Job 35:6-8
If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against him? And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him? If you are righteous, what do you give to him? Or what does he receive from your hand? Your wickedness concerns a man like yourself, and your righteousness a son of man.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This isn't God saying your sin doesn't matter; it's a profound reminder that human actions, however grievous, cannot fundamentally harm the Almighty. Elihu is pointing out that our sins don't diminish God's power or wound His being, but rather highlight our own self-inflicted separation from Him.
Elihu is directly addressing Job, accusing him of claiming righteousness and questioning God’s justice, essentially saying, "Why bother complaining when God is so far above us?" This verse presses Job on the futility of his suffering and his arguments, emphasizing that even multiplied sins or transgressions against God do not truly harm or affect God's supreme being. It sets the stage for Elihu to argue that God's justice operates on a different level than human understanding, and our actions, whether sinful or righteous, don't change God's essential nature.
Have you ever wondered if your sin really matters to God? Or if your good deeds somehow add to His glory? Elihu tackles these profound questions head-on.
Elihu’s point here isn't to downplay sin, but to highlight the absolute sovereignty and unshakeable nature of God.
God is Beyond Harm
Think about it: Can a tiny bug harm the sun? Can a single pebble thrown at a mountain cause it to crumble? Of course not. Our sins, no matter how grievous, are like those tiny bugs or pebbles when compared to the infinite majesty of God. They cannot diminish His power, lessen His glory, or disturb His perfect peace.
God Isn't
If your sins don't hurt God, why should you care so much? Elihu is about to reveal where the real damage is done.
While our sins don't injure God, they absolutely do injure us. Elihu’s challenge is meant to redirect Job’s focus from trying to prove his innocence to God, to understanding the consequences of sin on himself.
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The Harm to the Sinner
Elihu implies that sin’s true effect is on the perpetrator. It’s a spiritual discord, a violation of the moral order God established. When we sin, we aren't hurting God’s happiness, but we are damaging our own relationship with Him, clouding our conscience, and setting ourselves against His righteous purposes. The commentators note that sin is 'against God' (Psalm 51:4), not because it harms Him, but because it’s a rejection of His nature and law.
A Broken Harmony
God’s universe is built on harmony. Sin is the dissonance. While God can and does use even our dissonance for His ultimate glory (as seen in how He overrules sin for good), the immediate impact of sin is on the sinner’s standing and well-being within that harmonious creation.
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.
tsaddiq · Hebrew Adjective
Living in conformity with God's standards and character; uprightness before God. Biblically, it refers to a status of moral integrity, often attained through faith and expressed through obedience to God's law.
resha' · Hebrew Noun
Moral evil, guilt, or iniquity; it describes an internal state of corruption or outward conduct that is contrary to God’s nature and His standard of justice.
tsedaqah · Hebrew Noun
The state of being in alignment with God’s demands; it is the manifestation of justice and integrity in human behavior that corresponds to God’s nature.
adam · Hebrew Noun
A person; human beings as created by God, often highlighting the creaturely or mortal nature of humanity in contrast to the divine.
This psalm directly echoes the sentiment that sin is ultimately 'against God,' clarifying that while our sin doesn't harm God's being, it's a direct affront to His nature and authority.
Romans 3:4Paul quotes Psalm 51:4 to emphasize that God remains true and righteous even when humanity proves unfaithful. This passage highlights God's unwavering character, which is unaffected by human sin, just as Job 35:6 suggests.
Jeremiah 7:19This verse speaks of God's people 'provoking' Him to anger with their actions, but the prophet clarifies that the harm is directed at themselves, not at God. This reinforces the idea that human sin ultimately rebounds on the sinner.
Luke 15:18-19In the parable of the Prodigal Son, the son recognizes he has sinned 'against heaven' and against his father. This shows that while the father’s love and status are unchanged, the son's actions are a direct rebellion against the one who gave him everything.
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…
This isn't God saying your sin doesn't matter; it's a profound reminder that human actions, however grievous, cannot fundamentally harm the Almighty. Elihu is pointing out that our sins don't diminish God's power or wound His being, but rather highlight our own self-inflicted separation from Him.
Elihu is directly addressing Job, accusing him of claiming righteousness and questioning God’s justice, essentially saying, "Why bother complaining when God is so far above us?" This verse presses Job on the futility of his suffering and his arguments, emphasizing that even multiplied sins or transgressions against God do not truly harm or affect God's supreme being. It sets the stage for Elihu to argue that God's justice operates on a different level than human understanding, and our actions, whether sinful or righteous, don't change God's essential nature.
Elihu is directly addressing Job, accusing him of claiming righteousness and questioning God’s justice, essentially saying, "Why bother complaining when God is so far above us?" This verse presses Job on the futility of his suffering and his arguments, emphasizing that even multiplied sins or transgressions against God do not truly harm or affect God's supreme being. It sets the stage for Elihu to argue that God's justice operates on a different level than human understanding, and our actions, whether sinful or righteous, don't change God's essential nature.
"If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against him? And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him? If you are righteous, what do you give to him? Or what does he receive from your hand? Your wickednes…" — This isn't God saying your sin doesn't matter; it's a profound reminder that human actions, however grievous, cannot fundamentally harm the Almighty. Elihu is pointing out that our sins don't diminis…
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