מָֽה־אֱנ֥וֹשׁ כִּֽי־יִזְכֶּ֑ה וְכִֽי־יִ֝צְדַּ֗ק יְל֣וּד אִשָּֽׁה׃
Que é o homem, para que seja puro? E o que nasce da mulher, para que fique justo?
Malbim
However, he does not consider this reply to be completely satisfactory, for he had only derived it from his intellect. Consequently, he does not have complete confidence in it, as he says:
This is what we present, having examined it and found it valid. Consider it and form your own opinion (Job 5:27).
Eliphaz presents his main thesis on the issue of the suffering of the righteous in Chapter 4, where he relates that he had had a prophetic revelation concerning this; visions of the night, (Job 20:8 ) in which he was informed that bad befalls the righteous because of some sin that they have committed. As our Rabbis said:
There is no suffering without sin (TB Shabbat 55a).
And even though, at first sight, no sin could be found in Job, no person can boast and say:
I have cleansed my soul and I have become purified of my sins (Psalms 55:4).
Whichever way it is considered, whether by reference to the greatness of the Creator and the extent of His beneficence towards man, by virtue of which worship beyond measure is due to Him; or by reference to the lowliness of man compared to Him, no person, born of woman, (Job 15:14) can be vindicated against the Most High God or can claim that he has discharged his worship of God, his Maker, in perfect totality. Therefore, God afflicts him, not for his detriment but for his benefit; a penitence for his sin. To cure the sickness of his soul before his measure becomes full (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 1) and he becomes deserving of yet greater punishment, still more severe and enduring, namely, the perdition of his soul or the condemnation of his body to die before its time (Ch.4:12,21).
This is what we present, having examined it and found it valid. Consider it and form your own opinion (Job 5:27).
Eliphaz presents his main thesis on the issue of the suffering of the righteous in Chapter 4, where he relates that he had had a prophetic revelation concerning this; visions of the night, (Job 20:8 ) in which he was informed that bad befalls the righteous because of some sin that they have committed. As our Rabbis said:
There is no suffering without sin (TB Shabbat 55a).
And even though, at first sight, no sin could be found in Job, no person can boast and say:
I have cleansed my soul and I have become purified of my sins (Psalms 55:4).
Whichever way it is considered, whether by reference to the greatness of the Creator and the extent of His beneficence towards man, by virtue of which worship beyond measure is due to Him; or by reference to the lowliness of man compared to Him, no person, born of woman, (Job 15:14) can be vindicated against the Most High God or can claim that he has discharged his worship of God, his Maker, in perfect totality. Therefore, God afflicts him, not for his detriment but for his benefit; a penitence for his sin. To cure the sickness of his soul before his measure becomes full (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 1) and he becomes deserving of yet greater punishment, still more severe and enduring, namely, the perdition of his soul or the condemnation of his body to die before its time (Ch.4:12,21).
Or HaChaim
Moreover, a person does not experience a feeling of joy until he has completed the "hearkening," i.e. performance of the commandment in question. He cannot be certain that he has done everything correctly. This is similar to what we have been told in Job 15,14-15: "How can a human being feel righteous if G'd does not even believe that His angels are righteous?"