Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? no one.
All Commentaries on Job 14:4 Go To Job 14
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Seed, is not expressed in Hebrew, "unclean. "It may refer to Adam. There is no contagion in the seed to infect the soul, as Tertullian supposed; it in only unclean in the cause, as every person who is born according to the common course of nature, becomes a child of Adam, and partakes in his original sin. (The Scholastics) (Tirinus)
Only art. Essence itself. (Denis the Carthusian)
"The justification of the sinner is a greater miracle than the creation of the world. "(St. Augustine, ibid.)
The birth of Jesus Christ was free from stain; (Luke i. 35.) as was also the conception of his virgin Mother , by the power of God; (Menochius) and his grace, as it is piously believed. (Haydock)
He alone can purify man. (Calmet)
Hebrew, "who can produce what is clean out of the unclean? Not one. "Or Chaldean, "Is there not one? "Septuagint, "For who shall be pure from corruption? Not so much as one: (5) though his life be only of one day upon earth. "The more ancient Fathers have generally quoted the text in this manner, to prove original sin; (Haydock; St. Cyrian; Tertullian, St. Deo. Mag. in Nat. i.; Tirinus) and Bellarmine almost does the same, (Grat. iv. 4.) observing that the Septuagint have taken in three words from the following verse: "though his days are few. "Yet there are some words which are not in Hebrew, though the doctrine here maintained is indubitable. (Amama)
Job was fully convinced of it, and adduced it as plea for mercy. It also tends to keep us in the most profound humility and watchfulness, to resist the motions of concupiscence. (Calmet)
Man,
--"Now too late, Saw the rash error, which he could not mend; An error fatal not to him alone, But to his future sons, his fortune's heirs. "(Blair's Grave. Milton, x. 151.) (Haydock)
