Oath of innocence; wisdom beyond silver; buttered paths

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—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

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

About this text

Origen of Alexandria, Enarrationes in Job (Greek).

Catalogue & scope

Khazarzar scan

Witnesses

Copy-text PG 17 (Khazarzar) (Greek)

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