Camels in the Bible

• The camel was not to be eatenLev 11:4
  The verses

  Lev 11:4But of those that only chew the cud or only have a divided hoof, you are not to eat the following: The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you.
• Abram, Jacob, and Job counted camels among their wealthGen 12:16, Gen 30:43, Job 1:3
  The verses

  Gen 12:16He treated Abram well on her account, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels.

  Gen 30:43Thus Jacob became exceedingly prosperous. He owned large flocks, maidservants and menservants, and camels and donkeys.

  Job 1:3and he owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very large number of servants. Job was the greatest man of all the people of the East.
• Job owned 3,000 camels, later 6,000Job 1:3, Job 42:12
  The verses

  Job 1:3and he owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very large number of servants. Job was the greatest man of all the people of the East.

  Job 42:12So the LORD blessed Job’s latter days more than his first. He owned 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys.
• Obil the Ishmaelite was in charge of David's camels1 Chr 27:30
  The verses

  1 Chr 27:30Obil the Ishmaelite was in charge of the camels. Jehdeiah the Meronothite was in charge of the donkeys.

In the stories

• Abraham's servant took ten camels to find a wife for IsaacGen 24:10
  The verses

  Gen 24:10Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed with all manner of good things from his master in hand. And he set out for Nahor’s hometown in Aram-naharaim.
• He made the camels kneel by the well at eveningGen 24:11
  The verses

  Gen 24:11As evening approached, he made the camels kneel down near the well outside the town at the time when the women went out to draw water.
• Rebekah drew water for all his camelsGen 24:14, Gen 24:19–20
  The verses

  Gen 24:14Now may it happen that the girl to whom I say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who responds, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels as well’—let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. By this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.”

  Gen 24:19–20After she had given him a drink, she said, “I will also draw water for your camels, until they have had enough to drink.” And she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran back to the well to draw water, until she had drawn water for all his camels.
• Rebekah rode a camel to meet IsaacGen 24:61, Gen 24:64
  The verses

  Gen 24:61Then Rebekah and her servant girls got ready, mounted the camels, and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.

  Gen 24:64And when Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, she got down from her camel
• Rachel hid Laban's idols in her camel's saddlebag and sat on themGen 31:34
  The verses

  Gen 31:34Now Rachel had taken Laban’s household idols, put them in the saddlebag of her camel, and was sitting on them. And Laban searched everything in the tent but found nothing.
• Jacob's gift to Esau included 30 milk camels with their youngGen 32:15
  The verses

  Gen 32:1530 milk camels with their young, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys, and 10 male donkeys.
• Ishmaelite camels carried spices to EgyptGen 37:25
  The verses

  Gen 37:25And as they sat down to eat a meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh on their way down to Egypt.
• The Midianites' camels were as countless as the sandJudg 7:12
  The verses

  Judg 7:12Now the Midianites, Amalekites, and all the other people of the east had settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts, and their camels were as countless as the sand on the seashore.
• Gideon took the crescent ornaments from the kings' camelsJudg 8:21
  The verses

  Judg 8:21Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Get up and kill us yourself, for as the man is, so is his strength.” So Gideon got up and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent ornaments from the necks of their camels.
• Four hundred Amalekites escaped David on camels1 Sam 30:17
  The verses

  1 Sam 30:17And David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man escaped, except four hundred young men who fled, riding off on camels.
• The queen of Sheba came with camels bearing spices and gold1 Kgs 10:2
  The verses

  1 Kgs 10:2She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large caravan—with camels bearing spices, gold in great abundance, and precious stones. So she came to Solomon and spoke to him all that was on her mind.
• Hazael brought Elisha forty camel loads of gifts2 Kgs 8:9
  The verses

  2 Kgs 8:9So Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking with him a gift of forty camel loads of every good thing from Damascus. And he went in and stood before him and said, “Your son Ben-hadad king of Aram has sent me to ask, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’”
• Chaldean raiders took Job's camelsJob 1:17
  The verses

  Job 1:17While he was still speaking, another messenger came and reported: “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels, and took them away. They put the servants to the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
• John wore a garment of camel's hairMatt 3:4, Mark 1:6
  The verses

  Matt 3:4John wore a garment of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

  Mark 1:6John was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

Sayings of Jesus

• Easier for a camel to pass through a needle's eyeMatt 19:24
  The verses

  Matt 19:24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
• You strain out a gnat but swallow a camelMatt 23:24
  The verses

  Matt 23:24You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.