Job 19

1–2

In the previous discourse Baldath seems to have intended two things. First, he intended to refute Job for stupidity, pride and anger. (18:2) He intended to afflict him by this like his other friends had, and so Job says, "How long are you going to afflict my soul?" Second, Baldath intended to confirm his opinion that the adversities of the present life arise in return for sins which in fact he had explained at length by enumerating the different adversities without introducing other proof. (18:4) Regarding this Job says, "and injure me with your discussions," that is, fatigue me with words, but not convincing proofs?

Commentary on Job

How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?

HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION

The sayings of the holy man, as we have already often said, are to be understood sometimes in his own person, sometimes in the voice of the Head, and sometimes in a figure of the Church Universal. Now the soul of the righteous is deeply distressed, when those persons launch severe sentences against the good, who have not learned to lead good lives, and by the words of the mouth claim righteousness to themselves, to which in practice they are enemies. Whence to the friends of blessed Job, who, as we have already often said, bear a type of heretics, himself rightly answers, How long will ye vex my soul, and wear me with words? For good men are 'worn' with the words of the wicked, when those swell out against them in words of the lips, who lie low either in a corrupt faith, or in bad habits.

Morals on the Book of Job, Book XIV

“Only know that the Lord has dealt with me thus.… You speak against me; you do not feel for me but bear hard upon me.… May the dignity of him who punishes me make you change your mind,” he says. We do not have to trample underfoot the people who are punished by God, but we must shed tears and grieve over their fate. Above all, we must not rejoice over the death of anybody, because such an action will not be left unpunished. Who would have not respected Job’s misfortune, at least because of the dignity of him who chastised him?

Commentary on Job 19:3A

Lo, these ten times ye confound me.

On enumerating the successive times of the speeches of Job's friends, we learn that as yet they had spoken but five times. But for this reason, that he had five times heard rebukes from them, and five times himself replied to their rebukes, he says that he had been ten times confounded; because both herein, viz. that he had been causelessly reproached, he suffered deeply, and in this, that he uttered words of instruction to those that gave no ear, he underwent confusion. And so, while in hearing he held his peace, and in speaking was not heard, that person had trouble put upon him, who both in holding his peace submissively, and in speaking to them fruitlessly, experienced pain within his heart; and hence he says above, What shall I do? If I speak, my grief is not assuaged; and though I forbear, it will not depart from me.

ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION

But if we make these words refer to a type of Holy Church, it is well known that it is her great delight to keep the precepts of the Ten Commandments; and the wicked 'confound her ten times,' in that by all that they do wrong in their wicked principles, they forsake the precepts of the Ten Commandments, and cause confusion to the good as often as they set themselves against the words of God in their doings, It goes on; And ye are not ashamed that ye oppress me.

There are some persons, whom bad principle suddenly springing up invites to the commission of wickedness, yet respect for their fellow-creatures recalls again. And very often from this, viz. that they are made ashamed outwardly, they are brought back into their own interior heart, and pass an inward judgment upon themselves; in that if they are afraid to do what is evil on man's account, how much more ought they not even to have longed after what is evil, on God's account, Who sees all things? And in the case of these persons it is brought to pass, that they correct greater evil by inferior good, i.e. interior sin by exterior shame. Again, there are some, who, when once they have brought themselves to contemn God in their hearts, despise the judgments of their fellow-creatures much more, and all the evil that they long after, they do not blush to execute boldly, which persons secret wickedness invites to the commission of sin, and outward shame holds not back; as it is said also of a certain wicked judge, Which feared not God, neither regarded man. Hence too it is said of certain persons sinning with shameless effrontery; And they have declared their sin as Sodom. Thus very often there are such persons enemies of Holy Church, persons who are not withheld from committing wicked things, either by the fear of God, or regard of man; and it is well said to these by blessed Job, And ye are not ashamed that ye oppress me; seeing that though it was wrong to have wished bad things, it is worse not to be ashamed of things wrongly desired.

Morals on the Book of Job, Book XIV

It is tolerable if someone speaks against his own friend once, but if the man says the same things over and over he seems to be firmly established in malice, and so he then says, "Behold! You have confused me ten times," both by speaking yourselves and by listening to me with some anger. Before this present response, Job is found to have spoken five times if we begin from when he said, "Cursed be the day I was born." (3:13) and the friends are found to have answered him five times. Even if they should not cease to afflict the one they were tormenting for friendship's sake, they at least could stop afflicting him because they were refuting and so he then says, "and you do not blush in oppressing me," for you wear me as much out with your reproaches as your lengthy discourses.

Commentary on Job

"And if I—let us suppose—had done things that should not have been done, even if I had been in such a condition, was it not necessary just the same that you felt ashamed while seeing my afflictions, disease, worms and loss of goods? But you approach me without commiserating with me and without feeling any sympathy for my adversities."

Fragments on Job 13.15, 29

Job says this as a concession. He always acts in this manner, by multiplying his concessions. He does not allow the discussion to languish on the same point but begins his fight again. Let us admit, he says, that you reprove my words for being foolish, vain and inopportune. You, nonetheless, had no reason to insult me, even if things were so, but it was necessary to respect my distress, to fear him who had struck me, to forgive because of the greatness of my misfortunes.

Commentary on Job 19:3B-6A

And be it indeed that I have been ignorant, my ignorance remaineth with myself.

Heretics have this about them, that they are swoln by the empty pretensions of their knowledge, and often turn to ridicule the simplicity of those that believe rightly, and account the life of the humble to be of no worth. On the other hand Holy Church, in all that she has really wise in her, keeps low the level of her view in humility, that she be not puffed up by knowledge, nor be made to swell high on the seeking out of things hidden, and venture to dive into points, that are above her powers. For with more profit to herself she is anxious not to know things she is unable to fathom, rather than boldly to define things she does not know. As it is written; It is not good to eat much honey: so he that is a searcher of majesty, shall be overwhelmed by glory. For if the sweetness of honey be taken in greater measure than there is occasion for, from the same source whence the palate is gratified, the life of the eater is destroyed, The 'searching into majesty' is also sweet; but he, that seeks to dive into it deeper than the cognizance of human nature admits, finds the mere gloriousness thereof by itself oppress him, in that, like honey takes in excess, it bursts the sense of the searcher which is not capable of holding it. Now that is said to be 'with' us, which is for us; and on the other hand that is said not to be with us, that is against us; and so, because his own knowledge puffs out the heart of the heretic, while his perception of his own ignorance abases the faithful, let blessed Job say in his own voice, let him say also in the confession of the Church Universal, And be it indeed that I have been ignorant, my ignorance shall be with me. As if it were said in express words to Heretics; 'All your knowledge is not with you, since it is against you, so long as it uplifts you in foolish pride; but my ignorance is with me, because it is for me; since, whereas I do not dare to search into any thing relating to God in pride of heart, I keep myself in the truth in a spirit of humility.' And because these very same things that heretics seek to know, they apply perforce to the furtherance of self-elation only, that they may seem learned in contrast to the faithful and humble, it is rightly added; But ye are set up against me.

Morals on the Book of Job, Book XIV

Among other reproaches Baldath seems to have blamed him for ignorance, when he had said, "Understand first and then we will speak." (18:2) The friends certainly should have tolerated this ignorance. He should been excused because of it, but he should not have been reproached with it especially in a time of adversity, and so he then says, "If without doubt I have erred, my ignorance will be with me," as if he should say: Nothing burdens you, but only me, and so it does not befit you to reproach me for ignorance in the midst of adversity.

Commentary on Job

"And if I—let us suppose—had done things that should not have been done, even if I had been in such a condition, was it not necessary just the same that you felt ashamed while seeing my afflictions, disease, worms and loss of goods? But you approach me without commiserating with me and without feeling any sympathy for my adversities."

Fragments on Job 13.15, 29

5–6

“But alas! Since you magnify yourselves against me and insult me with reproach,” he says, “know then that it is the Lord that has troubled me.” What do these words mean? That it is necessary to have respect and fear? In my opinion, Job wants to suggest in this passage that if he was suffering so much, it was not because of his faults—in fact, if God strikes one, does one always suffer because of his faults? Not Job, and not many others—but in order to be tested and to achieve more victories.

Commentary on Job 19:3B-6A

But ye are set up against me.

HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION

But perhaps we shall consider these words more thoroughly, if we point out how they apply to the friends of blessed Job personally in a special sense. For they, when they saw the righteous man smitten, ought to have turned back into their own deepest interior, and not to have persecuted blessed Job with words of upbraiding, but to have bewailed their own case; seeing that, if he was so stricken, who served as he did, with what vengeance did they deserve to be smitten, who had not served like him? And it is rightly said to them, Ye are set up against me; as if it were said to them in plainer terms; 'Ye who ought by occasion of my being smitten to have been set up against your own selves,' this being the order of such setting up on the side of goodness, viz. that we be first set up against ourselves, and afterwards against the wicked. For he that is set up against the good, is blown out in pride. Thus we are set up against ourselves, when, reviewing our own evil deeds, we smite ourselves with the severe avenging of penance, when we do not spare ourselves at all in our sins, and are not biassed by any fond thoughts towards ourselves, who, if we first rigidly follow up our evil things in ourselves, it is likewise fair, that we should be set up against the evil in others too for their good, and that the evil which we punish in ourselves, we should subdue in others too, by charging it home to them.

But this sort of setting up the wicked know nothing of, because they leave themselves, and attack the good; they incline themselves towards themselves, in their secret heart, by the softness of fond flattering, and they are set up against the lives of good men by the severity of harshness, whence it is now rightly said to the friends of blessed Job swelling against him under his scourge, Ye are set up against me: i.e. 'Your own selves, that deserve to be rebuked, ye leave, and me ye rebuke with severe sentences.' For he that does not judge himself first, is ignorant what to judge right in another; and if perchance he did know by the hearing what to judge right, yet he is not able to judge rightly the merits of another, who has no rule of judging supplied him by the consciousness of his own innocence. Hence it is that it is said to certain persons dealing deceitfully, when they brought an adulteress to receive punishment; He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. For they went for the punishing of others' sins, and they had left their own behind; and so they are called back to their conscience within them, that they should first correct their own faults, and then reprove those of others. It is hence that, when the tribe of Benjamin was deep sunk in the guilt of carnal sin, all Israel banded together would have avenged that wickedness, yet was once and again itself smitten down in the conflict of war; but on the Lord being consulted whether they should go to take vengeance, it was commanded them. The People, that went according to the bidding of God's voice, fell both once and again, and then at length effectually smiting the sinning tribe, almost wholly extirpated it. How is it that it is first kindled to the revenge of sin, and yet afterwards itself brought down; but that those are to be chastised first themselves, by whose means the sins of others are chastised; that they may themselves now come cleansed through vengeance, who are forward to chastise the evil of others? Whence it follows that when the vengeance of God's inquest is at rest towards us, our own conscience should reprove its own self, and by its own act lift itself up against self, to sorrows of penance, neither being set up towards the good, and humble towards itself, but unbending towards itself, and bowed low towards all the good. Thus to proud men administering reproof, it is rightly said; Ye are set up against me, and ye charge me with my reproaches. All persons that are set up, account temporal afflictions to be a grievous reproach, and they think every individual to be the more despised by God, in proportion as they see him scourged with the rod of affliction. For they look for nothing in principles, they look for nothing in practices; but whomsoever they see to be stricken in this life, they imagine to be already condemned by God's sentence; whence it is well said on this occasion by the voice of blessed Job; And ye charge me with my reproaches.

In that they, who knew him to be righteous before his strokes, were now judging him to be unrighteous by the mere fact of his being stricken, and hence it very often happens that Heretics, because they see persons within the bosom of Holy Church suffering affliction; (for it is written of God, And scourgeth every son whom He receiveth;) fancy that the sorrows of the faithful arise from nothing but sin, and themselves they for this reason conclude to be righteous, because being left in the thoughts of their evil ways, lacking the rod, they have become hardened.

Morals on the Book of Job, Book XIV

So he then says, "But you raise yourselves up against me," showing your excellence, "and you blame me for my disgraces," i.e., which only concern me and do not burden others.

Commentary on Job

Know now at least that God hath afflicted me with no just judgment.

O, how hard does the voice of the righteous man sound, suffering under the infliction of the rod! Which same, however, not pride, but grief gave vent to! Now he is not righteous, who gives up righteousness under sorrow; and blessed Job, because he had a meek spirit, did not sin even by a hard word. For, if we say that he did err by this voice, we make out that the devil accomplished what he purposed, when he said, Touch his bone and his flesh, and see if he have not blessed Thee to Thy face. Therefore a serious question arises; for if he did not sin in that he says, Know now at least that God has not afflicted me with a just judgment; we agree to God's having done something unjustly, which it is profane to say; but if he did sin, then the devil made appear concerning him the thing that he promised. And so it must be asserted both that God acted rightly in His dealings with blessed Job, and yet that blessed Job herein, viz. that he says that he 'was not afflicted by a just judgment of God,' did not speak an untruth, and that our old enemy in respect of that which he promised of sin in the blessed man did speak an untruth. For sometimes the words of the good are for this reason supposed wrong, because they are not ever considered in their interior signification. Thus blessed Job had turned his eyes to his own life, and he estimated the strokes which he was undergoing, and saw that it was not just that upon such a life such strokes should be dealt. And when he says that he was not afflicted by a just judgment, he spoke that with unreserved voice, which God in His own secresy had said concerning him to his adversary, thou movedst Me against him, to afflict him without cause. For what God expresses, that He 'had afflicted blessed Job without cause,' this blessed Job asserts again in the words that he was not 'afflicted of the Lord by a just judgment?' Wherein then did he sin, who was in nothing at odds with the sentence of his Maker?

But perhaps some one will say, that for us to speak that good concerning ourselves, which the Judge may have said in secret concerning us, cannot be done without sin. For he whom the Judge praises, it cannot be doubted, is justly praiseworthy; but if he in his own person praises himself, his righteousness is henceforth supposed to be no longer deserving of praise; and this is said rightly, if what the just Judge delivers in impartial sentence, the person in question should venture to say afterwards concerning himself in pride of heart. For if he himself too continuing in a humble frame, when the occasion or his grief brings it out, has uttered good that is true in his own praise, he has not departed from the line of righteousness, in so far as he was not at all at variance with truth.

Whence Paul the Apostle also related many brave things of himself for the edification of his disciples, but he did not commit sin by relating these things, in that both by an undeniable attestation, and a humble mind, he did not depart from the pathway of truth; and so let blessed Job, conscious of his own life being just, say that he is not afflicted by a just judgment; neither yet does he sin by that voice, wherein he is not at variance with His Maker, in that he whom God 'smote without cause,' himself also asserts that he was not 'afflicted by a just judgment.' But again there arises another question, which I remember has been already solved in the beginning of this work, viz. whereas Almighty God does nothing without cause, why does He bear witness that He had afflicted blessed Job without cause? For our just Creator by those many strokes inflicted upon blessed Job did not aim to do away with evil qualities in him, but to increase his merits; and so that was just, which He did in the heightening of his good deserts; but it did not seem equitable, because it was thought to be the punishing of instances of sin. Now blessed Job believed that sins of his doing were obliterated by those scourges, not that his merits were added to, and therefore he calls it 'not a just judgment,' because he tests his life side by side with the scourges: thus, if the life and the scourges be weighed in the scales, that was not equal dealing, which blessed Job, as I have said, supposed to be done to him in the wrathfulness of severity; but if the mercifulness of the Judge be looked to, seeing that by the punishment of the just man the merits of his life are heightened, it was an equal or rather a merciful judgment: therefore at once Job spoke what was true, so long as he balanced his life with the stroke; and God did not afflict Job with an unjust judgment, in that he heightened his merits by the stroke; and the devil did not achieve what he promised; seeing that blessed Job, amidst words which sound hard, was neither removed from a true sentence nor a humble mind. But perhaps we shall understand these words of blessed Job less well, if we are not acquainted with the sentence of the Judge; Who, when He was delivering sentence between the two parties, says to the friends of Job; Ye have not spoken of Me the thing that is right, as My servant Job hath. Who then is there so foolish in mind as to own that blessed Job had been guilty in his way of speaking, when he is declared to have spoken rightly by the very voice of the Judge itself? Which same voice, indeed, if we refer to the person of Holy Church, we not unsuitably apply it to her weak members, which while, in the season of her persecution, they weigh both her merits and her scourges, forasmuch as they see that the unjust thrive, and the just perish, have no notion that this is just. Now it is well added by the voice of the blessed man, And compassed me with his scourges.

For it is one thing to be smitten, and another thing to be 'compassed with scourges.' Thus, we are smitten with scourges, when even in our sorrows we have a consolation derived from other sources; for when affliction lies so heavy on us that the spirit can no longer take breath by consolation from anyone thing; we are now no longer smitten only, but even 'compassed with scourges,' in that we are every way surrounded by the rod of affliction. Thus Paul had been compassed with scourges, when he said, Without were fightings, within were fears. He had been compassed with scourges, when he said, In perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, with the other particulars, which he so enumerates, as to shew that he no where had rest. But when Holy Church is 'compassed with the scourges' of her tribulation, all the weak in her are brought down in the fall of littleness of mind, so that they now suppose themselves disregarded, in proportion as they see that they are the more slowly heard with effect.

Morals on the Book of Job, Book XIV

After he begins with these things which concern the refutation of his friends, he goes on to pursue his chief proposition with the intention of showing what they were saying is false: that present adversities always arise because of past sins. Immediately at the beginning he draws an unfitting conclusion from this supposition saying, "At least now, understand that God has not have afflicted me with right judgment," as if to say: If adversities only arise because of sins, the judgment of God by which he afflicted me gravely when I did not sin gravely is not equitable. He says, "At least now," because up to this time, he had not yet enumerated his adversities as particularly as he does now. He says that he has not only been afflicted with adversities, but also hemmed in by them so that he cannot find a way to escape them, and so the text continues, "and he has girded me about with his scourges," because the scourges themselves have taken away the road to the cures, and he begins to pursue this second point first.

Commentary on Job

"I will cry out, and there is nowhere judgment; I still contend." This is as if Job had said, "I cried out like an athlete in the stadium, but my judgment is nowhere there. Indeed, I still fight. But if I do not bring my fight to a close, I will not get my crown." We actually say these things lest we accuse God of the fact that Job suffered such misfortunes and there was judgment for him nowhere.

Fragments on Job 13.15, 29

Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard; I cry aloud, but there is no one to Judge.

Almighty God, knowing what has in it efficacy to prove our good, shuts His ears to hear the voice of persons mourning, that He may add to their advantage, that their life may be purified by punishment, that the tranquillity of rest which can no where be found here, may be sought for elsewhere. But there are some of the faithful even that know nothing of this grace of Providential ordering, in whose person too it is now said; Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard; I cry aloud, but there is no one to judge; for it is said, 'there is no one to judge,' when He veils His eyes to judge, in that beside Him 'there is not any to judge' our cause against our adversary. Nor yet is this very thing void of judgment, viz. that judgment is delayed; seeing that at the very time that blessed Job said this, both the merits of the holy man and the punishment of his adversary were increased: so then this very deferring of judgment is the act of a judge. But what God settles justly within is one thing, and what the soul bruised by scourges without seeks after is another.

Morals on the Book of Job, Book XIV

Cure can be found in adversities first through human aid in two ways. In one way in the deed itself, for example, when someone is violently oppressed by someone else and he receives aid from another. He rejects this saying, "Behold, I will cry aloud while I am suffering attack and no one will hear me," as if he should say: If I cry aloud against those who oppress me violently, no one would heed so that he comes to my aid. In another way after the deed, for example, when someone who has suffered injury complains to a judge who restores and vindicates him by his sentence. He rejects this saying, "I will cry out and there is no one to judge," that is, if I cried out in complaint, there would be no judge present who would free me by his judgment.

Commentary on Job

"No speech," Job says, "can describe my misfortunes. As those who are surrounded on every side by a wall or are oppressed by darkness, I cannot proceed any further. So, it is impossible for me to escape these calamities."

Commentary on Job 19:8-11

He hath fenced up my way, that I cannot pass: and He hath set darkness in my paths.

He saw his 'way fenced up' with strokes, when anxiously desiring to pass into a state of security, he was not able to escape the scourges, and whereas he saw himself smitten, and yet did not find in himself a life worthy of such smiting, as it were 'in the paths' of the heart he met with 'the darkness' of his own ignorance, in that he could not fathom the cause wherefore he was so scourged. And this is not unfitly applied to the weak members of Holy Church too, when from this which they remember to have done wickedly, they are made backward in good practice as well, and, frightened by their own weakness, do not venture to attempt strong acts of goodness to match them. For they fear to begin great acts of goodness, who call to mind that they are infirm in their ways; and whereas they very often do not know the very good, which they should choose, they, as it were, shrink from the 'darkness placed in their paths.' For the mind often becomes so doubtful of its own doings, as not to know at all which is the virtue and which the fault. Thus he 'finds darkness in his path,' who in those things which he desires to do, is ignorant what he ought to choose. Therefore seeing that there is sin often from infirmity, and sometimes from ignorance, it is said in the person of the members that go weakly, He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass. While in the person of those who see not clear as to the very good work itself which they should choose, it is added; and He hath set darkness in my paths. For it is punishment of sin, to see the good which we ought to do, and yet not to have the power to fulfil it; and again it is in still worse punishment of sin, not even to see what we ought to do; and hence against both of these it is said by the voice of the Psalmist, The Lord is my Light and my Salvation; whom then shall I fear? For against the darkness of ignorance the Lord is a 'Light;' against weakness 'Salvation,' whilst He both shews what ought to be desired for the doing it, and supplies the powers, that what He shews may be fulfilled.

Morals on the Book of Job, Book XIV

Second, a cure is found in adversities by the man himself who escapes adversities in two ways. In the first way, by his power, and he excludes this saying, "He has obstructed my path and I cannot pass," as if he should say: He has placed so many impediments to my advance that I cannot remove them. In another way by prudence, and to exclude this he applies the text, "and he placed darkness on my footpath," so that I could not see how I must go forward.

Commentary on Job

9–11

He says that his crown was taken away from him, that is, he also was a king before, or … "He tore me off," he says, "and like a tree he cut away all my hopes from the roots. Like an enemy who is inflamed with anger, he destroyed all my prosperity." Job correctly says "like an enemy," because God does not inflict torments with an angry or hostile mind. He says these things in order to persuade his friends and himself that his punishment exceeds the limits of human crimes. Indeed, that righteous man was suffering not because of his crimes but in order that his patience might be tested.

Commentary on Job 19:8-11

He hath stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head.

ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION

That all this suits the person of the blessed man set in the midst of tribulation, there can be no doubt; but, since the words of the historical account are plain, they do not require explaining after the letter, therefore they have to be traced out in their mystical senses. Thus he says, He hath stripped me of my glory. For the glory of each individual is his righteousness. Now just as a garment protects from the cold, so does righteousness defend from death; hence righteousness is not improperly likened to a garment, where it is said by the Prophet; Let Thy priests be clothed with righteousness. But seeing that in the season of her tribulation this garment of righteousness, which covers her in the sight of God, is lost to Holy Church in her members that go weakly, let it be rightly said; He hath stripped me of my glory, i.e. righteousness has been taken away from the weak, whereas it could never possibly have been taken away from them, if it had been infixed in them from the ground of the heart, but for this reason it was possible to be taken away from them, because it was attached to them outwardly, like a garment. Wherein the question offers itself, how they could be called members of Holy Church, who were capable of losing the righteousness which they seemed to maintain. But it is necessary for us to know, that very often righteousness is lost for a while by her weakly members, but when they are afterwards brought back to penitence in the acknowledgment of their fault, they attach themselves to that very righteousness which they had lost more strongly than was supposed credible. And it is yet further added thereby, and taken the crown from my head. As the head is the first part of the body, so the leading part of the interior man is the mind. Now the crown is the reward of victory, which is set from Above, in order that he that has contended should be rewarded; and so because many persons, under the pressure of adversities, do not hold out in the contest, in these Holy Church as it were 'loses a crown from her head:' for 'a crown on the head' is the reward from Above in the mind; there are a great many who whilst they are pressed with adversities, neglect to take thought of the rewards above, and cannot reach to the completion of victory; in such, then, 'the crown is taken from the head,' in that the heavenly and spiritual reward is taken away from the aim of the mind, that they should henceforth go after the externally peaceful, nor look out for the eternal rewards, which they used to have at heart.

Or otherwise, 'the head' of the faithful is not inappropriately taken to mean the priests, in that they are the first part of the Lord's members; and hence it is expressed by the Prophet, that 'the head and the tail' are rooted out, in which same place both by the title of the 'head' we have the priests denoted, and by the designation of the 'tail' the reprobate prophet. Therefore 'the crown is taken from the head,' when even they abandon the heavenly rewards, who seemed to have the lead in this body of the Church; and it generally happens that, when the leaders fall, the army, that followed, is the wider worsted.

Morals on the Book of Job, Book XIV

Then, after he has excluded the cures, he adds the adversities, beginning with the exterior goods which he lost. He places first among these the loss of honor and glory when he says, "He stripped me of my glory," because although he had previously been held in honor and reverence, now even those younger in age derided him, as the text says further on in Chapter Thirty (v.1). He places second the loss of rank when he says, "and he took the crown from my head," because before he used to sit "like a king surrounded by his army," (29:25) as a text will say further on but now "he sat in a dung heap scraping the corrupted matter with a potsherd." (2:8)

Commentary on Job

He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone; and He hath removed mine hope like as with a tree torn away.

The Church is, as it were, 'destroyed on every side,' and undone in her weak members, when those very ones that seemed strong, are brought to ruin; when 'the crown is taken away from the head,' i.e. when the rewards of eternity are neglected even by those set at the head; and it is well added concerning weak ones falling, And mine hope hath He removed like as with a tree torn away; for a tree is pushed by the wind that it falls, and with him whom threats so terrify, as to make him go headlong into unrighteousness, what else is it, but that a tree met with a blast of the wind, and lost the standing of its uprightness? For he has, as it were, lost hope by the wind, who, subdued by the threats and persuasions of the wicked, has parted with those eternal rewards, which he looked forward to; and because it very often happens that a person, from fear of punishment, gives over righteousness, it is brought to pass by God's decreeing it, that even in giving up righteousness he does not get quit of the punishments, which he was afraid of, and that he who did not fear at all the destruction of the soul, meets even with the ills of the flesh, which he apprehended.

Morals on the Book of Job, Book XIV

He places third the loss of exterior things when he says, "He destroyed me on all sides," namely, when all my exterior goods are laid waste, "and I perish," while the adversity lasts, because there is no hope of recovery. So he then places, "and he has taken away my hope like an uprooted tree" for a tree has hope if its branches are cut off that it may grow again as long as its roots stay in the earth. But if its roots are torn out of the earth it must dry out and perish. The same is the true of him, as though his roots had been torn out, he had no hope of recovering temporal prosperity.

Commentary on Job

He hath also kindled His wrath against me, and He counteth me unto Him as one of His enemies.

For we have, been taught by the excellent Preacher attesting it, that 'God is faithful, Who will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that we may be able to bear it.' Moreover the Lord says by the Prophet, For I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy, with a cruel chastisement. He then that is so stricken that his powers are overcome by that striking, the Lord no longer now smites him as a son in the course of discipline, but as an enemy in indignation. Thus when the strokes exceed the power of our patience, it is very much to be feared, lest, our sins demanding it, we are now no longer stricken as sons by a Father, but as enemies by the Lord; and whereas it very often comes to pass that evil spirits too press home many things to the hearts of the afflicted, and amidst the scourges which strike them outwardly, infuse bad thoughts into their hearts, after the wrath of the Lord it is rightly added.

Morals on the Book of Job, Book XIV

The root of hope is twofold: one is on the part of divine aid, the other on the part of human aid. The root of the hope which comes from divine aid seemed to have been torn up by the fact that God seemed gravely angry with him according to the opinion of those who put divine punishment only in the adversities of this life, and so he says, "His fury has been roused against me," which he says to show the vehemence of the anger. For fury is his anger enkindled. But the more violent fury is the more quickly it usually passes away, and so in this way hope can remain in the future for the one who is angry. But if anger passes into hatred, then no hope seems to remain any longer, and to show this he puts here, "and so he has considered me his enemy." For one does not hope for a cure from an enemy.

Commentary on Job

“His robbers came together, and through me they made their own way.” Either Job employs use of the simile that he had chosen in order to say that he is exposed to the attack of the enemies and that they go back and forth without any obstacle on their open way, or he refers to the messenger who announced to him those misfortunes that had befallen him. Indeed, the text says, “While he was still speaking, another messenger came.” “His robbers came together.” He has developed the metaphor that he had suggested with the name enemy. In fact, since Job said that God came as a king to fight him as an enemy, he now adds, “His robbers came together.” It is as if he said, his soldiers, because Scripture usually calls the spies of the enemies “robbers.”

Exposition on the Book of Job 19:12

His robbers come together, and make themselves a way through me.

For 'his robbers' are evil spirits, who busy themselves in hunting out the deaths of men; and these 'make themselves a way' in the hearts of the afflicted, when, amidst the adversities that are undergone outwardly, they do not cease to infuse bad thoughts likewise; of whom it is yet further added; And encamp round about my tabernacle.

HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION

For they 'encamp round about our tabernacle,' when they encircle the mind on every side with their temptings; which by most wicked prompting they persuade one while to mourn for things temporal, at another time to despair of things eternal, now to go headlong into impatience, and to cast words of blasphemy against God. Yet these words, as we have already said before, agree with blessed Job even taken historically; who, whilst he heaped before his eyes the ills he was enduring, judged himself to be not like a son that must be corrected, but as an enemy stricken with affliction. Through whom even 'His robbers made themselves a way,' in that the evil spirits obtained against him the leave to smite. 'Round about whose tabernacle they encamped,' in that after his substance and his children were taken away, they bruised his whole body too with wounds. But it is very extraordinary, why, when he spoke of the 'robbers,' he added His, clearly with a view to shew that these same robbers belonged to God; on which point, if we make a distinction between the power and the will of evil spirits, it is made evident, why they are called 'God's robbers;' for evil spirits incessantly pant to do us mischief; but while they have a bad will derived from themselves, they have not the power of doing mischief, except the Supreme Will vouchsafes them permission; and while of themselves indeed they long to hurt us unjustly, yet by Almighty God they are not suffered to hurt anyone saving justly; and so whereas the will is unjust in them and the power just, they are at once called 'robbers,' and 'God's robbers,' that it should come from themselves, that they aim to bring down evil things unjustly, and from God that the things so desired they do not consummate saving justly; but because, as we have often said already, the holy man set in the midst of the pain of punishment, one while speaks in his own accents, at another time in the accents of the Church, at another time of our Redeemer, and very frequently so describes his own circumstances, that in a figure he delivers those that belong to the Holy Church and to our Redeemer, concern for historical fact being for a little space put aside, let us shew in these things, which he subjoins, how he accords with the accents of our Redeemer.

Morals on the Book of Job, Book XIV

He puts the sign of God's anger and hatred next when he continues, "His hired robbers came all at once." The term "hired robbers" means the Sabeans (1:15), the Chaldeans (1:17) and the demons (c.1) who together laid waste his goods almost like a conspiracy. He terms them "robbers hired by God" as though this happened from divine ordination, as even the friends of Job had said. These aforementioned hired robbers despoiled Job publicly and without any respect or fear, and so he then puts, "and they have cut a path for themselves through me," as if to say: They despoiled me like an enemy whom one finds on the road. They have also attacked him everywhere tenaciously. Regarding this he says then, "They besieged," tenaciously, "all around," in everything totally, "my tent," the goods of my house.

Commentary on Job

The grace of the Gospel testifies that these words have been said about the Lord in truth. John, in fact, says, “His brothers did not believe in him,” when they said to him, “Leave from here, and go into Judea, so that your disciples may also see the works that you do. For there is no man that does anything in secret, and he himself seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” They said that because they did not know his ability and “recognized strangers rather than” him. This certainly referred to the Jews, that is, they looked after their own interests, and when he had to be admired, they despised him.

Homilies on Job 22.19.13A-B

13–14

He hath put my brethren far from me; and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me. My kinsfolk, have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.

ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION

We shall shew this the better, if we bring forward the testimony of John, who says, He came unto His own, and His own received Him not; for His 'brethren were put far from Him,' and His 'acquaintance were estranged' from Him, Whom the Hebrews that held the Law were taught to prophesy, and never knew to acknowledge when present; whence it is rightly said: My kinsfolk have failed me, and my familiar friends have forgotten me. For the Jews; 'kinsfolk' in the flesh, 'acquaintance' by the teaching of the Law, as it were forgot Him, Whom they had foretold, in that Him they both sung of in the words of the Law, as destined to be made Incarnate, and when made Incarnate denied Him by the words of unbelief.

Morals on the Book of Job, Book XIV

Next he shows that the root of his hope which is from human aid has been torn out. He shows that he could not expect any aid from those from whom it seemed most likely to come. He enumerates first those who have been separated from the habitation of his house, beginning with his brothers saying, "He has put my brothers far from me," so that they do not want or are not able to bring me help. Then he places intimate friends next, "and my acquaintances turned from me like strangers," not bringing help to me.

Commentary on Job

As to his blood relatives or who depend on him in any way he says, "My relatives abandoned me," not bringing me any aid. As for those, however, with whom he had been associated once he says, "and those who knew me," that is, once as an intimate friend, now in trial, "have forgotten me," namely, do not care for me.

Commentary on Job

They that dwell in my house, and my maids, count me for a stranger.

The inmates of God's house were the Priests, whose race once set apart in the service of God, was henceforth by office continued in that state. But the 'maids' are not improperly taken for the souls of the Levites, servants to the hidden parts of the tabernacle as it were by a more familiar service to the interior of the bedchamber. Therefore let him say of the Priests, serving with sedulous care, let him say of the Levites attending on the interior of the house of God. They that dwell in my house, and my maids, have counted me for a stranger; in that the Incarnate Lord, Whom they had for long foretold in the words of the Law, they refused to acknowledge and to reverence. And he yet more plainly shews that He was not known by their wicked will, when he adds; And I was as it were an alien in their sight.

For our Redeemer whereas He was not recognised by the Synagogue, was rendered 'as it were an alien' in His own house, Which the Prophet plainly witnesses, saying, Wherefore shalt thou be as a settler in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry? For whereas He was not heard as the Lord, He was taken not as the owner but for 'a settler of the land;' and He only 'turned aside to tarry as a wayfaring man,' in that He carried off but few out of Judaea, and going on to the calling of the Gentiles finished the journey He had begun; and so 'He was an alien' in their sight, in that while they thought only of the things they could see, they were unable to perceive in the Lord the things they could not see; for whilst they contemn the flesh that was to be seen, they never reached to the unseen Majesty; therefore let it be rightly said; And I was as it were an alien in their sight.

Morals on the Book of Job, Book XIV

After these he goes on to enumerate the household servants when he says, "The tenants of my house," who used to serve me, "and maids considered me as a stranger," not caring about my afflictions; "and I have been like a foreigner in their eyes," for they obviously despise me.

Commentary on Job

I called my servant, and he gave me no answer.

For what was the Jewish people but a 'servant,' which never obeyed the Lord with the love of a son, but the fear of a slave? Contrariwise it is said to us by Paul, For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again; but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father. And so this 'servant' the Lord 'called,' in that by benefits vouchsafed, as by voices given out, He strove to bring it to Himself; but it 'answered not,' in that it was indifferent to render back deeds corresponding to His gifts. For God 'calls' us, when He presents us with His gifts; and we 'answer' to this calling, when we serve Him worthily according to the benefits we have been vouchsafed; therefore because He prevented the people with so many benefits, let him say, I called my servant, and because even after such numberless benefits, it contemned Him, let him add; and he gave me no answer. It goes on; I entreated him with my own mouth.

As though he said more plainly; 'I, the Same that before My Incarnation had given it in charge so many precepts to be practised, by the mouths of the Prophets, coming to it Incarnate, entreated it with my own mouth.' And hence Matthew, when he was telling of precepts being delivered by Him on the Mount, says, And He opened His mouth, and taught. As if he said in plain speech; 'Then He opened His own mouth, Who before had opened the mouths of the Prophets;' it is hence too that it is said of Him by the Spouse longing for His presence, Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth; since for all the precepts which she learnt by His preaching, Holy Church, as it were, received so many 'kisses of his mouth.' Now it is well said, I entreated; in that being exhibited in the flesh, whilst He spoke the precepts of life with humility, He, as it were, besought His servant filled with pride that he would come.

Morals on the Book of Job, Book XIV

He places next the disobedience of the slaves, "I called my slave and he did not answer me." He adds proud contempt, "I begged him with my mouth," i.e., for I had to urge him not by command, but by entreaties because he despised me.

Commentary on Job

My wife shuddered at my breath.

What does the 'wife' of the Lord mean save the Synagogue, subject to Him in the Covenant of the Law with a carnal perception? Now the breath is from the flesh, and the unbelieving people understood the incarnation of the Lord in a carnal manner; in that it took Him for mere man; and so His 'wife shuddered at His breath,' in that the Synagogue was afraid to take Him for God, Whom it saw to be man; and when it heard the words from His mouth by bodily utterance, it refused to perceive in Him the mysteries of the Divine Nature, and would not believe Him to be Creator, Whom it saw to be created; and so the carnal 'wife shuddered at the breath' of the carnal body, in that being given over to carnal senses, it did not take knowledge of the mystery of the Incarnation. It goes on; I entreated the children of mine own womb.

In God, Who is not circumscribed by the figure of a body, the members of the body, i.e. the hand, the eye, the womb, are named in such a way, that by the designation of the members, the effects of His Power are represented. As He is said to have eyes, in that He sees all things; He is described as having hands, in that He works all things. Now in the womb the offspring is conceived, which is brought forth in this life; what then are we to take the 'womb' of God for, but His counsel, wherein before time we were conceived by predestination, that being created in time we might be brought into the world? And so God, Who abides before time, 'besought the children of His womb;' in that those, whom He created with power by His Divine nature, coming Incarnate He besought with humility; but because in that same flesh, wherein He appeared, He was contemned in their estimation, it is subjoined.

Morals on the Book of Job, Book XIV

Then he enumerates the persons most closely joined to him, namely his wife and children. A wife usually especially enjoy the presence of her husband, unless she perhaps comes to detest him because of some serious corruption. He shows this saying, "my wife shuddered at my breath," because of the stench of the sores which made him dreadful to her. The duty of children is to obey the least nod expressing the will of a parent. As a result of great contempt for the parent, a father, to whom a son should show respect, has to beg his son humbly and to show this he puts, "I begged the sons of my loins." But this seems to contradict what has been said above (1:19) when the text states that his sons and daughters were crushed by the ruin of their house. The explanation may be that some small ones survived, who were not present at that banquet, or that perhaps some sons of his sons, imputed the death of their own parents to their own sins, despised Job for his.

Commentary on Job

The foolish too despised me.

The wise falling away from faith in the truth, there is an addition rightly made concerning 'fools' as well; in that when the Pharisees and the Lawyers despised the Lord, the rabble of the people too followed the example of their incredulousness, which herein, that it saw Him a man, slighted the announcements of the Redeemer of the world. For often by the title of fools, are denoted those who are poor among the common people; whence too it is said by Jeremiah, Therefore I said, perchance these are poor, and foolish ones, that know not the way of the Lord, nor the judgment of their God. But leaving the rich and wise of the world, our Redeemer came to seek the poor and foolish, whence it is now said, as if for the heightening of grief, The foolish despised me. As if it were expressed in plain speech; 'Even those very persons despised Me, for whose healing I took to Me the foolishness of preaching.' As it is written, For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the 'Word' is 'the Wisdom of God,' but 'the foolishness' of this 'Wisdom,' the Flesh of the Word is called; that whereas the carnal severally could not by craft of the flesh attain to the wisdom of God, by the foolishness of preaching, i.e. by the incarnation of the Word, they might be healed. Therefore he says, The foolish too despised me. As if it were expressed in plain words; 'Even by those very persons I was despised, for whose sake I was not afraid to be counted foolish.' And whereas the Jewish multitude, when it saw the miracles of our Redeemer, honoured Him for His miracles, saying, This is the Christ; but when it beheld the infirmities of His human nature, it disdained to account Him the Creator, saying, Nay, but He deceiveth the people; it is rightly subjoined; And when I departed from them, they spake against me.

For the Lord as it were drew near to the hearts of people, when He displayed miracles to them; and He as it were 'departed from them,' when He shewed them no signs; but they spake against the Lord so 'departing,' when they refused to yield their faith to Him thus resting from miracles; but what wonder that He met with such treatment from the common folk, when those very persons, who appeared to be teachers of the Law, who gave it out that He was to be made Incarnate in the words of Prophecy, both beheld Him made Incarnate, and yet were parted from Him by the disjoining of unbelief?

Morals on the Book of Job, Book XIV

“When I rise, they speak against me.” Like a target, Job says, I rise before them, and they will spit upon me all the words of abuse that they want to say.

Commentary on Job 19:18

So, after he said he was despised by those inside and outside his household, he shows next that he has been despised both by the foolish and the wise. But foolish men characteristically despise those whom they see in misery, because they think only earthly goods should be honored, and so he says, "Even the foolish despised me," in their heart, when I was present, "and when I left them, they disparaged me," verbalizing things they were ashamed to say in my presence.

Commentary on Job

They that were once my counsellors abhorred me, and he whom I loved most turned away from me.

It is plain to all people, that God does not stand in need of counsellors, Who to man's very counsellors themselves too vouchsafes the counsel of wisdom. Of whom moreover it is written, Who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been His counsellor? but as when bread or clothing is bestowed on one that lacks them, the Lord bears witness that He Himself has received them; so when right counsel is given to one that is ignorant of it, He Himself receives it, of Whom that man is a member, who is so instructed; for all we, that are of the number of the faithful, are members of our Redeemer; and as He Himself is fed in our persons by the pitying of liberality, so He is Himself aided in our persons by the counselling of instruction; and so the scribes and doctors of the Law Who used to instruct the people with respect to life, what else were they but 'counsellors' of the Redeemer, Who was to come? Who, nevertheless, when they beheld the Lord become Incarnate, separated numbers from faith in Him by their counsels, though before they had seemed to teach numbers by the words of the Prophets to believe the mystery of His Incarnation; and because with God he is more in His love, who draws the greatest number to the love of Him, it is further added of that same order of the doctors of the Law and the Pharisees; and he whom I loved most, turned away from me. For that very order, through the prompting of unbelief was turned aside from faith in the truth, which before, while serving in the labours of preaching, was most beloved, which same not only to the extent of not believing the Lord, but even of persecuting Him as well, the rabble of the common people followed, and was kindled with the firebrands of cruelty to the very deed of His Passion; in which very Passion too the hearts of the disciples were troubled.

Morals on the Book of Job, Book XIV

Then he also says he is despised by wise men whom he once regarded as intimate friends, and so he says, "Once my counselors, they despised me," namely these men whom I used to admit to my counsel because of their wisdom, "and he whom I loved most is against me." Perhaps he says this because one of those who were present was more hostile to him.

Commentary on Job

"My flesh is corrupt under my skin, and my teeth grip my bones." "While I am alive," Job says, "my flesh putrefies, and my bones are chewed by the teeth of some wild animal."

Commentary on Job 19:20-22

My bone cleaveth to my skin, through my flesh being wasted.

By 'bone' we have strength, and by flesh weakness of the body denoted; therefore, whereas Christ and the Church are one person, what is signified by the 'bone' but the Lord Himself? what by the 'flesh' save the disciples, who in the hour of His Passion were weakly disposed? but by the 'skin,' which in the body remains more outward than the flesh, what is represented but those holy women, who with the view to furnish the stays of the body, served the Lord by outward offices of ministration? for when His disciples, though not yet firm, were preaching faith to the people, the flesh kept close to its bone; and when the holy women prepared the outward things that were necessary, they as it were like 'a skin' remained on the body outwards; but when it came to the hour of the Cross, exceeding great fear, caused by the persecution of the Jews, took possession of His disciples: they severally fled, the women 'stuck close,' and so, the 'flesh,' as it were, 'being consumed,' 'the bone of the Lord clave to its skin,' in that His strength, when the disciples fled in the hour of the Passion, had the women close beside it. Peter indeed stood for some time, but yet afterwards being affrighted he denied Him. John too stood, to whom at the very time of the Cross it was said, Behold thy mother. But he could not persevere; since it is also written concerning him, And there followed Him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body, and the young men laid hold of him. And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked; who although afterwards, to hear the words of his Redeemer, he returned at the hour of the Cross, yet first he was affrighted and fled; but the women are related not only not to have been afraid nor to have fled, but even to have stood fast even to the sepulchre; and so let him say, My bone cleaveth to my skin, through the flesh being wasted; i.e. 'they that ought to have attached themselves closer to My strength, in the season of My Passion were consumed with dread; and those whom I set to external ministrations, in My Passion I found attached themselves faithfully to Me without fear.' And here it is plainly implied that these words are delivered in mystery, in that it follows; And the lips only are left about my teeth.

For what do we have 'about our teeth,' but 'lips,' even if we suffer no scourges of affliction? but what is signified by 'the lips' but talk, what by 'teeth' but the holy Apostles? who are with this intention set in this body of the Church, that they may bite at the life of the carnal by correction, and break it in pieces from the hardness of its obstinacy; and hence it is said to that first of the Apostles, as being set, as a tooth in His Body, Kill, and eat. But because, at the time of His Passion, these 'teeth' from fear of death lost the biting of correction, lost the assurance of strength, lost the efficiency of practice of every sort, so that two of them as they walked, after His death and resurrection, talked by the way and said, But we trusted that it should have been he which should have redeemed Israel; it is rightly said here, And the lips only are left about my teeth. They were still conversing about Him, but now they no longer at all believed in Him; and so 'the lips only remained about His teeth,' in that they had parted with the efficiency of good practice, and only retained words of converse about Him. They had lost the bite of correction, and possessed the mooting of speech. Therefore, 'the lips only were left about the teeth,' in that to talk about Him indeed they knew still, but to preach Him now, or to bite the bad ways of unbelievers, they were afraid.

Morals on the Book of Job, Book XIV

So after he has describes the adversities, which belong to exterior things, he remarks about the consumption of his own body saying, "My bone clung to my skin, after my flesh was consumed," because his flesh had been so consumed from the gravity of his illness that his skin clung to his bones. But because the lips are fleshly and adhere to the teeth like bones, he then makes a exception of them saying, "Only my lips stand around my teeth," by which he makes oblique reference to the fact that all the other functions of the members of the body have ceased and only his function of speech had remained.

Commentary on Job

The noble Job in his harsh adversity cried out in blame not misery. That is to say, 'You're meant to be merciful not unjustly reproach me! Instead you assail me and overwhelm a man with whose sufferings you ought to show sympathy for friendship's sake.

"Pity me, pity me, O friends, for it is the hand of the Lord that has touched me." "You are not ashamed before the one who says righteous words. As benevolent persons, you have compassion upon me and take pity by considering also the respect due to what has been inflicted on me by God. You will not be tested by God through the same calamities."

Commentary on Job 19:20-22

Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.

HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION

Therefore these particulars being finished, which he spoke in the voice of the Head, blessed Job is brought back to his own words, saying; Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.

The mind of godly men is used to have this peculiar to itself, that when it suffers unjust treatment at the hands of enemies, it is not so much moved to wrath as to prayer; that if the wickedness of those persons could be made to subside to a calm, they would choose rather to beseech than to be wroth; whence it is rightly said in this place, Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me. Observe, those by whom he sees that he is ever being treated with insults, he calls 'friends,' in that to godly minds the very things that seem contrary are made favourable; for any that are wicked are either converted by the sweetness of the good so as to turn back, and by this alone they are friends, viz. that they are made good, or they persevere in their wickedness, and herein also even against their will they are 'friends,' in that, if there be any transgressions of the good, by their persecutions they purge them away even unknowingly. Observe too, that with these things which are done with God in secret, the words of the blessed man openly spoken are quite of a piece. Thus he had been smitten by Satan, yet he did not ascribe his being smitten to Satan, but he calls himself 'touched by the hand of God,' as Satan himself too had said; But put forth thine hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and see if he bless Thee not to Thy face. For the holy man knew that in that very thing which Satan had done towards him with an evil will, he derived his power not from himself, but from the Lord.

Morals on the Book of Job, Book XIV

After he has enumerated his own adversities, he invites them to compassion, doubling his request for mercy because of the great number of his miseries saying, "Have pity on me, have pity on me, you, at least, who are my friends," because I have been abandoned by others. The cause of pity is his affliction which is all the more grave as it is incited by someone more powerful, and so he continues, "because the hand of the Lord has struck me."

Commentary on Job

"Why do you persecute me as also the Lord does, and are not satisfied with my flesh? Why do you add your wrath to divine wrath without doing this according to God's will? Even though God punishes, he, nonetheless, wants to be good to us—and therefore, why do you insatiably use the harshness of your words against me?" In fact, abusive words are sufficient to devour flesh. So let us fear invectives and insults, because we are aware of the fact that they wound our brothers.

Commentary on Job 19:20-22

Why do ye persecute me as God; and are filled with my flesh?

It is not at variance with the style of piety that he tells that he is persecuted by God. For there is a good persecutor; as when the Lord says of Himself by the lips of the Prophet, Him that privily slandereth his neighbour, him did I persecute. But when any Saint is suffered to be stricken, he knows that he is undergoing persecution, sent against evil he has been guilty of, from the interior ordering. Now the savage minds of the persecutors, when they desire the power to smite, are inflamed against the life of the good not with the ardour of purifying, but with the firebrands of envy; and they do that indeed, which Almighty God allows to be done; in that while there is one cause with God transacted too by their agency, yet there is not one will maintained in that cause, since whilst Almighty God, in loving, is enforcing purification, the wickedness of the unjust is exercising malice in raging. This then that is said, Why do ye persecute me as God? he spoke with reference to the external smiting, not to the interior intention, in that though they execute that externally which God ordained to be done, yet in their doing it they do not seek that which God does, viz. that good men should be purified by means of affliction. Which too may likewise be understood in another sense also. For Almighty God chastens the evil qualities of others so much the more justly in proportion as He has no whit of evil qualities in Himself; but men when they strike others in the course of discipline, ought so to chasten the frailty of another, that they should at the same time have learnt the habit to recall their eyes to their own frailty, so as to consider from themselves how they ought to spare in smiting others, seeing that they are not unaware that they themselves too are worthy of stripes. And so it is said in this case, Why do ye persecute me as God? As if it were expressed in plain words; 'Ye do so afflict me on the grounds of my frailties, as if ye yourselves after the manner of God owned nought of infirmity:' whence it is to be considered, that if perchance there be persons that need sharpness of correction, hard correction is then to be used to them by us, when the hand of God ceases from using the rod; but when strokes from above are upon them, from us there is now due no longer correction but consolation, lest, while in their grief we join our reproach, we put smiting to smiting.

Now it is well added, And are filled with my flesh? The mind which hungers for the punishing of a neighbour, surely seeks to be 'filled with the flesh' of another. Moreover it is necessary to be known, that those also who feed on the slander of another's life, are as surely 'filled with the flesh' of another. Whence it is said by Solomon; Be not in the feastings of winebibbers; nor eat with those, who bring together flesh to eat. For to 'bring together flesh to eat,' is, in the parlance of disparagement to tell by turns the bad qualities of neighbours; concerning whose punishment it is directly added there, they that are given to cups, and that give a contribution, shall be consumed, and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags. They are 'given to cups' who make themselves drunk with slander of another's life; but to 'give a contribution,' is in the same way that each individual is used to contribute provisions for his share to be eaten, so in the parlance of slander to contribute words. But 'they that are given to cups and that give a contribution shall be consumed,' in that as it is written, Every slanderer shall be rooted out; but 'drowsiness shall cover a man with rags,' in that his death finds him an object of contempt and empty of all good works, whom the sickly habit of detraction took possession of here for the raking out the misdemeanours of another man's life. But all those hardships which blessed Job undergoes it is not meet should be let pass in silence, and that the obscurity of ignorance should cover them from man's knowledge; for so many may be edified for the preserving of patience, as they who, by grace from above replenishing them, may be made acquainted with the achievements of his patience. And hence the same blessed Job would have the strokes which he feels carried into an example, in that he immediately adds, saying.

Morals on the Book of Job, Book XIV

For he understood that he had been smitten by God. It does not seem fitting for a man to add affliction to someone who has been afflicted, and so he says, "Why do you persecute me like God?" as if to say: The persecution which comes from God is enough for me, but it was more your duty to bring consolation. He shows in what way they were persecuting him saying, "And glut yourselves on my flesh," which characteristically belongs to detractors, who are said to feed on human flesh insofar as they rejoice in the weaknesses of others. For the flesh is the weakest part of an animal.

Commentary on Job

23–24

We desire what we have said with a troubled mind not be confusedly relegated to oblivion as a cause of shame. On the contrary we want what we have said seriously and carefully to be fixed in the memory and remain in the mouth of many people. Therefore also holy Job, intending to show that he had not poured out what he had said with a troubled mind but that his words were truthful and reasonable, wishes that his words are not only written on paper but also engraved on lead and stone, so that they may be preserved for a long time.

Exposition on the Book of Job 19:23-24

23–24

O that my words were now written! O that they were graven in a book with an iron pen, and a plate of lead, or surely that they were hewed in the flint!

ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION

Whereas all that blessed Job underwent, that heavy Jewish people, being instructed by the strong declaration of the Fathers, was brought to know, they were written with 'an iron pen' and 'a plate of lead;' but whereas the hard hearts of the Gentiles also were made acquainted with them, what is this but that we see them 'hewn in the flint?' And observe, that what is written on lead, by the mere softness of the metal, is quickly obliterated; but upon the flint letters may be more slowly stamped indeed, but more hardly obliterated. Therefore it is not unsuitably that by 'the plate of lead' Judaea is represented, which at once received the precepts of God without labour, and lost them with speed; and rightly by 'the flint' the Gentile world is represented, which could with difficulty receive the words of sacred revelation to keep, but kept them when received fixedly. Now by the 'iron pen' what else is denoted save the strong sentence of God? Whence too it is said by the Prophet, The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron on a diamond nail. The end of the body is in the nail, and a diamond is so hard a stone, that it cannot be cut with iron. Now by 'an iron pen' there is denoted a strong sentence, but by a 'diamond nail' the eternal end; so the sin of Judah is said to be written with a 'pen of iron upon a diamond nail,' in that the guilt of the Jews is reserved by the strong sentence of God for an end that is endless.

Rightly too by 'a plate of lead' we understand those, whom the load of avarice weighs down, to whom it is said by the Prophet with upbraiding, O ye sons of men, how long heavy in heart! For by lead, the nature whereof is of a heavy weight, the sin of avarice is in a special manner denoted, which renders the mind it has infected so heavy, that it call never be raised to aim at things on high. Hence it is written in Zechariah, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth. And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their eye throughout all the earth. And behold there was lifted up a talent of lead, and, lo, one woman sitting in the midst of the ephah. And he said, This is wickedness; and he cast her into the midst of the ephah, and he cast the weight of lead on her face. And with reference to this vision of 'the ephah,' and 'the woman,' and 'the lead,' that he might shew more fully what he had been made to know, he yet further added going on, Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and behold there came out two women, and a spirit was in their wings, for they had wings like the wings of a kite, and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven. Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah? And he said, To build it an house in the land of Shinar. Which testimony of the Prophet we have brought forward as a proof of the lead to no purpose, if we do not also explain it going over it again. Thus he says, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth; and I said, What is this? And he said, It is an ephah that goeth forth. God desiring to shew to the Prophet, by what sin above all others the human race fell away from Him, by the figure of an ephah as it were denoted the wide-opened mouth of avarice. For avarice is like an ephah, in that it keeps the mouth of the heart open and agape on the stretch. And he said, This is their eye through all the world. We see many men of dull sense, and yet we see them sharp in bad practices, as the Prophet too testifies, who saith, They are wise to do evil; but to do good they have no knowledge. And so these are dull in sense, but in those things which they desire, they are urged on by the goads of avarice; and they that are blind to see good, under the incitements of rewards are quick-eyed to the doing evil things. Hence it is rightly said of this same avarice, This is their eye in all the world. And behold there was lifted up a talent of lead. What is 'a talent of lead' but the weight of sin from that very avarice. And, lo, one woman sitting in the midst of the ephah. Which same woman, lest perchance we should doubt who she was, the Angel thereupon made known; for it follows there immediately, And he said, This is impiety; and he cast her into the midst of the ephah. Impiety is 'cast into the midst of the ephah,' in that in avarice there is always impiety taken in. And he cast the weight of lead on her face. The mass of lead is cast on the woman's face, in that the impiety of avarice is borne down by the very weight of its own sin; for if it did not reach after things that are below, it would never prove impious towards God and our neighbour.

Then, lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and behold there came out two women and a spirit was in their wings. What do we understand by these 'two women' but the two principal vices, i.e. pride and vain glory, which are without any doubt united to impiety? Which two are described as having 'a spirit in their wings;' in that they are subservient to the will of Satan in their actions; for the Prophet calls that one 'a spirit,' concerning whom Solomon saith, If the spirit if him that hath power rise above thee, leave not thy place; and of whom the Lord saith in the Gospel; When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places. 'A spirit is in their wings,' in that in whatsoever they do, pride and vain glory render obedience to the will of Satan. And they had wings like the wings of a kite. Now the kite is always busied in plotting against the chicken kind. So these women have 'wings like the wings of a kite,' in that surely their doings are like the devil, who is always plotting against the life of the little ones. And they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven. Pride and vain glory have this peculiar to them, that whosoever is infected by them, they lift up in his own conceit above the rest of his fellow creatures: at one time by pursuit of the gifts of fortune, at another time by the desire of dignities, the man whom they have once gotten captive, they, as it were, lift up into the height of honour. And he that is between the earth and the heaven, at once leaves things below, and fails altogether to attain the things on high.

These women, then, 'lift up the ephah between the earth and the heaven,' in that pride and vain glory so exalt the mind taken captive through greediness of honour, that looking down upon all their neighbours, men do, as it were, leave things below, and in proud boasting seek high things. But all such persons, while they give themselves up to pride, at once in imagination mount above those, with whom they are placed, and are far from ever being united to the citizens above. Thus the ephah is said to be 'lifted up between earth and heaven,' in that all covetous persons through pride and vain glory at once despise their neighbours at their side, and never lay hold of the things above, which are beyond them; and so they are carried 'between the earth and the heaven,' in that they neither keep equality of brotherhood in this lower world by charity, nor yet are able to attain the world above by setting themselves up. And I said to the Angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah? and he said, To build it an house in the land of Shinar. That same ephah has a 'house built it in the land of Shinar,' for 'Shinar' is rendered 'their ill savour;' and as there is a sweet savour from virtue, as Paul bears witness, who saith; and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place; For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ; so reversely there is an ill savour from vice. For covetousness is the root of all evil. And whereas every thing evil is engendered by avarice, it is meet that the house of avarice should be erected in 'ill savour.' Moreover it is necessary to be known that 'Shinar' is a very wide valley, wherein the tower was begun to be built by men giving themselves to pride, which, when the diversity of tongues was brought to pass, came to destruction; which same tower was called Babylon, forsooth on account of that very confusion of minds and tongues: nor is it inappropriately that the 'ephah' of avarice is placed there, where 'Babylon,' i.e. 'confusion,' is building, in that whereas it is certain that from avarice and impiety all things bad have their origin, this same avarice and impiety are rightly described as dwelling in confusion.

We have said these things in few words out of course, that we might shew that the weight of sin is set forth by the 'plate of lead.' Yet these very words of blessed Job are also applicable to Holy Church, who while keeping the two testaments of sacred revelation, as it were begs a second time that her words should be written, saying, Oh! that my words were now written! Oh! that they were printed in a book! Which same, in that she speaks with a strong sentence at one time to hearts heavy from the weight of avarice, at another time to hardened hearts, 'writes with a pen of iron upon a plate of lead,' or, surely, 'upon the flint.' Now we say with justice that blessed Job uses the accents of our Redeemer and His Church, if we find any thing that he says explicitly of that same Redeemer of us men; for how is it to be believed that he teaches us any thing connected with Him in a figure, if he does not point Him out to us in express words? But now let him disclose to us what he is sensible of concerning Him, and let him take away from us all misgivings in our thoughts.

Morals on the Book of Job, Book XIV

23–24

Job had said above that his hope had been taken away, "like an uprooted tree." (19:10) He certainly said this referring to the hope of recovering temporal prosperity, to which the friends urged him many times. But he showed in many ways above (vv.11-20) that he ought not to have this hope by reducing their arguments to various unfitting conclusions. Now he clearly declares his intention to show that he had not said these things before in despair of God, but because he bore a higher hope about Him, which was not even related to present goods, but to future goods. Because he was about to speak about great, wondrous, and certain things, he first shows his desire that the thought he is about to express would endure in the faith of his descendants. We transmit our words and their meaning to our descendants through the function of writing. So he says, "Who would grant me that my words be written down?" namely, what I am about to say about the hope which I have fixed in God so that my speeches may not be forgotten. What is written in ink usually fades with the long passage of time and so when we want some writing to be preserved for a long time, we not only record it in writing, but by some impression on skin, on metal, or in stone. Since what he hoped for was not in the immediate future, but is reserved for fulfillment at the end of time, he then says, "Who would grant me that my words be engraved in a book with an iron stylus," like an impression made on skin, "or," if this is not enough, by a stronger impression made, "on a plate of lead, or," if this seems not enough "securely sculptured," with an iron stylus, "on flint?"

Commentary on Job

“For I know that my Redeemer lives and that at last he will be revealed upon the earth.” Here the blessed Job predicts the future manifestation of Emmanuel in the flesh at the end of time.

Commentary on Job 19:25

“For I know that he, who is about to deliver me on earth, is immortal.” That is, he who has to deliver me on earth is God. What does this mean? If God is immortal, why do you want your words to be written and their memory to remain eternally, in an imperishable manner? Notice the state of the soul of those who are in distress. They want not only those who are seeing these events now, but also those, who will come later, to be witnesses of their own misfortunes, in order to obtain, in a sense, a certain sympathy from everyone. This is evidently what the rich man tried to do when he wanted to inform everybody about his own misfortunes and about the situation in which he who previously lived in luxury finally finds himself.

Commentary on Job 19:25-26

For I know that my Redeemer liveth.

LITERAL INTERPRETATION

For he who does not say, 'Creator,' but 'Redeemer,' expressly tells of Him, Who after He created all things, appeared Incarnate amongst us, that He might redeem us from a state of bondage, and by His Passion set us free from death everlasting; and mark with what sure faith he makes himself secure in the power of His Divine Nature, of Whom it is said by Paul, For though He was crucified through weakness, yet He liveth by the power of God. For he says, For I know that my Redeemer liveth. As if he said in express terms; 'The unbelievers may know that He was scourged, mocked, struck with the palms of the hand, covered with a crown of thorns, besmeared with spittings, crucified, dead: I, with sure faith, believe Him to live after death; I confess with unreserved voice, 'that my Redeemer liveth,' Who died by the hands of wicked men.' And how, O blessed Job, through His Resurrection, thou trustest to the resurrection of thine own flesh, declare, I pray, in open speech. It goes on; And that I shall rise at the last day from the earth.

That is, because the resurrection which He manifested in His own Person, He will one day bring to pass in ourselves as well; for the resurrection, which He exhibited in Himself, He pledged to us; seeing that the members follow the glory of their Head. Thus our Redeemer underwent death, that we might not fear to die; He manifested the resurrection, that we might have a sure hope that we are capable of rising again. And hence He would not have that death to be of more than three days' duration, lest if the resurrection were deferred in Him, it should be altogether despaired of in ourselves; and this is rightly said of Him by the Prophet; He shall drink of the brook in the way; therefore shall he lift up the head. For He in a manner condescended to drink of that current as it were of our suffering, not in an abiding place, but 'in the way,' in that He met death in a transitory way, i.e. for three days, and in that death which He met He did not, like ourselves, remain unto the end of the world. And so, whereas He rose again on the third day, what then is to come after in His body, i.e. in the Church, He makes appear; for He shewed in example, what He promised in reward, that as believers knew and owned that He had Himself risen again, so they might hope for the rewards of the resurrection in themselves at the end of the world. Lo, we, through the death of the flesh, remain in the dust until the end of the world, but He on the third day budded into life from the dryness of death, that by the very renewal of His flesh by itself He might shew the power of His Divine Nature. Which is well shewn in Moses by the twelve rods placed in the Tabernacle: for when the priesthood of Aaron, who was of the tribe of Levi, was despised, and the tribe was not accounted worthy to offer up burnt-offerings, twelve rods according to the twelve tribes were ordered to be put in the Tabernacle, and, lo, the rod of Levi budded, and shewed what efficacy Aaron had in the office. By which same sign what is conveyed, but that all we who lie in the arms of death until the very end of the world, remain like the rest of the rods in a state of barrenness? But when all the rods remained in a state of dryness, the rod of Levi returned to flowering, in that the body of our Lord, i.e. our true Priest, being set in the dryness of death, burst into the flower of the Resurrection. By which same flowering Aaron is rightly known to be the Priest, in that by this glory of the Resurrection our Redeemer, Who sprung from the tribe of Judah and Levi, is shewn to be an Intercessor in our behalf. And so, lo! the rod of Aaron buds now after dryness, but the rods of the twelve tribes remain in a dry state, in that already indeed the body of the Lord lives after death, but our bodies are kept back from the glory of the resurrection until the end of the world. Whence he carefully introduced this same delay, by saying, And that I shall rise at the last day from the earth.

Therefore we have a hope of our own resurrection, by considering the glory of our Head. But lest anyone say perhaps merely in the secret thought of his heart, that it was in this way that He rose again from the dead, viz. that being God and Man in one and the same Person, the death, which He underwent in His Human Nature, He overcame by His Divine Nature, while we, who are mere men, are not able to rise from the curse of death; it happened rightly that, in the season of His resurrection, the bodies of many of the Saints arose at the same time, that both in Himself He might shew us an example, and by the resurrection of others who were like to ourselves in respect of a mere human nature, He might give us a sure confirmation, that whereas man despaired of his obtaining what He that was God and Man had exhibited in His own Person, he might presume that that was capable of being brought to pass in his own case, which he knew to have been brought about in the case of those very persons, who he doubted not were but simple human beings.

But there are some who, observing that the spirit is parted from the flesh, that the flesh is turned into corruption, that its corruption is reduced to dust, that this dust is so dissolved into elementary parts that it is incapable of being seen by the eyes of man, despair of the possibility of the resurrection being brought to pass, and whilst they gaze on the dry bones, they distrust its being possible for these to be clothed with flesh, and again flushing into life; which persons, if they do not hold the resurrection of the body on the principle of obedience, ought certainly to hold it on the principle of reason. For what does the universe every day, but imitate in its elements our resurrection? Thus by the lapse of the minutes of the day the temporal light itself as it were dies, when, the shade of night coming on, that light which was beheld is withdrawn from sight, and it daily rises again as it were, when the light that was withdrawn from our eyes, upon the night being suppressed is renewed afresh. For the progress of the seasons too, we see the shrubs lose the greenness of their foliage, and cease from putting forth fruit; and on a sudden as if from dried up wood, by a kind of resurrection coming we see the leaves burst forth, the fruit grow big, and the whole tree clothed with renewed beauty; we unceasingly behold the small seeds of trees committed to the moistness of the ground, wherefrom not long afterwards we behold large trees arise, and bring forth leaves and fruit. Let us then consider the little seed of any tree whatever, which is thrown into the ground, for a tree to be produced therefrom; and let us take in, if we are capable of it, where in that exceeding littleness of the seed that most enormous tree was buried, which proceeded from it? where was the wood? where the bark? where the verdure of the foliage? where the abundance of the fruit? Was there any thing of the kind perceived in the seed, when it was thrown into the ground? And yet by the secret Artificer of all things ordering all in a wonderful manner, both in the softness of the seed there lay buried the roughness of the bark, and in its tenderness there was hidden the strength of its timber, and in its dryness fertility of productiveness. What wonder, then, if that finest dust, which to our eyes is resolved into the elements, He, when He is minded, fashioneth again into the human being, Who from the finest seeds resuscitates the largest trees? And so, seeing that we have been created reasoning beings, we ought to collect the hope of our own resurrection from the mere aspect and contemplation of the objects of nature. But forasmuch as the faculty of reason was deadened in us, the grace of the Redeemer came in for an example. For our Creator came, He took death upon Him, He exhibited the Resurrection, in order that we, who would not hold the hope of the Resurrection by reason, might hold it by His succour and example; and so let blessed Job say; I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that I shall rise at the last day from the earth. And let any one that despairs of the possibility that the power of the Resurrection should be brought to pass in himself, blush at the words of a believing person set in the midst of the Gentile world, and let him reflect with what a weight of punishment he deserves to be stricken, if he still does not believe his own resurrection, who now knows the resurrection of the Lord which has taken place, if even he believed his own, who as yet expected the resurrection of the Lord Jesus to be brought to pass.

Morals on the Book of Job, Book XIV

He shows what the discourses are he would like to be preserved with such great diligence adding, "For I know that my redeemer lives." He clearly attributes this to the manner of a cause. Things which we are not sure of we are not anxious to commit to memory, and so he clearly says, "For I know," namely by the certitude of faith. This hope is about the glory of the future resurrection, concerning which he first assigns the cause when he says, "my redeemer lives." Here we must consider that man, who was established as immortal by God, incurred death through sin, according to Romans, "Through one man sin entered the world, and through sin, death." (5:12) Job foresaw through the spirit of faith that the human race must be redeemed from this sin through Christ. Christ redeemed us from sin by death, dying for us, but he did not so die that he was consumed by death, because although he died according to his humanity, yet he could not die according to his divinity. From the life of the divinity, the humanity has also been restored by rising up to life again, according to what is said in 2 Cor., "For although he was crucified because of our infirmity, yet he lives by the power of God." (13:4) The life of the Risen Christ, moreover will be diffused to all men in the general resurrection, and so in the same place the Apostle Paul puts, "For we are weak in him, but we will live in him by the power of God in us," (11:4) and so the Lord says according to John, "The dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear it will live: for just as the Father has life in himself, so he gave it to the Son also to have life in himself." (5:25-26) Thus the primordial cause of the resurrection of man is the life of the Son of God, which did not take its beginning from Mary, as the Ebionites said, but always was, according to Hebrews, "Jesus Christ yesterday, today, and forever." (13:8) Therefore he clearly does not say, "My redeemer will live," but, "lives." In this cause he foretells the future resurrection and he determines its time when he then puts, "and I shall arise on the very last day from the earth." Here one must reflect that some men posited that the motion of the heavens and this state of the world would endure forever, and they maintained that after a fixed number of revolutions of years, when the stars return to the same places, dead men would be restored to life. Since a day is caused by a motion of the heavens, if this motion of the heavens will endure forever, there will be no very last day. Thus to remove the aforementioned error he then clearly says, "on the very last day," and this is consonant with the statement of the Lord, who says in John, "I will raise him up on the very last day (novissimo die)." (6:40)

Commentary on Job

“He will raise up my body that endures these sufferings, for it is the Lord who caused them.” Did Job know the doctrine of resurrection? I believe so, and the doctrine concerning the resurrection of the body, unless he says here that the resurrection that he speaks about is the deliverance from the afflictions that pressed him. That is why, Job says, even after my deliverance, I want my afflictions to be immortal. This is an extremely wise way to keep always before one’s eyes the punishments of God even after they have gone.… “For it is the Lord,” he says, “who caused these sufferings.” Job is correct in saying that the Lord will be the actual cause of his change. “He strikes,” Job says, “and he heals.”

Commentary on Job 19:25-26

And I shall be again encompassed with my skin.

But see, I hear of the resurrection, but it is the effect of the resurrection that I am searching out. For I believe that I shall rise again, but I wish that I might hear what kind of person; since it is a thing I ought to know, whether I shall rise again perhaps in some other subtle or ethereal body, or in that body wherein I shall die. But if I shall rise again in an ethereal body, it will no longer be myself, who rise again. For how can that be a true resurrection, if there may not be true flesh? so that plain reason suggests, that if it shall not be true flesh, assuredly it will not be a true resurrection; for neither can it be rightly termed a resurrection, when it is not what fell that rises again. But in this too for us, O blessed Job, do thou remove these clouds of misgiving, and whereas through the grace of the Holy Spirit vouchsafed thee thou hast begun to speak to us of the hope of our resurrection, shew in plain words if our flesh shall really rise again. It follows, And I shall be again encompassed with my skin.

Whereas the 'skin' is expressly named, all doubt of a true resurrection is removed; in that our body will not, as Eutychius the Bishop of Constantinople wrote, in that gloriousness of the resurrection be impalpable, and more subtle than the wind and air: for in that gloriousness of the resurrection our body will be subtle indeed by the efficacy of a spiritual power, but palpable by the reality of its nature; whence also our Redeemer, when the disciples doubted of His resurrection, shewed them His hands and feet, and offered His bones and flesh to be touched, saying, Handle Me and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see Me have. And when, being placed in the city of Constantinople, I brought before Eutychius this testimony of truth from the Gospel, he said, 'For this reason the Lord did this, that He might take away all doubt of the resurrection from the hearts of the disciples.' To whom I said; 'This is a very extraordinary thing that you assert, that doubting should arise to ourselves from the same quarter, whence the hearts of the disciples were cured of doubting.' For what can be said worse than that that is made doubtful to us relating to His true flesh, whereby His disciples were restored anew to faith from all doubting? For if He is declared not to have had that, which He manifested; from the same source, from whence the faith of His disciples is confirmed, ours is destroyed. And he further added, saying, 'He had that body which He shewed a palpable body; but after the hearts of those that handled it were confirmed, all that in the Lord which was capable of being handled, was reduced into a certain subtle quality.' To which same I answered, saying; 'It is written, Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more, death hath no more dominion over Him. If then there was aught in the Body which was capable of being altered after His resurrection, contrary to the truly spoken declaration of Paul, the Lord after His resurrection returned into death; and what fool even would venture to say this, save he that denies the true resurrection of His flesh?' Then he objected to me, saying, 'Whereas it is written; Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, by what means is it to be supposed that the flesh truly rises again?' To whom I say; 'In Holy Writ flesh is named in one way according to nature, and in another way according to sin or corruption.' For there is flesh according to nature, as where it is written, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. And, The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. But there is flesh according to sin, as where it is written, My Spirit shall not always abide in those men, for that they are flesh. And as the Psalmist saith; For He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again. Whence too Paul said to the disciples; But ye are not in the flesh, but in the spirit. For it was not that these persons were not in the flesh, to whom he was sending letters, but for that they had subdued the motions of carnal passions, henceforth, free through the efficacy of the Spirit, they 'were not in the flesh.' Therefore in respect to what Paul says, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, he would have flesh to be understood as applied to sin, not flesh as applied to nature. Hence directly afterwards that he was speaking of flesh after sin he makes plain, by adding; Neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Therefore in that glory of the heavenly kingdom there will be flesh according to nature, but not flesh according to the desire of the passions; in that the sting of death being overcome, it will reign in eternal incorruptibility.'

To which words the same Eutychius directly answered that he assented, yet still he denied that the body could rise again a palpable body. Who in the treatise too which he had written concerning the resurrection, had put in the testimony of the Apostle Paul, when he says; That which thou sowest is not quickened except it die. And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain. Being eager to shew this, that the flesh will either be impalpable, or will not be itself identically, seeing that the holy Apostle, when treating of the glory of the resurrection, says that 'it was not sown the body that it shall be.' But the answer to this is soon made. For the Apostle Paul, when he says, Thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, is telling us of what we see; viz. that the grain, which is sown without a stalk or leaves, springs up with a stalk and leaves; so that he, in heightening the glory of the resurrection, did not say that what it was is wanting to it, but that what it was not is present: but this man, whereas he denies the real body to rise again, does not say that what was wanting is there, but that what it was is wanting.

Upon this, then, we being led on in long disputing on this point, we began to recoil from one another with the greatest animosity, when the Emperor Tiberius Constantine, of religious memory, bringing myself and him to a private audience, learnt what dispute was being carried on between us, and weighing the statement of both sides, and by his own allegations as well disproving that same book which he had written concerning the resurrection, determined that it ought to be consumed in the flames. Upon our leaving whom, I was seized with a grievous sickness, while to that same Eutychius sickness and death shortly followed. And when he was dead, because there was well nigh no one who followed his statements, I held back from prosecuting what I had commenced, lest I should seem to be darting words at his ashes, but while he was still alive, and I sick of violent fever, I if any of my acquaintance went to him for the sake of greeting him, as I learnt from their relation, he used to take hold on the skin of his hand before their eyes, saying, 'I confess that we shall all rise again in this flesh;' which as they themselves avowed he was before wont altogether to deny.

But let us, laying aside these considerations, minutely search out in the words of blessed Job, if there will be a true resurrection, and the true body in that resurrection; for, lo, we are no longer able to doubt of the hope of the resurrection, in that he says, And that I shall rise at the last day from the earth. Moreover he has removed all doubting of the true renewal of the body, in that he says, And I shall be again encompassed with my skin. And he still further adds, with the view of removing the misgivings of our thought; And in my flesh shall I see God.

Mark, he owns the resurrection, 'the skin,' 'the flesh,' in explicit words. What is there left then, by which our mind should have occasion to doubt? If this holy man then before the fact of the Lord's resurrection, believed in the flesh being destined to be brought back to its entire state, what will be the guilt of our doubting, if the true resurrection of the flesh not even after the proof of our Redeemer obtains credit? For if after the resurrection there will not be a palpable body, surely another person rises again than dies: which is profane to say; viz. to believe that it is I who die, and another that doth rise again. Wherefore I entreat thee, blessed Job, add how thou art minded, and remove from us all ground of scruple on this point.

Morals on the Book of Job, Book XIV

There were other men who said that men will rise by resuming not an earthly body, but some kind of heavenly body. To exclude this he then says, "I will be surrounded again with my own skin." He expressly says this because he had said above (v.20) that only the skin had remained around his bones. In this way of speaking he assigns the explanation (ratio) of the resurrection, namely, that the soul does not always remain divested of its very own skin. Again there were some who said that the soul will resume the same body it had put aside, but according to the same condition, so that it would need food and drink and would exercise the other fleshly works of this life. But he excludes this saying then, "and in my flesh I shall see God." For it is clear that the flesh of man is corruptible according to the state of the present life. As Wisdom says, "The body which is corrupted weighs down the spirit." (9:15) and so no one can see God while living in this mortal flesh, but the flesh which the soul will resume in the resurrection will certainly be the same in substance, but will have incorruptibility by a divine gift, according to what is said by Paul, "This corruptible must put on incorruption." (1 Cor.15:53) Therefore, that flesh will be of this latter condition because it in no way will impede the soul from being able to see God, but rather will be completely subject to the soul.

Commentary on Job

Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another.

For if, as certain votaries of false opinions believe, after the resurrection there shall be no palpable body, but the subtle quality of an invisible body shall be called the flesh, though there be no substance of flesh, then surely he that dies is one person, and he that rises again is another. But blessed Job destroys this assertion for them by a truthtelling voice, in that he says, Whom I shall see for myself; and mine eyes shall behold, and not another. But we, following the faith that blessed Job held, and truly believing the palpable Body of our Redeemer after His resurrection, confess that our flesh after the resurrection will be at once both the same and different, the same in respect of nature, different in respect of glory, the same in its reality, different in its power. Thus it will be subtle, in that it will be incorruptible; it will be palpable, in that it will not lose the essence of its very and true nature. But that same assurance of the resurrection the holy man subjoins with what sure hope he holds it, with what certainty he awaits it. It goes on; This my hope is laid up in my bosom.

We suppose that we hold nothing more surely than what we have in our bosom; and so he kept 'hope laid up in his bosom,' in that he laid hold beforehand on true certainty concerning the hope of the resurrection. But whereas he made known that the day of the resurrection would come, he now, whether in his own voice, or in a figure of the holy and universal Church, reproves the deeds of the wicked, and foretells the Judgment which ensues on the day of the resurrection.

Morals on the Book of Job, Book XIV

Porphyry, not knowing this said, "The soul must flee the body to become happy," as though the soul and not man will see God. To exclude this Job places, "whom I myself will see," as though he should say: Not only will my soul see God but "I myself" who subsist from body and soul. To indicate that the body will be a participant in that vision in its proper own way he adds, "and my eyes will behold him," not because the eyes of the body would see the divine essence, but because the eyes of the body will see God made man. They will also see the glory of God shining in created things as Augustine says at the end of The City of God. That one believe that man must be restored the same in number and not only the same in species in order to be restored to see God he says, "and not another," in number. This is so that one might not believe that he expects to return to the kind of life which Aristotle describes in II De Generatione saying that each corruptible substance which has been moved will be restored in species, but not in the same number.

After these things as premises about the cause, the time, the manner of the resurrection, and the glory and identity of those who will rise, he then adds, "This my hope has been put in my heart," as if he should say: For my hope is not in earthly things which you promise vainly, but in the future glory of the resurrection. He says clearly, "has been put in my heart," to show that he held this hope concealed not only in words, but also in his heart; not doubtfully, but most firmly; not like something of little consequence, but as something most precious. For what is hidden in the heart is possessed in a secret way, is firmly held and is considered dear.

Commentary on Job

28–29

Wherefore then do ye now say, Let us persecute him, and find out the root of the word against him? Fly therefore from the face of the sword, for the sword is an avenger of wickedness; and know that there is a judgment.

For in the first sentence he reproved the deeds of the wicked, while in the following he made known the punishments proceeding from the Divine judgment, Thus he saith, Wherefore then do ye now say; Let us persecute him and find out the root of the word against him? Wicked persons, because they hear with wrong earnestness things well put forth, and seek to find in the tongue of the righteous an inlet for accusation, what else do they but 'seek the root of the word against him,' from which same they may take the commencement of speaking, and in the accusing of him expand the branches of evil talkativeness? But when the holy man meets with such things at the hands of wicked men, it is not against them but rather for them that he feels sorrow, and reproves the things wickedly harboured in the heart, and shews them evil for them to escape, saying, Fly therefore from the face of the sword; for the sword is the avenger of wickedness; and know that there is a judgment. Everyone that does wicked things, even herein, that he is too indifferent to fear this, does not know of there being a judgment of God. For if he did know that this was a thing to be feared, he would never do things that are destined to be punished in it. For there are very many who know that there is a final Judgment as far as the words go, but by acting wickedly they bear witness that they do not know it. Since whereas he does not dread this as he ought, he does not yet know with what a tempest of terror it will come. For if he had been taught to estimate the weight of the dreadful scrutiny, surely in fearing he would guard against the day of wrath. Moreover, 'to fly from the face of the sword,' is to propitiate the sentence of the strict visitation before it appears. For the terribleness of the Judge cannot be avoided saving before the Judgment. Now He is not discerned, but is appeased by prayers. But when He shall sit on that dreadful inquest, He is both able to be seen and not able any longer to be propitiated; in that the doings of the wicked which He bore long while in silence, He shall pay back all of them together in wrath. Whence it is necessary to fear the Judge now, while He does not yet execute judgment, while He bears patiently for long, while He still tolerates the wickedness that He sees, lest when He has once plucked out His hand in the awarding of vengeance, He strike the more severely in judgment, in proportion as He waited longer before judgment.

Morals on the Book of Job, Book XIV

Thus after he has shown the depth of the hope which he had in God, he rejects their false accusations which they sought to make against him as if he had rejected the hope and fear of God by not putting his hope in temporal things. So he then says, "Why, then, do you now say: Let us persecute him?" namely, as though I despair of God or do not fear God, "and let us find the root of the word against him," by condemning my speech as though I have denied the providence of God? I do not deny, but assert, this providence, saying that rewards and punishments are prepared by God for man also after this life.

Commentary on Job

So he then says, "Flee, then, from the face of the sword," of divine revenge reserved in the future life for you, even if you flourish in temporal prosperity; "for his sword is the avenger of evils," i.e., the vengeance which he will properly take after death. "Know there is a judgment," not only in this life, but also after this life in the resurrection of good and wicked men.

Commentary on Job