Job 15:14What is man, that he should be clean? What is he who is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
The setting
Ancient Uz. Eliphaz pauses, his voice dropping to philosophical reflection, using this universal truth to trap Job in theological checkmate...
The emotion here: using theological truth as a club to win an argument
The original word
ʾenôš (אֱנוֹשׁ) — frail mortal man, emphasizes weakness and mortality, not general humanity
Why it matters
Ancient Near Eastern cultures viewed women as ceremonially unclean during childbirth, making birth itself a source of impurity
Read with care
What most readers miss in Job 15:14
Eliphaz uses a true theological principle (human sinfulness) as a weapon to silence Job's legitimate complaint about unjust suffering
Common misconceptionPeople quote this to teach humility, but in context it's spiritual abuse — using true doctrine (human sinfulness) to silence legitimate suffering and questions about injustice.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Job 15:14
Bible Genome reading
Job 15:14 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Job 15:14 comes from the book of Job, written during the Patriarchal period. These words are attributed to Eliphaz. The dominant emotion in this verse is seeking, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the dialogue genre of biblical literature. Key themes include human nature, righteousness, mortality. Notable phrases: what is man; born of woman; should be righteous.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same seeking
“Pray without ceasing.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:17
“But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
— Amos 5:24
“Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that …”
— Genesis 18:25
“Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great things, and difficult, which you don't know.”
— Jeremiah 33:3
“Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evi…”
— Luke 11:4
Your reflection
What does Job 15:14 mean to you, today?
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