GEN1037 The Bible takes the position that morality is independent of God, because it allows for moral critiques of God’s actions. Thus, in defending innocent people in Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham stirringly proclaims [this verse]. That argument apparently works, for it convinces God to agree to save the cities if ten righteous people can be found in them. Similarly, Job readily admits God’s power, but he indignantly questions God’s justice. (Job 9:35).  Neither of these passages would make sense unless one presumes that morality exists independent of God so that God can be morally called to account. Furthermore, descriptions of God with which this section began and elsewhere would be tautologies --that is, they would be saying simply that good is good -- unless God and morality occupy separate realms. The fact that religion and morality are logically independent makes the tradition's assertion that God is morally good all the more powerful, for God then could possibly be morally bad or simply indifferent to moral claims but instead chooses to be morally good and this serves as a paradigm for our own moral struggles. Furthermore, God demands moral goodness of us. As Isaiah (late eighth century B.C.E.) put it, “The Lord of hosts is elevated through justice (mishpat), the holy (powerful, awesome) God sanctified through righteousness (tzedakah). Isaiah 5:16. That is, God like the other gods in the ancient world, has power—indeed, more power than they have—but unlike them, God is worshiped not only through acts of submission, but also through justice.… I am among those who maintain that the inherent morality of God requires rabbis and each generation to apply the law with moral norms in mind.  DORFFWITO 52-53