Elihu isn't saying our sins don't matter or that God is indifferent. Instead, he's pointing out that our actions can't harm God's essential nature or being, any more than multiplying our sins can lessen the sun's brightness. God's response to sin isn't because He's personally wounded, but because sin disrupts the perfect order of His creation and our relationship with Him.
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)
Elihu is responding directly to Job's persistent claims of righteousness and his complaints that God is not acting justly. He's trying to steer Job away from arguing that God is being unfair by pointing out that human actions, whether sinful or righteous, don't actually change God's infinite nature or power. Elihu argues that God is so far beyond us that our sins or multiplied transgressions can't harm or diminish Him in any way.
When we mess up, it feels like a big deal. But how does our sin actually impact God?
Elihu is trying to get Job to see things from God's perspective. He asks, 'If you sin, what do you do to God?' The point isn't that sin is okay, but that our actions, even our multiplied transgressions, can't actually hurt or diminish God. He is utterly supreme, beyond our reach. Think of it like shouting insults at the sun; it doesn't affect the sun one bit. Your sins don't wound God, reduce His power, or disturb His perfect happiness. They can't dethrone Him or even make Him 'discomposed.' While sin is absolutely against God's nature and law, and He hates it, it doesn't inflict damage upon His being.
We strive to do good, but does God need our good deeds?
Elihu's questions in Job 35:6 have a flip side. If our sins can't hurt God, then our righteousness can't benefit Him either. God's perfection means He doesn't gain anything from our good works. He isn't improved by our obedience or made happier by our righteousness. Just as sin can't reach Him to harm Him, our good deeds can't add anything to His infinite glory or happiness. This isn't to devalue good deeds – they matter immensely for our relationship with God and with others – but it's to understand that God's essential nature is complete and perfect, independent of anything we do.
Does God react emotionally like we do when things go wrong? How does His justice truly work?
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Elihu is correcting a common human tendency: to think God's justice works like human justice. When people sin against us, we might get angry, seek revenge, or feel our happiness is marred. Elihu insists God isn't like that. He isn't 'influenced in his treatment of his creatures' like humans are. He doesn't act out of 'passion' or because His 'happiness is marred.' God's justice is perfect and unwavering. He doesn't punish sin because it hurts Him, but because sin is fundamentally opposed to His holy nature and the order of His moral universe. Conversely, He doesn't reward righteousness because He needs it, but because it aligns with His nature. His justice is about maintaining His perfect standard, a standard that is far above us.
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 Elihu's point by stating, 'Against you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.' It highlights that sin's primary offense is against God's character and holiness, not that it can actually harm God Himself.
Romans 3:3-4Paul grapples with God's faithfulness even when people are unfaithful, essentially asking if their sin can nullify God's truth. The answer is a resounding 'No!' underscoring that human sin doesn't invalidate God's nature or plans.
Luke 15:18-19In the parable of the prodigal son, the son says, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' This shows the profound offense of sin against God, even while acknowledging the father's ultimate inability to be harmed by the son's rebellion.
Hebrews 4:13This verse reminds us that 'nothing in all creation is hidden from God's eyes.' It reinforces the idea that our actions, whether sin or righteousness, are fully known to God but don't alter His being or His ultimate judgment.
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…
Elihu isn't saying our sins don't matter or that God is indifferent. Instead, he's pointing out that our actions can't harm God's essential nature or being, any more than multiplying our sins can lessen the sun's brightness. God's response to sin isn't because He's personally wounded, but because sin disrupts the perfect order of His creation and our relationship with Him.
Elihu is responding directly to Job's persistent claims of righteousness and his complaints that God is not acting justly. He's trying to steer Job away from arguing that God is being unfair by pointing out that human actions, whether sinful or righteous, don't actually change God's infinite nature or power. Elihu argues that God is so far beyond us that our sins or multiplied transgressions can't harm or diminish Him in any way.
Elihu is responding directly to Job's persistent claims of righteousness and his complaints that God is not acting justly. He's trying to steer Job away from arguing that God is being unfair by pointing out that human actions, whether sinful or righteous, don't actually change God's infinite nature or power. Elihu argues that God is so far beyond us that our sins or multiplied transgressions can't harm or diminish Him in any way.
"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…" — Elihu isn't saying our sins don't matter or that God is indifferent. Instead, he's pointing out that our actions can't harm God's essential nature or being, any more than multiplying our sins can l…
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Last reviewed October 2026
