proverb · Words worth keeping
As poor as Job.
As poor as Job.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The phrase uses Job as an image of extreme poverty or loss of possessions. Its comparison draws on the biblical account of a prosperous man suffering severe losses.
What the words are saying
The checked Job 1 text supplies that narrative contrast, so poor need not describe Job as always lacking resources. A responsible application recognises a dramatic comparison without treating someone’s hardship as a religious test or deserved condition. The phrase does not establish a composition date, an actual historical fortune or a required response to poverty.
Everyday example
A reader connects the comparison with loss in the narrative while avoiding a moral judgment about a real person’s poverty.
When to use it
Use it to discuss deprivation through a named biblical comparison.
What it does not mean
The image is not a verified historical biography or proof that suffering is deserved.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 1267 · Poor
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English