Job wants to be ready to defend his case and so asks How many are my iniquities and my sins? Three terms for sin are used in verse 23. In line a the word translated iniquities comes from the root meaning “to err,” and sins from the root meaning “to miss the mark,” while in line b transgression comes from a verb meaning “to rebel.” However, these terms are used interchangeably, and it is unlikely that the author is attempting to draw out different shades of meaning between the three terms. The term sin is repeated in both lines; however, in line b it is singular, since Job is not asking for their number here but what they are as a collective. In line a Job seems to be asking for the quantity of his sins, and so many translations render line a in terms of number; for example, “How many sins….” Others such as Good News Translation take both lines to refer to the nature of the sins; for example, “What are my sins?” Both interpretations are accepted.

In many languages there are not three different words for sin. Consequently it is sometimes necessary to use two or to reduce them to one. Another solution is to use verbs; for example, “God, tell me how many times I have done wrong and how many times I have failed to walk on your path.” Line b may sometimes be rendered “Show me how I have disobeyed you and done wrong.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, Wiliam. A Handbook on Job. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1992. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .