Enarrations on Job

Enarrationes in Job

Origen of Alexandria · c. 230–250 AD · PG 17; Enarrationes in Job (Khazarzar)

The hedge around Job; the wife’s counsel and Eve’s pattern§1

1Origen’s expositions on Job open at chapter 1: "Did you not fence what is outside him?" How do you know the fence is there? Our adversary the devil goes about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to swallow. He came round Job wanting the same work; later, once authority was given, he did it. From being blocked he learned that everything was fenced, and said, "You fenced what is inside him and what is outside him." Whatever is not handed to the devil, you have fenced.

While one messenger still spoke, another told Job that his sons and daughters were eating and drinking at their eldest brother’s house; "a great wind from the desert struck the four corners of the house; it fell on your children, and they diedI alone escaped to tell you." Camels fell to horsemen, donkeys and ox-teams to captors; the sheep he hated, so he brought fire on them. He also plotted against the sons and waited for a moment to destroy them. Had he found them reading, he would not have touched the house. Had he found them praying, he could do nothing. Opportunity came in drunkenness and a drinking-party. Note the spirit at the corners of the house: hypocrites pray in the broad places of the corners, and everyone off the straight road uses corners. A broad corner is much, loosened wickedness.

Chapter 2: "The Lord said to the devil, From where do you come?" God saw Satan ashamed and distressed; when questioning shows him ungrateful, God convicts the wrongdoer, as he convicted Cain. "After time had advanced, his wife said to him." See the craft: attack comes when long endurance has already weakened strength. Weakness is double — the bearer grows weaker by length of time, and hope is more nearly abandoned. Do not look first at the fact that she is a wife, but at what she advises. People now should weigh the manner of counsel, not the dignity of the person. A wife is to help, not to trip.

She asks, "Until when will you endure?" The devil saves the strongest device for last. "Would that you had taken her too! Would that you had buried her with the children!" Some say the words are not even hers, but the adversary speaking through her shape — unless calamity truly overturned her. Likely this was not the first counsel; she had heard harder things often. Diabolic deceit remembers Eve: what brought down the first human may prevail here too. Wretched fool — Eve found one weaker than the belly and sowed her venom; this man you see philosophizing and mastering nature itself. Loss of goods, untimely death of children, unconsolable bodily torment, and long time did not bend him. Will words master the one events could not catch? Why loosen the athlete’s hands? Say with the Apostle, "Yet a little, yet a little." "Say some word against the Lord, and die" — after the tragedy has been told exactly—

Greek · §1

Enarrationes in Job ΩΡΙΓΕΝΟΥΣ ΕΞΗΓΗΤΙΚΑ ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΙΩΒ. 17.57 ΚΕΦ. Αʹ. Στίχ. ιʹ. Οὐ σὺ περιέφραξας τὰ ἔξω αὐτοῦ; Πόθεν οἶδας, ὅτι πέφρακται; Οὗτος ὁ ἀντίδικος ἡμῶν ὁ διάβολος ὡς λέων ὠρυόμενος περιπορεύε 17.60 ται, ζητῶν καταπιεῖν τινα. Ἦλθεν οὖν καὶ περὶ τὸν Ἰὼβ, βουλόμενος τὰ αὐτὰ ποιῆσαι. Ὕστερον λαβὼν ἐξουσίαν, ταῦτα πεποίηκε. Καὶ ὅτι πάντα πε ριπεφραγμένα ἦν, καὶ ταῦτα νοήσας ἐκ τοῦ κεκωλύ σθαι· βουλόμενος ποιεῖν τὰ περὶ τοῦ Ἰὼβ, εἶπε· Σὺ περιέφραξας τὰ ἔσω αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ ἔξω αὐτοῦ. Πάν τα οὖν ἐφ' ὅσον οὐ δίδοται τῷ διαβόλῳ, σὺ περιέ φραξας. Στ. ιηʹ. Ἔτι τούτου λαλοῦντος, ἄλλος ἄγγελος λέγων τῷ Ἰώβ· Τῶν υἱῶν σου καὶ τῶν θυγατέ ρων σου ἐσθιόντων καὶ πινόντων, παρὰ τῷ ἀδελ φῷ αὐτῶν τῷ πρεσβυτέρῳ, Στ. ιθʹ. Ἐξαίφνης πνεῦμα μέγα ἐπῆλθεν ἐκ τῆς ἐρήμου, καὶ ἥψατο τῶν τεσσάρων γωνιῶν τῆς οἰκίας, καὶ ἔπεσεν ἡ οἰκία ἐπὶ τὰ παιδία σου, καὶ ἐτελεύτησαν. Ἐσώθην δὲ ἐγὼ μόνος, καὶ ἦλθον τοῦ ἀπαγγεῖλαί σοι. Τὰς μὲν οὖν καμήλους πεποίηκε γενέσθαι ὑπὸ τοὺς ἱππεῖς, τοὺς ὄνους δὲ καὶ τὰ ζεύγη τῶν βοῶν ὑπὸ τοὺς αἰχμαλωτίζοντας· τὰ πρόβατα δὲ ἐμίσει. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο πῦρ ἐπ' αὐτὰ κατήγαγεν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς υἱοῖς ἐπεβούλευσε, καιρὸν ἐζήτει τοῦ αὐτοὺς ἀπολέ σαι. Εἰ εὑρήκει ἀναγινώσκοντας, οὐκ ἂν ἥψατο τῆς οἰκίας, οὐδὲ τόπον εἶχε τοῦ αὐτοὺς ἀποκτεῖναι. Εἰ εὑρήκει προσευχομένους, οὐδὲν ἠδύνατο ποιῆσαι κατ' αὐτῶν. Ἀλλ' ὅτε εὗρεν εὐκαιρίαν, ἴσχυσε. Ποῖος οὖν ὁ καιρός; Μέθη ἦν, συμπόσιον ἦν. Τὸ, τῶν γω νιῶν τῆς οἰκίας ἅψασθαι τὸ πνεῦμα, ἐπίστησον, ὅτι ἐν ταῖς τῶν γωνιῶν πλατείαις οἱ ὑποκριταὶ ἑστῶτες προσεύχονται· πᾶς δὲ ὁ μὴ ἐπιβεβηκὼς εὐθείας ὁδοῦ, ταῖς γωνίαις κέχρηται. Πλατεῖα δὲ γωνία ἡ πολλὴ καὶ ἀνειμένη κακία. ΚΕΦ. Βʹ. Στίχ. βʹ. Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τῷ διαβόλῳ· Πό θεν σὺ ἔρχῃ; Ἑώρα ὁ Θεὸς, ὅπως αἰσχυνθεὶς διεπονεῖτο ὁ Σατα νᾶς. Ὅταν δὲ ἐπερωτῶν ἴδῃ ἀγνωμονοῦντα, τότε ἐλέγχει κακουργοῦντα, ὡς ἤλεγξε τὸν Κάϊν. Στ. θʹ. Χρόνου δὲ προβεβηκότος, εἶπεν αὐτῷ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ. Ὅρα τὸ κακοῦργον. Ὅτε πολὺς διῆλθε χρόνος, τότε ἐπιτίθεται· τότε γὰρ μάλιστα τῆς δυνάμεως ἐξασθε νεῖ. ∆ιπλᾶ τὰ τῆς ἀσθενείας ἦν, τῷ τε τὸν φέροντα ἀσθενέστερον γενέσθαι τῷ μήκει τοῦ χρόνου, καὶ τῷ τὴν ἐλπίδα ἀπογνωσθῆναι μᾶλλον. Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· Μὴ τοίνυν τοῦτο ἴδωμεν, ὅτι γυνὴ, ἀλλὰ τί συμβου λεύει. Τοῦτο καὶ τοῖς νῦν ἀνθρώποις παραινῶ, μὴ πρὸς τὰ τῶν προσώπων ἀξιώματα βλέπειν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸν τρόπον τῆς συμβουλῆς. Γυνή ἐστιν ἵνα βοηθῇ, οὐχ ἵνα ὑποσκελίζῃ. Στ. θʹ. Εἶπεν αὐτῷ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ· Μέχρι τί νος καρτερήσεις; Τὸ πάντων μηχανημάτων τῶν προλαβόντων ἰσχυ ρότερον ὕστερον ὁ διάβολος προσάγει. Εἴθε καὶ ταύ την ἔλαβες! Εἴθε μετὰ τῶν παίδων κατέχωσας! Τινὲς δέ φασιν οὐδὲ τῆς γυναικὸς εἶναι τὰ ῥήματα, ἀλλ' αὐ 17.61 τὸν εἰς αὐτὴν τυπωθέντα ταῦτα φθέγγεσθαι· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἦν τὴν γυναῖκα τοῦ Ἰὼβ τοιαύτην εἶναι· πλὴν εἴ τις λέγοι, συμφορᾷ περιτραπεῖσαν, τοιαύτην αὐτὴν γενέ σθαι. Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· Εἰκὸς οὐ ταύτην πρώτην γε γενῆσθαι τὴν συμβουλὴν, ἀλλὰ πολλάκις πολλὰ τού των ἀκοῦσαι χαλεπώτερα παρὰ τῆς γυναικός. Ὅρα διαβολικὴν ἀπάτην. Ἐνενόησε τὴν Εὔαν. Τοῦτο, φησὶ, τὸν πρῶτον κατήνεγκεν ἄνθρωπον· τοῦτο καὶ τούτου περιγενέσθαι δυνήσεται. Ἀλλ', ὦ ἄθλιε καὶ ἀνόητε! ἐκεῖνον ἥττονα γαστρὸς εὑροῦσα, ἰὸν ἔσπειρε τὸν ἑαυ τῆς. Τοῦτον δὲ ὁρᾷς φιλοσοφοῦντα, καὶ αὐτῆς περι γενόμενον τῆς φύσεως. Οὐκ ἐπέκαμψεν αὐτὸν χρη μάτων ἀπώλεια, οὐδὲ παίδων θάνατος ἄωρος, οὐδὲ βάσανος σώματος ἀπαραμύθητος, οὐδὲ χρόνου μῆκος τοσοῦτον. Καὶ τὸν ὑπὸ πραγμάτων οὐχ ἁλόντα, τοῦ τον ὑπὸ λόγων προσδοκᾷς χειρώσασθαι; Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Τί τὸν ἀθλητὴν ἐκλύεις; Τί καταστέλλεις τὰς χεῖ ρας; δέον εἰπεῖν κατὰ τὸν Ἀπόστολον· Ἔτι μικρὸν, ἔτι μικρόν. Στ. θʹ. Ἀλλ' εἶπόν τι ῥῆμα εἰς Κύριον, καὶ τελεύτα. Μετὰ τὸ τὴν τραγῳδίαν ἀκριβῶς

Job’s answer; the pilot in storm and calm; every human calamity§2

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2—to finish the telling, she brings the shameless counsel. She does not even say openly, "Blaspheme." Evil advisers dare not introduce counsel uncovered. What are you saying, woman? One ought to propitiate and reconcile — and you advise provocation? If God did these things, entreat him; do not blaspheme. And how is it clear that I die as a beloved one? See how she held blasphemy: as if she thought it could bring death on her at once.

"If we received good things from the Lord’s hand, shall we not also bear the bad?" Struck from every side, the blessed man stood more securely. Countless arrows did not make him yield; he emptied the devil’s quiver and did not fall. Like an excellent pilot he was not sunk when the sea raged, and not careless when it was calm; in both seasons he kept the same skill. Wealth did not puff him up, poverty did not crush him; fair weather did not leave him slack, and nearly total ruin did not shake his courage. Let rich and poor hear: the story helps both prosperity and calamity. Handling both weapons, the contestant of piety — crown-bearer of the inhabited world — raised a trophy in each and met every kind of demonic war.

As a soldier trained for night fighting, walls, land, sea, bow, spear, sling, and javelin conquers everywhere, so this noble man bore every trial with courage: poverty, hunger, disease, pain, loss of children, friends, enemies, wife, and servants. No human calamity failed to empty itself into that body; still he rose above every net and higher than the devil’s reeds. More marvelous still: everything came at once, in excess, under one blow — not little by little. Other people rarely meet all together. Poverty may leave health; poverty and disease may still leave a consoling wife as a harbor; if not such a wife, still not one advising ruin; if children die, not all at once; if at once, not by such a death; if by such a death, still comforting friends; if not comforters, still not insulting; if insulting, still not servants reproaching and spitting in the face; if that, still not such disease on a dunghill without shelter or a hand stretched out. Job endured all of it.

"Each came from his own country: Eliphaz king of the Temanites, Baldad tyrant of the Saucheans, Sophar king of the Minaeans." Friendly presence; friendly exhortation. Name-glosses: Eliphaz — "God scattered me," or "contempt of my God"; Teman — their eclipse; Sophar — watcher or contempt; Baldad — aging and glorious; Saucheans — idle talk. The three friends, hearing all the evils that had come on him, came each from his own land. Why so late? First, they lived in different countries; after a long time many perhaps heard, but the

Greek · §2

διηγήσασθαι, τότε τὴν ἀναίσχυντον ἐπιφέρει συμβουλήν. Καὶ οὐδὲ αὐ τῷ φανερῶς εἶπε, Βλασφήμησον. Οἱ γὰρ πονηρὰ συμ βουλεύοντες οὐ τολμῶσιν ἀνακεκαλυμμένην εἰσά γειν τὴν συμβουλήν. Τί λέγεις, ὦ γύναι; ∆έον ἐξι λεώσασθαι, δέον καταλλάξαι, παροξῦναι μᾶλλον παρ αινεῖς; Εἰ γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς ταῦτα ἐποίησε, παρακαλέσαι αὐτὸν, οὐ βλασφημῆσαι δεῖ. Πόθεν δὲ δῆλον, ὅτι καὶ ἐρώμενον τελευτήσω; Πλὴν ὅρα ὅπως εἶχε περὶ τῆς βλασφημίας ἡ γυνή. Ὥσπερ παραχρῆμα αὐτὴν θάνατον ἐπάγειν ἱκανὴν ἡγεῖτο. Στ. ιʹ. Εἰ τὰ ἀγαθὰ ἐδεξάμεθα ἐκ χειρὸς Κυ ρίου, τὰ κακὰ οὐχ ὑποίσομεν; Ὁ γὰρ μακάριος οὗτος, πανταχόθεν βαλλόμενος, ἀσφαλέστερον ἵστατο, καὶ μυρία βέλη δεχόμενος, οὐκ ἐνεδίδου. Ἀλλ' ἐκένωσε μὲν τοῦ διαβόλου τὴν βελοθή κην, αὐτὸς δὲ οὐ κατέπεσεν, οὐδὲ ὑπεσκελίσθη. Ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἄριστος κυβερνήτης, οὔτε μαινομένης τῆς θα λάσσης, καὶ τῶν κυμάτων διεγειρομένων κατεποντί ζετο, οὔτε γαλήνης οὔσης ῥᾳθυμότερος ἐγίνετο. Ἀλλ' ἐν ἑκατέρᾳ τῇ τῶν καιρῶν διαφορᾷ ἴσην τὴν ἑαυτοῦ τέχνην διετήρησε. Καὶ οὔτε πλοῦτος ἑαυτὸν ἐφύ σησεν, οὔτε πενία ἐταπείνωσεν, οὔτε, κατὰ ῥοῦν τῶν πραγμάτων φερομένων, ὕπτιος ἦν καὶ ἀναπεπτωκὼς, οὔτε, ὅλης σχεδὸν τῆς οἰκείας ἀνατραπείσης, καὶ πανολεθρίας γενομένης, διεταράχθη, καὶ τὴν ἀνδρίαν ἤλεγξε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ. Ἀκουέτωσαν πλούσιοι, ἀκουέτω σαν πένητες· ἑκατέροις γὰρ τὸ διήγημα χρήσιμον, καὶ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ἡ ἱστορία λυσιτελής· καὶ τοῖς ἐν εὐημερίᾳ, καὶ τοῖς ἐν συμφοραῖς. Ἑκάτερα γὰρ τὰ ὅπλα μεταχειρίσας ὁ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀγωνιστὴς, ὁ τῆς οἰκουμένης στεφανίτης, ἐν ἑκατέροις τὸ τρόπαιον ἔστησε· καὶ πρὸς πᾶν εἶδος πολέμου τοῦ δαίμονος 17.64 ἐπελθόντος ἐκείνου, πρὸς ἅπαντα παρετάξατο, καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν ἀνεκηρύττετο. Καὶ καθάπερ στρατιώτης γεν ναῖος, καὶ εἰδὼς νυκτομαχεῖν, τειχομαχεῖν, πεζομα χεῖν, ναυμαχεῖν, καὶ τοξεύειν, καὶ δόρυ σείειν, καὶ σφενδόναις καὶ ἀκοντίοις, καὶ παντὶ τρόπῳ μάχης περιγίνεσθαι τῆς ἐναντίων καὶ πανταχοῦ κρα τεῖν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ γενναῖος ἐκεῖνος ἅπαντα πειρα σμὸν μετὰ πολλῆς ἤνεγκε τῆς ἀνδρίας, τὸν ἀπὸ πε νίας, τὸν ἀπὸ λιμοῦ, τὸν ἀπὸ νόσου, τὸν ἐξ ὀδύνης, τὸν ἀπὸ παίδων ἀπωλείας, τὸν ἀπὸ τῶν φίλων, τὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν, τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς γυναικὸς, τὸν ἀπὸ τῶν οἰκετῶν. Οὐ γὰρ ἦν ἀνθρωπίνη συμφορὰ, ἣ μὴ εἰς τὸ σῶμα ἐξεκενώθη ἐκείνου. Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἁπάντων ὑπερηνέχθη τῶν δικτύων, καὶ ὑψηλότερος γέγονε τῶν τοῦ διαβόλου καλάμων. Καὶ τὸ δὴ θαυμαστότερον, ὅτι καὶ πάντα αὐτῷ, καὶ πάντα μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς, καὶ πάντα ὑφ' ἕν. Μὴ γὰρ τοῦτο ἴδῃς, ὅτι τοσαῦτα ἔπα θεν· ἀλλὰ πρόσθες, ὅτι οὐδὲ κατὰ μικρὸν, οὐδὲ ἐκ διαστήματος, ἀλλ' ὑφὲν καὶ ὁμοῦ. Οὐ μικρὰ δὲ αὕτη πειρασμῶν προσθήκη. Τῶν μὲν γὰρ ἄλλων ἕκαστος ἀνθρώπων πρῶτον μὲν οὐδεὶς ἂν εὑρεθείη πάντα ὑπο μείνας ὁμοῦ, ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ πενίᾳ παλαίει, ὅμως ὑγείας ἀπολαύει· εἰ δὲ καὶ πενίᾳ καὶ νόσῳ περιεπάρη, ἀλλὰ γυναικὸς πολλάκις ἀπήλαυσε παραμυθουμένης τὰ δει νὰ, καὶ ἀντὶ λιμένος αὐτῷ γινομένης. Εἰ δὲ μὴ γυναι κὸς ἀπήλαυσε τοιαύτης, ἀλλ' οὐχ οὕτω συμβουλευ θείσης ὀλέθρια, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ καὶ τοὺς παῖδας ἀθρόον ἀπώλεσεν ἅπαντας· εἰ δὲ καὶ ἀθρόον, ἀλλ' οὐ τοιούτῳ τρόπῳ τελευτῆς· εἰ δὲ καὶ τοιούτῳ [τρόπῳ] τελευτῆς, ἀλλὰ φίλους ἔσχε παρακαλοῦντας· εἰ δὲ οὐκ ἔσχε πα ρακαλοῦντας, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ καὶ οὕτως ἐπεμβαίνοντας· εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐπεμβαίνοντας, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ καὶ οἰκέτας ὀνειδί ζοντας· εἰ δὲ καὶ ὀνειδίζοντας, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ καὶ εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐμπτύοντας· εἰ δὲ καὶ εἰς τὸ πρόσ ωπον ἐμπτύοντας, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ καὶ νόσῳ τοιαύτῃ περιε πάρει, ἀλλὰ δωματίου καὶ σκέπης ἀπήλαυσε, καὶ οὐκ ἐπὶ τῆς κοπρίας ἐκάθητο· εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς κοπρίας ἐκάθητο, ἀλλ' ἔσχε τοὺς χεῖρα ὀρέγοντας· εἰ δὲ μὴ ἔσχε τοὺς χεῖρα ὀρέγοντας, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ καὶ ἐπεμβαίνοντας. Οὗτος δ' ἅπαντα ταῦτα ὑπήνεγκεν. Στίχ. ιαʹ. Παρεγένοντο ἕκαστος ἐκ τῆς ἰδίας χώ ρας πρὸς αὐτὸν, Ἐλιφὰζ ὁ Θαιμανῶν βασι λεὺς, Βαλδὰδ ὁ Σαυχέων τύραννος, Σωφὰρ Μιναίων βασιλεύς. Φιλικὴ μὲν ἡ παρουσία σου, φιλικὴ δὲ ἡ παρ αίνεσις. Ἐλιφάζ· Θεός με διέσπειρεν, ἢ, Θεοῦ μου φαυλισμός. Θαιμὰν, ἔκλειψις αὐτῶν. Σωφὰρ, σκοπὸς, ἢ φαυλισμός. Βαλδὰδ, παλαίωσις, καὶ ἐπίδοξος. Σαυχαίων, ἀδολεσχία αὐτῶν. Στίχ. ιαʹ. Ἀκούσαντες δὲ οἱ τρεῖς φίλοι αὐτοῦ τὰ κακὰ πάντα, τὰ ἐπελθόντα αὐτῷ, παρε γένοντο ἕκαστος ἐκ τῆς ἰδίας χώρας πρὸς αὐτόν. Ἐάν τις ζητῇ, διὰ τί μετὰ τοσοῦτον χρόνον οἱ φί λοι παραγεγόνασιν, ἐννοείτω πρῶτον μὲν, ὅτι δια φόρους ᾤκουν χώρας, καὶ μετὰ πλεῖστον χρόνον πολλοὶ μὲν ἤκουσαν ἴσως, τὸ δὲ

Friends delayed; seven days’ watch; Job’s pain without blasphemy§3

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3paradox of the calamity also seemed unbelievable — Job on a dunghill and uncared for. They waited to confirm the report through more witnesses, or to send and see if it was true; time was spent that way. Once they knew the truth, as kings about to travel they first had to set their houses in order and appoint deputies. That occupied them and delayed them. Had they not been deeply beloved and righteous, they would not have left countries and kingdoms to visit, but would have sent others. One may also see a divine arrangement in the delay: since the friends’ dialogue ends the whole contest when God speaks, recovers, and crowns the righteous man, the friends’ lateness stretches the illness so that, contending more, he may be declared more justly by God.

"They came to him with one mind to comfort and visit him." Symmachus: they arranged together to sympathize and comfort. Another stretch of time passed while they messaged one another and set a common arrival. "They sprinkled earth on their heads." "They sat beside him seven days and seven nights." Scripture does not mean continuous day-from-dawn and night-from-dusk without break. They sat the greater part of the day, withdrew for necessary needs, returned late into the night, left again, and rose early to him — the mark of genuine friends. Scripture speaks by common custom, as when Jacob served fourteen years burned by day heat and night frost without meaning he never entered a roof. Quibbling further is nonsense. Some mock Scripture as false — "How without food and sleep for so many days?" — and we are forced to answer their untimely distress.

Chapter 3 begins: the righteous man feels pain — no one denies it. Virtue is not numbness, but philosophy inside the passions. In appearance he is stung sharply in the flesh; in thought, as a God-loving man, he sees others scandalized at such sufferings, as if God’s glory were torn if the righteous endure this. When he says, "Why have you set me as your opponent in prayer?," he is not striking at God — far from it. To whom else would he petition? He means: Why, through me, Master, is your name blasphemed? He also grows dizzy lest abandonment from God be greater still. A God-loving soul suffers nothing like the suspicion of being left by God, and chooses death ten thousand times over life under that suspicion.

At the loss of goods and the sudden death of the children we heard his thanksgiving, how he schooled the wife who thought unseemly things of the Master, and how no human accident shook him. When righteous, sympathetic friends arrived, he judged it time — seeing their endurance and love — to publish the soul’s pains in a history without danger. The devil’s one aim was to make the righteous blaspheme God. Job nowhere does that; he rather speaks well and sends up thanks. He curses the day of birth, and

Greek · §3

παράδοξον τῆς συμ φορᾶς καὶ ἄπιστον ἐδόκει, εἰ καὶ ἐπὶ κοπρίας ὁ Ἰὼβ 17.65 καὶ ἀνεπικούρητος κάθηται. Καὶ περιέμενον διὰ πλειόνων πιστώσασθαι τὴν ἀκοὴν, ἢ καὶ ἐκπέμψαι καὶ ἰδεῖν, εἰ καὶ ἀληθῆ τὰ λεγόμενα. Ἐν τούτοις οὖν ὁ χρόνος ἐτρίβετο. Πρὸς δὴ τούτοις, ὅτε τὸ ἀληθὲς ἔγνωσαν, βασιλεῖς ὄντες καὶ ἐκδημεῖν μέλλοντες, ἀνάγκην εἶχον πρότερον εὖ διαθεῖναι τὰ κατὰ τὸν οἶκον, καὶ ἐπιστῆσαι τοῖς ἀρχομένοις τοὺς ἀνθ' ἑαυτῶν. Ταῦτα πάντα αὐτοὺς ἀπησχόλει, καὶ ἐνε βράδυνον. Καὶ εἰ μὴ σφόδρα γε ἀγαπητοί τινες ἦσαν καὶ δίκαιοι, οὐκ ἂν, τὰς οἰκείας καταλιπόντες χώρας καὶ βασιλείας, ἀφικνοῦντο πρὸς τὴν ἐπίσκεψιν, ἀλλὰ δι' ἑτέρων τὴν χρείαν ἐπλήρουν. Ἔστι δὲ ἐννοεῖν, ὡς καὶ οἰκονομία τις ἦν θεία τῆς ἀφίξεως ἡ ἀναβολή. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁμοῦ τῇ τῶν φίλων διαλέξει καὶ τὸ πᾶν τοῦ ἀγῶνος ἐλύθη, τοῦ Θεοῦ χρηματίσαντος, καὶ τὸν δίκαιον ἀνακτησαμένου καὶ στεφανώσαντος, οἰκονο μία τις γέγονε θεία, ἐμβραδῦναι τοὺς φίλους, ἵνα παραταθῇ τὰ τοῦ νοσήματος, καὶ μειζόνως ἀθλή σας ὁ δίκαιος, δικαιότερον ἀναῤῥηθῇ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Στίχ. ιαʹ. Καὶ παρεγένοντο πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁμοθυ μαδὸν, τοῦ παρακαλέσαι καὶ ἐπισκέψασθαι αὐτόν. Ὁ Σύμμαχος οὕτως ἐξέδωκε· Συνετάξαντο γὰρ ὁμοῦ ἐλθόντες συμπαθῆσαι αὐτῷ, καὶ παραμυ θήσασθαι αὐτόν. Ὅρα καὶ ἐντεῦθεν, ὡς καὶ ἕτερος παρῆλθε χρόνος, ἕως ὅτε, πρὸς ἀλλήλους διαπεμψά μενοι, τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ σύνοδόν τε καὶ ἄφιξιν ἐποιή σαντο. Στίχ. ιβʹ. Καὶ καταπασάμενοι γῆν ἐπὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς αὐτῶν. Στίχ. ιγʹ. Παρεκάθισαν αὐτῷ ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας, καὶ ἑπτὰ νύκτας. Οὐκ εἶπε δὲ ἡ Γραφὴ, ὅτι παρεκάθηντο ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας πρωΐθεν ἕως ἑσπέρας, οὐδὲ ἑπτὰ νύκτας ἀφ' ἑσπέρας μέχρι πρωΐ. ∆ῆλον οὖν, ὅτι, τὸ πλεῖον τῆς ἡμέρας παρακαθεζόμενοι, ὑπεχώρουν τὰς ἀναγκαίας ἐκπληρώσοντες χρείας· καὶ πάλιν ἐπανήκοντες, μέ χρι πολλοῦ τῆς νυκτὸς παρεκαθέζοντο, καὶ αὖθις ἀπιόντες, πάλιν ὤρθριζον πρὸς αὐτόν. Ὃ δὴ τῶν γνησιωτάτων καὶ συμπαθεστάτων φίλων ἴδιον. Τῇ δὲ κοινῇ συνηθείᾳ χρωμένη ἡ Γραφὴ, οὕτως ἀπολύτως εἶπε· Παρεκάθισαν αὐτῷ ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας καὶ ἑπτὰ νύκτας. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ὅτε λέγει τὸν Ἰακὼβ δεκατέσσαρα ἔτη δουλεῦσαι, καὶ συγκαίεσθαι τῷ καύσονι τῆς ἡμέρας καὶ τῷ παγετῷ τῆς νυκτὸς, ἆρα ὑπὸ στέ γην οὐκ εἰσῄει ποτέ; ἆρα οὐδεμιᾶς ἀναπαύσεως ἔτυχεν ὅλῳ τῷ χρόνῳ; Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν καὶ λεπτολο γεῖν φλύαρον. Ὡς γὰρ ἔφην, ἡ Γραφὴ κοινῇ συνη θείᾳ χρῆται. Ἐπειδὴ δέ τινες, κωμῳδοῦντες τὴν Γραφὴν, καὶ ἐντεῦθεν αὐτὴν ὡς ψευδῆ διασύρουσιν· Ὡς γὰρ ἂν, φασὶν, ἄσιτοι διετέλουν καὶ ἄϋπνοι ἐπὶ τοσαύταις ἡμέραις; ἠναγκάσθημεν αὐτῶν συνα παχθῆναι τῇ ἀκαίρῳ στενοχωρίᾳ. ΚΕΦ. Γʹ. Ἀλλ' ἐν τούτοις μὲν τὸ δεύτερον ἤνυσται κεφά λαιον· τοῦ τρίτου δὲ προθεωρίαν ποιούμενοι, φαμὲν, 17.68 ὡς ἀλγεῖ μὲν ὁ δίκαιος, καὶ οὐκ ἄν τις ἀρνήσαιτο οὐ γὰρ τῶν ἀναισθήτων ἡ ἀρετὴ, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἐν τοῖς πάθεσι φιλοσοφούντων. Οὐ δύναται δὲ, κατὰ μὲν τὸ φαινόμενον, ὑπὸ τῆς ἐν σαρκὶ πληγῆς δριμυ τάτως κεντούμενος· κατὰ δὲ τὸ νοούμενον, οἷα δί καιος καὶ φιλόθεος ἀνὴρ ὁρῶν τινας σκανδαλιζομέ νους ἐπὶ τοῖς αὐτῶν παθήμασιν, ὡς τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δόξης ἐπ' αὐτῷ διασυρομένης, εἰ ὁ δίκαιος ταῦτα ὑπομένει. Καὶ γὰρ ὅτε λέγει· Ἵνα τί ἔθου με κατ' ἐντευκτήν σου; οὐκ αὐτὸς κατὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐτύγχανε, μὴ γένοιτο! τίνι γὰρ εἶχεν ἐντυγχάνειν; Ἀλλὰ τοῦτό ἐστιν ὅ φησιν· Ἵνα τί δι' ἐμὲ, ∆έσποτα, τὸ ὄνομά σου βλασφημεῖται; Θορυβεῖται δὲ οὐδὲν ἧττον καὶ ἰλιγγιᾷ, μήπως πλείως ἐγκατάλειψιν ὑπέστη παρὰ Θεοῦ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οὕτω τιμωρεῖται ψυχὴ φιλόθεος, ὡς τὸ ὑποπτεύειν καταλελεῖφθαι παρὰ Θεοῦ· καὶ μυριάκις αἱρεῖται τὸν θάνατον, ἢ μετὰ ἀλγηδόνων καὶ τοιαύτης ὑποψίας τοῖς ζῶσιν ἐγκατα λέγεσθαι. Ἐπὶ μὲν οὖν τῇ τῶν κτημάτων ἀπωλείᾳ καὶ τῇ τῶν παίδων ἀθρόᾳ τελευτῇ οἵας ἀφῆκε χα ριστηρίους φωνὰς ἠκούσαμεν, καὶ ὅπως τὴν γυναῖκα ἐξεπαίδευσεν ἀπρεπές τι περὶ τοῦ ∆εσπότου λογισα μένην, καὶ ποῖα μετὰ πεῖραν καὶ ἐξουδένωσιν καὶ τὸ δριμὺ πάθος ἐφθέγξατο, καὶ ὡς οὐδὲν αὐτὸν τῶν ἀν θρωπίνων συμπτωμάτων διεθορύβησεν· ὡς δὲ οἱ φί λοι παρεγένοντο ἄνδρες δίκαιοι καὶ συμπαθεῖς, εὔ καιρον ᾠήθη, θεωρῶν αὐτῶν τὴν ὑπομονὴν καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην ἐπ' αὐτῶν, εἰπεῖν καὶ δημοσιεῦσαι τὰς κατὰ ψυχὴν ἀλγηδόνας, καὶ φθέγγεται μὲν καθ' ἱστο ρίαν ἀκίνδυνον. Ἓν γὰρ ἦν τοῦ διαβόλου τὸ σπού δασμα, τὸ παρασκευάσαι τὸν δίκαιον βλασφημῆσαι Θεόν. Ὁ δὲ οὐδαμῶς φαίνεται τοῦτο διαπραξάμενος, ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον εὐφημήσας, καὶ χαριστηρίους ἀνα πέμψας φωνάς. Καταρᾶται δὲ τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς γεννήσεως, καὶ τὸν

Job opens his mouth; hard words wear the soul; fortress and laugh§4

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4desires death for the reasons already given. Toward understanding he speaks mysteries; he philosophizes about what has already happened and assures what is coming — the way holy prophets always speak. Coming to the words themselves, let us clarify the sense, guided by the same one who strengthened holy Job for the contests.

"After this Job opened his mouth." When a righteous man opens his mouth, do not attend casually; hunt the benefit in the words. Such sayings are always full of help, and a righteous mouth publishes hidden treasures. So the vessel of election writes, "My mouth has opened toward you, Corinthians," and of the Lord it is written that "opening his mouth he taught." The one witnessed to open a mouth is first taught the measures of silence. Job opens his mouth after the great trophy and those sufferings — not letting the tongue outrun devout prudence under bodily pain, but showing temperance in the voices. The witness that he opened his mouth also shows the soul’s calm and the seemliness of the words.

Chapter 19: "Until when will you make my soul weary?" Heavy loads make beasts weary; heavy words do the same to a hearer. Pressed by the harsh, insulting speech of the other two who came with Baldad, Job feels a heavy load and asks how long they will weary his soul. The Sauchean is labeled tyrant beforehand; his words are tyrannical. Nothing reaches a human soul like a hard word. Many endure bodily torments and still cannot endure speech. The perfect athlete, even weary, endures harsh words; bearing insult belongs to a great man. So the Apostle lists among his brave deeds: "Being reviled we bless, being persecuted we endure, being defamed we exhort; we have become as the refuse of the world, the offscouring of all until now." Job’s book especially holds his courage and endurance — and still he feels the toil of hard words from those who came to visit.

"Know only that the Lord made me thus." What you see about me has not come from elsewhere than God. Fear: the one who brings this on me can bring it on you. "You speak against me; unashamed, you press upon me." Evil speech happens often; when the speaker does not blush, he says it to the face — not to refute or tell truth, but to reproach and insult. One must not insult those God is punishing, but mourn and fear. "Yes, in truth I have wandered; a wanderer lodges with me — to speak a word one ought not." By hypothesis he grants their view that he suffers for sins — was it then necessary to reproach him so? Even if he had done what he ought not, seeing scourges, ichor, worms, and lost goods, should they not have felt shame? Instead they tread further, without pity. "Allow that you magnify yourselves against me and leap on me with reproach" — not moderate rebuke, but leaping as if trampling. "His fortress he raised against me": under the wall of circumstance he is a fortress he cannot flee until God judges to take it down. "Look, I laugh at reproach, and I will not speak" — that is, "conquer the evil in the good." At their reproach he is thought to laugh, not to speak. Chapter 20.

Greek · §4

θάνατον ἐπιποθεῖ, διὰ τὰς ἀνω τέρω λεχθείσας αἰτίας. Πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν μυστήρια λαλεῖ· καὶ περὶ τῶν ἤδη προγεγονότων φιλοσοφεῖ, καὶ πληροφορεῖ τὸ μέλλον. Τοιαῦται γὰρ ἀεὶ τῶν ἁγίων προφητῶν αἱ ῥήσεις. Ἐπὶ δὲ αὐτῶν τῶν λέ ξεων γενόμενοι, σαφηνίσωμεν τὴν διάνοιαν, αὐτοῦ ποδηγοῦντος πρὸς τὴν ἑρμηνείαν, τοῦ καὶ τὸν ἅγιον Ἰὼβ πρὸς τοὺς ἀγῶνας ἐνισχύσαντος. Στίχ. αʹ. Μετὰ τοῦτο ἤνοιξεν Ἰὼβ τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ. Ὅτι δίκαιος ἀνοίγει τὸ στόμα, οὐχ ἁπλῶς οὑτωσὶ προσήκει προσέχειν τοῖς λεγομένοις, ἀλλὰ τὰ ἐκ τῶν λόγων ἀναζητεῖν ὠφέλειαν. Μεστὰ γὰρ ἀεὶ ὠφε λείας τὰ τοιαῦτα ῥήματα τῶν ἁγίων· καὶ ἀνοίγων τὸ στόμα δίκαιος, κεκρυμμένους δημοσιεύει θησαυ ρούς. ∆ιὸ καὶ τὸ σκεῦος τῆς ἐκλογῆς ὁ Παῦλος ἐπι στέλλων φησί· Τὸ στόμα μου ἀνέῳγε πρὸς ὑμᾶς, Κορίνθιοι. Καὶ περὶ τοῦ Κυρίου γέγραπται ὅτι Ἀνοίξας τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ ἐδίδασκε. Καὶ ἁπλῶς ἐκεῖνος μαρτυρεῖται στόμα ἀνοίγειν, ὁ σιωπῆς μέτρα πρότερον διδαχθείς. Οὐκοῦν καὶ Ἰὼβ ἀνοίγει τὸ στόμα 17.69 μετὰ τοῦτο· τουτέστι μετὰ τὸ μέγα τρόπαιον, μετ' ἐκεῖνα τὰ πάθη, οὐκ ἀβασανίστως φθέγγεται περιαλ γῶν τῷ σώματι, τῆς γλώσσης φθανούσης τὸ τῆς φρο νήσεως ἔνθεσμον, ἀλλὰ σωφρονῶν καὶ ταῖς φωναῖς ὑποδείκνυται. ∆ηλοῖ δὲ καὶ τὴν γαλήνην τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ τῶν ῥημάτων τὸ ἐμπρεπὲς ἡ τοῦ ἀνοῖξαι τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ μαρτυρία. ΚΕΦ. ΙΘʹ. Στίχ. αʹ. Ἕως τίνος ἔγκοπον ποιήσετε ψυχήν μου; Ὥσπερ σώματα βαρέα ἐπιτιθέμενα ζώων σώμα σιν, κάμνειν ποιεῖν τὰ βαστάζοντα· οὕτως εἰσί τι νες λόγοι βαρεῖς, οὓς ἀκούσας τις κάμνει. Ὡς ὑπὸ βάρους πιεζόμενος, τῆς δυνάμεως τῶν λόγων τῶν οὐ κακῶς, καὶ χαλεπῶς, ἢ ἐπὶ λοιδορίας εἰρημέ νων ὑπὸ τῶν ἄλλων δύο μετὰ Βαλδὰδ ἐληλυθότων, οἱονεὶ φορτίου αἴσθησις βαρέος, ὁ Ἰώβ φησι καμὼν τῇ ψυχῇ ἐφ' οἷς εἰρήκασιν· Ἕως τίνος ἔγκοπον ποιήσετε ψυχήν μου; –Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγον· Ὁρᾷς ὡς προγέγραπται ὁ Σαυχαίων τύραννος. Τυ ραννικοὶ αὐτοῦ εἰσιν οἱ λόγοι, οὓς ἀκούσας ὁ Ἰὼβ, λέ γει· Ἕω τίνος ἔγκοπον ποιήσετε τὴν ψυχήν μου; Οὐχ οὕτως καθικνεῖται ψυχῆς ἀνθρώπου ἄλλο τι, ὡς λόγος σκληρός. Πολλάκις ὑπομείνας τὰς βασάνους σώματι προσφερομένας, λόγους οὐχ ὑπέμεινεν. Ὁ μέντοιγε τέλειος ἀθλητὴς, εἰ καὶ κάμνων, ἀλλ' ὑπο μένει τοὺς χαλεποὺς λόγους. Ὕβριν γὰρ ὑπομένειν μεγάλου ἀνδρός ἐστιν. ∆ιόπερ ἐν τοῖς ἀνδραγαθήμα σιν ἑαυτοῦ ὁ Ἀπόστολος λέγει· Λοιδορούμενοι εὐλο γοῦμεν, διωκόμενοι ἀνεχόμεθα, δυσφημούμενοι παρακαλοῦμεν. Ὥσπερ καθάρματα τοῦ κόσμου ἐγενήθημεν, πάντων περίψημα ἕως ἄρτι. Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγον φησὶν εἶτα, διὰ τὸ, Ἕως τίνος ἔγκοπον ποιή σετε ψυχήν μου; Ὁρᾷς; Ἰώβ ἐστιν, οὗ καὶ τὸ βιβλίον οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἐξαιρέτως περιέχει ἢ τὴν ἀνδρίαν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν ὑπομονήν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως αἰσθάνεται τῶν καμάτων, ὧν κεκμήκει ἀπὸ τοῦ λόγου τοῦ σκλη ροῦ τῶν ἐληλυθότων αὐτὸν ἐπισκοπῆσαι. Στίχ. γʹ. Γνῶτε μόνον, ὅτι ὁ Κύριος ἐποίησέ με οὕτως. Ἃ βλέπετε περὶ ἐμὲ, μὴ νομίσητε ἄλλοθεν ἐληλυ θέναι μοι ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Φοβήθητε τοίνυν. Ὁ γὰρ ἐμοὶ ταῦτα ἐπάγων δύναται καὶ ὑμῖν ἐπαγαγεῖν. Στίχ. γʹ. Καταλαλεῖτέ μου· οὐκ αἰσχυνόμενοί με, ἐπίκεισθέ μοι. Πολλάκις καὶ καταλαλεῖ τις κακῶς ποιῶν. Ὅτε ἂν δὲ οὐκ ἀπερυθριάσῃ, εἰς πρόσωπον λέγει ἐκείνῳ, οὐχὶ ἐλέγχων, οὐδὲ τἀληθῆ λέγων, ἀλλ' ὀνει δίζων καὶ ὑβρίζων. Τοῖς γὰρ ὑπὸ Θεοῦ τιμωρου μένοις ἐπεμβαίνειν οὐ χρὴ, ἀλλὰ θρηνεῖν καὶ φο βεῖσθαι. Στίχ. δʹ. Ναὶ δὴ ἐπ' ἀληθείας ἐγὼ ἐπλανήθην, παρ' ἐμοὶ δὲ αὐλίζεται πλάνος· λαλῆσαι ῥῆμα, ὃ οὐκ ἔδει. Εἶτά φησιν καθ' ὑπόθεσιν· Ὑμῖν δίδωμι, ὡς ὑπο 17.72 λαμβάνεται, ὅτι διὰ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ταῦτα πάσχω· ἆρ' οὖν ἐχρῆν ὑμᾶς οὕτω μοι ὀνειδίζειν; Παρ' ἐμοὶ δὲ αὐλίζεται πλάνος. Εἰ καὶ καθ' ὑπόθεσιν τοιαῦτα ἐπεποιήκειν, οἷα οὐκ ἔδει· εἰ καὶ τοιοῦτος ἤμην, ἆρ' οὐκ ἐχρῆν ὑμᾶς βλέποντας μάστιγας, τοὺς ἰχῶ ρας, τοὺς σκώληκας, τὴν ἀπώλειαν τῶν ὑπαρχόντων, αἰδεσθῆναι; Ἀλλὰ προσεπιβαίνετέ μοι μὴ ἐλεοῦντές με, μηδὲ συμπαθοῦντές μου τῇ περιστάσει. Στίχ. εʹ. Ἔα δὲ, ὅτι ἐπ' ἐμοὶ μεγαλύνεσθε, ἐνάλλεσθε δέ μοι ὀνείδει. Οὐ μετρίως μοι ὀνειδίζετε, ἀλλ' ἐναλλόμενοι ὡσπερεὶ ἐπιβαίνοντες καὶ καταπατοῦντές με ὀνει δίζετε. Στίχ. ʹ. Ὀχύρωμα δὲ αὐτοῦ ἐπ' ἐμὲ ὕψωσεν. Οἱονεὶ ὑπὸ τεῖχος τῆς περιστάσεώς εἰμι ὀχύρωμα, ὃ οὐ δύναμαι φεύγειν, ἕως οὗ κρινεῖ ὁ Θεὸς καθελεῖν αὐτό. Στίχ. ζʹ. Ἰδοὺ γελῶ ὀνείδει, καὶ οὐ λαλήσω. Τοῦτό ἐστι τό· Νίκα ἐν τῷ ἀγαθῷ τὸ κακόν. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Ἰδοὺ ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνείδει ὑμῶν γελᾷν, οὐ λαλεῖν νομίζομαι. ΚΕΦ. Κʹ.

Heretic gifts that touch the clouds; asp gall and iron word§5

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5"If his gifts go up into heaven and his sacrifice touches the clouds" — even of the impious. When a heretic prays, when sacrifice rises by high-speaking, when he seems fixed firm, then he is destroyed utterly. "His prayer is reckoned to him as sin; the prayer itself is sin. "When he seems already fixed, then he is destroyed utterly." Like "the enemies of the Lord: when they are glorified and exalted, they fail as smoke." Those who see him — we of the church who see their errors — will say, "Where is he?" "Like a dream flown away, he will not be found." Such people dream and mold fantasies; they do not rest the mind on truth, and become a dream that cannot be found.

"Let lesser ones destroy his sons" — sons and disciples of the teacher of these things. "Let his hands torch pains": the deeds kindle punishment; this impious man’s hands will spend him in last pains — spoken also of the lawless one’s sons. "Gall of an asp is in his belly:" teachings not sweet but asp gall — the wine of their doctrine. "From the vine of Sodom is their vine." Asp gall sits in the belly of the heterodox and of anyone impious in doctrines opposite the truth.

"Wealth gathered unjustly will be vomited out." What wealth is that but the wealth in their words? The Good One will not let the fallen keep unjust wealth forever; he makes them vomit it. "An angel will drag him from his house" — from the badly built house that is a church of evildoers — by God’s energy and kindness. "May he not see the milking of pastures." The heterodox do not see that milking. Pastures are souls under the good Shepherd: "I am the door; if anyone enters through me he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture."

"Like tough herb, unchewed, unswallowable:" words and doctrines against God are tough and dense, with nothing sweet. As that plant cannot be swallowed even when chewed hard, so the one who wants alien enjoyments carries off no profit from the toil. "For this his good things will not bloom; when he seems filled, he is afflicted. Belongings cannot buy him salvation. "Every necessity will come upon him; wrath of anger is sent" — hortatory so we stand off from alien things. Pains come like a snowstorm. "He will not be saved from a hand of iron": not perceptible iron, but a most cutting word.

Greek · §5

Στίχ. ʹ. Ἐὰν ἀναβῇ εἰς οὐρανὸν αὐτοῦ τὰ δῶρα· ἡ δὲ θυσία αὐτοῦ νεφῶν ἅψηται. Τοῦ ἀσεβοῦς ἐὰν ἀναβῇ τὰ δῶρα εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, ἐὰν πάνυ ὑψωθῇ, ἐὰν ἡ θυσία αὐτοῦ νεφῶν ἅψηται. Ὅτ' ἂν εὔξηται ὁ αἱρετικὸς, ὅτ' ἂν ἡ θυσία αὐτοῦ ἀναβῇ τῇ ὑψηγορίᾳ, ὅτ' ἂν δοκῇ κατεστηρίχθαι· τότε εἰς τέλος ἀπολεῖται. Ἡ γὰρ εὐχὴ αὐτοῦ λο γίζεται αὐτῷ εἰς ἁμαρτίαν, καὶ ἔστιν αὐτὴ ἡ εὐχὴ αὐτοῦ ἁμαρτία. Στίχ. ζʹ. Ὅταν γὰρ δοκῇ ἤδη ἐστηρίχθαι, τότε εἰς τέλος ἀπολεῖται. Ὅμοιον, Οἱ δὲ ἐχθροὶ τοῦ Κυρίου ἅμα τῷ δοξα σθῆναι καὶ ὑψωθῆναι, ἐκλείποντες ὡσεὶ καπνὸς ἐξέλιπον. Στίχ. ζʹ. Οἱ δὲ ἰδόντες αὐτὸν ἐροῦσι· Ποῦ ἔστιν; Τίνες οἱ ἰδόντες αὐτόν; Οἱ ἐκκλησιαστικοὶ, οἱ ἰδόντες ἐκείνων τὰ σφάλματα, ἐροῦμεν· Ποῦ ἔστιν; Στίχ. ηʹ. Ὥσπερ ἐνύπνιον ἐκπετασθὲν οὐ μὴ εὑρεθῇ. Οἱ τοιοῦτοι ἐνυπνιαζόμενοι, καὶ ἀναπλάσσοντες φαντάσματα, οὐ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ τὴν διάνοιαν ἐπερείδου σιν σφαλλόμενοι, καὶ γίνονται ὥσπερ ἐνύπνιον ἐκπετασθὲν, ὃ οὐ μὴ εὑρεθῇ. Στίχ. ιʹ. Τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ ὀλέσαισαν ἥττονες. Τοὺς υἱοὺς καὶ μαθητὰς τοῦ ταῦτα διδάξαντος. Στίχ. ιʹ. Αἱ δὲ χεῖρες αὐτοῦ πυρσεύσαισαν ὀδύνας. Αἱ χεῖρες αὐτοῦ, φησὶν, τουτέστιν αἱ πράξεις, ἐξά ψουσιν αὐτῷ κόλασιν. Αἱ δὲ χεῖρες αὐτοῦ. Τοῦ ἀσεβοῦς τούτου καὶ ἐσφαλμένου, οὗ ἡ προσευχὴ λογίζεται εἰς ἁμαρ τίαν, οὗ ἡ θυσία ἐὰν ἀναβῇ εἰς οὐρανὸν, καὶ νε 17.73 φῶν ἅψηται, τότε εἰς τέλος ἀπόλλυται· τούτου αἱ χεῖρες ὀδύνας πυρσεύσουσι· τουτέστι, καὶ ἐν ὀδύναις ἐσχάταις διάξουσι. Λέγει δὲ περὶ τῶν υἱῶν τοῦ πα ρανόμου. Στίχ. ιγʹ. Χολὴ ἀσπίδος ἐν γαστρὶ αὐτοῦ. Ἔχει γὰρ μαθήματα, ἃ οὐκ ἔστι γλυκέα, ἀλλὰ χολὴ ἀσπίδος, οἱονεὶ πονηρὰ, ἡ περὶ τοῦ οἴνου τῆς διδασκαλίας αὐτῶν. Ἐκ γὰρ ἀμπέλου Σοδόμων ἡ ἄμπελος αὐτῶν, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· Χολὴ δὲ ἀσπίδος ἐν γαστρὶ τοῦ ἑτεροδόξου, καὶ ἀσεβοῦντος ἐν τοῖς δόγμασι, τοῖς ἐναντίοις τῇ ἀληθείᾳ. Στίχ. ιεʹ. Πλοῦτος ἀδίκως συναγόμενος ἐξε μεθήσεται. Τίς γὰρ ἄλλος ἀδίκως πλοῦτος συνάγεται ἢ ἐκεῖ νος ὁ ἐν τοῖς λόγοις αὐτῶν; Ἀδίκως γὰρ συνάγεται. Ἀλλ' ὁ ἀγαθὸς οὐκ ἐάσει αὐτοὺς πεπτωκότας, πλοῦ τον ἀδίκως συναγόμενον ἔχειν ἀεὶ αὐτὸν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς· ποιήσει γὰρ ἐξεμέσαι. Στίχ. ιεʹ. Ἐξ οἰκίας αὐτοῦ ἐξελκύσει αὐτὸν ἄγγελος. Ἄγγελος γὰρ κατ' ἐνέργειαν καὶ εὐεργεσίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐξελκύσει αὐτὸν ἀπ' αὐτῆς τῆς κακῶς οἰκοδο μηθείσης, ἥτις ἐστὶν ἐκκλησία πονηρευομένων. Αὕτη γὰρ ἡ οἰκία αὐτοῦ. Ἀλλ' ἄγγελος ἐξελκύσει αὐτὸν ἐξ οἰκίας αὐτοῦ. Στίχ. ιζʹ. Μὴ ἴδοι ἄμελξιν νομάδων. Ἑτερόδοξος οὐ βλέπει ἄμελξιν νομάδων. Νο μάδες δὲ εἰσί τινες ψυχαὶ νεμόμεναι ὑπὸ τῷ καλῷ Ποιμένι, τῷ εἰπόντι· Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ θύρα. ∆ι' ἐμοῦ ἐάν τις εἰσέλθῃ, σωθήσεται. Καὶ εἰσελεύσεται, καὶ ἐξελεύσεται, καὶ νομὴν εὑρήσει. Στίχ. ιηʹ. Ὥσπερ στρίφνος ἀμάσητος, ἀκατά ποτος. Οἱ λόγοι καὶ τὰ δόγματα στριφνὰ καὶ πυκνὰ, οὐ δὲν ἔχει γλυκὺ ἐκεῖνα, τὰ κατὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ γινόμενα. Στρίφνος βοτάνη, τίς ἐστιν ἐκτραχυνομένη τῇ γλώσσῃ τοῦ μασσωμένου. Ὥσπερ οὖν, φησὶ, τὴν βοτάνην ἐκείνην, κἂν ἄγαν τις φιλονεικήσειε διαλεά νας τοῖς ὀδοῦσι, καταπιεῖν οὐ δύναται· οὕτω καὶ ὁ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ἀπολαύειν ἐθέλων οὐδὲν τῶν πόνων ἀποίσεται τὸ κέρδος. Στίχ. κʹ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἀνθήσει αὐτοῦ τὰ ἀγαθά. Ἂ δοκεῖ ἀγαθὰ ποιεῖν, οὐκ ἀνθήσει· ὅτ' ἂν δοκῇ ἤδη πεπληρῶσθαι, θλιβήσεται. Στίχ. κʹ. Οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτοῦ σωτηρία τοῖς ὑπάρχουσι. Τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ σωτηρίαν αὐτῷ περιποιῆσαι οὐ δύναται. Ἄλλως. Στίχ. κβʹ. Πᾶσα δὲ ἀνάγκη αὐτὸν ἐπελεύσεται, καὶ ἐπαποστελεῖ ἐπ' αὐτὸν θυμὸν ὀργῆς. Στίχ. κβʹ. Πᾶσα δὲ ἀνάγκη ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἐπελεύ σεται. Ταῦτα προτρεπτικὰ ἡμῖν, ἵνα ἀφιστώμεθα τῶν ἀλλοτρίων. 17.76 Στίχ. κβʹ. Νίψαι ἐπ' αὐτὸν ὀδύνας. Ἀντὶ νιφετοῦ ὀδύναι ἔρχονται ἐπὶ τὸν τοιοῦτον. Στίχ. κδʹ. Καὶ οὐ μὴ σωθῇ ἐκ χειρὸς σιδήρου. Σίδηρον οὐ λέγει τοῦτον τὸν αἰσθητὸν, ἀλλὰ τμη τικώτατον λόγον.

Unburnable fire; God the overseer; houses without fear§6

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6"Let an arrow go through his body." Fired arrows wound him. "Let unburnable fire eat him." We learn a mystery of the punishment laid up, to guard ourselves from it. Material fire here is seen and burnable; that fire on sinners is invisible, burns within, is intelligible and punishing. Take the image of extreme fever: you see no fire, yet it underlies and burns the inwards. So sin-fever burns a person out. "Let a stranger maltreat his house:" the war-maker against that people was a stranger, not a proselyte, dissolving the supposed sanctuary and the city they called holy.

"Let heaven uncover his lawless deeds" — terrors from God and heaven. Job had said he was struck by God and also wronged by humans; the construction is that all came because of sins. "Let earth rise up against him." "A possession of belongings from the overseer." Overseer here names God; good bishops strive to wear that image. As one who imitates a royal image well is honored, blessed is the overseer who understands the true Overseer, zealously imitates him, and becomes as God among humans — or who has an Overseer making him truly overseer in Christ Jesus. Glory and might forever. Amen.

Chapter 21: "Looking into me, hold wonder." You claim to know why I suffer, as if God slept over sins, and dared call me a sinner justly arrived here. "They have grown old in wealth" — not newly rich, always increasing. "Their seed according to soul:" the righteous sow to the spirit and reap eternal life; the soulish do not receive the Spirit — folly to them — so their seed is according to soul, the inferior. "Their children in eyes:" all they do is to be seen by humans; children are each one’s works. Heterodox children are not in heart and good reasonings but in eyes.

"Their houses prosper:" enter a heretic synagogue and see the crowd — houses prosper. "Fear nowhere": they do not fear God while speaking of God. "A scourge from the Lord is not upon them:" if you see such a speaker healthy, sensing, sometimes worldly-prosperous, that line is fulfilled. "Their ox did not miscarry:" they farm — but Sodom, Gomorrah, Egypt. The ox bears so their wicked earth is farmed. What they conceive they carry from wickedness, not fear of God: "he travailed injustice, conceived toil, and bore lawlessness." "They remain like eternal sheep." Christ: "My sheep hear my voice, and I give them eternal life" — those are eternal sheep. The heterodox are mimics and want to imitate the

Greek · §6

Στίχ. κεʹ. ∆ιεξέλθοι δὲ διὰ σώματος αὐτοῦ βέλος. Τὰ βέλη ταῦτα τὰ πεπυρωμένα τιτρώσκει αὐτόν. Στίχ. κεʹ. Κατέδεται αὐτὸν πῦρ ἄκαυστον. Μυστήριόν τι μανθάνομεν περὶ τῆς κολάσεως τῆς ἀποκειμένης, ἵνα φυλασσώμεθα αὐτὴν παθεῖν. Πῦρ εἶπεν ἄκαυστον κατέδεσθαι τὸν ἀσεβῆ· τοῦτο τὸ πῦρ τὸ παρ' ἡμῖν ὑλικὸν οὐκ ἔστιν ἄκαυστον πῦρ· βλεπό μενον γὰρ αὐτό. Ἐκεῖνο δὲ ἀόρατόν ἐστι τὸ πῦρ, τὸ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἁμαρτωλοὺς ἐρχόμενον, ὃ ἔνδον αὐτοὺς καίει. Νοητόν ἐστι καὶ κολάζον. Ἐὰν θέλῃς εἰκόνα παραλαβεῖν ἐκείνου τοῦ πυρὸς, νόει μοι τὸν εἰς ὑπερβολὴν πυρέσσοντα, καὶ ὑπὸ πυρὸς φλεγόμενον. Οὐχ εὑρή σεις ὄψει τὸ πῦρ ἐν αὐτῷ, ὑπόκειται δὲ, καὶ ἐκκαίει αὐτοῦ τὰ σπλάγχνα. Οὕτως ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων πυρέττων τις ἐκκαίεται. Στίχ. κεʹ. Κακώσαι δὲ αὐτοῦ ἐπήλυτος τὸν οἶκον. Ὁ πολεμήσας τὸν λαὸν ἐκεῖνον ἐπήλυτος ἦν, καὶ οὐ προσήλυτος· ὃς ἐκάκωσεν αὐτοῦ τὸν οἶκον, κατα λύων τὸ νομιζόμενον ἁγίασμα, καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἢν ἔλε γον εἶναι ἁγίαν. Στίχ. κζʹ. Ἀνακαλύψαι δὲ αὐτοῦ ὁ οὐρανὸς τὰς ἀνομίας. Ἀντὶ τοῦ, Καὶ ἐκ Θεοῦ καὶ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ὑποστή σεται τὰ δεινά. Ταῦτα δὲ ἔφη, ἐπειδὴ ὁ Ἰὼβ, φήσας ὑπὸ Θεοῦ πεπλῆχθαι, ἐμνημόνευε καὶ ὡς ὑπὸ ἀνθρώ πων ἠδικημένος. Κατασκευάζει οὖν, ὅτι πάντα δι' ἁμαρτίας αὐτὸν ἐπηνέχθη. Στίχ. κζʹ. Γῆ δὲ ἐπανασταίη αὐτῷ. Αὐτὴ ἡ γῆ ἐπανίσταται ἐκείνῳ τῷ λαῷ. Στίχ. κθʹ. Καὶ κτῆμα ὑπαρχόντων αὐτῷ παρὰ τοῦ ἐπισκόπου. Μανθάνει τίς ἐπίσκοπος ἐνθάδε ὠνομάσθη; ὅτι Θεὸς ἐπίσκοπος εἴρηται, καὶ οἱ ἐπίσκοποι ἐκεί νου τὴν εἰκόνα παντὶ τῷ τρόπῳ φιλοτιμοῦνται, οἱ καλοὶ καὶ ἀγαθοὶ, φορεῖν. Καὶ ὥσπερ ὁ μιμησάμενος εἰκόνα βασιλικὴν τιμᾶται ἐπὶ τὸ καλῶς μιμήσασθαι, τιμᾶται δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ αὐτὴν κεκοσμηκέναι· οὕτως μακάριος ἐπίσκοπος, ὁ νοήσας τὸν ἀληθινὸν ἐπίσκο πον, καὶ ζηλῶν αὐτὸν, καὶ γινόμενος ὡς ἐν ἀνθρώποις Θεός· ἢ ἔχων ἐπίσκοπον τὸν ποιοῦντα αὐτὸν ἀληθῶς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ἐπίσκοπον· ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κρά τος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. ΚΕΦ. ΚΑʹ. Στίχ. εʹ. Εἰσβλέψαντες εἰς ἐμὲ θαῦμα σχέτε. Φατὲ σοφοὶ εἶναι, καὶ εἰδέναι διὰ τί ταῦτα πά σχω, ὡς τοῦ Θεοῦ μὴ κοιμωμένου ἐπὶ τοῖς ἁμαρ τήμασι τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Καὶ ἐτολμήσατέ με λέγειν ἁμαρτωλὸν εἶναι, καὶ δικαίως εἰς ταῦτα ἐφθακέναι. Στίχ. ζʹ. Πεπαλαίωνται δὲ καὶ ἐν πλούτῳ. Οὐκ εἰσὶ νεόπλουτοι, ἀλλὰ πολλὰ ἔτη πεποιή 17.77 κασι πλουτοῦντες, καὶ ἀεὶ τὸν πλοῦτον αὔξοντες. Στίχ. ηʹ. Ὁ σπόρος αὐτῶν κατὰ ψυχήν. Τοῦ μὲν δικαίου ὁ σπόρος κατὰ πνεῦμά ἐστι· Σπείρει γὰρ εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος θερίζει ζωὴν αἰώνιον· τῶν δὲ τοιούτων, ἐπεὶ ψυχι κὸς ἄνθρωπος οὐ δέχεται τὰ τοῦ πνεύματος· μω ρία γὰρ αὐτῷ ἐστιν· ὁ σπόρος οὐ κατὰ πνεῦμα, ἀλλὰ κατὰ ψυχὴν, τὸ ὑποδεέστερον. Στίχ. ηʹ. Τὰ δὲ τέκνα αὐτῶν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς. Πάντα ὅσα ποιοῦσιν, πρὸς τὸ θεαθῆναι ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ποιοῦσι. Τέκνα γὰρ τὰ ἔργα ἑκάστου. Οὐκ ἔστι τέκνα τῶν ἑτεροδόξων ἐν καρδίᾳ, ἐν λογισμοῖς ἀγαθοῖς, ἀλλ' ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς, πρὸς τὸ θεαθῆναι ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Στίχ. θʹ. Οἱ οἶκοι αὐτῶν εὐθηνοῦσιν. Ὅτ' ἂν εἰσέλθῃς εἰς συναγωγὴν αἱρετικῶν, καὶ ἴδῃς ἐκεῖ πλῆθος συναγομένων, βλέπε, ὅτι οἱ οἶκοι αὐτῶν εὐθηνοῦσιν. Στίχ. θʹ. Φόβος δὲ οὐδαμοῦ. Ἄφοβοί εἰσιν. Οὐ φοβοῦνται τὸν Θεὸν, καταφρο νοῦσι τῆς Θεότητος· τοιαῦτα λέγοντες περὶ Θεοῦ, οὐ φοβοῦνται, ὅτι περὶ Θεοῦ λαλοῦσιν. Στίχ. θʹ. Μάστιξ δὲ παρὰ Κυρίου οὐκ ἔστιν ἐπ' αὐτοῖς. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Ἐὰν ἴδῃς ἄνθρωπον τοιαῦτα κατὰ Θεοῦ λαλοῦντα, ὑγιαίνοντα τῷ σώματι, βλέποντα, τὰ αἰσθητήρια σώζοντα, καὶ δοκοῦντα ἐνίοτε καὶ ἐν τοῖς κοσμικοῖς εὐτυχεῖν· ὅρα, ὅτι πεπλήρωται ἐπ' αὐτοῦ ἀσεβοῦς ὄντος τό· Μάστιξ δὲ παρὰ Κυρίου οὐκ ἔστιν ἐπ' αὐτοῖς. Στίχ. ιʹ. Ἡ βοῦς αὐτῶν οὐκ ὠμοτόκησε. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Ὁ βοῦς ζῶόν ἐστι γεωργικὸν, καὶ συμπνέων εἰς γεωργίαν. Καὶ αὐτοὶ γεωργοῦσι. Γεωρ γοῦσι δὲ Σόδομα καὶ Γόμοῤῥα, γεωργοῦσιν Αἴγυπ τον. Ἡ βοῦς αὐτῶν οὐκ ὠμοτόκησεν· ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὴ ἀπεκύησε, καὶ ἐγέννησε τέκνον, ἵνα γεωργῆται αὐτῶν ἡ πονηρὰ γῆ. Στίχ. ιʹ. ∆ιεσώθη δὲ αὐτῶν ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχουσα, καὶ οὐκ ἔσφηλεν. Ὅσα συλλαμβάνουσι, ταῦτα καὶ κύουσιν, οὐκ ἀπὸ τοῦ φόβου Θεοῦ συλλαμβάνοντες, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς κα κίας. Ἰδοὺ ὠδίνησεν ἀδικίαν, συνέλαβε πόνον, καὶ ἔτεκεν ἀνομίαν. Στίχ. ιαʹ. Μένουσι δὲ ὥσπερ πρόβατα αἰώνια. Ποῖος νοῦς ἐστι τοῦ· μενοῦσιν ὡς πρόβατα αἰώ νια; Περὶ ὧν φησιν ὁ Χριστός· Τὰ ἐμὰ πρόβατα τῆς ἐμῆς φωνῆς ἀκούουσι, καὶ ἐγὼ ζωὴν αἰώνιον δίδωμι αὐτοῖς, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· ταῦτά ἐστι τὰ αἰώνια πρόβατα. Ἐπεὶ οὖν μῖμοί εἰσιν οἱ ἑτερόδοξοι, καὶ ἐθέλουσι μιμεῖσθαι τὴν

Mimic flock; psalms of Valentinus; God teaches understanding§7

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7flock of Christ — appointing their own bishops, elders, deacons, teachers, people, and catechumens — they fulfill "they remain as eternal sheep." They are not eternal sheep; they only remain as if they were. "Their children play; taking up psaltery and harp." Ours take instruments to hymn and glorify God. Their senseless children play with them. When they take up Old Testament words they laugh at law and prophets — psaltery of the law, harp of prophecy — as toys. "They rejoice with a voice of a psalm:" they say psalms of Valentinus and odes of Basilides. "In a rest of Hades they slept" — not heaven’s rest. We pray to sleep in God’s rest in the holy heavens with Christ reigning. Glory forever. Amen.

Chapter 22: "Is it not the Lord who teaches understanding and knowledge?" What the Holy Spirit administers must be written so the reader benefits. If the three friends’ words were useless, Providence would not have recorded them in Job’s book. One may be helped by looking into the doctrines, and see that the charge fails at one point only: they accuse Job of suffering for his sins, not seeing many other causes of what happens to humans. The doctrine is sound: a true teacher of virtue cannot be merely human. "The one who teaches a human knowledge" is God. "Teach me your just deeds," says the Prophet, knowing God is the true and perfect teacher. God teaches by shining on the learner’s soul and lighting the mind with his true Word. Righteous men also teach us when they have received teaching grace.

"He will enter with you into judgment." God accounts for the one under his care and convicts him — so philanthropic that, judging kindly, he lets us speak as if judged with him. So Isaiah: "Come, and let us reason, says the Lord." If you have something to convict my providence of neglect, speak; I will answer and persuade you as one worthy of condemnation.

"Is your wickedness not much? Your sins are uncountable." Eliphaz assumes this of Job. Knowing him rich, he says Job took pledges from brothers as from debtors who were not debtors — "you pledged your brothers for nothing." He intensifies another charge about taking garments — not from the naked, but from a rich man with many clothes stored. Three… then of the many

Greek · §7

ποίμνην τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἐπι σκόπους ἑαυτοῖς χειροτονοῦντες, πρεσβυτέρους, δια κόνους, διδασκάλους, λαὸν, κατηχουμένους, μιμού μενοι τὰ αἰώνια πρόβατα, πληροῦσι τό· Μένουσι δὲ ὡς πρόβατα αἰώνια. Οὐκ εἰσὶ δὲ πρόβατα αἰώνια, ἀλλὰ μένουσιν ὡς πρόβατα αἰώνια. 17.80 Στίχ. ιαʹ. Τὰ δὲ παιδία αὐτῶν προσπαίζουσι. Στίχ. ιβʹ. Ἀναλαβόντες ψαλτήριον καὶ κιθάραν. Οἱ ἡμέτεροι ἀναλαμβάνουσι ψαλτήριον καὶ κιθά ραν, ὑμνοῦντες τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ δοξολογοῦντες αὐτόν. Ἐκείνων δὲ τὰ παιδία, οἱ ἀνόητοι ἐν αὑτοῖς, προσ παίζουσιν, ἀναλαμβάνοντες ψαλτήριον καὶ κι θάραν. Ὅτ' ἂν ἀναλάβωσι τοὺς λόγους τῆς Παλαιᾶς ∆ιαθήκης, προσπαίζουσι, καὶ γελῶσι τὰ λόγια τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῶν προφητῶν. Ἀναλαμβάνοντες τὰ ἐναρ μόνια, ψαλτήριον τὸ τοῦ νόμου, κιθάραν τὴν προφη τικὴν, προσπαίζουσιν αὐτοῖς. Στίχ. ιβʹ. Καὶ εὐφραίνονται φωνῇ ψαλμοῦ. Καὶ αὐτοὶ λέγουσιν ψαλμοὺς Οὐαλεντίνου, καὶ λέ γουσιν ᾠδὰς Βασιλείδου, καὶ τοιαῦτά τινα φθέγγον ται, εὐφραινόμενοι φωνῇ ψαλμοῦ. Στίχ. ιγʹ. Ἐν δὲ ἀναπαύσει ᾅδου ἐκοιμήθησαν. Ἐν δὲ ἀναπαύσει οὐκ οὐρανοῦ, ἀλλ' ᾅδου ἐκοιμή θησαν. Ἡμεῖς δὲ εὐχόμεθα οὐκ ἐν ἀναπαύσει ᾅδου κοιμηθῆναι, ἀλλ' ἐν ἀναπαύσει Θεοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς τοῖς ἁγίοις μετὰ Χριστοῦ βασιλεύοντος ἡμῶν· ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. ΚΕΦ. ΚΒʹ. Στίχ. βʹ. Πότερον οὐχὶ Κύριός ἐστιν ὁ διδά σκων σύνεσιν καὶ ἐπιστήμην; Τὰ οἰκονομούμενα ὑπὸ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἀνα γραφῆς ἀξιωθῆναι χρή. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἀναγράφεται ὑπὲρ τοῦ τὸν ἐντυγχάνοντα ὠφελεῖσθαι ἐκ τῶν ἀναγινω σκομένων. Εἰ μὴ οὖν χρήσιμοι ἦσαν οἱ λόγοι τῶν τριῶν, τῶν παραγενομένων πρὸς τὸν Ἰὼβ, ὡς τὸν ἐντυγχάνοντα λαβεῖν τι ἀπὸ τῶν εἰρημένων ὑπ' αὐτῶν πρὸς τὸν Ἰώβ· οὐκ ἂν ἡ πρόνοια εἰς τὴν βίβλον τοῦ Ἰὼβ ἐποίησεν ἀναγραφῆναι καὶ τοὺς λόγους τῶν τριῶν. Ἔστιν οὖν ὠφεληθῆναι μὲν ἀπὸ τῶν λόγων αὐτοῦ, ἐνορῶντα τοῖς δόγμασιν· ὁρᾷν δὲ τὸ ἔγκλη τον τῶν λόγων περὶ ἓν μόνον, ὅτε αἰτιῶνται τὸν Ἰὼβ, οἰόμενοι αὐτὸν πάσχειν διὰ τὰ ἡμαρτημένα αὐτῷ· οὐχ ὁρῶντες, ὅτι καὶ ἄλλα πολλὰ αἴτιά ἐστι τοῦ συμ βαίνειν ἀνθρώποις. Τοιαῦτά ἐστι νενομισμένα εἶναι καλὰ ἢ χαλεπὰ, ἢ ὅπως ποτὲ βούλεταί τις αὐτὰ ὀνομάζειν. Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· Πότερον οὐχὶ ὁ Κύ ριός ἐστιν ὁ διδάσκων σύνεσιν καὶ ἐπιστήμην; Τὸ δόγμα ὑγιές ἐστι· ὅτι ἀληθινὸς διδάσκαλος ἀρετῆς οὐ δύναται εἶναι ἄνθρωπος. Ὁ διδάσκων γὰρ ἄνθρωπον γνῶσιν, καὶ ἐν τοῖς Ψαλμοῖς ἀναγέ γραπται, ὅτι οὐκ ἄλλος ἐστὶν ἢ Θεός. Καὶ, ∆ίδαξόν με, φησὶν, τὰ δικαιώματά σου, ὁ Προφήτης, εἰδὼς δι δάσκαλον εἶναι ἀληθῆ καὶ τέλειον τὸν Θεόν. ∆ιδά σκει δὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἐλλάμπων τῇ ψυχῇ τοῦ μανθάνοντος ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν διάνοιαν φωτίζων τῷ φωτὶ, τῷ ἀληθινῷ λόγῳ αὐτοῦ. Οὐκοῦν καὶ ἄνδρες δίκαιοι ἡμᾶς διδάσκουσι διδασκαλικὴν εἰληφότες χάριν. Στίχ. δʹ. Καὶ συνεισελεύσεταί σοι εἰς κρίσιν. Λόγον ποιούμενος ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ προνοουμένου ὑπ' αὐ τοῦ, ἐλέγχει αὐτόν. Καὶ συνεισελεύσεταί σοι εἰς κρίσιν. Πολλάκις εἴπομεν, εἴποτε ἐνέπεσε τὸ δόγμα 17.81 τοῦτο ἐν ἄλλαις λέξεσιν, ὅτι οὕτως ἐστὶν ὁ Θεὸς φιλ άνθρωπος, ὥστε, καὶ χρηστῶς κρίνων ἡμᾶς, ἐπι τρέπει λέγειν ἡμᾶς πρὸς αὐτὸν, ὡς κρινόμενον μεθ' ἡμῶν, περὶ ὧν βουλόμεθα. Ἐχρησάμην οὖν τοῖς ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἡσαΐα· ∆εῦτε, καὶ διαλεχθῶμεν, λέγει Κύ ριος. Τὸ γὰρ, διαλεχθῶμεν, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Εἴ τί με ἔχεις ἐλέγξαι, καὶ τὴν πρόνοιάν μου, ὡς ἀμελή σαντός σου, ὡς μὴ τὰ δέοντα πεποιηκότος, λέγε· Κἀγὼ, ὅ τι ποτὲ ἔχω ἐρῶ, πείσω σε, καταδικάζων σε ἄξιον ὄντα τοῦ καταδικασθῆναι. Στίχ. εʹ. Πότερον οὐχ ἡ κακία σου ἐστὶ πολλή; Εἰκότως οὐχ ἁπλῶς φημι γεγονέναι ἄδικον· ἐπεὶ πάσχει τοιαῦτα, ὁποῖα οὐδεὶς αὐτῶν τηλικούτοις πέπτωκεν, οἵοις σύ. Εἰκὸς διὰ τὸ ἀναρίθμητόν σου τῶν πταισμάτων, ταῦτά σοι ἐληλυθέναι. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Οὐ πρότερον ὠνόμασεν ἁμαρτίαν, εἶτα τὴν κακίαν· ἀλλ' ὁρῶν τὴν κακίαν τὴν φαύλην ἕξιν, εἶτα μετὰ τοῦτο τὰ ἀπὸ τῆς φαύλης ἕξεως ἁμαρτανόμενα, ἅπερ εἶπεν ἀναριθμήτους εἶναι ἁμαρ τίας. Στίχ. εʹ. Ἀναρίθμητοι δέ σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι. Ὑπολαμβάνει τοῦτο ὁ Ἐλιφὰζ περὶ τοῦ Ἰώβ. Ἤδει αὐτὸν πλούσιον, καί φησιν· Ἐνέχυρα ἐλάμβανες ἀπὸ τῶν σῶν ἀδελφῶν, ὡς ὀφειλόντων μὴ ὀφειλόντων. Τὸ γὰρ, Ἠνεχύραζες διακενῆς, τοιοῦ τόν ἐστιν. Στίχ. ʹ. Ἠνεχύραζες τοὺς ἀδελφούς σου διακενῆς. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Προσεπιτείνει δὲ πάλιν ἄλλην αὐτοῦ ἁμαρτίαν. Ἔστι ποτὲ λαβεῖν ἀμφιάσματα; Οὐ γυμ νοῦ, ἀλλὰ πλουσίου ἔχοντος ἀποκείμενα ἐνδύματα πολλὰ λαβεῖν. Τρία ... δὴ ὁ τῶν πολλῶν

Naked cloak and empty widows; light turned dark; eternal path§8

8there took a garment — but of a naked one, not only of a rich one. If someone has one tunic and, demanding what is mine, I strip it without pity, I have taken the naked man’s clothing. Such things happen when we lend and chase debtors. Often a debtor is extremely poor and cannot repay; we shut our bowels, become merciless, and do not see that he feeds wife and children from a few obols — while we demand bitterly and sometimes hold surplus. So Eliphaz accuses Job of taking clothing from the naked.

"You did not give water to the thirsty; you deprived the hungry of a morsel." Not only injustice but failure to do kindness is liable. These charges are truly blameworthy — but not true of Job, nor well said of him. In bitter demand sometimes a person has one morsel; even without a whole loaf we take it saying, "But you owe." "You sent widows away empty." If a widow enters our house, let us not send her empty; each fill her fold according to power. "You maltreated orphans." Maltreat no one; especially spare orphans. God commands fighting for helpless souls; poor, widows, and orphans need help more than others.

"Therefore snares have surrounded you" — the events into which his soul is trapped. "The light has turned out darkness for you:" once belongings, children, and health were light; now circumstances are darkness — desolation, open air, wanderer, fugitive, hearthless. "Water covered you sleeping:" the opposing energy covered you because you were not awake. Scripture knows a sleep of sin: "."

"Does not the one dwelling the heights oversee?" You think the high God does not see; he oversees all and brings down minds lifted by insolence. "Those carried by insolence he humbled." Likely because you insulted widows and orphans and pledged brothers for nothing, you suffer and are humbled. "You said, What has the Strong One known? Or will he judge according to the gloom?" God can judge even in a storm. "He traverses the circle of heaven" — providence goes around. "Will you not keep an eternal path which righteous men have trodden?" Can you watch the path providence travels? The righteous walk it toward the coming age; even if steps look equal, the soul treads eternal paths. "Who were seized untimely:" often the righteous die early, yet "perfected in a little they fill long times," for virtue in the Lord is the soul. Their foundations are a flowing river — always advancing in goods. "Who filled their houses with good things:" not these outer houses, but the houses of the ruling faculty — temperance, justice, courage, prudence, those from the

Greek · §8

ἐκεῖ ἔλα βον ἀμφίασιν· ἀλλὰ γυμνοῦ, ἀλλὰ πλουσίου. Ἐὰν μέντοι γε χιτῶνά τις ἔχῃ ἕνα, καὶ τοῦτον τὸν χιτῶνα, προφάσει τοῦ ἀπαιτεῖν τὸ ἐμὸν, ἐκδύσω, μὴ ἐλεήσας ἐκεῖνον τὸν γυμνὸν, ἀμφίασιν τοῦ γυμνοῦ ἀφειλόμην. Πολλὰ δὲ τοιαῦτα, ἐν ἡμῖν γίνεται, ὅτ' ἂν δανείζω μεν, ὅτ' ἂν πρὸς ὀφειλέτας ἐρχώμεθα. Πολλάκις ὀφει λέτης ἡμῶν εἰς ὑπερβολὴν πένεται, μὴ δυνάμενος ἀποδοῦναι· καὶ ἡμεῖς, τὰ σπλάγχνα ἡμῶν ἀποκλεί σαντες, ἀνηλεεῖς καὶ ὠμοὶ γινόμεθα, μὴ βλέποντες ὅτι γυναῖκα τρέφει καὶ τέκνα, καὶ μόλις τρέφεται ἀπὸ τῶν ποριζομένων αὐτῷ ὀλίγων ὀβολῶν. Ἀπαι τοῦμεν πικρῶς ἔσθ' ὅτε καὶ περισσὰ ἔχοντες παρ' ἑαυτοῖς. Ταῦτα οὖν λέγει ἐγκαλῶν τῷ Ἰὼβ, ὅτι ἀμ φίασιν γυμνῶν ἀφεῖλεν. Στίχ. ζʹ. Οὐδὲ ὕδωρ διψῶντας ἐπότισας· ἀλλὰ πεινώντων ἐστέρησας ψωμόν. Εἰς τὸ αὐτό. Οὐκοῦν οὐ μόνον τὸ ἀδικεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ μὴ εὐεργετεῖν ὑπεύθυνον. Ταῦτα πάντα κατηγορήματά εἰσι, καὶ ἀληθῶς ψεκτά. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀληθῆ περὶ τοῦ Ἰὼβ, οὐδὲ καλῶς ἐλέγετο περὶ αὐτοῦ. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Τοιαῦτα γίνεται ἐν ταῖς πικραῖς 17.84 ἀπαιτήσεσιν. Ἐνίοτε αὐτὸν τὸν ψωμὸν ἔχει τις ἕνα· κἂν μὴ ἔχῃ ἄρτον ὁλόκληρον, ἀφαιροῦμεν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ λέγοντες· Ἀλλ' ὀφείλεις Στίχ. θʹ. Χήρας δὲ ἐξαπέστειλας κενάς. Προσέχωμεν ἐὰν χήρα ἡμῶν εἰσέλθῃ εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν, μήποτε κενὴν αὐτὴν ἐξαποστείλωμεν. Κατὰ δύνα μιν ἕκαστος πρὸς ὃ ἔχει πληρωσάτω τὸν κόλπον τῆς χήρας. Στίχ. θʹ. Ὀρφανοὺς δὲ ἐκάκωσας. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Οὐδένα μὲν δεῖ κακοῦν, ἐξαιρέτως δὲ χρὴ φείδεσθαι τῶν ὀρφανῶν. Περὶ γὰρ τῶν ἀβοηθή των ψυχῶν πολεμεῖν ὁ Θεὸς ἐνετείλατο. Μᾶλλον δὲ παρὰ τοὺς ἄλλους ἀνθρώπους, πτωχοὶ, χῆραι, ὀρφα νοὶ δέονται βοηθείας. Στίχ. ιʹ. Τοιγαροῦν ἐκύκλωσάν σε παγίδες. Παγίδας λέγει τὰ συμβεβηκότα αὐτῷ, ἐν αἷς ἐμ πέπτωκεν, εἰς ἃς καὶ παγιδεύεται αὐτοῦ ἡ ψυχὴ ἀπὸ τῶν συμβεβηκότων αὐτῷ. Στίχ. ιαʹ. Τὸ φῶς σοι σκότος ἀπέβη. Ἐν φωτὶ ἦς, ὅτε τὰ ὑπάρχοντά σοι ἦν, ὅτε τὰ τέκνα σου περιῆν, ὅτε ὑγίαινέ σου τὸ σῶμα. Νῦν δὲ οἷον εἰς σκότος καταβέβηκας, εἰς τὰς περιστάσεις ταύτας. Εἰς τὸ αὐτό. Τουτέστιν ἐν ἐρημίᾳ, καὶ αἴ θριος, ἀλήτης, καὶ φυγὰς, καὶ ἀνέστιος. Στίχ. ιαʹ. Κοιμηθέντα δὲ ὕδωρ σε ἐκάλυψεν. Τὸ, κοιμηθέντα σε ὕδωρ ἐκάλυψεν, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Ἐκάλυψέ σε ἡ ἀντικειμένη ἐνέργεια. Ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἐγρηγόρεις, ἐπεὶ οὐχ ὕπνωσας. Οἶδε δὲ ἡ Γραφὴ ὕπνον τινὰ ἁμαρτίας. ∆ιὸ ἐντέταλται ἡμῖν λέγουσα· Μὴ δῷς ὕπνον σοῖς ὄμμασι, μηδὲ νυσταγμὸν τοῖς βλεφάροις, ἵνα ζήσῃ ὥσπερ δορκὰς ἐκ βρό χων, καὶ ὥσπερ ὄρνεον ἐκ παγίδος. Στίχ. ιβʹ. Μὴ οὐχὶ ὁ τὰ ὑψηλὰ ναίων ἐφορᾷ; Ἀλλὰ νομίζεις, ὅτι οὐχ ὁρᾷ τὰ πραττόμενα ὁ ἐν ὑψηλοῖς κατοικῶν Θεός. Οἷα τοίνυν πάντα ἐφορῶν, τοὺς ὑπὸ τῆς ὑβριστικῆς ἕξεως ἐπηρμένους τὸ φρό νημα καταφέρει. Στίχ. ιβʹ. Τοὺς δὲ ὕβρει φερομένους ἐταπεί νωσεν. Εἴ τις φέρεται ὕβρει, καὶ οἱονεὶ κατασύρεται ὑπὸ ὑβριστικῆς ἕξεως καὶ πράξεως, οὗτος ταπεινοῦται ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Εἰκὸς οὖν, ἐπεὶ καὶ σὺ ὕβρισας χήρας καὶ ὀρφανοὺς, καὶ ἠνεχύρασας διακενῆς τοὺς ἀδελ φούς σου· διὰ τοῦτο ταῦτα πέπονθας, καὶ τεταπεί νωσαι. Στίχ. ιγʹ. Καὶ εἶπας, Τί ἔγνω ὁ Ἰσχυρός; Εἰκὸς, ὅτι σὺ ἔλεγες κατὰ σαυτὸν, Τί ἔγνω ὁ Ἰσχυ ρός; Οἷον, ∆ύναται πάντα ἐγνωκέναι ὁ Θεός; Στίχ. ιγʹ. Ἢ κατὰ τοῦ γνόφου κρινεῖ; Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. ∆ύναται δὲ κρίνειν ὁ Θεὸς καὶ ἐν χει μῶνι γενόμενος. Στίχ. ιδʹ. Καὶ γῦρον οὐρανοῦ διαπορεύεται. Ἐκπεριέρχεται ἡ πρόνοια τοῦ Θεοῦ. 17.85 Στίχ. ιεʹ. Μὴ τρίβον αἰώνιον φυλάξῃς; Μὴ δύνασαι σὺ τὴν τρίβον τὴν αἰώνιον, καθ' ἧς πορεύεται ἡ πρόνοια τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐπιτηρῆσαι; Στίχ. ιεʹ. Ἣν ἐπάτησαν ἄνδρες δίκαιοι. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Τὴν τρίβον τὴν αἰώνιον ἐπάτησαν ἄν δρες δίκαιοι. Κατὰ γὰρ τρίβου αἰωνίας βαίνουσιν. Ἐπεὶ πάντα αὐτοῖς πρόκειται πράττειν, ὥστε τυχεῖν τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος. Κἂν δοκῶσιν οὖν ἐπίσης βα δίζειν, ἀλλ' ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτὴ ἐπιβαίνει τρίβων αἰωνίων. Στίχ. ι ʹ. Οἳ συνελήφθησαν ἄωροι. Πολλάκις δίκαιοι πρὸ καιροῦ ἐτελεύτησαν. Τε λειωθεὶς γὰρ ἐπ' ὀλίγῳ ὁ δίκαιος, ἐπλήρωσε χρό νους μακρούς· ἀρετὴ γὰρ ἐν τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ. Στίχ. ι ʹ. Ποταμὸς ἐπιῤῥέων οἱ θεμέλιοι αὐτῶν. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Τῶν δικαίων οἱ θεμέλιοι οἷόν εἰσιν. Ἀεὶ προκόπτουσιν, ἀεὶ αὔξουσιν ἐν τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς. Στίχ. ιηʹ. Ὃς δὲ ἐνέπλησε τοὺς οἴκους αὐτῶν ἀγαθῶν. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Τῶν δικαίων ἐνέπλησε τοὺς οἴκους ἀγαθῶν. Ἐγὼ οὐκ ἀκούω τοὺς οἴκους τούτους· ἀλλὰ τοὺς οἴκους αὐτῶν, τοὺς κατὰ τὸ ἡγεμονικὸν ἐνέπλησεν ἀγαθῶν. Ποίων ἀγαθῶν; Σωφροσύνης, δι καιοσύνης, ἀνδρείας, φρονήσεως, τῶν ἀπὸ τῶν

Blameless scorn; Eliphaz’s call to turn; Job swears by the living Lord§9

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9works — that is, houses filled with goods. "A blameless one sneered at them" — at the counsel of the impious who teach opposite the truth with wretched doctrines. "Fire will eat their remnant." "He took from his mouth an exposition:" Origen found another edition reading confession — Confess your sins; take from God’s mouth an introduction with confession; take up his words from your heart. Eliphaz said this thinking he admonished Job. "If you turn and humble yourself before the Lord." "As a rock of a winter-torrent of Ophir:" from the gold-place your word will come varied and beautiful. "The Almighty will be a helper from enemies" if you subject yourself and confess. "He will render you pure as fired silver." Then free speech before the Lord, sins put away. "Upon your ways there will be light; he will restore a way of life of righteousness." Said toward Job unjustly — he did not sin — but toward us, justly.

Chapter 23: "His hand has become heavy upon my groan." If the vote of punishments could be brought at once, he could find him. Would that he could go to court, petition, and learn what God would say to what Job would say. See how he obtained what he prayed — it comes last in the book. He wanted to know the answer, and whether punishment would continue; he said this not as condemning injustice.

Chapter 24: bread sweetened for younger ones — sweet to the impious to feed young men so as to work insults through them. Chapter 27: "The Lord lives, who has thus judged me." The devil received authority and tested Job night and day — first through outward things, later through the body, then through friends. When the wife did not conquer him, three friends came — not enemies with plotting doctrines, but true words badly and out of season. Through them the devil planned to make Job speak against Providence, turn impious under toil, and grow weary under pain. The truly courageous man — after Eliphaz’s three dialogues and Sophar’s two, when they fell silent — answers after the Scripture-named preface. "The Lord lives, who has thus judged me, and the Almighty who has embittered my soul." I know from where

Greek · §9

ἔργων. Τουτέστι τὸ πληρωθῆναι οἴκους ἀγαθῶν. Στίχ. ιθʹ. Ἄμεμπτος δὲ ἐμυκτήρισεν αὐτούς. Τίνας; ἢ τὴν βουλὴν τῶν ἀσεβῶν; Οἷον· βούλονταί τινα διδάσκειν τὰ ἐναντία τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, ἐν τῷ λέ γειν· ἃ λέγουσι δόγματα μοχθηρὰ ἔχοντες. Ταῦτα ἄμεμπτος ὁρῶν μυκτηρίζει. Στίχ. κʹ. Καὶ τὸ κατάλειμμα αὐτῶν καταφάγεται πῦρ. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Τοῦτο ὃ καταλέλειπται κατὰ τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς, τῶν προτέρων ἀποθανόντων, τὸ πῦρ κατα φάγεται. Στίχ. κβʹ. Ἔλαβε δὲ ἐκ στόματος αὐτοῦ ἐξηγο ρίαν. Τὴν ἐξηγορίαν ἐζήτουν κατ' ἐμαυτὸν, τί σημαίνει. Καὶ εὗρον ἐν ἄλλῃ ἐκδόσει ἀντ' αὐτῆς ἐξομολόγησιν· Φησὶν οὖν μᾶλλον· Ἐξομολόγησαι περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων σου· ἔκλαβε ἀπὸ τοῦ στόματος τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰσηγορίαν σὺν ἐξομολογήσει· ἀνάλαβε δὲ τὰ ῥήματα αὐτοῦ ἐκ καρδίας σου. Ταῦτα δὲ ἔλεγεν ὁ Ἐλιφὰζ, νουθετῶν, ὡς ᾤετο, τὸν Ἰώβ. Στίχ. κγʹ. Ἐὰν δὲ ἐπιστραφῇς, καὶ ταπεινώσῃς σεαυτὸν ἔναντι Κυρίου. Νουθετεῖ αὐτὸν πρὸς τὸ ἐπιστρέψαι, οἰόμενος αὐ τὸν ταῦτα ἡμαρτηκότα πεπονθέναι. Στίχ. κδʹ. Καὶ ὡς πέτρα χειμάῤῥου Σωφείρ. Ἐκ τοῦ τόπου οὗ γίνεται τὸ χρυσίον, ἐλεύσεται ἐπὶ σὲ, οἱονεὶ, ἔσται λόγος σου ποικίλος καὶ καλός. Στίχ. κεʹ. Ἔσται οὖν σοι ὁ Παντοκράτωρ βοηθὸς ἀπὸ ἐχθρῶν. Ἐὰν ὑποτάξῃς ἑαυτὸν, ἐὰν ἐξομολογήσῃ. 17.88 Στίχ. κεʹ. Καθαρὸν δὲ ἀποδώσει σε ὥσπερ ἀργύ ριον πεπυρωμένον. Ὑγιὲς δόγμα ...... πεπυρωμένον, ὁ Θεός. Στίχ. κ ʹ. Εἶτα παῤῥησιασθήσῃ ἐνώπιον Κυρίου. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Ἐὰν ταπεινώσῃς σαυτὸν, ὑπομένῃς τὰ συμβεβηκότα, παῤῥησιασθήσῃ ἐνώπιον Κυρίου, παῤῥησίαν ἕξεις, ὡς ἀποθέμενος τὰ ἁμαρτήματα. Στίχ. κηʹ. Ἐπὶ τῶν ὁδῶν σου ἔσται φῶς. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Ἐὰν τηρήσῃς νουθεσίαν ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, καὶ ἐπιστρέψῃς καὶ ἐξομολογήσῃ. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν πρὸς Ἰὼβ ἐλέγετο· οὐ δικαίως δὲ ἐλέγετο· οὐ γὰρ ἥμαρτε. Πρὸς ἡμᾶς δὲ ἐὰν λέγηται, δικαίως λέγεται. Στίχ. κηʹ. Ἀποκαταστήσῃ δέ σοι δίαιταν δικαιοσύνης. Καὶ ἁπλῶς εἰπεῖν· Ἅπασάν σοι, φησὶ, τὴν ἁρμό ζουσαν δικαίῳ πράξει διαμονὴν, ὥστε σε λαμπρὰς καὶ ἐπιδόξους ἔχειν τὰς πράξεις. ΚΕΦ. ΚΓʹ. Στίχ. βʹ. Ἡ χεὶρ αὐτοῦ βαρεῖα γέγονεν ἐπ' ἐμῷ στεναγμῷ. Εἰ δὲ ἐνῆν, φησὶ, παραυτὰ τῶν τιμωριῶν τὴν ψῆφον φέρεσθαι, ἦν εὑρεῖν αὐτόν. Εἴθε ἐνῆν δικάσασθαι, φησὶ, καὶ ἐντυχεῖν αὐτοῦ, καὶ μαθεῖν, τίνα ἦν ἃ ἤμελλέ μοι πρὸς ταῦτα ἐρεῖν, ἃ ἤμελλον λέγειν. Ὁρᾷς πῶς ἐπέτυχεν ὅπερ ηὔχετο; Τοῦτο γὰρ ἔσχατον γέγονεν ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ. Ἤθελον μαθεῖν τί μοι ἤμελλεν ἐρεῖν, καὶ εἰ ἔμελλέ μοι ὁμοίως κο λάζειν. Ταῦτα δὲ εἶπον, οὐχ ὡς καταγινώσκων ἀδι κίαν. ΚΕΦ. Κ∆ʹ. Στίχ. ʹ. Ἡδύνθη αὐτῶν ἄρτος εἰς νεωτέ ρους. Ἡδὺ, φησὶ, τοῖς ἀσεβέσι τὸ τρέφειν νεανίσκους, ἐφ' ᾧ δύνασθαι δι' αὐτῶν τὰς ἐπηρείας ἐργάζε σθαι. ΚΕΦ. ΚΖʹ. Στίχ. βʹ. Ζῇ Κύριος, ὃς οὕτω με ἔκρινε. Ἔλαβεν ἐξουσίαν τοῦ Ἰὼβ ὁ διάβολος, καὶ ἤτασεν αὐτὸν νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας, πρότερον διὰ τῶν ἐκτὸς, ὕστερον δι' αὐτοῦ τοῦ σώματος, μετὰ ταῦτα καὶ διὰ τῶν φίλων. Ὅτε γὰρ αὐτὸ ἐδοκίμασε διὰ τῆς γυναικὸς, καὶ οὐ νενίκηται ὁ Ἰὼβ, τρεῖς φίλους ἤνεγ κεν ὁ διάβολος, οὐκ ἐχθροὺς, οὐκ ἐπίβουλα δόγματα ἔχοντας, ἀλλ' ἀληθείας μὲν λόγους, οὐ καλῶς δὲ, οὐδὲ ἐν καιρῷ προφερομένους. Καὶ ἐβουλεύετο ὁ διά βολος διὰ τῶν φίλων τούτων ποιῆσαι τὸν Ἰὼβ φθέγ ξασθαί τι κατὰ τῆς Προνοίας, ἀσεβῆσαι διὰ τοὺς πόνους, ἐκκακῆσαι διὰ τὰς ἀλγηδόνας. Ἀλλ' ὁ ἀλη θῶς ἀνδρεῖος, ὁ καρτερικὸς, ὅρα τί λέγει μετὰ τοὺς λόγους τῶν τριῶν. Ὅτε ἐτέλεσεν ὁ Ἐλιφὰζ τρεῖς διαλέξεις, ὁ Σωφὰρ δύο διαλέξεις· τούτων γὰρ τετελεσμένων, σιωπησάντων ἐκείνων, ὅρα τί ἀποκρί νεται μετὰ τὸ εἰρημένον ἀπ' αὐτοῦ προοίμιον, οὕτως 17.89 ἀπὸ τῆς Γραφῆς ὠνομασμένον. Τί ἀποκρίνεται; πρόσχωμεν τῇ λέξει. Στίχ. αʹ. Ἔτι δὲ προσθεὶς ὁ Ἰὼβ εἶπε τῷ προ οιμίῳ· Στίχ. βʹ. Ζῇ Κύριος, ὃς οὕτω με κέκρικε, καὶ ὁ Παντοκράτωρ, ὁ παραπικράνας μου ψυ χὴν, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Οἶδα πόθεν

Oath of innocence; wisdom beyond silver; buttered paths§10

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10—you have been moved to provoke me. I swear by the living Lord who judged me to suffer these things, who handed me to these circumstances, who gave the devil authority to examine and torment me so. "The Lord lives, who has thus judged me, and the Almighty who has embittered my soul." "May it not be for me to declare you righteous until I die." If I assent that you have understood why I suffer, I have declared you righteous till death. "I will not put away my guilelessness." I will not leave righteousness; I always remember to cling to it. "I am not conscious to myself of having done out-of-place things" — great freedom of speech for former life and for the time of trial.

Chapter 28: "What place is there of knowledge?" Knowledge encompasses things that hold alike in contemplation; understanding is discernment. "Silver will not stand as an exchange for it." Nothing equals wisdom — not silver or gold taken simply, not precious onyx or sapphire, not heights or gabis (some say the heaped lip of a measure). "Draw wisdom above the innermost things" — beyond India’s precious stones, or above the hyper-secret inward holy mysteries of God. "It has escaped every human" — even prophet or apostle.

Chapter 29: "When my paths were poured with butter." Job’s paths were virtues; temperance, justice, and courage poured so that even infants were fed from them. "My mountains were poured with milk" — high and great thoughts he climbed. "When I went out upright in a city": busy with teaching and benefit, loving the common good, not self-love. "Putting a finger upon mouth" may signal silence; or, since hand stands for works, they put their little work on the mouth, sensing they were unworthy to speak while Job, with greater works, was present.

"Those who heard blessed me; their tongue was glued to their larynx." Before torment he was so great that hearers blessed him and wondered how he grasped such things and could help them. As Moses was cautious to look face-to-face before God for excess brightness, so Job’s excess of wisdom made hearers unable to look into the sparkle of his thoughts; eyes turned aside, not following the deepest mind. Aquila and Symmachus: "witnessed about me"; others: "an eye seeing turned aside" — I cannot speak against. "I saved a poor one from a hand of a powerful one." See his brave deeds — according to the letter, and according to ascent much more. According to the

Greek · §10

κεκίνησθε εἰς τὸ ἐρεθίσαι με. Ὄμνυμι δὲ ὑμῖν, καὶ ὄμνυμι κατὰ τοῦ ζῶντος Κυρίου αὐτοῦ, κρίναντός με ταῦτα παθεῖν, αὐτοῦ τοῦ παραδόντος με ταύταις περιστάσεσι, τοῦ δόντος ἐξουσίαν τῷ διαβόλῳ τοιούτοις με ἐξετασμοῖς ἐξετάζεσθαι, καὶ βασανίζεσθαι. Ὄμνυμι κατὰ τοῦ Κυρίου, καί φημι, ὅτι ζῇ Κύριος, ὃς οὕτω με κέκρικε, καὶ ὁ Παντο κράτωρ, ὁ παραπικράνας μου τὴν ψυχήν. Στίχ. εʹ. Μή μοι εἴη δικαίους ὑμᾶς ἀποφῆναι, ἕως ἂν ἀποθάνω. Ἐὰν συγκαταθῶμεν οἷς λέγετε, ὅτι νενοήκατε διὰ τί ταῦτα πέπονθα, δικαίους ὑμᾶς ἀπεφηνάμην ἕως ἂν ἀποθάνω. Στίχ. εʹ. Οὐ γὰρ ἀπαλλάξω τὴν ἀκακίαν μου. Οὐκ ἀφήσω τὸ προσέχειν τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ· μεμνή σομαι ἀεὶ περιέχεσθαι αὐτῆς. Στίχ. ʹ. Οὐ γὰρ σύνοιδα ἐμαυτῷ ἄτοπα πρᾶξαι. Πολλὴ ἡ παῤῥησία αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ προτέρῳ βίῳ, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς περιστάσεως, ὥστε αὐτὸν εἰπεῖν· Οὐ σύνοιδα ἐμαυτῷ ἄτοπα πρᾶξαι. ΚΕΦ. ΚΗʹ. Στίχ. ιβʹ. Ποῖος δὲ τόπος ἐστὶν ἐπιστήμης; Ἐπιστήμη ἡ περιοχὴ τῶν ὡσαύτως ἐχόντων θεω ρίᾳ· σύνεσις δὲ ἡ διάκρισις. Στίχ. ιεʹ. Καὶ οὐ σταθήσεται ἀργύριον ἀντάλ λαγμα αὐτῆς. Οὐδὲν ἀντάξιόν ἐστιν τῆς σοφίας. Ἐὰν ἁπλούστε ρον νοῇς τὸ ἀργύριον καὶ τὸ χρυσίον, εὐθέως ἐρεῖ Ἰὼβ, ὅτι οὐδὲν ἄξιόν ἐστι τῆς σοφίας. Στίχ. ι ʹ. Ἐν ὄνυχι τιμίῳ καὶ σαπφείρῳ. Οὐδὲ ὄνυχι τιμίῳ ἡ σοφία παραβληθήσεται· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἐν σαπφείρῳ ἰσωθήσεται αὕτη. Στίχ. ιηʹ. Μετέωρα καὶ γάβεις οὐ μνησθήσεται. Οὐδὲ τὰ μετέωρα ἄξιά ἐστι τῆς σοφίας, οὐδὲ γά βις. Ἔοικε δὲ ἐπὶ δυναμένων τάχθαι, οἱονεὶ γι γαρτικῶν. Τινὲς δέ φασιν, ὅτι γάβις λέγεται τὸ ὑπερέχον τοῦ χείλους τοῦ μεδίμνου, ὃ καλεῖται κομ μουλᾶτον. Στίχ. ιηʹ. Καὶ ἕλκυσον σοφίαν ὑπὲρ τὰ ἐσώτατα. Τὰ ἐσώτατα περὶ τὴν Ἰνδίαν, ἢ τὰ περὶ τὴν ἐπέκεινα χώραν, ἔνθα εἰσὶ τίμιοι λίθοι. Φέρει δὲ ἐκείνη ἡ χώρα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ταῦτα, νομιζόμενα παρὰ τοῖς πλουσίοις εἶναι θαυμαστά. Παρ' ἐκεῖνα οὖν τὰ ἐσώτατα ἕλκυσον εἰς σαυτὸν τὴν σοφίαν. Ἢ, ὑπὲρ τὰ ἐσώτατα, ὑπεραπόῤῥητα τὰ ἔνδον μυστήρια 17.92 τὰ ἅγια τοῦ Θεοῦ· ὑπὲρ πάντα πολλὰ ὄντα, ἕλκυσον τὴν σοφίαν. Στίχ. καʹ. Λέληθε πάντα ἄνθρωπον. Λέληθε πάντα ἄνθρωπον, κἂν προφήτης ᾖ, κἂν ἀπόστολος. ΚΕΦ. ΚΘʹ. Στίχ. ʹ. Ὅτε ἐχέοντό μου αἱ ὁδοὶ βούτυρον. Προειρήκαμεν περὶ τῶν ὁδῶν τοῦ Ἰὼβ, ἃς ὥδευ σεν, ὅτι ἀρεταὶ ἦσαν. Ἐχέοντο οὖν αἱ ὁδοὶ αὐτοῦ βουτύρῳ, ὥδευε τὴν σωφροσύνην, καὶ οἱονεὶ ἐχεῖτο ἡ σωφροσύνη, ὡς πολλοὺς τρέφεσθαι καὶ τῶν νηπίων ἀπὸ τῆς σωφροσύνης τοῦ Ἰὼβ, ἀπὸ τῆς δικαιοσύνης τοῦ Ἰὼβ, ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνδρείας. Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν· Ὅτε ἐχέοντο αἱ ὁδοί μου βουτύρῳ. Στίχ. ʹ. Τὰ δὲ ὄρη μου ἐχέοντο γάλακτι. Ὅσα ἦν ὑψηλὰ νοήματα καὶ μεγάλα, ταῦτα ἦν ὄρη τοῦ Ἰὼβ, ἐφ' ἃ ἀνέβαινεν. Στίχ. ζʹ. Ὅτε ἐξεπορευόμην ὄρθιος ἐν πόλει. ∆ιδασκαλίᾳ ἐσχόλαζε καὶ ὠφελείᾳ, ἐρῶν, οὐχ ὡς φίλαυτος, ἀλλ' ὡς ἀγάπην ἔχων ζητοῦσαν τὸ κοινῇ συμφέρον. Στίχ. θʹ. ∆άκτυλον ἐπιθέντες ἐπὶ στόματι. ∆όξει μὲν οὖν καὶ σημεῖον εἶναι τὸ, ∆άκτυλον ἐπι θέντες ἐπὶ στόματι αὐτῶν, σιωπῆς. Τάχα δὲ δηλοῖ, ἐπεὶ ἡ χεὶρ ἀντὶ ἔργων λαμβάνεται, ὡς πολλάκις ἐδεί ξαμεν, ὅτι τὸ ἔργον αὐτῶν ἐπέθηκαν ἐπὶ στόμα, αἰσθανθέντες ἐν ὀλίγῳ ἔργῳ, ὅτι οὐκ εἰσὶν ἄξιοι τοῦ λαλεῖν, παρόντος τοῦ Ἰὼβ, μείζονα ἔργα πε ποιηκότος. Στίχ. ιʹ. Οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες ἐμακάρισάν με. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Τοσοῦτον ἦν ὅτε οὐδέπω ἐβασανίζετο, ὥστε οἱ ἀκούοντες αὐτοῦ ἐμακάριζον αὐτὸν, καὶ ἐθαύ μαζον, τίνα τρόπον τὰ τοσαῦτα νοεῖ καὶ καταλαμβά νει, καὶ δύναται τοὺς ἀκούοντας ὠφελεῖν. Στίχ. ιʹ. Ὅτι γλῶσσα αὐτῶν τῷ λάρυγγι αὐτῶν ἐκολλήθη. Τῶν ἀκουόντων μου καὶ μακαριζόντων ἐφ' οἷς ἔλε γον, ἡ γλῶσσα τῷ λάρυγγι ἐκολλήθη. Στίχ. ιαʹ. Ὅτι ὠτίον ἤκουσε, καὶ ἐμακάρισέ με. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Ὥσπερ γέγραπται περὶ τοῦ Μωϋσέως, ὅτι ηὐλαβεῖτο κατεμβλέψαι κατενώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ διὰ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῆς λαμπρότητος αὐτοῦ οὕτως νοήσας ἂν, ὅτι ὑπερβολὴ ἦν προκοπῆς τῆς ἐν σοφίᾳ τοῦ Ἰὼβ, ὥστε τοὺς ἀκούοντας αὐτοῦ μὴ δύ νασθαι ἐνορᾷν τῇ μαρμαρυγῇ τῶν νοημάτων αὐτοῦ, καὶ μὴ δυναμένους διὰ τοῦτο ἐκκλίνειν τοὺς ὀφθαλ μοὺς αὐτῶν, μὴ παρακολουθοῦντας τῇ βαθυτάτῃ τῆς διανοίας αὐτοῦ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο λέγει· Στίχ. ιαʹ. Ὀφθαλμὸς δέ με ἰδὼν ἐξέκλινεν. Ὁ μὲν Ἀκύλας καὶ Σύμμαχος, Ἐμαρτύρησε περὶ ἐμοῦ, ἐκδεδώκασιν· ἕτεροι δὲ, Ὀφθαλμὸς δὲ ἰδὼν ἐξέκλινεν, ἀντὶ τοῦ· Οὐκ ἰσχύω ἀντειπεῖν. 17.93 Στίχ. ιβʹ. ∆ιέσωσα γὰρ πτωχὸν ἐκ χειρὸς δυ νάστου. Ἴδωμεν αὐτοῦ τὰ ἀνδραγαθήματα, καὶ ἁπλώσω μεν. Καὶ κατὰ τὸ ῥητὸν ἔχει λόγον τοῦτο, καὶ κατ' ἀναγωγὴν ἔχει πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἑρμηνείαν. Κατὰ τὸ

Foot to the lame; Elihu womb of words; night watches§11

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11letter: as far as our power goes, we ought to help the poor oppressed by the powerful. "And a foot to a lame one:" he granted feet of the soul even to those lamed in their bases, and by the word he himself became their foot. "A judgment which I did not know, I tracked out:" he teaches how to judge when called to settle brothers affairs.

Chapter 32: "And Job ceased with words." The three friends were quiet still to speak against him, for he was righteous opposite them. He did not simply cease; the heart understanding divine things did not cease. "There is a time for every matter under heaven, a time to be silent and a time to speak." When it was time to answer the three, he spoke; after silencing them, he was silent — said in praise: Job ceased. Elihu: "I was quiet, fearing to announce my own knowledge." He knows how humans suffer, why they fall into circumstances in this life alone, how the unjust prosper. I saw those doing injustice, and my feet were almost shaken. If I look only in this life, my steps were nearly poured out. "Not the long-timed ones are wise:" not only elders; youth can hear something noble. If time makes wise, much more God.

"The spirit of the belly destroys me." As a pregnant person comes to birth-pains until the formed child is born, so the love-of-learning soul conceives a word, forms and stamps it in order, and when ready does not hand over a miscarriage but something brought to term. "My belly is like a wineskin of new wine boiling, bound" — from here, Origen thinks, the Gospel: "No one puts new wine into old wineskins." "I will speak so that I may rest having opened the lips:" full of words before an understanding hearer, speaking rests. "I do not know how to wonder at a face; if not, moths will eat me" — moths eat those who take human faces.

Chapter 35: "If you have sinned, what will you do?" Look up to heaven and clouds and understand the sin. Approach the high priest so he may bring sacrifice: "If anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins." If many lawless deeds, what can you do? Dissolve them — for the incurable we cannot heal, Christ came from heaven: "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven and whose sins are covered." "Since you are righteous, what will you give him?" What can righteousness add to God? "The one arranging night watches" is God. This whole age is night and darkness; light is kept for you. What you see now you see through a mirror; "in your light we will see light." Because it is night, many wars and wild beasts go about. "The one marking me off from four-footed ones of earth." If you are a sinner you are not marked off: "a human in honor did not understand; he was compared to senseless cattle; "do not become as horse and mule, which have no understanding." — And

Greek · §11

ῥητὸν, ὅση δύναμις, ὀφείλομεν βοηθεῖν τοῖς πτωχοῖς, ὑπὸ τῶν δυνατῶν καταδυναστευομένοις. Στίχ. ιεʹ. Ποῦς δὲ χωλῷ. Αὐτὸς ἐχαρίζετο καὶ τοῖς κεχωλωμένοις τὰς βάσεις, τῆς ψυχῆς πόδας· καὶ τῷ λόγῳ ἐγίνετο αὐτὸς αὐτῶν ποῦς. Στίχ. ι ʹ. ∆ίκην δὲ ἣν οὐκ ᾔδειν, ἐξιχνίασα. ∆ιδάσκει ἡμᾶς πῶς δεῖ δικάζειν, ἐάν ποτε κλη θῶμεν ἐπὶ δίαιταν ἀδελφῶν, ὥστε διαιτῆσαι τὰ κατ' αὐτούς. ΚΕΦ. ΛΒʹ. Στίχ. αʹ. Καὶ ἐπαύσατο Ἰὼβ ῥήμασιν. Ἡσύχασαν δὲ καὶ οἱ τρεῖς φίλοι αὐτοῦ ἔτι ἀντειπεῖν Ἰώβ. Ἦν γὰρ Ἰὼβ δίκαιος ἐναντίον αὐτῶν. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἐπαύσατο. Καρδία δὲ ἦν αὐτοῦ νοοῦσα τὰ θεῖα, οὐκ ἐπαύσατο. Ἤδη γὰρ καιρὸς τῷ παντὶ πράγματι ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανὸν, καιρὸς τοῦ σιγᾷν καὶ καιρὸς τοῦ λαλεῖν. Ὅτε οὖν καιρὸς τοῦ ἀποκρίνασθαι πρὸς τοὺς τρεῖς, ἔλεγεν· ὅτε ἦν καιρὸς, μετὰ τὸ ἐπι στομίσαι αὐτοὺς, ἐσίγησε. Καὶ οἶμαι ἐν ἐπαίνῳ λέ γεσθαι τὸ, Ἐπαύσατο ὁ Ἰώβ. Στίχ. ζʹ. ∆ιὸ ἡσύχασα, φοβηθεὶς τοῦ ὑμῖν ἀναγ γεῖλαι τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ ἐπιστήμην. Ἐπιστήμην ἔχει, πῶς ἄνθρωποι πάσχουσι· διὰ τί ἄνθρωποι ἐν περιστάσεσί τισιν ἐν τῷ βίῳ τούτῳ μόνῳ γίνονται· ὅσοι ἄδικοι ὄντες εὐτυχοῦσιν. Εἶδον ἀδι κοῦντας καὶ παρανομοῦντας, καὶ ἐμοῦ παρὰ μι κρὸν ἐσαλεύθησαν οἱ πόδες. Ἐὰν ἐν τῷ βίῳ τούτῳ μόνον ἐνίδω, παρ' ὀλίγον ἐξεχύθη τὰ διαβήματά μου. Στίχ. ιʹ. Οὐχ οἱ πολυχρόνιοί εἰσι σοφοί. Οὐ γὰρ ἀνάγκη, φησὶ, τοὺς πρεσβύτας μόνους εἶναι σοφούς· ἀλλ' ἔστι καὶ ἀπὸ νεότητος ἀκοῦσαί τι γενναῖον. Εἰ γὰρ χρόνος ποιεῖ σοφοὺς, πολλῷ μᾶλλον Θεός. Στίχ. ιηʹ. Ὠλέκει γάρ με τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς γαστρός. Ὥσπερ τις ἔγκυος γίνεται, καὶ μορφωθέντος τοῦ γεννωμένου ἐν αὐτῷ, ἐπὶ ὠδῖνας ἔρχεται, μέχρις οὗ ἀπογεννήσῃ τοῦτο ὃ πρότερον συνείληφε· τοιοῦ τόν τί μοι νόει γενέσθαι καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς τοῦ φιλομα θοῦς ψυχῆς. Συλλαμβάνει γὰρ τὸν λόγον ὃν ἀπαγγελ λόμενον μορφοῖ καὶ τυποῖ αὐτὸν τῇ τάξει. Ὅτ' ἂν δὲ μετὰ τὸ τυπῶσαι καὶ μορφῶσαι αὐτὸν ἕτοιμον γενόμε νον, μὴ ὡς ἔκτρωμα ἀνέτοιμον καὶ ἀτελὲς παραδιδῷ, ἀλλ' ὡς τελεσφορηθὲν καὶ τετελειωμένον εἴποιμι ἄν. Στίχ. ιθʹ. Ἡ δὲ γαστήρ μου ὥσπερ ἀσκὸς γλεύκους ζέων δεδεμένος. ∆οκεῖ μοι ἐντεῦθεν εἰρῆσθαι τὸ ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ. 17.96 Οὐδεὶς οἶνον νέον εἰς ἀσκοὺς παλαιοὺς βάλλει Στίχ. κʹ. Λαλήσω, ἵνα ἀναπαύσωμαι ἀνοίξας τὰ χείλη. Ὁ τυγχάνων συνετοῦ ἀκροατοῦ, καὶ ὢν πλή ρης λόγων, λαλῶν ἀναπαύεται, καὶ λέγει· Λαλήσω, ἵνα ἀναπαύσωμαι. Στίχ. κβʹ. Οὐ γὰρ ἐπίσταμαι θαυμάσαι πρόσωπον. Οὐ γὰρ ἐπίσταμαι θαυμάσαι πρόσωπον. Οὐκ ἔχω ταύτην τὴν ἐπιστήμην, ἵνα θαυμάσω πρόσωπον· ἀλλὰ καταφρονῶ ἀνθρώπων, καὶ τῆς παρ' αὐτοῖς αἰ σχύνης βροτῶν, καὶ τῆς παρ' αὐτοῖς ἐντροπῆς. Στίχ. κβʹ. Εἰ δὲ μὴ, καὶ ἐμὲ σῆτες ἔδονται. Ὡς τῶν σητῶν διεσθιόντων τοὺς λαμβάνοντας πρόσ ωπα ἀνθρώπων. ΚΕΦ. ΛΕʹ. Στίχ. ʹ. Εἰ ἥμαρτες, τί πράξεις; Ἐὰν ἀναβλέψῃς εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ κατανοήσῃς τὰ νέφη, νοήσεις τί ἥμαρτες. Τί σε πρᾶξαι δεῖ; Προσέρχεσθαι τῷ ἀρχιερεῖ, καὶ παρακαλεῖν, ἵνα ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς προσαγάγῃ θυσίαν περὶ σοῦ. Ἐὰν γάρ τις ἁμάρτῃ, παράκλητον ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν δίκαιον, καὶ αὐτὸς ἱλασμός ἐστι περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἡμῶν. Στίχ. ʹ. Εἰ δὲ καὶ πολλὰ ἠνόμησας, τί δύνασαι ποιῆσαι; Τὸ τηλικοῦτον ποιήσεις· ἀναλύσεις σου τὰς πολλὰς ἀνομίας. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνιάτοις, οἷς ἑαυ τοὺς ἰάσασθαι οὐ δυνάμεθα, ἦλθεν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ἐξ οὐρανῶν, ἵνα τὰ ἀνίατα ἰάσηται, καὶ γίνηται τό· Μακάριοι, ὧν ἀφέθησαν αἱ ἀνομίαι, καὶ ὧν ἀπε καλύφθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι. Στίχ. ζʹ. Ἐπειδὴ οὖν δίκαιος εἶ, τί δώσεις αὐτῷ; Ἀλλ' εἰ δίκαιος εἶ ὡς πρὸς Θεὸν, τί ἔχεις δοῦναι κατὰ τὴν σὴν δικαιοσύνην; Εἰ δὲ καὶ ὡς λέγεις δίκαιος εἶ, τί προσθήσεις αὐτῷ; Στίχ. ιʹ. Ὁ κατατάσσων φυλακὰς νυκτερινάς. Ἐγκώμια τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ αἴνους καὶ ὕμνους αὐτοῦ διεξέρχεται. Ὁ κατατάσσων φυλακὰς νυκτε ρινὰς, αὐτὸς ὁ Θεός ἐστι. Θέλω ἰδεῖν, πῶς κατατάσσων ἐστὶν ὁ Θεὸς φυ λακὰς νυκτερινάς. Ὅλως ὁ αἰὼν οὗτος νύξ ἐστι, σκό τος ἐστί. Τὸ φῶς τηρεῖταί σοι. Ὃ βλέπεις νῦν φῶς, δι' ἐσόπτρου βλέπεις· Καὶ ἐν τῷ φωτί σου ὀψόμεθα φῶς. Μέλλομέν ποτε βλέπειν αὐτό. Οὐκοῦν νύξ ἐστι πᾶς ὁ αἰών· ἐπεὶ νύξ ἐστι, πόλεμοι πολλοὶ, πολ λὰ θηρία περιέρχεται. Στίχ. ιαʹ. Ὁ διορίζων με ἀπὸ τετραπόδων γῆς. Ἐὰν ᾖς ἁμαρτωλὸς, οὐ διωρίσθης ἀπὸ τῶν τετραπόδων γῆς. Ἄνθρωπος γὰρ ἐν τιμῇ ὢν, οὐ συνῆκε. Παρασυνεβλήθη τοῖς κτήνεσι τοῖς ἀνοή τοις, καὶ ὡμοιώθη αὐτοῖς. Ἐὰν ᾖς ἁμαρτωλὸς, οὐ διωρίσθης ἀπὸ τῶν τετραπόδων τῆς γῆς· ἀλλὰ λέγε ταί σοι· Μὴ γίνεσθε ὡς ἵππος καὶ ἡμίονος, οἷς οὐκ 17.97 ἔστι σύνεσις. –Καὶ

Gird like a man; do not reject my judgment; beasts beside you§12

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12a little later: if you are a sinner, a fornicator, carried down, you are not marked off from the four-footed. Horses mad for females were born. So he takes courage: "the one marking me off from four-footed ones of earth."

Chapter 40: "Gird as a man your loin." God already gives a prize — freedom of speech: I will ask you; you answer me. Had Job not conquered and endured, he would not have heard that. Let no one answer God before becoming a man and girding the loin; while the loin is loose, one cannot reasonably answer the Lord. The perfect contests wait after this life, yet grace already pledges the athletes. When Job cast away goods and glorified the Giver, put away children and gave thanks, understood worms from the body and was not conquered — God spoke through whirlwind and clouds as preface and pledge. Hearing earlier words he stays silent, not yet knowing Moses later pattern — Moses spoke and God answered with a voice. God then gives freedom to speak. So great is God kindness that he takes a face not of judge only but of one judged with the human: "Come, and let us reason, says the Lord; "My people, what did I do to you; answer me."

"Do not reject my judgment." Remember the saying. Whenever God judges us to lose a child, a ruler, health — nothing happens unless God judges. "Not even a sparrow falls into a snare without the Father will in the heavens." So to the sufferer: do not reject my judgment; do not deny that I judged about you. "Do you think I have spoken oracle to you otherwise than so that you may appear righteous?" You were righteous but not apparent; endurance and courage were hidden till toils made them shine. In times of trial hear God present saying this — and do not appear unjust or impious.

"Take up height and power; be crowned; put on glory and honor. Send angels in wrath; humble every insolent one; quench a proud one." The insolent one campaigned against you — Send your hand; touch all he has; then he will bless me to my face — but you conquered. Take courage; humble every insolent one and his angels; quench the proud; strike the impious at once. "Fill their faces with dishonor" by conviction in you. "Look — wild beasts are beside you; he eats grass equal to oxen." Wild beasts are opposing powers; the Prophet prayed, "Do not hand over to the wild beasts the soul that confesses you." You have received authority over them, O human. If you serve God, upon asp—

Greek · §12

μετ' ὀλίγα· Ἐὰν ᾖς ἁμαρτωλὸς, ἐὰν ᾖς πόρνος, ἐὰν καταφερὴς, οὐ διορισθήσῃ ἀπὸ τῶν τετραπόδων. Ἵπποι θηλυμανεῖς ἐγεννήθησαν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο θαῤῥῶν λέγει, ὅτι ἐχωρίσθη· Ὁ διορίζων με ἀπὸ τετραπόδων γῆς. ΚΕΦ. Μʹ. Στίχ. γʹ. Μὴ, ἀλλὰ ζῶσαι ὥσπερ ἀνὴρ τὴν ὀσφύν σου. ∆ίδωμί σοι παῤῥησίαν. Ἐγώ σε ἐρωτήσω· σὺ δέ μοι ἀπόκριναι. Ἤδη ἆθλον αὐτῷ δίδωσιν ὁ Θεός. Ἄνθρωπον ἐρωτᾷ, ὅτι πυνθάνεται αὐτοῦ, ὅτι δίδωσιν ἐξουσίαν τῆς ἀποκρίσεως. Εἰ μὴ ἦν νενικηκὼς, οὐκ ἂν ἐλάμβα νεν· εἰ μὴ ἦν ὑπομείνας, οὐκ ἂν ἤκουσε· Ζῶσαι ὥσπερ ἀνὴρ τὴν ὀσφύν σου. Ἐρωτήσω δέ σε· σὺ δέ μοι ἀπόκριναι. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Μὴ πρότερον ἀποκρινάσθω τις τῷ Θεῷ, ἐὰν μὴ, γενόμενος ἀνὴρ, ζώσηται ὥσπερ ἀνὴρ τὴν ὀσφὺν αὐτοῦ. Ὅσον γὰρ ἡ ὀσφὺς αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔζω σται, ἀλλὰ λέλυται, καὶ οὐχὶ περιδέδεται, οὐδὲ συν έσφιγκται, οὐ δύναται εὐλόγως ἀποκρίνασθαι τῷ Κυρίῳ. Στίχ. γʹ. Ἐρωτήσω δέ σε· σὺ δέ μοι ἀποκρίθητι. Τὰ μὲν τέλεια τῶν ἀγωνισμάτων τοῖς καλῶς ἀθλή σασι μετὰ τὸν βίον ἀπόκειται τοῦτον. Οὐδὲν δὲ ἧττον καὶ ἤδη ἡ χάρις ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀῤῥαβωνίζεται τοὺς ἀθλητάς. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο, ὅτε ἠγωνίσατο τὰ μέγιστα ὁ Ἰώβ· ὅτε, ἀποβαλὼν τὰ ὑπάρχοντα, ἐδόξασε τὸν δεδωκότα· ὅτε, ἀποθέμενος τὰ τέκνα, ηὐχαρίστησε τῷ παρειλη φότι· ὅτε, νοήσας ὡς σκώληκας ἀνάγειν αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος, οὐ νενίκηται ἀπὸ τῶν πόνων· προοίμια καὶ ἀῤῥαβῶνα τῶν ἀθλητῶν δίδωσιν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς, χρηματίσας αὐτῷ διὰ λαίλαπος καὶ νεφῶν. Ἀκούσας οὖν προτέρων λόγων, δέον ἀποκρίνασθαι πρὸς Θεὸν, σιωπᾷ, ὡς οὐκ ἔχων παῤῥησίαν ἀποκρίνασθαι πρὸς αὐτόν. Οὔπω γὰρ ᾔδει τὸ ὕστερον γεγραμμένον ὑπὸ Μωϋσέως, ὡς Μωϋσῆς ἐλάλει, ὁ δὲ Θεὸς ἀπεκρί νατο αὐτῷ φωνῇ. Ὡς μὴ ἐπιστάμενος τοίνυν τοῦτο, οὐ θέλει ἀποκρίνασθαι πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς δί δωσιν αὐτῷ παῤῥησίαν τοῦ λαλεῖν. Καὶ μεθ' ἕτερα· Τοσαύτη ἐστὶν ἡ χρηστότης τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὥστε ἀναλα βεῖν αὐτὸν πρόσωπον οὐ κρίνοντος, ἀλλὰ κρινομένου μετὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. Καὶ πολλαὶ τοῦτο ἐδίδαξαν Γρα φαί. ∆εῦτε, καὶ διαλεχθῶμεν, λέγει Κύριος. Καὶ, Λαός μου, μᾶλλον δὲ ὁ Θεὸς μετὰ τοῦ λαοῦ διαλεχθή σεται, λαός μου, τί ἐποίησά σοι, ἢ τί παρηνόχλησά σοι; ἀποκρίθητί μοι, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Στίχ. γʹ. Μὴ ἀποποιοῦ μου τὸ κρῖμα. Μὴ ἀποποιοῦ μου τοῦτο τὸ κρῖμα. Τούτου τοῦ ῥητοῦ ὡς χρησίμου μνημονεύσωμεν. Ἀλλ' ὅτ' ἂν κρίνῃ ὁ Θεὸς παθεῖν τι ἡμᾶς, τέκνον ἀποβαλεῖν, ἄρ χοντα ἀπολέσαι, νοσῆσαι κατὰ τὸ σῶμα, ὅ τι δήποτε τούτων ὑπομεῖναι· οὐδὲν τούτων οἷόν τέ ἐστιν ἡμᾶς παθεῖν, μὴ κρίνοντος τοῦ Θεοῦ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ στρουθίον πίπτει εἰς παγίδα ἄνευ βουλήματος τοῦ Πατρὸς, τοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Ἐπεὶ οὖν οὐδὲν τούτων γίνεται χω ρὶς κρίματος τοῦ Θεοῦ, λέγεται πρὸς τὸν παθόντα· 17.100 Μὴ ἀποποιοῦ μου τὸ κρῖμα, μὴ ἀπαρνῇ, ὅτι ἔκρινα περὶ σοῦ. Στίχ. γʹ. Οἴει δέ με ἄλλως σοι κεχρηματικέναι, ἢ ἵνα ἀναφανῇς δίκαιος; Ἀπολογοῦμαί σοι. ∆ίκαιος ἦς, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἦς φανε ρός. Ὑπομονὴν εἶχες· ἔδει με ἀφορμὴν παρασχεῖν τοῦ λάμψαι σου τὴν ὑπομονήν. Εἶχες ἀνδρείαν· ἀλλ' ἐκέκρυπτο ἐν σοί· οἱ συμβεβηκότες πόνοι ἔδειξάν σου τὴν ἀνδρείαν. Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· Μνημονεύωμεν τού των ἐν τοῖς περιστάσεων καιροῖς, καὶ δόξωμεν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀκούειν παρόντος, καὶ λέγοντος ἡμῖν· Οἴει δέ με ἄλλως σοι κεχρηματικέναι, ἢ ἵνα ἀναφανῇς δίκαιος; Μὴ ἀναφανῶμεν ἄδικοι, μηδὲ ἀσεβεῖς. Στίχ. εʹ. Ἀνάλαβε δὴ ὕψος καὶ δύναμιν. Στεφάνωσαι, ἔνδυσαι δόξαν, ἔνδυσαι τιμήν. Στίχ. ʹ. Ἀπόστειλον δὲ ἀγγέλους ὀργῇ· πάντα δὲ ὑβριστὴν ταπείνωσον. Στίχ. ζʹ. Ὑπερήφανον δὲ σβέσον. Ὁ ὑβριστὴς ἐστρατεύσατο κατὰ σοῦ. Εἶπέ μοί πο τε ὁ ὑβριστὴς, Ἀπόστειλον τὴν χεῖρά σου· εἶπέ μοι, Ἅψαι πάντων ὧν ἔχει· εἶπέ μοι περὶ σοῦ, ὡς ἄρα εἰς πρόσωπόν με εὐλογήσεις. Ἀλλ' οὖν γε νε νίκηκας. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό σοι λέγω· Θάῤῥει· πᾶν δὲ ὑβρι στὴν ταπείνωσον, καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ ταπείνω σον. Ὑπερήφανος ἐκεῖνος γεγένηται κατὰ σοῦ· ἀλλὰ σὺ ὑπερήφανον σβέσον. Ἀσεβὴς ἐκεῖνος κατὰ σοῦ· ἀλλὰ σὺ σκῆψον ἀσεβεῖς παραχρῆμα. Στίχ. ηʹ. Τὰ δὲ πρόσωπα αὐτῶν ἀτιμίας πλήρωσον. Ἔλεγξον ἁμαρτωλοὺς, δεικνὺς αὐτοὺς ἁμαρτωλούς. Πλήρωσον τὰ πρόσωπα αὐτῶν ἀτιμίας διὰ τοῦ ἐλέγ χου τοῦ ἐν σοί. Στίχ. ιʹ. Ἀλλὰ δὴ ἰδοὺ θηρία παρὰ σοί· χόρτον ἶσα βουσὶν ἐσθίει. Θηρία αἱ ἀντικείμεναι δυνάμεις εἰσὶ, περὶ ὧν ηὔ ξατο ὁ Προφήτης λέγων· Μὴ παραδῷς τοῖς θηρίοις τὴν ψυχὴν ἐξομολογουμένην σοι. Θηρία εἰσὶν αἱ ἀντικείμεναι δυνάμεις, ὧν εἴληφας, ὦ ἄνθρωπε, τὴν ἐξουσίαν. Ἐὰν Θεῷ δουλεύσῃς, ἐπ' ἀσπίδα

Behemoth beside the victor; the dragon’s hide and costume§13

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13And you will tread on the basilisk. "But look — wild beasts are beside you." Beside you, Job; beside every one who keeps the memory; beside everyone who has won.

"He eats grass like oxen." Origen hears the worms that devour Job from his own flesh: a finishing stroke, he says, and "look, it eats as grass." "His power is upon the navel of the belly" — the first force set against the man, and the starting point of fornication. The same note marks the female so the campaign is not only against those who carry seed. Fittingly Scripture names the loin for the male and the navel of the belly for the woman: strength in the loin; power at the navel.

"Phoenician nations divide it." Because Canaanites — also called Phoenicians — are charged with great wickedness, each of that race takes a share from the dragon. "All the ships together cannot carry one hide of his tail": the dragon’s last extremities no fleet can kill. Humans sail in bodies as in boats and cannot lift even one hide of that tail by themselves; under divine oversight we can carry not only the hide but the whole beast and put it to death. Each kills the devil as far as lies in him, as the Apostle says: "May God crush Satan under your feet soon."

Chapter 41: "Who will uncover the face of his clothing?" Why not simply "his face"? What is the clothing doing here? Take actors who put on masks and hide what they are so they may seem something else. They take up masks, for example—

Greek · §13

καὶ βα σιλίσκον ἐπιβήσῃ. Στίχ. ιʹ. Ἀλλὰ δὴ ἰδοὺ θηρία παρὰ σοί. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Παρὰ σοὶ τῷ Ἰὼβ, παρὰ παντὶ ὑπο μνηστικῷ, παρὰ παντὶ τῷ νενικηκότι. Στίχ. ιʹ. Χόρτον ἶσα βουσὶν ἐσθίει. Τοὺς σκώληκας λέγει, τοὺς ἐξ αὐτοῦ αὐτὸν κατε σθίοντας. Συντέλεια γὰρ, φησὶ, τὴν χεῖρά μου ὑπὸ σοῦ· καὶ ἰδοὺ ὡς χόρτος κατεσθίει. Στίχ. ιαʹ. Ἡ δὲ δύναμις αὐτοῦ ἐπ' ὀμφαλοῦ γαστρός. Αὕτη πρώτη δύναμις κατὰ τοῦ ἀνδρός. Πόρ νον ποιεῖν ἐντεῦθεν ἄρχεται. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Ἵνα τὸ θῆλυ σημάνῃ, ἵνα δείξῃ, ὅτι στρατεύεται οὐ μόνον κατὰ τῶν ἐχόντων τὰ σπέρμα τα. Πάνυ δὲ εὐπρεπέστατα ὠνόμασεν ὀσφὺν ἐπὶ ἄῤῥε νος, καὶ ὀμφαλὸν γαστρὸς ἐπὶ γυναικός· Ἰδοὺ δὲ ἡ ἰσχὺς ὀσφὺς αὐτοῦ ἐν ἰσχύϊ· ἡ δὲ δύναμις αὐ τοῦ ἐπ' ὀμφαλοῦ γαστρός. 17.101 Στίχ. κεʹ. Μεριτεύονται δὲ αὐτὸ Φοινίκων ἔθνη. Ἐπεὶ πονηρίᾳ μεγάλῃ διαβάλλονται οἱ Χανα ναῖοι, οἱ καὶ Φοίνικες· διὰ τοῦτό φησι· Μεριοῦνται δὲ αὐτὸν Φοινίκων ἔθνη. Ἕκαστος μέρος τι λαμβάνει ἀπὸ τοῦ δράκοντος, ἐὰν ᾖ τὸ γένος Χαναναῖος καὶ Φοῖνιξ. Στίχ. κ ʹ. Πᾶν δὲ πλωτὸν συνελθὸν οὐ μὴ ἐνέγ κωσι βύρσαν μίαν οὐρᾶς αὐτοῦ. Τὰ τελευταῖα τοῦ δράκοντος καὶ τὰ ἔσχατα οὐ δύνανται νεκρῶσαι πάντα ἅμα πλωτά. Οἱ ἄνθρωποι, πλοίοις χρώμενοι τοῖς σώμασιν, οὐ δύνανται ἐνεγκεῖν βύρσαν μίαν οὐρᾶς αὐτοῦ. Αὐτοὶ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς οὐ δύ νανται· θείας δὲ δυνάμεως ἐπισκοπούσης, δυνάμεθα οὐ μόνον βύρσαν μίαν οὐρᾶς αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅλον αὐτὸν κομίσαι, καὶ ὅλον αὐτὸν νεκρῶσαι. Νεκροῦ μεν δὲ ἕκαστος, τὸ ὅσον ἐφ' ἑαυτῷ, τὸν διάβολον, κα τὰ τὸ εἰρημένον παρὰ τῷ Ἀποστόλῳ· Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς συντρίψαι τὸν Σατανᾶν ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας ὑμῶν ἐν τάχει. ΚΕΦ. ΜΑʹ. Στίχ. δʹ. Τίς ἀποκαλύψει πρόσωπον ἐνδύσεως αὐτοῦ; ∆ιὰ τί οὐκ εἶπε· Τίς ἀποκαλύψει πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ; Τί ποιεῖ ἐνθάδε καὶ ἡ ἔνδυσις; Τίς γὰρ ἀποκαλύψει, φησὶ, πρόσωπον ἐνδύσεως αὐτοῦ; Ἵνα νοηθῇ τὸ λεγόμενον, παραδείγματι χρησώμεθα τῶν περιτιθε μένων προσωπείων, καὶ μὴ φαινομένων τοῦτο ὅ εἰσιν, ἀλλὰ θέλουσι δοκεῖν. Ἀναλαμβάνουσι γὰρ προσωπεῖα, φέρε εἰπεῖν,

The dragon’s masks; folded breastplate; fear around the teeth§14

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14—these stage hypocrites, now leaders, now other kings, now women. Their own face stays hidden; what they are does not show, and what they seem is what the eye catches. The dragon is like that. He never shows his own face; he borrows a face to deceive people and uses that. This enemy keeps many masks, and for each vice he puts on a face of virtue.

Who can unmask the face he wore? Who can uncover it and stop the lie that a dragon sits inside? Some of his other disciples are the same: "They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves."

"Who would enter the folding of his breastplate?" He names a breastplate and a chest — the place of the ruling faculty. Nothing in him is simple; he is crafty and folded. A holy person can expose that fold; the holy breastplate is not folded that way. "Who will open the gates of his face?" He hides what is stored within. Who can open those gates and show the craft, the venom, the evils laid up there?

"Fear is round about his teeth." Of such teeth it is said, "You crushed the teeth of sinners," and "The Lord will crush the molars of the lions." That fear is not the fear of God; it is the fear around the dragon’s teeth. But if you have Christ in yourself, do not worry about this

Greek · §14

οὗτοι ἐν ταῖς θυμέλαις ὑποκριταὶ, ποτὲ μὲν ἡγουμένων, ποτὲ δὲ ἄλλων βασιλέων, ποτὲ δὲ γυναικῶν. Καὶ τὸ μὲν ἴδιον αὐτῶν πρόσωπον ἀποκέ κρυπται, καὶ ὅ εἰσιν οὐ φαίνονται· ὃ δὲ δοκοῦσι, βλέ πονται. Τοιοῦτός ἐστιν ὁ δράκων. Οὐδέποτε τὸ πρόσ ωπον αὐτοῦ δείκνυσιν· ἀλλὰ εἰ πρόσωπον λαβὼν εἰς ἀπάτην τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἐκεῖνο χρῆται. Καὶ ἔχει γε ὁ ἐχθρὸς οὗτος πολλὰ προσωπεῖα, καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην κακίαν πρόσωπον λαμβάνει ἀρετῆς. Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα εἰς τὸ ἑξῆς. Τὰ ὑπόλοιπα τοῦ προγραφέντος στίχου. Τὸ πρόσωπον ὃ ἐνεδύσατο τίς ἱκανὸς ἐλέγξαι; τίς ἱκανὸς ἀποκαλύψαι καὶ λῆξαι ὅ τι ἔνδον δρά κων ἐστί; Τοιοῦτοί εἰσί τινες καὶ ἄλλοι μαθηταὶ αὐ τοῦ, Οἵτινες ἔρχονται πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐν ἐνδύμασι προβάτων, ἔνδοθεν δέ εἰσι λύκοι ἅρπαγες. Στίχ. δʹ. Εἰς δὲ πτύξιν θώρακος αὐτοῦ τίς ἂν εἰσέλθοι; Ὁρᾷς; θώραξ οὗτος ὀνομάζεται, καὶ στῆθος· καὶ θώραξ, ὅπου ἐστὶ τὸ ἡγεμονικόν. Οὐχ ἁπλοῦς ἐστιν ὁ θώραξ αὐτοῦ. Οὐδὲν ἔχει ἁπλοῦν. ∆όλιός ἐστιν, ἐπτυ γμένος ἐστίν. Εἰς οὖν τὴν πτύξιν θώρακος αὐτοῦ τίς ἂν εἰσέλθοι; Ἅγιος δὲ ἐλέγχειν αὐτὸν δύναται, καὶ δεῖξαι, ὅτι ἔπτυκται αὐτοῦ ὁ θώραξ· τοῦ δὲ ἁγίου οὐκ ἔπτυκται. Στίχ. εʹ. Πύλας προσώπου αὐτοῦ τίς ἀνοίξει; Κρύπτει τὰ ἔνδον ἀποκείμενα. Τίς οὖν ἀνοίξει τὰς πύλας τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ; Τίς οὗτός ἐστιν, 17.104 ὥστε ἐλέγξαι καὶ δεῖξαι ὅσον δόλον, ὅσον ἰὸν, ὅσα κακὰ ἔχει ἀποκείμενα; Στίχ. εʹ. Κύκλῳ ὀδόντων αὐτοῦ φόβος. Περὶ ὧν λέγεται· Ὀδόντας ἁμαρτωλῶν συνέ τριψας. Καὶ, Κύριος συντρίψει τὰς μύλας τῶν λεόντων. Οὐκ ἔστιν οὗτος ὁ φόβος τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἀλλ' ὁ φόβος, ὁ κύκλῳ τῶν ὀδόντων αὐτοῦ. Ἀλλ' ἐὰν ἔχῃς τὸν Χριστὸν ἐν σεαυτῷ, μὴ φρόντιζε τούτου τοῦ

Asp-hard insides; burning lamps from the mouth; power in the neck§15

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15fear. "Fear the Lord your God, and fear no other besides him."

"His inwards are bronze asps" — the hidden doctrines and thoughts. Everything inside him is asp venom, and those asps are not soft but hard. "From his mouth": the blasphemies and speeches of impious, atheist teachers. "From his mouth go out burning lamps, and fire-pans of fire are flung about."

Origen takes every impious introducer of atheist doctrines as a member of the dragon. The dragon’s mouth can be read tropically as the place from which destroying words come. When he has heard speech that, under a Christian mask, accuses the Craftsman — championing Marcion, Valentinus, or Basilides; speaking ill of the Maker of heaven and earth; denying that he is, or that he is of spiritual substance — then from such mouths go burning lamps and flung fire-pans. Knowing this, we keep ourselves so those lamps do not burn us and those pans do not touch us.

"In his neck power lodges." There is an evil power. But the weakness my Savior and Lord took on for me — the weakness of God — conquered

Greek · §15

φόβου. Κύριον γὰρ τὸν Θεόν σου φοβηθήσῃ, καὶ πλὴν αὐτοῦ μὴ φοβοῦ τὸν ἄλλον. Στίχ. ʹ. Τὰ ἔγκατα αὐτοῦ ἀσπίδες χαλκαῖ. Τὰ δόγματα, τὰ νοήματα τὰ ἀποκεκρυμμένα. Πάντα ἰὸς ἀσπίδων ἐστὶ, πάντα τὰ ἔνδον αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ἀσπίδες εἰσὶν οὐχ ἁπαλαί τινες, ἀλλὰ σκληραί. Ἀσπί δες γάρ εἰσι σκληραί. Στίχ. ιʹ. Ἐκ στόματος αὐτοῦ. Αἱ βλασφημίαι καὶ οἱ λόγοι τῶν ἀσεβῶν καὶ ἀθέων διδασκάλων. Στίχ. ιʹ. Ἐκ στόματος αὐτοῦ ἐκπορεύονται λαμ πάδες καιόμεναι, καὶ διαριπτοῦνται ἐσχάραι πυρός. Οἶμαι μὲν καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς ἀθέων δογμάτων εἰσηγητὰς κυρίως ἂν εἶναι μέλη τοῦ δρά κοντος· καὶ τῶν μελῶν τοῦ δράκοντος ὀνόματα εἰ θέλεις ἀκοῦσαι, ποῖοί εἰσιν οὗτοι; Τὸ στόμα τοῦ δράκοντος εἴη δ' ἄν τι καὶ τροπικῶς νοούμενον, καὶ παρὰ τοῦτο ὅθεν οἱ λόγοι οἱ ἀπολλύντες. [Ἐκ στό ματος γὰρ αὐτοῦ λαμπάδες ἀπολλύονται πυρός.] Ὅτι ἐκ στόματος αὐτοῦ ἐσχάραι ἀπολλύονται πυρός. Εἴ ποτε ἤκουσα τοῦ κατηγοροῦντος λόγου, προφάσει Χριστιανισμοῦ, κατηγοροῦντος τοῦ ∆ημιουρ γοῦ, φέρε εἰπεῖν, πρεσβεύοντος τὰ Μαρκίωνος, πρε σβεύοντος τὰ Οὐαλεντίνου, καὶ τὰ Βασιλείδου· ὅτ' ἂν κακῶς λέγωσιν τὸν Ποιητὴν οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς, ὅτ' ἂν λέγωσιν αὐτὸν μὴ εἶναι, μηδὲ πνευματικῆς οὐσίας, ὁποῖά φασιν οὗτοι· ὄψῃ, ἐκ στόματος τῶν τοιούτων ἐξέρχονται λαμπάδες καιόμεναι, καὶ διαρι πτοῦνται ἐσχάραι πυρός. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἡμεῖς, εἰδότες, τηρῶμεν ἑαυτοὺς, μήποτε ἐκεῖναι αἱ λαμπάδες ἡμᾶς καύσωσι, μήποτε αἱ ἐσχάραι τοῦ πυρὸς ἡμῶν ἅψωνται. Στίχ. ιγʹ. Ἐν δὲ τραχήλῳ αὐτοῦ αὐλίζεται δύ ναμις. Ἔστι τις δύναμις πονηρά. Ἀλλ' ἡ ἀσθένεια, ἣν ἀνέλαβε δι' ἐμὲ ὁ Σωτήρ μου καὶ Κύριος, ἥτις λέγε ται ἀσθένεια Θεοῦ, ἐνίκησεν

God’s weakness stronger than the dragon; Job’s double reward§16

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16that one’s power. "The weakness of God is stronger than humans," says the Apostle; Origen adds — stronger than the dragon’s power.

"The fleshes of his body have been glued." Scripture could have said "united," but it did not. With him the one is many; things that seem one are glued, not truly united. "His heart is fixed like a stone; it stands like an unhammerable anvil" — not driven, not yielding to a word; hard and unbending. Whoever tears power from the devil and this dragon may keep that unhammerable heart. But whoever is gold and follows the golden Word yields until he becomes a golden leaf and takes the stamped letters of God, in Christ Jesus — to whom be glory forever. Amen.

Chapter 42: "The Lord gave Job double what he had before." The noble athlete who endured every trial receives the prize of endurance: everything double the former store. The Lord Jesus Christ gives not double but a hundredfold: "Whoever leaves father or mother, house, brothers, sisters for my sake or for the gospel will receive a hundredfold and inherit eternal life." Job would not have received double of the former things if he had not shown double virtue.

Greek · §16

ἐκείνου τὴν δύναμιν. Τὸ γὰρ ἀσθενὲς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὁ μὲν Ἀπόστολος λέγει, ἰσχυρότερον τῶν ἀνθρώπων· ἐγὼ δὲ ἂν εἴποιμι ἰσχυρότερον τῆς δυνάμεως τοῦ δράκοντος. Στίχ. ιδʹ. Σάρκες δὲ σώματος αὐτοῦ κεκόλληνται. Ἐδύνατο εἰρηκέναι· Σάρκες δὲ σώματος ἥνωνται. Ὁ δὲ οὐκ εἶπεν· οὐ γὰρ ἥνωνται· οὐκ ἔστι. Τὸ ἓν παρ' ἐκείνῳ πολλά ἐστιν· ἢ ἓν δοκοῦντα κεκολλῆσθαι, διὰ τοῦ λέγοντος κεκόλληνται, οὐχ ἥνωνται. Στίχ. ιεʹ. Ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ πέπηγεν ὡς λίθος, ἕστηκε δὲ ὥσπερ ἄκμων ἀνήλατος. Οὐκ ἐλαυνόμενος, οὐκ ἀκολουθῶν λόγῳ, οἰκεῖοι 17.105 δὲ σκληρός ἐστιν ἀνήλατος, ἀνένδοτος. Καὶ εἴ τις ἀπὸ διαβόλου ἀπέσπασε δύναμιν, καὶ τούτου τοῦ δράκοντος, αὐτὸς ἔχει τὴν καρδίαν ἀνήλατον, καὶ οὐκ ἐλαυνομένην. Εἰ δέ τις χρυσός ἐστιν, ἀκολουθῶν τῷ λόγῳ χρυσοκῷ· οὕτως εἴκει, ἕως ἂν γένηται πέταλον χρυσοῦν, καὶ δέξηται τοὺς τύπους τῶν γραμμάτων τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ· ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, ἀμήν. ΚΕΦ. ΜΒʹ. Στίχ. ιʹ. Ἔδωκεν δὲ ὁ Κύριος διπλᾶ, ὅσα ἦν ἔμ προσθεν Ἰὼβ εἰς διπλασιασμόν. Ὁ γενναῖος ἀθλητὴς, καὶ πάντα πειρασμὸν ὑποστὰς, ἀνδρειότατος Ἰὼβ, ἆθλα λαμβάνει τῆς ὑπομονῆς αὐτοῦ, ὡς ἡ Γραφή φησιν· Πάντα διπλᾶ παρὰ τὰ πρότερα. Ὁ δὲ Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ἆθλα δίδωσιν οὐχὶ διπλασίονα, ἀλλ' ἑκατονταπλασίονα. Φησὶν γάρ· Ὃς ἐὰν καταλείπῃ πατέρα ἢ μητέρα, οἰκίαν, ἀδελφοὺς, ἀδελφὰς ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ, ἢ ἕνεκεν τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου, ὡς ἐν τῷ κατὰ Μάρκον γέγραπται, ἑκατονταπλασίονα λήψεται, καὶ ζωὴν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσει. Οὐκ ἂν διπλάσια τῶν προτέρων ἔλαβεν, εἰ μὴ διπλασίονα τὴν ἀρετὴν ἐπεδείξατο.

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