Job 15:14-16

14 1What is man, 2that he can be pure? Or he who is 3born of a woman, that he can be righteous?
15 Behold, God[a]4puts no trust in his 5holy ones, and the heavens are not pure in his sight;
16 6how much less one who is abominable and 7corrupt, a man who 8drinks injustice like water!

Job 15:14-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 15

Job's three friends having in their turns attacked him, and he having given answer respectively to them, Eliphaz, who began the attack, first enters the debate with him again, and proceeds upon the same plan as before, and endeavours to defend his former sentiments, falling upon Job with greater vehemence and severity; he charges him with vanity, imprudence, and unprofitableness in his talk, and acting a part unbecoming his character as a wise man; yea, with impiety and a neglect of religion, or at least as a discourager of it by his words and doctrines, of which his mouth and lips were witnesses against him, Job 15:1-6; he charges him with arrogance and a high conceit of himself, as if he was the first man that was made, nay, as if he was the eternal wisdom of God, and had been in his council; and, to check his vanity, retorts his own words upon him, or however the sense of them, Job 15:7-10; and also with slighting the consolations of God; upon which he warmly expostulates with him, Job 15:11-13; and in order to convince him of his self-righteousness, which he thought he was full of, he argues from the angels, the heavens, and the general case of man, Job 15:14-16; and then he declares from his own knowledge, and from the relation of wise and ancient men in former times, who made it their observation, that wicked men are afflicted all their days, attended with terror and despair, and liable to various calamities, Job 15:17-24; the reasons of which are their insolence to God, and hostilities committed against him, which they are encouraged in by their prosperous circumstances, Job 15:25-27; notwithstanding all, their estates, riches, and wealth, will come to nothing, Job 15:28-30; and the chapter is closed with an exhortation to such, not to feed themselves up with vain hopes, or trust in uncertain riches, since their destruction would be sure, sudden, and terrible, Job 15:31-35.

Cross References 8

  • 1. For ver. 14-16, see Job 25:4-6
  • 2. [Job 14:4; Psalms 14:3; Proverbs 20:9; Ecclesiastes 7:20; 1 John 1:8, 10]
  • 3. See Job 14:1
  • 4. Job 4:18
  • 5. See Job 5:1
  • 6. Job 9:14
  • 7. [Psalms 14:3; Psalms 53:1]
  • 8. Job 34:7; [Proverbs 19:28; Proverbs 26:6]

Footnotes 1

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.