Job 11:4

Doctrine. Heb. leqach, “instruction,” “teaching.” The word occurs in the book of Job only here and only rarely elsewhere. Zophar was probably alluding to such statements as Job’s declaration in Job 10:7. Job had not used precisely the words Zophar here attributes to him, but Zophar is evidently summarizing Job’s contention. I am clean. Zophar accuses Job of defending both his “doctrine” and his conduct. In a sense Job had done this very thing. He did not, however, claim to be completely without sin. He did maintain that he was not such a sinner as his friends charged. This verse reiterates the central contention between Job and his friends. Job accepted the testimony of his conscience, whereas his friends misinterpreted the testimony of his suffering.