Meanings
- idiomaticuncountableA great amount of patience.
At times I long for the patience of Job and the wisdom of Solomon.
1960 April 28, A. W. Bennett, “A Locomotive Shedmaster's Day”, in Railway Magazine, page 2722 more examples
Beholde, wee count them happie which endure. Ye haue heard of the patience of Iob, and haue ſeene the end of the Loꝛd: that the Loꝛd is very pitifull and of tender mercie.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, James 5:11The interference, some of it on a daily basis, that LSC staff have had to endure from the department's civil servants would have tried the patience of Job.
2004 March 30, “Takes two to quango”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 13 Sep 2014Synonyms: patience of an angel, patience of a saint, patience of Mother Teresa
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA great amount of patience.
Origin
- Koine Greekὑπομονὴν Ἰὼβ
- Englishpatience of Job
A reference to the biblical figure of Job from the Book of Job, where he demonstrated faith and patience with God while suffering many severe trials. First used in the translations of James 5:11, from Koine Greek ὑπομονὴν Ἰὼβ (hupomonḕn Iṑb).
More words from Koine Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Estonian Hiiobi kannatus
- Hiiobi kannatusgreat amount of patience
Finnish Jobin kärsivällisyys
- Jobin kärsivällisyysgreat amount of patience
French patience de Job
- patience de Jobgreat amount of patience
German Engelsgeduld, Lammsgeduld
- Engelsgeduldgreat amount of patience
- Lammsgeduldgreat amount of patience
Greek ιώβεια υπομονή, ιώβειος υπομονή
- ιώβεια υπομονή (ióveia ypomoní)great amount of patience
- ιώβειος υπομονή (ióveios ypomoní)great amount of patience
Italian pazienza di Giobbe
- pazienza di Giobbegreat amount of patience
Persian صبر ایوب
- صبر ایوب (sabr-e ayyub)great amount of patience
Polish anielska cierpliwość
- anielska cierpliwośćgreat amount of patience
Portuguese paciência de Jó
- paciência de Jógreat amount of patience
Spanish tener más paciencia que el santo Job
- tener más paciencia que el santo Jobgreat amount of patience
Turkish Hazreti Eyüp sabrı
- Hazreti Eyüp sabrıgreat amount of patience
Cite this entry
patience of Job. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/patience%20of%20Job
“patience of Job.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/patience%20of%20Job. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “patience of Job,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/patience%20of%20Job.
Source: patience of Job on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.