Job 15:14
Job 15:14 in Multiple Translations
What is man, that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?
What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
What is man, that he should be clean? And he that is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
What is man, that he may be clean? and how may the son of woman be upright?
Who can say they are clean? Which human being can say that they do what is right?
What is man, that he should be cleane? and he that is borne of woman, that he shoulde be iust?
What [is] man that he is pure, And that he is righteous, one born of woman?
What is man, that he should be clean? What is he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
What is man, that he should be clean? and he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
What is man that he should be without spot, and he that is born of a woman that he should appear just?
“◄How can any person, including you, be sinless?/No person, including you, can be sinless.► [RHQ] ◄How can anyone on the earth be completely righteous?/No one on the earth can be completely righteous.► [RHQ]
Berean Amplified Bible — Job 15:14
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Job 15:14 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
מָֽה
אֱנ֥וֹשׁ
כִּֽי
יִזְכֶּ֑ה
וְ/כִֽי
יִ֝צְדַּ֗ק
יְל֣וּד
אִשָּֽׁה
מָֽה
mâh
H4100
what?
Part
אֱנ֥וֹשׁ
ʼĕnôwsh
H582
human
N-ms
כִּֽי
kîy
H3588
for
Conj
יִזְכֶּ֑ה
zâkâh
H2135
to clean
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms
וְ/כִֽי
kîy
H3588
for
Conj | Conj
יִ֝צְדַּ֗ק
tsâdaq
H6663
to justify
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms
יְל֣וּד
yâlad
H3205
to beget
V-Qal-Inf-c
אִשָּֽׁה
ʼishshâh
H802
woman
N-fs
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Job 15:14
מָֽה
mâh
H4100
"what?"
Part
This Hebrew word means what or how, often used to ask questions or express surprise, like in Genesis when God asks Adam what he has done. It can also mean why or when, and is used in various ways throughout the Old Testament. It appears in many KJV translations, including how or what.
Definition: interr pron 1) what, how, of what kind 1a) (interrogative) 1a1) what? 1a2) of what kind 1a3) what? (rhetorical) 1a4) whatsoever, whatever, what 1b) (adverb) 1b1) how, how now 1b2) why 1b3) how! (exclamation) 1c) (with prep) 1c1) wherein?, whereby?, wherewith?, by what means? 1c2) because of what? 1c3) the like of what? 1c3a) how much?, how many?, how often? 1c3b) for how long? 1c4) for what reason?, why?, to what purpose? 1c5) until when?, how long?, upon what?, wherefore? indef pron 2) anything, aught, what may
Usage: Occurs in 655 OT verses. KJV: how (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why. See also: Genesis 2:19; Numbers 21:5; 1 Samuel 19:5.
אֱנ֥וֹשׁ
ʼĕnôwsh
H582
"human"
N-ms
Enosh refers to a human or mankind in general, used to describe individuals or people as a whole in the Bible.
Definition: 1) man, mortal man, person, mankind 1a) of an individual 1b) men (collective) 1c) man, mankind Aramaic equivalent: e.nash (אֱנָשׁ "man" H0606)
Usage: Occurs in 41 OT verses. KJV: another, [idiom] (blood-) thirsty, certain, chap(-man); divers, fellow, [idiom] in the flower of their age, husband, (certain, mortal) man, people, person, servant, some ([idiom] of them), [phrase] stranger, those, [phrase] their trade. It is often unexpressed in the English versions, especially when used in apposition with another word. Compare H376 (אִישׁ). See also: Deuteronomy 32:26; Psalms 8:5; Psalms 9:20.
כִּֽי
kîy
H3588
"for"
Conj
A conjunction used to show cause or connection, as in Genesis 2:23 where Adam says the woman is bone of his bone because she was taken out of him. It is often translated as 'for', 'because', or 'since'.
Definition: 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore
Usage: Occurs in 3910 OT verses. KJV: and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet. See also: Genesis 1:4; Genesis 26:16; Genesis 42:15.
יִזְכֶּ֑ה
zâkâh
H2135
"to clean"
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms
This verb means to make something clean, like washing away sins. In the Bible, it's used to describe God's people being purified and made righteous. It appears in Leviticus and Ezekiel, emphasizing God's desire for cleanliness.
Definition: 1) to be clean, be pure, be clear 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be clean, be pure 1a2) to be clear, be justified 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to make clean, make pure, keep clean, keep pure 1c) (Hithpael) 1c1) to cleanse 1c2) to make yourself clean, purify oneself
Usage: Occurs in 8 OT verses. KJV: be (make) clean, cleanse, be clear, count pure. See also: Job 15:14; Psalms 119:9; Psalms 51:6.
וְ/כִֽי
kîy
H3588
"for"
Conj | Conj
A conjunction used to show cause or connection, as in Genesis 2:23 where Adam says the woman is bone of his bone because she was taken out of him. It is often translated as 'for', 'because', or 'since'.
Definition: 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore
Usage: Occurs in 3910 OT verses. KJV: and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet. See also: Genesis 1:4; Genesis 26:16; Genesis 42:15.
יִ֝צְדַּ֗ק
tsâdaq
H6663
"to justify"
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms
Refers to the act of making something right, either by justifying oneself or being declared righteous by God. It is used to describe God's justice and people's attempts to do what is right. This concept is key to understanding the Bible's teachings on sin and redemption.
Definition: 1) to be just, be righteous 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to have a just cause, be in the right 1a2) to be justified 1a3) to be just (of God) 1a4) to be just, be righteous (in conduct and character) 1b) (Niphal) to be put or made right, be justified 1c) (Piel) justify, make to appear righteous, make someone righteous 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to do or bring justice (in administering law) 1d2) to declare righteous, justify 1d3) to justify, vindicate the cause of, save 1d4) to make righteous, turn to righteousness 1e) (Hithpael) to justify oneself
Usage: Occurs in 40 OT verses. KJV: cleanse, clear self, (be, do) just(-ice, -ify, -ify self), (be turn to) righteous(-ness). See also: Genesis 38:26; Job 33:32; Psalms 19:10.
יְל֣וּד
yâlad
H3205
"to beget"
V-Qal-Inf-c
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to give birth or beget a child, like when Eve gave birth to Cain in Genesis 4:1. It can also mean to help someone give birth, like a midwife. This word is used in many KJV translations, including Genesis and Isaiah.
Definition: 1) to bear, bringforth, beget, gender, travail 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to bear, bring forth 1a1a) of child birth 1a1b) of distress (simile) 1a1c) of wicked (behaviour) 1a2) to beget 1b) (Niphal) to be born 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to cause or help to bring forth 1c2) to assist or tend as a midwife 1c3) midwife (participle) 1d) (Pual) to be born 1e) (Hiphil) 1e1) to beget (a child) 1e2) to bear (fig. -of wicked bringing forth iniquity) 1f) (Hophal) day of birth, birthday (infinitive) 1g) (Hithpael) to declare one's birth (pedigree)
Usage: Occurs in 403 OT verses. KJV: bear, beget, birth(-day), born, (make to) bring forth (children, young), bring up, calve, child, come, be delivered (of a child), time of delivery, gender, hatch, labour, (do the office of a) midwife, declare pedigrees, be the son of, (woman in, woman that) travail(-eth, -ing woman). See also: Genesis 3:16; Genesis 30:19; 2 Samuel 21:22.
אִשָּֽׁה
ʼishshâh
H802
"woman"
N-fs
The Hebrew word for woman, used to describe a female person, wife, or animal, appears in many biblical passages, including Genesis and Exodus, and is often translated as woman, wife, or female.
Definition: : woman 1) woman, wife, female 1a) woman (opposite of man) 1b) wife (woman married to a man) 1c) female (of animals) 1d) each, every (pronoun)
Usage: Occurs in 686 OT verses. KJV: (adulter) ess, each, every, female, [idiom] many, [phrase] none, one, [phrase] together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English. See also: Genesis 2:22; Genesis 34:4; Numbers 5:12.
Study Notes — Job 15:14
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Job 15:14 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Job 15:14
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 15:14
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 15:14
- Trapp's Commentary on Job 15:14
- Ellicott's Commentary on Job 15:14
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 15:14
- Cambridge Bible on Job 15:14
- Barnes' Notes on Job 15:14
- Whedon's Commentary on Job 15:14
- Sermons on Job 15:14
Context — Eliphaz: Job Does Not Fear God
12Why has your heart carried you away, and why do your eyes flash,
13so that you turn your spirit against God and pour such words from your mouth?
14What is man, that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?
15If God puts no trust in His holy ones, if even the heavens are not pure in His eyes, 16how much less man, who is vile and corrupt, who drinks injustice like water?Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ecclesiastes 7:20 | Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins. |
| 2 | Job 14:4 | Who can bring out clean from unclean? No one! |
| 3 | Proverbs 20:9 | Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am cleansed from my sin”? |
| 4 | Romans 7:18 | I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. |
| 5 | Job 25:4–6 | How then can a man be just before God? How can one born of woman be pure? If even the moon does not shine, and the stars are not pure in His sight, how much less man, who is but a maggot, and the son of man, who is but a worm!” |
| 6 | 1 John 1:8–10 | If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us. |
| 7 | Psalms 14:3 | All have turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. |
| 8 | 1 Kings 8:46 | When they sin against You—for there is no one who does not sin—and You become angry with them and deliver them to an enemy who takes them as captives to his own land, whether far or near, |
| 9 | John 3:6 | Flesh is born of flesh, but spirit is born of the Spirit. |
| 10 | 2 Chronicles 6:36 | When they sin against You—for there is no one who does not sin—and You become angry with them and deliver them to an enemy who takes them as captives to a land far or near, |
Job 15:14 Summary
This verse, Job 15:14, is saying that humans are not born pure or righteous, but instead are born with a sinful nature. This means that we can't be good enough or do enough good things to make ourselves pure and righteous in God's eyes, as seen in Ephesians 2:8-9. We need to rely on God's grace and mercy to make us pure and righteous, and this is only possible through faith in Jesus Christ, as stated in Romans 3:24-25. By acknowledging our own sinfulness and limitations, we can humble ourselves and turn to God for salvation and forgiveness.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main point of Job 15:14?
The main point of Job 15:14 is to highlight the inherent sinfulness of humanity, emphasizing that no one is born pure or righteous, as stated in Psalm 51:5 and Romans 3:10-12.
Is it possible for humans to be pure and righteous on their own?
According to the Bible, it is not possible for humans to be pure and righteous on their own, as stated in Job 15:14 and Romans 3:23, which says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
What does it mean to be 'born of woman' in this context?
Being 'born of woman' refers to the natural birth process, emphasizing that from the moment of birth, humans are tainted by sin, as seen in Psalm 51:5, which says that we are conceived in sin.
How does this verse relate to the concept of original sin?
Job 15:14 supports the concept of original sin, which states that humanity is inherently sinful from birth, as also seen in Genesis 3 and Romans 5:12-19.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways that I have tried to achieve purity and righteousness on my own, and how have those efforts failed?
- How does the reality of my own sinfulness, as stated in Job 15:14, affect my relationship with God and my need for a Savior?
- In what ways can I humbly acknowledge my own limitations and sinfulness, and rely on God's grace and mercy instead of my own efforts?
- How can I apply the truth of Job 15:14 to my daily life, recognizing that I am not capable of achieving purity and righteousness on my own?
Gill's Exposition on Job 15:14
What [is] man, that he should be clean?.... Frail, feeble, mortal man, or woeful man, as Mr.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 15:14
What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 15:14
What is man, Heb. frail, or sick, or wretched man? his mean original and corrupt nature showeth him to be unclean. Which is born of a woman; from whom he derives infirmity, and corruption, and guilt, and the curse consequent upon it. Righteous, to wit, in his own eyes, as thou, O Job, art.
Trapp's Commentary on Job 15:14
Job 15:14 What [is] man, that he should be clean? and [he which is] born of a woman, that he should be righteous?Ver. 14. What is man, that he should be clean?] Eliphaz hath now done chiding (it is but time he should), and falls to reasoning; wherein nevertheless he showeth himself an empty and troublesome disputer, urging again the same arguments as before, Job 14:17-19, and not resting satisfied in a sufficient answer. Did Job ever assert himself clean? Said he not the clean contrary in many places? See Job 14:4. Only as washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of his God, 1 Corinthians 6:11, he discoursed of his integrity and righteousness; not denying himself otherwise tainted with original sin, and guilty of actual; which he begged pardon for; according to the tenour of the covenant of grace. And therefore Eliphaz might have spared these words, and better bestowed his pains in comforting Job, and exhorting him to patience. The Jesuits have at this day a device in handling texts of Scripture by their nice distinctions to perplex and obscure the clearest places; and for those that are doubtful, not at all to distinguish or illustrate them. Again, in points of controversy they make a great putter about that which we deny not, but say little or nothing to the main business. Haec quae desperant renitescere posse relinquunt.
Ellicott's Commentary on Job 15:14
(14) What is man?—This is the ceaseless burden.·(See Job 4:17; Job 9:2; Job 25:4, &c.)
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 15:14
Verse 14. What is man, that he should be clean?] מה אנוש mah enosh; what is weak, sickly, dying, miserable man, that he should be clean? This is the import of the original word enosh. And - born of a woman, that he should be righteous?] It appears, from many passages in the sacred writings, that natural birth was supposed to be a defilement; and that every man born into the world was in a state of moral pollution. Perhaps the word יצדק yitsdak should be translated, that he should justify himself, and not that he should be righteous.
Cambridge Bible on Job 15:14
14. What is there to justify such passion—thy pretended innocence? What is man that he should be clean? cf. ch. Job 14:1. Eliphaz recurs again to his principles formerly enunciated, ch. Job 4:17 seq., for his former speech is in his mind throughout.
Barnes' Notes on Job 15:14
What is man that he should be clean? - The object of Eliphaz in this is to overturn the positions of Job that he was righteous, and had been punished beyond his deserts.
Whedon's Commentary on Job 15:14
14. Born of a woman — The words of Job are now turned upon him, and give point to the citations Eliphaz makes from his wonderful revelation, Job 4:17.
Sermons on Job 15:14
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
The Threefold Sin of Society by Harold Vaughan | In this sermon, the speaker addresses the decline of integrity and morality in society, specifically in the United States. He emphasizes the importance of understanding one's cultu |
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Inbred Sin by Samuel Alexander Danford | Samuel Alexander Danford preaches about the sinful nature of man inherited from Adam, emphasizing the impossibility of producing purity from impurity and the continuous evil in man |
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Gospel Meetings-Shannon Hills 03 by Worth Ellis | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the difficulty of getting people to recognize their need for salvation. He shares a personal story of a young girl who attended a series of |
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1 John 1:10 by John Gill | John Gill emphasizes the importance of acknowledging our sinfulness, arguing that to claim one has never sinned is to contradict God's truth and make Him a liar. He explains that s |
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Prayer Sighs by A.W. Pink | Greek Word Studies for an aid_number 36031 preaches on the concept of becoming useless, as described by the Greek word 'achreioo', meaning to make unprofitable or morally corrupt. |
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General Counsels to Young Men by J.C. Ryle | J.C. Ryle emphasizes the critical importance of understanding the nature of sin and its consequences, urging young men to recognize its true evil and the cost of atonement through |
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The New Quest and Law of Life. 7:1-29 by W.J. Erdman | In this sermon by W.J. Erdman, the Preacher embarks on a new quest to discover 'the Good' in a high law for life under the sun, possibly found in the fear of God. He seeks wisdom a |