Commentary on Job 1 part 12/15

temperance is a house, courage is a house, gentleness and the others, as it has been said:

'The fear of the Lord is the stronghold of the holy one'; and so too is righteousness.

Opposed to these houses are others, which the Lord tears down;

'for the Lord tears down the houses of the insolent';

'but he establishes the boundary of the widow.' For the polities of the proud he tears down, as it has been said:

'Capernaum, shalt thou be exalted unto heaven? Thou shalt be brought down unto Hades. And he that exalts himself shall be humbled.' But he establishes the boundary of the widow, which is:

the house, the life of those who, according to God, are widowed from evils.

This too is shown by 'the houses of the transgressors shall owe purification, but the houses of the righteous are acceptable' — meaning the lives of each.

'Nevertheless, let no one who is wicked be confident that he shall be unpunished.'

'As many as provoke the Lord, shall there not also be a scrutiny of them?' He teaches that even if someone mocks the righteous man and oppresses him, he shall not be unpunished, even should he seem to overcome him.

For such a one provokes God.

For there shall be an examination of things done, by which he hints at judgement, as Paul also says:

'For we must all appear before the judgement-seat of Christ, that each may receive according to what he has done through the body.' And he suggests us to understand that, even if those who asked leave act wickedly against me, having received authority, neither are these unpunished, having become an instrument and vessels of wrath, even though they do this against one who sins; for they rejoice in such service.

'I was angry with them a little, but they joined in bringing on evils.' For God does not hand over that they should treat mercilessly;

but they, doing this with much eagerness, do it mercilessly;

and Pharaoh too was of this sort toward the sons of Israel.

Such is the meaning of 'giants come to fulfil my wrath,' rejoicing and at the same time acting insolently. For they take delight in the very things to which they lend their service.

But ask the four-footed beasts, if they will tell you, and the birds of heaven, if they will declare to you;

Speak to the earth, if it will answer you, and the fishes of the sea will recount to you.

By these words he wishes to make plain the depth of God's judgements and the worth of man, saying that the judgements of which man receives knowledge only in part are incomprehensible.

It is by no means fitting to understand this as though one must question the four-footed beasts so as to receive an answer from them; rather, examine the craftsmanship, the workings and the judgements displayed in the four-footed beasts, in the birds and in the earth, and consider whether you will be able to grasp the profoundest principles contained in them. He says these things wishing to bring the friends to attend to the fact that God's governance is hidden, and that it is not proper for them to run rashly upon it in ignorance, in the way that they had assailed him as one suffering on account of sin, not knowing the judgement.

For indeed, taken superficially, the existence of the animals will not present its reasonableness;

the venomous creatures, at any rate, seem to most people not to have any reason for their being brought forth.

Yet all things were created for their own use; and he sets forth also what is hidden in them;

'of his works there is what is in secret.' For this may be observed even in the art of medicine: while the physician applies healing remedies by skill and knowledge, the incurable patient is often displeased with the medicines prescribed by the physician.

'Who then among all these has not known that the hand of the Lord has made these things?' Having said that the particular reason for each of the things that have come to be is hidden—by which he taught the friends to attend also to his own case as being hidden, and not rashly to assert that this had come about on account of sin—he teaches something further, showing that the universal principle is manifest even if the particular one happens to be hidden. I mean this: that the hand of the Lord has made these things, in order that he might set forth an indication of the other cause: that even if it is not on account of sin, yet these things come about by the Lord's hand permitting them.

For indeed, had there not been the one who asked for and received the permission from God, he could have done nothing.

From these things one must refute those who introduce the notion of chance, since all things are governed by order and providence.

For the harmonious breathing-together of the whole is a sufficient teaching that God's providence presides over all things.

'Is not the soul of all living things and the spirit of every man in his hand?' He confirms the instruction, teaching them that all things are under God's hand—both the life of men and their death—like to which is the saying in the Gospel:

'Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and not one of them shall fall into a snare without your Father who is in heaven'—by this establishing nothing other than that they should fix their own mind upon the judgements of God, and not idly say that he was suffering on account of sin.

'For the mind discerns words, as the palate tastes food.'

Attend closely, whether these are rendered as corresponding to those;

'But ask the four-footed beasts, if they will tell you.' It is clear from the sequence that it does not belong to irrational or inanimate things to know the judgements of providence, but to the mind.

And he takes an illustration: that just as the palate is the judge of foods, so the mind is the judge both of the things said and of the things inherent in the nature of the universe.

Discern, then, you also—he would say to the friends—these things, and you will find the manner of the things that have befallen me. 'In much time there is wisdom, and in much living there is understanding.'

Most instructively he says these things too;

since this is easy for them inasmuch as they possess a mind, he leads them on to the pursuit of wisdom, saying:

'In much time there is wisdom, and in much living there is understanding.' From this one must refute those who are unwilling to toil, but suppose that whatever chance grasp of some knowledge suffices for them.

For the knowledge of perfect things does not come to a person at the very moment he begins.

In addition to this, those also are refuted who think that learning comes by nature;

for none of the things that belong to man by nature and of necessity to his essence is brought to perfection by time.

No mortal, at any rate, insofar as he is a living being, has anything added to him by time;

but the being wise is added by time;

'for when I was a child, I spoke as a child, I thought as a child, I reasoned as a child;

when I became a man, I put away the things of the child.' To this someone will oppose the saying, 'The long-lived are not the wise, nor do the aged know judgement,' thinking this to be contrary to what was said by Job.

But it is possible to see that both are said consistently;

for the blessed Job says that he who begins wisdom and hastens to take hold of it will receive it not by chance, but over much time;

but Elihu too would not implausibly be saying:

for neither, if someone has not desired wisdom but has advanced in years, would he already be wise;

for the old man is not of necessity wise.

You will attend to what is said by the psalmist, whether it accords with the receiving of wisdom over much time, in his saying:

'Make known to me, Lord, my end, and the number of my days, what it is, that I may know what I lack.' For virtue is shown to be something acquired and not natural, but perfected also by time, in the words 'that I may know what I lack.'

And what wisdom is, is stated in what follows thus:

'Behold, the fear of God is wisdom, and to abstain from evils is understanding.' And one must first accomplish the abstention from evils, that thus the fear of God, which is wisdom, may be added.

Having desired wisdom, keep the commandments, and the Lord will supply it to you; for wisdom is added to the soul that has been purified.

'With him are wisdom and power, his are counsel and understanding.'

Having said 'in much time there is wisdom,' in order that they might not suppose him to be speaking of human wisdom, nor seek it among created things, he teaches how it is found, saying:

'With him are wisdom and power.' For it is not outside him, but is in him, being consubstantial with him;

for he is its fountain, and the fountain does not receive from elsewhere.

And the power that is with him is Christ;

for Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. And counsel and understanding also belong to him, so that these things are not sought by human undertakings, but from him.

And all these things are the Son;

for 'he prepared the heavens in prudence' is said concerning the Son.

'If he casts down, who shall build? If he shuts against men, who shall open? If he withholds the water, he will dry up the earth;

but if he lets it loose, he destroys it and overturns it.'

The teaching about providence, as was said before, he gently sets before those who contradict him.

For even if they did posit providence, yet they were falling into contradictions.

He says, then, 'Who has withstood his will?' One may indeed find one man in poverty, another in distress, another oppressed by disease, and in general different men seized by various misfortunes and unable to thrust away what has been decreed.

For they come to pass by the will of God.

Not only concerning building, but also concerning the things mentioned before, there is no one who will be able to say, according to the Apostle:

'Why did you make me thus?' Moreover, those who dare to do anything apart from the will of God, since they did not call upon him, are overthrown, according to the saying, 'They shall build, and I will overthrow, says the Lord.' And concerning those who have a bad building it is said:

'You shall pull them down and shall not build them up.' Thus also, if he shuts against men, no one will open;

for who is able? He shut off escape from Pharaoh and the Egyptians, and though they sought to open it, it was not found.

And in general you will find many such things.

For he shuts for a beneficial purpose, not permitting men to have enjoyment of human goods, but to be in want;

and toward what end? Toward that which is saving, bringing on the toilsome things.

He shuts against men also in another way, when he does not allow them to prosper in evils—and this rightly done by God, not as the Pharisees did:

'You shut the kingdom of heaven; you yourselves do not enter, neither do you allow those who are entering to go in.' The kingdom of heaven is shut when those who seem to be teachers, through the base things they practise, make some into imitators of themselves, so that neither they themselves nor those who imitate them enter into the kingdom.

If, then, God also shuts against the one who has shut himself off, on account of his manner of life, who will open to him? So too the water, and that in the perceptible sense, he withholds, according to the saying, 'One portion shall be rained upon, and the portion upon which I will not rain shall be dried up'; withholding it, he dries up the earth;

and of this you have the illustration in the Books of Kingdoms;

for he it is 'who brings up clouds from the ends of the earth, who makes lightnings into rain.' And by his own authority he lets it loose upon the earth, both for irrigation and for the destruction of the things in it, as in the flood in the days of Noah.

And these things, if you should elevate them with understanding, you will find also the benefit that comes from them.

'With him are strength and might; his are knowledge and understanding.'

He teaches through these things the reasonableness of the demonstration that no other could do each of the things brought about by God himself except him, saying:

'With him are strength and might.' And that no one might reckon unsteadily that God acts by power and might alone, he adds:

With Him are knowledge and understanding. For even if someone is displeased at what happens, saying, 'Why is this land, already fertile and abounding in wealth, watered again, while the land in need remains without rain?', let him hear the words: With Him are knowledge and understanding. For it is He who, having ordered all things by weight and measure, supplies to each what He wills according to the reasons of His own providence.

For the bringing forth of existing things, and their governance, do not hold together by chance; rather, both the diversity of created things and the order of their governance have been fixed and set fast by divine understanding.

It must be noted that it is not as though God were a composite being that 'strength is with Him and might, and with Him are knowledge and understanding' is said; for all these things the Son is, being simple and uncompounded.

For all these things the Son is, being simple and uncompounded.

Leading counsellors away as captives, and the judges of the earth He confounded.

And these too are works of providence.

For indeed it is by His will and His judgment that even counsellors are led away captive and judges are removed from their place.

And if by 'counsellors' he means those who in the state give themselves great airs, it is possible to find many even of these led off into captivity;

which is clear from the captivity of Israel, concerning whom Jeremiah, lamenting over their city, said:

How does the city sit solitary, that was full of peoples! She has become as a widow, she that was great among the nations; the princess among the provinces has become tributary. But if the word 'counsel' signifies those who give advice, then in this way too God leads away as captives those who do this for an evil purpose;

and an example of this is Ahithophel, whose counsel and life were perverted.

For indeed from this too one can perceive the work of providence: that even the most sagacious of counsellors, following the aim of their advice, fail in the outcomes—not because they counselled badly, but because providence tests things otherwise.

So too pilots, having done everything within their power, fail.

By His own power He also confounded the judges.

And if the phrase 'He confounded' signifies loss of reason, this too happens to those who do not use judgment of affairs in the manner they ought;

and God confounds such men, showing them to be foolish.

But it is also possible that 'He confounded' signifies their removal;

for by the providences of the Word of God the judges too are removed from their place.

Setting kings upon their thrones.

Similar to this is the saying, 'By me kings reign', and, 'The Lord sets up kings and removes them.'

Often He gives these even in wrath, according to the saying, 'I gave them a king in my anger.'

And that things apart from God's judgment are unsound, He Himself declares in reproach, saying:

They set up kings, but not by me; they made rulers, and did not make it known to me; wherefore such men are again, in wrath, let loose, since His permission again grants the license for a time.

And that 'throne' is often taken in place of 'kingdom'—though sometimes also in place of 'teaching'—is clear, as in 'The Lord shall sit as king for ever', and again:

Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; and further:

For with righteousness is the throne of dominion prepared. But also it was said to the disciples:

You also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. But when it is said:

The scribes sat upon the seat of Moses—this seat is one of teaching.

And He girded their loins with a girdle.

Unless He Himself girds, the one girded has no strength; so that it is God who governs these things also by His own providence.

And the matter of the girdle signifies rule, as in 'And rulers shall by me have dominion over the earth.' Sending forth priests as captives.

If He means those who do not rightly use their office, He makes plain that He does not spare even them when the occasion calls.

But if He signifies those who use it as they ought, God often sends even these into captivity—like those around Daniel and Joshua the son of Jozadak—for the benefit of the rest of the multitude;

for as far as concerned what these men did, they were not worthy to undergo captivity.

Consider, indeed, their greatness: that even though they had come to be in captivity and remained in Babylon, they stood unshaken.

So then, even if we see the saints sent forth into this present life, let us reckon that they undertook this not for their own sake, but for the benefit of others.

This very thing the Apostle hints at when he writes:

Have this mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not count it robbery to be equal with God, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant. And He overthrew the mighty ones of the earth.

For it is by the judgment of God Himself that these too endure their overthrow, just as Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar did.

And the devil, the author of evil, God overthrew;

and the angels who did not keep their own domain He has kept under darkness. Changing the lips of the faithful.

Some seem to have trustworthy and irrefutable words, yet even these God changes.

Consider, indeed, what is said concerning Ahithophel, the counsellor of the king of Israel, who was formerly the counsellor of David but afterward of Absalom—for it was said of him that the counsel of Ahithophel was as the counsel of God;

this was circulated about him, as of one who never failed in his counsels—consider then how David, to whom the hidden and secret things of wisdom had been revealed, praying to God, said:

Turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness for me—which indeed came to pass.

And the understanding of the elders He knew.

And He Himself knew the understanding of the elders—those who have prudence in place of grey hair, and an unstained life in place of old age—as their understanding;

for it was worthy of His knowledge.

But the word 'He knew' is to be understood in a discerning way;

for He also knows the foolish and their counsels;

but it is plain that, while knowing those—that is, the counsels of the elders, spoken of after the manner of Abraham—He also approves them.

Pouring out dishonour upon rulers, but the lowly He healed.

For it belongs to Him who sets up and removes: by the setting up, to bestow honours; by the removing, to pour out dishonour;

and 'to pour out' signifies to do this abundantly;

for often we have observed this, as in 'The love of God has been poured out in our hearts', meaning 'has been greatly given', according to what is said:

...Thy name, which in all the earth has become wonderful, according to the psalmist—before this sending forth its fragrance only as far as Judea, but afterward reaching to all, so that it is said:

Thou hast magnified Thy holy name above all. But also 'I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh' is expressive of the grace richly given.

He says, then, that when wrath is sent upon rulers according to their deserts, there will be a pouring out of dishonour upon them, while the lowly are healed by God;

for He Himself makes the honoured dishonoured, the poor rich, and the weak strong, according to 'He raises up the poor from the earth, and lifts up the needy from the dunghill.' But if you take 'the lowly' as those who are lowly in mind and purpose, then by exalting these He healed the seeming brokenness that comes from being made contemptible, having established them according to 'He who calls the things that are not as though they were.' So then He says:

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time. And again:

God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. For those who have accomplished the virtue of humility He brings into the kingdom of heaven;

for He Himself is the one concerning whom it was said:

And He shall save the lowly in spirit. Uncovering deep things out of darkness.

Having spoken of creation and providence, he goes on also to treat of foreknowledge and of His inescapability, as of One who knows even the things done in secret.

Similar to this is what is said by David:

O Lord, Thou hast tried me and known me; Thou hast known my sitting down and my rising up; Thou hast understood all my thoughts from afar. For not only when I think dost Thou know my thoughts, but just as Thou art foreknower of events, so also of thoughts.

For where shall I go from Thy Spirit, or where shall I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend into heaven, Thou art there;

if I go down into Hades, Thou art present;

if I take up my wings straightway and dwell at the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Thy hand shall guide me, and Thy right hand shall hold me fast. But even beyond these he says something further in the words 'I said':

Surely the darkness shall trample me down—meaning 'shall hide me.'

But teaching this yet again — that nothing can hinder the knowledge of God — he says that 'the darkness shall not be dark to thee, and the night shall be enlightened as the day.' For to men the night makes a difference from the day, but to thee, O Lord, even these things are enlightened, that is, they are made manifest.

Which the Apostle also makes plain when he says:

'But all things are naked and laid open to his eyes.' And in Daniel it is said:

'knowing all that is in the darkness, and the light is with him' — which is our Saviour, who enlightens every man,

making manifest, when it is fitting, the deeds of men that are done in secret and in darkness.

He is able also to reveal the obscurities of words — that is, the parable and the dark saying that require understanding — through an illumination that comes to be in the mind.

'And he brought the shadow of death into light.'

By 'shadow of death' he here means the wickedness that is hidden and worked with deceit by someone, so that it is called the shadow of death.

For often those who act are signified by the name of the states of character, as the righteous man is called righteousness in the passage 'that we might become the righteousness of God in him.'

And those who have love the Apostle indicated by the name of love, saying:

'Love suffers long, is not puffed up, is not boastful, thinks no evil, believes all things.' And these things he says not concerning the state of character, but concerning the one who has love.

'Love never falls' — and it is no great thing that virtue does not fall;

rather, he speaks concerning the one who is grounded in it:

for so long as anyone holds fast to it, he is unfailing.

He speaks in accordance with the saying 'For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.'

For when they were darkness, being in ignorance, they were the shadow of death.

But when he enlightened them after they had repented, then he brought them out from the shadow of death, so that it might be said concerning them:

'among whom you shine as luminaries in the world' — those who, having put off falsehood, which is darkness, speak truth, which is light.

'leading the nations astray and destroying them.'

For deception is called 'leading astray,' and lawlessness too is so called, according to the saying:

'and they became wanderers among the nations.' But God leads astray not doing this without benefit, but drawing away from wickedness.

But if he also calls 'handing over to a reprobate mind' a leading astray, this too he does not without benefit, as one may hear the Lord saying:

'Behold, I lead her astray' — which means:

since she turns to evil things, caring for her salvation he turns her aside — that is, the soul that is prospering in evils.

He turns her aside by implanting in her a deception that is useful to her.

And in the same manner, subjecting the wicked man himself either to punishment or, through conversion, destroying his disposition toward evil, he is said to destroy the wicked.

In either way, then, God destroys the nations, either by punishing them or by destroying their wickedness.

So also he came to seek and to save that which was lost.

'laying nations low and guiding them.'

Among those who posit providence and say that God governs all things, there is a difference:

for some say that God governs the whole in general, but not particular things;

but we say this also.

And they use such an example as this:

the market-overseer, they say, provides for the city, makes goods plentiful, and sees to the rest of the administration, yet does not concern himself...

And concerning the Creator those people say that he creates the kinds of things that exist, but not particular things.

But we say this also, hearing the words 'for you made me, and your hands fashioned me and made me,' and 'before I formed you in the womb I knew you' — which those people take as referring to the manner of the forming, not indeed being deceived about this or that particular.

This, then, is what 'laying low' makes clear:

for this expression is also employed of those being enrolled in the citizenship.

What he says is that by the providence of God all things are ordered well and in order, and he does this even in particular things;

for this is shown especially from the phrase 'guiding them.'

'Nevertheless I will speak to the Lord, and I will reason before him, if he will.'

Having accused them of being in error, he says 'I will speak to the Lord,' showing his own boldness of speech.

And 'I will reason before him' means 'I will demonstrate my own case,' if hypothetically he should wish it;

'for I know that he understands the cause of my affliction.'

Like to this is 'for do I now persuade men or God?' and 'but he who examines me is the Lord.'

But it belongs to a perfect man — and one whom God at the outset testified to be righteous and blameless — to say 'I will speak to the Lord' and 'I will reason before him, if he will.'

For to do any such thing apart from his will is not lawful.

'But you are unjust physicians, and healers of evils, all of you.'

An unjust physician is, in the plain sense, one who applies to the sick remedies other than those that are beneficial.

And this happens in two ways: either from the physician's inexperience or from malice.

But these men who were being refuted said to Job — more from ignorance than from malice — that 'you suffer because of sins,' thinking they were bringing words of comfort; they were unjust, then, in respect of not knowing the cause.

And 'healers of evils, all of you' would be said against those who think great things of themselves, as being able to heal the calamitous things that befall others.

'May it be granted you to be silent, and it shall turn out for you unto wisdom.'

He prays that they may have knowledge of the right times — when they ought to speak and when they ought to be silent — having recognized that they are in error;

for this will become for them the beginning and prelude of wisdom.

The virtue that is within coming to light will be for them wisdom.

...the holding back...

...as is said in the Proverbs:

'To the foolish man who asks after wisdom, wisdom shall be reckoned.' For when anyone recognizes that he has need of instructions and of a teacher who enlightens, it shall turn out for him unto wisdom.

For just as the one who is able to speak about wisdom and to teach it is wise and a teacher, so in part he is wise who is able to ask the things that ought to be asked.

He called him 'foolish' not as one wholly deprived, but as one having some deficiency.

Like to 'may it be granted you to be silent' is 'there is a time to be silent... and a time to speak.'

'Hear the reproof of my mouth, and give heed to the judgement of my lips.'

By 'mouth' and 'lips' he means speech.

And the holy man reproves as a holy man and judges as befits him;

he uses reproof and judgement with knowledge and lawfully;

for the righteous man does not have untimely reproof, nor does he do this falsely, but with discernment.

'For the mouth of the righteous will meditate wisdom, and his tongue will speak judgement.'

'The law of his God is in his heart, and his steps shall not be tripped up.' For because the law of God is in the heart of the righteous man, he meditates wisdom and his steps are not tripped up — which are the walking faculties of the soul.

Something of this kind the saying of the Proverbs also signifies: 'The thoughts of the righteous are judgements.'

And since their thoughts are of such a kind, it follows that their speech too is of such a kind.

For the good man, out of the good treasure of the heart, brings forth what is good. 'Do you not speak before the Lord, and before Him do you utter deceit, or will you draw back?' From their own conscience he begins his reproof, teaching them that everything they bring forth they utter while God is watching.

But he also announces to them that their deceit is brought forth as if in His very presence, and this for the sake of their correction, that they may cease from such a disposition, seeing that they have the Lord who oversees all.

And so he also restrains them from their audacity, because they were shrinking back from God as though from a man, hiding their deceit and speaking it in His presence.

These words are useful against those who lie and practice deceit, concerning whom David also speaks:

'who speak peace with their neighbors, but evil is in their hearts.' 'But be yourselves the judges.'

'It would indeed be well, if He should search you out.'