Job 33 9

Job 33:9 kjv

I am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me.

Job 33:9 nkjv

'I am pure, without transgression; I am innocent, and there is no iniquity in me.

Job 33:9 niv

'I am pure, I have done no wrong; I am clean and free from sin.

Job 33:9 esv

You say, 'I am pure, without transgression; I am clean, and there is no iniquity in me.

Job 33:9 nlt

You said, 'I am pure; I am without sin;
I am innocent; I have no guilt.

Job 33 verses

Job 33 9 Meaning

Job 33:9 records Elihu's summation of what he believes Job has declared regarding his own righteousness and blamelessness. Elihu presents Job as asserting, "I am pure, without transgression; I am innocent, and there is no iniquity in me." This verse encapsulates Elihu's perception that Job believes himself to be entirely free from sin, thereby implying an accusation against God's justice for allowing such suffering to befall an innocent person. It highlights the tension between human perceived integrity and divine dealings.

Job 33 9 Context

Job 33:9 appears within the discourse of Elihu, a younger man who interjects after Job and his three friends (Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar) have exhausted their arguments (Job 32:1-5). Elihu positions himself as one who will speak truly and correct the faulty arguments of both the friends, who failed to convince Job, and Job himself, whom Elihu perceives as questioning God's justice.

In chapters 32-37, Elihu presents a more nuanced theology than Job's friends. While the friends insisted suffering was solely a punishment for sin, Elihu introduces the idea that God uses suffering not just to punish, but also to discipline, instruct, correct, and purify a person, bringing them closer to Himself and preventing greater evil. He also emphasizes God's majesty, wisdom, and unquestionable sovereignty.

Verse 9 directly follows Elihu's claim that he will speak truthfully (v. 3) and clarify God's righteousness. He summarises Job's complaints in verses 9-11, intending to refute them by arguing that God does not violate justice. It is crucial to note that Elihu is summarizing Job's arguments from his perspective, often exaggerating or misinterpreting Job's nuanced laments (e.g., Job's claims of integrity were more about not having committed the specific heinous sins that would justify his extreme suffering, rather than claiming absolute sinlessness). Elihu interprets Job's cry for vindication as a claim of absolute purity, which for Elihu amounts to self-righteousness and an implicit accusation against God's character.

Job 33 9 Word analysis

• "He says" (אָמַר, 'āmar): This phrase indicates Elihu is quoting or, more accurately, paraphrasing/summarizing what he understands to be Job's claim. It signals Elihu's perception and interpretation of Job's words and complaints. The Hebrew term implies declaring or uttering.
• "I am pure" (זַךְ אֲנִי, zach 'ănî):
  • זַךְ (zach): Refers to being pure, clean, bright, untainted. It signifies moral purity, often in a ceremonial or moral sense, being free from contamination or defilement.
  • אֲנִי ('ănî): "I." Emphasizes the personal declaration.
  • Significance: Elihu attributes to Job a strong claim of moral spotlessness, indicating Job believes himself to be entirely unstained by any sin requiring his severe suffering. This is a very high claim, virtually claiming moral perfection.
• "without transgression" (בְּלִי פֶשַׁע, bᵉlî peša'):
  • בְּלִי (bᵉlî): Means "without," "apart from," "nothing of."
  • פֶשַׁע (peša'): Transgression, rebellion, revolt, trespass. This is a strong word for sin, often implying a deliberate violation or an act of breaking covenant or trust against God or others. It suggests conscious and intentional wrongdoing.
  • Significance: Elihu perceives Job to claim freedom from all acts of rebellion against God, even in his complaints or sufferings, asserting that he has committed no deliberate sin.
• "I am innocent" (נָקִי אָנִי, nāqî 'ănî):
  • נָקִי (nāqî): Innocent, guiltless, clean, unpunished, acquitted. It speaks to freedom from legal or moral culpability. It can mean "clean hands."
  • אָנִי ('ănî): "I." Reiterates the personal claim.
  • Significance: Reinforces the idea of Job's claimed blamelessness and lack of responsibility for his suffering. It echoes the language used elsewhere regarding blameless individuals, though Job is perceived to be overstating it in this context by Elihu.
• "and there is no iniquity in me" (וְאֵין־עָוֹן בִּי, wᵉ'êyn 'āwōn bî):
  • וְאֵין (wᵉ'êyn): "and there is no," indicating complete absence.
  • עָוֹן ('āwōn): Iniquity, guilt, twistedness, perversity, fault, or even the punishment due to sin. It emphasizes the deviation from moral rectitude and often implies moral distortion or spiritual perversity.
  • בִּי (bî): "in me." Specifies the location of absence.
  • Significance: This broad term covers both the sinful act itself and its inherent moral corruption, along with the resultant guilt or punishment. Job is understood by Elihu to assert total freedom from any such moral twisting or its deserved consequences.

Words-group analysis:

• "I am pure, without transgression; I am innocent, and there is no iniquity in me": This complete phrase, attributed to Job by Elihu, cumulatively describes an extreme claim of absolute moral and spiritual perfection. The use of multiple terms for sin and blamelessness ('zach', 'peša', 'naqi', 'avon') aims to convey Job's alleged insistence on an unblemished state across various dimensions of sin. It sets up Elihu's argument that Job is either misjudging himself or, in claiming such purity while suffering, is effectively charging God with injustice. Elihu views such a claim as hubris that needs correction. This is central to Elihu's re-framing of the dialogue from Job's complaints to Job's self-perception.

Job 33 9 Bonus section

• Elihu, though younger, acts as a pivotal character, providing a theological bridge between the friends' limited retribution theology and God's climactic speech from the whirlwind. His discourse, while at times mischaracterizing Job, introduces the crucial biblical concept of suffering as divine discipline or instruction, a truth reinforced in Proverbs and the New Testament (e.g., Heb 12:5-11).
• The dramatic tension around this verse lies in whether Job actually claims this level of absolute purity. Many scholars believe Elihu exaggerates to set up his own arguments, presenting a straw man. Job's own words demonstrate a recognition of general human sinfulness (Job 9:20, 30-31), though he staunchly denied specific acts warranting his suffering.
• Elihu's perception here underscores the theological danger of human beings demanding justification from God based on their own self-assessment of righteousness, overlooking the infinite chasm between human perfection and divine holiness. Even Job, declared "blameless" by God at the outset (Job 1:1, 2:3), would eventually repent of his questioning, seeing God in a new light (Job 42:5-6).

Job 33 9 Commentary

Job 33:9 serves as Elihu's interpretive summary of Job's lamentations and assertions of integrity throughout the preceding chapters. While Job genuinely maintained his innocence regarding the specific heinous sins his friends accused him of, and held firmly to his general integrity (Job 27:5-6), Elihu exaggerates this into a claim of absolute purity from any transgression or iniquity. Elihu sees Job's strong declarations of innocence as bordering on self-righteousness, implicitly challenging God's justice in permitting such intense suffering. Elihu then seeks to correct Job's perspective by revealing God's character more fully, particularly emphasizing that God is incomparably just and righteous (Job 34:10-12).

Elihu's perspective introduces a critical point in the book: the idea that suffering is not only retributive, but can also be formative, disciplinary, or a warning. If Job is indeed "pure," then his suffering must be for instruction, not punishment, according to Elihu's logic (Job 33:14-18, 36:5-10). Elihu subtly points out the human tendency to question God's methods when our understanding of justice clashes with our experience. He paves the way for God's ultimate intervention by emphasizing God's omnipotence and wisdom beyond human comprehension (Job 36:26, 37:23-24). Ultimately, this verse sets the stage for Elihu's corrective discourse, pushing Job towards a deeper humility and reliance on God's mysterious ways, rather than demanding an explanation from an infinite, holy God.