Job 15:14 (KJV)

What does Job 15:14 mean?

Job 15:14 asks how any human can be considered pure or righteous, highlighting the idea that people, by nature, are not completely clean or morally upright. The verse points out the universal human condition of imperfection, especially in comparison to God’s holiness.

In this verse, Eliphaz is speaking to Job during their ongoing debate about suffering and righteousness. Eliphaz challenges Job’s claims of innocence by questioning whether any person born of a woman could truly be clean or righteous before God. The verse sets up Eliphaz’s argument that human beings are inherently flawed and cannot claim perfect purity.

The Hebrew behind Job 15:14

• man (אֱנוֹשׁ, enosh): This word often emphasizes human frailty or mortality, not just humanity in general. Eliphaz is pointing to the weakness and limitations of people.
• clean (יִזְכֶּה, yizkeh): This word means to be pure or free from guilt. Eliphaz uses it to question whether anyone can be entirely without moral stain.
• born (יוּלַד, yullad): This word simply means to be born, but here it stresses the shared human origin and condition.
• woman (אִשָּׁה, ishah): The phrase “born of a woman” is a poetic way to refer to all people, underlining human commonality and natural limitations.
• righteous (יִצְדָּק, yitztadak): This word means to be just or right. Eliphaz is skeptical that anyone can truly be righteous in God’s eyes.

Why Job 15:14 matters

• Job 15:14 clarifies that Eliphaz is not accusing Job alone but is making a general statement about all humanity’s inability to claim complete purity or righteousness.
• The verse helps explain the friends’ perspective throughout Job: they believe suffering must be linked to personal imperfection, and that no one can stand blameless before God.
• By using words that highlight human frailty and limitation, the verse connects to the broader biblical theme of human dependence on God’s mercy rather than personal perfection.