Sermons on Job

In Job

Severianus of Gabala · c. 400 AD · PG 65

The Fragrance of Job's Integrity§1

1Today the athlete of the inhabited world has come to us. He has come to us as a stranger and a combatant of equal honor to the angels, he who is much struck by the devil and much testified to by God; he who is much beaten by the devil and much receives rewards from the watching angels; he who is much scourged by the Enemy and has been raised up by God as a great crown-bearer for the world.

For thus, conversing with himself, he was saying: 'It seems to me that I have been used for you in another way, rather than so that you might appear righteous?' Who then is able to praise such a one worthily? Who will dare to weave rewards worthy of his manliness? Who will attempt to ascend to an infinite sea of praises? For just as no one possessing understanding would ever dare to cross the expanse of the sea with human steps, so no one of the wise and great teachers will ever attempt to relate to the listeners the praises worthy of that courage and of the triple-layered soul. For all human wisdom his achievements surpass; all crown-bearing his contests surpass.

Do we not receive an angelic tongue, so that, having touched with our fingertips, so to speak, that jar of myrrh, we might all at once fill the assembly? For only if we attempt to touch the vessel of Job and shake it a little, immediately the assembly is filled with the fragrance of the myrrh. Let us then hear the history being told concerning him: In all these things happening to him, Job did not sin with his lips against the Lord. Did you see the testimony that was rousing the praise of the angels? Did you see the testimony that was shaming the devil with his attempts? In all these things happening to him, he did not sin. This is the testimony of God...

It is a testimony before the whole church, like a precious myrrh, that brings joy to those who hear it. Oh, the precious vessel kept in one place in Arabia, its fragrance spreading through the whole inhabited world! Oh, the vessel, struck by myriads of stones, wounds, and arrows from the devil, yet not pouring out the myrrh! Great toil was exerted by the blow, so that the vessel might be crushed and the myrrh of piety might be vanished; and through the stench of the wounds, it strove to dim the fragrance of the myrrh.

For even his body escaped the pulling of the wounds; but the vessel remained being wounded, and the myrrh was not lost, so that we might also say to him with confidence: 'Name to you, having been emptied, myrrh.' It is necessary, therefore, to raise up the athlete naked, as he was before, so that seeing that wonderful image, we may be strengthened by the nature of things: that God, wishing to show the devil that He has righteous men on the earth—no longer deceived by flattery according to Adam, but crowned through myriads of torments and scourges—continued this drama to happen.

'Depart, you great-minded ones,' he says, 'who, having deceived Adam and flattered the woman, cast out man from paradise; behold, a man living divided by the commands of Scripture, and having through intellect established the unwritten law of nature. Bring forward myriads of insults, myriads of flatteries, myriads of torments, if you are able to shake this best soul.' Behold, you cast the first man out of paradise. See now, attempt, if you can, even to trip the athlete from his feet by hardship.

But, if it seems good, let us run back a little upward into this history: There was a certain man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. And that man was blameless, righteous, God-fearing, true, abstaining from every evil thing. Such was also Adam before...

Greek · §1

In Job (sermones 14) (olim sub auctore Joanne Chrysostomo) Εἰς τὸν δίκαιον καὶ μακάριον Ἰὼβ, Λόγος αʹ. αʹ. Ἧκεν ἡμῖν ἐνιαύσιος σήμερον ὁ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀθλητής· ἧκεν ἡμῖν ὁ ξένος καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων ὁμότιμος ἀγωνιστὴς, ὁ πολλὰ παρὰ τοῦ διαβόλου τυπτόμενος, καὶ πολλὰ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ μαρτυρούμενος· ὁ πολλὰ παρὰ τοῦ διαβόλου πληττόμενος, καὶ πολλὰ βραβεῖα παρὰ τῶν θεατῶν ἀγγέλων ὑποδεχόμενος· ὁ πολλὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἐχθροῦ μαστιζόμενος, καὶ μέγας στεφανίτης ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην ἀναδειχθείς. Οὕτω γὰρ αὐτὸς αὑτῷ διαλεγόμενος ἔλεγεν· Οἴει δέ με ἄλλως σοι κεχρηματικέναι, ἀλλ' ἢ ἵνα ἀναφανῇς δίκαιος; Τίς οὖν τὸν τοιοῦτον ἀριστέα κατ' ἀξίαν εὐφημῆσαι δύναται; τίς ἀντάξια τῶν ἀνδραγαθημάτων αὐτοῦ βραβεῖα πλέξαι κατατολμήσει; τίς ἐπιχειρήσει πρὸς ἄπειρον πέλαγος ἐγκωμίων ἀναβῆναι; Ὡς γὰρ οὐκ ἄν τις τῶν νοῦν ἐχόντων κατατολμήσειέ ποτε τῆς θαλάσσης τὸ πέλαγος βήμασιν ἀνθρωπίνοις διαπεράσαι, οὕτως οὐδέ τις τῶν σοφῶν καὶ λίαν διδασκάλων ἐπιχειρήσει ποτὲ τοὺς κατ' ἀξίαν ἐπαίνους τῆς γενναίας ἐκείνης καὶ τρισολβίου ψυχῆς τοῖς ἀκροαταῖς διηγήσασθαι. Πᾶσαν γὰρ ἀνθρωπίνην ὑπερβάλλει σοφίαν τὰ τούτου κατορθώματα· πᾶσαν ὑπερβάλλει στεφανηφορίαν τὰ τούτου παλαίσματα. Οὐκοῦν ἀγγελικῆς ἐπιδεόμεθα γλώσσης, ἵνα ἄκροις, ὡς εἰπεῖν, τοῖς δακτύλοις ἐφαψάμενοι τῆς μυροθήκης ἐκείνης, πᾶσαν ὁμοῦ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν πληρώσωμεν. Μόνον γὰρ ἐὰν ἐπιχειρήσωμεν ἅψασθαι τοῦ ἀγγείου τοῦ Ἰὼβ, καὶ μικρὸν αὐτὸ διασαλεύσωμεν, εὐθὺς τῆς εὐωδίας τοῦ μύρου ἡ ἐκκλησία πληροῦται. Ἀκούσωμεν τοίνυν τῆς ἱστορίας περὶ αὐτοῦ λεγούσης· Ἐν πᾶσι τούτοις τοῖς συμβεβηκόσιν αὐτῷ οὐδὲν ἥμαρτεν Ἰὼβ τοῖς χείλεσιν ἐναντίον Κυρίου. Εἶδες μαρτυρίαν τὴν εὐφημίαν τῶν ἀγγέλων διεγείρουσαν; εἶδες μαρτυρίαν τὸν διάβολον μετὰ τῶν ἐπιχειρημάτων αὐτοῦ καταισχύνουσαν; Ἐν πᾶσι τούτοις τοῖς συμβεβηκόσιν αὐτῷ οὐδὲν ἥμαρτεν. Αὕτη ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ μαρτυρία κατὰ πᾶσαν ἐκκλησίαν, ὡς μύρον πολυτίμητον, τοὺς ἀκούοντας εὐφραίνει. Ὢ ἀγγείου πολυτίμου εἰς ἕνα τόπον κατὰ τὴν Ἀραβίαν ἀποκειμένου, καὶ κατὰ πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην τὴν εὐωδίαν τοῦ μύρου διαπεμπομένου! ὢ ἀγγείου μυρίοις λίθοις καὶ πληγαῖς καὶ βέλεσι παρὰ τοῦ διαβόλου τυφθέντος, καὶ τὸ μύρον μὴ ἐκχέαντος! Πολὺς ἐγένετο τῷ δια56.564 βόλῳ κάματος, ἵνα τὸ ἀγγεῖον συντρίψῃ. καὶ τὸ μύρον 56.564.20 τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀφανίσῃ· καὶ ἐσπούδαζε διὰ τῆς δυσωδίας τῶν τραυμάτων ἀμαυρῶσαι τοῦ μύρου τὴν εὐωδίαν. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ ἀπώζεσεν ἀπὸ τῆς ἑλκώσεως τῶν τραυμάτων· ἀλλ' ἔμεινε καὶ τὸ ἀγγεῖον τραυματιζόμενον, καὶ τὸ μύρον μὴ ἀπολλύμενον, ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς προσφόρως εἴπωμεν αὐτῷ· Μύρον ἐκκενωθὲν ὄνομά σοι. ∆έον οὖν αὐτὸν γυμνὸν, ὡς ἐπάλαιεν, ἀναστῆσαι τὸν ἀθλητὴν, ἵνα εἰς ἐκείνην τὴν εἰκόνα τὴν θαυμασίαν ὁρῶντες, πληροφορηθῶμεν διὰ τῆς φύσεως τῶν πραγμάτων, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς δεῖξαι βουλόμενος τῷ διαβόλῳ, ὅτι ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἀνθρώπους δικαίους ἔχει, οὐκέτι διὰ κολακείας κατὰ τὸν Ἀδὰμ ἀπατωμένους, ἀλλὰ διὰ μυρίων βασάνων καὶ μαστίγων στεφανουμένους, ταύτην συνεχώρησε γενέσθαι τὴν δραματουργίαν. Ἀποστάτα, φησὶ, μεγαλοφρονεῖς, ὅτι τὸν Ἀδὰμ ἀπατήσας, καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα κολακεύσας, ἐξέβαλες τοῦ παραδείσου· ἰδοὺ ἄνθρωπος δίχα προσταγμάτων Γραφῆς βιώσας, καὶ τὸν ἄγραφον τῆς φύσεως νόμον διανοίᾳ κατορθώσας Προσάγαγε μυρίας θωπείας, μυρίας κολακείας, μυρίας βασάνους, εἰ δύνασαι τὴν ἀρίστην ταύτην παρασαλεῦσαι ψυχήν. Ἰδοὺ, τὸν πρῶτον ἄνθρωπον ἐξέβαλες τοῦ παραδείσου. Βλέπε νῦν, ἐπιχείρησον, εἰ δύνασαι, κἂν ἀπὸ κοπρίας τὸν ἀθλητὴν ὑποσκελίσαι. Ἀλλ', εἰ δοκεῖ, ἄνωθεν ὀλίγον εἰς αὐτὴν τὴν ἱστορίαν ἀναδράμωμεν· Ἄνθρωπός τις ἦν ἐν χώρᾳ τῇ Αὐσίτιδι, ᾧ ὄνομα Ἰώβ. Καὶ ἦν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος ἄμεμπτος, δίκαιος, θεοσεβὴς, ἀληθινὸς, ἀπεχόμενος ἀπὸ παντὸς πονηροῦ πράγματος. Τοιοῦτος ἦν καὶ ὁ Ἀδὰμ πρὸ

The Devil's Strategy and the Unshakable Athlete§2

2Regarding being persuaded by the woman. Because of this, that one was not persuaded by the woman, so that he would not become like him. That one, clothed in incorruptibility, as his Creator knewso that he might be persuaded by the woman, became naked and was judged. This one was naked and was not persuaded by the woman, and so that he might not be persuaded by the woman, he put on the crown-bearing of the angels.

That one, so that he might be persuaded by the woman, fell from the delight of paradise, and made the mother earth a place of thorns, and inherited death; this one, so that he might not be persuaded by the woman, took freedom from toil and from plagues, and inherited the kingdom of the heavens. That one, defending himself to God, was saying: 'The woman whom you gave to me, she gave to me, and I ate.' Oh, what a defense lacking in forgiveness! She said, 'Eat'; I said, 'Do not eat.' Why then did you listen to the woman and fail to listen to God? But the blessed Job was not so.

But how? After striking back, he said: 'You have spoken like one of the foolish women.' There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. Why did he name the land Uz? Because of you, so that you might learn that the fellowship of sinners is not able to make the righteous sin, but the choice of the pious must have a stable and firm opinion. For this is the land of Arabia, a dwelling place of weary and corrupted men. All were lawless, all were God-hating, all were unstable, all were proud, and descendants of Isaiah, and bearing many sins; but such a sea of impiety was not able to extinguish the shining one of piety; such a land of evils was not able to stifle the beautiful breath of endurance.

Therefore, the devil attempted to approach him. Why? Because he saw him becoming rich through alms rather than through money. Listen to him saying truthfully: 'I was an eye to the blind, and a leg to the lame'; and again, 'I wept for the helpless, and sighed seeing a man in necessity.' And not only through words, but also through works he was exceedingly rich, a whole treasure of goodness being found for those in need. For what does he say elsewhere? 'I did not go out from my house begging with an empty womb; the mouth of the widow blessed me; and from the fleece of my sheep my shoulders were warmed.'

Thus it is clear that a complete treasure flows through all things: through words, through works, through alms, through the protection of the penitent, and through the assistance of those who pray. But observe what the devil does: he first snatches away all that previously belonged to him, and lastly he takes the children. He took first the herds of camels, he took the flocks of sheep, the great number of donkeys, and the largest herd of oxen; he removed everything, and lastly the children.

Why? Pay attention then with all precision: first he took all his possessions, then the children; he took the hereditary things, and then he destroyed the heirs, so that he might strike him in every way, even through the children. First he began to make existence vanish; first he began to snatch the hereditary things while the heirs were still living, so that while the sons and daughters were standing, he might take advantage of the loss of the properties to strike the righteous man with despondency. For the evil demon aims lest, with the children having been lost beforehand, he should even come to the realization of the loss of the properties.

But the truly unyielding and brave athlete—he who is much struck and yet is crowned through all things, he who receives many arrows and through those very arrows pierces the devil, he who, being armed on both right and left with the weapons of righteousness, does not grow weary, does not weep, and is not shaken—he neither was bent by the loss of the properties, nor did he allow the death of the children to plunder his piety. Instead, he remained like an unshakeable tower, being uprooted from below upon the earth and yet being established, and secured even unto the heavenly heights.

A first angel came and says to Job: The pairs of oxen were plowing, and the raiders came and plundered them, and they killed the servants with swords. While this one was speaking, another angel came and says to Job: Fire fell from heaven and burned up your sheep, and the shepherds were likewise consumed. Look what the devil does. For because he saw him standing bravely in the first and second plague, and not at all shaken from his tribulations, fighting and not flinching, he devises some device...

Greek · §2

τοῦ πεισθῆναι τῇ γυναικί. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὗτος οὐ πείθεται τῇ γυναικὶ, ἵνα μὴ γένηται κατ' ἐκεῖνον. Ἐκεῖνος ἐνδεδυμένος ἦν ἀφθαρσίαν, ὡς οἶδεν ὁ πλάσας αὐτὸν, καὶ ἵνα πεισθῇ τῇ γυναικὶ, γυμνὸς ἐγένετο, καὶ κατεκρίθη. Οὗτος γυμνὸς ἦν, καὶ οὐκ ἐπείσθη τῇ γυναικὶ, καὶ ἵνα μὴ πεισθῇ τῇ γυναικὶ, τὴν τῶν ἀγγέλων στεφανηφορίαν ἐνεδύσατο. Ἐκεῖνος ἵνα πεισθῇ τῇ γυναικὶ, καὶ τῆς τοῦ παραδείσου τρυφῆς ἐξέπεσε, καὶ τὴν γῆν μητέραν ἀκανθῶν ἐποίησε, καὶ θάνατον ἐκληρονόμησεν· οὗτος ἵνα μὴ πεισθῇ τῇ γυναικὶ, καὶ τῆς κοπρίας καὶ τῶν πληγῶν τὴν ἐλευθερίαν ἔλαβε, καὶ τὴν τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐκληρονόμησε βασιλείαν. Ἐκεῖνος ἀπολογούμενος 56.565 τῷ Θεῷ ἔλεγεν· Ἡ γυνὴ, ἣν ἔδωκάς μοι, αὕτη μοι ἔδωκε, καὶ ἔφαγον. Ὢ ἀπολογίας συγγνώμην οὐκ ἐχούσης! Ἐκείνη εἶπε, Φάγε· ἐγὼ εἶπον, Μὴ φάγε. ∆ιὰ τί οὖν τῆς γυναικὸς ἤκουσας, καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ παρήκουσας; Ἀλλ' οὐχ οὕτως ἦν ὁ μακάριος Ἰώβ. Ἀλλὰ πῶς; Μετ' ἐπιπλήξεως ἔλεγεν· Ὥσπερ μία τῶν ἀφρόνων γυναικῶν ἐλάλησας. Ἄνθρωπος ἦν ἐν χώρᾳ τῇ Αὐσίτιδι, ᾧ ὄνομα Ἰώβ. ∆ιὰ τί δὲ τὴν χώραν ὠνόμασε; ∆ιὰ σὲ, ἵνα μάθῃς, ὅτι οὐχ ἡ συνουσία τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν τὸν δίκαιον δύναται ποιῆσαι ἁμαρτῆσαι, ἀλλ' ἡ προαίρεσις τῶν εὐσεβούντων ὀφείλει στάσιμον καὶ βεβαίαν ἔχειν τὴν γνώμην. Αὕτη γὰρ ἡ χώρα τῆς Ἀραβίας ἐστὶ μοχθηρῶν καὶ διεφθαρμένων ἀνθρώπων οἰκητήριον. Πάντες ἦσαν παράνομοι, πάντες θεοστυγεῖς, πάντες βέβηλοι, πάντες ὑπερήφανοι, καὶ τοῦ Ἡσαῦ ἀπόγονοι, καὶ ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις κομῶντες· ἀλλὰ τοσοῦτον πέλαγος τῆς ἀσεβείας οὐκ ἠδυνήθη κατασβέσαι τὸν λαμπτῆρα τῆς εὐσεβείας· ἡ τοσαύτη χώρα τῶν κακῶν οὐκ ἠδυνήθη τὸ ὡραῖον ἀποπνῖξαι τῆς καρτερίας. Ὅθεν τούτῳ προσπελάσαι ὁ διάβολος ἐπεχείρησε. ∆ιὰ τί; Ἐπειδήπερ ἔβλεπεν αὐτὸν ταῖς ἐλεημοσύναις μᾶλλον ἢ τοῖς χρήμασι πλουτοῦντα. Ἄκουσον γὰρ αὐτοῦ λέγοντος ἀψευδῶς· Ὀφθαλμὸς ἤμην τῶν τυφλῶν, ποῦς δὲ χωλῶν· καὶ αὖθις, Ἐγὼ ἐπὶ ἀδυνάτῳ ἔκλαυσα, ἐστέναξα δὲ ἰδὼν ἄνδρα ἐν ἀνάγκαις. Καὶ οὐ μόνον διὰ τῶν λόγων, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τῶν ἔργων ὑπερεπλούτει, θησαυρὸς ὅλος εὐποιίας τοῖς δεομένοις εὑρισκόμενος. Τί γάρ φησιν ἀλλαχοῦ; Οὐκ ἐξῆλθεν ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου μου ἐπιδεόμενος κόλπῳ κενῷ· στόμα χήρας εὐλόγησέ με· ἀπὸ δὲ κουρᾶς τῶν προβάτων μου ἐθερμάνθησαν ὦμοι πενήτων. Ὥστε δῆλον, ὅτι διὰ πάντων ἐπλούτει θησαυρὸς ὅλος, καὶ διὰ τῶν λόγων, καὶ διὰ τῶν ἔργων, καὶ διὰ τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης, καὶ διὰ τῆς προστασίας τῶν πενήτων, καὶ διὰ τῆς ἐπικουρίας τῶν δεομένων. Ἀλλ' ὅρα τὶ ποιεῖ ὁ διάβολος· Ἀφαρπάζει πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ πρότερον, καὶ τελευταῖον τὰ τέκνα λαμβάνει. Ἔλαβε πρῶτον τὰς ἀγέλας τῶν καμήλων, ἔλαβε τὰ ποίμνια τῶν προβάτων, τὸν πολὺν ἀριθμὸν τῶν ὄνων, τὴν μεγίστην ἀγέλην τῶν βοῶν· πάντα ἀφείλετο, καὶ τὸ τελευταῖον τὰ τέκνα. ∆ιὰ τί; Πρόσεχε λοιπὸν μετὰ πάσης ἀκριβείας· Πρῶτον ἔλαβεν αὐτοῦ πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντα, ἔπειτα τὰ τέκνα· ἔλαβε τὰ κληρονομιαῖα πράγματα, ἔπειτα τοὺς κληρονόμους ἠφάνισεν, ἵνα παντοίως αὐτὸν καὶ διὰ τῶν τέκνων πλήξῃ. Πρῶτον ἤρξατο τὴν ὕπαρξιν ἀφανίζειν, πρῶτον ἤρξατο τὰ κληρονομιαῖα πράγματα ζώντων τῶν κληρονόμων ἁρπάζειν, ἵνα τῶν υἱῶν καὶ τῶν θυγατέρων ἑστηκότων, διὰ τὴν ἀπώλειαν τῶν κτημάτων καιρίαν λάβῃ ὁ δίκαιος τῆς ἀθυμίας πληγήν. Ἐνενόει γὰρ ὁ πονηρὸς δαίμων, μήποτε, τῶν τέκνων προαπολλυμένων, μηδὲ εἰς αἴσθησιν ἔλθῃ τῆς ἀπωλείας τῶν κτημάτων, Ἀλλ' ὁ ὄντως ἀδάμας καὶ γενναῖος ἀθλητὴς, ὁ πολλὰ τυπτόμενος, καὶ διὰ πάντων στεφανούμενος, ὁ πολλὰ βέλη δεχόμενος, καὶ δι' αὐτῶν τῶν βελῶν τὸν διάβολον κατακοντίζων, ὁ διὰ τῶν ὅπλων τῆς δικαιοσύνης τῶν δεξιῶν καὶ ἀριστερῶν καθοπλιζόμενος, οὐκ ἐπόνησεν, οὐκ ἐδάκρυσεν, οὐκ ἐσαλεύθη, ἀλλ' οὔτε πρὸς τὴν ἀπώλειαν τῶν κτημάτων ἐκάμπτετο, οὐδὲ πρὸς τὸν θάνατον τῶν τέκνων τὴν εὐσέβειαν ἐσυλᾶτο, ἀλλ' ἔμενεν ὥσπερ πύργος ἀτίνακτος, κάτωθεν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐῤῥιζωμένος καὶ τεθεμελιωμένος, καὶ μέχρι αὐτῶν τῶν οὐρανίων ἁψίδων ἠσφαλισμένος. Ἦλθε πρῶτος ἄγγελος, καὶ λέγει τῷ Ἰώβ· Τὰ ζεύγη τῶν βοῶν ἠροτρία, καὶ ἐλθόντες οἱ αἰχμαλωτεύοντες, ᾐχμαλώτευσαν αὐτὰ, καὶ τοὺς παῖδας ἀπέκτειναν ἐν μαχαίραις. Ἔτι τούτου λαλοῦντος, ἦλθεν ἕτερος ἄγγελος, καὶ λέγει τῷ Ἰώβ· Πῦρ ἔπεσεν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ κατέκαυσε τὰ πρόβατά σου, καὶ τοὺς ποιμένας κατέφαγεν ὁμοίως. βʹ. Βλέπε τί ποιεῖ ὁ διάβολος. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶδεν αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν πρώτην καὶ δευτέραν πληγὴν γενναίως ἑστηκότα, καὶ μηδ' ὅλως ἐκ τῶν βασάνων αὐτοῦ διασαλευθέντα, πολεμούμενον, καὶ μὴ τιτρωσκόμενον, μηχανᾶταί τι

The Deception of the Messenger§3

3To do such a thing: fire is cast from the air, so that it might seem that fire is being sent from heaven, and so that he, thinking that God is fighting him from the heavens, might blaspheme God, fighting Him unjustly through such a division. He says, 'Fire fell from heaven and consumed your sheep and your shepherds.' While he was still speaking this, another angel came and said to Job: 'The horsemen made three heads for us, and they surrounded the camels and captured them, and they killed the boys with swords.'

But even in all these things the blessed Job remained, like an unshakable pillar, like an unmoving tower, like an undefeated combatant, unbending and unyielding, rather attacking than being attacked. For when someone is weary from being lowly, fighting much and benefiting nothing, fighting much and not at all prevailing, he himself is rather the one receiving the lashes for his vain labors. While he was still speaking this, another angel came.

The war is continuous, but in vain for the one suffering; the arrows are more frequent, but the rewards are more splendid. He does not allow him even to breathe for a moment, so that he might not reason something wise according to the innate piety of the wrestling match. He sent all the arrows, and he did not defeat the athlete; he emptied his quiver, but he was not emptied of his endurance. Let the lawless be shamed for nothing.

Since then he himself turned away humbled and crushed, having wrestled much and having been defeated through all things. For he sent strikes against the shepherds, against the herdsmen, against the sheep, against the camels, against the sons, against the daughters, against the household, against the body, through friends, through servants, through worms, through wounds, through sores. He emptied everything, and did not break his piety. He breached the wall, but did not empty the treasure.

Whatever swords the tyrant of the inhabited world moved, through fire, through swords, through earth, through captivity, through blood; he pierced everything, and made the athlete rather more courageous. For this reason also the prophet cried out saying: 'The swords of the Enemy have run out to an end.' Perhaps also he says to him: 'It is hard for you to strike against thorns.' He took all the money, the possessions...

And who is this last messenger? 'While your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking in the house of their elder brother, suddenly a spirit came from the desert, and it struck the four corners of the house, and the house fell upon your children, and they died.' And so that you may know, beloved, that it was not a man who was discussing these things to Job, but the devil himself, disguised in the form of a man; learn this with all precision: 'While your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking at the side of their elder brother, suddenly a spirit came from the desert, and it struck the four corners of the house, and the house fell upon your children, and they died.'

How do you know, tell me, that it came from the desert and struck the four corners of the house? You are a man, and how did you see the spirit? With what eyes did you behold it? And how did the spirit strike the four corners of the house? If you are a man, and you were inside the house, then surely the house also encompassed you; but if you were outside, how were you seeing the things happening within? If you are a spirit, show who you are; do not disguise yourself in the form of a man.

He says: 'Of your sons and your daughters eating and drinking at the side of their elder brother.' See how the blessed Job was filled with all understanding and wisdom, and how he was securing the friendship of the children. For he reasoned that since Cain and Abel were two brothers, being the only ones in the inhabited world, they had no occasion for war; for all the earth lay commonly under the authority of both. And thus, envying the honor of Abel, Cain rose up and murdered his brother.

Because of this, the blessed Job offered sacrifices to God concerning the unknown every day, countering the first impulse, and saying: 'May my children never conceive evil in their hearts toward God.' And concerning the things happening to them, whether in word or in contention, he made them eat with one another every day, remembering that even if they should have some pettiness toward one another, the table and the arrangement of the bread make them be transformed into friendship, and cast out the malice that was approaching, knowing that through the...

Greek · §3

τοιοῦτον ποιῆσαι· Ἐπιβάλλει πῦρ ἐξ ἀέρος, ἵνα δόξῃ τὸ πῦρ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καταπέμπεσθαι, καὶ ἵνα νομίσας, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἐξ οὐρανῶν αὐτὸν πολεμεῖ, βλασφημήσῃ τὸν Θεὸν, τὸν οὕτω δίχα τινὸς ἁμαρτήματος ἀδίκως αὐτὸν πολεμοῦντα· Πῦρ, φησὶν, ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἔπεσε, καὶ κατέφαγε τὰ πρόβατά σου καὶ τοὺς ποιμένας. Ἔτι τούτου λαλοῦντος, ἦλθεν ἕτερος ἄγγελος, καὶ εἶπε τῷ Ἰώβ· 56.566 Οἱ ἱππεῖς ἐποίησαν ἡμῖν κεφαλὰς τρεῖς, καὶ ἐκύκλωσαν τὰς καμήλους, καὶ ᾐχμαλώτευσαν αὐτὰς, καὶ τοὺς παῖδας ἀπέκτειναν μαχαίραις. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν πᾶσι τούτοις ἔμενεν ὁ μακάριος Ἰὼβ, ὥσπερ στῦλος ἀσάλευτος, ὥσπερ πύργος ἄσειστος, ὥσπερ ἀγωνιστὴς ἀήττητος, ἀκαμπὴς, ἀνένδοτος, βάλλων μᾶλλον, ἢ βαλλόμενος. Ὅταν γάρ τις ἀνόνητα κάμνῃ, πολλὰ πολεμῶν, καὶ μηδὲν ὠφελῶν, πολλάκις μαχόμενος, καὶ μηδ' ὅλως περιγινόμενος, αὐτὸς μᾶλλόν ἐστιν ὁ τὰς μάστιγας κατὰ τῶν ματαίων αὐτοῦ πόνων ὑποδεχόμενος. Ἔτι τούτου λαλοῦντος, ἦλθεν ἕτερος ἄγγελος. Συνεχὴς ὁ πόλεμος, ἀλλὰ μάταιος τῷ κάμνοντι· πυκνότερα τὰ βέλη, ἀλλὰ φαιδρότερα τὰ βραβεῖα. Οὐκ ἀφίησιν αὐτὸν οὐδὲ πρὸς ὥραν ἀναπνεῦσαι, ἵνα μή τι κατὰ τὴν ἔμφυτον εὐσέβειαν τοῦ παλαιστοῦ σοφόν τι λογίσηται. Ἔπεμψεν ὅλα τὰ βέλη, καὶ οὐκ ἐνίκησε τὸν ἀθλητήν· ἐκένωσεν αὑτοῦ τὴν φαρέτραν, καὶ οὐκ ἐκενώθη τῆς ἀλγηδόνος. Αἰσχυνθήτωσαν οἱ ἀνομοῦντες διὰ κενῆς. Ἐπεὶ οὖν κἀκεῖνος ἀπεστράφη τεταπεινωμένος, κατῃσχυμμένος, ὁ πολλὰ παλαίσας, καὶ διὰ πάντων ἡττηθείς. Ἔπεμψε γὰρ κατὰ ποιμένων, κατὰ βουκολίων, κατὰ τῶν προβάτων, κατὰ τῶν καμήλων, κατὰ τῶν υἱῶν, κατὰ τῶν θυγατέρων, κατὰ τῆς οἰκίας, κατὰ τοῦ σώματος, διὰ τῶν φίλων, διὰ τῶν οἰκετῶν, διὰ τῶν σκωλήκων, διὰ τῶν τραυμάτων, διὰ τῶν ἰχώρων. Πᾶντα ἐξεκένωσε, καὶ τὴν εὐσέβειαν οὐκ ἔλυσε. Τὸν τοῖχον διώρυξε, καὶ τὸν θησαυρὸν οὐκ ἐξεκένωσεν. Ὅσας εἶχεν ὁ τῆς οἰκουμένης τύραννος ῥομφαίας ἐκίνησε, διὰ πυρὸς, διὰ ξιφῶν, διὰ χώματος, δι' αἰχμαλωσίας, δι' αἵματος. Πάντα διέτεινε, καὶ τὸν ἀθλητὴν μᾶλλον ἀνδρειότερον ἐποίησε. ∆ι' ὃ δὴ καὶ ὁ προφήτης ἀνεβόα λέγων· Τοῦ Ἐχθροῦ ἐξέλιπον αἱ ῥομφαῖαι εἰς τέλος. Τάχα δὲ καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν λέγει· Σκληρόν σοι πρὸς κέντρα λακτίζειν. Ἔλαβε πάντα τὰ χρήματα, τὰ κτήματα, τὴν ὕπαρξιν. Καὶ τί ὁ τελευταῖος ἄγγελος; Τῶν υἱῶν σου καὶ τῶν θυγατέρων σου ἐσθιόντων καὶ πινόντων εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτῶν τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου, ἐξαίφνης ἦλθε πνεῦμα ἐκ τῆς ἐρήμου, καὶ ἥψατο τῶν τεσσάρων γωνιῶν τῆς οἰκίας, καὶ κατέπεσεν ἡ οἰκία ἐπὶ τὰ παιδία σου, καὶ ἀπέθανον. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς, ἀγαπητὲ, ὅτι οὐκ ἦν ἄνθρωπος ὁ ταῦτα διαγορεύων τῷ Ἰὼβ, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ἦν ὁ διάβολος ἐσχηματισμένος ἐν ἀνθρώπου μορφῇ, μάθε μετὰ πάσης ἀκριβείας· Τῶν υἱῶν σου καὶ τῶν θυγατέρων σου ἐσθιόντων καὶ πινόντων παρὰ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτῶν τῷ πρεσβυτέρῳ, ἐξαίφνης ἦλθε πνεῦμα ἐκ τῆς ἐρήμου, καὶ ἥψατο τῶν τεσσάρων γωνιῶν τῆς οἰκίας, καὶ ἔπεσεν ἡ οἰκία ἐπὶ τὰ παιδία σου, καὶ ἀπέθανον. Πόθεν οἶδας, εἰπέ μοι, ὅτι ἦλθεν ἐκ τῆς ἐρήμου, καὶ ἥψατο τῶν τεσσάρων γωνιῶν τῆς οἰκίας; Ἄνθρωπος εἶ, καὶ πῶς εἶδες τὸ πνεῦμα; ποίοις ὀφθαλμοῖς ἐθεάσω αὐτό; πῶς δὲ καὶ ἥψατο τῶν τεσσάρων γωνιῶν τὸ πνεῦμα; Εἰ ἄνθρωπος εἶ, καὶ ἔνδον ἦς ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ, πάντως ὅτι καὶ σὲ περιελάμβανεν ἡ οἰκία· εἰ δὲ ἔξω ἦς, πῶς ἔβλεπες τὰ ἔσω γιγνόμενα; Εἰ δὲ πνεῦμα εἶ, δεῖξον ὅστις εἶ, μὴ σχηματίζου εἰς ἀνθρώπου μορφήν. Τῶν υἱῶν σου, φησὶ, καὶ τῶν θυγατέρων σου ἐσθιόντων καὶ πινόντων παρὰ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτῶν τῷ πρεσβυτέρῳ. Βλέπε πῶς πάσης συνέσεως καὶ σοφίας πεπληρωμένος ἦν ὁ μακάριος Ἰὼβ, καὶ πῶς ἠσφαλίζετο τὴν φιλίαν τῶν τέκνων. Ἐλογίσατο γὰρ, ὅτι Κάϊν καὶ Ἄβελ δύο ἦσαν ἀδελφοὶ, μόνοι κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην τυγχάνοντες, οὐδεμίαν ἔχοντες ἀφορμὴν πολέμου· πᾶσα γὰρ ἡ γῆ κοινῶς ἀμφοτέροις ἐπ' ἐξουσίας προέκειτο· καὶ οὕτω διὰ τὴν τιμὴν τοῦ Ἄβελ φθονήσας ὁ Κάϊν, ἀναστὰς ἐφόνευσε τὸν ἀδελφόν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὁ μακάριος Ἰὼβ περὶ μὲν τῶν ἀδήλων θυσίαν καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν προσέφερε τῷ Θεῷ, ἀνιστάμενος τὸ πρωΐ, καὶ λέγων· Μήποτε κακὰ ἐνενόησαν οἱ υἱοί μου ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτῶν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν· περὶ δὲ τῶν συμβαινόντων αὐτοῖς, ἢ εἰς λόγον, ἢ εἰς φιλονεικίαν, ἐποίει αὐτοὺς καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν μετ' ἀλλήλων ἐσθίειν, ἐνθυμούμενος, ὅτι κἄν τινα πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἔχωσι μικροψυχίαν, ἡ τράπεζα καὶ ἡ διάθεσις τῶν ἄρτων ποιεῖ αὐτοὺς εἰς φιλίαν μεταποιηθῆναι, καὶ τὴν κακίαν τὴν προσπεσοῦσαν ἐξορίσαι, εἰδὼς ὅτι διὰ τῆς

Job's endurance and the greatness of the narrative§4

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4The table of continuous life is released to them by the hardships that fall upon them. But the slanderous devil, in such a time, sought to destroy the children who had committed no sin. In the hour of midday, when all were united and joining together for peace, he sent the unmerciful war against them. They were practicing friendship, but he wielded a sword; they were building up love, but he was destroying the house. At that very hour, the house became a tomb, the table a vessel of calamity, the shipwreck a pastoral fold, and everything became full of beasts.

What then is that brave man? He was not broken, and he did not fall. How shall I praise him? What word will be sufficient? What toil will be enough for such a narrative? O brave and blessed soul! O, you who do not possess an excess of great endurance! Truly, beloved, my soul is poured out and my conscience is disturbed, even as I see Job being crowned. But I am more poured out in soul now, seeing the crowned one, whereas he then saw the calamity of the children before his eyes. I am poured out in soul, and I think you are likewise divided.

How then shall I speak this great tragedy, even while bearing the diadem of encomiums upon my tongue? Parents according to the flesh, when they have a son following them with his last breaths, sit around; they listen to his last words, they clasp his hands, they arrange instructions concerning the deceased, they kiss the mouth, the last affections of the fathers. Then the boy has given up the soul, as the one who gave command instructed; the parents shape the body, stretch out the hands, close the eyes, straighten the head, stretch out the feet, wash him, clothe him in worthy burial garments, and console themselves regarding their own calamity.

But what is this compared to this brave athlete? He departed into the house which was at once the same and one, and at the same hour a house and a tomb, a banquet and a grave, a feast and mourning becoming. He searched and sought the limbs of the children, and found wine and blood, bread and a hand, an eye and dust. At times he took a hand, at times a foot, and at other times he lifted up a head along with the earth, and the stones, and the timbers; and at times a part of the belly, and at other times of the...

The internal organs were being scattered along with the flesh. That sky-reaching combatant sat, looking upon the limbs of the children, which were torn apart. He sat having joined limb to limb, hand to arm, head to chest, and knees to thighs. For the calamity was not merely one of the occurrences, but a destruction surpassing all reason, arising from diabolical activity and tyranny. Thus Job sat, the truly patient and unyielding, the blessed one, distinguishing the limbs of his children, lest he should mix the limbs of the females with the males, or the male form should be joined to the female limbs. O brave soul, surpassing even the praise of the angels! Why? Because in all these things happening to him, Job committed no sin against the Lord; rather, instead of all these, he offered a complete thanksgiving to God instead of a sacrifice, saying: 'Blessed be the name of the Lord, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.'

To the righteous and blessed Job, Discourse 4. 1. Great matters require great narrations, and the brilliant histories of the righteous require a brilliant tongue and intellect; the intellect sincerely contemplating the divine Scriptures, and the tongue boldly interpreting the divine. I speak especially regarding the present subject, that is, of those who labored for the blessed Job, which things, passing through all that walks under heaven, turn away the reason of his endurance. Moreover, even if the argument of the subject conquers our weakness, I know well that the grace of God provides the argument, not because of the worth of the speaker, but because of the embassy of the Fathers.

But let us come to the narration: There was a certain man in the land of Ausitis. It is necessary first to observe what power the preface possesses, and for whose sake the historian has fashioned the preface, 'There was a certain man.' Since he was about to narrate a virtuous life, greatly surpassing our own condition, he had to show the nature in advance so that no one, looking upon the excess of the struggles, might think it to be a foreign nature and not a human one. Thus, you might marvel at the intention: that being a man, he lived more excellently than a man, having shared a common nature with all,

Greek · §4

τραπέζης τῆς συνεχοῦς πάντα λύεται αὐτοῖς τὰ προσπεσόντα μοχθηρά. Ἀλλ' ὁ μισόκαλος διάβολος ἐν τοιούτῳ καιρῷ παρετήρει ἀπολέσαι τὰ μηδὲν ἡμαρτηκότα παιδία· ἐν καιρῷ τῆς μεσημβρίας, 56.567 ὅτε πάντες ἦσαν συγκεκροτημένοι, ὅτε πρὸς εἰρήνην ἐκεῖνοι συνήπτοντο, τότε τὸν ἄσπονδον πόλεμον κατ' αὐτῶν ἠφίει. Ἐκεῖνοι φιλίαν, οὗτος μάχαιραν ἠκόνει· ἐκεῖνοι ἀγάπην ᾠκοδόμουν, καὶ οὗτος τὸν οἶκον κατέστρεφε. Καὶ ἐγένετο κατ' αὐτὴν τὴν ὥραν ὁ οἶκος τάφος, καὶ ἡ τράπεζα συμφορᾶς σκάφος, καὶ ναυάγιον μάνδρα ποιμενικὴ, καὶ πάντα θηριάλωτα. Τί οὖν ὁ γενναῖος ἐκεῖνος; Οὐ συνεχύθη, οὐ κατέπεσε. Τί αὐτοῦ ἐπαινέσω; ποῖος ἐπαρκέσει λόγος; ποῖος ἐξαρκέσει πόνος πρὸς τὴν τοιαύτην διήγησιν; Ὢ γενναίας καὶ μακαρίας ψυχῆς! ὢ μεγάλης ὑπομονῆς ὑπερβολὴν οὐκ ἐχούσης! Ὄντως, ἀγαπητοὶ, συγκέχυμαι τὴν ψυχὴν, διαταράττομαι τὸ συνειδὸς, καίγε στεφανούμενον βλέπων τὸν Ἰώβ. Ἀλλὰ συγκέχυμαι τῇ ψυχῇ νῦν μᾶλλον ἐγὼ, τὸν στεφανίτην ὁρῶν, ἤπερ ἐκεῖνος τότε τὴν συμφορὰν τῶν τέκνων ἐπ' ὄψεσι βλέπων· συγκέχυμαι τῇ ψυχῇ· νομίζω δὲ καὶ ὑμᾶς οὕτω διακεῖσθαι. Πῶς οὖν ἐξείπω τὴν τοσαύτην τραγῳδίαν, οὐκ ἐπίσταμαι, καίγε τὴν κορωνίδα τῶν ἐγκωμίων ἐπὶ γλώσσης φέρων. Οἱ κατὰ σάρκα γονεῖς, ὅταν ἔχωσιν υἱὸν ταῖς ἐσχάταις ἀναπνοαῖς συνεχόμενον, περικαθέζονται, λόγων τελευταίων ἀκροῶνται, χεῖρας αὐτοῦ περιπτύσσονται, συνταγὰς περὶ τῶν ἀδοκήτων συνάπτουσι, στόμα φιλοῦσι, τὰ τελευταῖα τῶν πατέρων φιλήματα. Εἶτα ἀποδέδωκε τὴν ψυχὴν ὁ παῖς, ὡς ὁ δεδωκὼς ἐκέλευσεν, οἱ γονεῖς σχηματίζουσι, χεῖρας ἀποτείνουσιν, ὀφθαλμοὺς ἀποκλείουσι, τὴν κεφαλὴν διορθοῦσι, τοὺς πόδας ἀποτείνουσιν, ἀπολούουσι, τοῖς ἀξίοις ἀμφιάζουσιν ἐνταφίοις, καὶ τὴν ἰδίαν συμφορὰν παραμυθοῦνται. Ἀλλὰ τί πρὸς τὸν γενναῖον τοῦτον ἀθλητήν; Ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον τὸν κατὰ ταὐτὸ καὶ μίαν καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν ὥραν οἶκον καὶ τάφον, συμπόσιον καὶ χῶμα, ἑορτὴν καὶ πένθος γενόμενον. Περιέσκαπτε καὶ ἐζήτει τῶν τέκνων τὰ μέλη, καὶ ηὕρισκεν οἶνον καὶ αἷμα, ἄρτον καὶ χεῖρα, ὀφθαλμὸν καὶ κόνιν. Καὶ ἐλάμβανε ποτὲ μὲν χεῖρα, ποτὲ δὲ πόδα, ἄλλοτε κεφαλὴν ἀνέσπα μετὰ τοῦ χώματος, καὶ τῶν λίθων, καὶ τῶν ξύλων· καὶ ποτὲ μὲν μέρος κοιλίας, ἄλλοτε τῶν ἐντέρων τὰ σπλάγχνα μετὰ τῶν χωμάτων ἀναφυρόμενα. Ἐκαθέζετο δὲ ὁ οὐρανομήκης ἐκεῖνος ἀγωνιστὴς, διεσπαραγμένα βλέπων τὰ μέλη τῶν τέκνων. Ἐκαθέζετο συντιθεὶς μέλη πρὸς μέλη, χεῖρα πρὸς βραχίονα· ἀναπλάττων κεφαλὴν πρὸς στῆθος, γόνατα πρὸς τοὺς μηρούς. Οὐ γὰρ ἦν μία τῶν συμβάντων ἡ συμφορὰ, ἀλλ' ἐκ διαβολικῆς ἐνεργείας καὶ τυραννίδος ἡ πάντα λόγον ὑπερβαίνουσα καταστροφή. Ἐκαθέζετο Ἰὼβ τοίνυν, ὁ ἀληθῶς καρτερικὸς ἀδάμας, ὁ μακάριος, διακρίνων τῶν τέκνων αὐτοῦ τὰ μέλη, μήπου τῶν θηλειῶν τὰ μέλη κατὰ τῶν ἀρσενικῶν διαπλάσῃ μελῶν, μήπου τὸ ἀρσενικὸν σχῆμα εἰς τὰ τῆς θηλείας μέλη συναρμοσθῇ. Ὢ γενναίας ψυχῆς, τὴν τῶν ἀγγέλων εὐφημίαν ὑπερβαινούσης! ∆ιὰ τί; Ὅτι ἐν πᾶσι τούτοις τοῖς συμβεβηκόσιν αὐτῷ οὐδὲν ἥμαρτεν Ἰὼβ ἐναντίον Κυρίου, ἀλλ' ἀντὶ τούτων ἁπάντων ὁλόκληρον εὐχαριστίαν ἀντὶ θυσίας ἤνεγκε τῷ Θεῷ, λέγων· Εἴη τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου εὐλογημένον, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. Εἰς τὸν δίκαιον καὶ μακάριον Ἰὼβ, Λόγος βʹ. αʹ. Τὰ μεγάλα τῶν πραγμάτων μεγάλων δεῖται διηγημάτων, καὶ αἱ λαμπραὶ τῶν δικαίων ἱστορίαι λαμπρᾶς δέονται καὶ γλώττης καὶ διανοίας· διανοίας μὲν εἰλικρινῶς τὰς θείας Γραφὰς θεωρούσης, γλώττης δὲ τρανῶς τὰ θεῖα ἑρμηνευούσης, καὶ μάλιστα ἐπὶ τῆς προκειμένης ὑποθέσεως, λέγω δὲ τῶν τῷ μακαρίῳ Ἰὼβ πεπονημένων, ἃ διὰ πάσης φοιτῶντα τῆς ὑπ' οὐρανὸν, τὸν τῆς ὑπομονῆς ἀπαστράπτει λόγον. Πλὴν εἰ καὶ νικᾷ τὴν ἡμετέραν ἀσθένειαν ὁ τῆς ὑποθέσεως λόγος, ἀλλ' εὖ οἶδα, ὅτι παρέχει ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάρις λόγον, οὐ διὰ τὴν τοῦ λέγοντος ἀξίαν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν τῶν Πατέρων πρεσβείαν. Ἀλλ' ἐπ' αὐτὴν ἔλθωμεν τὴν διήγησιν· Ἄνθρωπός τις ἦν ἐν χώρᾳ τῇ Αὐσίτιδι. Ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστι πρῶτον σκοπῆσαι τὸ προοίμιον ποίαν ἔχει δύναμιν, καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν ἀπὸ ταύτης τῆς λέξεως τὸ προοίμιον πεποίηται ὁ ἱστοριογράφος, Ἄνθρωπός τις ἦν. Ἐπειδὴ ἔμελλε βίον ἐνάρετον διηγήσασθαι, καὶ πολὺ τὴν ἡμετέραν κατάστασιν νικῶντα, ἵνα μή τις εἰς τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῶν ἀγώνων ἀποβλέψας, νομίσῃ ξένην εἶναι φύσιν, καὶ οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνην, προλαβὼν ἔδειξε τὴν φύσιν, ἵνα θαυμάσῃς τὴν πρόθεσιν, ὅτι ἄνθρωπος ὢν ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον ἐπολιτεύσατο, καὶ μὲν κοινῆς φύσεως ἅπασι κοινωνήσας,

The Contrast of Lineages§5

5He has brought the soul up higher than the world. There was a certain man in the land of Ausitis. He preaches him from his nature, and he preaches him from the land, so that just as having heard of him as a man, you marvel that he lived as one above a man, so if you learn also about the land from which so much fruit blossomed, you will truly marvel at what kind of rose has grown in the midst of thorns. Pay attention precisely.

The land, therefore, of the Ausitis, was the land of Esau; for the Ausitis was from Esau. And he names the land of the profane and evil Esau, as the Apostle says: 'Is there not a harlot or a profane man, like Esau?'—so that you may marvel from what educations of wickedness such a fruit of truth has blossomed. But not only did the land of Esau bring him forth, but also the root of Esau was himself; for he was a descendant of the slanderer. For the Scripture says that Job was the fifth from Abraham. And how fifth, listen: Abraham begat Isaac, Isaac begat Esau, Esau begat Raguel, Raguel begat Zarrah, Zarrah begat Job. He therefore had the succession coming down from Abraham through Esau to him. Thus he shows the root, so that you may marvel at the fruit.

And who was Esau? A harlot and a profane man. And who was Job? The one from the harlot, this same venerable and marvelous man, the one now set before us for narration, the one saying: 'If my eye had followed a woman not mine own, would my wife be pleased with another man?' Esau had much mixture of women, being insatiable toward debauchery; but Job had the law of life in his manner, and he abstained so much that he did not seek out the beauty of strangers; and from fornication and adultery he abstained so much that he did not even attend to the women not yet betrothed, that is, the unremembered virgins; for it is necessary to use a more explicit expression. He abstained so much from attacking foreign marriages that even toward the unremembered virgin, for whom there was no danger, he did not incline his eye before...

Regarding unchastity. And who is witnessing these things? Job himself. He says, 'A covenant was distributed to my eyes, and I did not understand it in my youth.' See to what extent the things of piety reached him through discipline. He trains the eye toward piety, and he trains the limbs toward righteousness; and though bearing the succession from fornication, he shone out with the greatest self-control.

Esau was a brother-slayer in intention; for even if the deed did not come to pass, the intention is accused. For it is said that Esau said in his heart, 'Let the days of my father's mourning approach, and I will rise up against Jacob my brother.' The root, therefore, is brother-slaying; but he who blossomed from the root is the champion of righteousness. That one waged war by nature and regarded his brother as a stranger; but this one regarded strangers as brothers, saying, 'I became to the orphans as a father, and instead of a husband to their mother. A justice which I did not know, I searched out, and I stopped the unrighteous.' And he who carries the succession from Esau appropriates all foreign things, by setting foreign things as his own.

Esau reckoned in his mind to kill Jacob; but Job offered sacrifices for his sons, thinking, 'Lest they have sinned in thought.' Because that one had planned murder in thought, this great and brave athlete, fearing that these too might receive the venom of sin in thought, offered a sacrifice and one calf for sins. For Job said, 'Perhaps my sons have thought evil toward God?' Consider the precision to which the discipline of character reached him. And what does he do? Since Esau and Jacob, the ancestors, were at war with one another—not because Jacob agreed to evil, but because Esau began toward evil—he dissolves the disagreement of the ancestors by the table. He makes his sons feast with one another every day, so that the habitual table might dissolve the venom of evil.

Greek · §5

ἀνωτέραν δὲ τοῦ κόσμου τὴν ψυχὴν ἀναγαγών. Ἄνθρωπός τις ἦν ἐν χώρᾳ τῇ Αὐσίτιδι. Κηρύττει αὐτὸν καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς 56.568 φύσεως· κηρύττει αὐτὸν καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς χώρας· ἵν', ὥσπερ ἀκούσας αὐτὸν ἄνθρωπον, θαυμάζεις ὅτι ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον ἐπολιτεύσατο, οὕτως ἐὰν μάθῃς καὶ τὴν χώραν, ἐξ ἧς ὁ τοσοῦτος καρπὸς ἤνθησε, θαυμάσῃς ἀληθῶς ὁποῖον ῥόδον ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἀκανθῶν ἐβλάστησεν. Πρόσεχε ἀκριβῶς. Ἡ χώρα τοίνυν ἡ τῆς Αὐσίτιδος, χώρα ἦν τοῦ Ἡσαῦ· ἀπὸ γὰρ τοῦ Ἡσαῦ ἡ Αὐσῖτις. Ὀνομάζει δὲ τοῦ βεβήλου καὶ πονηροῦ Ἡσαῦ τὴν χώραν, ὥς φησιν ὁ Ἀπόστολος· Μή τις πόρνος ἢ βέβηλος, ὡς Ἡσαῦ· ἵνα θαυμάσῃς ἐκ ποίων παιδευτηρίων κακίας οἷος καρπὸς ἀληθείας ἤνθησεν. Ἀλλὰ οὐ μόνον αὐτὸν ἡ χώρα τοῦ Ἡσαῦ ἤνεγκεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ ῥίζα τοῦ Ἡσαῦ· ἀπόγονος γὰρ ἦν τοῦ διαβαλλομένου. Λέγει γὰρ τὸν Ἰὼβ ἡ Γραφὴ πέμπτον εἶναι ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀβραάμ. Καὶ ὅπως πέμπτος, ἄκουε· Ἀβραὰμ ἐγέννησε τὸν Ἰσαὰκ, Ἰσαὰκ τὸνἩσαῦ, Ἡσαῦ τὸν Ῥαγουὴλ, Ῥαγουὴλ τὸν Ζαρὰ, Ζαραδὲ τὸν Ἰώβ. Εἶχεν οὖν τὴν διαδοχὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ διὰ τοῦ Ἡσαῦ εἰς αὐτὸν κατερχομένην. ∆είκνυσιν οὖν τὴν ῥίζαν, ἵνα τὸν καρπὸν θαυμάσῃς. Τίς δὲ ἦν Ἡσαῦ; Πόρνος καὶ βέβηλος. Τίς δὲ ἦν καὶ Ἰώβ; Ὁ ἀπὸ τοῦπόρνου, οὗτος αὐτὸς ὁ σεμνὸς καὶ θαυμάσιος ἀνὴρ, ὁ νῦν προκείμενος ἡμῖν εἰς διήγησιν· ὁ λέγων· Εἰ ἐπηκολούθησεν ὁ ὀφθαλμός μου γυναικὶ ἀλλοτρίᾳ, ἀρέσει καὶ ἡ γυνή μου ἀλλοτρίῳ ἀνδρί. Ἡσαῦ περὶ πολλὰς ἔσχε μίξιν γυναῖκας, ἄπληστος ὢν εἰς ἀσέλγειαν· ὁ δὲ Ἰὼβ τὸν τρόπον νόμον εἶχε τοῦ βίου, καὶ τοσοῦτον ἀπέσχε, ὥστε ἀλλότρια κάλλη μὴ περιεργάζεσθαι· καὶ πορνείας καὶ μοιχείας τοσοῦτον ἀπεῖχεν, ὡς μηδὲ ταῖς μηδέπω κατεγγυωμέναις γυναιξὶ προσέχειν, τουτέστι, ταῖς ἀμνηστεύτοις παρθένοις· δεῖ γὰρ τῇ τρανοτέρᾳ λέξει χρήσασθαι· Τοσοῦτον ἀπεῖχεν ἀλλοτρίοις γάμοις ἐπιβουλεύειν, ὅτι οὐδὲ τῇ ἀμνηστεύτῳ παρθένῳ, ἐφ' ᾗ οὐδεὶς ἦν κίνδυνος, ἀπέτεινε τὸ ὄμμα πρὸς ἀκολασίαν. Καὶ τίς ὁ ταῦτα μαρτυρῶν; Αὐτὸς ὁ Ἰώβ· ∆ιαθήκην, φησὶ, διεθέμην τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς μου, καὶ οὐ συνῆκα ἐπὶ παρθένῳ. Βλέπε μέχρι τίνος παιδαγωγίας ἤκμασεν αὐτῷ τὰ τῆς εὐσεβείας. Παιδαγωγεῖ τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν εἰς εὐσέβειαν, παιδαγωγεῖ καὶ τὰ μέλη εἰς δικαιοσύνην, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πόρνου τὴν διαδοχὴν φέρων, μεγίστῃ σωφροσύνῃ διέλαμψεν. Ἡσαῦ καὶ ἀδελφοκτόνος ὑπῆρχεν, ὅσον εἰς πρόθεσιν· εἰ γὰρ καὶ μὴ ἐξέβη ἡ πρᾶξις, ἀλλὰ κατηγορεῖται ἡ πρόθεσις. Εἶπε γὰρ, φησὶν, Ἡσαῦ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ· Ἐγγισάτωσαν αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ πένθους τοῦ πατρός μου, καὶ ἀνελῶ Ἰακὼβ τὸν ἀδελφόν μου. Ἡ τοίνυν ῥίζα, ἀδελφοκτόνος· ὁ δὲ ἐκ τῆς ῥίζης ἀνθήσας, δικαιοσύνης βραβευτής. Ἐκεῖνος τῇ φύσει ἐπολέμησε, καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἀλλότριον ἡγεῖτο· οὗτος καὶ τοὺς ἀλλοτρίους ἀδελφοὺς ἐνόμιζεν, ὁ λέγων· Ἐγενόμην ὀρφανοῖς ὡς πατὴρ, καὶ ἀντὶ ἀνδρὸς τῇ μητρὶ αὐτῶν. ∆ίκην ἣν οὐκ ᾔδειν, ἐξιχνίασα, καὶ κατέπαυσα ἀδίκους. Καὶ πάντα τὰ ἀλλότρια ἰδιοποεῖται ὁ ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἡσαῦ φέρων τὴν διαδοχὴν, τοῦ τὰ ἀλλότρια ἴδια τιθεμένου. Ἡσαῦ ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ ἐλογίζετο ἀνελεῖν τὸν Ἰακώβ· Ἰὼβ δὲ προσέφερε θυσίας ὑπὲρ τῶν υἱῶν, ἐννοῶν, Μή τι κατὰ διάνοιαν ἥμαρτον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος κατὰ διάνοιαν ἐμελέτησε τὸν φόνον, φοβηθεὶς οὗτος ὁ μέγας καὶ γενναῖος ἀθλητὴς, μὴ καὶ οὗτοι ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ παραδέξωνται τὸν ἰὸν τῆς ἁμαρτίας, προσέφερε θυσίαν καὶ μόσχον ἕνα περὶ ἁμαρτιῶν. Ἔλεγε γὰρ ὁ Ἰώβ· Μήποτε οἱ υἱοί μου κακὰ ἐνενόησαν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν; Ἐννόησον εἰς ὅσην ἀκρίβειαν αὐτῷ ἔφθασεν ἡ παιδαγωγία τοῦ τρόπου. Καὶ τί ποιεῖ; Ἐπειδὴ Ἡσαῦ καὶ Ἰακὼβ οἱ πρόγονοιἐξεπολεμώθησαν πρὸς ἀλλήλους, οὐ τοῦ Ἰακὼβ εἰς κακίαν συμφωνήσαντος, ἀλλὰ τοῦ Ἡσαῦ εἰς κακίαν ἄρξαντος, τὴν διαφωνίαν τῶν προγόνων διαλύει τῇ ἑστιάσει, καὶ ποιεῖ τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ καθ' ἡμέραν μετ' ἀλλήλων ἑστιᾶσθαι, ἵνα ἡ συνήθης τράπεζα διαλύσῃ τῆς κακίας τὸν ἰόν. Παρ'

The distinction between blamelessness and faultlessness§6

6The children of Job loved one another, being trained in concord from their youth, practicing peace and being educated in harmony, eating and drinking together. He says that they also took the three sisters to eat and drink with them. What is the benefit of this to the listener? And why did he add the sisters to the fellowship? It was so that it might be shown to what extent temperance governed their banquet, and that it was not a riotous and spilled laughter, nor an intemperance insulting the table; for this reason he introduces the well-mannered virgins, to show that the occasion of the banquet was not being insulted by drunkenness, but was being crowned by harmony.

There was a certain man in the land of Ausiti: a dove among hawks, a sheep among wolves, a star among the clouds, a cypress among thorns, the plant of righteousness in the village of unrighteousness. And that man was blameless.

Pay close attention. Those from the outside set the definition: 'What is man?' 'Man is,' he says, 'a rational, mortal animal.' Such are the definitions the philosophers desire; but the Scripture does not give such definitions, but rather what? A blameless, righteous, true man. If anyone asks you and demands a definition, 'What is man?' say to him, 'Blameless, righteous, true, abstaining from every evil thing'; for as one has not been testified to regarding such accomplishments, no man exists. For if he possesses the character of nature, but insults it with the wickedness of his will, he hears from the prophet: 'Being a man in honor, he did not understand; he was cast down with the mindless cattle, and was made like them.' And that man was blameless.

The praise is not small. Test the word so that you may marvel at the intention. An accusation is one thing, and a reproach is another; for an accusation is brought against the heaviest of sins, but a reproach occurs regarding the lightest of faults. Therefore the writer wished to show that the righteous man was not only far from accusations, but also from reproaches. No one called him out as one who had done great things, just as no one reproached him as one who had done small things. This is a great proof: that he, whose life was in the middle, was beyond reproach. For if you do not have an accusation to bring concerning adultery or murder, such a man is beyond reproach; but with a reproach, you bring insult, slander, or invective.

Such a person is outside of blame, yet he flees from reproach as if from a drunken stupor. He wished to show that he was far from even the smallest of stings, saying: He was blameless, righteous, truthful, and God-fearing, abstaining from every evil thing. Therefore, God, intending to show Abraham that the first thing in virtue is the blameless, says to him: You are well-pleasing before me, and become blameless. The term 'blameless' is understood as an extremity of manner.

But the apostle Paul, since he had among the Gentiles those drawn away from polytheism, those gathered from wickedness, and those gathered from fornication and adultery, did not add the extremity of virtue. Rather, as he came into the inhabited world filled with fornication and adultery, he wished also to establish shepherds for the world, since at that time the beautiful things of virtue were scarce, appointing bishops, saying to Titus: Appoint bishops, as I commanded you, if anyone is faultless. 'Blameless' had no place then, since, as I said, the peak of piety was scarce. Blamelessness is great, but faultlessness is the middle; and blamelessness is great among evils, while the good is small.

For this reason he said: A man of one woman. Not because this is now observed in the Church—for the priest must be crowned with perfect purity and holiness—but because then, in regard to those in fornication, the matter was great, he says: Appoint bishops, as I commanded you, if anyone is faultless, a man of one woman; not because he laid down this law, but because he recognized the plan. For he knew that when the word of piety is blooming, nature itself will possess the good as a pleasant thing, and the selection will be of the better ones.

Blameless, righteous. Therefore, it is not possible to become righteous without having first become blameless. Truthful. What does the truthful man intend? He who does not shape his appearance differently from his actual state, who does not shape himself in temperance while being clothed in intemperance, who does not show justice in outward form while bearing injustice in the heart. This man is truthful, and immediately God-fearing. For when there is blamelessness, when there is righteousness, and when there is truth, then true God-fearingness is composed. Abstaining from every evil thing. Since many abstain from many sins, but they do not abstain from all...

Greek · §6

ἀλλήλους ἐφοίτων οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ Ἰὼβ, ὁμόνοιαν παιδευόμενοι ἐκ νέας ἡλικίας, εἰρήνην ἀσκούμενοι, συμφωνίαν παιδευόμενοι, καὶ μετ' ἀλλήλων ἤσθιον καὶ ἔπινον. Παρελάμβανον δὲ, φησὶ, καὶ τὰς τρεῖς ἀδελφὰς ἐσθίειν καὶ πίνειν μετ' αὐτῶν. Καὶ τί τοῦτο εἰς ὠφέλειαν τῷ ἀκροατῇ; καὶ διὰ τί προσέθηκε τῶν ἀδελφῶν τὴν συνεστίασιν; Ἵνα δειχθῇ, εἰς ὅσον σωφροσύνης ἠνέχθη αὐτῶν τὸ συμπόσιον, καὶ ὅτι οὐκ ἦν γέλως ἄτακτος καὶ ἐκκεχυμένος, καὶ ἀκολασία τὴν τράπεζαν ὑβρίζουσα, διὰ τοῦτο παρεισάγει καὶ τὰς παρθένους εὐωχουμένας, ἵνα δείξῃ τὸ πρόσχημα τοῦ συμποσίου οὐ μέθῃ ὑβριζόμενον, ἀλλὰ συμφωνίᾳ στεφανούμενον. Ἄν56.569 θρωπός τις ἦν ἐν χώρᾳ τῇ Αὐσίτιδι· περιστερὰ ἐν μέσῳ ἱεράκων, πρόβατον ἐν μέσῳ λύκων, ἀστὴρ ἐν μέσῳ τῶν νεφελῶν, κρίνον ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἀκανθῶν, τὸ βλάστημα τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἐν τῇ κώμῃ τῆς ἀδικίας. Καὶ ἦν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος ἄμεμπτος. βʹ. Πρόσεχε ἀκριβῶς· Οἱ ἔξωθεν ὅρον ἔθεντο ἀνθρώπου Τί ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος; Ἄνθρωπός ἐστι, φησὶ, ζῶον λογικὸν, θνητόν. Ταῦτα βούλονται τῶν φιλοσόφων οἱ ὅροι· ἡ δὲ Γραφὴ οὐ τοιούτους ὅρους δίδωσιν· ἀλλὰ τί; Ἄνθρωπος ἄμεμπτος, δίκαιος, ἀληθινός. Ἐάν τίς σε ἐρωτήσῃ, καὶ ὅρον ἀπαιτήσῃ, Τί ἄνθρωπος; εἰπὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν, Ἄμεμπτος, δίκαιος, ἀληθινὸς, ἀπεχόμενος ἀπὸ παντὸς πονηροῦ πράγματος· ὡς ὅ γε τοῖς τοιούτοις κατορθώμασι μὴ μεμαρτυρημένος, οὐδὲ ἄνθρωπος ὑπάρχει. Ἐὰν γὰρ ἔχῃ μὲν τὸν χαρακτῆρα τῆς φύσεως, ὑβρίζῃ δὲ αὐτὸν τῇ κακίᾳ τῆς προαιρέσεως, ἀκούει παρὰ τοῦ προφήτου· Ἄνθρωπος ἐν τιμῇ ὢν οὐ συνῆκε· παρασυνεβλήθη τοῖς κτήνεσι τοῖς ἀνοήτοις, καὶ ὡμοιώθη αὐτοῖς. Καὶ ἦν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος ἄμεμπτος. Οὐ μικρὸν τὸ ἐγκώμιον. Βασάνισον τὴν λέξιν, ἵνα θαυμάσῃς τὴν πρόθεσιν. Ἄλλο ἐστὶν ἔγκλημα, καὶ ἄλλο μέμψις· ἔγκλημα μὲν γὰρ ταῖς βαρυτάταις ἐπάγεται τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν· ἡ δὲ μέμψις ἐπὶ τῶν κουφοτάτων γίνεται πταισμάτων. Ἠθέλησεν οὖν δεῖξαι ὁ συγγραφεὺς, ὅτι οὐ μόνον ἐγκλημάτων μακρὰν ἦν ὁ δίκαιος, ἀλλὰ καὶ μέμψεων. Οὐδεὶς αὐτῷ ἐνεκάλεσεν ὡς μεγάλα δράσαντι, ὅπουγε οὐδὲ ἐμέμψατο ὡς μικρὰ πράξαντι. Τοῦτο δὲ μέγα τεκμήριον, οὗ μέσος ὁ βίος, ἀνέγκλητος. Ὧ γὰρ μὴ ἔχῃς περὶ μοιχείας ἐγκαλεῖν, ἢ περὶ φόνων, ὁ τοιοῦτος ἀνέγκλητος· ᾧ δὲ μέμψεις προσάγεις ὕβρεως, διαβολῆς, ἢ λοιδορίας, ἢ μέθης, ὁ τοιοῦτος ἐγκλημάτων μὲν ἐκτὸς, ὑπὸ μέμψιν δὲ τρέχει. Ἠθέλησεν οὖν δεῖξαι, ὅτι καὶ τῶν μικρῶν καὶ ἐλαχίστων πταισμάτων μακρὰν ἦν, καί φησιν· Ἦν ἄμεμπτος, δίκαιος, ἀληθινὸς, θεοσεβὴς, ἀπεχόμενος ἀπὸ παντὸς πονηροῦ πράγματος. Ὅθεν καὶ ὁ Θεὸς τῷ Ἀβραὰμ βουλόμενος δεῖξαι, ὅτι τὸ πρῶτον κατ' ἀρετὴν τὸ ἄμεμπτόν ἐστι, λέγει αὐτῷ· Σὺ δὲ εὐαρέστει ἐνώπιόν μου, καὶ γίνου ἄμεμπτος. Τὸ, Ἄμεμπτος, εἰς ἀκρότητα τρόπων ἐκλαμβάνεται. Ὁ δὲ ἀπόστολος Παῦλος, ἐπειδὴ πρὸς τὰ ἔθνη εἶχε τοὺς ἀπὸ πολυθεΐας ἀπεσπασμένους, τοὺς ἀπὸ κακίας συνειλεγμένους, τοὺς ἀπὸ πορνείας καὶ μοιχείας συνηθροισμένους, οὐ προσέθηκε τὸ ἄκρον τῆς ἀρετῆς, ἀλλ' ὡς ἦλθεν εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην πεπληρωμένην πορνείας καὶ μοιχείας, ἠθέλησε καὶ ποιμένας καταστῆσαι τῆς οἰκουμένης, ἐπειδὴ τότε ἐσπάνιζε τὰ καλὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς, καθιστῶν ἐπισκόπους, Τίτῳ λέγει· Κατάστησον ἐπισκόπους, ὡς ἐγώ σοι διεταξάμην, εἴ τίς ἐστιν ἀνέγκλητος. Τὸ, Ἄμεμπτος, οὐκ εἶχε τότε χώραν, ἐπειδὴ, ὡς προεῖπον, ἐσπάνιζεν ἀκμὴν τὰ τῆς εὐσεβείας. Μέγα τὸ ἄμεμπτον, μέσον δὲ τὸ ἀνέγκλητον· μέγα δὲ ἐν κακοῖς καὶ τὸ μικρὸν ἀγαθόν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο εἶπε· Μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἄνδρα. Οὐκ ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο νῦν φυλάττεται ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ· δεῖ γὰρ παντελεῖ ἁγνείᾳ καὶ ἁγιωσύνῃ ἐστέφθαι τὸν ἱερέα· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τότε πρὸς τοὺς ἐν πορνείᾳ μέγα ἦν, λέγει· Κατάστησον ἐπισκόπους, ὡς ἐγώ σοι διεταξάμην, εἴ τίς ἐστιν ἀνέγκλητος, μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἀνήρ· οὐκ ἐπειδὴ νόμον ἔθηκε τοῦτο, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τῇ πλάνῃ συνέγνω. Ἤδει γὰρ ὅτι ἀνθοῦντος τοῦ λόγου τῆς εὐσεβείας, εὐθαίρετον αὐτὴ ἡ φύσις ἕξει τὸ ἀγαθὸν, καὶ ἡ ἐκλογὴ γενήσεται τῶν κρειττόνων. Ἄμεμπτος, δίκαιος. Οὐ πρότερον οὖν ἔστι γενέσθαι δίκαιον, ἄμεμπτον μὴ γενόμενον. Ἀληθινός. Ὁ ἀληθινὸς τί βούλεται; Ὁ μὴ ἐσχηματισμένος τὴν ὄψιν, καὶ ἄλλην ἔχων τὴν κατάστασιν· ὁ μὴ σωφροσύνην σχηματιζόμενος, ἀκολασίαν δὲ ἐνδεδυμένος· ὁ μὴ τὴν δικαιοσύνην ἐν τῷ σχήματι δεικνύων, τὴν δὲ ἀδικίαν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ φέρων. Οὗτος ἀληθινὸς, καὶ εὐθέως θεοσεβής. Ὅταν γὰρ ἦ τὸ ἄμεμπτον, ὅταν τὸ δίκαιον, ὅταν τὸ ἀληθινὸν, τότε ἡ ἀληθὴς ἀπαρτίζεται θεοσέβεια. Ἀπεχόμενος ἀπὸ παντὸς πονηροῦ πράγματος. Ἐπειδὴ πολλοὶ ἀπέχονται ἀπὸ πολλῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, πάντων δὲ οὐκ ἀπέχονται, τὸ

Participation in Christ through the Saints§7

7He says that he intends to set forth the peak of virtue: abstaining from every evil thing. Therefore David also says: those who love the Lord, hate evils. For it is not possible to be both God-fearing and to do evil.

And he sets forth his very existence, because he had seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred nomad donkeys. Why does he set these forth? Not so that you may marvel at Job's wealth, but showing you, the listener, the fullness of his being that, when you see him after this having been stripped of his possessions and not complaining, you may marvel that, being deprived of so many good things, he does not reject the benefactor, nor insult the Creator. These things, therefore, were written, not so that you may marvel at wealth, but so that you may praise the endurance and the patience of the righteous, and always have the fear of God before your eyes. But the sequence of the argument will be stored up for another time.

For the devil, brothers, since he saw him prospering with this temporary wealth, and by this temporary wealth storing up eternal wealth, reasoned that just as righteousness was entwined with him while he was prospering, so also poverty and virtue will be entwined with him while he is impoverishing. Therefore he tries to strip him of material things, so that he may strip him of his advantages.

Here, then, let those who say precisely: 'Was not Job rich? Was not Abraham rich? Why then do you propose poverty to us?' pay attention. I will say also to you: become rich according to Job, and I pray that you may acquire more; become according to Abraham, and all the earth will be joined to you for wealth. Say also you, as Job: 'My door is opened to everyone afflicted'; say, 'I warmed the shoulders of the poor'; say, 'From the fleece of my sheep the shoulders of the poor were warmed'; say, 'And the mouth of the widow blessed me'; and get rich with the wealth that you desire. For wealth will be found not for yourself, but for the poor, being managed. For my door, he says, is opened to everyone afflicted.

Imitate the extremity of this love of the poor; clothe yourself with the zeal of endurance; be manly against the adversaries; think of equal things. But these things are only to this extent. May it happen to us, having zeal and endurance at home, to have also the sequence of the lacking...

He remains, demanding from us those things which are lacking, and making us follow the sequence of the contemplations. May it happen to us through knowledge to fulfill the feast, and having shared in the sufferings of the saints, to share also in the passion of Christ. For truly, brothers, the sufferings of the saints preceded the passion of Christ justly. For the sufferings of the righteous preceded like lightning bolts, so that after these things Christ might appear, as Paul says, the one suffering with all and being glorified with all.

Therefore, having followed the prayers and supplications of the holy Fathers, and having followed what has been spoken, and having expected the things that are lacking, let us send up glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, unto the ages of ages. Amen. To the righteous and blessed Job, Word 3. 1. Bring it forth, so that we might also grasp the premise, and you the listening; and let us all become acquainted with the evening sequence of Job, and with faith let us present ourselves to the word of endurance.

For it is incongruous that Job, sitting upon misery, should not grow numb toward piety, while we, dancing in the church, should be hesitant toward the truth; and that he, being surrounded by myriad wailings of his own misfortune, should not have his soul overthrown, while we, wandering through hymns and spiritual songs and divine Scriptures, should surrender our readiness with laziness. Job, the body being eaten away by worms, preserved the soul unharmed toward piety; worms did not overcome him, so shall those who have strengthened us overcome us? Let us also become men, men according to the measure that is pre-allotted.

For the man is characterized by the blameless, the righteous, the true, and the God-fearing. And just as by common custom, when someone sends his own servant or son on some deed, he is encouraged, saying: 'As a man, grasp this deed,' and he makes the common name his own wonder; even if all are called men, only he is a true man, the one preserving the image and not making the prototype beauty vanish. He called him a man, so that from the common nature you might praise the intention. He called him from the land of Ausitis, so that from the land of the unclear you might praise the fruit of impiety. His possessions said to him, so that...

Greek · §7

ἄκρον πάλιν τῆς ἀρετῆς βουλόμενος ὑποθέσθαι, φησίν· Ἀπεχόμενος ἀπὸ παντὸς πονηροῦ πράγματος. Ὅθεν καὶ ὁ ∆αυΐδ φησιν· Οἱ ἀγαπῶντες Κύριον, μισεῖτε πονηρά. Οὐ γὰρ οἷόν τε καὶ θεοσεβεῖν καὶ πονηρεύεσθαι. Ἐκτίθεται δὲ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν ὕπαρξιν, ὅτι εἶχε πρόβατα ἑπτακισχίλια, καμήλους τρισχιλίας, ζεύγη βοῶν πεντακόσια, ὄνους νομάδας πεντακοσίας. ∆ιὰ τί ταῦτα ἐκτίθεται; Οὐ τὸν πλοῦτον θαυμάζων τοῦ Ἰὼβ, 56.570 ἀλλὰ σοὶ τῷ ἀκροατῇ καταλιμπάνων τὸ πλῆθος τῆς οὐσίας, ἵν', ὅταν αὐτὸν ἴδῃς μετὰ ταῦτα γεγυμνωμένον τῶν ὑπαρχόντων, καὶ μὴ στένοντα, θαυμάσῃς, ὅτι τόσων στερούμενος ἀγαθῶν, οὐκ ἀθετεῖ τὸν εὐεργέτην. οὐχ ὑβρίζει τὸν ∆ημιουργόν. Ταῦτα τοίνυν ἐγράφη, οὐχ ἵνα τὸν πλοῦτον θαυμάσῃς, ἀλλὰ ἵνα τὴν καρτερίαν καὶ τὴν ὑπομονὴν ἐπαινέσῃς τοῦ δικαίου, καὶ πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν ἔχῃς πάντοτε τὸν φόβον τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἡ δὲ ἀκολουθία τὴν θεωρίαν εἰς ἕτερον καιρὸν ταμιεύσεται. Ὁ γὰρ διάβολος, ἀδελφοὶ, ἐπειδὴ εἶδεν αὐτὸν πλουτοῦντα τούτῳ τῷ πλούτῳ τῷ προσκαίρῳ, καὶ ἐκ τούτου τοῦ πλούτου τοῦ προσκαίρου τὸν αἰώνιον πλοῦτον ταμιευόμενον, ἐνενόησεν, ὅθ' ὥσπερ πλουτοῦντι αὐτῷ συνεπλούτησεν ἡ δικαιοσύνη, οὕτω καὶ πτωχεύοντι συμπτωχεύσει καὶ ἀρετή. Πειρᾶται οὖν αὐτὸν γυμνῶσαι τῶν χρημάτων, ἵνα γυμνώσῃ καὶ τῶν πλεονεκτημάτων. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ προσεχέτωσαν ἀκριβῶς οἱ λέγοντες· Μὴ ὁ Ἰὼβ οὐκ ἦν πλούσιος; μὴ ὁ Ἀβραὰμ οὐκ ἦν πλούσιος; διὰ τί οὖν ὑποτίθης ἡμῖν ἀκτημοσύνην; Ἐρῶ κἀγὼ πρὸς σέ· Γενοῦ κατὰ τὸν Ἰὼβ πλούσιος, καὶ ἐπεύχομαί σοι πλείονα κτήσασθαι· γενοῦ κατὰ τὸν Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ πᾶσα ἡ γῆ συνεύξεταί σοι τοῦ πλούτου. Εἰπὲ καὶ σὺ, ὡς Ἰὼβ, Ἡ θύρα μου ἀνέῳκται παντὶ θλιβομένῳ· εἰπὲ, Ὤμους πενήτων ἐθέρμανα· εἰπὲ, Ἐκ τῆς κουρᾶς τῶν προβάτων μου ἐθερμάνθησαν ὦμοι πενήτων· εἰπὲ, Καὶ στόμα χήρας εὐλόγησέ με· καὶ πλούτει πλοῦτον ὃν θέλεις. Εὑρεθήσῃ γὰρ οὐ σαυτῷ πλουτῶν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς πένησιν οἰκονομῶν. Ἡ θύρα μου γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀνέῳκται παντὶ θλιβομένῳ. Μίμησαι τὴν ἀκρότητα ταύτης τῆς φιλοπτωχίας· ἔνδυσαι τὸν ζῆλον τῆς ὑπομονῆς· ἄνδρισαι κατὰ τῶν ἐναντίων· τὰ ἴσα φρόνησον. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν εἰς τοσοῦτον. Γένοιτο δὲ ἡμᾶς τὸν ζῆλον καὶ τὴν ὑπομονὴν ἔχοντας ἔναυλον, ἔχειν καὶ τὴν ἀκολουθίαν τῶν λειπομένων, καὶ ὑμᾶς παρ' ἡμῶν ἀπαιτεῖν τὰ λειπόμενα, καὶ ἡμᾶς ὑμῖν τιννύειν τῶν θεωρημάτων τὴν ἀκολουθίαν. Καὶ γένοιτο ἡμᾶς γνησίως καὶ τὴν ἑορτὴν ἐπιτελέσαι, καὶ τοῖς παθήμασι τῶν ἁγίων κοινωνήσαντας, κοινωνῆσαι καὶ τῷ πάθει Χριστοῦ. Ἀληθῶς γὰρ, ἀδελφοὶ, δικαίως προέλαμψε τοῦ πάθους τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὰ πάθη τῶν ἁγίων. Προέλαμψαν γὰρ, ὥσπερ ἀστραπαὶ, τὰ πάθη τῶν δικαίων, ἵνα μετὰ ταῦτα φανῇ ὁ Χριστὸς, ὥς φησιν ὁ Παῦλος, ὁ πᾶσι συμπάσχων, καὶ πᾶσι συνδοξαζόμενος. Εὐχαῖς οὖν καὶ πρεσβείαις τῶν ἁγίων Πατέρων, καὶ τοῖς εἰρημένοις στοιχήσαντες, καὶ τὰ λειπόμενα προσδοκήσαντες, δόξαν ἀναπέμψωμεν τῷ Πατρὶ, καὶ τῷ Υἱῷ, καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. Εἰς τὸν δίκαιον καὶ μακάριον Ἰὼβ, Λόγος γʹ. αʹ Φέρε, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἁψώμεθα τῆς ὑποθέσεως, καὶ ὑμεῖς τῆς ἀκροάσεως· καὶ πάντες γινώμεθα τῆς ἑσπερινῆς ἀκολουθίας τοῦ Ἰὼβ, καὶ μετὰ πίστεως τῷ λόγῳ τῆς ὑπομονῆς ἑαυτοὺς παραστήσωμεν. Ἄτοπον γὰρ τὸν μὲν Ἰὼβ ἐπὶ κοπρίας καθήμενον μὴ ναρκῆσαι πρὸς τὴν εὐσέβειαν, ἡμᾶς δὲ ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ χορεύοντας, ὀκνεῖν πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν· καὶ τὸν μὲν μυρίοις ὀδυρμοῖς περιηχούμενον τῆς ἑαυτοῦ συμφορᾶς, μὴ κατακλασθῆναι τὴν ψυχήν· ἡμᾶς δὲ ὕμνοις καὶ ᾠδαῖς πνευματικαῖς καὶ θείαις Γραφαῖς περιᾳδομένους προδιδόναι ῥᾳθυμίᾳ τὴν προθυμίαν. Ἰὼβ ὑπὸ σκωλήκων διεσθιόμενος τὸ σῶμα, ἄτρωτον διεφύλαττε τὴν ψυχὴν πρὸς εὐσέβειαν· ἐκεῖνον σκώληκες οὐκ ἐνίκησαν, καὶ ἡμᾶς ἱδρῶτες καταπαλαίσουσι; Γενώμεθα καὶ ἡμεῖς ἄνθρωποι, ἄνθρωποι κατὰ τὸν ὅρον τὸν προαποδεδομένον. Τὸν γὰρ ἄνθρωπον χαρακτηρίζει τὸ ἄμεμπτον, τὸ δίκαιον, τὸ ἀληθινὸν, τὸ θεοσεβές. Καὶ ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τῆς κοινῆς συνηθείας ἐπειδάν τις τὸν ἑαυτοῦ οἰκέτην ἢ τὸν υἱὸν ἐπὶ πρᾶξίν τινα ἀποστέλλῃ, παρακελεύεται, λέγων· Ὡς ἄνθρωπος ἅψαι τῆσδε τῆς πράξεως, καὶ τὸ κοινὸν ὄνομα ἴδιον ποιεῖται θαῦμα, οὕτω κἂν πάντες λέγωνται ἄνθρωποι, μόνος ἐκεῖνος ἀληθὴς ἄνθρωπος, ὁ τὴν εἰκόνα σώζων, καὶ τὸ πρωτότυπον κάλλος μὴ ἀφανίζων. Εἶπεν αὐτὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἵνα ἀπὸ τῆς κοινῆς φύσεως τὴν πρόθεσιν ἐπαινέσῃς. Εἶπεν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῆς χώρας τῆς Αὐσίτιδος, ἵνα ἀπὸ τῆς χώρας τῆς κομώσης τὴν ἀσέβειαν, τὸν καρπὸν ἀνυμνήσῃς. Εἶπεν αὐτοῦ τὰ κτήματα, ἵνα

The Devil's Permission and Service§8

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8You will marvel at the advantages. He spoke to him of wealth, not so that you would praise the property, but so that you would marvel at it being stripped away. For he was stripped of all things, but he was not stripped of piety; rather, he was like a city under siege, stripped of all external things, but guarded only by the wall.

He was stripped of children, and he did not lose the fruits of piety. For he had children who were the ways of piety; he had daughters who were the virtues. Three daughters to him according to the flesh, and three virtues to him according to the spirit, just as Paul says: but these three remain, faith, hope, love; and greater than these is love.

He was stripped of all, and he did not deny the creator of nature; for he knew that children are a consolation of succession, but God is the farmer of the root. He did not find it hard seeing the fruits being cast off; for he knew that the farmer of the root remains for the age.

He was stripped of the sheep, and he himself was a sheep guarded by God; he was stripped of the oxen, and while the pairs of oxen were taken away, the yoke of the soul and the body was not cut, but the flesh and the soul, having harmonized together toward piety, drew the plow. And he received the fruits of virtue in a manner of endurance, so that he might increase the fruits of endurance.

Thus there were three thousand camels to him, and five hundred nomadic donkeys. I think that what was taken was small, compared to what was taken. For if to each poor person one provides, as he himself says, 'I was an eye to the blind, and a foot to the lame,' the existence would have been small compared to the purpose; the provision of hospitality was greater than the property of the entrance.

Job was poor, not sufficient in his inclination; and he was indeed rich in possession, but poor in the power of choice. And he had, he says, also great works upon the earth. And what are these? Love of the poor and hospitality, extreme humility, immeasurable almsgiving, and whatever contributes to virtue.

But he who is thus adorned is not so by the temporary wealth, but by the wealth of piety. Another wise man, taking the word generally, thinks that great works are vineyards and olive groves and fertile fields, and such things. But truly there were great works to him upon the earth, adorning him with the heavenly wealth. And the devil...

As I said previously, the all-deceiving one surmised that just as virtue was entwined with him while he was rich, so it would be entwined with Job while he was impoverished; he seeks to strip him of his possessions so that he might also strip him of the advantages of virtue. He asks of God for a trial against the righteous so that you may gain courage, knowing that no demon has authority against a Christian, nor against a man who fears God, unless permission comes from above, either for the sake of discipline or for the sake of forgiveness. For God, when He leads toward training, either demands a reckoning for sins or exercises virtue through divine decrees.

Therefore the devil was not able to fight Job until he was permitted by God. And do not marvel, beloved, if he did not have authority against Job without having received permission. For he does not even have authority over swine. Listen how the Legion pleaded, saying: 'If you cast us out, permit us to go into the swine.' If he has no authority over swine without being permitted, how can he have authority against those who have become in the image of God without being commanded? It happened, he says, as on this day, when the angels of God came to stand before the Lord, and the devil stood among them.

Does the devil then stand with the angelic liturgy, and does the unclean spirit stand among the holy spirits? But neither the holy angels stood before God bodily, nor Satan bodily; rather, every ministry is called a 'standing.' Just as Elijah, living upon the earth, was said to stand before God, as it is said: 'As the Lord lives, before whom I stand today'—not that he stood having ascended into the heavens, but that he served by divine command; so also the devil stood, not in the heavenly region, nor in the super-cosmic powers, but as a creature of God commanded to do his duty. Listen, so that you do not snatch my word and say, 'Has God used a devil as a servant?' Just as among human authorities there are visible soldiers who serve in honors, and there are acknowledged soldiers set apart for punishments, so also here, for the good ministries and the administrations concerning men, angels...

Greek · §8

θαυμάσῃς τὰ πλεονεκτήματα. Εἶπεν αὐτοῦ τὸν πλοῦτον, οὐχ ἵνα τὴν περιουσίαν ἐπαινέσῃς, ἀλλ' ἵνα γεγυμνωμένον αὐτὸν θαυμάσῃς. Πάντων γὰρ ἀπεδύθη, καὶ τὴν εὐσέβειαν οὐκ ἀπεδύετο, ἀλλ' ἦν ὥσπερ τις πόλις πολιορκουμένη, πάντων μὲν τῶν ἔξωθεν γεγυμνωμένη, μόνῳ δὲ τῷ τείχει 56.571 φυλαττομένη. Ἐγυμνώθη τέκνων, καὶ τοὺς καρποὺς τῆς εὐσεβείας οὐκ ἀπώλεσεν. Εἶχε γὰρ τέκνα τοὺς τρόπους τῆς εὐσεβείας· εἶχε θυγατέρας τὰς ἀρετάς. Τρεῖς αὐτῷ θυγατέρες κατὰ σάρκα, καὶ τρεῖς αὐτῷ ἀρεταὶ κατὰ πνεῦμα, καθώς φησιν ὁ Παῦλος· Μένει δὲ τὰ τρία ταῦτα, πίστις, ἐλπὶς, ἀγάπη· μείζων δὲ τούτων ἡ ἀγάπη. Ἐγυμνώθη πάντων, καὶ τὸν δημιουργὸν τῆς φύσεως οὐκ ἠρνήσατο· ᾔδει γὰρ ὅτι τέκνα παραμυθία διαδοχῆς, ὁ δὲ Θεὸς γεωργὸς τῆς ῥίζης. Οὐκ ἐδυσχέραινε, τοὺς καρποὺς ὁρῶν ἀποβαλλομένους· ᾔδει γὰρ ὅτι μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ὁ γεωργὸς τῆς ῥίζης. Ἐγυμνώθη τῶν προβάτων, καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν πρόβατον ὑπὸ Θεοῦ φυλαττόμενον· ἐγυμνώθη τῶν βοῶν, καὶ τὰ μὲν ζεύγη τῶν βοῶν περιῃρεῖτο, τὸ δὲ ζεῦγος τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ τοῦ σώματος οὐ διετέμνετο, ἀλλ' ὁμοῦ συμφωνήσασα ἡ σὰρξ καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ πρὸς εὐσέβειαν εἷλκε τὸ ἄροτρον. Τρόπον δὲ τῆς ὑπομονῆς ἐδέχετο τοὺς καρποὺς τῆς ἀρετῆς, ἵνα πλεονάσῃ τοὺς καρποὺς τῆς ὑπομονῆς. Ἦσαν οὖν αὐτῷ κάμηλοι τρισχίλιαι, ὄνοι νομάδες πεντακόσιαι. Ἐγὼ νομίζω, ὅτι μικρὰ ἐκέκτητο, ἅπερ ἐκέκτητο. Εἰ γὰρ ἑκάστῳ πτωχῷ ἐχορήγει, καθὼς αὐτὸς λέγει, Ὀφθαλμὸς ἤμην τυφλῶν, ποῦς δὲ χωλῶν, μικρὰ ἂν ἦν ἡ ὕπαρξις πρὸς τὴν πρόθεσιν· πλείων ἦν ἡ χορηγία τῆς φιλοξενίας παρὰ τὴν περιουσίαν τῆς εἰσόδου. Πτωχὸς ἦν Ἰὼβ, οὐκ ἐπαρκῶν τῇ προθυμίᾳ· καὶ πλούσιος μὲν ὑπῆρχε τῇ κτήσει, πτωχὸς δὲ πρὸς τὴν δύναμιν τῆς προαιρέσεως. Ἦν δὲ αὐτῷ, φησὶ, καὶ ἔργα μεγάλα ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Ποῖα δὲ ταῦτα; Φιλοπτωχία καὶ φιλοξενία, ἄκρα ταπείνωσις, ἐλεημοσύνη ἀνυπέρβλητος, καὶ ὅσα εἰς ἀρετὴν συντελεῖ. Ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν οὕτως ἐκόμα, οὐ τῷ πλούτῳ τῷ προσκαίρῳ μᾶλλον, ἀλλὰ τῷ τῆς εὐσεβείας. Ἄλλος δέ τις σοφὸς κοινῶς ἐκλαμβάνων τὸν λόγον, νομίζει ἔργα μεγάλα εἶναι ἀμπελῶνας καὶ ἐλαιῶνας καὶ σπόριμα πλέθρα, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα. Ἀληθῶς δὲ ἦν αὐτῷ ἔργα μεγάλα ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, κομῶντι τῷ πλούτῳ τῷ ἐπουρανίῳ. Ὁ δὲ διάβολος, ὥσπερ ἔφθην εἰπὼν τῇ προτέρᾳ, ὑποτοπήσας ὁ παμμίαρος, ὅτι ὥσπερ αὐτῷ πλουτοῦντι συνεπλούτησε καὶ ἡ ἀρετὴ, οὕτω καὶ πτωχεύσαντι συμπτωχεύσει καὶ τὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς, γυμνοῖ αὐτὸν τῶν κτεάνων, ἵνα γυμνώσῃ καὶ τῶν τῆς ἀρετῆς πλεονεκτημάτων, καὶ αἰτεῖται παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν κατὰ τοῦ δικαίου πειρασμὸν, ἵνα σὺ θάρσος λάβῃς, ὅτι οὐκ ἔχει δαίμων ἐξουσίαν κατὰ Χριστιανοῦ, οὐδὲ κατ' ἀνδρὸς φοβουμένου τὸν Θεὸν, ἐὰν μὴ ἐπιτροπὴ ἄνωθεν γένηται, ἢ διὰ παιδείαν, ἢ διὰ συγχώρησιν. Θεὸς γὰρ ὅταν ἐπάγῃ παιδευτήρια, ἢ δίκην ἀπαιτεῖ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, ἢ τὴν ἀρετὴν γυμνάζει τῶν θείων κατορθωμάτων. Οὐκ ἠδυνήθη οὖν ὁ διάβολος πολεμῆσαι τῷ Ἰὼβ, ἕως ἐπετράπη παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ μὴ θαυμάσῃς, ἀγαπητὲ, εἰ κατὰ τοῦ Ἰὼβ οὐκ εἶχε τὴν ἐξουσίαν, μὴ λαβὼν τὴν ἐπιτροπήν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ κατὰ χοίρων ἔχει ἐξουσίαν. Ἄκουε πῶς ὁ Λεγεὼν παρεκάλει, λέγων· Εἰ ἐκβάλλεις ἡμᾶς, ἐπίτρεψον ἡμᾶς ἀπελθεῖν εἰς τοὺς χοίρους. Εἰ δὲ χοίρων οὐκ ἔχει ἐξουσίαν μὴ ἐπιτρεπόμενος, τῶν κατ' εἰκόνα Θεοῦ γενομένων πῶς ἔχει ἐξουσίαν μὴ κελευόμενος; Ἐγένετο, φησὶν, ὡς ἡ ἡμέρα αὕτη, καὶ ἦλθον οἱ ἄγγελοι τοῦ Θεοῦ παραστῆναι τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ ὁ διάβολος ἔστη ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν. Ἆρα οὖν σὺν τῇ ἀγγελικῇ λειτουργίᾳ παρίσταται καὶ ὁ διάβολος, καὶ ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἁγίων πνευμάτων τὸ ἀκάθαρτον πνεῦμα παρίσταται; Ἀλλ' οὔτε οἱ ἅγιοι ἄγγελοι τῷ Θεῷ παρέστησαν σωματικῶς, οὐδὲ ὁ Σατανᾶς σωματικῶς· ἀλλὰ πᾶσα ὑπουργία παράστασις λέγεται. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ Ἠλίας ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς πολιτευόμενος, τῷ Θεῷ παρεστάναι ἐλέγετο, ὥς φησι· Ζῇ Κύριος, ᾧ παρέστην ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ σήμερον, οὐχ ὅτι ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἀνελθὼν παρέστη, ἀλλ' ὅτι τῷ θείῳ κελεύσματι διηκονεῖτο· οὕτω καὶ διάβολος ἔστη, οὐκ ἐν τῷ οὐρανίῳ χωρίῳ, οὐδὲ ἐν ταῖς ὑπερκοσμίαις δυνάμεσιν, ἀλλ' ὡς κτίσμα Θεοῦ κελεύεται ποιεῖν τὰ καθήκοντα· καὶ ὅπως, ἄκουε. Μὴ γάρ μου ἁρπάσῃς τὸ ῥῆμα, καὶ εἴπῃς· Ὑπηρέτῃ κέχρηται διαβόλῳ ὁ Θεός; Ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων ἐξουσιῶν εἰσὶ φανεροὶ στρατιῶται, οἱ ταῖς τιμαῖς διακονούμενοι, καὶ εἰσὶ ὁμολογούμενοι στρατιῶται, οἱ πρὸς τὰς τιμωρίας ἀφωρισμένοι· οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα πρὸς μὲν τὰς λειτουργίας τὰς ἀγαθὰς, καὶ τὰς ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀνθρώ56.572 πων οἰκονομίας, ἄγγελοι

The Agency of Demons in Temptation§9

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9Holy ones are sent; and toward the punishments of lawless men, demons are sent. Listen: When Paul remembers the holy angels, he says, 'Are not all they liturgical spirits, sent for service for those about to inherit salvation?' It is therefore clear that the holy angels serve the salvations of men, while the bitter demons serve the punishments of sinners. For David says that he sent a wrath, an anger, and a tribulation into Egypt, a sending through evil angels.

Thus the wicked and unclean demons, even if they have been dismissed from their own purpose, lie under the yoke of slavery, and are commanded as slaves to perform what is commanded. And do not marvel if God commands demons. The apostles have used the devil as a slave. Paul says, 'Because some strayed concerning the faith, I delivered these to Satan, so that they might be disciplined not to blaspheme.' And again concerning one who had committed fornication and owed a penalty, what does the same Paul say? 'Having gathered your spirit and mine, with the power of the Lord Jesus, I judged him who did this thing, to deliver this one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord.'

In order that the demons may not think that they have reigned always according to divine authority, they are commanded even while disobeying to do what is commanded—not things contributing to uprightness, but things bringing punishment. Did you not see also the rulers among us, when they invite someone with honor, how they send runners called Roman messengers; but when they drag some with dishonor, they send out others, unbridled and harsh soldiers? So also God sends ministerial angels to the holy ones for salvation; but when He wishes to punish, He permits it to the demons. Because of this, when it was decided against Ahab...

God says, 'Who will go and deceive Ahab, and fall?' And an evil spirit answered, 'Here I am.' For it is known that the devil has been appointed for this purpose. Therefore, these demons—and forgive me, for I am discussing invisible and imperceptible matters; indeed, I would not have attempted to speak of such things from the beginning unless I were taking my starting points from the Holy Scripture, for it is not within human intellect to separate the invisible from the sensible, but since it is impossible to contradict what God has said, we follow what is written, whether we wish to or not—therefore, the most wicked demons are sent privately to exact punishment from the wicked, but they are also sent toward the righteous, not to punish them, but to tempt them.

Since a holy angel is not commanded to serve in temptation (for God does not command anything unworthy of an angel), demons are permitted this temptation. And do not marvel if demons are sent toward the righteous; for the Master of all things was once led from the Jordan into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. If the devil tempted the Lord and Savior of all things, why should you marvel if a demon is sent toward a righteous man for the gymnasium of endurance? It is sent, not by God commanding it, but by Him permitting it.

The Scripture fashions the word as if in personification. For a voice from God does not move toward an evil demon, nor is it worthy of that transgressive intent. For His nature is good, but the intent is evil; thus, it is not worthy of the unblemished voice. If, however, you say, 'The Lord said to the devil; I will tell you from David,' or 'To the sinner God said, Why do you recount my rights?'—did He then utter a voice toward the sinner? No; but through the things through which He speaks, He speaks toward the unworthy via those very things. God commanded the sea monsters. Did He send a voice, or a command...

Greek · §9

ἅγιοι ἀποστέλλονται· πρὸς δὲ τὰς κατὰ τῶν ἀνόμων ἀνθρώπων τιμωρίας δαίμονες ἀποστέλλονται· καὶ ὅπως, ἄκουε· Ὅτε τῶν ἁγίων ἀγγέλων μέμνηται Παῦλος, φησίν· Οὐχὶ πάντες λειτουργικὰ πνεύματά εἰσιν, εἰς διακονίαν ἀποστελλόμενα διὰ τοὺς μέλλοντας κληρονομεῖν σωτηρίαν; Ὅθεν δῆλον ὅτι οἱ μὲν ἅγιοι ἄγγελοι ὑπηρετοῦσι ταῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων σωτηρίαις· οἱ δὲ πικροὶ δαίμονες ταῖς κατὰ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν τιμωρίαις. Ἐξαπέστειλε γὰρ, φησὶν ὁ ∆αυῒδ, εἰς τὴν Αἴγυπτον θυμὸν, καὶ ὀργὴν, καὶ θλίψιν, ἀποστολὴν διὰ ἀγγέλων πονηρῶν. βʹ. Οἱ τοίνυν πονηροὶ καὶ ἀκάθαρτοι δαίμονες, εἰ καὶ ἀφηνίασαν τῇ προθέσει, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τὸν ζυγὸν κεῖνται τῆς δουλείας, καὶ κελεύονται ὡς δήμιοι πρᾶξαι τὰ προσταττόμενα. Καὶ μὴ θαυμάσῃς, εἰ Θεὸς κελεύει δαίμοσιν. Οἱ ἀπόστολοι ὡς δημίῳ κέχρηνται τῷ διαβόλῳ. Λέγει Παῦλος· Ἐπειδή τινες περὶ τὴν πίστιν ἠστόχησαν, τούτους παρέδωκα τῷ Σατανᾷ, ἵνα παιδευθῶσι μὴ βλασφημεῖν. Καὶ πάλιν περί τινος ἐκπορνεύσαντος, καὶ δίκην ὀφείλοντος, τί φησιν ὁ αὐτὸς Παῦλος; Συναχθέντων ὑμῶν καὶ τοῦ ἐμοῦ πνεύματος, σὺν τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ ἔκρινα τὸν οὕτω τοῦτο κατεργασάμενον, τοῦτον παραδοῦναι τῷ Σατανᾷ εἰς ὄλεθρον τῆς σαρκὸς, ἵνα τὸ πνεῦμα σωθῇ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ νομίσωσιν οἱ δαίμονες, ὅτι πάντη κατὰ τῆς θείας αὐθεντίας ἐτυράννησαν, κελεύονται καὶ ἄκοντες ποιεῖν τὰ προσταττόμενα, οὐ πράγματα εἰς εὐθηνίαν συντείνοντα, ἀλλὰ πράγματα εἰς τιμωρίαν φέροντα. Οὐκ εἶδες καὶ τοὺς παρ' ἡμῖν ἄρχοντας, ὅταν μὲν μετὰ τιμῆς τινα καλῶσι, πῶς ἀποστέλλουσι τοὺς δρομεῖς, κούρσωρας καλουμένους Ῥωμαϊστί· ὅταν δὲ μετ' ἀτιμίας τινὰς ἕλκωσιν, ἑτέρους ἐκπέμπουσιν ἀπηνεῖς καὶ σκληροὺς στρατιώτας; Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς μὲν ἁγίοις ἀποστέλλει διακόνους ἀγγέλους εἰς σωτηρίαν· ὅταν δὲ τιμωρήσασθαι βούληται, τοῖς δαίμοσιν ἐπιτρέπει. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὅτε ἀπεφαίνετο κατὰ τοῦ Ἀχαὰβ ὁ Θεὸς, λέγει· Τίς πορεύσεται καὶ ἀπατήσει τὸν Ἀχαὰβ, καὶ πεσεῖται; Καὶ ἀπεκρίθη πνεῦμα πονηρόν· Ἰδοὺ ἐγώ. Ἤδει γὰρ ὅτι εἰς τοῦτο τέτακται ὁ διάβολος. Οἱ τοίνυν δαίμονες (σύγγνωτε δέ μοι, παρακαλῶ· περὶ πραγμάτων γὰρ ἀοράτων καὶ οὐκ αἰσθητῶν διαλέγομαι· ἀλλ' οὐδ' ἂν ἀπ' ἀρχῆς ἐπεχείρησά τι περὶ τῶν τοιούτων εἰπεῖν, εἰ μὴ τὰς ἀφορμὰς ἐκ τῆς ἁγίας Γραφῆς ἐδανειζόμην· οὐ γὰρ ἀνθρωπίνης ἐστὶν ἐννοίας μερίζειν τὰ ἀόρατα ἀπὸ τῶν αἰσθητῶν· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ οἷς εἶπεν ὁ Θεὸς ἀντειπεῖν οὐκ ἔστι, τοῖς γεγραμμένοις οὖν στοιχοῦμεν, κἂν θέλωμεν, κἂν μή)· οἱ τοίνυν πονηρότατοι δαίμονες ἀποστέλλονται μὲν ἰδικῶς εἰσπράξασθαι παρὰ τῶν πονηρῶν τιμωρίαν· ἀποστέλλονται δὲ καὶ πρὸς δικαίους, οὐχ ἵνα τιμωρήσωνται, ἀλλ' ἵνα πειράσωσιν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἄγγελος ἅγιος ὑπουργῆσαι τῇ πείρᾳ οὐ κελεύεται (οὐδὲ γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς κελεύει τι ἀνάξιον ἀγγέλῳ), διὰ τοῦτο δαίμονες ταύτην ἐπιτρέπονται τὴν πεῖραν. Καὶ μὴ θαυμάσῃς εἰ πρὸς δικαίους δαίμονες ἀποστέλλονται· ἀνήχθη γάρ ποτε ὁ ∆εσπότης τῶν ἁπάντων ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰορδάνου εἰς τὴν ἔρημον πειρασθῆναι ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου. Εἰ τοίνυν τὸν Κύριον καὶ τὸν Σωτῆρα τῶν ἁπάντων διάβολος ἐπείρασε, τί θαυμάσεις εἰ κατὰ δικαίου εἰς γυμνάσιον ὑπομονῆς δαίμων ἀποστέλλεται; Ἀποστέλλεται δὲ, οὐ τοῦ Θεοῦ κελεύοντος, ἀλλὰ συγχωροῦντος. Σχηματίζει δὲ ἡ Γραφὴ ὡς ἐν προσωποποιίᾳ τὸν λόγον. Οὐ γὰρ φωνὴ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ χωρεῖ πρὸς πονηρὸν δαίμονα, οὐδὲ καταξιοῦται ταύτης ἡ παραβάτις ἐκείνη πρόθεσις. Φύσις γὰρ ἀγαθὴ, πρόθεσις δὲ κακή· οὐ καταξιοῦται τῆς ἀχράντου φωνῆς. Ἐὰν δὲ εἴπῃς· Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τῷ διαβόλῳ· ἐρῶ σοι ἀπὸ τοῦ ∆αυΐδ· Τῷ δὲ ἁμαρτωλῷ εἶπεν ὁ Θεὸς, Ἵνα τί σὺ ἐκδιηγῇ τὰ δικαιώματά μου; Ἆρα φωνὴν ἔῤῥηξε πρὸς τὸν ἁμαρτωλόν; Οὐχί· ἀλλὰ δι' ὧν φθέγγεται, δι' αὐτῶν τῶν πραγμάτων λαλεῖ πρὸς τοὺς ἀναξίους. Ἐπέταξεν ὁ Θεὸς τῷ κήτει. Ἆρα φωνὴν ἐκπέμψας, ἢ πρόσταγμά

The Devil's Wandering and Job's Faith§10

10Why be agitated? God commanded the worm in the morning. If the discourse is shaped in this way, such that God spoke to the devil, do not bring forth this worthless one from a position of equality, as if he had a purpose before the Lord. The appointed order; yet the devil came and stood in the midst of the angels, so that you might learn that while he took an angelic nature, he demonstrated a treacherous purpose.

For devil, brothers, is not a name of nature, but of choice. Why devil? For he did not become a devil from the beginning, but an angel was created; but he was named devil as one who slanders God toward men and man toward God, and as one who sets up the Lord against the servant and the servant against the Lord. For when the devil brings accusations against us, saying, 'How many evils are in the world? Where is God? Why does he not protect?' he slanders the Creator toward us; for this has been the work of the devil from the beginning.

He slanders God toward Adam, saying, 'God said that on whatever day you eat from the tree, you will be like gods.' He says that God hindered you from eating. There he slanders God toward Adam; here he slanders Job toward God: 'Does Job serve God for nothing?' That is, he is a hireling, not virtuous; he performs a wage for his prosperity; take away the money, and his purpose is stripped bare. Since God saw the righteous being insulted by that suspicion, he removes the possessions so that he might remove the suspicion and show piety naked.

And see the purpose of the evil demon. The Lord said to the devil, 'Whence have you come?' Then the proud and arrogant one, knowing neither his own rank nor the value of the one asking, says, 'Having gone around the earth and walked under the heaven, I am here.' He cries out once, desiring to show that he holds what is under heaven, that all the earth has been handed to him, and that he has all men under his feet. 'Having gone around the earth and walked under the heaven, I am here,' he said. The arrogance of the devil is cut away. For since he thought he held the image of God, he is cast out from the earth so as to no longer walk, and the Lord of all banishes him. For he is the one who promised, 'I will dwell in them, and walk...'

I will be their God. The devil wandered about. When idolatry was poured out, when impiety prevailed, and when all the things of evil reached their peak, the devil wandered about; but when holiness, righteousness, and truth are among those guarding the truth, God dwells and wanders about.

Pay attention, therefore, to your mind, he says, concerning my servant Job, whether there is no one on the earth, like him, who is blameless, righteous, true, and holding himself back from every evil? Since he said that they have gone all around under heaven, and he was boasting as if ruling all things, the word of truth parries his arrogance by saying to him: 'Did you see the man under you who has not wandered, since you rule all things, as you said? Did you see the one who has overcome all your evil? Did you see the one who struck you, the one who strikes all? Did you see the one who released your tyranny, and released injustice by righteousness, and impiety by piety?'

But he resists God and says: 'He serves you not for nothing.' Possessions were added so that he might insult his manner, so that he might insult his character, and so that he might show the illegitimacy of virtue through suspicions. You have given him, he says, abundance; take away the abundance, and the hypocrisy is stripped bare. God says to him: 'Touch all that he has.' For God knows that he has an insatiable intention toward greed; and he says: 'Behold, I give you authority over all things, but of him only do not touch.'

He limits the evil of the devil with boundaries. See then how he aims a bow against the righteous, and how he sends arrows. He went out, and first the worker of evils himself is shaped, presenting himself as an angel of evils; he himself struck the livestock, and he himself announces the plague. For the devil said to Job, he says: 'The pairs of your oxen were stolen, and the females were eaten by donkeys, and the captors came, and they slaughtered your children, and I was left alone, and I came to announce it to you.'

This is the first trial of the devil, the first arrow against the brave combatant. But Job resisted with the door of faith, which is able to quench all the fiery arrows of the evil one. The pairs of oxen were lost, and the soul was not divided. The donkeys were lost, and the noble colt the bridle of piety did not...

Greek · §10

τι νευρώσας; Ἐκέλευσεν ὁ Θεὸς σκώληκι ἑωθινῇ. Οὕτως ἐὰν σχηματίσῃ ὁ λόγος, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἐφθέγξατο πρὸς τὸν διάβολον, μὴ ἐξ ἰσοτιμίας παραγάγῃς τὴν ἄτιμον ταύτην καὶ παραβεβηκυῖαν πρόθεσιν εἰσαγομένην εἰς πρόσωπον τοῦ ∆εσπότου. Ἀλλ' ἑστήκασιν οἱ ἄγγελοι κατὰ τὴν διατεταγμένην ἀκολουθίαν· ἦλθε δὲ ὁ διάβολος, καὶ παρέστη ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἀγγέλων, ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι ἀγγέλου μὲν φύσιν ἔλαβε, προδότου δὲ πρόθεσιν ἐπεδείξατο. ∆ιάβολος γὰρ, ἀδελφοὶ, οὐ φύσεως ὄνομα, 56.573 ἀλλὰ προαιρέσεως. ∆ιὰ τί διάβολος; Οὐ γὰρ διάβολος ἐγένετο ἀπ' ἀρχῆς, ἀλλὰ ἄγγελος ἐκτίσθη· διάβολος δὲ ὠνομάσθη, ὡς διαβάλλων καὶ Θεὸν ἀνθρώποις, καὶ ἄνθρωπον Θεῷ· καὶ ὡς συγκρούων ∆εσπότην πρὸς οἰκέτην, καὶ οἰκέτην πρὸς ∆εσπότην. Ὅταν γὰρ ὑποβάλλῃ ἡμῖν ὁ διάβολος, καὶ εἴπῃ· Πόσα κακὰ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ; ποῦ ὁ Θεός; διὰ τί μὴ προΐσταται; διαβάλλει τὸν ∆ημιουργὸν πρὸς ἡμᾶς· ἔργον γὰρ τοῦτο ἐξ ἀρχῆς τῷ διαβόλῳ. ∆ιαβάλλει Θεὸν πρὸς τὸν Ἀδὰμ, λέγων Ἤδει ὁ Θεὸς, ὅτι ᾗ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ φάγησθε ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου, ἔσεσθε ὡς θεοί. Βασκαίνων, φησὶν, ἐκώλυσεν ὑμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς τῆς βρώσεως. Ἐκεῖ τὸν Θεὸν διαβάλλει πρὸς τὸν Ἀδάμ· ὧδε τὸν Ἰὼβπρὸς τὸν Θεόν· Μὴ γὰρ δωρεὰν σέβεται Ἰὼβ τὸν Θεόν; Τουτέστιν, ὑπομίσθιός ἐστιν, οὐκ ἐνάρετος· μισθόν σοι τελεῖ τῆς εὐπραγίας· περίελε τὰ χρήματα, καὶ γυμνοῦται αὐτοῦ ἡ πρόθεσις. Ἐπεὶ οὖν εἶδεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν δίκαιον τῇ ὑπονοίᾳ ἐκείνου ὑβριζόμενον, περιαιρεῖ τὰ κτήματα, ἵνα περιέλῃ τὴν ὑποψίαν, καὶ γυμνὴν δείξῃ τὴν εὐσέβειαν. Καὶ βλέπε τοῦ πονηροῦ δαίμονος τὴν πρόθεσιν· Εἶπε, φησὶ, ὁ Κύριος τῷ διαβόλῳ· Πόθεν παραγέγονας; Εἶτα ὁ ὑπερήφανος καὶ ἀλαζὼν, καὶ μήτε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ τάξιν εἰδὼς, μήτε τοῦ ἐρωτῶντος τὴν ἀξίαν, λέγει· Περιελθὼν τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἐμπεριπατήσας τὴν ὑπ' οὐρανὸν, πάρειμι· μονονουχὶ βοῶν καὶ βουλόμενος δεῖξαι, ὅτι κρατεῖ τῆς ὑπ' οὐρανὸν ὅτι πάντα αὐτῷ πεπάτηται γήϊνα, ὅτι πάντας ὑπὸ πόδας ἔχει τοὺς ἀνθρώπους. Περιελθὼν, ἔφη, τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἐμπεριπατήσας τὴν ὑπ' οὐρανὸν, πάρειμι. Ἐκκόπτεται τοῦ διαβόλου ἡ ἀλαζονεία. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐνόμισε κρατεῖν τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰκόνος, ἐκβάλλεται τῆς γῆς, ὥστε μηκέτι ἐμπεριπατεῖν· καὶ ἐξορίζει αὐτὸν ὁ πάντων ∆εσπότης. Αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ ἐπαγγειλάμενος, ὅτι· Ἐνοικήσω ἐν αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἐμπεριπατήσω, καὶ ἔσομαι αὐτῶν Θεός. γʹ. Τὰ πρῶτα ἐμπεριεπάτει ὁ διάβολος. Ὅτε μὲν γὰρ ἡ εἰδωλολατρεία ἐκέχυτο, ὅτε ἡ ἀσέβεια ἐκράτει, ὅτε πάντα τὰ τῆς κακίας ἤκμαζεν, ὁ διάβολος ἐμπεριεπάτει· ὅτε δὲ ἁγιωσύνη καὶ δικαιοσύνη καὶ ἀλήθεια παρὰ τοῖς φυλάττουσι τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ὁ Θεὸς ἐνοικεῖ καὶ ἐμπεριπατεῖ. Προσέσχες οὖν τῇ διανοίᾳ σου, φησὶ, κατὰ τοῦ θεράποντός μου Ἰὼβ, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι κατ' αὐτὸν τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἄμεμπτος, δίκαιος, ἀληθινὸς, ἀπεχόμενος ἀπὸ παντὸς πονηροῦ; Ἐπειδὴ εἶπε, Πᾶσαν περιῆλθον τὴν ὑπ' οὐρανὸν, καὶ ἠλαζονεύετο ὡς πάντων κρατῶν, παραλύων αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀλαζονείαν ὁ λόγος τῆς ἀληθείας, φησὶ πρὸς αὐτόν· Εἶδες τὸν ἄνθρωπον τὸν ὑπὸ σοῦ μὴ πεπατημένον, ἐπειδὴ πάντων, ὡς ἔφης, κρατεῖς; εἶδες τὸν πάσης σου τῆς κακίας κρατήσαντα; εἶδες τὸν πατήσαντά σε τὸν πατοῦντα πάντας; εἶδες τὸν ἐκλύσαντά σου τὴν τυραννίδα, καὶ τὴν ἀδικίαν ἐκλύσαντα τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ, καὶ τὴν ἀσέβειαν τῇ εὐσεβείᾳ; Ὁ δὲ ἀνθίσταται τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ λέγει· Οὐ δωρεὰν σέβεται. Προσέθηκε τὰ κτήματα, ἵνα ὑβρίσῃ αὐτοῦ τὸν τρόπον, ἵνα ὑβρίσῃ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ ἦθος, ἵνα ταῖς ὑπονοίαις νόθον δείξῃ τὴν ἀρετήν. Σὺ δέδωκας αὐτῷ, φησὶ, τὴν ἀφθονίαν· περίελε τὴν ἀφθονίαν, καὶ γυμνοῦται ἡ ὑπόκρισις. Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Θεός· Ἅψαι πάντων ὧν ἔχει. Ἤδει γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς, ὅτι ἀκόρεστον ἔχει τὴν πρόθεσιν εἰς πλεονεξίαν· καὶ λέγει· Ἰδοὺ, πάντων δίδωμί σοι τὴν ἐξουσίαν, αὐτοῦ δὲ μόνον μὴ ἅψῃ. Ὅροις περιορίζει τὴν κακίαν τοῦ διαβόλου. Βλέπε λοιπὸν οἷον ἀποτείνει τόξον κατὰ τοῦ δικαίου, οἷα πέμπει βέλη. Ἐξῆλθε, καὶ πρῶτον σχηματίζεται αὐτὸς ὁ τῶν κακῶν ἐργάτης, αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν ἄγγελον τῶν κακῶν παραστήσας, αὐτὸς ἔπληξε τὰ κτήνη, καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπαγγέλλει τὴν πληγήν. Εἶπε γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ διάβολος τῷ Ἰώβ· Τὰ ζεύγη τῶν βοῶν σου ἠροτρία, καὶ αἱ θήλειαι ὄνοι ἐνέμοντο, καὶ ἦλθον οἱ αἰχμαλωτεύοντες, καὶ κατέσφαξαν τοὺς παῖδάς σου, καὶ ὑπελείφθην ἐγὼ μόνος, καὶ ἦλθον τοῦ ἀπαγγεῖλαί σοι. Πρώτη πεῖρα τοῦ διαβόλου, πρῶτον βέλος κατὰ τοῦ γενναίου ἀγωνιστοῦ. Ἀλλ' ἀντέστησεν Ἰὼβ τὸν θυρεὸν τῆς πίστεως, τὸν δυνάμενον πάντα τὰ βέλη τοῦ πονηροῦ τὰ πεπυρωμένα σβέσαι. Τὰ ζεύγη τῶν βοῶν ἀπώλετο, καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ οὐκ ἐμερίζετο. Αἱ ὄνοι ἀπώλοντο, καὶ ὁ εὐγενὴς πῶλος τὸν χαλινὸν τῆς εὐσεβείας οὐκ

The Arrows of God and the Deception of the Evil One§11

11He refused. He saw a bitter message of the destruction of his possessions, and he remained like a secure and unconquerable tower. The devil, being bitter in his malice and bitter in his choice, regretted thus having announced it. And pay attention, I urge you, so that the thought of the Evil One does not slip from your mindsays, having observed it closely: For we do not ignore his thoughts.

As he had announced to him, that the pairs of oxen were plowing, and the females of the donkeys were in heat, and the captors had come, he saw Job bearing the message with a brave soul; he regretted that he had announced badly, and the devil said only to himself: I have announced badly, having said to him that men had fought against him. It is possible to reason that if men had fought against him and wronged him, what is that against God? He says, I have shot badly, I did not aim at the mark, the aim failed, the arrows went astray. I said that men had captured; this one is able to say: Why then shall I write the injustice of men upon God? Others are the wrongdoers, and another will be the blasphemer.

In order that he might transfer his mind from men to God, and show him that it is not men who are harming, but God fighting, he says to him, 'Fire fell from heaven.'n.'n.'. You cannot say that enemies threw it from above; that would insult the wrongdoer and blaspheme the fighter. Fire fell from heaven. Why do you worship the wrongdoer, why do you prostrate yourself to the one destroying your possessions? Fire fell from heaven. Job heard, and again brought forth bravely. For his endurance was truly endurance, extended until the end, concerning which the Savior says: But the one who endures until the end, this one will be saved.

Fire fell from heaven. Day by day I labored offering sacrifices for the children; what he, laboring day by day, offered, God received into sacrifice without delay. Fire fell from heaven. If I alone was clothed, I was justly grieved; but if the poor were clothed, is the Master not able to neglect the poor? I know that what he received into sacrifice, He returns fivefold. For were the possessions gathered from injustice? For did I not acquire the sheep from greed? From the fleece of my sheep, the shoulders of the poor were warmed, and the mouth of the widow was blessed.

Let him afflict me. I know what God is doing. Now, let Him take my existence as a sacrifice, for He multiplies my essence into an abundance of virtue. The external arrows do not shake me, because I am being strengthened by the internal ones; rather, the arrows of God strengthen me more from within. For the arrows of the Mighty are being struck, concerning which David said, 'Your arrows have fallen upon me.' The arrows—what kind? The arrow of piety, the arrow of righteousness, the arrow of longing toward God, the arrow of zeal for virtue; with these divine arrows the soul is pierced.

Thus, having brought upon him every trial and having stripped him of his possessions, but not having stripped him of virtue, the devil now moves against his very nature. He violates the cultivation of nature, tearing the branches from the root and crushing the children of the good combatant; he removes the fruit in order to grieve the one who begot him. And what is he doing? Look also at the message of the Evil One, how it is full of irony and overflowing with deception, capable of shattering the soul of the brave man. He says to him, 'Regarding your sons and your daughters who were eating and drinking in the house of your elder son, a great spirit came from the wilderness, and it shook the house, and it fell upon your little ones, and they died.' This word is ironic, capable of inciting grief. He did not say, 'Upon your children,' but 'Upon the little ones,' so that, having heard of the little ones, he might enter into mourning and bend in sympathy. 'A great spirit came from the wilderness.' Again, he slanders the Judge, for a spirit does not obey men, but God. 'It fell upon your little ones, and they died.'

Then Job arose; for thus it has been written. It is a good thing that he arose; for he did not fall by the plague, but arose by the power of piety; he arose and he worshiped. Worship is a reward for afflictions. Being struck, he blesses; being cast into misfortunes, he gives thanks. And he shaved his head. Now, many among us who are mourning grow their hair, but he shaved his. Why? To turn the condition of the one who is striving into the opposite form for the sake of the one who mourns. Wherever hair is honored, the refusal to shave is a sign of mourning. For everywhere an opposite form is sought from those who mourn. And he tore his garments; being drawn toward the passion by the outward appearance, but by the reality...

Greek · §11

ἠρνήσατο. Εἶδεν ἀγγελίαν πικρὰν τῆς ἀπωλείας τῶν κτημάτων, καὶ ἔμεινεν ὡς ἀσφαλὴς πύργος καὶ ἀκαταγώνιστος. Ὁ διάβολος πικρὸς ὢν τῇ κακίᾳ, καὶ πικρὸς ὢν τὴν προαίρεσιν, μετεμελήθη οὕτως ἀπαγγείλας. Καὶ πρόσεχε ἀκριβῶς, παρακαλῶ, μή σε διαφύγῃ ἡ τοῦ Πονηροῦ ἔννοια, ἣν καὶ Ἀπόστολος ἀκριβῶς κατοπτεύσας, φησίν· Οὐ γὰρ αὐ56.574 τοῦ τὰ νοήματα ἀγνοοῦμεν. Ὡς οὖν ἀπήγγειλεν αὐτῷ, ὅτι Τὰ ζεύγη τῶν βοῶν ἠροτρία, καὶ αἱ θήλειαι ὄνοι ἐνέμοντο, καὶ ἦλθον οἱ αἰχμαλωτεύοντες, εἶδε δὲ τὸν Ἰὼβ ψυχῇ γενναίᾳ φέροντα τὴν ἀγγελίαν, μετεμελήθη ὅτι κακῶς ἀπήγγειλε, καὶ μονονουχὶ εἶπε πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ὁ διάβολος· Χακῶς ἀπήγγειλα, εἰπὼν αὐτῷ ὅτι ἄνθρωποι αὐτῷ ἐπολέμησαν· δύναται λογίσασθαι, ὅτι εἰ ἄνθρωποι ἐπολέμησαν καί με ἠδίκησαν, τί πρὸς τὸν Θεόν; Κακῶς, φησὶν, ἐτόξευσα, οὐ κατὰ σκοποῦ ἔβαλον, ἀπέτυχον τῆς τοξείας, ἀπεπλανήθη τὰ βέλη. Εἶπον ὅτι ἄνθρωποι ᾐχμαλώτευσαν· δύναται οὗτος εἰπεῖν· Τί οὖν τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀδικίαν Θεῷ ἐπιγράψω; Ἄλλοι οἱ ἠδικηκότες, καὶ ἄλλος ἔσται ὁ βλασφημούμενος; Ἵνα οὖν μεταγάγῃ αὐτοῦ τὴν διάνοιαν ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων εἰς Θεὸν, καὶ δείξῃ αὐτῷ οὐκ ἀνθρώπους καταβλάπτοντας, ἀλλὰ Θεὸν πολεμοῦντα, λέγει αὐτῷ· Πῦρ ἔπεσεν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. Μὴ δύνῃ εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ἐχθροὶ ἔῤῥιψαν ἄνωθεν; Ὕβρισον τὸν ἀδικήσαντα, βλασφήμησον τὸν πολεμήσαντα. Πῦρ ἔπεσεν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. ∆ιὰ τί λατρεύεις τῷ ἀδικήσαντι, διὰ τί προσκυνεῖς τὸν ἀναλίσκοντά σου τὰ κτήματα; Πῦρ ἔπεσεν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. Ἤκουσεν ὁ Ἰὼβ, καὶ πάλιν ἤνεγκε γενναίως. Ἡ γὰρ ὑπομονὴ ἐκείνου ἀληθῶς ὑπομονὴ ἦν, μέχρι τέλους παρατεταμένη, περὶ ἧς φησιν ὁ Σωτήρ· Ὁ δὲ ὑπομείνας εἰς τέλος, οὗτος σωθήσεται. Πῦρ ἔπεσεν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. Καθ' ἡμέραν ἔκαμνε προσφέρων θυσίας ὑπὲρ τῶν τέκνων· ἃ καθ' ἡμέραν κάμνων προσέφερεν, ἀθρόως ὁ Θεὸς εἰς θυσίαν ἔλαβε. Πῦρ ἔπεσεν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. Εἰ ἐγὼ μόνος ἐνεδυόμην, δικαίως ἤλγουν· εἰ δὲ πένητες ἐνεδύοντο, μὴ δύναται ὁ ∆εσπότης ἀμελῆσαι τῶν πτωχῶν; Οἶδα ὅτι ἃ ἔλαβεν εἰς θυσίαν, ἀποδίδωσιν εἰς τὸ πενταπλάσιον. Μὴ γὰρ ἐξ ἀδικίας συνήχθη τὰ κτήματα; μὴ γὰρ ἀπὸ πλεονεξίας ἐκτησάμην τὰ πρόβατα; Ἐκ τῆς κουρᾶς τῶν προβάτων μου ἐθερμάνθησαν ὦμοι πενήτων, καὶ στόμα χήρας εὐλόγησέ με. Οἶδε τί ποιεῖ ὁ Θεός. Νῦν ἐλαβέ μου τὴν ὕπαρξιν, ὡς θυσίαν· πολλαπλασιάζει δέ μου τὴν οὐσίαν εἰς πλεονασμὸν ἀρετῆς. Οὐ σαλεύει με τὰ ἔξωθεν βέλη τοῖς ἔσωθεν ὀχυρούμενον· στηρίζει δέ με μᾶλλον ἔνδοθεν τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ βέλη. Τὰ γὰρ βέλη τοῦ δυνατοῦ ἠκονημένα· περὶ ὧν ἔλεγε ∆αυῒδ, ὅτι Τὰ βέλη σου ἐνεπάγησάν μοι· Τὰ βέλη, ποῖα; Βέλος εὐσεβείας, βέλος δικαιοσύνης, βέλος πόθου πρὸς Θεὸν, βέλος ζήλου ἀρετῆς· τούτοις τοῖς θείοις βέλεσιν ἡ ψυχὴ τιτρώσκεται. Ὡς οὖν πᾶσαν πεῖραν προσαγαγὼν ὁ διάβολος, καὶ τῶν κτημάτων γυμνώσας, τῆς ἀρετῆς οὐκ ἐγύμνωσε, χωρεῖ λοιπὸν ἐπὶ τὴν φύσιν, καὶ τὴν γεωργίαν τῆς φύσεως βιάζεται, καὶ ἀποσπᾷ τοὺς κλάδους ἀπὸ τῆς ῥίζης, καὶ συντρίβει τοὺς παῖδας τοῦ καλοῦ ἀγωνιστοῦ· περιαιρεῖ τὸν καρπὸν, ἵνα λυπήσῃ τὸν γεννήσαντα. Καὶ τί ποιεῖ; Βλέπε καὶ τὴν ἀγγελίαν τοῦ Πονηροῦ, πῶς μεστὴ μέν ἐστιν εἰρωνείας, καὶ εἰς γοητείαν ῥέπουσα, καὶ κατακλάσαι τὴν ψυχὴν τοῦ γενναίου δυναμένη. Λέγει οὖν αὐτῷ· Τῶν υἱῶν σου καὶ τῶν θυγατέρων σου ἐσθιόντων καὶ πινόντων ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου σου υἱοῦ, ἦλθε πνεῦμα μέγα ἐκ τῆς ἐρήμου, καὶ συνέσεισε τὸν οἶκον, καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ τὰ παιδία σου, καὶ ἐτελεύτησαν. Καὶ τὸ ῥῆμα ὑποκοριστικὸν, δυνάμενον ἐγεῖραι πένθος. Οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἐπὶ τὰ τέκνα σου, ἀλλὰ, Ἐπὶ τὰ παιδία, ἵνα τῶν παίδων ἀκούσας, εἰς οἶκτον ἔλθῃ, ἵνα καμφθῇ πρὸς συμπάθειαν. Ἦλθε πνεῦμα μέγα ἐκ τῆς ἐρήμου. Πάλιν τὸν κριτὴν διαβάλλει· πνεῦμα γὰρ οὐκ ἀνθρώποις ὑπακούει, ἀλλὰ τῷ Θεῷ. Ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ τὰ παιδία σου, καὶ ἐτελεύτησαν. Τότε Ἰὼβ ἀνέστη· οὕτω γὰρ γέγραπται. Καλὸν τὸ, Ἀνέστη· οὐ γὰρ κατέπεσε τῇ πληγῇ, ἀλλ' ἀνέστη τῇ δυνάμει τῆς εὐσεβείας· Ἀνέστη, καὶ προσεκύνησε. Μισθὸς συμφορῶν ἡ προσκύνησις. Τυπτόμενος εὐλόγει· συμφοραῖς βαλλόμενος εὐχαρίστει. Καὶ περιεκείρατο τὴν κόμην. Νῦν ἐφ' ἡμῶν τῶν πενθούντων πολλοὶ τρέφουσι κόμην, ἐκεῖνος δὲ περιῄρει. ∆ιὰ τί; Τῷ πενθοῦντι τὸ σπουδαζόμενον, εἰς τὸ ἐναντίον σχῆμα περιστῆσαι τὴν κατάστασιν. Ὅπου οὖν τιμᾶται κόμη, σημεῖον πένθους τὸ μὴ κείρεσθαι. Πανταχοῦ γὰρ τὸ ἐναντίον ζητεῖται σχῆμα ἀπὸ τῶν πενθούντων. Καὶ διέῤῥηξε τὰ ἱμάτια· τῷ μὲν σχήματι πρὸς τὸ πάθος ἀποσυρόμενος, τῷ δὲ πράγματι

The Unannounced Struggle of Job§12

12Stripping oneself for the sake of virtue. One strips off the garment so that, like a naked athlete, he may grapple with the opponent and, through an unutterable struggle, be awarded the prize of righteousness. He who was clothed in righteousness stripped the garment; and the great singer of piety says: 'The Lord gave, the Lord took away; as it pleased the Lord, so it happened; blessed be the name of the Lord forever.' O generous soul! This voice became an arrow against the devil; he sent this voice out as arrows against the demons, shattering the phalanx of the adversaries. 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall depart.' This voice is apostolic, even before the apostolic ages: 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, naked I shall depart,' just as the Apostle says: 'We have brought nothing into the world'; it is clear that we are unable to bring anything out. The Lord gave, the Lord took away.

He was taken from all things, so that I may cut short the discourse, and the woman alone remained, the ancient instrument of the devil. The woman remained, not because the devil spared her, but because he kept her as a weapon for himself. For since he knew that through a woman he had brought the first man to trial, he guards the woman so that he may use a similar weapon for the attack. But there he found Adam, whereas here he does not find Adam. There he found Adam and Eve; but here he found Eve and does not find Adam. The woman says to him: 'How long will you endure?' These are truly the words of the devil. For the phrase 'How long' was the voice of one being tortured. I am being tortured, and you say, 'How long?' I am being struck, and you are indifferent to the wounds of the one being tortured? How long will you sit waiting day after day for salvation?

The devil willfully does not praise the virtue of the righteous man, but proclaims his endurance, because he was struggling in hope. 'How long?' Then see the wisdom of the writer. And having looked at her, he says, 'Job said.' He did not say, approaching her, but, having looked at her. Having looked, why? For did he not know his own wife? Did he not converse with her? Did he not beget children from her? Why then did he look? The 'looking' shows that he does not see her, but the one in her. Job looked at the devil; he saw the one speaking in the serpent, and now speaking in the woman. And he says: 'As one of the...

You spoke as a fool. Why did He not say, 'Like one of the impious,' or 'Like one of the atheists'? Perhaps He did not consider her an atheist, but rather one seized by folly. Otherwise, brothers, the designation of a fool is given primarily to the one denying God; for he says in his heart, 'There is no God.' To speak as one of the fools is like saying, 'As Eve spoke: If we received good things from the hand of the Lord, shall we not also receive evils?' O generous soul! Test his soul right there.

Job did not know that he was struggling for virtue; he did not know that he is crowned for endurance; but he simply thought the calamity was a divine act. He thought evils were coming, and thinking they were evils, he did not blaspheme as one would against evils. If, thinking they were evils, he struggled thus, would he not have struggled much more if he had known the crown? But why did God not say to him beforehand, 'See what you are doing; the devil is about to array himself against you, he is about to arm himself against you; struggle, be strong, so that he may not turn away your mind, so that he may not seize your thoughts, so that he may not besiege your soul; be strong, and do not think it easy for God to command the athlete to the wrestling match.'

For the Lord says to Peter, 'Peter, behold, Satan has demanded you, to sift you like wheat.' To the apostles, He announces the trials; but to Job, He does not announce the trials, nor the contest. Is this not injustice on the part of God? May it never be. He encourages some and abandons others. Why does He not say to him as He does to the apostles? Perhaps God knew the devil's malice, knew the envy, and knew the suspicion capable of blunting virtue.

If God had said to him, 'Watch yourself and struggle; if you endure to the end, I will give you twice what you have, you will inherit the kingdom of heaven, you will receive crowns of immortality, and the whole world will be full of praises of your body and your commendations'; if He had said these things, the righteous man would indeed have struggled, but the devil would have again found an opportunity; and if, having struggled, he had conquered thus, he would say to God, 'Did I not struggle for nothing? Promise me immortality, promise me a kingdom, promise me crowns.' Therefore, if having received the enjoyment of the temporal things, he was thought not to be righteous but merely a hireling; if he received the promise of the eternal things...

Greek · §12

πρὸς τὴν ἀρετὴν ἀποδυόμενος. Ἀποδύεται τὸ ἱμάτιον, ἵνα ὡς γυμνὸς ἀθλητὴς περιπλακῇ τῷ ἀντιπάλῳ, καὶ ἐξ ἀναντιῤῥήτου πάλης βραβεύσῃ τὴν δικαιοσύνην. Ἀπεδύσατο τὸ ἱμάτιον ὁ ἐνδεδυμένος τὴν δικαιοσύνην· καί φησιν ὁ μέγας λαμ56.575 πτὴρ τῆς εὐσεβείας· Ὁ Κύριος ἔδωκεν, ὁ Κύριος ἀφείλετο· ὡς τῷ Κυρίῳ ἔδοξεν, οὕτω καὶ ἐγένετο· εἴη τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου εὐλογημένον εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ὢ γενναίας ψυχῆς! Αὕτη ἡ φωνὴ βέλος ἐγένετο κατὰ τοῦ διαβόλου, αὕτη ἡ φωνὴ βέλη κατὰ τῶν δαιμόνων ἀπέστειλεν, ἔῤῥηξε τὴν φάλαγγα τῶν ἐναντίων. Γυμνὸς ἐξῆλθον ἐκ κοιλίας μητρός μου, γυμνὸς καὶ ἀπελεύσομαι. Ἀποστολικὴ ἡ φωνὴ πρὸ τῶν ἀποστολικῶν χρόνων ἀνδριζομένη· Γυμνὸς ἐξῆλθον ἐκ κοιλίας μητρὸς, γυμνὸς καὶ ἀπελεύσομαι· ὡς ὁ Ἀπόστολος· Οὐδὲν ἐπηνέγκαμεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον· δῆλον, ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐξενεγκεῖν τι δυνάμεθα. Ὁ Κύριος ἔδωκεν, ὁ Κύριος ἀφείλετο. δʹ. Πάντων περιῃρέθη, ἵνα συντέμω, καὶ ἡ γυνὴ μόνη ὑπελέλειπτο, τὸ ἀρχαῖον ὄργανον τοῦ διαβόλου. Ἡ γυνὴ ὑπελέλειπτο, οὐ φεισαμένου τοῦ διαβόλου, ἀλλ' ἑαυτῷ τὸ ὅπλον τηρήσαντος. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ᾔδει, ὅτι διὰ γυναικὸς τὸν πρῶτον ἄνθρωπον κατηγωνίσατο, φυλάττει τὴν γυναῖκα, ἵνα τῷ ὁμοίῳ ὅπλῳ χρήσηται πρὸς τὴν ἐπιβουλήν. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖ μὲν εὗρε τὸν Ἀδὰμ, ὧδε δὲ τὸν Ἀδὰμοὐχ εὑρίσκει. Ἐκεῖ τὸν Ἀδὰμ εὗρε καὶ τὴν Εὔαν· ὧδε δὲ τὴν μὲν Εὔαν εὗρε, τὸν δὲ Ἀδὰμ οὐχ εὗρε. Λέγει αὐτῷ ἡ γυνή· Ἕως τίνος καρτερήσεις; Τὰ ῥήματα ἀληθῶς τοῦ διαβόλου. Τὸ γὰρ, Ἕως τίνος, βασανιζομένου ἦν ἡ φωνή. Ἐγὼ βασανίζομαι, καὶ σὺ λέγεις, Ἕως τίνος; Ἐγὼ τύπτομαι, καὶ σὺ ναρκᾷς πρὸς τὰς πληγὰς τοῦ βασανιζομένου; Ἕως τίνος κάθησαι περιμένων ἡμέραν ἐξ ἡμέρας τὴν σωτηρίαν; Ἄκων ὁ διάβολος τὴν ἀρετὴν τοῦ δικαίου ἀνυμνεῖ, κηρύττει αὐτοῦ τὴν ὑπομονὴν, ὅτι ἐλπίδι ἠγωνίζετο. Ἕως τίνος; Εἶτα βλέπε τὸ σοφὸν τοῦ συγγραφέως. Καὶ ἐμβλέψας αὐτῇ, φησὶν, Ἰὼβ εἶπεν. Οὐκ εἶπε, προσχὼν αὐτῇ, ἀλλ', ἐμβλέψας. Ἐμβλέψας, διὰ τί; ἠγνόει γὰρ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γυναῖκα; οὐκ αὐτῇ συνέζησεν; οὐκ ἐξ αὐτῆς ἐτεκνώσατο; διὰ τί οὖν ἐνέβλεψε; Τὸ Ἐμβλέψας δείκνυσιν, ὅτι οὐκ αὐτὴν βλέπει, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἐν αὐτῇ. Ἐνέβλεψε τῷ διαβόλῳ ὁ Ἰώβ· εἶδε τὸν ἐν τῷ ὄφει λαλήσαντα, καὶ νῦν ἐν τῇ γυναικὶ λαλοῦντα. Καὶ λέγει· Ὡς μία τῶν ἀφρόνων ἐλάλησας. ∆ιὰ τί οὐκ εἶπεν, Ὡς μία τῶν ἀσεβῶν; ὡς μία τῶν ἀθέων; Ἤδει αὐτὴν οὐκ ἄθεον οὖσαν, ἀλλ' ὑπ' ἀφροσύνης συναρπασθεῖσαν. Ἄλλως δὲ, ἀδελφοὶ, κυρίως τῷ τὸν Θεὸν ἀρνουμένῳ ἡ τοῦ ἄφρονος δίδοται φωνή. Εἶπε γὰρ, φησὶν, ἄφρων ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ· Οὐκ ἔστι Θεός. Ὡς μία τῶν ἀφρόνων· ὡς εἴ τις ἔλεγεν· Ὡς ἡ Εὔα ἐλάλησας. Εἰ τὰ ἀγαθὰ ἐδεξάμεθα ἐκ χειρὸς Κυρίου, τὰ κακὰ οὐχ ὑποίσομεν; Ὢ γενναίας ψυχῆς! Ἐνταῦθά μοι δοκίμασον αὐτοῦ τὴν ψυχήν. Οὐκ ᾔδει Ἰὼβ, ὅτι ὑπὲρ ἀρετῆς ἠγωνίζετο· οὐκ ᾔδει ὅτι ὑπὲρ ὑπομονῆς στέφεται· ἀλλ' ἐνόμιζεν ἁπλῶς συμφορὰν εἶναι θεήλατον· κακὰ εἶναι ἐνόμισε, καὶ κακὰ νομίσας, οὐχ ὡς ὑπὲρ κακῶν ἐβλασφήμησεν. Εἰ δὲ κακὰ νομίσας οὕτως ἠγωνίσατο, εἰ ᾔδει τὸν στέφανον, οὐ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἠγωνίζετο; Ἀλλὰ διὰ τί οὐ προλαβὼν εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς, Ὅρα τί ποιεῖς; Ὁ διάβολος μέλλει παρατάττεσθαί σοι, μέλλει κατὰ σοῦ ὁπλίζεσθαι· ἀγωνίζου, ἴσχυε, ἵνα μή σου παρατρέψῃ τὴν διάνοιαν, ἵνα μή σου συλήσῃ τοὺς λογισμοὺς, ἵνα μή σου πολιορκήσῃ τὴν ψυχήν· ἴσχυε, καὶ μὴ νομίσῃς, ὅτι ἀνοίκειον Θεῷ τὸ παραγγεῖλαι τῷ ἀθλητῇ τὴν πάλην. Τῷ γὰρ Πέτρῳ λέγει ὁ Κύριος· Πέτρε, ἰδοὺ ὁ Σατανᾶς ἐξῃτήσατο ὑμᾶς, τοῦ σινιάσαι ὡς τὸν σῖτον. Τοῖς ἀποστόλοις προλέγει τοὺς πειρασμούς· τῷ δὲ Ἰὼβ οὐ προλέγει τοὺς πειρασμοὺς, οὐδὲ τὴν ἄθλησιν. Μὴ ἀδικία παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ; Μὴ γένοιτο. Τοὺς μὲν παραθαρσύνει, τοὺς δὲ καταλιμπάνει. ∆ιὰ τί μὴ λέγει αὐτῷ, ὡς τοῖς ἀποστόλοις; Ἤδει ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ διαβόλου τὴν κακουργίαν, ᾔδει τὸν φθόνον, ᾔδει τὴν ὑπόνοιαν δυναμένην ἀμβλῦναι τὴν ἀρετήν. Εἰ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς, Πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ, καὶ ἀγώνισαι· ἐὰν ὑπομείνῃς εἰς τέλος, τὰ ὑπάρχοντά σοι εἰς τὸ διπλάσιον ἀποδίδωμι, βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν κληρονομήσεις, στεφάνους ἀθανασίας δέξῃ, μεστὴ τῶν ἐγκωμίων τῶν σῶν καὶ τῶν ἐπαίνων ἡ οἰκουμένη πᾶσα γενήσεται· εἰ ταῦτα εἶπεν, ἠγωνίζετο μὲν ἂν ὁ δίκαιος· ὁ δὲ διάβολος πάλιν ἀφορμὴν ἐλάμβανε· καὶ εἰ μὲν ἀγωνισάμενος οὕτως ἐνίκησεν, ἔλεγε τῷ Θεῷ· Μὴ γὰρ δωρεὰν ἠγωνίσατο; Ἐπηγγείλω αὐτῷ ἀθανασίαν, ἐπηγγείλω βασιλείαν, ἐπηγγείλω στεφάνους. Εἰ τοίνυν τῶν προσκαίρων λαβὼν τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν, ὑπενοήθη οὐχ ὡς δίκαιος, ἀλλ' ὡς ὑπομίσθιος· εἰ ἔλαβε τῶν αἰωνίων τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν,

The Superiority of Reality over Discourse§13

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13Did the devil not take an opportunity rather? Instead, he hides the crowns so that he may strip the athletes; he hides the prize so that he may show the athlete. For what reason, he asks, did he not also hide it from the apostles? For if it were for this reason he did not speak to Job, why did he not remain silent about the contest also regarding the apostles in the same manner? Job struggled alone; he suffered for himself, and he struggled for himself. But the apostles were preachers of the earth and teachers of the inhabited world. For them, indeed, it was not possible to hide it, but for the world the matter became a loss.

Paul was able to struggle without the promise of crowns; Peter was able to show manliness without the promise; the apostles were able to struggle for the sake of virtue without receiving the promise of good things. But Paul is not everywhere, nor is Peter everywhere; for many souls are weak, and many minds are faltering. For if today, while the kingdom is being preached, the coming enjoyment of good things, the angelic fellowship, and the luxury that is in paradise, are being proclaimed, many despise the promised things because they have been attached to present things; if it were indeed silenced, who would run to piety?

It is fitting, then, brothers, that for Job he does not show the things to come, so that he may show the intention to be more stable; but to the apostles the things to come are promised, so that he may rouse the souls of the hearers and strengthen the mind of the inhabited world. Many now hear about the kingdom and despise it; many receive Christ and put on wickedness; many do not withdraw from evil. Many honor fasts today and say: Today I say nothing to my adversary; let the day of the passion of Christ pass by, and I will exercise the judgment, I will avenge the insult, and I will do many things.

Are you not a brother of Esau, remembering these things? You say the same things that Esau said. For Esau also desired to kill his brother, but he loved his father. And what did he say? Let the days of my father's mourning draw near, and then I will kill...

Save my brother; let the death of my father pass, and then I will lift myself up. And what do you say? Let the passion of Christ pass, and then I will fight against my enemy. See lest you be a brother of Esau. Listen to what Paul says: let no one be a fornicator or profane like Esau, so that many are not defiled through him. These things are said to me, not for provocation, but for the understanding of the brothers and for salvation. And may it happen to us, being instructed by the word and being led by histories, standing firm in the contests of the holy Fathers and prophets, to always send back glory to God, now and forever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Concerning the righteous and blessed Job, the Word. 4. Everywhere and upon all things, so to speak, the words of the divine narratives are inferior to the realities, and the expressions of the hypotheses are weaker; but this is absolutely true regarding those things established in the blessed Job. No one is ever able to present the word of the hypothesis alongside the word of its own excellence. For even if ten thousand things are said about it, the word of the power according to its worth is left behind. Since therefore the things according to power have been said to us in moderation, nothing prevents even today from grasping the same narratives. And let no one suppose that the hypothesis is insulted if we truncate the narrative. For Job does not ache when being cut; for if being cut in the body he did not ache, will he ache being cut in the narrative?

We knew from the previously spoken narratives how he lost all things, but rather he found all things. For having lost all beautiful things, he did not lose the root of beauty. He lost the lyre, but the musician remained; he lost the fruits of prosperity, but the farmer of well-being remained; he was stripped of all possessions, and was not stripped of virtue. He pre-emptively gave the possessions to the devil, casting off life, just as Joseph cast off the garment to the dishonorable one. In suffering, he did not suffer. For it is necessary even for nature to confess the passion, and of the soul...

Greek · §13

οὐ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὁ διάβολος ἀφορμὴν ἐλάμβανεν; Ἀλλὰ κρύπτει τοὺς στεφάνους, ἵνα γυμνώσῃ τοὺς 56.576 ἄθλους· κρύπτει τὸ βραβεῖον, ἵνα δείξῃ τὸν ἀθλητήν. ∆ιὰ τί οὖν, φησὶ, καὶ τοῖς ἀποστόλοις οὐκ ἔκρυψεν; εἰ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ εἶπε τῷ Ἰὼβ, διὰ τί μὴ τῷ αὐτῷ τρόπῳ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐσιώπησε τὸν ἆθλον; Ἰὼβ μόνος ἠγωνίζετο, ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ ἔκαμνεν, ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ ἠγωνίζετο· οἱ δὲ ἀπόστολοι, κήρυκες ἦσαν τῆς γῆς καὶ διδάσκαλοι τῆς οἰκουμένης. Αὐτοῖς μὲν οὖν κρύψαι ἠδύνατο, ἀλλὰ τῷ κόσμῳ ζημία τὸ πρᾶγμα ἐγίνετο. Ἠδύνατο Παῦλος ἄνευ στεφάνων ἐπαγγελίας ἀγωνίσασθαι· ἠδύνατο Πέτρος ἄνευ ἐπαγγελίας ἀνδρίσασθαι, ἠδύναντο οἱ ἀπόστολοι μὴ δεξάμενοι ἐπαγγελίαν ἀγαθῶν ὑπὲρ ἀρετῆς ἀγωνίσασθαι· ἀλλ' οὐ πανταχοῦ Παῦλος, οὐ πανταχοῦ Πέτρος· πολλῶν ἀσθενοῦσιν αἱ ψυχαὶ, πολλῶν ὀκλάζουσιν αἱ διάνοιαι. Εἰ γὰρ σήμερον βασιλείας κηρυττομένης, μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν ἀπολαύσεως, συνδιαιτήσεως ἀγγελικῆς, τῆς ἐν παραδείσῳ τρυφῆς, καταφρονοῦσι τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων πολλοὶ, προστετηκότες πρὸς τὰ παρόντα· εἰ πάντως ἐσιωπήθη, τίς ἂν προσέδραμε τῇ εὐσεβείᾳ; Εἰκότως οὖν, ἀδελφοὶ, τῷ μὲν Ἰὼβ οὐ δείκνυσι τὰ μέλλοντα, ἵνα στερεωτέραν δείξῃ τὴν πρόθεσιν· τοῖς δὲ ἀποστόλοις ἐπαγγέλλεται τὰ μέλλοντα, ἵνα τῶν ἀκροατῶν διεγείρῃ τὰς ψυχὰς, ἵνα τῆς οἰκουμένης νευρώσῃ τὴν διάνοιαν. Πολλοὶ νῦν ἀκούουσι περὶ βασιλείας, καὶ καταφρονοῦσι· πολλοὶ Χριστὸν ἐκδέχονται, καὶ πονηρίαν ἐνδύονται· πολλοὶ κακίας οὐκ ἀναχωροῦσι· τιμῶσι πολλοὶ σήμερον τὰς νηστείας, καὶ λέγουσι· Σήμερον οὐδὲν λέγω τῷ ἀντιδίκῳ μου· παρέλθοι ἡ ἡμέρα τοῦ πάθους τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ γυμνάζω τὴν δίκην, ἐκδικῶ τὴν ὕβριν, ποιῶ πολλά. Οὐκοῦν ἀδελφὸς εἶ τοῦ Ἡσαῦ, ταῦτα ἐνθυμούμενος· ταὐτὰ λέγεις, ἃ εἶπεν Ἠσαῦ. Καὶ γὰρ Ἠσαῦ ἠθέλησε φονεῦσαι τὸν ἀδελφὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸν πατέρα ᾐδεῖτο. Καὶ τί εἶπεν; Ἐγγισάτωσαν αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ πένθους τοῦ πατρός μου, καὶ τότε φονεύσω τὸν ἀδελφόν μου· παρέλθῃ ὁ θάνατος τοῦ πατρός μου, καὶ τότε ἀναιρῶ. Καὶ σὺ τί λέγεις; Παρέλθῃ τὸ πάθος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ τότε στρατεύσομαι κατὰ τοῦ ἐχθροῦ μου. Βλέπε μὴ ἀδελφὸς εἶ τοῦ Ἡσαῦ. Ἄκουσον τί λέγει ὁ Παῦλος· Μή τις πόρνος, μὴ βέβηλος, ὡς Ἡσαῦ· ἵνα μὴ δι' αὐτοῦ μιανθῶσιν οἱ πολλοί. Ταῦτα εἴρηταί μοι, οὐκ εἰς παροξυσμὸν, ἀλλ' εἰς ἀντίληψιν τῶν ἀδελφῶν καὶ σωτηρίαν. Γένοιτο δὲ ἡμᾶς καὶ λόγῳ παιδευομένους, καὶ ἱστορίαις παιδαγωγουμένους, ταῖς τῶν ἁγίων Πατέρων καὶ προφητῶν ἀθλήσεσι κατορθοῦντας, δόξαν πάντοτε τῷ Θεῷ ἀναπέμπειν, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. Εἰς τὸν δίκαιον καὶ μακάριον Ἰὼβ, Λόγος δʹ. αʹ. Πανταχοῦ μὲν καὶ ἐπὶ πάντων, ὡς εἰπεῖν, τῶν θείων διηγημάτων κατώτεροι τῶν πραγμάτων οἱ λόγοι, καὶ ἀσθενέστεραι αἱ λέξεις τῶν ὑποθέσεων· ἐξαιρέτως δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν τῷ μακαρίῳ Ἰὼβ κατωρθωμένων. Οὐδεὶς οὐδεπώποτε δύναται τῷ λόγῳ τῆς ὑποθέσεως παρισῶσαι τὸν λόγον τῆς ἑαυτοῦ εὐτελείας. Κἂν γὰρ μυρία περὶ αὐτοῦ λέγηται, τῆς κατ' ἀξίαν δυνάμεως ὁ λόγος ἀπολιμπάνεται. Ἐπεὶ οὖν εἴρηται ἡμῖν τὰ κατὰ δύναμιν μετρίως, οὐδὲν κωλύει καὶ σήμερον τῶν αὐτῶν ἅψασθαι διηγημάτων. Καὶ μηδεὶς νομιζέτω ὑβρίζεσθαι τὴν ὑπόθεσιν, εἰ κατατέμνωμεν τὸ διήγημα. Οὐ γὰρ ἀλγεῖ Ἰὼβ τεμνόμενος· εἰ γὰρ τὸ σῶμα τεμνόμενος οὐκ ἤλγει, τῷ διηγήματι τεμνόμενος ἀλγήσει; Ἔγνωμεν ἀπὸ τῶν προειρημένων διηγημάτων, ὡς ἀπώλεσεν ἅπαντα, μᾶλλον δὲ εὗρεν ἅπαντα. Πάντα γὰρ τὰ φαιδρὰ ἀπολέσας, τὴν ῥίζαν τῆς φαιδρότητος οὐκ ἀπώλεσεν. Ἀπώλεσε τὴν λύραν, ἀλλ' ἔμενεν ὁ τεχνίτης· ἀπώλεσε τοὺς καρποὺς τῆς εὐθηνίας, ἀλλ' ἔμενεν ὁ γεωργὸς τῆς εὐπραγίας· ἐγυμνώθη πάντων τῶν κτημάτων, καὶ οὐκ ἐγυμνώθη τῆς ἀρετῆς. Προέῤῥιψε τῷ διαβόλῳ τὰ κτήματα, ἀποῤῥιψάμενος τὸν βίον, ὥσπερ ὁ Ἰωσὴφ τὸ ἱμάτιον τῇ ἀτίμῳ. Ἐν τῷ πάσχειν οὐκ ἔπασχε. ∆εῖ γὰρ καὶ τῆς φύσεως ὁμολογεῖν τὸ πάθος, καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς

The Crown of Blamelessness§14

14To celebrate his courage. The traits of nature were displayed, and the excellences of virtue were displayed. He heard the affliction of the children and tore his garments, in order to show the compassion of nature. For if he had not suffered, he would not have been admired as a lover of mankind, but would have been known as unfeeling. But he suffered as a man, yet he endured as a lover of God; he rebuked the weakness of nature, but did not surrender the manner of piety. He tore his garments, yet he worshiped.

The devil was not so struck as he was wounded; he was not so injured as he was smitten. But having let Job compete well in the first struggle, God gives him into another struggle, so that he may weave for him a more brilliant crown of endurance. For again the angels appear for the second time, and the devil is questioned in the midst by the One who knows all. From where do you come? See the wisdom of God; see the cunning of the devil. God knew where he had come, that having been defeated by the righteous, he had come; but God wills to see whether he confesses the defeat with a good mind.

From where have you come? The devil, hiding the defeat because he was ashamed, uses the same first voice: 'Having gone around the earth and walking under the heaven, I am present.' Is this why you went out? Is this what you asked for? Did you not say, 'Deliver to me the possessions of Job'? Why do you hide the struggle, so that you might destroy the crown of victory? Speak the struggle, cursed one; speak also the wrestling, so that you may proclaim the victory. But what the devil hid out of envy, the Master of all celebrates with virtuous philosophy. 'Do you pay attention with your mind against my servant?' What you hide, I know.

For God asks many times, not so that he might learn, but so that he might exercise the intention of those being questioned, to see if they confess with a good mind. Thus he asked Cain: 'Where is Abel your brother?' He was foolish, he who did the evil, even if he stood as an accuser of himself, so that his own accusation might blunt the greatness of the crime. For everyone accusing himself provokes the indignation of the judge. Just as then he asked Cain: 'Where is Abel your brother?' And he, supposing the question to be from ignorance, says, 'I do not know; am I the guardian of my brother?' And when he tested the intention, then he rebuked the impiety, saying, 'The voice of the blood of your...'

He cries to me from the earth of a thousand sufferings; thus, if he asks and sees one wandering alone, he reproves one doing evil. And now, since he asks the devil and does not learn from him the defeat which he has suffered, he himself mocks his defeat and recalls the victory of the righteous.

Pay attention with your mind to my servant Job, that there is no one like him on the earth. Pay attention precisely there, I beg you, and do not pass over the words of the divine Scriptures. In the first testimony, 'blameless' was nowhere said, but in the second. In the first, God says: 'Pay attention with your mind to my servant Job, that there is no one like him on the earth, a man blameless, righteous, true, turning away from every evil thing?' The word 'blameless' was not added there; but after the struggle and the contest, he adds it to him like a crown, the good report accompanying his agonies. Because, since he endured the affliction blamelessly through a thousand sufferings, he did not blaspheme against the Lord, but judged all things with goodness and in peace, saying: 'If we received the good things from the hand of the Lord, shall we not endure the bad?' Since the word was 'blamelessness,' he weaves the crown of blamelessness, because 'There is no man like him, a blameless man.'

And you, why did you say you would destroy his possessions for nothing? Instead of saying, 'Did you envy his wealth?' you said, as a pretext, that the man serves God piously; he was stripped of his possessions, but he was not stripped of the truth. You, therefore, devil, said you would destroy his possessions for nothing. Evil does not lack its own evil intention. It finds again another suspicion capable of extinguishing the courage of the upright. He says therefore to God: 'Skin for skin, and all that a man has, he will give for his soul.' Nothing, he says, is great, if he lost possessions; he contemptuously disregarded all things in order that he might save himself. But if you wish to test him, touch his flesh; he will surely bless you to your face. The 'He will bless' is instead of 'He will curse.' For the Scripture covered the bad report with a good report.

Why are these things written? So that you, the faithful, may learn, when you recount the shameful things of others, to cover them with the dignity of words. Do not act shamefully with dignity, but act with dignity when you avoid the speech of shameful things. Because of this the Apostle says:

Greek · §14

ἀνυμνεῖν τὴν ἀνδρείαν. Ἐδείχθη τῆς φύσεως τὰ γνωρίσματα, ἐδείχθη καὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς τὰ πλεονεκτήματα. Ἤκουσε τῶν παίδων τὴν συμφορὰν, καὶ διέῤῥηξε τὰ ἱμάτια, ἵνα τῆς φύσεως δείξῃ τὴν συμπάθειαν. Εἰ μὴ γὰρ ἔπαθεν, οὐκ ἂν ἐθαυμάζετο ὡς φιλάρετος, ἀλλὰ κατεγινώσκετο ὡς ἀναίσθητος. Ἀλλ' ἔπαθε μὲν ὡς ἄνθρωπος, ὑπέμεινε δὲ ὡς φιλόθεος· καὶ τῆς φύσεως τὴν ἀσθένειαν ἤλεγξε, καὶ τῆς εὐσεβείας τὸν τρόπον οὐ προέδωκε. ∆ιέῤῥηξε τὰ ἱμάτια, ἀλλὰ προσεκύνησεν. Οὐ τοσοῦτον οὖν ἔπληξεν ὁ διάβολος, ὅσον ἐπλάγη· οὐ τοσοῦτον ἔτρωσεν, ὅσον ἐτρώθη. Ἀλλὰ τὸν πρῶτον ἀγῶνα καλῶς διαθλήσαντα τὸν Ἰὼβ πάλιν εἰς ἕτερον ἀγῶνα δίδωσιν ὁ Θεὸς, ἵνα λαμπρότερον αὐτῷ 56.577 πλέξῃ τῆς ὑπομονῆς τὸν στέφανον. Πάλιν γὰρ ἐκ δευτέρου παρίστανται οἱ ἄγγελοι, καὶ ὁ διάβολος εἰς τὸ μέσον ἐρωτᾶται παρὰ τοῦ πάντα εἰδότος. Πόθεν σὺ ἔρχῃ; Βλέπε τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν σοφίαν· βλέπε τοῦ διαβόλου τὴν πανουργίαν. Ὁ μὲν Θεὸς ᾔδει πόθεν ἦλθεν, ὅτι ἡττηθεὶς παρὰ τοῦ δικαίου ἦλθε· βούλεται δὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἰδεῖν, εἰ εὐγνωμόνως ὁμολογεῖ τὴν ἧτταν. Πόθεν σὺ παραγέγονας; Ὁ διάβολος κρύψας τὴν ἧτταν, ᾐσχύνετο γὰρ, τῇ αὐτῇ κέχρηται φωνῇ τῇ πρώτῃ· Περιελθὼν τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἐμπεριπατήσας τὴν ὑπ' οὐρανὸν, πάρειμι. Εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ ἐξῆλθες; τοῦτο ᾔτησας; οὐ σὺ εἶπας, Ἔκδος μοι τὰ ὑπάρχοντα τοῦ Ἰώβ; διὰ τί κρύπτεις τὸν ἀγῶνα, ἵνα ἀφανίσῃς τὸν στέφανον τῆς νίκης; Εἰπὲ τὸν ἀγῶνα, κατηραμένε, εἰπὲ καὶ τὴν πάλην, ἵνα κηρύξῃς τὴν νίκην. Ἀλλ' ὃ ἔκρυψε φθονῶν ὁ διάβολος, ἀνυμνεῖ τῇ ἐναρέτῳ φιλοσοφίᾳ ὁ πάντων ∆εσπότης. Προσέσχες τῇ διανοίᾳ σου κατὰ τοῦ θεράποντός μου; Ὃ κρύπτεις, ἐγὼ γνωρίζω. Ἐρωτᾷ γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς πολλάκις, οὐχ ἵνα μάθῃ, ἀλλ' ἵνα τῶν ἐρωτωμένων γυμνάσῃ τὴν πρόθεσιν, εἰ εὐγνωμόνως ὁμολογοῦσιν. Οὕτως ἠρώτησε τὸν Κάϊν· Ποῦ Ἄβελ ὁ ἀδελφός σου; Ἠβουλήθη αὐτὸν τὸν τὸ κακὸν δράσαντα κἂν κατήγορον ἑαυτοῦ στῆναι, ἵνα ἡ αὐτοῦ κατηγορία ἀμβλύνῃ τὸ μέγεθος τοῦ ἐγκλήματος. Πᾶς γὰρ ἑαυτοῦ κατηγορῶν πραΰνει τοῦ δικαστοῦ τὴν ἀγανάκτησιν. Ὥσπερ οὖν τότε ἠρώτα τὸν Κάϊν· Ποῦ Ἄβελ ὁ ἀδελφός σου; ὁ δὲ νομίσας τὴν ἐρώτησιν ἀπὸ ἀγνοίας εἶναι, λέγει, Οὐκ οἶδα· μὴ φύλαξ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ μου εἰμί; καὶ ὅτε ἐδοκίμασε τὴν πρόθεσιν, τότε ἤλεγξε τὴν ἀνοσιουργίαν λέγων· Φωνὴ αἵματος τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου βοᾷ πρός με ἐκ τῆς γῆς· οὕτως ἐὰν ἐρωτήσας ἴδῃ ἀγνωμονοῦντα, ἐλέγχει κακουργοῦντα. Καὶ νῦν ἐπειδὴ ἐρωτῶν τὸν διάβολον οὐ μανθάνει παρ' αὐτοῦ τὴν ἧτταν, ἣν ὑπέστη, αὐτὸς στηλιτεύει αὐτοῦ τὴν ἧτταν, καὶ ἀνυμνεῖ τοῦ δικαίου τὴν νίκην. Προσέσχες τῇ διανοίᾳ σου κατὰ τοῦ θεράποντός μου Ἰὼβ, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν κατ' αὐτὸν ἄκακος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς; Ἐνταῦθα πρόσεχε ἀκριβῶς, παρακαλῶ, καὶ μὴ παρέρχου τὰ ῥήματα τῶν θείων Γραφῶν. Ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ μαρτυρίᾳ οὐδαμοῦ ἐλέχθη τὸ, Ἄκακος, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ. Ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ ὁ Θεός· Προσέσχες τῇ διανοίᾳ σου κατὰ τοῦ θεράποντός μου Ἰὼβ, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι κατ' αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἄνθρωπος ἄμεμπτος, δίκαιος, ἀληθινὸς, ἀπεχόμενος ἀπὸ παντὸς πονηροῦ πράγματος; Τὸ, Ἄκακος, ἐκεῖ οὐ προσέθηκε· μετὰ δὲ τὴν νίκην καὶ τὸν ἀγῶνα προστίθησιν αὐτῷ ὥσπερ στέφανον τὴν εὐφημίαν συνᾴδουσαν αὐτοῦ τοῖς ἀγωνίσμασιν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ μυρία πάσχων, ἀκάκως ἤνεγκε τὴν συμφορὰν, μὴ βλασφημήσας κατὰ τοῦ ∆εσπότου, ἀλλ' ἀγαθότητι κρίνας τὰ πάντα, καὶ εἰρηκώς· Εἰ τὰ ἀγαθὰ ἐδεξάμεθα ἐκ χειρὸς Κυρίου, τὰ κακὰ οὐχ ὑποίσομεν; ἐπειδὴ ἀκακίας ἦν τὸ ῥῆμα, ἀκακίας αὐτοῦ πλέκει τὸν στέφανον, ὅτι Οὐκ ἔστι τῶν κατ' αὐτὸν ἄνθρωπος ἄκακος. Σὺ δὲ διὰ τί εἶπας ἀπολέσαι τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ διὰ κενῆς; ἀντὶ τοῦ, Μάτην αὐτοῦ τῇ περιουσίᾳ ἐφθόνησας; Εἶπες προφάσει τῶν χρημάτων εὐσεβεῖν τὸν ἄνδρα· ἐγυμνώθη τῶν κτημάτων, καὶ οὐκ ἐγυμνώθη τῆς ἀληθείας. Σὺ οὖν, διάβολε, εἶπες ἀπολέσαι τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ διὰ κενῆς. Οὐκ ἀπορεῖ ἡ κακία τῆς ἑαυτῆς πονηρίας. Εὑρίσκει πάλιν ὑπόνοιαν ἄλλην δυναμένην σβέσαι τοῦ ἐναρέτου τὴν ἀνδρείαν. Λέγει οὖν τῷ Θεῷ· ∆έρμα ὑπὲρ δέρματος, καὶ πάντα, ὅσα ἔχει ἄνθρωπος, δώσει ὑπὲρ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ. Οὐδὲν, φησὶ, μέγα, εἰ ἀπώλεσε κτήματα· ἡδέως πάντων κατεφρόνησεν, ἵνα ἑαυτὸν σώσῃ. Ἀλλ' εἰ βούλει δοκιμάσαι αὐτὸν, Τῶν σαρκῶν αὐτοῦ ἅψαι· ἧ μὴν εἰς πρόσωπόν σε εὐλογήσει. Τὸ, Εὐλογήσει, ἀντὶ τοῦ, Καταράσεται. Ἡ γὰρ Γραφὴ τῇ εὐφημίᾳ τὴν δυσφημίαν ἐκάλυψε. βʹ. Καὶ διὰ τί ταῦτα γέγραπται; Ἵνα σὺ ὁ πιστὸς μάθῃς, ὅτε τῶν ἀλλοτρίων κακῶν διηγῇ τὰ αἰσχρὰ, καλύπτειν αὐτὰ τῇ σεμνότητι τῶν λέξεων. Μὴ σεμνύνου αἰσχρὰ πράττων, ἀλλὰ σεμνύνου ὅταν τῶν αἰσχρῶν διαφύγῃς τὴν ὁμιλίαν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησιν ὁ Ἀπόστολος·

The Silence of Friends and Job's Outcry§15

15Let no shameful word proceed from your mouths. God delivers the combatant into a second trial, not because He learns from the trial what the combatant was like, but to shame the devil through the trial. For God knows all things before they happen.

The devil went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with a wicked wound from head to foot. He made a single wound, a single boil, upon his whole body. For it was necessary that the combatant be crowned through his whole being. From head to foot, the wound is salvation. The wound is the victory; a wound that, according to appearance, is a flowing ulcer, but according to understanding, is a fullness of praise. The ulcers of the wound became in a short time, but the praises, which the struggle produced, are not consumed throughout all eternity. He struck him with a wicked wound from head to foot, so that he might be revealed as a crowned one through all his members.

Then, because the place could not receive one so afflicted in body, the whole household cast this man out, as one disgraced—for Job's wound was nothing other than a disgrace. The one who was a stranger to the world went out from the city; he went out from the city and sat on ashes; he went out from the city not having a worldly struggle, but surpassing the present condition. For being outside the city and the wall was an image of the Cross of Christ. For this reason Paul says: Just as the blood of animals is brought into the holy things, their bodies are burned outside the camp. For this reason also Jesus, in order to sanctify the people, suffered outside the gate. Christ outside the gate; Job sat on ashes outside the city. The seed of piety, the seed of endurance, being trodden upon by afflictions, sat on ashes, waiting for Him who raises the poor from the earth, and Him who raises the needy from the ash heap.

He saw, brothers, the body hemorrhaging, but the soul being strengthened; he saw the body bearing worms, but the soul producing piety; he saw the earthly vessel decaying, and he remembered the words of Paul; for it was necessary for him to say: Just as the man outside of us decays, so much the man within is renewed day by day. He took a potsherd, in order to scrape the ulcer...

The shard washes away the filth, and endurance defeats the adversary. It was fitting for him to say to the one holding the shard: 'We hold this treasure in a shard vessel.' He sat upon the dung-heap, which raises many from the dung-heap; he took a shard to wash the filth, so that the living clay might wash away the dead clay.

The three friends came; for misfortunes call friends to consolation. Eliphaz, Zophar, and Bildad came, three kings to one king. For he was a king before this, saying: 'I was among them as a king in single garments.' And they sat, he says, opposite Job for seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke. For moderate misfortunes receive consolation, but the greatness of misfortunes is honored by silence.

For, brothers, there is a time when suffering overcomes consolation; and just as in the height of sickness every treatment is sent away, so also sufferings in the height of misfortunes cast out every exhortation. They were silent, participating in the suffering through silence.

And what does he do? Since misfortune conquered them, and no one dared to cast a voice of consolation, he begins the words first. Job opens a door to those who do not suffer. For we know, brothers, that in misfortunes, or in mourning, or in any other state of degradation, each one is ashamed to be the first to cast a voice, lest someone might seem an unseasonable introducer of virtue or opinion; but if he sees another having begun, he follows without danger. This, brothers, experience teaches, and circumstances suggest.

As when he saw that suffering had shut out the consolation of the friends, the sufferer opens a door and immediately begins to lament the misfortune, fleeing everywhere from the suspicion of blasphemy. The first voice of Job: 'Cursed be the day on which I was born, and let that night be darkness.' He does not say these things as an impious man, but as a sufferer.

And see what he does: just as when someone, being seized by a terrible fit, is cut by iron by the physician, having no way to resist the cutter, he seizes those standing around and bites those present, having nothing to accuse them of, yet not being strong enough to stretch out his hand to the physician; so also Job, fearing the magnitude of blasphemy, insults the lifeless, and fills the fullness of his suffering, not of God.

Greek · §15

Πᾶν ῥῆμα αἰσχρὸν μὴ ἐκπορευέσθω ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ὑμῶν. Εἶτα ὁ Θεὸς παραδίδωσιν εἰς δευτέραν πεῖραν τὸν ἀγωνιστὴν, οὐκ αὐτὸς ἐκ τῆς πείρας μανθάνων οἷος ἦν ὁ ἀγωνιστὴς, ἀλλὰ τὸν διάβολον καταισχύνων ἐκ τῆς πείρας. Θεὸς γὰρ πρὸ τῶν ἁπάντων οἶδε τὰ πάντα. Ἐξῆλθε δὲ ὁ διάβολος ἀπὸ προσώπου Κυρίου, καὶ ἔπαισε τὸν Ἰὼβ ἕλκει πονηρῷ ἀπὸ ποδῶν ἕως κεφαλῆς. Ὅλον αὐτοῦ τὸ σῶμα ἓν τραῦμα ἐποίησεν, ἕνα 56.578 μώλωπα. Ἔδει γὰρ ὅλον δι' ὅλου στεφανωθῆναι αὐτὸν ἀγωνιστήν. Ἀπὸ ποδῶν ἕως κεφαλῆς τὸ τραῦμα τὸ σωτήριον. τὸ ἕλκος τὸ ἐπινίκιον, ἕλκος κατὰ μὲν τὸ φαινόμενον ἰχῶρας ῥέον, κατὰ δὲ τὸ νοούμενον εὐφημίας γέμον. Οἱ ἰχῶρες τοῦ ἕλκους ἐν ὀλίγοις χρόνοις ἐγένοντο, αἱ δὲ εὐφημίαι, ἃς ἀπέτεκεν ἡ ἄθλησις, εἰς πάντα τὸν αἰῶνα οὐκ ἀναλίσκονται. Ἔπαισεν αὐτὸν ἕλκει πονηρῷ ἀπὸ ποδῶν ἕως κεφαλῆς, ἵνα ὅλος δι' ὅλου τῶν μελῶν στεφανίτης ἀναδειχθῇ. Εἶτα ἐπειδὴ τὸν οὕτω δυσπραγήσαντα τῷ σώματι τόπος ἐντείχιος οὐκ ἐδέχετο, ἀλλὰ πᾶσα ἡ οἰκία ἐξωθεῖτο τοῦτον, ὡς λελωβημένον (οὐ γὰρ ἦν τι ἕτερον τὸ τραῦμα τοῦ Ἰὼβ, εἰ μὴ λώβησις), ἐξῆλθεν ἔξω τῆς πόλεως ὁ τοῦ κόσμου ἀλλότριος· ἐξῆλθεν ἔξω τῆς πόλεως καὶ ἐκάθητο ἐπὶ κοπρίας· ἐξῆλθεν ἔξω τῆς πόλεως οὐ κοσμικὸν ἔχων τὸν ἀγῶνα, ἀλλ' ὑπερβαίνοντα τὴν παροῦσαν κατάστασιν. Τὸ γὰρ ἔξω τῆς πόλεως εἶναι καὶ τοῦ τείχους, εἰκὼν ἦν τοῦ σταυροῦ τοῦ Χριστοῦ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὁ Παῦλος λέγει· Ὧν δὲ εἰσφέρεται ζώων τὸ αἷμα εἰς τὰ ἅγια, τούτων τὰ σώματα κατακαίεται ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ἵνα ἁγιάσῃ τὸν λαὸν, ἔξω τῆς πύλης ἔπαθε. Χριστὸς ἔξω τῆς πύλης· Ἰὼβ ἔξω τῆς πόλεως ἐκάθισεν ἐπὶ κοπρίας· ὁ τῆς εὐσεβείας σπόρος, ὁ σπόρος τῆς ὑπομονῆς, ἐπὶ τῶν θλίψεων κοπριζόμενος, ἐκάθισεν ἐπὶ κοπρίας, ἀναμένων τὸν ἐγείροντα ἀπὸ γῆς πτωχὸν, καὶ ἀπὸ κοπρίας ἀνιστάντα τὸν πένητα. Ἔβλεπεν, ἀδελφοὶ, τὸ σῶμα διαῤῥέον, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν ἐστηριγμένην· ἔβλεπε τὸ σῶμα σκώληκας φέρον, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν εὐσέβειαν ἀποτίκτουσαν· ἔβλεπε τὸ γήϊνον σκεῦος φθειρόμενον, καὶ ἐμέμνητο πρὸ τοῦ Παύλου τῶν τοῦ Παύλου ῥημάτων· ἔπρεπε γὰρ αὐτῷ λέγειν· Ὅσον ὁ ἔξωθεν ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος διαφθείρεται, τοσοῦτον ὁ ἔσωθεν ἀνακαινίζεται ἡμέραν καθ' ἡμέραν. Ἔλαβεν ὄστρακον, ἵνα τὸν ἰχῶρα ξέσῃ, τῷ ὀστράκῳ τὸν ἰχῶρα ἀποξέων, τῇ ὑπομονῇ τὸν ἀνταγωνιστὴν ἐκλύων. Ἔπρεπε καὶ αὐτῷ λέγειν κατέχοντι τὸ ὄστρακον· Ἔχομεν δὲ τὸν θησαυρὸν τοῦτον ἐν ὀστρακίνῳ σκεύει. Ἐκάθητο ἐπὶ κοπρίας ὁ πολλοὺς ἀπὸ κοπρίας ἐγείρας· ἔλαβεν ὄστρακον, ἵνα τὸν ἰχῶρα ξέσῃ· τῷ νεκρῷ πηλῷ τὸν ζῶντα πηλὸν ἔξεεν. Ἦλθον οἱ τρεῖς φίλοι· καλοῦσι γὰρ αἱ συμφοραὶ τοὺς φίλους εἰς παραμυθίαν· ἦλθεν Ἐλιφὰζ, Σοφὰρ, καὶ Βαλδὰδ, τρεῖς βασιλεῖς πρὸς ἕνα βασιλέα. Βασιλεὺς γὰρ ἦν πρὸ τούτου ὁ λέγων· Ἤμην δὲ ἐν αὐτοῖς ὡς βασιλεὺς ἐν μονοζώνοις. Καὶ ἐκάθισαν, φησὶν, ἐναντίον τοῦ Ἰὼβ ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας καὶ ἑπτὰ νύκτας, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐλάλησεν. Αἱ μὲν γὰρ μέτριαι συμφοραὶ δέχονται παραμυθίαν· τὰ δὲ μεγέθη τῶν συμφορῶν τῇ σιωπῇ τιμᾶται. Ἔστι γὰρ, ἀδελφοὶ, ὅτε νικᾷ παραμυθίαν τὸ πάθος· καὶ ὥσπερ τὰ νοσήματα ἐν ἀκμῇ πᾶσαν θεραπείαν ἀποπέμπεται, οὕτω καὶ τὰ πάθη ἐν τῇ ἀκμῇ τῶν συμφορῶν πᾶσαν νουθεσίαν ἐκβάλλει. Ἐσιώπησαν, τῇ σιωπῇ κοινωνοῦντες τῷ πάθει. Καὶ τί ποιεῖ; Ἐπειδὴ ἐκείνους ἐνίκησεν ἡ συμφορὰ, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐτόλμησε ῥῆξαι φωνὴν παραμυθίας, πρῶτος ἄρχεται τῶν λόγων. Ἰώβ· ἀνοίγει θύραν τοῖς μὴ πάσχουσιν ὁ πάσχων. Ἴσμεν γὰρ, ἀδελφοὶ, ὅτι ἐν ταῖς συμφοραῖς, ἢ ἐν τοῖς πένθεσιν, ἢ ἐν ἄλλῳ τινὶ κατηφείας πράγματι, ἕκαστος αἰδεῖται πρῶτος ῥῆξαι φωνὴν, ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ ἄκαιρός τις εἶναι ἀρετῆς ἢ γνώμης εἰσηγητής· ἐὰν δὲ ἴδῃ ἄλλον ἀρξάμενον, ἀκολουθεῖ ἀκινδύνως. Τοῦτο, ἀδελφοὶ, καὶ ἡ πεῖρα διδάσκει, καὶ τὰ πράγματα ὑποτίθεται. Ὡς οὖν εἶδεν ἀποκλεῖσαν τὸ πάθος τὴν παραμυθίαν τῶν φίλων, ἀνοίγει θύραν ὁ πάσχων, καὶ ἄρχεται εὐθέως ἐκτραγῳδεῖν τὴν συμφορὰν, πανταχοῦ βλασφημίας φεύγων τὴν ὑπόνοιαν· Πρώτη φωνὴ τοῦ Ἰώβ· Ἐπικατάρατος ἡ ἡμέρα, ἐν ᾗ ἐγεννήθην, καὶ ἡ νὺξ ἐκείνη εἴη σκότος. Οὐκ ἀσεβῶν ταῦτα λέγει, ἀλλὰ πάσχων. Καὶ βλέπε τί ποιεῖ· Ὥσπερ ἐπειδάν τις δεινῷ ἀποστήματι περιεχόμενος τέμνηται σιδήρῳ παρὰ τοῦ ἰατροῦ, οὐκ ἔχων πῶς ἀντιστῇ τῷ τέμνοντι, τῶν περιεστώτων ἅπτεται, καὶ δάκνει τοὺς παρεστῶτας, ἐκείνοις μὲν ἐγκαλεῖν οὐδὲν ἔχων, πρὸς δὲ ἰατρὸν ἐκτεῖναι τὴν χεῖρα οὐκ ἰσχύων· οὕτω καὶ ὁ Ἰὼβ φοβούμενος τῆς βλασφημίας τὸ μέγεθος, ὑβρίζει τὰ ἄψυχα, καὶ πληροῖ τοῦ πάθους τὴν πληροφορίαν, οὐ τοῦ Θεοῦ

The Purpose of Suffering and the Ignorance of Men§16

16He does not dare, but instead accuses himself and his own day; for he curses not the creation, but his own day. For he says, I have authority over my own day; I do not curse the creation, but I curse my own day. Accursed is the day in which I was born, and may that night be darkness. Jeremiah also says these things: Woe is me, O mother, for what kind of man have you given birth to, one who is judged and prosecuted? Accursed is the day in which I was born.

The saints sing these things out so that, through these things, you may learn that they did not pass through life living in luxury, but having endured myriad evils, they passed through the struggles. Thus Jeremiah also wept, saying: Woe is me, O mother, for what kind of man have you given birth to? He suffered as a man, yet he endured as a lover of God.

Moses likewise—the great and divine lawgiver of God, who received the holy tablets, the first guide of those things profitable to life—says that he is weighed down by God by the multitude of misfortunes: Lord, you said that you have found favor with me, and I know you are found by all; and if I have found favor in your sight, take my soul from me, for I am not able to bear the weight of this people. A little, and they will stone me. Did I not cause them pain? Did I not give birth to them? For you say to me: Carry them as a nurse carries a child; but I am not able to bear the weight of the people's faults. However, even while stripping himself and mourning as a man, he did not blaspheme as an atheist, but he was showing the sufferings of nature, which convicted him.

In the same way, each of the prophets strips himself, and Habakkuk says: Why have you shown me labors and pains, to look upon the miseries of men? For the prophetic choir saw the injustice and could not bear it, but Habakkuk cried out, saying: Why have you shown me labors and pains? Judgment has become before me, and the judge takes, and because of this the judgment goes out perverted. The ruler asks, and the judge takes, and the law is made void. Thus all the righteous suffered, and they cried out toward the difficulty of the world. But if you had not taken these things, you would not have arrived at the harmony of your own will; do not say, I am better than Jeremiah who cried out...

Lest the words of healing become wounds to you. These things are written so that you may learn how much struggle they endured, and how much danger their lives passed through. Do you wish to learn what kind of person you ought to be? Learn from what follows grace. Prophets suffered, and apostles also suffered; but some who suffered were struck, while those suffering boasted. Paul came into the midst, suffering yet not weeping; being struck yet not being stripped away; being tormented yet boasting. And what does he say? Not only this, but we also boast in tribulations, knowing that tribulation works endurance, endurance testing, testing hope, and hope does not put us to shame.

Again, the apostles, having been struck, went away rejoicing from the presence of the council, because they were counted worthy to be dishonored for the name of Christ. Therefore, do not take what was before grace as a following of grace. For these things were said to us so that you might learn hope from pains. So also Job curses the day and suffers in soul, yet he does not torment his soul with impiety, but endures the wounds, and he does not wound his soul with blasphemy.

Now, since it is necessary to conclude, we will briefly summarize the matter for you. In the struggle concerning Job, besides God, everyone was ignorant of the purpose of the struggle. Job did not know for what reason he was struggling; he did not know that contests were set before him for training. The friends were ignorant of God's purpose, and the devil was ignorant of what was to come. For if he knew he would be defeated, he would not have attempted it. Job did not know what would result from the struggle.

While God gave out of forgiveness, Job knew—not by foreknowledge, but by learning from God. But the devil did not know to what end the contests would meet. For if he knew, he would not have attempted it, lest he draw the shame more heavily upon himself; but what he suffered among the witnesses, he also suffered in Job. A witness fell so as to extinguish the Church, not knowing that after the witnesses the Church will bloom. Therefore, everyone was ignorant, except God. The friends, being ignorant of God's purpose and ignorant of Job's testing, chose rather to condemn Job as one deserving of suffering, as if in a comparison of ignorance, or—

Greek · §16

κατατολμῶν, ἀλλ' ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τῆς ἡμέρας κατηγορῶν· καταρᾶται γὰρ, οὐ τὴν κτίσιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἡμέραν. Ἐξουσίαν γὰρ ἔχω, φησὶ, τῆς ἐμῆς ἡμέρας· οὐ καταρῶμαι τὴν δημιουργίαν, τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ ἡμέραν καταρῶμαι. Ἐπικατάρατος ἡ ἡμέρα, ἐν ᾗ ἐγεννή56.579 θην, καὶ ἡ νὺξ ἐκείνη εἴη σκότος. Ταῦτα λέγει καὶ ὁ Ἱερεμίας· Οἴμοι, ὦ μῆτερ, ὡς τίνα με ἔτεκες ἄνδρα κρινόμενον καὶ δικαζόμενον; Ἐπικατάρατος ἡ ἡμέρα ἐν ᾗ ἐγεννήθην. Ταῦτα δὲ πάντα ἐκτραγωδοῦσιν οἱ ἅγιοι, ἵνα σὺ μετὰ ταῦτα μάθῃς, ὅτι οὐ τρυφῶντες διῆλθον τὸν βίον, ἀλλὰ μυρία κακὰ ὑπομείναντες, τοὺς ἀγῶνας διεξῆλθον. Ἀπεκλαύσατο οὖν καὶ Ἱερεμίας λέγων· Οἴμοι, ὦ μῆτερ, ὡς τίνα με ἔτεκες; καὶ ἔπαθε μὲν ὡς ἄνθρωπος, ὑπέμεινε δὲ ὡς φιλόθεος. Μωϋσῆς ὁμοίως, ὁ μέγας καὶ θεῖος τοῦ Θεοῦ νομοθέτης, ὁ τὰς πλάκας τὰς ἱερὰς δεξάμενος, ὁ πρῶτος εἰσηγητὴς τῶν συμφερόντων τῷ βίῳ, καὶ αὐτός φησι τῷ Θεῶ βαρούμενος τῷ πλήθει τῶν συμφορῶν· Κύριε, σὺ εἶπας, ὅτι Εὕρηκας χάριν παρ' ἐμοὶ, καὶ οἶδά σε παρὰ πάντας· καὶ εἰ εὕρηκα χάριν ἐνώπιόν σου, ἄφελε τὴν ψυχήν μου ἀπ' ἐμοῦ· οὐ δύναμαι γὰρ φέρειν τὸ βάρος τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου. Μικρὸν, καὶ λιθοβολήσουσί με. Μὴ ἐγὼ αὐτοὺς ὠδίνησα; μὴ ἐγὼ αὐτοὺς ἔτεκον· ὅτι λέγεις μοι· Βάστασον αὐτοὺς ὃν τρόπον βαστάζει ἡ τιθηνοῦσα τὸν παῖδα; Οὐ δύναμαι φέρειν τοῦ λαοῦ τὰ ἐλαττώματα. Ὅμως καὶ ἀποδυρόμενος καὶ πενθῶν ὡς ἄνθρωπος, οὐκ ἐβλασφήμησε ὡς ἄθεος, ἀλλ' ἐδείκνυε τὰ πάθη τῆς φύσεως, ὑπ' αὐτῶν τῶν παθῶν ἐλεγχόμενος. Οὕτω δὲ ὁμοίως τῶν προφητῶν ἕκαστος ἀποδύρεται, καὶ ὁ Ἀμβακούμ φησιν· Ἵνα τί μοι ἔδειξας κόπους καὶ πόνους, ἐπιβλέπειν ἐπὶ ταλαιπωρίας ἀνθρώπων; Ἔβλεπε γὰρ τὴν ἀδικίαν ὁ προφητικὸς χορὸς, καὶ οὐκ ἔφερεν, ἀλλ' ἐβόα Ἀμβακοὺμ λέγων· Ἵνα τί μοι ἔδειξας κόπους καὶ πόνους; Ἐνώπιόν μου γέγονε κρίσις, καὶ ὁ κριτὴς λαμβάνει, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐξέρχεται τὸ κρῖμα διεστραμμένον. Ὁ ἄρχων αἰτεῖ, καὶ ὁ κριτὴς λαμβάνει, καὶ ἐξουδενεῖται ὁ νόμος. γʹ. Οὕτω πάντες ἔπασχον οἱ δίκαιοι, καὶ ἀπεδυσπέτουν πρὸς τὴν δυσκολίαν τοῦ κόσμου. Ἀλλὰ μὴ ταῦτα λαβὼν ἐκλάβῃς εἰς συμφωνίαν τῆς σῆς προαιρέσεως· μὴ εἴπῃς· Μὴ βελτίων ἐγώ εἰμι τοῦ Ἱερεμίου τοῦ καταβοήσαντος τοῦ κόσμου; μὴ τὰ ῥήματα τῆς ἰάσεως γένηταί σοι τραύματα. Ταῦτα δὲ γέγραπται, ἵνα μάθῃς ὅσον ἀγῶνα διήθλησαν, ὅσων κινδύνων μεστὸν τὸν βίον διεξῆλθον. Θέλεις μαθεῖν οἷος ὀφείλεις εἶναι; Μάθε τὰ μετὰ τὴν χάριν· Ἔπαθον προφῆται, ἔπαθον δὲ καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι· ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν πάσχοντες ἤλγουν, οἱ δὲ πάσχοντες ἐκαυχῶντο. Ἦλθε Παῦλος εἰς μέσον, πάσχων μὲν, οὐ κλαίων δέ· τυπτόμενος, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀποδυρόμενος· βασανιζόμενος, ἀλλὰ καυχώμενος. Καὶ τί φησιν; Οὐ μόνον δὲ, ἀλλὰ καὶ καυχώμεθα ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσιν, εἰδότες ὅτι ἡ θλίψις ὑπομονὴν κατεργάζεται, ἡ δὲ ὑπομονὴ δοκιμὴν, ἡ δὲ δοκιμὴ ἐλπίδα, ἡ δὲ ἐλπὶς οὐ καταισχύνεται. Καὶ πάλιν, τυπτηθέντες οἱ ἀπόστολοι, Ἐπορεύοντο χαίροντες ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ συνεδρίου, ὅτι κατηξιώθησαν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀτιμασθῆναι. Μὴ τοίνυν τὰ πρὸ τῆς χάριτος ἐκλάβῃς εἰς ἀκολουθίαν τῆς χάριτος. Εἴρηται γὰρ ἡμῖν ταῦτα, ἵνα μάθῃς ἐκ τῶν πόνων τὴν ἐλπίδα. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Ἰὼβ καταρᾶται τὴν ἡμέραν, καὶ πάσχει τὴν ψυχὴν, καὶ οὐ βασανίζει τὴν ψυχὴν τῇ ἀσεβείᾳ, ἀλλ' ἀνέχεται τῶν τραυμάτων, καὶ οὐ τραυματίζει τὴν ψυχὴν τῇ βλασφημίᾳ. Εἶτα, ἐπειδὴ δεῖ συντεμεῖν, συντόμως ὑμῖν ἀνακεφαλαιώσομεν τὴν ὑπόθεσιν· Ἐν τῷ ἀγῶνι τῷ κατὰ τὸν Ἰὼβ, πλὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ, πάντες ἠγνόουν τὸν σκοπὸν τοῦ ἀγῶνος. Ἰὼβ οὐκ ᾔδει ἐπὶ τίνι ἠγωνίζετο, οὐκ ᾔδει ὅτι εἰς γυμνασίαν αὐτῷ προβέβληται τὰ παλαίσματα. Οἱ φίλοι ἠγνόουν τὸν σκοπὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὁ διάβολος ἠγνόει τὸ μέλλον. Εἰ γὰρ ᾔδει ὅτι ἐνικᾶτο, οὐκ ἂν ἐπεχείρησεν. Ὁ Ἰὼβ οὐκ ᾔδει τὸ ἀποβησόμενον ἐκ τοῦ ἀγῶνος. Ὅτιμὲν ὁ Θεὸς κατὰ συγχώρησιν ἐκδέδωκεν, ᾔδει ὁ Ἰὼβ, οὐ προγινώσκων, ἀλλὰ μαθὼν παρὰ Θεοῦ. Ὁ δὲ διάβολος οὐκ ᾔδει εἰς ποῖον τέλος ἀπαντήσει τὰ παλαίσματα. Εἰ γὰρ ᾔδει, οὐκ ἂν ἐπεχείρησεν, ἵνα μὴ χείρονα τὴν αἰσχύνην ἐφελκύσηται· ἀλλ' ὃ ἔπαθεν ἐπὶ τῶν μαρτύρων, τοῦτο ἔπαθε καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰώβ. Ἀνεῖλε μάρτυρας, ἵνα σβέσῃ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, οὐκ εἰδὼς, ὅτι μετὰ τοὺς μάρτυρας ἀνθήσει ἡ Ἐκκλησία. Πάντες οὖν ἠγνόουν, πλὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Οἱ φίλοι ἀγνοοῦντες τὸν σκοπὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀγνοοῦντες καὶ τοῦ Ἰὼβ τὴν δοκιμασίαν, εἵλοντο ὡς ἐν συγκρίσει ἀγνοίας μᾶλλον καταδικάσαι τὸν Ἰὼβ ὡς ἄξια πάσχοντα, ἢ

Innocence and Judgment§17

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17To know that God has judged unworthily. Pay close attention: they intended to condemn a man as worthy of suffering his own sin, or rather, they spoke against God, saying that He judged unworthily. In one respect they acted with purpose, calling God outside of justice; but in another respect they were sinning, for they were condemning the innocent. Ignorance excuses those who are ignorant, and it is acceptable that they philosophize in ignorance and are not rejected, seeing God's justice. They record the justice of Job, but they praise the justice of God.

Then Job begins to be reproved by his friends; and they say to him: When did true upright ones perish? When did you see righteous ones being destroyed utterly? If you have not sinned, they say, and done what is worthy of sin, the righteous one would not have unjustly wronged you. Many are your sins. But if you have not sinned, whence is this, if not that your sons sinned? And often you have wronged the widow and afflicted the orphans. If these things have happened, even God has justly brought this verdict upon you.

Job realizes for himself that he has not done such a thing, and he realizes also that God is not judging unjustly. Since Job saw that among men he has been condemned, but his conscience does not condemn him, and his God does not recognize him as guilty, he had no way to persuade men. He transfers the argument to the Judge, and turns the eye of the soul toward the things above, not blaspheming but being distressed, and says to Him: You who know the mind of men, why have you struck me? You have made me to encounter your justice; you know my heart.

Then Job cries out greatly, not from malice but from innocence; and, in order that I may cut the many down to a few (for the material of justification is much), he says...

“Who will give a judge between me and you, so that I may know how many my sins are, since you have judged me thus?” The word is fearsome, but it comes from a lack of malice. For God, foreknowing, said that there is no one who is innocent according to him; yet to the innocent, no word is reckoned as being toward wickedness.

For always, brothers, all we humans—if not God—judge not by the outward things, but by the intention of those who act. A son insults a father, and the matter is incomprehensible to both the one suffering and the one hearing. Such a person is called a father-hater and a mother-hater, impious and lawless, because he uttered a voice against a father and dared to speak ill of his own root. Yet he who is judged by such thoughts is condemned by the perfect; but an innocent child, even if he strikes his father or his mother or even insults them, is more desirable for all joy.

Often mothers provoke children into insult, not through the insult itself, but by exulting in their own innocence, their integrity, and the removal of character. In this way, God, knowing that he speaks not from malice but from innocence (for he testifies to him, saying, 'He still holds to his innocence'), receives what comes from Job, even as he is called to judgment by him. The word is fearsome: to call the servant 'Master' into judgment; to call a man 'God'; to call the creature 'the Creator'; to call the clay 'the Maker.' Nonetheless, as I have said, the word is one of innocence, not of malice.

However, brothers, innocence was not apart from understanding, but was within all wisdom. Do you wish to learn more precisely? Job did not ask for anything that he had not done. He knew himself to be a servant of God, and he knew God to be his own Master. But since he himself was often judged in relation to his own slaves, he gave them the worth of equal speech; and if ever a slave was being tested with him, it was not as a slave.

Greek · §17

καταγνῶναι τοῦ Θεοῦ ὡς ἀναξίως δικάσαντος. Πρόσεχε ἀκριβῶς· Εἵλοντο κατακρῖναι ἄνθρωπον ὡς ἄξια πάσχοντα τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ἁμαρτίας, ἢ εἰπεῖν 56.580 κατὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι ἀναξίως ἐδίκασε. Καὶ ἑνὶ μὲν μέρει κατὰ σκοποῦ ἐφέροντο, τὸν Θεὸν ἀδικίας ἐκτὸς λέγοντες· ἑνὶ δὲ μέρει διημάρτανον, κατακρίνοντες τὸν ἀθῶον. Ἡ δὲ ἄγνοια ἀπολογεῖται ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀγνοούντων, καὶ ἀπόδεκτοι, ὅτι ἐν ἀγνοίᾳ φιλοσοφοῦσι, καὶ οὐ καταψηφίζονται, βλέποντες τὴν Θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην. Τὴν μὲν τοῦ Ἰὼβ δικαιοσύνην παραγράφονται, τὴν δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀνυμνοῦσιν. Εἶτα Ἰὼβ ἄρχεται παρὰ τῶν φίλων ἐλέγχεσθαι· καί φασι πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνοι· Πότε ἀληθινοὶ πρόῤῥιζοι ἀπώλοντο; πότε εἶδες δικαίους ὁλοῤῥίζους ἀπολλυμένους; Εἰ μὴ ἥμαρτες, φησὶ, καὶ ἄξια ἁμαρτίας ἐποίησας, οὐκ ἂν ἀδίκως ἠδίκησέ σε ὁ δίκαιος. Πολλαί σού εἰσιν ἁμαρτίαι. Εἰ δὲ σὺ οὐχ ἥμαρτες, πόθεν τοῦτο, εἰ μὴ οἱ υἱοί σου ἥμαρτον; Πολλάκις δὲ χήραν ἠδίκησας, ὀρφανοὺς ἔθλιψας. Εἰ δὲ ταῦτα γέγονε, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς δικαίως ταύτην τὴν ψῆφον ἐπήγαγεν. Ὁ Ἰὼβ συνῄδει μὲν ἑαυτῷ μηδὲν τοιοῦτον πεποιηκότι, συνῄδει δὲ καὶ τῷ Θεῷ μὴ ἀδίκως κρίνοντι. Ἐπεὶ οὖν εἶδεν ὁ Ἰὼβ, ὅτι παρὰ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις μὲν κατακέκριται, ἡ δὲ συνείδησις αὐτὸν οὐ κατακρίνει, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς αὐτοῦ οὐ καταγινώσκει, ἐπειδὴ οὐκ εἶχε πείθειν ἀνθρώπους, μεταφέρει τὸν λόγον ἐπὶ τὸν κριτὴν, καὶ στρέφει τὸ ὄμμα τῆς ψυχῆς πρὸς τὰ ἄνω οὐ βλασφημῶν, ἀλλὰ δυσωπῶν, καί φησι πρὸς αὐτόν· Ὁ ἐπιστάμενος τὸν νοῦν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἵνα τί με ἔθου κατεντευκτήν σου; Σὺ ἐποίησάς με κατεντυγχάνειν τῆς σῆς δικαιοσύνης· οἶδάς μου τὴν καρδίαν. Εἶτα μέγα τι φθέγγεται Ἰὼβ, οὐκ ἀπὸ κακίας, ἀλλ' ἀπ' ἀκακίας· καὶ, ἵνα τὰ πολλὰ εἰς ὀλίγα συντέμω (πολλὴ γὰρ ἡ ὕλη τῆς δικαιολογίας), λέγει· Τίς δώσει κριτὴν ἀνὰ μέσον ἐμοῦ καὶ σοῦ, ἵνα γνῷ τὸ πόσαι εἰσὶν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι μου, ὅτι οὕτω με ἔκρινας; Φοβερὸν τὸ ῥῆμα, ἀλλ' ἀπ' ἀκακίας. Προλαβὼν γὰρ εἶπεν ὁ Θεὸς, ὅτι Οὐκ ἔστι κατ' αὐτὸν ἄκακος· τῷ δὲ ἀκάκῳ οὐδεὶς τὸ ῥῆμα εἰς πονηρίαν λογίζεται. Ἀεὶ γὰρ, ἀδελφοὶ, πάντες ἡμεῖς οἱ ἄνθρωποι, μήτι γε Θεὸς, οὐ τοῖς πράγμασι δικάζομεν, ἀλλὰ τῇ προθέσει τῶν ποιούντων. Ὑβρίζει υἱὸς πατέρα· καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα ἀφόρητον, καὶ τῷ πάσχοντι, καὶ τῷ ἀκούοντι· καὶ πατραλοίας ὁ τοιοῦτος καλεῖται, καὶ μητραλοίας, καὶ ἀνόσιος καὶ παράνομος, ὅτι φωνὴν ἐναντίαν ἔῤῥηξε πατρὶ, ὅτι ἐτόλμησε δυσφημῆσαι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ῥίζαν. Ταῦτα δὲ πάσχει καὶ κατακρίνεται ὁ ἐπὶ τῶν τελείων ὣν λογισμῶν· παιδίον δὲ ἄκακον, κἂν τύπτῃ τὸν πατέρα, ἢ τὴν μητέρα, ἢ καὶ ὑβρίσῃ, πάσης εὐφροσύνης ποθεινότερον. Πολλάκις μητέρες ἐρεθίζουσι τὰ τέκνα εἰς ὕβριν φέρουσαι, οὐ τῇ ὕβρει, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἀκακίᾳ καὶ τῷ ἀκεραίῳ καὶ ἀφελεῖ τοῦ ἤθους ἐπαγαλλόμεναι. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Θεὸς εἰδὼς, ὅτι οὐκ ἐκ κακίας, ἀλλ' ἐξ ἀκακίας φθέγγεται (μαρτυρεῖ γὰρ αὐτῷ λέγων, Ἔτι δὲ ἔχεται ἀκακίας), δέχεται τὰ παρὰ τοῦ Ἰὼβ, εἰς κρίσιν καλούμενος παρ' αὐτοῦ. Φοβερὸν τὸ ῥῆμα, οἰκέτην ∆εσπότην καλεῖν εἰς κρίσιν· ἄνθρωπον, Θεόν· τὸ πλάσμα, τὸν πλάσαντα· τὸν πηλὸν, τὸν κατασκευάσαντα· ἀλλ' ὅμως, ὡς ἔφθην εἰπὼν, ἀκακίας τὸ ῥῆμα, οὐ πονηρίας. Πλὴν ὅμως, ἀδελφοὶ, ἡ ἀκακία οὐκ ἦν ἐκτὸς συνέσεως, ἀλλ' ἐντὸς πάσης σοφίας. Θέλεις γὰρ τὸ ἀκριβέστερον μαθεῖν; Οὐδὲν ᾔτησεν ὁ Ἰὼβ ὧν μὴ ἐποίησεν. Ἤδει ἑαυτὸν οἰκέτην τοῦ Θεοῦ, ᾔδει τὸν Θεὸν ἑαυτοῦ ∆εσπότην. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ καὶ αὐτὸς πολλάκις κρινόμενος πρὸς τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ δούλους, ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἰσηγορίας ἀξίαν, καὶ εἴ ποτε ἐδοκιμάζετο πρὸς αὐτῷ δοῦλος, οὐχ ὡς δοῦλον

The Right of Reply and the Divine Awakening§18

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18He did not rebuke, but instead took up his defense; in doing so, he requested his right, being persuaded by the word that with the measure you measure, it shall be measured to you. He asks: Who will provide a judge? And when did you preserve the right of equal speech for a slave? Listen to him as he enumerates his virtues, and this is not out of mere zeal, but out of malice, for he says: I have not refused the judgment of my servant and my handmaid, even though they judge toward me. I will give an answer to God. Is it not as I was made? Having understood these things, he granted the common right of equal speech to the commonality of nature.

But we, brothers, are not such. Do you marvel at the righteous? Know yourself. For often when someone is accused, I do not speak of a slave, but of one who has risen slightly; if he answers justly, he rebukes as one who is being corrected and dares to speak from a position of equality. He says, do you dare to speak from equality of status? Do you demand what is right? Then receive the just equal speech. The arrogant man accuses, yet he neither accepts a defense nor is shamed by silence. If the accused remains silent, he is found out, for he did not loosen his lips; if he speaks, he has dared, as it is said, to cast his voice toward the master.

Then another, full of pride, if he is persuaded on behalf of the righteous or a noble man, requesting that a word be exchanged to bring about peace and to cease malice through love, is immediately carried away by pride and says: Do I come down to this one? O, the pride! Where have you stood that you should come down? Do I come down to this one? He speaks as if treading upon the heavens and the clouds. You tread the same earth, you are fed from the same source, to it you return, and in it you are buried; so where do you come down? Will you not be ashamed, will you not be shamed by the passion of the Lord? Will you not be ashamed to say to your equal: Do I come down to this one? Will you not be ashamed to say these things, thinking that Jesus came down through you? Toward such opinions and such pride it is proper to always cry out with Isaiah: Why does the earth and the dust swagger?

Nevertheless, let us return to what is before us. Who will give a judge between me and you? The righteous judge appears at the end, appearing to him from the whirlwind and the clouds. Job appears from the clouds, he who is about to pour out the rain of blessing. He appears to him from the clouds, he who is about to water the seed being trodden, and he awakens Job, soothing the passions and scattering them; he only soothes and raises up the fallen. He says to him: Arise, and live as a man girds his loins. And I will ask you, and you shall answer me. Since you have called me to judgment and said, Who will give a judge between me and you? Arise, brave combatant, he who has not fallen by the blow of affliction; arise. For if anyone, having been disciplined, bravely endures affliction and discipline, he hears from God, 'Arise,' just as He says to Jerusalem: 'Arise, Jerusalem, you who have drunk the cup of my wrath. Gird yourself as a man girds his loins.' And I will ask you, and you shall answer me. He did not say: I will need you, and you shall answer me.

Greek · §18

ἐπεστόμιζεν, ἀλλὰ τὴν δικαιολογίαν ἐλάμβανεν· ὃ ἐποίησεν, ᾔτησε, πειθόμενος τῷ λόγῳ, ὅτι Ὧ μέτρῳ μετρεῖτε, ἀντιμετρηθήσεται ὑμῖν. Καί φησι· Τίς δώσει κριτήν; Καὶ πότε δούλῳ ἐφύλαξας ἰσηγορίαν; Ἄκουε αὐτοῦ ὅτε τὰς ἀρετὰς ἀπαριθμεῖται, καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἀπὸ φιλοτιμίας, ἀλλ' ἀπ' ἀκακίας, λέγοντος· Οὐκ ἀπεποιησάμην κρῖμα θεράποντός μου, καὶ θεραπαινίδος μου, κρινομένων αὐτῶν πρός με. ∆ώσω ἀπόκρισιν τῷ Θεῷ. Μὴ οὐχὶ ὡς ἐγὼ ἐπλάσθη; Ταῦτα ἐννοῶν, τῷ κοινῷ τῆς φύσεως παρεῖχε τὸ κοινὸν τῆς ἰσηγορίας. δʹ. Ἡμεῖς δὲ, ἀδελφοὶ, οὐ τοιοῦτοι. Θαυμάζεις τὸν δίκαιον; Σαυτοῦ καταγίνωσκε. Ὅτι πολλάκις ἐάν τις ἐγκαλῇ, οὐ λέγω δούλῳ, ἀλλ' ὀλίγον ὑποβεβηκότι, ἐὰν ἀποκρίνηται τὰ δίκαια, ὡς ἀναισχυντοῦντα καὶ τολμῶντα ἐξ ἰσοτιμίας φθέγξασθαι ἐπιστομίζει. Ὅλως, φησὶ, καὶ τολμᾷς ἐξ ἰσοτιμίας φθέγξασθαι; ἀπαιτεῖς τὸ δίκαιον; ∆έχου τὴν δικαίαν ἰσηγορίαν. Ἐγκαλεῖ ὁ ὑπερ56.581 ήφανος, καὶ οὔτε δικαιολογίαν δέχεται, οὔτε σιωπὴν δυσωπεῖται. Ἐὰν σιωπήσῃ ὁ ἐγκαλούμενος, κατεγνώσθη, φησὶν, οὐκ οἶδε διᾶραι τὰ χείλη· ἐὰν λαλήσῃ, ἐτόλμησε, φησὶ, πρὸς τὸν δεσπότην ῥῆξαι φωνήν. Εἶτα ἄλλος ὑπερηφανίας μεστὸς, ἐὰν ὑπὲρ τοῦ δικαίου, ὑπὲρ εὐγενοῦς ἀνδρὸς πείθηται, παρακαλούμενος θεῖναι λόγον πρὸς τὸν ἕτερον, καὶ συμβῆναι εἰς εἰρήνην, καὶ τὴν κακίαν καταπαῦσαι τῇ ἀγάπῃ, εὐθέως τῇ ὑπερηφανίᾳ φερόμενος λέγει· Ἐγὼ εἰς τοῦτον κατέρχομαι; Ὢ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας! Ποῦ γὰρ ἕστηκας, ἵνα κατέλθῃς; Ἐγὼ εἰς τοῦτον κατέρχομαι; Ὡς τὸν οὐρανὸν πατῶν καὶ τὰς νεφέλας, οὕτω φθέγγεται. Τὴν αὐτὴν γῆν πατεῖς, ἀπὸ τῆς αὐτῆς τρέφῃ, εἰς αὐτὴν ὑποστρέφεις, ἐν αὐτῇ θάπτῃ· καὶ ποῦ κατέρχῃ; οὐκ αἰδεῖσαι, οὐ δυσωπεῖσαι τὸ πάθος τοῦ Κυρίου; οὐκ αἰδεῖσαι λέγων πρὸς τὸν ὁμότιμον· Ἐγὼ εἰς τοῦτο κατέρχομαι; οὐκ αἰδεῖσαι ταῦτα λέγειν, ἐννοῶν ὅτι Ἰησοῦς διὰ σὲ κατῆλθε; Πρὸς τὰς τοιαύτας γνώμας καὶ τὰς τοιαύτας ὑπερηφανίας πρέπει σὺν τῷ Ἡσαΐᾳ πάντοτε βοᾷν· Τί ἀλαζονεύεται γῆ καὶ σποδός; Ὅμως δὲ εἰς τὸ προκείμενον ἐπανέλθωμεν· Τίς δώσει κριτὴν ἀνὰ μέσον ἐμοῦ καὶ σοῦ; Ἐπιφαίνεται ἐπὶ τέλει ὁ δίκαιος κριτὴς, καὶ φαίνεται αὐτῷ ἀπὸ λαίλαπος καὶ νεφῶν. Φαίνεται Ἰὼβ ἀπὸ νεφῶν, ὁ τὸν ὄμβρον τῆς εὐλογίας μέλλων χέειν. Φαίνεται αὐτῷ ἐκ νεφῶν, ὁ μέλλων τὸν σπόρον τὸν κοπριζόμενον ἀρδεύειν, καὶ διεγείρει τὸν Ἰὼβ, καὶ νεύει μόνον, καὶ διασκορπίζει τὰ πάθη· νεύει μόνον, καὶ ἐγείρει τὸν πεπτωκότα· καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Ἀνάστηθι, καὶ ζῶσαι ὥσπερ ἀνὴρ τὴν ὀσφύν σου. Ἐρωτήσω δέ σε, σὺ δέ μοι ἀποκρίθητι. Ἐπειδὴ εἰς κρίσιν με ἐκάλεσας, καὶ εἶπας, Τίς δώσει κριτὴν ἀνὰ μέσον ἐμοῦ καὶ σοῦ; ἀνάστηθι, ὁ γενναῖος ἀγωνιστὴς, ὁ μὴ πεσὼν τῇ πληγῇ τῆς συμφορᾶς, ἀνάστηθι. Ἐὰν γάρ τις παιδευθεὶς, γενναίως ἐνέγκῃ τὴν συμφορὰν καὶ τὴν παιδείαν, ἀκούει παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ, Ἀνάστηθι· ὡς ὅταν λέγῃ τῇ Ἱερουσαλήμ· Ἀνάστηθι, Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ἡπιοῦσα τὸ ποτήριον τοῦ θυμοῦ μου. Περίζωσαι ὡς ἀνὴρ τὴν ὀσφύν σου. Ἐρωτήσω δέ σε, σὺ δέ μοι ἀποκρίθητι. Οὐκ εἶπε· Χρινῶ σε, σὺ δέ μοι ἀποκρίθητι.

The Purpose of Divine Trial§19

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19For you did not call me for judgment, he says, but you called me so that I might be compared to you. You asked for a judge between me and you; you yourself become the judge. Do you suppose I have used you in some other way, than so that you might appear righteous? Do you think, he says, that I brought this calamity upon you for any other reason, than so that I might make you appear just? And look closely at the precision of such words.

He did not say: Do you suppose I have used you in some other way, than so that you might become righteous? For the calamity did not make him righteous, but it made his righteousness known. Do you suppose I have used you in some other way, than so that you might appear righteous? For to me, he says, you were known even before the struggles; but to the world, through the calamity, you are made known, and to the world, through the struggle, you are proclaimed. For this reason I have used you, not to harm, but to crown; not to shame, but to brighten.

Moreover, since through wickedness you went out from the measures of nature, I correct you by your integrity. For even if someone sins from wickedness, God corrects the things that come from wickedness. Since you have called God entirely into judgment, tell me, with what kind of hospitality have you called me against you? Where were you when I was laying the foundation of the earth? You became a contemporary of the Creator, in order that you might call him to judgment? He was before the ages, but you are after many ages.

When I was flattening the earth, you were not present; when the sea, you were not present; or whatever such things, you were not present. All creation came to be, and you were nowhere. Did you then call the one more ancient than the ages, the Creator of the creation, into judgment? When I was spreading grass upon the earth, when I settled its pillars, when I brought it out from its mother's womb, when the sea was being brought forth, where were you? When I covered it with a cloud and surrounded it with mist, where were you?

He is struck down as if having spoken unworthily, from wickedness, but not from ignorance. And what does he do? He does not rebuke him over all things, but as a friend, privately, he corrects him. As he has said these things, and things near to them (for it is not the time to interpret every word in part), and Job, having become knowing of himself (for the righteous is corrected in his error from the first rebuke), says: Lord, once my ear had heard of you, but now my eye has seen you, and I despise myself; and I consider myself dust and ashes.

And, I have spoken once, but on the second I will not add. See how the error is recalled by one having well received the reproach. I have spoken once, and this was from wickedness, not from malice; but on the second I will not add. For who am I, being judged against the Lord? Did Job not foresee through wickedness? He learns after the rebuke. Then, what is God? He does not forgive him by waiving the judgment, but says: Not to die, but to live like a man holding his loins. Stand, he says, like a man. Do not think that because of this I overwhelmed you with power, fleeing from the just, but I corrected your wickedness. However, I do not waive the judgment; judge me justly, and demand an account of the...

Greek · §19

Οὐ γὰρ ἐκάλεσάς με, φησὶν, εἰς κρίσιν, ἀλλ' ἐκάλεσάς με εἰς τὸ συγκριθῆναί σοι. ∆ικαστὴν ᾔτησας μεταξὺ ἐμοῦ καὶ σοῦ· σὺ γενοῦ δικαστής. Οἴει ἄλλως σοι κεχρηματικέναι με, ἢ ἵνα ἀναφανῇς δίκαιος; Νομίζεις, φησὶ, δι' ἄλλο τι τὴν συμφορὰν ἐπήγαγον ταύτην, ἢ ἵνα δίκαιόν σε ἀναφαίνω; Καὶ βλέπε τῇ ἀκριβείᾳ τῶν τοιούτων ῥημάτων προσέχων. Οὐκ εἶπεν· Οἴει με ἄλλως σοι κεχρηματικέναι, ἢ ἵνα γένῃ δίκαιος; Οὐ γὰρ ἡ συμφορὰ αὐτὸν δίκαιον ἐποίησεν, ἀλλὰ δίκαιον ἐγνώρισεν. Οἴει με ἄλλως σοι κεχρηματικέναι, ἢ ἵνα ἀναφανῇς δίκαιος; Ἐμοὶ μὲν γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ πρὸ τῶν ἀγώνων ἦσθα γνώριμος· τῷ δὲ κόσμῳ διὰ τῆς συμφορᾶς γνωρίζῃ, τῷ κόσμῳ διὰ τῆς πάλης κηρύττῃ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό σοι ἐχρημάτισα, οὐχ ἵνα βλάψω, ἀλλ' ἵνα στέψω· οὐχ ἵνα καταισχύνω, ἀλλ' ἵνα λαμπρύνω. Πλὴν ἐπειδὴ διὰ τὴν ἀκακίαν ἐξῆλθες τῶν μέτρων τῆς φύσεως, συνέγνων σου τῇ ἀκεραιότητι. Κἂν γάρ τις ἀπὸ ἀκακίας ἁμάρτῃ, ὁ Θεὸς διορθοῦται τὰ ἀπὸ ἀκακίας γινόμενα. Ἐπειδὴ ὅλως ἐκάλεσας Θεὸν εἰς κρίσιν, εἰπέ μοι, ποίαν ἔχων πρὸς ἐμὲ ὁμοτιμίαν ἐκάλεσάς με; Ποῦ ἦς ἐν τῷ θεμελιοῦν με τὴν γῆν; σύγχρονος ἐγένου τοῦ ποιητοῦ, ἵνα καλέσῃς αὐτὸν εἰς κρίσιν; Ὁ μὲν πρὸ τῶν αἰώνων, σὺ δὲ μετὰ πολλοὺς αἰῶνας. Ὅτε ἔπλαττον τὴν γῆν, οὐ παρῆς· ὅτε τὴν θάλατταν, οὐ παρῆς· ἢ ὅσα τοιαῦτα, οὐ παρῆς. Πᾶσα ἡ κτίσις ἐγένετο, καὶ σὺ οὐδαμοῦ ἦσθα. Τὸν οὖν ἀρχαιότερον τῶν αἰώνων, τὸν κτίστην τῆς δημιουργίας εἰς κρίσιν ἐκάλεσας; Ὅτε ἔτεινα σπαρτίον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὅτε τοὺς στύλους αὐτῆς ἥδρασα, ὅτε μετήγαγον ἐκ κοιλίας μητρὸς αὐτῆς, ὅτε ἐτίκτετο ἡ θάλασσα, ποῦ ἦς; ὅτε αὐτὴν ἐσκέπασα νεφέλῃ, ὁμίχλῃ δὲ αὐτὴν περιέβαλον, ποῦ ἦς; Καθάπτεται αὐτοῦ ὡς ἀναξίως φθεγξαμένου, 56.582 ἀπὸ ἀκακίας μὲν, πλὴν ἀπ' ἀγνοίας. Καὶ τί ποιεῖ; Οὐκ ἐπὶ πάντων αὐτὸν ἐλέγχει, ἀλλ' ὡς φίλον ἰδίᾳ διορθοῦται. Ὡς οὖν εἶπε ταῦτα, καὶ τὰ τούτοις παραπλήσια (οὐ γὰρ καιρός ἐστι κατὰ μέρος πᾶσαν λέξιν ἑρμηνεῦσαι), καὶ ὁ Ἰὼβ ἐπιγνώμων ἑαυτοῦ γενόμενος (ὁ γὰρ δίκαιος ἐκ πρώτου ἐλέγχου διορθοῦται τὸ σφάλμα), λέγει· Κύριε, ἀκοῇ μὲν ὠτὸς ἤκουόν σου τὸ πρότερον, νυνὶ δὲ ὁ ὀφθαλμός μου εἶδέ σε, καὶ ἐξουδένησα ἐμαυτόν· ἥγημαι δὲ ἐμαυτὸν γῆν καὶ σποδόν. Καὶ, Ἅπαξ ἐλάλησα, ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ δευτέρῳ οὐ προσθήσω. Βλέπε πῶς ἀνακαλεῖται τὸ σφάλμα ὁ καλῶς τὴν μέμψιν δεξάμενος. Ἅπαξ ἐλάλησα, καὶ τοῦτο ἀπὸ ἀκακίας, οὐκ ἀπὸ πονηρίας· ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ δευτέρῳ οὐ προσθήσω. Τίς γάρ εἰμι ἐγὼ κρινόμενος ἐναντίον Κυρίου; Ἃ μὴ προέγνω ὁ Ἰὼβ δι' ἀκακίαν, μανθάνει μετὰ τὸν ἔλεγχον. Εἶτα τί ὁ Θεός; Οὐ συγχωρεῖ αὐτῷ παραιτήσασθαι τὴν κρίσιν, ἀλλά φησιν· Οὐχὶ, ἀλλὰ ζῶσαι ὥσπερ ἀνὴρ τὴν ὀσφύν σου. Στῆθι, φησὶν, ὡς ἀνήρ. Μὴ νομίσῃς, ὅτι διὰ τοῦτό σε κατέπληξα τῇ δυναστείᾳ, φεύγων τὸ δίκαιον, ἀλλὰ διωρθωσάμην σου τὴν ἀκακίαν. Τὴν μέντοι κρίσιν οὐ παραιτοῦμαι· κρῖνόν με δικαίως, καὶ ἀπαίτει λόγον τῶν

The Double Reward and the Resurrection of Children§20

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20You were judged so that you might be crowned, judged so that you might be praised by all under heaven. Before the suffering, one person knew you; after the suffering, all under heaven will know you. Your hardship becomes more brilliant than any royal procession. Those bearing the diadem desire to see your struggle and the toil of the athletic contests.

I made your hardship a paradise; I cultivated it toward piety, bringing forth a heavenly plant. You received heavenly things; now receive also the earthly things, taking all things twofold. Here, every Christian, learn your hope, the excellence of your promise. For to Job double is promised, and double is given; but the Savior says to his own disciples: whoever has left father, or mother, or sisters for my sake, shall receive a hundredfold and inherit eternal life.

But attend to that precisely, so that while the friend is corrected privately, Job's friends are reproved publicly. And God says to them: Why did you not speak rightly concerning my servant Job? But, O Judge, we set forth the word on your behalf, we proclaimed your righteousness, we judged a man, but we showed your righteousness to be innocent. Therefore, attend here to the judgment of God. For if he does not accept those speaking on his behalf against the righteous, will he accept those speaking against the righteous in an unrighteous way?

Thus he reproves his friends, and says: Now, if not for my servant Job, I would have destroyed you. Thus at once he reproves and he saves. He saves because they said nothing evil against God; but he reproves the righteous, restoring his integrity. And he honors the friends through him; but he honors the righteous through the contest, and gives him double, and from his darkness his light shone then and now.

Having said one more thing, let us show the excellence. He received the sheep twofold, and oxen, camels, and donkeys twofold; but the children, having lost ten, he did not receive twenty. Here one must seek how the cattle indeed are twofold, but the children are simple. Because the cattle and the possessions, being lost, were lost completely, but a man dying is preserved unto life and is raised unto resurrection.

He does not give him the children twofold, so that he might not cut off the hope of those who departed, but so that he might show him that they, even if they were taken early, yet they live. They all indeed are provided for him; but he gives him only ten, so that Job might be found not passing from life to death, but passing from house to house. For having completed ten years of life, they sent him to the grave; ten again on the day of resurrection they will receive him from the grave into kingship, and he will enjoy those unutterable and eternal goods in unison. May all of us be worthy of this, by the grace and philanthropy of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and the power, now and always and unto the ages. Amen.

Greek · §20

γινομένων. Ἐκρίθης ἵνα στεφθῇς, ἐκρίθης ἵνα ἀγασθῇς ἐν πάσῃ τῇ ὑπ' οὐρανόν. Πρὸ τοῦ πάθους μία σε γωνία ἐγνώριζε· μετὰ τὸ πάθος πᾶσα γνωρίσει ἡ ὑπ' οὐρανόν. Ἡ κοπρία σου παντὸς βασιλικοῦ διαδήματος λαμπροτέρα γίνεται. Οἱ τὸ διάδημα φέροντες ἐπιθυμοῦσιν ἰδεῖν σου καὶ τὸν ἀγῶνα καὶ τὸν πόνον τῶν ἀθλημάτων. Παράδεισόν σου ἐποίησα τὴν κοπρίαν, ἐγεώργησα πρὸς εὐσέβειαν, φυτὸν ἐπουράνιον ἀνέδειξα. Ἔλαβες τὰ ἐπουράνια, δέχου καὶ τὰ ἐπίγεια, λάμβανε τὰ πάντα εἰς τὸ διπλάσιον. Ἐνταῦθα μάθε, πᾶς Χριστιανὸς, τὴν σὴν ἐλπίδα, τὴν ὑπεροχὴν τῆς σῆς ἐπαγγελίας. Τῷ Ἰὼβ μὲν γὰρ διπλασίονα ἐπαγγέλλεται, καὶ διπλάσια δίδωσιν· ὁ δὲ Σωτὴρ τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ μαθηταῖς φησιν· Ὃς ἀφῆκε πατέρα, ἢ μητέρα, ἢ ἀδελφὰς ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ, ἑκατονταπλασίονα λήψεται, καὶ ζωὴν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσει. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο πρόσεχε ἀκριβῶς, ὅπως τὸν μὲν φίλον ἰδίᾳ διορθοῦται, τοὺς δὲ φίλους τοῦ Ἰὼβ ἐλέγχει παῤῥησίᾳ. Καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Θεός· Ἵνα τί οὐκ ἐλαλήσατε ὀρθὰ κατὰ τοῦ θεράποντός μου Ἰώβ; Ἀλλ', ὦ δικαιοκρίτα, ὑπὲρ σοῦ τὸν λόγον ἐθέμεθα, τὴν σὴν δικαιοσύνην ἐκηρύξαμεν, κατεψηφισάμεθα ἀνθρώπου, τὴν δὲ σὴν δικαιοσύνην ἀθώαν ἐδείξαμεν. Ἐνταῦθα οὖν πρόσεχε τῇ δικαιοκρισίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Εἰ γὰρ τὸν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ λέγοντα κατὰ τοῦ δικαίου οὐ δέχεται, τοὺς κατὰ τοῦ δικαίου λέγοντας παρὰ τὸ δίκαιον δέξεται; Ἐλέγχει οὖν τοὺς φίλους αὐτοῦ, καὶ λέγει· Καὶ νῦν, εἰ μὴ διὰ τὸν δοῦλόν μου Ἰὼβ, ἀπώλεσα ἂν ὑμᾶς. Ὁμοῦ οὖν καὶ ἐλέγχει, καὶ διασώζει. Σώζει μὲν διὰ τὸ μηδὲν πονηρὸν κατὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ λέγειν· ἐλέγχει δὲ τὸν δίκαιον, τὴν ἀκεραιότητα ἐπανορθούμενος· καὶ τιμᾷ μὲν τοὺς φίλους δι' ἐκεῖνον· τιμᾷ δὲ τὸν δίκαιον διὰ τὴν ἄθλησιν, καὶ δίδωσιν αὐτῷ διπλάσιον, καὶ ἀπὸ σκότους αὐτοῦ τὸ φῶς ἔλαμψε καὶ τότε καὶ νῦν. Ἓν δ' ἔτι εἰρηκότες, δείξωμεν τὴν ὑπεροχήν. Ἔλαβε τὰ πρόβατα εἰς τὸ διπλάσιον, βόας, καμήλους, ὄνους εἰς τὸ διπλάσιον· τὰ δὲ τέκνα ἀπολέσας δέκα, εἴκοσιν οὐκ ἔλαβεν. Ἐνταῦθα ζητητέον, πῶς τὰ κτήνη μὲν εἰς τὸ διπλάσιον, τὰ δὲ τέκνα εἰς τὸ ἁπλοῦν. Ἐπειδὴ τὰ κτήνη μὲν καὶ τὰ κτήματα ἀπολλύμενα τέλειον ἀπώλοντο, ἄνθρωπος δὲ ἀποθανὼν εἰς ζωὴν διαφυλάττεται, καὶ εἰς ἀνάστασιν ἐγείρεται. Οὐ δίδωσιν αὐτῷ εἰς τὸ διπλάσιον τὰ τέκνα, ἵνα μὴ ἐκκόψῃ τὴν ἐλπίδα τῶν ἀπελθόντων, ἀλλὰ ἵνα δείξῃ αὐτῷ, ὅτι κἀκεῖνοι, εἰ καὶ προηρπάγησαν, ἀλλὰ ζῶσι. Κἀκεῖνοι μὲν πάντες χορηγοῦνται αὐτῷ· οὐ δίδωσι δὲ αὐτῷ πλὴν δέκα, ἵνα εὑρεθῇ Ἰὼβ οὐκ ἀπὸ ζωῆς εἰς θάνατον, ἀλλ' ἀπ' οἴκου εἰς οἶκον μεταβαίνων. ∆έκα γὰρ αὐτὸν τελέσαντα τὸν βίον μέχρι τάφου προέπεμψαν· δέκα πάλιν αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἡμέρᾳ ἀπὸ τοῦ τάφου εἰς βασιλείαν παραδέξονται, καὶ τῶν ἀποῤῥήτων ἐκείνων καὶ αἰωνίων ἀγαθῶν ἀπολαύσουσιν ὁμοθυμαδόν· ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς καταξιωθῆναι, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν.

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