Job 15:14

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

What [is] man, that he should be clean? and [he which is] born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

Complete Jewish Bible:

"What is a human being, that he could be innocent, someone born from a woman, that he could be righteous?

Berean Standard Bible:

What is man, that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?

American Standard Version:

What is man, that he should be clean? And he that is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

What is man^{H582}, that he should be clean^{H2135}? and he which is born^{H3205} of a woman^{H802}, that he should be righteous^{H6663}?

Cross-References (KJV):

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Commentary for Job 15:14

Job 15:14 is a verse from the Book of Job, which is part of the Wisdom Literature in the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. The Book of Job deals with the problem of human suffering and the nature of righteousness and divine justice. It is set in a narrative framework in which Job, a righteous man, is afflicted with terrible suffering as a test of his faith, orchestrated by Satan with God's permission.

In this verse, Eliphaz the Temanite, one of Job's friends, is speaking. Eliphaz is challenging Job's assertion of his own righteousness and questioning the purity of humanity in general. The verse reflects a common ancient belief that humans are inherently sinful and flawed, and it echoes the themes of human frailty and the limitations of human wisdom and virtue, which are central to the book. Eliphaz is suggesting that, given the human condition and the fact that all people are born of woman (a reference to the shared human experience of birth and life), it is presumptuous for anyone to claim cleanliness (moral purity) or righteousness before God.

The historical context of the Book of Job is somewhat uncertain, but it is thought to have been written during or after the Babylonian Exile (6th century BCE), a time when the people of Judah were grappling with theodicy—the question of how a just and omnipotent God can allow evil and suffering to exist. The dialogue between Job and his friends, including the verse in question, reflects the deep theological debates of that era concerning human nature, divine justice, and the possibility of human righteousness.

In summary, Job 15:14 encapsulates the themes of human limitations and the skepticism of human righteousness in the face of divine perfection. It is a reflection on the nature of humankind as inherently fallible and a commentary on the theological debates of the time regarding the nature of God's justice and the human capacity for moral integrity.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H582
   There are 648 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אֱנוֹשׁ
   Transliteration: ʼĕnôwsh
   Pronunciation: en-oshe'
   Description: from אָנַשׁ; properly, a mortal (and thus differing from the more dignified אָדָם); hence,; a man in general (singly or collectively); 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 אִישׁ.
   
2. Strong's Number: H2135
   There are 8 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: זָכָה
   Transliteration: zâkâh
   Pronunciation: zaw-kaw'
   Description: a primitive root (compare זָכַךְ); to be translucent; figuratively, to be innocent; be (make) clean, cleanse, be clear, count pure.
   
3. Strong's Number: H3205
   There are 403 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יָלַד
   Transliteration: yâlad
   Pronunciation: yaw-lad'
   Description: a primitive root; to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineage; 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).
   
4. Strong's Number: H802
   There are 729 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אִשָּׁה
   Transliteration: ʼishshâh
   Pronunciation: ish-shaw'
   Description: feminine of אִישׁ or אֱנוֹשׁ; irregular plural, נָשִׁים;(used in the same wide sense as אֱנוֹשׁ); a woman; (adulter) ess, each, every, female, [idiom] many, [phrase] none, one, [phrase] together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.
   
5. Strong's Number: H6663
   There are 40 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: צָדַק
   Transliteration: tsâdaq
   Pronunciation: tsaw-dak'
   Description: a primitive root; to be (causatively, make) right (in a moral or forensic sense); cleanse, clear self, (be, do) just(-ice, -ify, -ify self), (be turn to) righteous(-ness).