Job 15:14 Meaning and Explanation
“What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Eliphaz asks how any mortal, born of woman, could ever be pure or righteous before God.
What Does Job 15:14 Mean?
Eliphaz now appeals to a sweeping truth about human frailty. What is mere man, born of woman, that he could stand clean or righteous before God? The question echoes a refrain heard earlier in the book and frames every human being as fundamentally unequal to God's purity.
The observation is genuinely humbling and true to much of Scripture; no one rises to God's holiness on their own. Yet Eliphaz wields it as a hammer against Job specifically, implying his suffering proves uncommon guilt. The verse rightly lowers human pride before the holiness of God, while the larger story shows it must not be twisted to crush a particular sufferer. Our need is real, and so is the hope that the One who is righteous can make the unclean clean.
Job 15:14 in the Original Language
enosh (אֱנוֹשׁ), 'man' -- mortal humanity viewed in its weakness and frailty.
Frequently Asked Questions About Job 15:14
What does Job 15:14 mean?
Eliphaz asks how any mortal, born of woman, could ever be pure or righteous before God.