1 Then Job answered, and said:
John Chrysostom · AD 407 Since Eliphaz speaks so, as if the matter were of extraordinary importance, and talks as if his speech derived from the wisdom of the ancestors, Job also resumes the argument he had used at the beginning. Is what you say not evident, he says?
Hesychius of Jerusalem · AD 450 You are "comforters" but very wicked ones. No word of yours is for the good, but they are all for the bad. You teach, you give advice, and you propose not how ordeals must be avoided, but how [new] ordeals will be obtained from affliction! [You do not teach] how a storm must be abated but how harmful agitations can be raised from peace.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Eliphaz had spoken harshly against Job in his answer, and so Job accuses him of unfitting consolation in the beginning of his speech. First, because both he and his friends frequently repeat the same things and so he says, "I have often heard such things," as if to say: Your speech is always about the same subject.
2 I have often heard such things as these: you are all troublesome comforters.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 Ver. 2. I have heard many such things. This is found to be a peculiar way with the wicked, viz. to urge their own bad points slanderously against the good, before they are themselves truly accused of them; and while they dread to be reproached for the things which they do, they testify that the righteous who withstand their wickednesses commit the same.
3 Shall windy words have no end? or is it any trouble to thee to speak?
Hesychius of Jerusalem · AD 450 Job has phrased this in the form of a question and not in order to look for an argument. This means "Will I really join words together against you? Or will I really shake my head at you? Not at all!
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 Ver.3. Shall windy words have an end? For those are 'windy words,' which serve the end of temporal inflating, rather than the end of righteousness. Now oftentimes the wicked speak even good things, but because they do not say them well, they are putting forth 'windy words:' for their words, even if they be at any time sound in the sentence, are yet blown out in self-elation.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Yet one could excuse these things if the irritating words were uttered for some use and contained truth or even if they were spoken only briefly in passing. But if someone uses language which is calculated to sadden another falsely, uselessly, and over a lengthy period of time, he seems to be a burdensome counselor.
4 I also could speak like you: and would God your soul were for my soul.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 Ver. 4-6. And O that your soul were for my soul! I too would comfort you with speeches, and move my head over you: I would strengthen you with my mouth, and move my lips as if sparing you.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Job, however, was annoyed. To preclude anyone thinking that ease in argumentation was attributed to the prominence of the friends in knowledge, Job shows that if adversity had not deprived him and he were in the condition of the friends, he would speak with the same confidence. So he says, "I myself could also speak like you," if I were not weighed down with adversity.
5 I would comfort you also with words, and would wag my head over you.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 But whereas he says, not, 'sparing,' but, as if sparing you; I think that this point ought not to be passed by carelessly, in that Holy Church, while keeping vigorousness of discipline together with an union of gentleness, sometimes even while 'as if sparing,' is far from sparing the wicked, but sometimes, when 'as if not sparing' does spare them; which we shall exhibit the mor…
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Also, "I would encourage you with my mouth," lest you should despair in your impatience, "and I would move my lips," to speak, "and appear to console you," by pretending to speak from pity which I had for you, just as you are doing to me.
6 I would strengthen you with my mouth, and would move my lips, as sparing you.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 It would be easy for me to speak like this just as you did if I were in your condition. But now I am impeded by a pain which neither speech nor silence does not take away, and so he continues, "But what am I to do? If I speak, my pain will not be stilled and if I keep silence, it will not go away from me." For there are two kinds of pain. One is interior and is called sadness.
7 But what shall I do? If I speak, my pain will not rest: and if I hold my peace, it will not depart from me.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 Ver. 7. But what am I to do? Though I speak, my grief is not assuaged; and though I forbear, it will not depart from me. [ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION] How this accords with the person of blessed Job, there is no one that is ignorant; but if it be drawn into a type of Holy Church, she both when she speaks 'has not her grief assuaged,' since she does not see the wicked amended by…
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 He shows as a result what he understands about this second pain which cannot be taken away by words when he says, "now my pain has oppressed me," i.e. impeded me so that I cannot easily or freely reason like I did before. For when sensible pain is violent, the attention of the soul is distracted and is impeded from the consideration of intellectual things.
8 But now my sorrow hath oppressed me, and all my limbs are brought to nothing.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 Ver. 8. But now my grief has oppressed me, and my limbs are brought to nought. Holy Church is oppressed by her grief, when she beholds the wicked grow to a height in their wickedness; and whereas while the wicked increase, the weak too that are in her are set on to follow the bents of wickedness, it is rightly added, And all my limbs are brought to nought.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 The dissipation of my members not only cause me sensible pain, but it also bears witness against me. For when the friends of Job saw that he was so covered with ulcers, from this they charged that he had sinned grievously because they thought this had happened to him as a punishment for sin.
9 My wrinkles bear witness against me, and a false speaker riseth up against my face, contradicting me.
Ephrem the Syrian · AD 373 Your words cruelly pierce me, because you endeavor to present me as a false witness before God, whose wrath "has torn me." Even in the middle of my mourning, where the loss of the children and cattle had dragged me, bodily pains invaded me. And I certainly remained silent, but he struck me with ominous reports and harsh news.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 Ver. 9. He gathered his fury against me; and threatening me he gnashed against me with his teeth; mine enemy looked on me with terrible eyes. What else are all wicked men but members of the devil? Therefore he himself does by them, whatever he puts it into their hearts that they ought to do.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 According to this second interpretation, the following verse is clearer. "He has collected his anger against me." For the devil seems to have collected his complete anger against Job when he assailed him with every kind of harm.
10 He hath gathered together his fury against me, and threatening me he hath gnashed with his teeth upon me: my enemy hath beheld me with terrible eyes.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 Ver. 10. They have gaped upon me with their mouth, reproaching me. Lost sinners open their mouths 'in reproaching,' when they at once do not fear to proclaim the mischiefs of their errors, and laugh to scorn the announcements of the right faith: with regard to whom be it known that they chiefly prosecute those in Holy Church, whom they see likely to be of service to many, who b…
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 So he continues, "They spread their jaws about me," i.e. my friends instigated by my enemy. He interprets this saying, "they struck my jaw with their reproaches." For one is said to strike one in the face when he utters a reproach to his face. The friends of Job had uttered many reproaches against him as they rebuked him for many sins.
11 They have opened their mouths upon me, and reproaching me they have struck me on the cheek, they are filled with my pains.
Ishodad of Merv · AD 850 "God has given me up to an iniquitous angel." These words are said because it is believed that an angel accompanies each human being. Job calls his angel iniquitous because of the effects of Job's misfortunes that he observes, just as David calls the angel evil who kills the firstborn of the Egyptians.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Lest anyone believe that Job was of the opinion that punishments of this kind were inflicted on him by God since he had said he had been afflicted by an enemy as he continues, "God has confined me with the wicked," i.e. the devil, by consigning me into his power.
12 God hath shut me up with the unjust man, and hath delivered me into the hands of the wicked.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 Ver. 12. God hath shut me up with the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked. The people of the Elect is 'shut up with the ungodly man,' when its flesh is given up in this present time to the persecutions of our old adversary; and it is 'turned over,' not to the spirit, but 'the hands of the wicked;' in that in proportion as they cannot take it captive in mind…
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 He gives an understanding of this in four clear signs. First, because he fell from the greatest prosperity, not little by little as is usually the case in human affairs, but suddenly. It does not seem to have happened by sudden chance, but only by divine ordination.
13 I that was formerly so wealthy, am all on a sudden broken to pieces: he hath taken me by my neck, he hath broken me, and hath set me up to be his mark.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 Ver. 13. He hath compassed me about with His lances, He hath wounded my loins together, He hath not spared, and He hath poured out my bowels upon the ground.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Here he describes the great number of his trials using three images. First, he shows that he was wounded exteriorly in his possessions saying, "He encompassed me about with his spears." For exterior things encircle us as something extrinsic to us. Thus a man is encompassed with the spears of adversity when he loses exterior goods.
14 He hath compassed me round about with his lances, he hath wounded my loins, he hath not spared, and hath poured out my bowels on the earth,
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 Ver. 14. He hath broken me with breach upon breach. [ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION] In her weak members Holy Church is 'broken with breach upon breach,' when sin is added to sin, that transgression should be brought to a more dreadful pitch.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Third, he shows the great number of blows which he has suffered in his own person, and so he then says, "he cut me down," in my own person, "with wound," i.e. with a very grave ulcer, "upon wound," coupled with the deaths of his children.
15 He hath torn me with wound upon wound, he hath rushed in upon me like a giant.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 Ver. 15. I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and covered my flesh with ashes. What ought to be understood by 'sackcloth and ashes,' but penance; what by 'the skin' and 'the flesh,' but sin of the flesh?
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Job calls to mind all these things about the greatness of his adversity to show that he cannot be the equal of his friends with whom he is arguing, because they were free from adversities of this kind. However Eliphaz had accused him of pride saying, "Why do you puff up your heart? and so on," (15:12ff).
16 I have sowed sackcloth upon my skin, and have covered my flesh with ashes.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 Ver. 16. My face is swelled with weeping. For 'the face' of Holy Church are those, who being set in posts or governorships appear the foremost, that in their goodly appearance should be the honour of the faithful people, even if there were aught deformed in the body hidden from sight.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Second he shows his humility by his great weeping. He uses two signs. First, the swelling of the face, when he says, "My face was puffed up from weeping," because the great matter of tears ascends to the head, and swells the face of the weeper.
17 My face is swollen with weeping, and my eyelids are dim.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 Ver. 17. I have suffered this without the wickedness of mine hand, whilst I made pure prayers to God. He suffered without the wickedness of His hand; Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth, and yet endured the pain of the Cross for our redemption.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 From what he has said before about the gravity of his adversity and the greatness of his humiliation, one could surmise that he had recognized in effect the gravity of his sins, and was humbling himself in repentance thinking that he had been afflicted for his own sins.
18 These things have I suffered without the iniquity of my hand, when I offered pure prayers to God.
Julian of Eclanum · AD 455 "I have suffered this without committing iniquity." You have a good reason to be upset, because there was no cause for such a torment. "I have suffered this." Job is knowingly in pain against his merits. Therefore, he does not want the fact that he has been given to torments to remain hidden, but he desires what he suffers to be under the light.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 Ver. 18. O earth, cover thou not my blood; and let my cry find no place to lie hid in thee. It was said to man on his committing sin, Earth thou art, and unto earth shalt thou return; and this 'earth' does not 'cover the blood' of our Redeemer: in that each several sinner taking to himself the price of his redemption makes confession and sings praise, and publishes it to all of…
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 However to disprove the innocence of Job, Eliphaz had already used twice the argument based on the frailty of earthly nature.
19 O earth, cover not thou my blood, neither let my cry find a hiding place in thee.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 Ver. 19. Also, now, behold my witness is in heaven, and my heart's associate is on high. For when the Son was brought to His downfall on earth, there was a witness to Him in heaven. Since the Father is the witness of the Son; concerning Whom He Himself saith in the Gospel, And the Father Himself, Which hath sent Me, hath borne witness of Me.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 It is true that it is difficult for a man to act according to his earthly condition without the evil of mortal sin, yet it is not impossible, with the help of God through grace who is a witness also to our interior purity.
20 For behold my witness is in heaven, and he that knoweth my conscience is on high.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 Ver. 20. My friends are full of words; but mine eye poureth out tears unto God. For what is denoted by the eye, but the intent of the heart? as it is written, if thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 After Job described the greatness of his adversity, (v.14) his humility (v.16) and his innocence (v.18), he proceeds further to reprove the vain consolation which his friends repeated to him again and again, about the hope of recovering temporal prosperity.
21 My friends are full of words: my eye poureth out tears to God.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 Ver.21. Oh! that a man were so judged with God, as a son of man is judged with his fellow! We acknowledge indeed always that we are sinners, yet often, when laid under the rod, we do not know for what sin in particular we are stricken, and we sift ourselves with minute examining, that if we might in any way be able we might trace out the cause of our being struck; and whereas t…
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 To explain what he had said, he continues, "and would that man were so judged by God as the son of a man is judged by his colleague." For a man is judged by his own colleague when one is actually present to the other and they express their arguments to each other.
22 And O that a man might so be judged with God, as the son of man is judged with his companion!
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 Ver.22. When a few years are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return. Every thing that passes is short, even though it should seem slow in being finished, but in the way of death we 'go, and do not return by it,' not because we are not brought back by rising again to the life of the flesh, but because we do not come again to the labours of this mortal life, or t…
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 So to show the vanity of this promise he adds, "Behold! The short years pass away," because "man lives for a short time," as he had said above. (14:1) A great part of Job's lifetime had already passed; and so few years remained for him in which, even if there were prosperity, it would not bring him much consolation because of the shortness of the time.
23 For behold short years pass away, and I am walking in a path by which I shall not return.