
Sense: six.
אֲלָפִים֙  thousand 
Parse: Number, masculine plural
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
גְּמַלִּ֔ים  camels 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: גָּמָל  
Sense: camel.
וְאֶֽלֶף־  and  a  thousand 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, masculine singular construct
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
צֶ֥מֶד  yoke 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: צֶמֶד  
Sense: couple, pair, team, yoke.
בָּקָ֖ר  of  oxen 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בָּקָר  
Sense: cattle, herd, oxen, ox.
וְאֶ֥לֶף  and  a  thousand 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, masculine singular construct
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
אֲתוֹנֽוֹת  female  donkeys 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: אָתֹון  
Sense: she-ass, she-donkey.