The Formation of the Body and the Soul

He demonstrates, through 'your hands have made me' the creative aspect, and through 'after these things, having changed me, you have struck me' the providential aspect. For this is the work of God's providence: to surround the brave man with distress through struggle, so that he may set up a character and a goal for men, whom they become imitators of when looking toward him. But 'having changed' should be understood as 'having made a change concerning me' regarding the body; for he has struck and wounded him, being utterly desolate of all those who have been changed around him. 'Remember that you formed me of clay, and to dust you turn me back again' (Job 10:9).

Consequently, knowing Him as the Author and Lord of both creation and providence, the word turns to Him in prayer, saying: even if you have brought things upon me as if exercising authority over painful things, yet remember that I am weak and have a constitution from clay—this, however, should be understood concerning the body—and having formed me, you turn me back to dust again. And it is clear from this that he speaks concerning the body; for the soul is not turned back to dust. The things concerning the weakness of human nature proceed to exhort even friends to endurance and the knowledge of His virtue and His patience.

And now, as it is possible to fashion the body, he joined it; for fashioning is possible in type; for it is not said about the angels: 'He who fashioned angels,''He who makes His messengers spirits.' And concerning the earth, it is said as a thick body: 'and His hands fashioned the dry land.' These things are not said to mean that God kneads with hands according to human ways, but that to each, divine discipline brings a name that is appropriate: the fashioning, as we have said, to the body, and the making to the soul. Similar to 'and to dust you turn me back again' is that which was said to Adam: 'Dust you are and to dust you shall return' (Gen 3:19).

Observe that if something is said concerning a composite, it is not necessary to understand it concerning every part. For if it is said: 'And David was meek' or 'Moses,' we do not understand this concerning his body. But if: 'And David was red with beauty of eyes,' we think this concerning his body, not concerning the soul. And here, where it is said: 'and to dust you turn me back again,' it is not necessary to calculate that this is said concerning the soul. 'Did you not curdle me like milk, and harden me like cheese?' (Job 10:10). The seed, from which he consists...

Regarding the living being, he says, 'as milk unmilked'; and just as milk, being curdled, becomes cheese, so also the seed, being congealed, becomes a nature. And this is the constitution before the embryo. For the seed cast into the channels of the womb, when it is curdled like cheese, becomes a nature; which moreover is spread out or, as the Scripture says, 'is imprinted' (Job 10:9) and receives it like a character. But when the limbs differentiate and each becomes its own and moves, for instance, like an animal's hand or foot, then the birth of the embryo clearly demonstrates the living being.

All these things, therefore, encompass, signifying through 'Remember that you formed me of clay' (Job 10:8) the creation of Adam from the beginning, and through 'You did not milk me as milk' (Job 10:10) the successive generations composed by succession. All these things, therefore, he will carry through, indicating the handiwork of God, so that through this or through prayer, one may be called to mercy.

The 'You milked' therefore, he says, showing to God, that by His energy the genuine deposition of the seeds occurs. 'Having clothed me in skin and flesh, and having placed me in bones and nerves.' This is used by those desiring to show that those whom God clothed in skin tunics, these thick things, are their bodies. For it is also said in Genesis: 'And God made skin tunics for Adam and his wife and clothed them' (Gen 3:21). But 'He made for Adam and his wife,' in order to show that He has made a garment suitable for 'male and female.'

It is clear that 'skin and flesh' here signifies the body; for he connects what follows by saying: 'and placed me in bones and nerves.' Thus he announces the whole way and the harmony of the body's constitution through those things before these and through those contained within. It should be noted that these words appear to belong to the soul; for this is the one having clothed herself, having entered into skin and flesh and bones and nerves; which signifies that she precedes the garments and the being clothed; for the subject is 'clothed.' 'And you have provided life and mercy for me, and your oversight has preserved my spirit' (Job 10:12). Since the skin and the flesh and the bones and nerves themselves do not have life by themselves, but have vital movements by the presence of the soul—for when it withdraws, it has nothing vital—he says that you did not only form and...