King James Bible
"And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters."
This phrase establishes Job as a family patriarch blessed with children, a sign of divine favor in ancient Near Eastern culture. The passive construction emphasizes these children as gifts received rather than achievements earned. The specific numbers carry symbolic weight—seven represents completeness or perfection in Hebrew thought, while ten total children indicates an ideally full household. Sons were particularly valued for carrying on the family name and inheritance, making Job's loss later in the narrative especially devastating.