Job 35:6
A focused desk for reading, commentary, cross-references, original language notes, and your own observations.
Job 35:6
6 If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?
Chapter Context
Job 35 is a wisdom dialogue chapter in the Old Testament that explores themes of sacrifice, faith, salvation. Written during the patriarchal period (literary composition later), this chapter should be understood within its historical context: Ancient wisdom traditions often wrestled with the problem of suffering and divine justice.
The chapter can be divided into several sections:
- Verses 1-5: Introduction and setting the context
- Verses 6-12: Development of key themes
- Verses 13-16: Central message and teachings
This chapter is significant because it offers practical wisdom for godly living in a fallen world. When studying this passage, it's important to consider both its immediate context within Job and its broader place in the scriptural canon.
Verse Study
Job 35:6
6 If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?
Analysis
Elihu asks: "If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?" These rhetorical questions probe whether human sin harms God. The verb pa'al (פָּעַל, "doest") means to work or accomplish. Elihu argues that sin doesn't damage God's being—a true insight. God's perfection and self-sufficiency mean He doesn't suffer diminishment from our rebellion. However, Elihu draws a faulty conclusion: that God is therefore indifferent to sin. Reformed theology distinguishes between God's essential being (unaffected by creatures) and His relational disposition (genuinely grieved by sin). Ephesians 4:30 commands, "Grieve not the holy Spirit of God." While sin doesn't harm God's essence, it violates His holy character and grieves His covenant love. The cross demonstrates sin's seriousness—though God needed not suffer, He chose to in Christ to remedy sin's offense against His holiness.
Historical Context
Ancient philosophy debated whether gods could be affected by human actions. Aristotle's "Unmoved Mover" was utterly transcendent and unaffected. Some Stoics believed divine apatheia (freedom from passion). Biblical theology presents God as both transcendent (unchanging in essence) and immanent (genuinely engaged with creation). God's grief over sin (Genesis 6:6) coexists with His immutability.
Reflection
- How do we reconcile God's unchanging nature with biblical descriptions of Him being grieved by sin?
- What does the cross reveal about how seriously God takes sin even though it doesn't harm His essence?
- How should understanding God's transcendence and immanence shape our view of sin's significance?
Word Studies
- Transgression: פֶּשַׁע (Pesha) H6588 - Transgression, rebellion
Cross-References
- Sin: Proverbs 8:36
- Parallel theme: Jeremiah 7:19