Job 14:4

NETBible

Who can make a clean thing come from an unclean? No one!

NIV ©

Who can bring what is pure from the impure? No-one!

NASB ©

"Who can make the clean out of the unclean? No one!

NLT ©

Who can create purity in one born impure? No one!

MSG ©

There's nothing much to us to start with; how do you expect us to amount to anything?

BBE ©

If only a clean thing might come out of an unclean! But it is not possible.

NRSV ©

Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one can.

NKJV ©

Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one!


KJV
Who can bring
<05414> (8799)
a clean
<02889>
[thing] out of an unclean
<02931>_?
not one
<0259>_.
{can...: Heb. will give}
NASB ©

"Who
<4310>
can make
<5414>
the clean
<2889>
out of the unclean
<2931>
? No
<3808>
one
<259>
!
LXXM
tiv
<5100> 
I-NSM
gar
<1063> 
PRT
kayarov
<2513> 
A-NSM
estai
<1510> 
V-FMI-3S
apo
<575> 
PREP
rupou {N-GSM} all
<235> 
CONJ
ouyeiv
<3762> 
A-NSF
NET [draft] ITL
Who
<04310>
can make
<05414>
a clean
<02889>
thing come from an unclean
<02931>
? No
<03808>
one
<0259>
!
HEBREW
dxa
<0259>
al
<03808>
amjm
<02931>
rwhj
<02889>
Nty
<05414>
ym (14:4)
<04310>

NETBible

Who can make a clean thing come from an unclean? No one!

NET Notes

tn The expression is מִי־יִתֵּן (mi-yitten, “who will give”; see GKC 477 §151.b). Some commentators (H. H. Rowley and A. B. Davidson) wish to take this as the optative formula: “O that a clean might come out of an unclean!” But that does not fit the verse very well, and still requires the addition of a verb. The exclamation here simply implies something impossible – man is unable to attain purity.

sn The point being made is that the entire human race is contaminated by sin, and therefore cannot produce something pure. In this context, since man is born of woman, it is saying that the woman and the man who is brought forth from her are impure. See Ps 51:5; Isa 6:5; and Gen 6:5.