Job 15 16

Job 15:16 kjv

How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?

Job 15:16 nkjv

How much less man, who is abominable and filthy, Who drinks iniquity like water!

Job 15:16 niv

how much less mortals, who are vile and corrupt, who drink up evil like water!

Job 15:16 esv

how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks injustice like water!

Job 15:16 nlt

How much less pure is a corrupt and sinful person
with a thirst for wickedness!

Job 15 verses

Job 15 16 Meaning

Job 15:16 powerfully depicts a person whose nature is utterly depraved and whose affinity for evil is insatiable. Eliphaz, speaking, implies that if even celestial beings are deemed imperfect in God's sight, how much more so is a human who embodies spiritual vileness and embraces wickedness without hesitation, as easily and naturally as one drinks water to quench thirst. This vivid imagery describes a moral monster, completely given over to sin, subtly hinting at Job as fitting such a description in Eliphaz's eyes.

Job 15 16 Context

Job 15:16 is spoken by Eliphaz the Temanite during his second discourse (Job 15:1-35). In this chapter, Eliphaz continues to chastise Job, accusing him of using empty words (v. 2-3) and undermining the fear of God (v. 4). He reiterates the traditional wisdom that prosperity follows righteousness and suffering follows wickedness. His argument escalates from declaring Job arrogant (v. 5-6) and challenging his claim to special wisdom (v. 7-10), to directly condemning humanity's inherent impurity before God. Verse 16 builds upon Eliphaz's rhetorical question in Job 15:14-15, where he asserts that no one, not even angels, is pure in God's sight. Therefore, how much more is a human, who is prone to "drinking iniquity like water," condemned. This verse functions as a pointed and harsh accusation, designed to break Job's confidence in his own integrity by painting a picture of extreme wickedness that Eliphaz implicitly believes applies to Job's situation, thereby justifying his suffering. It's part of Eliphaz's polemic against Job's assertion of blamelessness.

Job 15 16 Word analysis

• How much less (אַף כִּי - 'af ki): This Hebrew phrase serves as an intensifying comparative particle, meaning "how much more" or "how much less," depending on the preceding context. Here, following Eliphaz's assertion in vv. 14-15 that God finds impurity even in heavens and angels, it creates an argument from the greater to the lesser. If even superior beings/elements are flawed in God's sight, then how much less (or "all the more") is a mortal man pure, especially one characterized in such extreme terms. It heightens the severity of the coming description.
• one who is abominable (תָּעֵב - tâ‘êḇ): Derived from the root "to be abominable," "detestable," "loathsome." This word often describes things that are repugnant to God due to their moral or ritual uncleanness (e.g., idolatry, perverse acts). It signifies not just an error, but something inherently offensive and deserving of extreme disgust in God's eyes. It suggests a deep-seated moral perversion, not just an occasional misstep.
• and corrupt (וְנֶאֱלָח - wᵉne'ĕlāḥ): This term comes from a root meaning "to be filthy," "stinking," "foul," or "polluted." It is a rare word, reinforcing the idea of moral putrefaction and decay. The passive form indicates being utterly defiled or morally rotten. Together with "abominable," it forms a strong lexical pair emphasizing extreme moral degradation, making the individual repugnant and ethically putrid.
• a man (אִישׁ - 'îš): The common Hebrew word for "man," "individual," or "human being." Its inclusion here specifically names the agent of this described wickedness, grounding the spiritual state firmly in a human person.
• drinks (שׁוֹתֶה - šôṯêh): This is a present participle, indicating a continuous, habitual action. It's not a one-time sip but a sustained, willing, and eager consumption. The verb choice implies an active, internal desire and indulgence in what is being consumed.
• iniquity (עַוְלָה - ‘awlâ): A broad Hebrew term for injustice, wrongdoing, unrighteousness, perversity, or wickedness. It refers to moral crookedness, deviation from God's standard of justice and righteousness. It covers a wide range of sins, highlighting fundamental moral bankruptcy.
• like water (כַמַּיִם - ka-mmayim): This powerful simile is the heart of the verse's imagery. Water is universally available and consumed readily, thirstily, and without inhibition or discernment. This comparison suggests that the individual embraces, internalizes, and delights in wickedness as instinctively and copiously as a parched person gulps down water. It implies:
  • Readiness/Ease: No effort or moral barrier to sinning.
  • Abundance/Copiousness: Not a little sin, but a vast amount, indulged in freely.
  • Satisfaction/Thirst: Sin is not seen as an evil, but as something desired and quenching to their spiritual thirst.
  • Habit/Nature: It becomes as essential and ingrained as drinking for survival, pointing to a completely corrupted nature.

• "How much less one who is abominable and corrupt": This phrase combines Eliphaz's escalating argument from the general (impurity of all creation before God, vv. 14-15) to the specific. It asserts that human beings, being far below angels, are even more susceptible to moral imperfection, especially those who reach such a level of abomination. The use of two strong descriptors ("abominable" and "corrupt") doubles down on the idea of inherent, extreme foulness and decay, leaving no room for moral redemption in Eliphaz's assessment.
• "a man who drinks iniquity like water!": This is a powerful, shocking, and visceral metaphor. It moves beyond simply doing evil to consuming it, integrating it into one's very being. The "drinking" implies a willing, eager, and continuous appropriation of wickedness. "Like water" underscores the effortless, constant, and abundant nature of this consumption. It suggests a total absence of moral repugnance or satiety towards sin; sin becomes the very sustenance of the wicked person's spiritual life, a damning indictment that points to an ingrained, pervasive state of depravity.

Job 15 16 Bonus section

This verse reflects a common theme among Job's friends, highlighting a strong belief in individual retribution: intense suffering equals intense sin. Their reasoning, rooted in wisdom literature, became a rigid theological framework that lacked nuance, especially concerning God's mysterious sovereignty and grace. While true that all humanity is fallen (Rom 5:12), applying this verse specifically as the cause for Job's suffering disregards God's earlier affirmation of Job's righteousness (Job 1:8). The passage demonstrates the potential danger of sound theological truths when misapplied to specific individual circumstances or when used to condemn without true understanding or compassion. The friends' arguments, though containing elements of truth about God's character and human sinfulness, fail to encompass the complexity of suffering and divine purposes beyond direct retribution. The dramatic comparison also serves to emphasize the unfathomable chasm between divine purity and human fallenness, setting the stage for later revelations about God's sovereign nature and justice.

Job 15 16 Commentary

Job 15:16 is Eliphaz's climatic expression of human depravity, a key tenet of the wisdom tradition applied by Job's friends. After questioning humanity's inherent righteousness against God's supreme purity, Eliphaz characterizes the height of wickedness not merely as committing sins, but as having a corrupted inner being where sin is avidly sought and consumed. The imagery of "drinking iniquity like water" implies an individual so steeped in evil that it sustains and refreshes them, revealing a total inversion of moral values where what should be abhorrent becomes desirable. It suggests a complete absence of conscience, restraint, or moral filter. While a theological truth about the human condition (Rom 3:10-12), Eliphaz misapplies it directly to Job, accusing him of fitting this abhorrent description simply because of his suffering, thus denying Job's claims of integrity. The verse stands as a powerful, if wrongly directed, statement on the profound nature of human sin and God's absolute holiness.