Logos Bible Study

Job 25:4–6

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25:4How then can a human being be righteous before God?

How can one born of a woman be pure?7

25:5If even the moon is not bright,

and the stars are not pure as far as he is concerned,8

25:6how much less a mortal man, who is but a maggot9—

a son of man, who is only a worm!”

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Footnotes

  1. 7 Bildad here does not come up with new expressions; rather, he simply uses what Eliphaz had said (see Job 4:17–19 and 15:14–16).
  2. 8 Heb “not pure in his eyes.”
  3. 9 The text just has “maggot” and in the second half “worm.” Something has to be added to make it a bit clearer. The terms “maggot” and “worm” describe man in his lowest and most ignominious shape.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

How then can man be in the right before God?

How can he who is born of woman be pure?

Behold, even the moon is not bright,

and the stars are not pure in his eyes;

how much less man, who is a maggot,

and the son of man, who is a worm!”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

How then can a mortal be righteous before God?

How can one born of woman be pure?

If even the moon is not bright

and the stars are not pure in his eyes,

how much less a mortal, who is but a maggot—

a human being, who is only a worm!”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

How can a human be justified before God?

How can one born of woman be pure?

If even the moon does not shine

and the stars are not pure in his sight,

how much less a human, who is a maggot,

a son of man, who is a worm!

NLTNew Living Translation

How can a mortal be innocent before God?

Can anyone born of a woman be pure?

God is more glorious than the moon;

he shines brighter than the stars.

In comparison, people are maggots;

we mortals are mere worms.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

“Indeed, how can a human being be righteous before God?

And how will he who is born of a woman be pure?

Look, even the moon is not bright,

and the stars are not pure in his sight.

How much less for a human being who is a maggot,

and a human who is a worm?”

KJV 1900King James Version

How then can man be justified with God?

Or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?

Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not;

Yea, the stars are not pure in his sight.

How much less man, that is a worm?

And the son of man, which is a worm?