Job Submits Himself to the LORD 1 And Job answered the LORD and said:
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 After the Lord reproved Job for his intemperate speech which seemed to smack of pride because he asserted that he was just so much that it seemed to some people to lead to the derogation of divine justice, Job humbly answers considering himself convinced.
2 I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose is cut off from you.
Olympiodorus of Alexandria · AD 600 [Job] openly declares that he had not learned these things before but had come to know the unconquered power of God. And since God penetrates the decisions of people and understands the thoughts of all, there is nobody who can hide from his eye, which sees everything.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 I know that Thou canst do all things, and that no thought is hid from Thee. 2. For against his huge strength he observed; I know that Thou canst do all things; but against his hidden machinations he subjoined; And no thought is hid from Thee.
3 “Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?” — therefore I told, and did not understand; things too wonderful for me, and I did not know.
Olympiodorus of Alexandria · AD 600 Who is he, he says, who being sparing of words, can hide the secrets of his mind in silence, because they have not been expressed in words?
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? For Leviathan hides counsel without knowledge, because, though he is concealed from our infirmity by many frauds, he is yet disclosed to us by the holy inspiration of our Protector.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Therefore, in consequence, he assails those who deny divine providence saying, "Who is the man who foolishly hides his plan without your knowledge?" who is so presumptuous and stupid to say that a human counsel can be hidden from God without God knowing it?
4 “Hear, please, and I myself will speak; I will ask you, and you make me know.”
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 Hear, and I will speak; I will question Thee, and answer Thou me. 4. To hear, is, with us, to adapt our ear which is in one place to a sound which comes from another. But with God, on the other hand, to Whom nothing is external, hearing is properly for Him to perceive our longings which are rising up beneath Him.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Because, "I have spoken foolishly" in what remains I will speak wisely, and so he says, "Listen and I will speak," and confess my fault. Because "I have spoken about things which exceed my knowledge," from now on I do not dare to speak about those things, but only to ask you about them and so he says, "I will ask you," by asking, seeking and knocking, (Matt.
5 By the hearing of the ear I had heard of you; and now my eye has seen you.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 I have heard Thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth Thee. 5. By these words he doubtless plainly declares, that as far as sight is superior to hearing, so far does the progress also he had made through suffering differ from that which he was before.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 He shows why he has so changed saying, "My ear heard you," once when I was speaking foolishly; "now, however, my eye sees you," that is, I know you more fully than before, just as things which are seen with the eyes are more certain than what is heard with the ear. He truly has grown both from his suffering and from divine revelation.
6 Therefore I reject, and I repent upon dust and ashes.
John Chrysostom · AD 407 God clearly said to him, "Do you think that I have dealt with you in any other way than that you might appear to be righteous?" That was in order, he says, to make you speak as you are speaking now, and not in order to condemn you. This is a justification for all that happened before.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 Wherefore I reproach myself. 6. For the less a person sees himself, the less is he displeased with himself; and the more he discerns the light of greater grace, the more blameworthy does he acknowledge himself to be. For when he is elevated within, by all that he is, he endeavours to agree with that standard which he beholds above him.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 The more one considers the justice of God, the more he sees his own fault, and so he says, "Therefore I reproach myself," when I consider my own fault. Since it does not suffice to confess one's own fault unless one makes satisfaction, he continues, "I do penance in dust and ashes," as a sign of the frailty of corporeal nature.
The LORD Rebukes Job’s Friends 7 And it happened, after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “My anger is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 But after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job, He said to Eliphaz the Themanite, My anger is kindled against thee and thy two friends, because ye have not spoken before Me the thing that is right, as My servant Job. 9. O Lord, the sentence of Thy judgment declares how much our blindness is at variance with the light of Thine uprightness.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Since God had reproved both Eliud and Job in his discourse, (38:2,3) now in the third place he reproves his friends and especially Eliphaz among them. It is clear that Eliphaz is the most important from the fact that he began to speak first.
8 And now take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves; and Job my servant will pray for you — for I will lift up his face, so as not to do folly with you, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.”
John Chrysostom · AD 407 He would have not ordered that if there had been the law, but now he becomes priest, while they bring offerings. Job had made sacrifices for his children; now he makes them for his friends. See how the text shows that Job is devoid of resentment.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 Take unto you seven bulls, and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a whole burnt offering. But My servant Job shall pray for you; his face I will accept, that folly be not imputed to you. 11. Behold the just and merciful God neither passes over their faults without reproof, nor yet leaves their guilt without conversion.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 To expiate grave sins the ancients used to offer sacrifice, and so he says, "Therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams," because they were elders of the people. Seven is the number of totality and so seven sacrifices can expiate for grave sins.
9 And Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the LORD had spoken to them; and the LORD lifted up the face of Job.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 Therefore Eliphaz the Themanite, and Baldad the Suhite, and Sophar the Naamathite, went and did according as the Lord had spoken to them: and the Lord accepted the face of Job. 20. We say nothing concerning the interpretation of these names, because we remember that we discussed it at greater length in the beginning of this work.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 After they had received the hope of pardon, they fulfilled what he had commanded them, and so the text goes on, "Eliphaz the Temanite, Baldath of Shuhite, and Sophar the Naamathite went and did as the Lord had told them." So they were made worthy through their obedience and humility and Job's prayer for them was heard.
The LORD Blesses Job 10 And the LORD turned back the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friend; and the LORD added to all that Job had, double.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 The Lord also was turned at the penitence of Job, when he prayed for his friends. 21. For he is before shewn to have been heard in behalf of his friends, when the circumstance, which we before mentioned, is stated; They did according as the Lord had spoken, and the Lord accepted the face of Job.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Not only the humility of the friends but also his own humility lent efficacy to his prayer, and so the text continues, "The Lord also was turned," from fury to clemency, "by the penance of Job, when he prayed for his friends." For it was fitting that one who had humbly done penance for such a light sin, should also obtain pardon for others who sinned gravely.
11 And all his brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and ate bread with him in his house. And they grieved with him and comforted him for all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him; and each gave him one kesitah, and each one gold ring.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 But there came to him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all that knew him before, and did eat bread with him in his house, and moved the head over him. 23. What is designated by the eating of bread but charity, and what by the moving of the head but admiration? But it is well subjoined, And comforted him over all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 The principal adversity of Job was being deserted by his friends, (19:13) and therefore he places the remedy for this adversity first when he says, "Then all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before came to him," which indicates the remembrance of his past friendship, "and they ate bread with him in his house," which describes the return to the old familiarity,…
12 And the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-donkeys.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 But the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning. 35. We believe that these things have taken place historically, we hope that they are to take place mystically.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 These were insufficient to restore him, but the Lord assisted him with his own hand that from these small things he might progress to greater ones, and so the text says, "But the Lord blessed the last days of Job," by lengthening them, "more than his first days," that is, more than his former prosperity. For he is "powerful to do more than we can ask or understand," (Eph.
13 And he had seven sons and three daughters.
John Chrysostom · AD 407 "He also had," the text says, "seven sons and three daughters." Later he gives them names that seem to be inspired by the circumstances. He calls them "Day, Cinnamon and Amalthea's horn."
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 And he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses; and he had seven sons, and three daughters. 36. That he had had seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, before the trial of his scourging, the preface of this same history points out to us.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Now Job had lost not only his possessions, but also his children who are restored to him, but not double what he had before, for the text says, "He had seven sons and three daughters." There can be two reasons for this. One pertains to the future life, because the sons which he had were not completely lost to him but were saved in the future life to live with him.
14 And he called the name of the first Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 And he called the name of one Dies, and the name of the second Casia, and the name of the third Cornustibii. 43. Because these names are derived from virtues, the translator appropriately took care not to insert them as they are found in the Arabic language, but to shew their meaning more plainly when translated into the Latin tongue.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 This is insinuated in a hidden way in the daughters whom we read were very beautiful. Their beauty is expressed in their name, and so the text continues, "And he called the name of the first, 'Day,'" because of her brightness, "and the name of second 'Cassia,'" which is a species of aromatic tree, because of its sweet smell, "and the name of the third 'Horn-of-Rouge,'" which is…
15 And no women were found as beautiful as the daughters of Job in all the land; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 But in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job. 45. For the souls of the Elect surpass, by the comeliness of their beauty, all the human race which lives after the fashion of men on the earth: and the more they slight themselves by outward affliction, the more truly do they array themselves within.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 So the text continues and discusses their beauty, "There was no one found among women as beautiful as the daughters of Job in the whole land." By this we are also given to understand that his sons were preeminent in virtue, for the text continues, "and their father gave them inheritance among their brothers," to indicate the fittingness of the virtue of both.
16 And Job lived after this a hundred and forty years, and saw his sons and the sons of his sons — four generations.
Ephrem the Syrian · AD 373 Scripture reports God increased by half all of Job's things, except for the children. It is evident, therefore, that the length of his life was also increased by a half. If he had lived 170 years when he was delivered from that calamity, it appears that he lived for 85 years more to the end of his life, that is, for the number of years that is the half of 170.
Ishodad of Merv · AD 850 If it is true that Moses knew Job, why did he never mention him in any of his works? It is evident that [Job] lived before the law, because we know that in every time, in every place and in every person, the knowledge of God exists without the need of a human instruction, as is attested by [Job's] friends, who composed a high doctrine on God.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 Since Job also had been scourged in his own body, he is given length of days to increase his prosperity, and so the text goes on, "But Job lived after his trials one hundred and forty years." So that we may understand that he lived the whole time in prosperity the text says, "and he saw his children and his children's children up to the fourth generation."
17 And Job died, old and full of days.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 We are to understand that this prosperity lasted until his death, and so the text says, "and he died an old man," which expresses his duration of life, "and full of days," which expresses the prosperity of his life.