If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against him? And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's easy to miss is that this isn't an invitation to sin freely. Instead, it highlights God's perfect self-sufficiency—our sins don't damage Him or His essential glory, much like a tiny pebble can't truly harm the sun. This emphasizes that our actions primarily impact ourselves and the relationship we have with Him.
If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against him? And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?
English Standard Version (ESV)
Elihu is directly addressing Job, challenging his continued insistence on his own righteousness in the face of suffering. He's arguing that Job’s sin or righteousness doesn't actually impact God's essential being or divine plan. Elihu's point is to shift the focus from Job's limited perspective on his suffering to God's infinite and unassailable nature.
Have you ever felt like your mistakes could somehow 'break' God or ruin His day? Elihu brings a startling perspective here.
Elihu is addressing Job's deep-seated anguish, and he pushes Job to consider the sheer immensity of God. When we sin, it's profoundly serious because it goes against God's very nature and law. But the core of Elihu's point is this: our actions, whether good or bad, cannot fundamentally harm or diminish God.
Think of it like this: You can throw a rock at the sun. It might feel like an aggressive action, but does it actually hurt the sun? Does it dim its light or change its course? Of course not. In the same way, our sins are like tiny pebbles thrown at an infinite, glorious sun. They can't touch God's essential being or happiness.
This doesn't make sin okay, but it shifts our focus. The real damage is to us and our relationship with Him, not to God Himself.
Elihu is reminding Job (and us!) that God isn't swayed by our emotions or actions like we are.
Unlike humans, who can be influenced, hurt, or pleased by others' actions, God's nature is perfect and unchanging. He doesn't have 'emotional interests' that can be damaged or improved by our behavior.
Elihu uses this to argue that God's justice isn't based on whether He's been personally offended or benefited. God doesn't get angry and lash out because His happiness is 'marred.' He doesn't show favoritism because He 'needs' something from us.
His judgment and actions are always rooted in His perfect character and His sovereign plan, not in a reaction to our puny attempts to 'affect' Him.
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Understand the original words
chata' · Hebrew Verb
To miss the mark of God's holiness; an act of rebellion or disobedience against God's law or character. It signifies both the state of being separated from God and the specific actions that violate His will.
pesha' · Hebrew Noun
The act of crossing a boundary or breaking a covenant; a conscious rebellion against established authority or moral law. It suggests a deliberate violation of a relationship or command.
This Psalm directly states, 'Against you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.' This echoes the verse from Job by highlighting that sin is fundamentally an offense against God's character and authority, even though it doesn't harm Him.
Romans 3:23Paul writes that 'all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.' This passage underscores the universal nature of sin and the reality that despite our failings, God's glory remains untouched and His nature is not diminished.
Jeremiah 7:19The prophet asks, 'Are they [the people] provoking me to anger, declares the LORD, and not rather themselves, to the confusion of their own faces?' This reinforces the idea that sin's ultimate consequence falls upon the sinner, not upon God.
1 Corinthians 15:14Paul emphasizes that if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. This highlights how God's purposes and nature are not dependent on human actions or reactions; He stands firm regardless of our compliance or rebellion.
clarkeJob 35:6: "If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?"
If thou sinnest - God is not benefited by thy righteousness, nor injured by thy iniquity, howsoever multiplied it may be.
barnesJob 35:6: "If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?"
If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? - This should not be interpreted as designed to justify sin, or as saying that there is no evil in it, or that God does not regard it. That is not the point or scope of the remark of Elihu. His object is to show that God is not influenced in his treatment of his creatures as people are in their treatment of each other. He has n…
What's easy to miss is that this isn't an invitation to sin freely. Instead, it highlights God's perfect self-sufficiency—our sins don't damage Him or His essential glory, much like a tiny pebble can't truly harm the sun. This emphasizes that our actions primarily impact ourselves and the relationship we have with Him.
Elihu is directly addressing Job, challenging his continued insistence on his own righteousness in the face of suffering. He's arguing that Job’s sin or righteousness doesn't actually impact God's essential being or divine plan. Elihu's point is to shift the focus from Job's limited perspective on his suffering to God's infinite and unassailable nature.
Elihu is directly addressing Job, challenging his continued insistence on his own righteousness in the face of suffering. He's arguing that Job’s sin or righteousness doesn't actually impact God's essential being or divine plan. Elihu's point is to shift the focus from Job's limited perspective on his suffering to God's infinite and unassailable nature.
"If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against him? And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?" — What's easy to miss is that this isn't an invitation to sin freely. Instead, it highlights God's perfect self-sufficiency—our sins don't damage Him or His essential glory, much like a tiny pebble can…
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Last reviewed October 2026