Gird like a man; God reasons with Job
Compared with cattle you become like horse and mule without understandingChapter 40 answers: gird your loins like a man. Perfect prizes wait after this life, yet grace already gives earnest-money. When Job lost goods and still praised the Giver, gave back children with thanks, and was not beaten by worm-ridden disease, God spoke from cloud and whirlwind as a first installment of the awards.
Job stays silent, lacking boldness, not yet knowing Moses spoke and God answered by voice. God grants him freedom to speak and even takes the part of one reasoned with, as in Come, let us reason and My people, what have I done to you? The prize includes being asked and allowed to answer. Only the one who has endured hears Gird like a man; loose loins cannot reply well. Do not refuse my judgment means: do not call your suffering irrational when God decides you must bear something.
Greek
τετραπόδων γῆς, ἀλλὰ παρασυνεβλήθης τοῖς κτήνεσι, καὶ ἐγένου ὡς 12.1045 ἵππος καὶ ἡμίονος, οἷς οὐκ ἔστι σύνεσις, καὶ ἵππος θηλυμανής. ΚΕΦ. Μʹ. Μὴ, ἀλλὰ ζῶσαι ὥσπερ ἀνὴρ τὴν ὀσφύν σου. Τὰ μὲν τέλεια τῶν ἀγωνισμάτων τοῖς καλῶς ἀθλή σασι μετὰ τὸν βίον ἀπόκειται τοῦτον· οὐδὲν δὲ ἧττον καὶ ἤδη ἡ χάρις τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀῤῥαβωνίζεται τοὺς ἀθλη τάς. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο, ὅτε ἠγωνίσατο τὰ μέγιστα ὁ Ἰώβ· ὅτε, ἀποβαλὼν τὰ ὑπάρχοντα, ἐδόξασε τὸν δεδωκότα· ὅτε, ἀποθέμενος τὰ τέκνα, εὐχαρίστησε τῷ παρειλη φότι· ὅτε, νοσήσας ὡς σκώληκας ἀνομβρεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος, οὐ νενίκηται ἀπὸ τῶν πόνων· προοίμια καὶ ἀῤῥαβῶνα τῶν ἄθλων δίδωσιν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς, χρη ματίσας αὐτῷ διὰ νέφους καὶ λαίλαπος. Ἀκούσας οὖν τῶν προτέρων λόγων, δέον ἀποκρίνασθαι πρὸς Θεὸν, σιωπᾷ, ὡς οὐκ ἔχων παῤῥησίαν· οὔπω γὰρ ᾔδει τὸ, «Μωσῆς ἐλάλει, ὁ δὲ Θεὸς ἀπεκρίνατο αὐτῷ φωνῇ.» Ὁ μέντοι Θεὸς δίδωσιν αὐτῷ παῤῥησίαν τοῦ λέγειν· καὶ τοσαύτη ἐστὶν αὐτοῦ ἡ χρηστότης, ὥστε ἀναλα βεῖν αὐτὸν πρόσωπον οὐ κρίνοντος, ἀλλὰ κρινομένου μετὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. Καὶ ἄλλαι τοῦτο ἐδίδαξαν Γρα φαί· ὡς τὸ, «∆εῦτε, καὶ διαλεχθῶμεν·» καὶ, «Λαός μου, τί ἐποίησά σοι;» Ἤδη ἆθλον δίδωσιν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς, ὅτι ἄνθρωπον ἐρωτᾷ, ὅτι πυνθάνεται αὐτοῦ, ὅτι δίδωσιν ἐξουσίαν τῆς ἀποκρίσεως. Εἰ μὴ ἦν νενι κηκὼς, οὐκ ἐλάμβανεν· εἰ μὴ ἦν ὑπομείνας, οὐκ ἂν ἤκουσε· «Ζῶσαι ὥσπερ ἀνὴρ τὴν ὀσφύν σου,» καὶ μὴ σιώπα· ἀλλ' ἀνδρίζου πρὸς τὰς ἐρωτήσεις· ὅσῳ γὰρ ὀσφύς τινος οὐκ ἔζωσται, οὐδὲ συνέσφιγκται, ἀλ λὰ λέλυται, οὐ δύναται εὐλόγως ἀποκρίνασθαι τῷ Θεῷ. Μὴ πρότερον οὖν ἀποκρινάσθω τις τῷ Θεῷ, ἐὰν μὴ ἀνὴρ γένηται τέλειος τὴν πνευματικὴν ἡλικίαν καὶ τὴν ὀσφὺν ζώσηται. Μὴ ἀποποιοῦ μου τὸ κρῖμα. Μὴ οἵου ἀλόγως κεκρίσθαι μοι ταῦτα ἅπερ ὑπέμεινας, μηδὲ ἀποποιοῦ μου τὸ κρῖμα. Τούτου τοῦ ῥητοῦ, ὡς χρησίμου μνημονεύωμεν, ὅταν ὁ Θεὸς παθεῖν τι ἡμᾶς κρίνῃ, τέκνον
About this text
Origen of Alexandria, Selecta in Job (Greek).
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 12 (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.