my transgression would be sealed up in a bag, and you would cover over my iniquity.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Job is using vivid imagery to express how God meticulously keeps account of all his wrongdoings, as if sealing them in a bag for future reference. This isn't about God forgetting, but rather about his perfect knowledge, ensuring every sin is remembered and accounted for, ready to be brought up.
my transgression would be sealed up in a bag, and you would cover over my iniquity.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Job is in the depths of his suffering, questioning God's justice and lamenting the fleeting nature of human life. He’s just described life as a brief, fragile thing, like a moth’s existence. Now, he feels God has meticulously counted and cataloged every single one of his wrongdoings, sealing them up so none are forgotten and all are ready for judgment.
Imagine every sin you've ever committed, every wrong thought, every unkind word, meticulously collected. Job felt God was doing just that, keeping an infallible record.
Job uses powerful imagery to express his overwhelming sense of guilt and God's scrutiny.
A Sealed Bag of Transgressions
Job compares his 'transgression' to something sealed up in a bag. In ancient times, this was a common practice for important documents or valuable items. Money was often counted, placed in a bag, and then sealed. This served two purposes: it authenticated the amount and kept it secure. For Job, this means God has an exact count of his sins, and not one is forgotten or lost. They are perfectly preserved, ready to be presented.
Sewn-Up Iniquity
The phrase 'sewest up mine iniquity' adds another layer of intensity. It suggests that God not only seals the bag but sews it shut for ultimate security. Some scholars suggest it implies God 'adds to' or 'patches together' the iniquity, as if compounding the charges. The core idea is God's complete and meticulous accounting of sin, leaving Job feeling exposed and judged.
Job's words reveal a deep-seated misunderstanding of God's heart. He sees God as a meticulous record-keeper of sin, but misses the divine provision for forgiveness.
While Job's description of God's perfect record is accurate, his interpretation reveals his distress and a painful disconnect from God's character.
The Accuser's Trap
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Job feels his sins are being gathered and sealed not for compassionate archiving, but for future condemnation. He perceives God primarily as the one who holds every sin against him, ready to bring them forth as evidence for judgment. This perspective is understandable given his immense suffering, but it overlooks God's merciful nature and the work of atonement.
A Glimpse of Hope Lost
What Job describes is the opposite of God's ultimate intent for sin. While God does know every sin, His desire is to forgive and cover them. The imagery of a 'sealed bag' can be terrifying if seen as evidence for guilt, but it can also represent sins being completely removed and hidden. Job, in his agony, struggles to see this redemptive aspect.
Understand the original words
pesha' · Hebrew Noun
A conscious act of rebellion or breaking of a covenant or law; a willful departure from the path of righteousness.
avon · Hebrew Noun
The moral distortion or perversion of one's character or actions; guilt that is deserving of punishment.
This passage also uses the imagery of God storing up sin, likening it to treasures sealed and kept ready for judgment.
Psalm 56:8The psalmist likens God collecting his tears to how Job describes his transgressions being sealed in a bag, emphasizing God's careful attention to all our experiences.
Psalm 32:1This psalm speaks of the blessedness of having one's sin forgiven and covered, offering a contrast to Job's feeling that his sins are being meticulously preserved for judgment.
Daniel 9:24In Daniel's prophecy, the coming Messiah's work is described as 'sealing up sin,' which can be understood as making an end of it and putting it away permanently, a stark contrast to Job's fear of his sins being preserved.
Matthew 13:41-42Jesus uses the analogy of separating the wicked from the righteous, like a fisherman separating fish, where the wicked are thrown into a furnace. This reflects the idea of sins being accounted for and judged, similar to Job's imagery of God's meticulous record-keeping.
clarkeJob 14:17: "My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity."
My transgression is sealed up in a bag - An allusion to the custom of collecting evidence of state transgressions, sealing them up in a bag, and presenting them to the judges and officers of state to be examined, in order to trial and judgment. Just at this time (July, 1820) charges of state transgressions, sealed up in a Green Bag, and presented to the two houses of parliament, for the examination of a secre…
wesleyJob 14:17: "My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity."
14:17 Sealed - As writings or other choice things, that they may all be brought forth upon occasion, and not one of them forgotten. Thou keepest all my sins in thy memory. But herein Job speaks rashly.
Job is using vivid imagery to express how God meticulously keeps account of all his wrongdoings, as if sealing them in a bag for future reference. This isn't about God forgetting, but rather about his perfect knowledge, ensuring every sin is remembered and accounted for, ready to be brought up.
Job is in the depths of his suffering, questioning God's justice and lamenting the fleeting nature of human life. He’s just described life as a brief, fragile thing, like a moth’s existence. Now, he feels God has meticulously counted and cataloged every single one of his wrongdoings, sealing them up so none are forgotten and all are ready for judgment.
Job is in the depths of his suffering, questioning God's justice and lamenting the fleeting nature of human life. He’s just described life as a brief, fragile thing, like a moth’s existence. Now, he feels God has meticulously counted and cataloged every single one of his wrongdoings, sealing them up so none are forgotten and all are ready for judgment.
"my transgression would be sealed up in a bag, and you would cover over my iniquity." — Job is using vivid imagery to express how God meticulously keeps account of all his wrongdoings, as if sealing them in a bag for future reference. This isn't about God forgetting, but rather about hi…
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Last reviewed October 2026