Homilies on Job
Homiliae in Job
The Character and Providence of Job§1
1Job was a man of true integrity: blameless, righteous, and God-fearing, who actively shunned every evil practice. In contrast, wicked people are deceptive, much like those who attempt to paint God. To fear God and keep His commandments is the duty of every human being. He was blameless because of his righteousness; he was God-fearing because a virtuous life facilitates the knowledge of God, and that divine knowledge serves as a protective guard for one's life. Regarding the calamities, fire fell from heaven and consumed the sheep Raiders surrounded the camels and took them captive While camels were intended for riders, and donkeys and oxen for the plowmen and laborers, the sheep were uniquely hated by God, which is why fire was sent from heaven to destroy them.
As much time passed, his wife observed that a great calamity had arrived. She noted that evil often strikes after a long duration; it is precisely then that hope is most severely tested and strength is most greatly exhausted. Job suffered a double weakness: he grew physically more frail as time went on, and his hope grew increasingly dim. Is not human life on earth a mere trial, much like the daily wage of a laborer? Everyone toils for their own sustenance: the farmer gathers food, the craftsman pursues a lowly trade, and those in high positions live differently. Truly, no one fails to care for their basic necessities.
Your hands formed me and brought me into being. The body is fashioned from the earth, derived from a woman, but the soul is created without any pre-existing matter, being both incorporeal and indivisible. I implore you to remember the lowly and fleeting nature of our existence. There comes a set time when the breast must fall under the power of others. Some people glorify fate, claiming the Scriptures say it was predestined for him to suffer, but the Scriptures do not say this! We are not subject to necessity; rather, God governs all our affairs through the words of His providence, knowing exactly how much suffering is beneficial for us and leading us through temptations according to a specific measure. Job said this so that the judgment might be left to God, saying: let not the righteous who suffer be mocked, for they suffer only as much as God wills.
My eyes have seen these things and my ears have heard them; I know as much as you do, and I am not less wise than you. Though I may be younger in age, I lack nothing in understanding or in the knowledge of divine things; I am not inferior to any of you. What grows old becomes like a worn-out garment. Job does not say these things by his own will, but in response to the premise that all who are afflicted suffer because they have sinned. Like a flower that blooms only to fall, or a shadow that passes and leaves no memory for the living, human life is transient. Here, divine providence is made clear: life does not persist by mere chance, but by the Word of God, following an ordered course. This is not to be called fate, but rather the way God has ordered each thing within the limits and measures of His will. Rather than saying he was born before all men or lived through more trials than his peers, it is better to say that through his long life, he has gained more experience than those of a similar nature. —Theodotios: regarding the high and inaccessible place; —The Hebrew: 'You were captured'; —Thinas says...
Greek · §1
Homiliae in Job 361 Κεφ. Αʹ, βʹ. Καὶ ἦν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος ἀλη θινὸς, ἄμεμπτος, δίκαιος, θεοσεβὴς, ἀπεχό μενος ἀπὸ παντὸς πονηροῦ πράγματος. Οἱ γὰρ φαῦλοι ἄνθρωποι ψευδεῖς, ὥσπερ οἱ ζωγραφούμενοι τὸν Θεόν. Τὸν Θεὸν φοβοῦ, τὰς ἐντολὰς φύλαττε, ὅτι τοῦτο πᾶς ἄνθρω πος. Ἄμεμπτος, ἐπειδὴ δίκαιος. Θεοσεβὴς, 362 βίος γὰρ καλὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἐπιγνῶναι ποιεῖ, καὶ ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ γνῶσις τοῦ βίου γίνεται φυλακή. ι ʹ, ιζʹ Πῦρ ἔπεσεν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ κατέκαυσε τὰ πρόβατα... Καὶ ἐκύκλωσαν τὰς καμήλους, καὶ ᾐχμαλώτευσαν αὐτάς ... Τὰς μὲν καμήλους πεποίηκε γενέσθαι ὑπὸ τοὺς ἱππεῖς· τὰς ὀνάδας καὶ τοὺς βόας, τοὺς ἀροτριῶντας καὶ τὴν γῆν ἐργαζομένους, πε ποίηκε γενέσθαι ὑπὸ τοὺς αἰχμαλωτίζοντας· τὰ πρόβατα δὲ ἐμίσησεν, διὰ τοῦτο πῦρ κα τήγαγεν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐπὶ τὰ πρόβατα ... Κεφ. Βʹ, θʹ. Χρόνου δὲ πολλοῦ προβεβη κότος, εἶπεν αὐτῷ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ. Ὅρα τὸ κακοῦργον, ὅτε πολὺς διῆλθε χρό νος, τότε ἐπιτίθεται· τότε γὰρ μάλιστα τὰ τῆς ἐλπίδος ἐλέγχεται, τότε μάλιστα τὰ τῆς δυνάμεως ἐξασθενεῖ. ∆ιπλᾶ τε τῷ Ἰὼβ τὰ τῆς ἀσθενείας ἦν· αὐτός τε γὰρ ἀσθε νέστερος γέγονε τῷ μήκει τοῦ χρόνου, καὶ ἡ ἐλπὶς μᾶλλον ἀπέγνωστο. Κεφ. Ζʹ, αʹ. Πότερον οὐχὶ πειρατήριον ὁ βίος ἀνθρώπου ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὥσπερ μισθίου αὐθημερινοῦ ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ; ∆ίκην μισθωτοῦ, ἅπαντες περὶ τὴν ἑαυ τῶν πονοῦνται ζωήν· ἄλλως γὰρ γεωργὸς συλλέγει τροφὴν, καὶ ἄλλως ὁ τὴν βάναυσον μετιὼν τέχνην, καὶ οἱ ἐν ἀξιώματι ἑτέρως. 363 Ἔστι δὲ ὅλως οὐδεὶς, ὃς οὐ τῶν ἀναγκαίων φροντίζει. Κεφ. Ιʹ, ηʹ. Αἱ χεῖρές σου ἔπλασάν με, καὶ ἐποίησάν με. Πέπλασται μὲν τὸ σῶμα ἐξ ὑποκειμένου τῆς γῆς, ἤτοι τῆς γυναικός· πεποίηται δὲ ἡ ψυχὴ, μὴ προϋποκειμένου τινὸς, ὡς γὰρ ἀσώματος καὶ ἀμέριστος. Ἱκετεύω δὴ μνη σθῆναι καὶ τοῦ τῆς φύσεως εὐτελοῦς καὶ ὀλιγοχρονίου. Κεφ. ΙΒʹ, εʹ. Εἰς χρόνον γὰρ τακτὸν ἡτοί μαστο πεσεῖν ὑπὸ ἄλλων. Ἐνταῦθα οἱ τὴν εἱμαρμένην δοξάζοντες, φασὶν ὅτι ἰδοὺ ἡ γραφὴ λέγει ὅτι εἵμαρτο αὐτῷ παθεῖν. Ἀλλ' οὐ τοῦτο ἡ γραφὴ λέγει, μὴ γένοιτο! οὐ γὰρ ὑπὸ ἀνάγκην τὰ ἡμέ τερα· ἀλλ' ὅτι πάντα ἐν μέτρῳ διοικεῖ τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς τῆς αὐτοῦ προνοίας λόγοις, οἶδε καὶ μέχρι πόσου συμφερόντως δεῖ πάσχειν ἡμᾶς, καὶ κατὰ μέτρον ἐπάγει τοὺς πειρασμούς. Τοῦτο δὲ εἶπεν ὁ Ἰὼβ, ἵνα τὸ κρίμα τῷ Θεῷ παράσχῃ, μονονουχὶ λέ γων· Μὴ γελάσθωσαν οἱ δίκαιοι πάσχοντες· ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον γὰρ πάσχουσιν, ἐφ' ὅσον ὁ Θεὸς βούλεται. Κεφ. ΙΓʹ, αʹ. Ἰδοὺ ταῦτα ἑώρακέν μου ὁ ὀφθαλμὸς, καὶ ἀκήκοέν μου τὸ οὖς, καὶ οἶδα ὅσα καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐπίστασθε, καὶ οὐκ ἀσυνετώ τερός εἰμι ὑμῶν. Καὶ εἰ τῇ ἡλικίᾳ ἐλάττων ὑμῶν εἶναι δο κῶ, ἀλλὰ κατ' οὐδὲν εἰς σύνεσιν λείπομαι, 364 καὶ οὐχ ἥκιστα εἰς τὴν τῶν θείων εἴδησιν, καὶ οὐδὲν ὑμῶν εἰμι καταδεέστερος. κηʹ. Ὃ παλαιοῦται ἴσα ἀσκῷ, ἢ ὥσπερ ἱμάτιον σητόβρωτον. Οὐ κατὰ βούλησιν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ταῦτα λέ γει, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸ ὑποτιθέμενον, ὅτι πᾶς θλιβόμενος ἁμαρτὼν ταῦτα ὑφίσταται. Κεφ. Ι∆ʹ, αʹ. Ἢ ὥσπερ ἄνθος ἀνθῆσαν ἐξέπεσεν· ἀπέδρα δὲ ὥσπερ σκιὰ, καὶ οὐ μὴ στῇ. Καὶ σκιᾶς δίκην, παρελθὼν τὸν βίον, οὐδὲ μνημόσυνόν τι τοῖς ζῶσιν ἀφίησιν. Τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων πρόνοιαν ἐνταῦθα σαφηνίζει· οὐχ ὡς εἰκαίως καὶ ἔτυχεν ἐν τῷ βίῳ παραμένον τα, ἀλλ' ἐκ ῥήσεως Θεοῦ, οὐχ ὑπερβαίνοντος τὸν παρ' αὐτοῦ τεταγμένον βίον. Ταῦτα δὲ οὐχ ὡς εἱμαρμένης κρατούσης λεκτέον, ἀλλ' ὡς τοῦ θελήματος τοῦ Θεοῦ ὅροις καὶ μέ τροις ἕκαστα διαταξαμένου. Κεφ. ΙΕʹ, ζʹ, ηʹ. Τί γάρ; μὴ πρῶτος ἀν θρώπων ἐγεννήθης; ἢ πρὸ θινῶν ἐπάγης; ἢ σύνταγμα Κυρίου ἀκήκοας; Ἀντὶ τοῦ· μὴ πρὸ πάντων ἀνθρώπων ὑπέστης, καὶ ἄχρι τοῦ νῦν διατείνας τὸν βίον, πλειόνων πραγμάτων πεῖραν ἔσχηκας παρὰ τοὺς ὁμοφυεῖς. –Θεοδωτίων· Ἵνα ἐσ τὶν ὁ ὑψηλὸς τόπος καὶ δύσβατος, ἤτοι ψαμ μώδης. –Ὁ Ἑβραῖος· Συνελήφθης. –Θῖνας ἐκεῖ λέγει
Earth, cry, and the witness in heaven§2
2He appeals to the mountains, suggesting that they possess knowledge of things existing before the creation of the world Job 27:6In chapters 1, 17, and 18, he cries out, 'Earth, do not cover my eyes from my physical sight, nor let there be a place for my cry to echo; behold, my witness is in the heavens, and my supporter is in the highest heights.' As he wanders toward the earth, he reasons and calls out for sympathy, uttering words that are profoundly well-spoken. He says, 'O earth, do not remain silent regarding my plight, nor secretly conceal the blood unjustly shed from my flesh through my wounds; do not stand in a place and hide, nor let the memory of my lamentations fall into oblivion; for many have indeed been built up through my trials.' He continues, 'Let not the earth hide my blood, but let it summon God to vengeance, with the wounds of my body serving as witnesses. Let not the air restrain my cry, but let the sound of my voice reach the heavens, so that God, the avenger of these occurring evils, may stand forth. By defending the guilty, you will demonstrate to all the blamelessness of my conduct.' He adds, 'Behold, my witness in the heavens is purer than the human conscience' Job 19:3.
He instructs, 'Only know that the Lord has brought this upon me.' He speaks this to strike fear into them, saying, 'Do not trample upon me while I suffer, lest you yourselves fall into the same condition, sharing the same human nature' Job 4:5, 5:7'Truly, I have been led astray; yet the deceiver mocks me, speaking words that should never have been uttered, and he misrepresents my words and speaks them out of season. Let you magnify yourselves at my expense and reproach me. Let it be assumed, as a hypothesis, that I was deceived. But the deceiver mocks me; the deceiver is the devil. What harm comes to you from this? Why is it necessary to judge me as impious and to trample upon one in pain? It is necessary to show compassion to one speaking through agony.' He asks, 'If even such things were done that were not necessary, was it then necessary for you to reproach me so?' He says, 'Having long ago devoted myself to piety, it is necessary for me now to have a reputation based on my works. I have not done this, yet I am judged as a deceiver.' This applies here as well Job 7:6.
He declares, 'Know then that the Lord is the one who has troubled me; He has raised His weapon against me. Behold, I will laugh at your reproaches, but I will not speak. I have cried out, yet no judgment comes. Reason with yourselves; I am not made without purpose, though I feel as if I am encircled by a terrible wall. I speak the truth regarding my circumstances, yet you refuse to accept my words.' He explains that his refusal to speak is not because he has nothing to say, but rather because he feels that since you oppose me, it is better to remain silent. 'Even if I cry out to God to make my situation clear to everyone, I find no favor. No one listens, no one judges, I see no one, and I have nowhere to flee. Should these things not be pitied?' He suggests that by unrighteously mocking him, they allow God to stand as judge to execute a sentence of irrational destruction upon them. 'I do not flee,' he says, 'for God does not abandon such things.' He implies that what appears to you as an unlearned opinion regarding the knowledge of good and the things to come will eventually be proven true. He asks, 'What do you say to the fact that I suffer these things while in wickedness? You yourselves ought to fear the same.' He urges, 'Hurry, even while these things are testifying through words; grasp hold of the words so that you might not be judged as unrighteous even by the truth itself.'
The Hebrew text contains a sin of the word Job 21:1Having killed his lesser sons, and with his hands having burned the soles, he says those before him—those more inferior—will cast down the children of the lawless Job 14:14Wealth gathered unjustly will be scrutinized, and an angel will drag the man from his house. The impious man does everything to seize the possessions of others, and one looks at the purpose of these events through him; yet when he seems to be master of all, he will see himself being carried away to others Job 16:14Like an unplowed, uncontrollable plow, the words and doctrines of the impious are crooked and deceptive, for there is nothing sweet in things that happen against God Job 22:22But when he seems to be full, he will be crushed, and necessity will press upon him. He says that because of the cause, acquired things are being stripped away and will not be passed to his ancestors Job 23:12A spirit of wrath will be sent upon him to pour out his soles Job 23:16Instead, he will undergo terrible things from God and heaven. He said this because Job, having claimed he was struck by God, also remembered how he was wronged by men; thus, he prepares, knowing that all things were brought upon him through sin Job 24:24And stars in the diets...
Greek · §2
τοὺς βουνοὺς, ἵνα εἴπῃ, μὴ τὰ πρὸ τῆς κτίσεως ἐπίστασαι. Κεφ. Ι ʹ, ιηʹ, ιθʹ. Γῆς, μὴ ἐπικαλύψῃς ἐφ' αἵ ματι τῆς σαρκός μου, μηδὲ εἴη τόπος τῇ κραυγῇ μου· καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ ἐν οὐρανοῖς ὁ μάρ τυς μου, ὁ δὲ συνίστωρ μου ἐν ὑψίστοις. Ἀπορούμενος πρὸς τὴν γῆν διαλέγεται, 365 καὶ εἰς συμπάθειαν ἐκκαλούμενος λέγει ῥή ματα, ἃ καὶ εὐκτικῶς εἴρηται. Λέγει δέ· Μὴ σιωπήσῃς, ὦ γῆ, τὰ κατ' ἐμὲ, μηδὲ συγ κρύψῃς τὸ ἀδίκως ἐκχεόμενον αἷμα ἐκ τῆς σαρκός μου διὰ τῶν ἰχώρων· μηδὲ στῇ ἐν τόπῳ καὶ ἀποκρυβῇ, μηδὲ εἰς λήθην ἔλθῃ τὰ κατὰ τοὺς ἐμοὺς ὀδυρμούς· πολλοὶ δὲ, φησὶν, οἰκοδομήθωσαν διὰ τῶν ἐμῶν πειρασ μῶν. Ἢ μὴ γῆ κρύψῃ μου τὸ αἷμα, ἀλλ' ἐκ καλέσηται τὸν Θεὸν εἰς ἐκδικίαν, αὐτοὺς τοῦ σώματος τοὺς ἰχῶρας ἔχουσα μάρτυρας. Καὶ ὁ ἀὴρ μὴ ἐπισχοίη μου τὴν κραυγὴν, ἀλλ' εἰς οὐρανοὺς φθάσοι τῆς φωνῆς ὁ τόνος, ἵνα ὁ Θεὸς τῶν γινομένων κακῶν ἔκδικος κατα στὰς, καὶ τοὺς αἰτίους ἀμυνόμενος, οὕτω γοῦν ἅπασι δείξῃ τῶν ἐμοὶ βεβιωμένων τὸ ἄμεμπτον. Τὸ δέ· Ἰδοὺ ἐν οὐρανοῖς ὁ μάρτυς μου, καθαρωτάτης ἐστὶ συνειδήσεως. Κεφ. ΙΘʹ, γʹ. Γνῶτε μόνον ὅτι ὁ Κύριος ἐποίησε με οὕτως. Εἰς φόβον αὐτοὺς καταφέρει, οἱονεὶ λέγων· Μὴ οὕτως ἐπεμβαίνετέ μοι κάμνοντι, μηδὲ ὑμεῖς τοῖς αὐτοῖς περιπέσητε, τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχοντες φύσιν. δʹ, εʹ. Ναὶ δὴ ἐπ' ἀληθείας ἐγὼ ἐπλανή θην· παρ' ἐμοὶ δὲ αὐλίζεται πλάνος, λαλῆσαι ῥήματα ἃ οὐκ ἔδει, τὰ δὲ ῥήματά μου πλα νᾶται, καὶ οὐκ ἐπὶ καιροῦ. –Ἔα δὲ ὅτι ἐπ' ἐμοὶ μεγαλύνεσθε, ἐνάλλεσθε δέ μοι ὀνεί δει. ∆εδόσθω, φησὶν, καθ' ὑπόθεσιν ὅτι πε πλάνημαι. Παρ' ἐμοὶ δὲ αὐλίζεται πλάνος· πλάνος ὁ διάβολός ἐστιν. Τίς ὑμῖν, φησὶν, ἐκ τούτου βλάβη, ποία δὲ ἀνάγκη κρίνειν ὡς ἀσεβῆ, καὶ ἐπεμβαίνειν πάσχοντι; δέον συγγινώσκειν ὑπὸ ἀλγηδόνων φθεγγομένῳ. –Εἰ καὶ τοιαῦτα ἐπεποιήκειν οἷα οὐκ ἔδει, 366 ἆρ' οὖν ἐχρῆν ὑμᾶς οὕτω μοι ὀνειδίζειν; – Καὶ δέον με, φησὶ, πάλαι εὐσεβείας ἐπιμε λούμενον, νῦν τὴν ἐκ τῶν ἔργων ἔχειν παῤ ῥησίαν. Τοῦτο μὲν οὐ πεποίηκα, κρίνομαι δὲ ὡς πλάνος. Ἐπιβάλλει καὶ ὧδε· ʹ, ζʹ. Γνῶτε οὖν ὅτι ὁ Κύριός ἐστιν ὁ ταράξας· ὀχύρωμα δὲ αὐτοῦ ἐπ' ἐμὲ ὕψωσεν. Ἰδοὺ γελῶ ὀνείδει, οὐ λαλήσω. Κεκράξομαι, καὶ οὐδαμοῦ κρίμα. ∆ιαλογίζεσθε, φησίν· οὐκ ἀπὸ σκοποῦ ἀλ γύνομαι, καθάπερ τειχίῳ τινὶ τοῖς δεινοῖς κυκλούμενος. Λέγω, φησὶν, μετὰ ἀληθείας, ὡς ἔχει τὰ κατ' ἐμὲ, καὶ οὐ παραδέχεσθε τοὺς λόγους. Τὸ γὰρ ἐν ὀνείδει, ἵνα εἴπῃ τὰ πράγματα. Τὸ δὲ οὐ λαλήσω, ἀντὶ τοῦ· διὰ τὸ ἀντιλέγειν μοι ὑμᾶς δοκῶ μηδὲν εἰρη κέναι. –Εἰ δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν βοήσω, εἰς φανερὸν ἅπασιν ἐνέγκαι τὰ κατ' ἐμὲ, οὐ τυγχάνω τῆς ἱκεσίας. Οὐδεὶς ἀκούει, οὐ δεὶς δικάζει, οὐδένα βλέπω, οὐκ ἔχω ποῖ ἀπελθεῖν. Ταῦτα ἐλεῆσαι οὐ χρῆ; –Τοι γαροῦν ἀφήσητε, οὕτως ἀκρίτως μου κατη γοροῦντες, μήποτε Θεὸς εἰς κρίσιν κασταστή σῃ, εἰς πράξεσθαι ὑμῖν δίκην ἀλόγου θρα σύτητος. –Οὐ γὰρ ἀνεύθυνα, φησὶ, τὰ τοιαῦτα καταλιμπάνει Θεός. Ἔσεσθαι γάρ φησιν, εἴτε κινηθείη καθ' ὑμῶν, ὡς ἀνονήτως ὑμῖν ἐμφαίνεται ἡ ἐπὶ γνώσει τοῦ καλοῦ οἴησις, καὶ ἡ ἐπὶ τοῖς προσοῦσιν ἄδεια. – Α. Σ. Τί φατε [ὅτι] ἐν πονηρίᾳ ὢν ταῦτα πάσχω, καὶ ὑμεῖς τὰ αὐτὰ φοβεῖσθαι ὀφεί λετε. –Ἐσπεύσατε ἂν, φησὶ, τότε καίτοι πραγμάτων μαρτυρούντων ἐν λόγοις· ἐν λό γοις οὖν λάβεσθε ὡς ἂν μηδὲ ὑπὸ τῆς ἀλη θείας ψηφίσασθαι ἀνεύθυνον. –Ὁ γοῦν ἑβραῖος καὶ ἁμάρτημα λόγου ἔχει. Κεφ. Κʹ, ιʹ. Τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ ὀλέσαισαν ἥττονες, αἱ δὲ χεῖρες αὐτοῦ πυρσεύσαισαν ὀδύνας. 367 Καὶ οἱ πρότερον, φησὶν, ὑποδεέστεροι, τῶν τοῦ παρανόμου παίδων καθέξουσι. ιεʹ. Πλοῦτος ἀδίκως συναγόμενος ἐξεμε θήσεται, ἐξ οἰκίας αὐτοῦ ἐξελκύσει αὐτὸν ἄγγελος. Πάντα μὲν ὁ ἀσεβὴς πράττει ὥστε τὰ ἀλλότρια λαβεῖν, καὶ πρὸς τοῦτον βλέπει τὸν σκοπὸν τὰ γενόμενα· ἐπειδὰν δὲ ἐγκράτης τῶν ὅλων δόξῃ, τότ' αὑτὸν εἰς ἑτέρους με ταφερόμενον ὄψεται. ιηʹ. Ὥσπερ στρείφνος ἀμάσητος, ἀκατά ποτος. Οἱ λόγοι καὶ τὰ δόγματα [ἀσεβοῦς] στρί φινα καὶ νόσκυα, οὐδὲν γὰρ ἔχει γλυκὺ ἐκεῖ να, τὰ κατὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ γινόμενα. κβʹ. Ὅταν δὲ δοκῇ ἤδη πεπληρῶσθαι, θλι βήσεται, πᾶσα δὲ ἀνάγκη ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἐπε λεύσεται. Ταῦτά φησιν· Ἕνεκα τῆς αἰτίας, ἀπόλ λυνται τὰ κτηθέντα, καὶ εἰς προγόνους οὐ παραπέμπεται. κγʹ. Ἐπαποστείλαι ἐπ' αὐτὸν θυμὸν ὀργῆς, νίψαι ἐπ' αὐτὸν ὀδύνας. Ἀντὶ τοῦ, ἐκ Θεοῦ καὶ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ὑποσ τήσεται δεινά· ταῦτα δὲ ἔφη, ἐπειδὴ ὁ Ἰὼβ φήσας ὑπὸ Θεοῦ πεπλῆχθαι, ἐμνημόνευσε καὶ ὡς ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπων ἠδικημένος· κατα σκευάζει οὖν ὅτι πάντα δι' ἁμαρτίας ἐπ' αὐ τὸν ἐπηνέχθη. κεʹ. Ἄστρα δὲ ἐν διαίταις
The Nature of Wickedness and the Office of the Bishop§3
3They wander about in ignorance, for the light has emanated from within themselves, even as He declared: An unconsuming fire shall fall upon him. Regarding the hidden meaning, this unconsuming fire refers either to the conscience or to the judgments that await the righteous in the future. He says that the man shall be consumed by fire so that it may be said he is not even worthy of a burial.
This is the portion assigned to the impious man by the Lord, and it is a possession held by those under the bishop. Through this, divine justice is set in motion against him, whether he is one who, though circumcised, acted impiously toward God through Christ, or whether he is a paradoxical person; regardless, the declared portion belongs to the impious. Consider who the bishop mentioned here was. It is said that God is the Bishop, and the bishops of God strive to imitate His likeness in every way, being good and noble. Just as one who imitates a royal icon is honored for the excellence of his imitation and for the beauty he adds to it, so too is the blessed bishop who has perceived the true Bishop and follows Him with zeal. Such a man becomes like God among men; or, alternatively, he is one who possesses a bishop who truly makes him a bishop in Christ Jesus, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Their children also play, taking up the psaltery and the lyre, finding joy in the sound of psalmody. Indeed, even their foolish children engage in such play, for they sing the psalms of Valentinus and the hymns of Basileidus, finding delight in the melody of their songs.
Is not the Lord the one who imparts understanding and knowledge? Let us observe what Eliphaz says to the righteous man. After Job has spoken, Eliphaz rushes to join the argument, saying: I also know that God alone is wise, and that through certain words one impious man is corrected while another is punished. I also know that God is the giver of good things, as you have said, whereas evil brings about punishment. This doctrine is healthy. Knowledge is the comprehension of those who possess such a theory, while understanding is the power of distinction.
Is it not possible that your wickedness is great and your sins are beyond counting? It is therefore expected that I should say you have not become unrighteous by mere chance because you suffer such things as no other wicked man does; rather, you have fallen into these circumstances because you possess a greater wickedness than others. Wickedness is an evil disposition of the soul, such as grief, anger, or disordered desire, whereas sin is the actual exercise of that disposition. Therefore, he first mentioned wickedness and then sin—the former being a great state and the latter being innumerable acts. I see many sinners, yet none have fallen into such profound depths as you have. It is probable that because of your countless sins and your multitude of faults, these things have befallen you. You were defrauding your brothers through usury, and you were stripping the naked of their clothing. Let us take heed, O engravers, that we never defraud others through lending. These words are useful, for they allow us to speak truthfully about sins as they occur among men according to reason. Eliphaz assumes this regarding Job because he knew Job was wealthy and suspected he might have acquired his riches through improper means; thus he says: You were defrauding by lending, meaning you left nothing unpaid. If I lend money but, distrusting the borrower, I take a pledge of great value as security, that is not true lending. But if I demand and seize a pledge by lending because I slander him, claiming he cannot pay his debts, then I am lending. He adds another suspected sin: it is possible to take garments not from the naked, but from the rich who have many clothes lying around. Yet, if a man has only a single tunic and I use that as a pretext to demand my property, I strip him; having no pity for the naked man, I have deprived him of his clothing. Many such things occur among us when we lend or visit debtors. Often the debtor falls into such excess that he cannot pay, and we, becoming hardened and pitiless, fail to see that a woman must feed children on the few coins provided, and we demand payment bitterly even when we ourselves live in abundance. Such bitter demands occur...
Greek · §3
αὐτοῦ περιπα τήσαισαν. ... Ἐν ἀγνοίᾳ γάρ εἰσιν· ἐξέβαλον γὰρ τὸ φῶς ἀφ' ἑαυτῶν οἷς ἔλεγεν· Ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου. κ ʹ. Κατέδεται αὐτὸν πῦρ ἄκαυστον. Κατὰ δὲ τὸ κρυπτόμενον, ἄκαυστον πῦρ 368 ἐστιν, ἤτοι τὸ κατὰ συνείδησιν, ἢ καὶ τὸ ἀποκείμενον ἐν τοῖς μέλλουσιν δικαιωτη ρίοις. Καὶ ὡς ὑπὸ πυρὸς, φησὶν, ἀναλωθή σεται, ἵνα εἴπῃ· Οὐδὲ ταφῆς ἀξιοῦται. κθʹ. Αὕτη ἡ μερὶς ἀνθρώπου ἀσεβοῦς παρὰ Κυρίου, καὶ κτῆμα ὑπαρχόντων αὐτῷ παρὰ τοῦ ἐπισκόπου. Καθ' ἣν ἡ θεία κατ' αὐτοῦ κινεῖται δίκη· εἴτε τοῦ ἐκ περιτομῆς διὰ Χριστὸν εἰς Θεὸν ἀσεβήσαντος, εἴτε τοῦ παραδόξου, εἴθ' ὅπως ποτὲ ἀσεβοῦς, αὐτῷ μερίς ἐστιν ἡ δηλου μένη. –Μάνθανε τίς ἐπίσκοπος ἐνθάδε ὠνο μάσθη· ὅτι Θεὸς ἐπίσκοπος εἴρηται, καὶ οἱ ἐπίσκοποι ἐκείνου τὴν εἰκόνα παντὶ τῷ τρό πῳ φιλοτιμοῦνται, οἱ καλοὶ καὶ ἀγαθοὶ, φο ρεῖν. Καὶ ὥσπερ ὁ μιμησάμενος εἰκόνα βα σιλικὴν, τιμᾶται ἐπὶ τῷ καλῶς αὐτὴν μι μήσασθαι· τιμᾶται δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ αὐτὴν κεκοσμηκέναι· οὕτως μακάριος ἐπίσκοπος ὁ νοήσας τὸν ἀληθινὸν ἐπίσκοπον, καὶ ζηλῶν αὐτὸν, καὶ γινόμενος ὡς ἐν ἀνθρώποις Θεὸς, ἢ ὁ ἔχων ἐπίσκοπον τὸν ποιοῦντα αὐτὸν ἀληθῶς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ἐπίσκοπον, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. Κεφ. ΚΑʹ, ιαʹ, ιβʹ. Τὰ δὲ παιδία αὐτῶν προσπαίζουσι, ἀναλαβόντες ψαλτήριον καὶ κιθάραν, καὶ εὐφραίνονται φωνῇ ψαλμοῦ. Ἰδοὺ καὶ τὰ μωρὰ παιδία αὐτῶν ἑαυτοῖς προσπαίζονται. Λέγουσι γὰρ αὐτοὶ ψαλμοὺς Οὐαλεντινοῦ καὶ ᾠδὰς Βασιλείδου, καὶ τοι αῦτά τινα φθέγγονται, εὐφραινόμενοι φωνῇ ψαλμοῦ. 369 Κεφ. ΚΒʹ, βʹ. Πότερον οὐχὶ ὁ Κύριός ἐσ τιν ὁ διδάσκων σύνεσιν καὶ ἐπιστήμην; Ἴδωμεν τί φησιν ὁ Ἐλιφὰζ πρὸς τὸν δίκαιον· Πότερον κτλ ... Τοῦτο τοῦ Ἰὼβ εἰ ρηκότος, συντρέχει τῷ λόγῳ καὶ ὁ Ἐλιφὰζ, καί φησιν· Οἶδα κἀγὼ ὅτι τοὺς λόγους, δι' ὧν ὁ μέν τις ὢν ἀσεβὴς εὐθυνεῖται, ὁ δὲ κολάζεται, ὁ μόνος σοφὸς οἶδε Θεός· οἶδα δὲ καὶ τοῦτο ὅτι Θεὸς μὲν, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸς ἔφης, τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐστι δοτήρ· ἡ δὲ κακία τὰς κολάσεις δίδωσιν. –Ὑγιὲς τὸ δόγμα ... – ̓Επιστήμη, ἡ περιοχὴ τῶν ὡσαύτως ἐχόντων θεωρία, σύνεσις δὲ ἡ διάκρισις. εʹ. Πότερον οὐχ ἡ κακία σου ἐστὶ πολλὴ, ἀναρίθμητοι δέ σου εἰσιν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι; Εἰκότως οὖν φημὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς γεγονέναι σε ἄδικον, ἐπεὶ πάσχεις τοιαῦτα, οἷα οὐδεὶς τῶν κακῶν, ἀλλ' ἐν τούτοις γεγεννῆσθαι, δη λονότι πλείονα κακίαν [τῶν κακῶν] ὑπὲρ τοὺς ἄλλους ἐσχηκέναι. Κακία ἐστὶν ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ κακὴ ἕξις, οἷον λύπης, ὀργῆς, καὶ ἐπι θυμία ἀπρεπής· ἀμαρτία δὲ ἡ ἐνέργεια· διὸ πρῶτον εἶπεν τὴν κακίαν, εἶτα τὴν ἁμαρ τίαν, τὴν μὲν πολλὴν, τὰς δὲ ἀναριθμήτους. Πάνυ πολλοὺς ὁρῶ ἁμαρτωλοὺς, καὶ οὐδεὶς αὐτῶν τηλικούτοις περιπέπτωκεν οἷος σύ. 370 Εἰκὸς γὰρ, διὰ τὸ ἀναρίθμητόν σου τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων καὶ τὸ πλῆθός σου τῶν πταισ μάτων, ταῦτά σοι ἐπεληλυθέναι. ʹ. Ἠνεχύραζες δὲ τοὺς ἀδελφούς σου διακε νῆς· ἀμφίασιν δὲ γυμνῶν ἀφείλου. Πρόσχωμεν, οἱ τοκογλύφοι· μήποτε ἐνε χυράζωμεν διακενῆς. Ὠφέλιμα τὰ ῥήματα, κατὰ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ λέγειν κατὰ λόγον ἁμαρ τήματα ἀληθῶς, ψεκτῶς γινομένων ἐν ἀν θρώποις. Ὑπολαμβάνει τοῦτο ὁ Ἐλίφας περὶ τοῦ Ἰὼβ, ἐπειδὴ ᾔδει αὐτὸν πλούσιον, καὶ ὑπώπτευσεν ἀπὸ τοιούτων τινῶν πόρων πλου τεῖν αὐτόν· διό φησιν· Ἠνεχύραζες διακενῆς, τουτέστιν μηδὲν ἐποφειλόμενος. –Εἰ δὲ ἐδάνεισα, καὶ μὴ πιστεύων τῷ δανεισαμένῳ, ἔλαβον ἐνήχυρον ἀξιόχρεων πρὸς ὃ ἔχρησα, ἔλαβον ἐνήχυρον, οὐ διακενῆς δέ. Εἰ μέντοι, συκοφαντῶν αὐτὸν, καὶ λέγων ὀφείλειν μοι μὴ δυνάμενον ἀποδοῦναι, ἀπαιτῶ καὶ λαμ βάνω, ἐνήχυρον [λαμβάνω] διακενῆς. Προσεπιτείνει δὲ πάλιν, ἄλλην αὐτοῦ ἁ μαρτίαν οἰόμενος γεγονέναι. Ἔστι ποτὲ λα βεῖν ἀμφιάσματα, οὐ τοῦ γυμνοῦ, ἀλλὰ πλου σίου, ἔχοντος ἕτερα ἀποκείμενα ἐνδύματα πολλὰ λαβεῖν, τρία δή· ὧν τῶν πολλῶν ἐκεῖ ἔλαβον ἀμφίασιν· ἄλλα γυμνοῦ, ἄλλα πλου σίου. Ἐὰν μέντοι γε χιτῶνα ἔχῃ τις ἕνα, καὶ τοῦτον τὸν χιτῶνα, προφάσει τοῦ ἀπαι τεῖν τὸ ἐμὸν, ἐκδύσω, μὴ ἐλεήσας ἐκεῖνον τὸν γυμνὸν, ἀμφίασιν τοῦ γυμνοῦ ἀφειλόμην. Πολλὰ δὲ τοιαῦτα ἐν ἡμῖν γίνεται, ὅταν δανείζωμεν, ὅταν πρὸς ὀφειλέτας ἐρχώμεθα· πολλάκις ὀφειλέτης ἡμῶν εἰς ὑπερβολὴν πέ νεται, μὴ δυνάμενος ἀποδοῦναι· καὶ ἡμεῖς τὰ σπλάγχνα ἡμῶν ἀποκλείσαντες, ἀνελεεῖς καὶ ὠμοὶ γινόμεθα, μὴ βλέποντες ὅτι γυ ναῖκα τρέφει καὶ τέκνα, καὶ μόλις τρέφεται 371 ἀπὸ τῶν ποριζομένων αὐτῷ ὀλίγων ὀβολῶν· ἀπαιτοῦμεν πικρῶς, ἔσθ' ὅτε καὶ περισσὰ ἔχοντες παρ' ἑαυτοῖς. Τοιαῦτα γίνεται ἐν ταῖς πικραῖς ἀπαιτή σεσιν, ἐνίοτε
Accountability for Inaction§4
4Someone possesses a piece of bread; if they lack a whole loaf, we take it from them, declaring, 'But you owe.' Thus, he accuses Job, asserting that he stripped the naked of their garments. Not only did you fail to quench the thirst of the parched, but you denied the hungry their sustenance. You favored certain faces, displacing the poor from their dwellings. Widows you sent away empty-handed, and orphans you left in misery. To wrong another is one transgression, but to withhold kindness is equally culpable. The text emphasizes that our duty extends to aiding the desperate, as even the simple act of offering water to the thirsty incurs divine accountability. Though a cup of cold water earns a reward, Job's stubbornness is condemned for withholding even basic charity from the thirsty. The hungry you deprived of bread—what need is there to elaborate? When you deny the beggar even a morsel, you commit a grave sin. Bread, as defined here, refers to a fragment of the loaf, as seen in the passage: 'Dip your bread in the vinegar.'
You admired certain faces, rendering judgments not with fairness or impartiality, but with human bias, becoming a mere spectator of appearances. You elevated the powerful while humiliating the meek, forcing the humble and honoring the mighty. You displaced the poor, as some manuscripts suggest 'you laid them to rest' instead of 'lodged them,' implying the theft of their meager beds. Widows you expelled without mercy, and orphans you left destitute. To harm the defenseless is the epitome of wickedness. No one should inflict harm, especially not the orphans, for God commands protection for the helpless. The poor, widows, and orphans require greater compassion than others. The counsel of the wicked lies far from God, and the righteous mock their schemes. What the wicked plan is distant from divine truth. The one who casts a curse from his mouth urges others to internalize his words. They sought redemption in me—what does this mean? In another version, it reads 'confession' instead of 'redemption.' From Akylas, 'Law' is cited. One interpretation urges confession of sins, while another commands receiving God's law and embracing His words. If just and worthy, one is proclaimed by God, receiving divine utterances from the heart, as Jeremiah was told: 'Behold, I have placed my words in your mouth.' Redemption through confession exhorts the righteous to repent. Alternatively, it may mean adopting divine laws or atoning for sins while preserving God's teachings. The dual meaning of redemption stems from these interpretations.
Greek · §4
αὐτὸν τὸν ψωμὸν ἔχει τις ἕνα, κἂν μὴ ἔχῃ ἄρτον ὁλόκληρον, ἀφαιροῦμεν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ, λέγοντες· ἀλλ' ὀφείλεις. Ταῦτα οὖν λέγει, ἐγκαλῶν τῷ Ἰὼβ, ὅτι ἀμφίασιν γυμνῶν ἀφεῖλεν. ζʹ–θʹ. Οὐδὲ ὕδωρ διψῶντας ἐπότισας, ἀλλὰ πεινώντων ἐστέρησας ψωμόν· Ἐθαύμασας δέ τινων πρόσωπον, ᾤκισας δὲ τοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Χήρας δὲ ἐξαπέστειλας κενὰς, ὀρφα νοὺς δὲ ἐκάκωσας. Οὐκοῦν οὐ μόνον τὸ ἀδικεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ μὴ εὐεργετεῖν ὑπεύθυνον· ἐπισημαίνει δὲ μέχρι τοσούτου εὐεργεσίας ἐκτείνειν ὀφεί λομεν, ὅποτε ὑπεύθυνον τὸ μὴ ποτίσαι δι ψῶντας. Ὥσπερ οὖν διὰ τὸ ποτήριον ψυχροῦ ὕδατος μισθὸν λαμβάνομεν, πολλὴν μέντοι ἀπηνίαν τοῦ Ἰὼβ καταψηφίζεται, ὡς μηδὲ ὕδωρ τὴν ἀδάπανον χάριν παρέχοντος, καὶ τὸ μεῖζον κακὸν, τῷ διψῶντι. Ἀλλὰ πεινώντων ἐστέρησας ψωμόν. Τί λέγω, φησὶν, ὅτι οὐ παρέσχες τῷ δεο μένῳ; ὅποτε καὶ τὴν μικρὰν παραμυθίαν τοῦ ἄρτου παρὰ τοῦ πεινῶντος ἀφείλου· ψωμὸν γὰρ λέγει τὸ τμῆμα τοῦ ἄρτου, ὥσπερ καὶ ἐν τῇ Ῥοὺθ κεῖται· Βάψαι τὸν ψωμόν σου ἐν τῷ ὄξει. Ἐθαύμασας δέ τινων πρόσωπον. Τουτέστι καὶ τὰς κρίσεις οὐ δικαίως, οὐδὲ ἀπαθῶς, ἀλλ' ἀνθρωποπαρέσκως ἐποίησας, προσωπολήπτης γὰρ γέγονας· καὶ δικάζων οὓς μὲν ἐξῇρες, οὓς δὲ ἐταπείνους, τοὺς μὲν ταπεινοὺς βιαζόμενος, τοὺς δὲ ἐν δυναστεί αις θαυμάζων καὶ τιμῶν. Ὤικισας δὲ τοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Τινὰ δὲ τῶν ἀντιγράφων ἀντὶ τοῦ ᾤκισας ἐκοίμησας ἔχει· ἵνα εἴπῃ καὶ αὐτὴν τῶν πτωχῶν τὴν στρωμνὴν ἀφείλου, ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ 372 ἐδάφους αὐτοὺς ἐξ ἀνάγκης κοιμᾶσθαι, μη δὲν ἔχοντας ὑπεστορεσμένον ... Χήρας δὲ ἐξαπέστειλας. Ἢ τῶν προσόντων αὐτὰς ἐγύμνωσας, ἢ μᾶλλον προσελθούσαις καὶ ἐλεημοσύνην ζη τούσαις οὐδὲν δέδωκας, ἀλλ' ἀπεπέμψω μη δὲν λαβούσας ἀπὸ σοῦ ... Ὀρφανοὺς δὲ ἐκάκωσας. Τὸ δὲ τοὺς ὀρφανοὺς καὶ ἀβοηθήτους κα κοῦν, ἐσχάτης κακίας γνώρισμα. Οὐδένα μὲν γὰρ δεῖ κακοῦν, ἐξαιρέτως δὲ χρὴ φείδεσθαι τῶν ὀρφανῶν· περὶ γὰρ τῶν ἀβοηθήτων ψυ χῶν πολεμεῖν ὁ Θεὸς ἐνετείλατο. Πλέον δὲ παρὰ τοὺς ἄλλους ἀνθρώπους, πτωχοὶ, χῆ ραι, ὀρφανοὶ δέονται βοηθείας. ιηʹ. Βουλὴ δὲ ἀσεβῶν πόῤῥω ἀπ' αὐτοῦ. Ἰδόντες δίκαιοι ἐγέλασαν. Ἃ οἱ ἀσεβεῖς βουλεύονται, πόῤῥω ἐστὶν ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἰδόντες [δίκαιοι] τὴν βουλὴν τῶν ἀσεβῶν, κατεγέλασαν αὐτούς. κβʹ. Ἔκβαλε δὲ ἐκ στόματος αὐτοῦ ἐξη γορίαν, καὶ ἀνάλαβε τὰ ῥήματα αὐτοῦ ἐν καρδίᾳ σου. Τὴν ἐξηγορίαν ἐζήτουν κατ' ἐμαυτὸν, τί σημαίνει; Καὶ εὗρον ἐν ἄλλῃ ἐκδόσει, παρὰ τῷ Συμμάχῳ, ἀντ' αὐτῆς, τὴν ἐξομολόγη σιν. Παρὰ δὲ τῷ Ἀκύλᾳ· Νόμον. Φησὶν οὖν κατὰ μὲν τὸν ἕνα· Ἐξομολόγησαι περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων σου· τὸν δὲ τρόπον τῆς ἐξη γορίας παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ διδάχθητι. Κατὰ δὲ τὸν ἕτερον· ∆έξαι παρὰ Θεοῦ νόμον, καὶ τοὺς λόγους αὐτοῦ ἐγκαρδίους ποίησαι. Εἰ δίκαιος εἶ καὶ ἄξιος, ὑπαγορεύθητι παρὰ Θεοῦ, καὶ δέξαι θεῖα ῥήματα ἐξ σῇ καρδίᾳ, ὡς ὕστερον Ἱερεμίας ἤκουσεν· Ἰδοὺ δέδωκα τοὺς λόγους μου εἰς τὸ στόμα σου. Ἢ ἐξηγορίαν τὴν ἐξο μολόγησίν φησιν, προτρέπων εἰς μετάνοιαν τὸν δίκαιον. Ἢ τοῦτο λέγει, ὅτι μετάβαλε τὸν τρόπον, καὶ ἀνάλαβε τοὺς θείους νόμους. 373 Ἢ ὅτι ἐξαγόρευσον τὰ ἡμαρτημένα σοι, καὶ τοῦ λοιποῦ τοὺς λόγους τοῦ Θεοῦ φύλαττε. Τῆς διπλῆς δὲ ταύτης ἐννοίας ἐκεῖθεν ἔσχον τὰς ἀφορμὰς, τὴν ἐξηγορίαν. κδʹ. Θήσῃ ἐπὶ χώματι ἐν πέτρᾳ, καὶ ὡς πέτρα χειμάῤῥου Σωφείρ. Βαλεῖς εἰς γῆν, καὶ οἱονεὶ κακώσεις αὐτόν. Κεφ. ΚΓʹ, βʹ. Καὶ δὴ οἶδα ὅτι ἐκ χειρός μου ἡ ἔλεγξίς ἐστιν, καὶ ἡ χεὶρ αὐτοῦ βα ρεῖα γέγονεν ἐπ' ἐμῷ στεναγμῷ. Τουτέστι τὸν κατήγορον μετ' ἐμαυτοῦ περιφέρω, τὸν ἔλεγχον, τὴν ἀπόδειξιν τῶν κακῶν οἴκοθεν ἔχω. –Οἶδα, φησὶν, ὅτι ἐκ τῶν ἐν χερσὶ, τουτέστιν ἐκ τῆς πληγῆς, καὶ οὐκ ἀφ' ὧν ἔπραξα, δοκεῖτε τοὺς ἐλέγχους ἐπάγειν· καὶ γὰρ βαρέως ἐπέθετό μοι Θεὸς, ὥστε με στενάζειν. –Οἶδα, φησὶν, ὅτι ἐκ τῶν πράξεων τῶν ἀνθρώπων, αἱ κρίσεις αὐ τοῖς· πλὴν ὑπὲρ τὴν ἰσχύν μου ἐπετέθη μοι, ἤτοι ἔξω τῆς πράξεώς μου, ὁ ἔλεγχος. ʹ. Καὶ ἐν πολλῇ ἰσχύϊ ἐπελεύσεταί μοι, εἶτα ἐν ἀπειλῇ μοι οὐ χρήσεται. Καὶ γὰρ εἰ ἐν πολλῇ ἰσχύϊ χρήσεται μοι καὶ ἀπειλῇ, ἀλλ' ὅμως οἶδα ὅτι ἀλήθεια παρ' αὐτῷ ἐστιν. ζʹ. Ἀλήθεια γὰρ καὶ ἔλεγχος παρ' αὐτοῦ· ἐξαγάγοι δὲ εἰς τέλος τὸ κρίμα μου. Τοῦτο ηὔξατο, τοῦτό ἐστιν ὅ φησιν, ὥστε πέρας ἐπιτεθῆναί μου τοῖς δεινοῖς· εἶτα, φη σὶν, ὅτι ταῦτα ἤθελον γενέσθαι, ὥστε ἀπο θανεῖν, οὐχ ὡς νῦν μέλλοντος αὐτοῦ κρίνειν. –Παρ' Ἑβραίοις, τὸ τέλος καὶ ἡ νίκη διὰ μιᾶς σημαίνεται λέξεως. ιʹ. Οἶδεν γὰρ ἤδη ὁδόν μου. Οἶδε, φησὶ, τὴν ὁδόν μου, καὶ ὅτι ἐσπού δασα ἀεὶ ὑπακούειν
Job's Defense and Divine Providence§5
5Who can oppose him when he sits in judgment? Regarding this, I will be diligent to look upon his face; I will seek to understand, and I will stand in awe of him. He claims, 'I have not sinned,' but what does he mean by this? For God is permitted to punish not only based on the authority of actual sins, but I say he also suffers this even without sinning. He did not realize that darkness would descend upon him, and a shadow would shroud his very presence. He says he is in the hand of God's destruction, yet he spoke well when he said that the darkness before him was not a common gloom, but a darkness born of his own despondency.
Why then does God not take notice of these people? They exist upon the earth, yet they remain unaware; they have despised everyone and mocked everyone. None of them commit injustice, nor does God wrong them in any way, yet He does not yet visit them with inspection. He will eventually act, examining everything they have done and refusing to overlook their deeds. They devoured orphans with greed, and having known their works—whether by observing their actions or by having them tested and tortured—He delivered them into darkness.
My soul will not meditate upon injustice. This means I will stand my ground; no one can turn me, no one can approach me, and no one can lead me away from what is set before me. Do not deem me righteous until I die, for I will never abandon my innocence. I will not accuse myself, nor will I change my stance even if you say a thousand things; I will not retreat from my testimony, even if you seem to cease your accusations against me. Even if I were to agree with what you say, once you have realized why these things happened, I would declare you righteous. Yet I will not relinquish my innocence, for I hold different thoughts about you and speak different words. Or, if necessity forces him, does he not have any boldness before God? He says such a thing because the unjust man lacks the boldness to speak or to say the things I am saying now; he is silenced and muzzled, whereas I do not suffer this, but I speak and argue. The wicked are not like this.
He says that there is a place of silver, and so on, meaning that the one who has established the order of chance in material things has even more so established the order of human affairs. Just as iron comes from the earth and bronze is quarried like stone, He has set an order within the darkness, and He examines every end. He considers and cares for all things; nothing passes by Him simply or in vain. Or rather, he suggests that while other things are manifest, the economy of God is unsearchable and unknown. He spoke well when he said, 'He set an order in darkness,' showing that God knows how to withdraw and to stand above all. Who can dispel that darkness? From where does such order arise in such a matter? He describes God's power and wisdom to persuade us not to demand an account from Him.
It is as when his lamp shone above my head, and I walked through the darkness by its light. He sought former prosperity so that God's providence might be clearly demonstrated, as evidenced by his saying, 'When God guarded me.' When God inspected my house, the Companion says, 'When God surrounded my tent.' You see that he desires this inspection and the providence of God. Being young and righteous, he says he made virtue out of useful material, using all things well. When he went out early in the city, his seat was set for him in the streets. Like a ruler and teacher of virtue, he did not occupy himself with sleep or drunkenness, but sat in the streets early in the morning out of love, becoming a law and a pattern for those in the city. A blessing of the perishing comes upon me—Severus, from the letter to Julian. The Lord says in the Gospels regarding those who die to the world...
Greek · §5
αὐτῷ· ἀλλὰ τίς, ὅταν κρίνῃ, ἀντερεῖ αὐτῷ; 374 ιεʹ. Ἐπὶ τούτῳ ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ κα τασπουδασθῶ· κατανοήσω, καὶ πτοηθήσομαι ἐξ αὐτοῦ. Οὐχ ἥμαρτον, φησὶ, καὶ τί τοῦτο; οὐ γὰρ μόνον ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἐξουσίας ἔξεστι κολάζειν Θεῷ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο χωρὶς ἁμαρτημάτων λέγω. ιζʹ. Οὐ γὰρ ᾔδειν ὅτι ἐπελεύσεταί μοι σκό τος, πρὸ προσώπου δέ μου ἐκάλυψεν γνόφος. Οὐ κατ' ἀκολουθίαν ἀνθρωπίνην γέγονε τοῦτο, φησὶν, ἀπροσδόκητον τὸ κακόν· στο χάζομαι τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ χειρὸς εἶναι τὴν πλη γήν. Καὶ καλῶς εἶπε, πρὸ προσώπου μου· οὐ γὰρ κοινὸν τὸ σκότος ἐστὶν, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐμῆς ἀθυμίας. Κεφ. Κ∆ʹ, ιγʹ. Αὐτὸς δὲ διὰ τί τούτων ἐπισκοπὴν οὐ πεποίηται; ἐπὶ γῆς ὄντων αὐ τῶν, καὶ οὐκ ἐπέγνωσαν. Τουτέστιν πάντων κατεφρόνησαν, πάντων κατεγέλασαν· οὐδεὶς αὐτοὺς ἀδικεῖ, οὐδὲ κα κῶς ποιεῖ· αὐτὸς δὲ οὔπω ἐπισκοπὴν πε ποίηται τούτων, ὥστε ποιήσει μετὰ ταῦτα, καὶ ἐξετάσει τὰ πεπλημμελημένα αὐτοῖς, καὶ οὐ παρόψεται· ἐπιθυμητικῶς κατέφαγον ὀρφανούς. ιδʹ. Γνοὺς δὲ αὐτῶν τὰ ἔργα, παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς εἰς σκότος. Τουτέστιν, μαθὼν τὰ ἔργα, ἢ ὅτι ἐξε τάσας καὶ βασανίσας, τουτέστι γνούς. Κεφ. ΚΖʹ, δʹ. Οὐδὲ ἡ ψυχή μου μελετήσει ἄδικα. Τουτέστιν ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτῆς στήσομαι ψή φου, οὐδείς με παρατρέψαι δυνήσεται, οὐδεὶς εἰσκροῦσαι, οὐδεὶς παραγαγεῖν τοῦ προκει μένου. εʹ. Μή μοι εἴη δικαίους ὑμᾶς ἀποφῆναι 375 ἕως ἂν ἀποθάνω, οὐ γὰρ ἀπαλλάξω ἀκακίαν μου. Τουτέστιν, οὐ κατηγορήσω ἐμαυτοῦ, οὐδὲ μεταθήσομαι, κἂν μυρία λέγητε· οὐ προή σομαι τῆς ψήφου, εἰ καὶ δοκεῖτε παῦσαι τὸν κατ' ἐμοῦ ἔλεγχον. Κἂν συγκαταθῶμαι εἰς ἃ λέγετε, ὅτε νενοήκατε διὰ τί ταῦτα πέ πονθα, δικαίους ὑμᾶς ἀπεφηναίην. Οὐκ ἀπώ σομαι τὴν ἀκακίαν μου, ἕτερα νοῶν περὶ ὑμῶν, καὶ ἕτερα λέγων. ιʹ. Ἢ ἐπελθούσης αὐτῷ ἀνάγκης, μὴ ἔχει τινὰ παῤῥησίαν ἔναντι αὐτοῦ; Ὃ λέγει τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Ὅτι, φησὶν, ὁ ἀδικῶν οὐκ ἔχει παῤῥησίαν, οὐδὲ φθέγξασθαι, οὐδὲ εἰπεῖν ταῦτα ἅπερ ἐγὼ νῦν, ἀλλ' ἀφῄ ρηται καὶ ἐπεστόμισται· ἐγὼ δὲ τοῦτο οὐκ ἔπαθον, ἀλλὰ λέγω καὶ ἀντιλέγω. Οἱ δὲ ἄδικοι οὐχ οὕτως. Κεφ. ΚΗʹ, αʹ. Ἔστι γὰρ ἀργυρίῳ τόπος κτλ. Τοῦτό φησιν, ὅτι ὁ ἐν τοῖς τυχοῦσιν τά ξιν ὁρίσας, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρω πίνοις. βʹ, γʹ. Σίδηρος μὲν γὰρ ἐκ γῆς γίνεται, χαλκὸς δὲ ἶσα λίθῳ λατομεῖται. Τάξιν ἔθετο σκότει, καὶ πᾶν πέρας αὐτὸς ἐξακριβάζεται. Ὅτι προνοεῖ καὶ μέλει τῶν πραγμάτων αὐτῷ, καὶ οὐδὲν ἁπλῶς, οὐδ' εἰκῆ παρέρχε ται. Ἢ μᾶλλον ἐκεῖνό φησιν, ὅτι τὰ μὲν ἄλλα δῆλά ἐστιν, ἡ δὲ οἰκονομία τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀτέκ μαρτος καὶ ἄγνωστος. Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· Καλῶς εἶπε· Τάξιν ἔθετο σκότει, δεικνὺς ὅτι οἶδε παραχωρεῖν καὶ ὑπερεξίστασθαι. Τίς ἀπελαύνει τὸ ζόφον 376 ἐκεῖνον; πόθεν εὐταξία τοσαύτη ἐν πράγματι τοιούτῳ; εἶτα τὴν δύναμιν, εἶτα τὴν σοφίαν αὐτοῦ διηγεῖται, πείθων μὴ θέλειν ἀπαιτεῖν αὐτὸν εὐθύνας. Κεφ. ΚΘʹ, γʹ. Ὡς ὅτε ηὔγει ὁ λύχνος αὐτοῦ ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς μου, ὅτε τῷ φωτὶ αὐτοῦ ἐπορευόμην ἐν σκότει. Ὅτι γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο ἐζήτει τὴν προτέραν εὐπραγίαν, ἵνα δειχθῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ πρόνοια, δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ λέγειν· Ὅτε ὁ Θεὸς ἐφύλατ τέ με. δʹ. Ὅτε ὁ Θεὸς ἐπισκοπὴν ἐποιεῖτο τοῦ οἴκου μου. Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος· Ὁπότε περιέφρασσεν ὁ Θεὸς τὴν σκηνήν μου. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι τοῦτο ἐπεθύμει, τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν καὶ τὴν πρόνοιαν δεῖ ξαι τοῦ Θεοῦ. Νέος διότε εἶχον ἐγὼ, δίκαιος ὢν, φησὶν, τὴν χρήσιμον ἐμοὶ ὕλην πεποίηκα ἀρετήν· πᾶσι γὰρ καλῶς ἐχρώμην. ζʹ. Ὅτε ἐξεπορευόμην ὄρθριος ἐν πόλει, ἐν δὲ πλατείαις ἐτίθετό μου ὁ δίφρος. Οἷα γάρ τις ἄρχων καὶ διδάσκαλος ἀρε τῆς, οὐχ ὕπνῳ καὶ μέθαις ἐσχόλαζεν, ἀλλ' ἐξ ἀγάπης ἑωθινὸς ἐν ταῖς πλατείαις καθῆστο, νόμος καὶ τύπος τοῖς ἐν τῇ πόλει γινόμενος. ιγʹ. Εὐλογία ἀπολλυμένου ἐπ' ἐμὲ ἔλθοι. Σευήρου, ἐκ τῆς πρὸς Ἰουλιανὴν διάκο νον ἐπιστολῆς. Ὁ Κύριος ἐν εὐαγγελίοις φησὶν, περὶ τῶν τῷ κόσμῳ νεκρούντων ἑαυτοὺς,
How God hides his face and the dragon is led§6
6Whether they surrender the body to reach the stage of martyrdom, or endure the pains of asceticism—believing that by doing so they are perishing and dying through the loss of life's pleasures—the truth remains: He who loses his soul for my sake will find it. For one who thus perishes, according to the light of the Savior, and in doing so finds his soul, what a great blessing and prayer it is! Any of those who rejoice would wish to offer this to him, saying mindfully: 'Blessing...' quote I was an eye to the blind and a guide. Regarding the intellect, he opened blind minds; he benefited those perfected in soul and became an eye to them. To those who have fallen, he granted feet—the very foundations of the soul—and through his word, he became a guide who leads others. Thus, the eye pertains to noetic guidance, while the guide pertains to ethical guidance. quote I was a father to the helpless. In these words, the character of one who aids the helpless and the weak is made clear. quote I traced out a justice I did not previously know. Observe his protection: it extends not merely to usefulness, nor even to food and clothing, but even to the dangers of foreign warfare. quote I crushed the mills of the unrighteous. Consider the difficulty of the task; he says that he corrected the matter even when it had already been foreseen. Truly, when Christ came, he crushed the mills of opposing forces. The Lord crushed the mills of the lions, as it is written in the prophet: quote 'For he wounds, but he also binds up; he has torn, but his hands will heal.' quote And I said, 'My age has grown old, like a phoenix stem.' Observe how much time has passed before he says these things; he does not speak out of pride or a sense of greatness, but is compelled to speak of God's providence, explaining why he departed from it and what his current state is. quote Now even the least have mocked me; they admonish me in ways that render their own fathers powerless. He does not yield to this powerlessness, but understands them clearly, just as the prophet said: 'Every adulterer is made powerless before him,' for he held such people in no esteem. quote And even the strength of their hands—why should it be against me? Their destruction has perished. In trial and hunger, they are without offspring; those who fled from dryness yesterday now face distress and hardship. (Olympiodorus, Origen). Yet he says he did not ask them for any help, so that they might not use such words against him; for those of old, being wicked, were indebted to justice and somehow escaped their punishment. Or perhaps, desiring death because of extreme poverty, they did not succeed, and their lack of means did not make them wise enough to pursue the good; instead, they remained uncultivated—those enemies who, only a short while ago, had fled from the desert and from misfortunes. It seems to slander them as low-born, coming from dishonorable villages and poor fathers, that their benefit has perished. Instead, they never did anything useful. quote They are like those surrounding a feeding place upon an echoing place, where the feeding was their grain. A 'feeding' is a certain herb, as they say, that quickly satisfies the eater. An 'echoing place' refers to a gorge or rocky terrain, for such places are pleasant and produce echoes when one speaks. Or perhaps he means a leafy place where the wind moving through the wood produces an echo. He is saying, therefore, that they surround the woods, the gorges, and the places where flowing waters resound, searching out herbs and the roots of trees for food as a consolation during extreme hunger. They are dishonorable and despised, lacking in every good. It is another evil to be such even in poverty. quote For if indeed I were able to heal myself—note that he does not say 'if I were able' because of weakness, but because he is forbidden. quote I have stood in a church and cried out. Because of the excess of terrible things, even a crowd in the assembly is not ashamed. quote I have become a brother to sirens and a companion to sparrows. He says he fell into the ferocity of birds, not knowing how to live better than them. quote For I stand in a just yoke, but the Lord knows my wickedness if my foot strays from the way. Woe to the precision! No one is forced to starve after having used wealth and good things for laziness and dissipation; such is a kind of justice. I have fallen, and God has thrown a medicine appropriate to me. For the one who, having attended to the lover of laughter, trifles, and luxury, appropriately opposes the opposite...
Greek · §6
ἢ πρὸς τὸ τοῦ μαρτυρίου στάδιον τὸ σῶμα ἐκδιδόν των, ἢ πρὸς τοὺς τῆς ἀσκήσεως πόνους, καὶ ταύτῃ δοκούντων ἑαυτοὺς ἀπολλύναι καὶ ἀποκτεῖναι τῷ στερίσκεσθαι τῆς βιωτικῆς ἀπολαύσεως· Ὁ ἀπολέσας τὴν ψυχὴν αὑτοῦ ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ, εὑρήσει αὐτήν. Τοῦ οὖν οὕτως ἀπολλυμένου, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος φω 377 νὴν, καὶ εὑρίσκοντος τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ, ἡ εὐχὴ καὶ ἡ εὐλογία μεγάλη τίς ἐστιν, καὶ ταύτην εὔξαιτο ἄν τις τῶν εὐφρονούντων ἐπελθεῖν αὑτῷ, καὶ ἐμφρόνως ἐρεῖ τό· Εὐ λογία κτλ. ιεʹ· Ὀφθαλμὸς ἤμην τυφλῶν, ποὺς δὲ χω λῶν. Πρὸς δὲ νοῦν, τυφλὰς διανοίας διήνοιγε, καὶ ὠφείλει τοὺς πεπηρωμένους τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ αὐτὸς αὐτῶν ἐγίνετο ὀφθαλμός· πόδας δὲ ἐχαρίζετο τοῖς κεχωλευμένοις τὰς βάσεις τῆς ψυχῆς, καὶ τῷ λόγῳ ἐγίνετο αὐτῶν ποὺς, καὶ ἐχειραγώγει ἑκατέρους· εἴληπται δὲ ὁ μὲν ὀφθαλμὸς ἐπὶ τῆς νοητικῆς ὁδηγίας· ὁ δὲ ποὺς ἐπὶ τῆς ἐθικῆς. ι ʹ. Ἐγὼ ἤμην πάτερ ἀδυνάτων. Ἐν τούτοις φωναὶ δηλοῦνται τοῦ ὠφε λοῦντος τοὺς ἀδυνάτους, τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς. ι ʹ. ∆ίκην δὲ ἣν οὐκ ᾔδειν, ἐξιχνίασα. Ὁρᾶς τὴν προστασίαν· οὐ μέχρι χρημά των, οὐδὲ μέχρι τροφῆς καὶ ἐνδυμάτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ μέχρι κινδύνων ἀλλοτρίας προϊστάμην μάχης. ιζʹ. Συνέτριψα δὲ μύλας ἀδίκων. Ὅρα τὴν δυσχολίαν τοῦ πράγματος· καθὰ πόθεν, φησὶν, ἤδη καὶ προληφθὲν τὸ πρᾶγμα ἀνώρθωσα. Ἀληθῶς ὁ Χριστὸς ἐλθὼν, τὰς μύ λας τῶν ἀντικειμένων ἐνεργειῶν συνέθλασε· τὰς μύλας τῶν λεόντων συνέτριψεν ὁ Κύ ριος, καὶ ἐν τῷ προφήτῃ γέγραπται· Ἐκ μέ σου ὀδόντων αὐτῶν ἅρπαγμα ἐξήρπασα. ιηʹ. Εἶπα δέ· Ἡ ἡλικία μου γηράσει, ὥσ περ στέλεχος φοίνικος. Ὅρα δὲ μετὰ πόσον χρόνον ταῦτα λέγει, οὐχὶ καυχώμενος, οὐδὲ μεγαλοφρονῶν, ἀλλ' ἀναγκαζόμενος εἰπεῖν τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν πρό νοιαν, καὶ ἐπὶ τίσιν ἀπέλαυεν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐν τίσιν ἐστὶ νῦν. Κεφ. Λʹ, αʹ. Νυνὶ δὲ κατεγέλασάν μου 378 ἐλάχιστοι· νῦν νουθετοῦσί με ἐν μέρει, ὧν ἐξουδένουν τοὺς πατέρας αὐτῶν. Οὐ χρώμενος τῇ ἐξουδενώσει, ἀλλὰ σαφῶς εἰδὼς αὐτοὺς, ὥσπερ ὁ προφήτης ἔλεγεν· Ἐξουδενοῦται ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ πᾶς πονηρευό μενος· τοὺς γὰρ τοιούτους οὐδὲν ἡγεῖτο. βʹ, γʹ. Καί γε ἰσχὺς χειρῶν αὐτῶν, ἱνατί μοι; ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἀπώλετο συντέλεια. Ἐν ἐν δείᾳ καὶ λιμῷ ἄγονος, οἱ φεύγοντες ἄνυδρον ἐχθὲς συνοχὴν καὶ ταλαιπωρίαν. Ὀλυμπιοδώρου, Ὠριγένους. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ᾔτησά τινα ἐπικουρίαν, φησὶ, παρ' αὐτῶν, ἵνα διὰ τοῦτο τοιούτοις πρὸς ἐμὲ χρήσωνται ῥήμασιν· οἵ γε πάλαι δίκην ἐχρεώστουν, πο νηροὶ ὄντες, καὶ τρόπον τινὰ ἀπέπτη ἀπ' αὐ τῶν ἡ τιμωρία. Ἢ ὅτι θανάτου ἐπιθυμοῦντες διὰ τὴν ἄκραν πενίαν, οὐκ ἔτυχον, καὶ οὐδὲ ὑπὸ τῆς ἐνδείας ἐσωφρονίσθησαν γεννηταὶ γενέσθαι τοῦ καλοῦ, ἀλλ' ἔμειναν ἄγονοι, οἱ ἐχθές που καὶ πρὸ ὀλίγου, τῆς ἐρήμου καὶ τῶν συμφορῶν ἐκπεφευγότες· ἔοικεν δὲ ὡς ἀγεννεῖς αὐτοὺς διαβάλλειν, καὶ ἐξ ἀδόξων ὄντας χωρίων καὶ πατέρων πενήτων. Ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἀπώλετο συντέλεια. Ἀντὶ τοῦ, οὐδέποτέ τι χρηστὸν συνετέ λεσαν. δʹ. Οἱ περικυκλοῦντες ἄλιμα ἐπὶ ἠχοῦντι, οἵτινες ἄλιμα ἦν αὐτῶν τὰ σῖτα. Ἄλιμα βοτάνη τις ἐστὶν, ὥς φασι, ταχὺ πληροῦσα τὸν ἐσθίοντα. –Ἐπὶ ἠχοῦντι δὲ, τουτέστιν ἐπὶ φάραγξι καὶ πετρώδεσιν· εὔη χοι γὰρ οἱ τοιοῦτοι τόποι, καὶ ἀντηχοῦσι τοῖς φθεγγομένοις. Ἢ καὶ ἠχοῦντα λέγει τὸν ἀλσώδη τόπον ἐν ᾧπερ ἡ πνοὴ τῶν ἀνέμων, κινοῦσα τὴν ὕλην, ἦχον ἀποτελεῖ. Φησὶν οὖν ὅτι περιενόστουν οὗτοι τὰς ὕλας καὶ τὰς φάραγγας καὶ τοὺς τόπους παρ' οὓς ὕδατα ῥέοντα ἠχεῖ τε καὶ κελαρύζει, ὑπὸ τῆς ἄγαν ἐνδείας, τὰς βοτάνας ἀνερευνώ μενοι, καὶ τὰς ῥίζας τῶν ξύλων περιξέοντες εἰς τροφὴν [λιμοῦ] παραμυθίαν. 379 δʹ. Ἄτιμοι δὲ καὶ πεφαυλισμένοι, ἐνδεεῖς παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ. Ἑτέρα πονηρία, τὸ καὶ ἐν πενίᾳ τοιού τους εἶναι. κδʹ. Εἰ γὰρ ὄφελον δυναίμην ἐμαυτὸν χει ρώσασθαι. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι τὸ εἰ δυναίμην, οὐ διὰ ἀσθέ νειαν λέγει, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ κεκωλῦσθαι. κηʹ. Ἕστηκα δὲ ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ κεκραγώς. ∆ιὰ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῶν δεινῶν, οὐδὲ πλῆ θος συνόδου αἰσχυνόμενος. κθʹ. Ἀδελφὸς γέγονα Σειρήνων, ἑταῖρος δὲ στρουθῶν. Εἰς τὴν ὀρνίθων θηριωδίαν ἐξέπεσα, φη σίν· ἠγνόησα τὴν φύσιν τὴν οἰκείαν, οὐδὲν ἐκείνων ἀμείνων διάκειμαι. Κεφ. ΛΑʹ, ʹ, ζʹ. Ἕσταμαι γὰρ ἐν ζυγῷ δικαίῳ, οἶδε δὲ ὁ Κύριος τὴν ἀκακίαν μου, εἰ ἐξέκλινεν ὁ ποῦς μου ἐκ τῆς ὁδοῦ ... Βαβαὶ τῆς ἀκριβείας! οὐκ ἔχοι τις εἰ πεῖν, ὅτι τῷ πλούτῳ καὶ τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν εἰς ῥᾳθυμίαν καὶ διάχυσιν ἀπο χρησάμενος τοιαύτην τίνω δίκην, καὶ με ταβέβλημαι, τοῦ Θεοῦ κατάλληλόν μοι φάρ μακον ἐπιθέντος. Τὸν μὲν γὰρ φιλόγελω καὶ φιλοπταίσμονα καὶ τρυφῇ προσεσχηκότα, εἰκότως ἀντιθεὶς, τὴν ἐναντίαν
Lament, justice, and the measure of affliction§7
7He will be placed in ruin, handed over to mourning and many-lamenting in life; yet he, fleeing from crowds and pursuing men who play and make merry, what kind of words would he fall into, a life of shame and darkness? Since I had been exhausted and broken, I did not descend into the evils of that life. 380 la. Even if my sorrowful women often said: Who would satisfy us with his flesh, so very useful to me? Instead of enjoying his life, for I was sweet to them. lb. A stranger was not turned away outside, and my door was open to all who came. For he did not merely receive them by hosting, but also provided for the poverty that followed. Ch. 24, 1. And Job ceased speaking. Job was silent, giving them words to speak; yet he looked up and called God as witness, declaring that his friends had ceased to accuse. 14. For I will speak, while you listen, until you are wearied by words, and until I understand you. Perhaps he means that even when you should have rebuked, as was right, you did not rebuke; or that later you fell silent. Thus: For I will speak, while you listen. Ch. 25, 12. How can you say: I am righteous, and he did not listen to me? What then happened? Did he not think this: Elihu indeed took this, but Job did not say with such an opinion, that this one is more righteous than God; but that these things happened to him, and he did not accuse God of injustice. And Elihu took this; but he rightly accused those who gave to God a portion and denied Him. 381 k. I will speak, to rest by opening my lips. The one who is a thoughtful listener, full of words, speaks and rests, as if emptying and casting off his abundance, saying: I will speak to rest. Ch. 26, 18. He who is not ashamed before an honorable person, nor knows how to grant honor to the simple. For even if you do not know, you must yield much to him and his glory, so as not to seek all things, but to learn. 23. That he will no longer set against a man. It seems he says this: now the good and the bad lie within us, but in the coming age, not anymore. 10. That toward the strong the one says: If I take, I will not hold back, without myself I will see; show me. Some interpreted this as: no one dares to say to the stronger that you unjustly took my things, not for reproach, but against my will; show that you acted rightly. If no one dares speak to the powerful, how dare you speak against God? And the Ally explained: we undertook an oath toward God, not outside release, clarify for me. And he understood: because we undertook the oath concerning God, Elius says, I do not hold back, but proceed freely. If I speak wrongly, clarify, instead of examining the word. –I think this is how the text is meant: not because I chose to speak concerning God, but you must agree simply, as I demand; without myself I will see, show me, instead of: apart from my words I want to know if you can oppose, so you may say I offer peace and grasp the word if you can. Ch. 45, 5. Look up to heaven. No lover of the world looks up to heaven; let us not love the world or its things. If we love these, we do not look to heaven. If you sinned, what will you do? That is, you will not wrong him, nor benefit, being righteous; for indeed... If I sinned, what can I do? what will I do, he says; this to say: For what reason? does one care about his sinning if not wronged? not as a harm endured? X. The one appointing nocturnal guards. Do you wish to see how God appoints nocturnal guards? The whole age is night, darkness. The light is kept for you; what you see now as light, you see through a mirror. And: In your light we shall see light; we intend to see it. Is not the age all night? since it is night, enemies abound, many beasts roam. Since night is the time of life's darkness, guards must be appointed for this night, so the guards, those over the nights, may guard those in night and come to guard us from robbers. Who then are the guards, appointed by God in these nocturnal watches? The Lord's angel interposes around those who fear Him, and rescues them; these are the angels who in night...
Greek · §7
καταστή σειεν ἕξιν, γοερῷ τινι καὶ πολυθρηνώδει παραδοὺς αὐτὸν βίῳ· τὸν δὲ καὶ πρὸ τού των φεύγοντα μὲν κώμους, διώκοντα δὲ ἀν θρώπους παίζοντας καὶ γελωτοποιοῦντας, ποῖον ἂν ἔχοι λόγον ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς σκύθρωπον καὶ κατηφῆ βίον; ἐπειδὴ κατεσκληκὼς ἤμην καὶ κατεστυμμένος, οὐκ ἐπὶ τὰς διαφορού σας ἐκείνῳ τῷ βίῳ κακίας κατέπεσα. 380 λαʹ. Εἰ δὲ καὶ πολλάκις εἶπον αἱ θερά παιναί μου· Τίς ἂν δῴη ἡμῖν τῶν σαρκῶν αὐτοῦ πλησθῆναι, λίαν μου χρηστοῦ ὄντος; Ἀντὶ τῆς ζωῆς αὐτοῦ ἀπολαῦσαι, ὅτι ἤμην αὐταῖς γλυκύς. λβʹ. Ἔξω δὲ οὐκ ηὐλίζετο ξένος, ἡ δὲ θύρα μου παντὶ ἐλθόντι ἠνέῳκτο. Οὐ γὰρ ἐθεράπευεν αὐτοὺς ὑποδεχόμενος μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐφόδια τῆς μετὰ ταῦτα πενίας παρεῖχεν. Κεφ. ΛΒʹ, αʹ. Καὶ ἐπαύσατο Ἰὼβ ῥήμα σιν. Ἡσύχασεν μὲν ὁ Ἰὼβ, διδοὺς αὐτοῖς λό γον εἰπεῖν· ἐνεῖδε δὲ, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἐκάλεσε μάρτυρα, καὶ ἑαυτῷ ἐπηράσατο ὅτι ἐπεστο μίσθησαν οἱ φίλοι. ιαʹ. Ἐρῶ γὰρ, ὑμῶν ἀκουόντων, ἄχρις οὗ ἐτάσητε λόγους, καὶ μέχρι ὑμῶν συνήσω. Ἢ τοῦτό φησιν, ὅτι οὐδὲ ὅτε ἠλέγχετε, ὡς ἔδει, ἠλέγξατε· ἢ ὅτι ὕστερον ἐσιωπή σατε. Οὕτω πρὸς τό· Ἐρῶ γὰρ, ὑμῶν ἀκου όντων. Κεφ. ΛΓʹ, ιβʹ. Πῶς γὰρ λέγεις· ∆ίκαιός εἰμι, καὶ οὐκ ἐπακήκοέ μου; Τί οὖν ἐγένετο; οὐχὶ τοῦτο ἐνόμιζεν· τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ ὑπελάμβανεν ὁ Ἐλιοὺς, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ τοιαύτῃ γνώμῃ ὁ Ἰὼβ εἶπεν, ὅτι οὗτος δικαιότερός ἐστι τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἀλλ' ὅτι ταῦτα μὲν αὐτῷ πέπρακται, οὐ μὴν ἀδικίαν ἐνεκά λει τῷ Θεῷ. Ὁ δὲ Ἐλιοὺς τοῦτο ὑπέλαβεν· ἐκείνοις δὲ δικαίως ἐνεκάλει, προσδεδωκόσι τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ μέρος καὶ ἠρνημένοις. 381 κʹ. Λαλήσω, ἵνα ἀναπαύσωμαι ἀνοίξας τὰ χείλη. Ὁ τυγχάνων συνετοῦ ἀκροατοῦ, καὶ ὢν πλήρης λόγων, λαλῶν ἀναπαύεται, τὴν πε ριττότητα οἷον κενώσας καὶ ἀποβάλλων, καὶ λέγει· Λαλήσω ἵνα ἀναπαύσωμαι. Κεφ. Λ∆ʹ, ιθʹ. Ὃς οὐκ ἐπαισχυνθῇ πρόσω πον ἐντίμου, οὐδὲ οἶδε τιμὴν θέσθαι ἁδροῖς. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μὴ οἶδας, ἀλλ' ὀφείλεις πολλὰ παραχωρεῖν αὐτῷ, καὶ τῇ δόξῃ αὐτοῦ, ὥστε μὴ πάντα ζητεῖν μανθάνειν. κγʹ. Ὅτι οὐκ ἐπ' ἄνδρα θήσει ἔτι. Ἔοικε τοῦτο λέγειν, ὅτι νῦν μὲν ἐν ἡμῖν κεῖται τὸ καλὸν καὶ τὸ φαῦλον, ἐν δὲ τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι οὐκ ἔτι. λαʹ. Ὅτι πρὸς τὸν ἰσχυρὸν ὁ λέγων· Εἴ ληφα, οὐκ ἐνεχυράσω, ἄνευ ἐμαυτοῦ ὄψομαι· σὺ δεῖξόν μοι. Τινὲς οὕτως ἡρμήνευσαν· ὅτι μὴ τολμᾷ τις εἰπεῖν τῷ ἰσχυρωτέρῳ, ὅτι ἀδίκως εἴ ληφας τὰ ἐμὰ, οὐκ ἐνεχύρου χάριν, ὡς ὑπο φειλόμενα, καὶ παρὰ γνώμην ἐμὴν εἴληφας· ἐπίδειξον ὅτι εὐλόγως τοῦτο δέδρακας. Εἰ δὲ τῷ δυνατῷ ταῦτα οὐδεὶς εἰπεῖν τολμᾷ, πῶς σὺ, φησὶ, τοιαῦτα θρασύνῃ κατὰ Θεόν; Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος οὕτως ἐκδέδωκεν, ὅτι πρὸς Θεὸν ῥῆσιν ἀνέλαβον, οὐχ ἕξω ἀκω 382 λύτως, σὺ διασάφησόν μοι. Ὁ δὲ ἐνόησεν οὕτως, τουτέστιν· ἐπειδὴ τὴν ὑπὲρ Θεοῦ ῥῆσιν ἀνέλαβον, φησὶν Ἐλιοὺς, οὐκ ἐπέχω, ἀλλ' ἀκωλύτως ἐπεξέρχομαι τῷ λόγῳ. Εἰ δὲ μὴ καλῶς λέγω, σὺ διασάφησον, ἀντὶ τοῦ, ἔλεγξον τὸν λόγον. –Οἶμαι δὲ μᾶλ λον οὕτω νοεῖσθαι τὸ κείμενον, ὅτι οὐκ ἐπειδὴ τὸ ὑπὲρ Θεοῦ λέγειν εἱλόμην, παρὰ τοῦτο δεῖ σε καὶ συνομολογεῖν ἁπλῶς, οἷα δὴ χρέος ἀπαιτῶ· ἄνευ δὲ ἐμαυτοῦ ὄψομαι, σὺ δεῖξόν μοι, ἀντὶ τοῦ· χωρὶς τοῦ ἐμοῦ λόγου εἰδέναι θέλω, εἴ τι καὶ ἀντειπεῖν ἔχοις· ἵνα εἴπῃς ὅτι ἡσυχίαν παρέχομαι, καὶ ἐπιλαμβάνου τὸν λόγον, εἰ δύνασαι. Κεφ. ΛΕʹ, εʹ. Ἀνάβλεψον εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν. Οὐδεὶς φιλόκοσμος ἀναβλέπει εἰς τὸν οὐ ρανόν· μὴ ἀγαπῶμεν τὸν κόσμον, μηδὲ τὰ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ. Εἰ τὰ ἐνθένδε ἀγαπῶμεν, οὐκ ἀναβλέπομεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν. ʹ. Εἰ ἥμαρτες, τί πράξεις; Τουτέστιν οὐδὲ αὐτὸν ἀδικήσεις, ἀλλ' οὐ δὲ ὠφελήσεις, δίκαιος ὤν· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔλε γεν· Εἰ ἥμαρτον, τί δύναμαι πρᾶξαι; τί ποιήσω, φησίν; τοῦτο ἵνα εἴπῃ· ∆ιὰ τί; μὴ γὰρ ἀδικούμενος φροντίζει σου ἁμαρτάνον τος; μὴ γὰρ ὡς βλάβην ὑπομένων; ιʹ. Ὁ κατατάσσων φυλακὰς νυκτερινάς. Θέλεις ἰδεῖν πῶς κατατάσσει φυλακὰς νυκτερινὰς ὁ Θεός; ὅλος ὁ αἰὼν οὗτος νύξ ἐστι, σκότος ἐστί. Τὸ φῶς τηρεῖταί σοι· ὃ βλέπεις νῦν φῶς, δι' ἔσοπτρον βλέπεις. Καί· Ἐν τῷ φωτί σου ὀψόμεθα φῶς· μέλλομεν ποτὲ βλέπειν αὐτό. Οὐκοῦν νύξ ἐστι πᾶς ὁ αἰών; ἐπεὶ νύξ ἐστι, πολέμιοι πολλοὶ, πολλὰ θηρία περιέρχονται. Ἐπεὶ οὖν νύξ ἐστὶ τὰ ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ τοῦ βίου πράγματα, χρεία ἐστι φυ λάκων τεταγμένων εἰς τὴν νύκτα ταύτην, 383 ἵνα οἱ φύλακες, οἱ ἐπὶ τῶν νυκτῶν, φρουρῶσι τοὺς ἐν νυκτὶ, καὶ ἔλθωσι καὶ φυλάξωσιν ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τῶν λῃστῶν. Τίνες οὖν οἱ φύλα κες, οἱ τεταγμένοι παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν ταῖς φυλακαῖς ταῖς νυκτεριναῖς; Παρεμβαλεῖ ἄγ γελος Κυρίου κύκλῳ τῶν φοβουμένων αὐτὸν, καὶ ῥύσεται αὐτούς· οὗτοι οἱ ἄγγελοι οἳ ἐν νυκτὶ
Foundations, measure, and the end of the wicked§8
8They stand as our guardians. (Ch. 40, 5) If you have any knowledge, tell me: who established the earth's dimensions? Or who applied the measuring rod to it? Some have attempted to offer a secular explanation regarding the earth's scale, claiming its diameter spans twenty-five myriads of stadia. Yet the Word reveals that the earth's true measure remains beyond all human comprehension; only the Savior, who is also the Creator, possesses this knowledge. He spoke of 'measures' in the plural rather than a single 'measure' to illustrate the diverse variations found across the earth. Tell me, what could be the measure of that which carries the fragrances of the East? What is the measure of that which carries the spices or the living creatures? Since not all things are found in every place, these dimensions are determined by the Word of God. The earth has not simply reached this size by chance or through random occurrence. It seems to me that even if accidental elements were included, they would be out of place; conversely, if they were removed, the entire structure would be ruined according to the divine logic. The mention of measures and the rod alludes to this.
Who is it that has laid the cornerstone upon the earth? Who has set this cornerstone so that the world stands so firmly, as if built upon a secure and established foundation? It is by the counsel of God, for all the boundaries of the earth are held in His hand. This cornerstone can be understood as a reference to the Only-begotten Son of God, who became flesh through us, as the Psalms declare: quoteHaving descended to earth through the Father's favor, He united the two peoples—both Jew and Gentile—just as a cornerstone binds two walls together. (14) I said to her, 'It shall flow up to this point and will not overflow.' The Ally replied, 'Let the limit of your waves be so commanded.' For the water is held securely as if by iron bars, yet it moves with ease as if following a set order. I argued, and it cannot be disputed, that this occurs without any external force pushing it, even while it is being lashed by great power and strength. He did not allow the waters to be calm or tranquil so that they might proclaim God's power, struggling against the laws of nature by His command and conquering all through His decree. Had the water been peaceful, many would have attributed its order to the natural properties of water; but now, being tossed, scourged, and driven inward, yet unable to breach its boundaries, it proclaims the might of God through its very turbulence. (Ch. 28, 27) What provided food for the raven? It is said that they do not nurture their young, yet the adults, being large, do provide sustenance in their own way. But who truly nourishes the offspring? Is it not the Word of God? As the Gospel states: quote(Ch. 28, 27) By whose command is the eagle lifted high? And how does the vulture, having settled upon a carcass, cry out from a high rock in secret?...If there is any rational wisdom in carnivores, it is found in the natural knowledge present in each, directed toward the knowledge of the one I call the dead, even as one carries a vulture. (Ch. 24) Why am I still being judged, being admonished and rebuked by the Lord while I am nothing? Why does he ask why he is being judged for his future? From the beginning, he withdrew from primary things. He says he is defeated by you in matters of justice; why do you advance your judgment so boldly? For what answer is possible? How can one face such a master? He says he was continuing to seek the cause of the plague that befell him, but he summoned no one regarding the creation, and he has nothing to say in response to what has been spoken. —He departs, as if not even rebuking the Lord, being admonished, the wretched man. (Ch. 4, 4) To live as a man by your strength—I will ask you, and you shall answer me. For those who hold rights and do not flee from adversaries, victory comes through their possession. He then defends himself, claiming that men do not concern him; it is clear from that context why this temptation came upon you. I grant you boldness: I will ask, and you shall answer. (Ch. 3) He believes I have used you for any purpose other than to demonstrate your justice. He says the present matter is for profit; he claims he does not speak to condemn, but to prove him just. Or, regarding the temptation, he calls forgiveness a profit, suggesting he was commanded to do this so that he might become something else; he did not say it was so he might change, but so that you might reveal what you truly are and instruct others. See then: he did not say he might become just (for which justice is required...)
Greek · §8
φρουροῦσιν ἡμᾶς. Κεφ. ΛΗʹ, εʹ. Τίς ἔθετο τὰ μέτρα αὐτῆς, εἰ οἶδας; ἢ τίς ὁ ἐπαγαγὼν σπαρτίον ἐπ' αὐ τῆς; Ἠθέλησαν μὲν εἰπεῖν ἕλληνές τι περὶ τοῦ μέτρου τῆς γῆς· ἡ διάμετρος τῆς γῆς, φασὶν, εἰκόσι πέντε μυριάδων στάδια. Ἔοικε δ' ὁ λόγος δεικνύναι, ὅτι ἄληπτόν ἐστι τὸ μέτρον τῆς γῆς παντί· μόνος δὲ ὁ Σωτὴρ οἶδεν αὐτὸ, ὁ καὶ δημιουργός. Μέτρα δὲ, καὶ οὐ μέτρον εἶπεν, ἵνα τὰς διαφορὰς τῆς γῆς πα ραστήσῃ. Μέτρον τί ἐστι τῆς τοιᾶσδε, φέρε εἰπεῖν, τῆς φερούσης τὰ ἀρώματα Ἀνατο λῆς; μέτρον τῆς φερούσης τὸ πέπερ ἢ τὰ ζῶα; οὐ γὰρ πάντα πανταχοῦ γίνεται· ταῦτα οὖν τὰ μέτρα παρὰ τῷ Λόγῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰσιν. – Αρα οὐχ ἁπλῶς τοσαύτη γεγένηται ἡ γῆ, οὐδὲ ὡς ἔτυχεν, ἀλλ' ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ, εἰ καὶ τὸ τυχὸν προσετέθη, ἄκαιρον εἶναι, καὶ εἴ περ ἀφῃρήθη, ὁμοίῳ τῷ λόγῳ πᾶσαν αὐτὴν λυμήνασθαι· καὶ τοῦτο αἰνίττεται τὰ μέτρα καὶ τὸ σπαρτίον. ʹ. Τίς δέ ἐστιν ὁ βαλὼν λίθον γωνιαῖον ἐπ' αὐτῆς; Τίς δέ ἐστιν ὁ βαλὼν λίθον γωνιαῖον ἐπ' αὐτῆς, ὅτι οὕτως ἕστηκεν ἑδραία, ὡσ περεὶ ἐπῳκοδόμησεν ἐπ' ἀσφαλείᾳ βεβηκυίᾳ θεμελιώσεως; τῇ βουλήσει τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐν τῇ γὰρ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ πάντα τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς. –Λίθον γωνιαῖον· τοῦτο δύναται καὶ εἰς τὸν Μονογενῆ τοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱὸν, δι' ἡμᾶς σαρκω 384 θέντα, νοεῖσθαι· κατὰ τὸ ἐν ψαλμοῖς· Λίθον, ὃν ἀπεδοκίμασαν, ἐγενήθη εἰς κεφαλὴν γω νίας. Εὐδοκίᾳ γὰρ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐλθὼν ἐπὶ γῆς, συνῆψεν ἐν ἑαυτῷ τοὺς δύο λαοὺς, τῶν Ἰου δαίων τε καὶ ἐθνῶν, ὥσπερ ἀμέλει καὶ ὁ γωνιαῖος λίθος ἀμφοτέρους συνδεῖ τοὺς τεί χους. ιαʹ. Εἶπα δὲ αὐτῇ· Μέχρι τούτου ἐλεύσῃ, καὶ οὐχ ὑπερβήσῃ. Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος· Ἕως ὧδε τετάχθω τὸ ἔπαρμα τῶν κυμάτων σου. Οὕτω μὲν γὰρ ἀσ φαλῶς κατέχει αὐτὴν ὡσανεὶ κλείθροις· οὕτω δὲ εὐκόλως, ὡσανεὶ ἐπὶ τάξει. Εἶπα γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀντειπεῖν, ὅταν, μηδε μίας ἀνάγκης ὠθούσης, τοῦτο γίνηται· ἅμα καίτοι πολλῆς τῆς βίας καὶ τῆς ῥώμης αὐ τὴν μαστιζούσης· διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο οὐκ ἀφῆκεν αὐτὴν εἶναι γαληνιαίαν, οὐδὲ ἥμερον, ἵνα κηρύττῃ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ἰσχὺν, τῆς φύσεως τῷ προστάγματι μαχομένης, καὶ τοῦ προσ τάγματος πανταχοῦ νικῶντος. Εἰ γὰρ ἥμε ρον ἦν τὸ ὕδωρ, τῇ φύσει τοῦ ὕδατος τὴν εὐταξίαν ἂν ἐλογίσαντο πολλοί· νῦν δὲ τα ραττομένη, μαστιγουμένη, ὠθουμένη ἔνδον, καὶ τὰ ὅρια ὑπερβῆναι μὴ δυναμένη, διὰ τῆς ταραχῆς κηρύττει τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ἰσχύν. μαʹ. Τίς δὲ ἡτοίμασε κόρακι βοράν; Λέγεται γὰρ μὴ ἐκτρέφειν τὰ ἔκγονα· ἀλλ' αὐτοὶ μὲν εἰκότως, ἅτε μεγάλοι ὄντες, πορίζουσι τροφήν. Τὰ δὲ ἔκγονα τίς ἐκτρέ φει; οὐχ ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ λόγος; καθὰ καὶ τὸ εὐαγγέλιόν φησιν· Τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ οὐ σπείρουσιν, οὐδὲ θέρουσι, καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος τρέφει αὐτά. Κεφ. ΛΘ, κζʹ. Ἐπὶ δὲ σῷ προστάγματι 385 ὑψοῦται ἀετός; γὺψ δὲ ἐπὶ νοσσιᾶς αὐτοῦ καθεσθεὶς, αὐλίζεται ἐπ' ἐξοχῇ πέτρας καὶ ἀποκρύφῳ; .....Εἰ ἐν τοῖς σαρκοβόροις τινα λογικὴν σοφίαν, ἀπὸ τῆς κατὰ φύσιν ἐπιστήμης ἐνοῦ σαν ἑκάστῳ, καὶ πρὸς γνῶσιν, τῷ μὲν πο λέμου, τοῖς δὲ τῶν ἀποθανόντων, ὁρᾷς καὶ ἕνα ἀεροφορούμενον τὸν γῦπα. λδʹ. Τί ἔτι ἐγὼ κρίνομαι, νουθετούμενος καὶ ἐλέγχων Κύριον, ἀκούων τοιαῦτα, οὐθὲν ὤν; Τί ἔτι, φησὶν, ἐγὼ κρίνομαι, εἰς προοί μιον; καὶ ἐξ ἀρχῆς παρεχώρησε τῶν πρω τείων. Ἥττημαι, φησὶ, παρὰ σοὶ τὸ δικαί ωμα· τί ποῤῥωτέρω τὴν δίκην ἐπεξάγεις; τί γὰρ δυνατὸν ἀποκρίνασθαι; πῶς δὲ χρὴ πρὸς τοιοῦτον ἀντοφθαλμεῖν δεσπότην; Ἐγὼ, φη σὶ, διετέλουν, τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς γενομένης ἐπ' ἐμὲ πληγῆς ζητῶν· εἰς δὲ δημιουργίαν οὐ δὲν ἐνεκάλεσα, καὶ πρὸς τὰ λεχθέντα οὐδὲν ἔχω λέγειν. –Λείπει, ὡς οὐδ' ἐλέγχων Κύ ριον, νουθετούμενος ὁ ἄθλιος. Κεφ. Μʹ, βʹ. Ἀλλὰ ζῶσαι, ὥσπερ ἀνὴρ, τὴν ὀσφύν σου, ἐρωτήσω δέ σε, σὺ δέ μοι ἀπόκριναι. Οἱ γὰρ περιουσίᾳ δικαιωμάτων θαῤῥοῦν τες, οὐδὲ φεύγοντες τοὺς ἀντιδίκους, ἀφίασιν, ὥστε ἐκ περιουσίας, γενέσθαι τὴν νίκην. Εἶτα αὐτῷ καὶ ἀπολογεῖται, ὅτι μέλει μοι περὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων· δῆλον ἐκεῖθεν, τίνος δὴ ἕνε κεν τοῦτον ἐπήγαγόν σοι τὸν πειρασμόν. ∆ίδωμί σοι παῤῥησίαν, ἐγώ σε ἐρωτήσω, σὺ δέ μοι ἀπόκριναι. γʹ. Οἴει δέ με ἄλλως σοι κεχρηματικέναι, ἢ ἵνα ἀναφανῇς δίκαιος; Τὸν παρόντα λέγει χρηματισμόν· οὐχ ἵνα δὲ κατακρίνω, λέγω ταῦτα, φησὶν, ἀλλ' ἵνα δείξω δίκαιον. Ἢ περὶ τοῦ πειρασμοῦ φησιν, 386 χρηματισμὸν τὴν συγχώρησιν λέγων, του 386 τέστι προτεταχέναι με δι' ἄλλο τι τοῦτο γενέσθαι· οὐκ εἶπεν, ἵνα γένῃ, ἀλλ' ἵνα φα νῇς σὺ ὅπερ ἦς, ἵνα τοὺς ἄλλους παιδεύσῃς. Ὅρα δέ· οὐκ εἶπεν, ἵνα γένῃ δίκαιος (ἣν γὰρ ἀκριβῶς τὴν δικαιοσύνην
The Purpose of Trials and the Victory over the Dragon§9
9You have undergone training, not merely for the sake of discipline, but so that you might be revealed. Do not allow yourself to appear unrighteous or godless. We must hold these truths in mind during times of surrounding trials, hearing the glory of God present and speaking to us: 'Do you suppose I have used you for any other purpose than so that your own righteousness might be made manifest to those who are ignorant?'
Therefore, take up height and power; clothe yourself in glory and honor. Crown yourself, don splendor, and put on true beauty. The insolent man has been defeated by your presence; you have humbled the proud and driven his phalanxes far away in shame. Rebuke sinners by exposing their sinfulness, filling their faces with dishonor through the rebuke that resides within you. This is not done for mere display or for any other worldly end, but even for the knowledge of God. Observe how much the lowly nature of the creature rebukes him; he does not say that you are lowly, but rather, 'I am great, and I cannot do what you do.'
But behold, beasts are set against you. Like an athlete, learn the tactics of your opponent's movements. These beasts are set against you and against all who are patient, yet they are eventually subdued and brought to heel. Will you draw a dragon with a hook and put a bridle upon his nose? Can you, O Job, do what the Only-begotten later accomplished? Just as one might catch a fish by projecting his own flesh through his own ribs like hooks, so did Leviathan draw up the dragon; thus the Hebrew text signifies the dragon. You will lay your hand upon him, remembering the war that occurs within his body—a war that shall be no more. This 'war' refers to the disturbance, the wildness, and the embittered state of the beast. How does it happen? It is a wild, powerful, and unmanageable beast. Can you, by your own strength, bind him? Or can you even conceive of the war that is to take place within his own body? He calls the body 'demons,' as if they were his head; yet the Lord conquered this war through the trophy of the cross. The phrase 'let it be no more' exists because once the cross has been established, he who died to sin has died once for all Hebrews 9:28Who, then, will reveal the face of his clothing?
Greek · §9
ἤσκησας), ἀλλ' ἵνα φανῇς. Μὴ ἀναφανῶμεν ἄδικοι, μηδὲ ἀσεβεῖς. Τούτων μνημονεύωμεν ἐν τοῖς τῶν περισ τάσεων καιροῖς, καὶ δόξωμεν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀκού ειν παρόντος καὶ λέγοντος ἡμῖν· Οἴει δέ με ἄλλως σοι κεχρηματικέναι, ἢ ἵνα τοῖς ἀγνο οῦσιν δήλη ἡ σὴ δικαιοσύνη γίνηται; εʹ. Ἀνάλαβε δὴ ὕψος καὶ δύναμιν, δόξαν δὲ καὶ τιμὴν ἀμφίασαι. Στεφάνωσαι, ἔνδυσαι δόξαν, ἔνδυσαι τι μὴν, ἔνδυσον εὐπρέπειαν. Ὁ ὑβριστὴς ἐστρα τεύσατο κατὰ σοῦ· σὺ δὲ τὸν ὑπερήφανον ἐταπείνωσας, καὶ μακρὰν μετ' αἰσχύνης ἀ πέστρεψας τὰς αὐτοῦ φάλαγγας. –Ἔλεγξον ἁμαρτωλοὺς, δεικνὺς αὐτοὺς ἁμαρτωλούς· πλήρωσον τὰ πρόσωπα αὐτῶν ἀτιμίας, διὰ τοῦ ἐλέγχου τοῦ ἐν σοί. –Οὐκ ἄρα πρὸς ἐπίδειξιν ἢ πρὸς καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα, ἢ καὶ πρὸς θεογνωσίαν. Ὅρα δὲ ὅσον τὸ ταπεινὸν τῆς αὐτοῦ φύσεως ἐλέγχει αὐτὸν, καὶ οὐ λέγει ὅτι ταπεινὸς σὺ, ἀλλ' ὅτι μέγας ἐγὼ, καὶ οὐ δύναται ἅπερ ἐγώ. ιʹ. Ἀλλὰ δὴ ἰδοὺ θηρία παρὰ σοί. Ὡς ἀθλητὴς, μάνθανε τὰ περὶ τοῦ δρά κοντος τοῦ ἀνταγωνίστου. –Παρὰ σοὶ οὖν, φησὶ, καὶ παρὰ παντὶ τῷ ὑπομονητικῷ τὰ θηρία ταῦτα ἐξημεροῦται καὶ ὑποτέτακται· ἔστι μέντοι κτλ. κʹ. Ἄξεις δὲ δράκοντα ἐν ἀγκίστρῳ, πε ριθήσεις δὲ φορβαίαν περὶ ῥῖνα αὐτοῦ; ∆ύνασαι οὖν, φησὶν, ὦ Ἰὼβ, ποιῆσαι ὅπερ ὁ Μονογενὴς ὕστερον εἰργάσατο; Ὥσπερ γάρ τι δέλεαρ αὐτῷ τὴν οἰκείαν σάρκα προβαλ λόμενος διὰ τῶν οἰκείων ἥλων, ὡς δι' ἀγ κίστρων, ἰχθὺν ἤγρευσεν Λευιαθάν. Οὕτω γὰρ τὸ ἑβραϊκὸν ἔχει, καὶ σημαίνει τὸν δράκοντα. 387 κζʹ. Ἐπιθήσεις δὲ αὐτῷ χεῖρα, μνησθεὶς πόλεμον τὸν γινόμενον ἐν σώματι αὐτοῦ [καὶ μηκέτι γινέσθω]; Πόλεμον ἐνταῦθα λέγει τὴν ταραχὴν, τὴν ἀγριότητα, τὸ χρίμψασθαι αὐτοῦ. Πῶς γίνεται, φησί; τοιοῦτόν ἐστι θηρίον ἄγριον καὶ δυνατὸν καὶ ἀπόπληκτον. ∆ύνασαι δὲ αὐτὸν, φησὶ, τῇ σῇ δυνάμει καταδῆσαι; ἢ ὅλως μνησθῆναι καὶ ἐννοῆσαι τὸν μέλλοντα γίνεσθαι ἐν τῷ σώματι αὐτοῦ πόλεμον; Σῶμα δὲ αὐτοῦ δαίμονας λέγει, ὡς αὐτοῦ κεφαλὴ ὄντος· τοῦτον δὲ τὸν πόλεμον ἐνίκησε διὰ τοῦ τροπαίου τοῦ σταυροῦ ὁ Κύριος. –Τὸ δέ· μηκέτι γινέσθω, ἐπειδήπερ ἅπαξ γέγο νεν ὁ σταυρός· ὃς γὰρ ἀπέθανε τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, φησὶν, ἀπέθανεν ἐφάπαξ. Κεφ. ΜΑʹ, δʹ. Τίς ἀποκαλύψει πρόσωπον ἐνδύσεως αὐτοῦ; Τὸ
The Dragon Within and the Hardened Heart§10
10Who is capable of accusing the mask he has donned? Who has the power to reveal and expose the dragon that dwells within? After a short while, the memory fled to the holy scriptures—to this divine book of Job. Within it, as if through a bodily transfiguration, the shameless and multifaceted complexities hidden in the mind are liberated from the outer facade, exposing the writings of the devil and the demons who are the rulers of all evil and wickedness. For he asks: 'Who will reveal the face of his clothing?'
Because this external variety is merely a surface, supported by a depth of unseen evil, he addresses the calm ones with this: Who can reveal the face of his clothing? That is, who is able to penetrate the thoughts of his heart, since they remain tightly folded up? As it is written, his heart has become like a stone and will not be shaken; it stands like a sharp, unyielding edge His heart has turned to stone and cannot be moved; it is entirely hardened and stony, refusing to be driven, refusing to follow the Word, and refusing to yield. He is hard, unyielding, and unrepentant. If a person has drawn power from the devil, they possess this same dragon-like heart—unyielding and uncontrollable. But if someone is like gold, following the Word, they will be refined like a goldsmith's work until they become a golden petal, receiving the true forms of God's writings in Christ Jesus, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. In Chapter 42, verse 10, the Lord gave Job double everything he had before. In verse 12, the Lord blessed Job's latter days, or perhaps his former ones; his livestock included forty thousand sheep , six thousand camels, and a thousand pairs of oxen. In verse 13, seven sons and three daughters were born to him. If the Lord gave double all that was before Job, after the...
Greek · §10
πρόσωπον ὃ ἐνεδύσατο, τίς ἱκανὸς ἐλέγξαι; τίς ἱκανὸς ἀποκαλύψαι καὶ δεῖξαι ὅ τι ἔνδον δράκων ἐστί; Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα. Πρὸς τὴν μνήμην ἀνέ δραμον τῶν ἱερῶν γραμμάτων, τούτῳ θεοπ νεύστῳ βιβλίῳ τοῦ Ἰὼβ ἐγκειμένων, καὶ ὡς ἐν σωματικῇ διαπλάσει τὸ λίαν ἀνειδὲς καὶ ποικίλον κεκρυμμένον τῶν ἐπινοιῶν καὶ τῆς τῶν ἔξωθεν προσωπείων ἀπαλλαγῆς, ἀπο γράφων τοῦ διαβόλου καὶ δαιμόνων ἀρχε κάκου καὶ πονηρῶν. Φησὶ γάρ· Τίς ἀποκαλύ ψει πρόσωπον ἐνδύσεως αὐτοῦ; –Καὶ ἐπεί περ ἔριζε τῆς ἔξωθεν φαινομένης ταύτης ποικιλίας, ὡς ἔκ τινος βάθους τῆς ἀφανοῦς κακίας ἀνίσχουσι, ἐπενήνεκται τοῖς εἰρη μένοις καὶ ταῦτα· Τίς ἀποκαλύψει πρόσωπον ἐνδύσεως αὐτοῦ, τουτέστι τίς ἱκανὸς εἰσελ θεῖν εἰς τὰ νοήματα τῆς καρδίας αὐτοῦ, διότι συνεπτυγμένα τυγχάνουσι; ιδʹ, ιεʹ, Οὐ σαλευθήσεται, ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ 388 πέπηγεν ὡς λίθος, ἕστηκεν δὲ ὥσπερ ἄκ μων ἀνήλατος. Ἀπελιθώθη, φησὶν, ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἐλαθῆναι δύναται· ἀλλ' ὅλος ἐστὶν ἀπεσ κληκὼς καὶ ἰταμός· οὐκ ἐλαυνόμενος, οὐκ ἀκολουθῶν λόγῳ, οὐκ εἴκει· ὁ δὲ σκληρός ἐστιν, ἀνήλατος, ἀνένδοτος. Καὶ εἴ τις ἀπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου ἀπέσπασε δύναμιν, καὶ τού του δράκοντος αὐτὸς ἔχει τὴν καρδίαν ἀνή λατον καὶ οὐκ ἐλαυνομένην. Εἰ δέ τις χρυσός ἐστιν ἀκολουθῶν τῷ λόγῳ, τῷ χρυσοχοϊκῷ οὗτος εἴκει ἕως ἂν γένηται πέταλον χρυσοῦν, καὶ δέξηται τοὺς τύπους τῶν γραμμάτων τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. Κεφ. ΜΒʹ, ιʹ. Ἔδωκεν δὲ ὁ Κύριος διπλᾶ ὅσα ἦν ἔμπροσθεν Ἰὼβ εἰς διπλασιασμόν. ιβʹ. Ὁ δὲ Κύριος εὐλόγησε τὰ ἔσχατα Ἰὼβ, ἢ τὰ ἔμπροσθεν· ἦν δὲ τὰ κτήνην αὐ τοῦ, πρόβατα μύρια τετρακισχίλια, κάμη λοι ἐξακισχίλιαι, ζεύγη βοῶν χίλια. ιγʹ. Γεννῶνται δὲ αὐτῷ υἱοὶ ἑπτὰ καὶ θυ γατέρες τρεῖς. Εἰ πάντα τὰ ὅσα ἦν ἔμπροσθεν τῷ Ἰὼβ, διπλᾶ δέδωκεν ὁ Κύριος, μετὰ τὴν
Double Blessings After Suffering§11
11The text states that affliction required children to be doubled. Observe the livestock: sheep numbered thirty thousand, having begun with seven thousand. Camels totaled six thousand, starting with three thousand. Oxen yokes reached a thousand, initially five hundred. The same pattern applied to donkeys. Sons and daughters born to him totaled ten, matching his previous count. Fourteen children were necessary, along with six, to equal the number of lost offspring. We conclude that sheep and cattle were lost, while sons and daughters died but were not lost. Thus, God granted him an equal number of new children, ensuring double in the resurrection. This made him a father of double the children he once had. If souls perished with death and resurrection were false, fourteen sons and six daughters would have been required. The sacred text preserves the account of him receiving six sons. If he later had fourteen sons and six daughters while discussing resurrection, the children would be tripled rather than doubled, contradicting their original number.
Job lived one hundred seventy years after the affliction, with his total lifespan reaching two hundred forty. How does this align with his entire life span? Precisely: having received double blessings, even the years of former prosperity are counted doubly. He lived one hundred twenty years in prosperity, then one hundred forty in suffering. The period 'after the affliction' refers not to when it ended but when it began. Following four and ten years of illness, the duration of his suffering is noted.
Greek · §11
πληγὴν, καθὰ τὸ ἱερόν φησι γράμμα, ἔδει καὶ τοὺς παῖδας διπλῶς εἶναι. Σκόπει γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν κτηνῶν· πρόβατα, φησὶν, ἦν αὐτῷ μύρια τε τρακισχίλια, ἐν γὰρ τῇ ἀρχῇ εἶχεν ἑπτα κισχίλια· καμήλων ἑξακισχίλια, ἐν γὰρ τῇ ἀρχῇ εἶχεν τρισχίλια· ζεῦγα βοῶν χίλια, πρῶτον γὰρ ἦσαν πεντακόσια. Τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν νομάδων ὄνων. 389 Γεννῶνται δὲ αὐτῷ, φησὶν, υἱοὶ ἑπτὰ καὶ θυγατέρες τρεῖς, ὅσοι ἦσαν καὶ πρότερον· ἔδει δὲ τοὺς μὲν δεκατέσσαρας εἶναι, τὰς δὲ ἓξ, ἵνα εἶεν διπλοῖ τῶν ἀπολωλότων παίδων. Λέ γομεν οὖν, ὅτι τὰ μὲν πρόβατα ἀπολώλον ται, καὶ τὰ κτήνη· οἱ δὲ υἱοὶ καὶ αἱ θυγα τέρες τεθνήκασιν, οὐκ ἀπώλοντο. Ἔδωκεν οὖν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς καὶ ἕτερα τοσοῦτα τέκνα, ὥστε ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει διπλᾶ ἔχειν αὐτὰ, ὥστε καὶ πατέρα διπλασίων παίδων αὐτὸν πεποίηκεν ὁ Θεὸς, ὧν ἦν πρότερον πατήρ. Εἰ δὲ ἡ ψυχὴ ἐσβέννυτο μετὰ θάνατον, καὶ τὰ τῆς ἀναστάσεως οὐκ ἦν ἀληθῶς, ἔδει υἱοὺς δοθῆναι δεκατέσσαρας καὶ θυγατέρας ἕξ. ∆ιὸ ἱερῶς ἡ γραφὴ τετήρηκε περὶ τοῦ ὅτι ἔλαβεν υἱοὺς ζʹ· εἰ δὲ ἐγεγόνεισαν αὐτῷ δέκα τέσσαρες υἱοὶ καὶ θυγατέρες ἓξ, σω ζομένου τοῦ περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως λόγου, οὐκ εἰσὶν αὐτῷ διπλᾶ δεδομένα τὰ τέκνα, ἀλλὰ τριπλᾶ, ἢ ἦσαν δὲ πρῶτον. ι ʹ. Ἔζησε δὲ Ἰὼβ μετὰ τὴν πληγὴν ἔτη ἑκατὸν ἑβδομήκοντα, τὰ δὲ πάντα ἔτη ἔζησεν διακόσια τεσσαράκοντα. Πῶς νοεῖται ὁ Ἰὼβ ζήσας μετὰ τὴν πλη γὴν, ἔτη ροʹ, τῶν πάντων ὄντων τῆς ζωῆς αὐτοῦ ἐτῶν σμηʹ; Φαμὲν τοίνυν λεπτολο γοῦντες, ὅτι πάντα τὰ ἀγαθὰ διπλᾶ ἀπο λαβὼν, ἐὰν καὶ τὰ τῆς προτέρας εὐημερίας ἔτη διπλᾶ ἀπείληπται, οὕτως ἀριθμῆσαι προ σήκει. Ἔζησεν ἐν τῇ προτέρᾳ εὐθηνίᾳ ἔτη οζʹ, καὶ ἀφ' οὗ τὴν πληγὴν ἐδέξατο, ἔμεινεν ἐν τῇ κακοπαθείᾳ ἔτη ιδʹ. Οὕτως νοητέον τὸ μετὰ τὴν πληγὴν, οὐκ ἀφ' οὗ ἡ πληγὴ ἐπαύσατο, ἀλλ' ἀφ' οὗ ἤρξατο· μετὰ δὲ τὰ τέσσαρα καὶ δέκα ἔτη, χρόνον τῆς νόσου,
Duration of Job's Life and Resurrection§12
12He lived for another numbers years. For the numbers years of the previous prosperity that occurred, the double duration of the later good deeds numbers years accumulates. Including also the numbers years of the plague, numbers years are added, so that after the plague, he lived numbers years as recorded. Thus, the double repayment of his prosperity is preserved. Therefore, calculate as follows: he lived in wealth and good upbringing for numbers years. In the total decline and the body's affliction, numbers years. In the second period of good deeds, numbers years, making the total span of his life numbers years, as the sacred book states.
Job died aged and full of days. It is written that he will be raised with those whom the Lord raises. Akylas and Symmachus, having come together, read the book, following the Hebrew text. Theodotio concludes the numbers, nothing missing—neither time nor life. It is also written that he will be raised with those whom the Lord raises, clearly the righteous. For the wicked, he says, will not be raised in judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. We accept these words, even if not as the entire fabric of the text, but as something woven by the holy ones into the book. Nevertheless, we accept all, having received the book from the fathers.
This is interpreted from the Syriac book. Syriac is now the Hebrew dialect, since Syria is called Judean, and many Palestinians refer to Syriacs as such. Herodotus the historian notes: Indoi, Egyptians, Arabs, and Syriacs in Palestine are circumcised. They call the Jews thus.
Greek · §12
390 ἔζησεν ἕτερα ρν ʹ· τῶν γὰρ τῆς προτέρας εὐημερίας οηʹ ἐτῶν τυγχανόντων, ὁ διπλοῦς χρόνος τῆς ὕστερον εὐπραγίας ρν ʹ ἔτη συ νάγει· προτιθεμένων δὲ καὶ τῶν ιδʹ ἐτῶν τῆς πληγῆς, συνάγονται ἔτη ροʹ, καὶ οὕτως εὑρίσκεται ζήσας, μετὰ τὴν πληγὴν, του τέστιν ἀφ' οὗ ἡ πληγὴ ἐνήνεκται, ἔτη ροʹ κατὰ τὴν γραφήν. Σώζεται δὲ οὕτω καὶ ἡ διπλασίων τῆς εὐθηνίας ἀνταπόδοσις. Συ νελὼν τοίνυν, ἀριθμήσεις οὕτως· ἔζησεν ἐν πλούτῳ καὶ εὐπαιδίᾳ ἔτη οηʹ· ἐν τῇ πάν των ἀποβολῇ καὶ τῇ κακίᾳ τοῦ σώματος ἔτη ιδʹ· ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ εὐπραγίᾳ ἔτη ρνζʹ, ὡς εἶναι τὸν πάντα τῆς ζωῆς αὐτοῦ χρό νον, ἔτη σμηʹ, καθά φησιν ἡ κατ' αὐτὸν ἱερὰ βίβλος. ιζʹ. Καὶ ἐτελεύτησεν Ἰὼβ πρεσβύτερος καὶ πληρὴς ἡμερῶν. Γέγραπται δὲ, αὐτὸν πάλιν ἀναστήσεσθαι μεθ' ὧν ὁ Κύριος ἀνί στησιν. Ἀκύλας καὶ Σύμμαχος ἐλθόντες συνεπέ ραναν τὸ βιβλίον, ὡς δὴ τῷ ἑβραϊκῷ ἀκο λουθοῦντες· ὁ δὲ Θεοδοτίων συμπεραίνει τοῖς Οʹ, οὐδὲν ἔχων ἐλλεῖπον, οὐ χρόνον, οὐ βίον. Γέγραπται δὲ πάλιν ἀναστήσεσθαι αὐτὸν, μεθ' ὧν ὁ Κύριος ἀνίστησιν, τῶν δικαίων δηλονότι· οἱ γὰρ ἀσεβεῖς, φησὶν, οὐκ ἀναστήσονται ἐν κρίσει, οὐδὲ οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἐν βουλῇ δικαίων. Καὶ ταῦτα δὲ ῥήματα δεχόμεθα, εἰ καὶ μὴ ὡς τοῦ παντὸς ὕφους ὄντα, ἀλλά γε ὥς τινος τῶν ἁγίων αὐτὰ συνυφήναντος τῇ βίβλῳ· πλὴν ὅμως πάντα δεχόμεθα, οὕτως ἐκ τῶν πατέρων τὸ βιβλίον παρειληφότες. ιηʹ. Οὗτος ἑρμηνεύεται ἐκ τῆς συριακῆς βίβλου. Συριακὴν νῦν τὴν Ἑβραίων διάλεκτον κα 391 λεῖ, ἐπειδὴ καὶ Συρίαν τὴν Ἰουδαῖαν, καὶ Σύρους οἱ πολλοὶ τοὺς Παλαιστινοὺς ὀνομάζουσιν· καὶ Ἡρόδοτος ὁ ἱστοριογράφος φησί· Περιτέμνονται δὲ Ἰνδοὶ, καὶ Αἰγύπτιοι, καὶ Ἄραβες, καὶ οἱ ἐν Παλαιστίνῃ Σύροι· τοὺς Ἰουδαίους οὕτω καλοῦσιν.