Job 15 · Verse 16

Job 15:16

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

Job 15:16, King James Version

Job 15:16 in other translations

BSB	how much less man, who is vile and corrupt, who drinks injustice like water?
WEB	how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks iniquity like water!
ASV	How much less one that is abominable and corrupt, A man that drinketh iniquity like water!
YLT	Also--surely abominable and filthy Is man drinking as water perverseness.
DARBY	How much less the abominable and corrupt, — man, that drinketh unrighteousness like water!
BBE	How much less one who is disgusting and unclean, a man who takes in evil like water!
Webster	How much more abominable and filthy is man, who drinketh iniquity like water?

What does Job 15:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

16. filthy--in Arabic "sour" (Psa 14:3; 53:3), corrupted from his original purity. drinketh--(Pr 19:28).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 16 How much more abominable and filthy is man - As in the preceding verse it is said, he putteth no trust in his saints, it has appeared both to translators and commentators that the original words, אף כי aph ki, should be rendered how much Less, not how much More: How much less would he put confidence in man, who is filthy and abominable in his natures and profligate in his practice, as he drinks down iniquity like water? A man who is under the power of sinful propensities commits sin as greedily as the thirsty man or camel drinks down water. He thinks he can never have enough. This is a finished character of a Bad man; he hungers and thirsts after Sin: on the contrary, the Good man hungers and thirsts after Righteousness.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Job 15:1-16

Eliphaz begins a second attack upon Job, instead of being softened by his complaints. He unjustly charges Job with casting off the fear of God, and all regard to him, and restraining prayer. See in what religion is summed up, fearing God, and praying to him; the former the most needful principle, the latter the most needful practice. Eliphaz charges Job with self-conceit. He charges him with contempt of the counsels…

Read the full comment on Job 15:1-16 →

Job 15:16 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

אַ֭ף'afindeed?H637

כִּֽי\־ki-forH3588

נִתְעָ֥בnit.'Av[one who] is abhorrentH8581

וְֽנֶאֱלָ֑חve.ne.'e.Lachand [one who] is corruptH444

אִישׁ\־'ish-a personH376

שֹׁתֶ֖הsho.Teh[who] drinksH8354

כַמַּ֣יִםkha.Ma.yimlike <the> waterH4325

עַוְלָֽה\׃'av.LahunrighteousnessH5766

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Job 15:16

Proverbs 19:28
An ungodly witness scorneth judgment: and the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity.
Job 34:7
What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water?
Romans 3:9-19
What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. …
Titus 3:3
For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
Psalms 53:3
Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Romans 1:28-30
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
Job 4:19
How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?
Psalms 14:1-3
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Job 20:12
Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue;
Job 42:6
Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

How much.Rather, "How much less {aph kee,} abominable and filthy man," who, under the influence of sinful propensities, commits sin as greedily as a thirsty man or camel drinks down water.
abominable.
4:19; 42:6; Ps 14:1-3; 53:3; Ro 1:28-30; 3:9-19; Tit 3:3
drinketh.
20:12; 34:7; Pr 19:28

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Job 15:15
Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.
Job 15:16
How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?
Job 15:17
I will shew thee, hear me; and that which I have seen I will declare;

Read all of Job 15

Job 15:16 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	¿Cuánto menos el hombre abominable y vil, que bebe la iniquidad como agua?
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Combien plus l’homme, qui boit l’iniquité comme l’eau, est-il abominable et corrompu!
German Elberfelder 1871	wieviel weniger der Abscheuliche und Verderbte, der Mann, der Unrecht trinkt wie Wasser!
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Quanto magis abominabilis et inutilis homo, qui bibit quasi aquam iniquitatem?