All humans are limited, flawed, and require God’s grace for true righteousness.
Eliphaz, one of Job’s friends, challenges Job’s sense of righteousness by posing a striking question. Historically, Eliphaz is said to be from Teman, an area associated with Edom, which many scholars believe lay in the southern region of what is now modern-day Jordan. Job’s story itself is traditionally placed in the patriarchal era, around 2000-1800 BC, suggesting that these conversations occurred during a time when questions of moral standing and divine justice were deeply intertwined with cultural and theological beliefs.
Eliphaz’s inquiry emerges in the statement: “What is man, that he should be pure, Or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?” (Job 15:14). By asking “What is man, that he should be pure,” he highlights the frailty and imperfection of human nature. Then, the phrase “Or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?” underscores the universal truth that all humankind inherits flaws and is prone to fall short of God’s standard. Eliphaz implies that no one, by virtue of human birth, can lay claim to complete moral purity.
This warning reflects a broader biblical theme: all people, by their nature, struggle with sin and cannot declare their own righteousness (Romans 3:23). Although Eliphaz’s words are directed specifically at Job, they echo a universal reality that humanity stands in need of salvation and redemption, foreshadowing the role of Christ as the solution to the innate human struggle with unrighteousness (Hebrews 4:15). Thus, Eliphaz’s rhetorical question not only challenges Job to examine his standing before God but also resonates with every individual who grapples with questions of sin and purity.
Set to dark mode
Job 15:14 meaning
Eliphaz, one of Job’s friends, challenges Job’s sense of righteousness by posing a striking question. Historically, Eliphaz is said to be from Teman, an area associated with Edom, which many scholars believe lay in the southern region of what is now modern-day Jordan. Job’s story itself is traditionally placed in the patriarchal era, around 2000-1800 BC, suggesting that these conversations occurred during a time when questions of moral standing and divine justice were deeply intertwined with cultural and theological beliefs.
Eliphaz’s inquiry emerges in the statement: “What is man, that he should be pure, Or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?” (Job 15:14). By asking “What is man, that he should be pure,” he highlights the frailty and imperfection of human nature. Then, the phrase “Or he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?” underscores the universal truth that all humankind inherits flaws and is prone to fall short of God’s standard. Eliphaz implies that no one, by virtue of human birth, can lay claim to complete moral purity.
This warning reflects a broader biblical theme: all people, by their nature, struggle with sin and cannot declare their own righteousness (Romans 3:23). Although Eliphaz’s words are directed specifically at Job, they echo a universal reality that humanity stands in need of salvation and redemption, foreshadowing the role of Christ as the solution to the innate human struggle with unrighteousness (Hebrews 4:15). Thus, Eliphaz’s rhetorical question not only challenges Job to examine his standing before God but also resonates with every individual who grapples with questions of sin and purity.