See in Reader
1008 B
Connecting Statement:
Elihu continues speaking.
If you have sinned ... what do you do to him?
These two lines share similar meanings. The second line intensifies the meaning of the first line. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-parallelism)
If you have sinned, what harm do you do to God?
Elihu asks this question to emphasize that Job's sins cannot actually do anything to God. Alternate translation: "If you have sinned, you have not done any harm to God." (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion)
If your transgressions pile up high, what do you do to him?
Elihu speaks of "transgressions" as if they were objects, and of committing many transgressions as if it were piling those objects one on top of the other. He asks this question to emphasize that Job does nothing to God by his transgressions. Alternate translation: "If you committed a great many transgressions, you still do nothing to him." (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion)