25:4 How then can a human being be righteous before God?
How can one born of a woman be pure? 1
25:5 If even the moon is not bright,
and the stars are not pure as far as he is concerned, 2
25:6 how much less a mortal man, who is but a maggot 3 –
a son of man, who is only a worm!”
1 sn Bildad here does not come up with new expressions; rather, he simply uses what Eliphaz had said (see Job 4:17-19 and 15:14-16).
2 tn Heb “not pure in his eyes.”
3 tn The text just has “maggot” and in the second half “worm.” Something has to be added to make it a bit clearer. The terms “maggot” and “worm” describe man in his lowest and most ignominious shape.