Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Even if I washed myself with soap and my hands with cleansing powder, New Living Translation Even if I were to wash myself with soap and clean my hands with lye, English Standard Version If I wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye, Berean Standard Bible If I should wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye, King James Bible If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean; New King James Version If I wash myself with snow water, And cleanse my hands with soap, New American Standard Bible “If I washed myself with snow, And cleansed my hands with lye, NASB 1995 “If I should wash myself with snow And cleanse my hands with lye, NASB 1977 “If I should wash myself with snow And cleanse my hands with lye, Legacy Standard Bible If I should wash myself with snow And cleanse my hands with lye, Amplified Bible “If I were to wash myself with snow And cleanse my hands with lye, Christian Standard Bible If I wash myself with snow, and cleanse my hands with lye, Holman Christian Standard Bible If I wash myself with snow, and cleanse my hands with lye, American Standard Version If I wash myself with snow water, And make my hands never so clean; Contemporary English Version Even if I washed myself with the strongest soap, English Revised Version If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean; GOD'S WORD® Translation If I wash myself with lye soap and cleanse my hands with bleach, Good News Translation No soap can wash away my sins. International Standard Version "If I wash myself with water from snow, and cleanse my hands with lye, NET Bible If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands clean with lye, New Heart English Bible If I wash myself with snow water, and cleanse my hands with lye, Webster's Bible Translation If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean; Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleIf I should wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye, World English Bible If I wash myself with snow, and cleanse my hands with lye, Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionIf I have washed myself with snow-water, "" And purified my hands with soap, Young's Literal Translation If I have washed myself with snow-water, And purified with soap my hands, Smith's Literal Translation If I washed myself in snow-water, and cleansed my hands clean; Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleIf I be washed as it were with snow waters, and my hands shall shine ever so clean : Catholic Public Domain Version If I had been washed with snow-like waters, and my hands were shining like the cleanest thing, New American Bible If I should wash myself with soap and cleanse my hands with lye, New Revised Standard Version If I wash myself with soap and cleanse my hands with lye, Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleIf I wash myself with snow why then dost thou consume me in my hands; Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And if I am washed in water of snow and I am cleansed in the purity of my hands OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917If I wash myself with snow water, And make my hands never so clean; Brenton Septuagint Translation For if I should wash myself with snow, and purge myself with pure hands, Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Job: How Can I Argue with God?…29Since I am already found guilty, why should I labor in vain? 30If I should wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye, 31then You would plunge me into the pit, and even my own clothes would despise me.… Cross References Isaiah 1:16 Wash and cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil! Jeremiah 2:22 Although you wash with lye and use an abundance of soap, the stain of your guilt is still before Me,” declares the Lord GOD. Psalm 51:7 Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Isaiah 64:6 Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind. Zechariah 3:3-4 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy garments as he stood before the angel. / So the angel said to those standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes!” Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have removed your iniquity, and I will clothe you with splendid robes.” 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. Titus 3:5 He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 9:14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God! Revelation 7:14 “Sir,” I answered, “you know.” So he replied, “These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Matthew 23:25-26 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. / Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, so that the outside may become clean as well. Mark 7:2-4 and they saw some of His disciples eating with hands that were defiled—that is, unwashed. / Now in holding to the tradition of the elders, the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat until they wash their hands ceremonially. / And on returning from the market, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions for them to observe, including the washing of cups, pitchers, kettles, and couches for dining. 1 Corinthians 6:11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. Ephesians 5:26 to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, John 13:8-10 “Never shall You wash my feet!” Peter told Him. Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.” / “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not only my feet, but my hands and my head as well!” / Jesus told him, “Whoever has already bathed needs only to wash his feet, and he will be completely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” 2 Corinthians 7:1 Therefore, beloved, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Treasury of Scripture If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean; Psalm 26:6 I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O LORD: Proverbs 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. Isaiah 1:16-18 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; … Jump to Previous Clean Cleanse Cleansed Hands Lye Purified Purity Snow Soap Soda Wash Washed Washing WaterJump to Next Clean Cleanse Cleansed Hands Lye Purified Purity Snow Soap Soda Wash Washed Washing WaterJob 9 1. Job acknowledges God's justice22. Man's innocence is not to be condemned by afflictions If I should wash myself with snow In the ancient Near East, snow was a rare and precious commodity, often associated with purity and cleansing due to its whiteness and rarity. Job's reference to washing with snow highlights the extreme measures he considers to achieve purity. This imagery underscores the futility of human efforts to attain righteousness before God. Snow is also mentioned in other scriptures, such as Isaiah 1:18, where God invites sinners to reason with Him, promising that though their sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. This connection emphasizes the divine ability to purify beyond human capability. and cleanse my hands with lye, Persons / Places / Events 1. JobThe central figure in the Book of Job, a man described as blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil. He undergoes severe trials and questions the justice of his suffering. 2. God The Almighty, whom Job is addressing in his discourse. Job is wrestling with understanding God's justice and his own suffering. 3. Snow and Lye Metaphors used by Job to express the futility of trying to achieve purity or righteousness through human efforts alone. Teaching Points Human Efforts are InsufficientJob's use of snow and lye symbolizes the highest human standards of purity, yet he acknowledges that even these are inadequate before God. This teaches us that self-righteousness cannot achieve true spiritual cleanliness. The Need for Divine Cleansing The imagery in Job 9:30 points to the necessity of God's intervention for true purification. Believers are reminded to rely on God's grace and forgiveness rather than their own efforts. Understanding Our Position Before God Job's struggle reflects a deep awareness of human limitations and sinfulness. This awareness should lead us to humility and dependence on God's mercy. The Role of Repentance While Job feels the futility of self-cleansing, the broader biblical account encourages repentance and turning to God, who alone can cleanse us from sin. Faith in God's Justice and Mercy Job's discourse, though filled with anguish, ultimately points to a trust in God's character. Believers are encouraged to maintain faith in God's justice and mercy, even when circumstances are challenging. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Job 9:30?2. How does Job 9:30 illustrate the futility of self-cleansing before God? 3. What does Job 9:30 reveal about human efforts to attain righteousness? 4. How does Job 9:30 connect to Romans 3:23 about human sinfulness? 5. In what ways can we rely on Christ's cleansing instead of our own? 6. How can Job 9:30 encourage humility in our spiritual walk with God? 7. What does Job 9:30 reveal about human efforts to achieve purity before God? 8. How does Job 9:30 challenge the concept of self-righteousness? 9. What is the significance of "snow" and "lye" in Job 9:30? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Job 9? 11. Why did Peter walk on water? 12. In Job 9:24, the statement that the earth is handed over to the wicked seems to contradict God's sovereignty--why would an omnipotent God permit evil to reign? 13. Does Job 38:22's reference to 'storehouses of snow' suggest a misunderstanding of meteorology? 14. In Genesis 31:24, why would God communicate with Laban if Laban worshipped other gods, and how does this align with other biblical passages about idolatry? What Does Job 9:30 Mean If I should wash myself with snowJob 9:30: “If I should wash myself with snow...” • Job pictures grabbing freshly fallen snow—the purest water available to him—and scrubbing until every spot is gone. • Snow symbolizes dazzling whiteness (Isaiah 1:18; Psalm 51:7). By choosing this image, Job admits that he is reaching for the highest standard of human purification. • Even that most rigorous effort would still be a human work. Job has just confessed, “How can a man be justified before God?” (Job 9:2). He knows purity measured by human eyes cannot match the holiness God requires (Habakkuk 1:13). • The scene highlights the gap between outward cleansing and inward guilt. Though Job’s friends accuse, he is still aware that, like every descendant of Adam, he bears an inward stain (Romans 3:23). • Snow-washing ultimately points forward to a cleansing only God can give, fulfilled in the shed blood of Christ that “purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). and cleanse my hands with lye Job 9:30: “...and cleanse my hands with lye.” • “Hands” represent deeds (Psalm 24:3-4). Job imagines scouring them with strong soap—lye or alkali, a caustic agent used in ancient laundry (Jeremiah 2:22). • Even if his actions could be scrubbed spotless, Job fears the Judge would still “plunge me into the pit” (Job 9:31). External sterilization cannot erase internal corruption (Matthew 23:25-26). • Scripture echoes the futility of self-made righteousness: – Proverbs 20:9: “Who can say, ‘I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin’?” – Titus 3:5: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us.” • The verse prepares hearts for the gospel: true cleansing comes when God “sprinkles clean water on you, and you will be clean” (Ezekiel 36:25), realized when Christ “loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word” (Ephesians 5:25-26). summary Job stacks two images—snow water and lye—to concede that even the most intense self-cleansing cannot secure innocence before a perfectly holy God. His words expose the bankruptcy of human effort and nudge us toward the only effective purification: the gracious, atoning work God Himself provides. Verse 30. - If I wash myself with snow-water (comp. Psalm 51:7). If I should succeed in purging myself of all guilt, and establishing, so far as words can do it, my spotless innocence even then what advantage should I gain? Snow-water does not really cleanse what is defiled better than any other water, but a lively fancy might suppose it to do so. Job indulges in this fancy, but then checks himself, and adds a prosaic alternative. And make my hands never so clean; rather, and make my hands clean with lye. Lye, or potash, is the principal and most essential ingredient in soap. and the readiest and best detergent. If Job cleanses himself to the very utmost, "Cut bone?" he asks.Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Ifאִם־ (’im-) Conjunction Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not I should wash myself הִתְרָחַ֥צְתִּי (hiṯ·rā·ḥaṣ·tî) Verb - Hitpael - Perfect - first person common singular Strong's 7364: To wash, wash off or away, bathe with snow שָׁ֑לֶג (šā·leḡ) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen and cleanse וַ֝הֲזִכּ֗וֹתִי (wa·hă·zik·kō·w·ṯî) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular Strong's 2141: To be bright, clean or pure my hands כַּפָּֽי׃ (kap·pāy) Noun - fdc | first person common singular Strong's 3709: Hollow or flat of the hand, palm, sole (of the foot), a pan with lye, בְּבֹ֣ר (bə·ḇōr) Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 1253: Vegetable lye, a soap for, washing, a flux for, metals Links Job 9:30 NIVJob 9:30 NLT Job 9:30 ESV Job 9:30 NASB Job 9:30 KJV Job 9:30 BibleApps.com Job 9:30 Biblia Paralela Job 9:30 Chinese Bible Job 9:30 French Bible Job 9:30 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Job 9:30 If I wash myself with snow (Jb) |
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