Charles Ellicott Commentary Job 14:4

"Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one." — Job 14:4 (ASV)

Who can bring a clean thing ... — How can man be clean who is born of woman, who is unclean? This question is reiterated by Bildad (Job 25:4). Perhaps, however, we should rather interpret it as: “Oh, that the clean could come forth from the unclean! but none can.”