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to him his son. That the devil is of such a scheming disposition we are also taught from the gospel, when the Savior says to his own disciples: "Behold, Satan has asked to sift you like wheat." The book fittingly has the same title as the man, since the entire book contains the history concerning him, with no other person being introduced. It is also fitting to add that it has been questioned by some, whose book this might be. And some 8 attribute it to the holy Ezra, ῃαξατ while others, since it is said at the end of the book ῃαξατ ῃαξατ say that Job's friends, being kings, were pleased with his righteous deed and deposited the writing about it in the archives. Let the lover of what is good inquire about this, if he does not approve what has been said. And Job is the fifth from Abraham, as this very thing is also said at the end of the book. ῃαξατ ῃαξατ ῃαξατ ῃαξατ There was a certain man in the land of Ausitis, whose name was Job. And that man was true, blameless, righteous, devout, abstaining from every evil thing. And he had seven sons and three daughters. And his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred she-asses for grazing, and a very great number of servants, and he had great works on the earth. Consequently, the account, intending to narrate the surpassing virtue of the blessed Job, mentions also his country, 9 his blameless character, his many children and good children, and his wealth both in flocks and other things, in order to teach that he did not despise insignificant things—for not even having them did he think highly of himself—being deprived of all these things in his trial. And having declared this, it also shows the purity of his soul, that it was not a neglected man whom the devil asked for. For it was necessary before the struggle against the adversary to describe the greatness of the athlete, how abstaining from every evil thing, he was not satisfied with this, but also took care for perfection, which is a refutation of those who say that children and irrational creatures also abstain from an evil thing. For this man was both righteous and blameless. Those who object are refuted by saying this very thing also in the case of the first psalm. For they say that "to be called blessed for not having walked in the counsel of the ungodly and not having sat in the seat of scoffers" would be fitting for irrational creatures and infants as well. But they are refuted by what follows; for it is said: ῃαξατ "but his will was in the law of the Lord, and on his law he will meditate 10 day and night," which is not fitting for infants and irrational creatures. And it is good also that he lived in Ausitis, which is interpreted as counsel; for the righteous man does nothing without counsel, but pure counsel is his house and city. "And that man was noble among those from the rising of the sun." And this is possible in the perceptible sense. But if it is understood anagogically, it might be said that the righteous man acquires nobility, not from men, but illuminated by the light of the "sun of righteousness." "And his sons, going to one another, would make a feast each day, taking along also their three sisters to eat and drink with them." Job's well-brought-up sons held their gatherings and feasts not with others but with each other, according to what is said in the Psalms: "Behold now, what is so good or so pleasant as for brothers to dwell together in unity." Presenting a harmonious virtue, they were also without strife in perceptible matters, going "to one another" and not far off; for they held their gatherings "in the house of their 11 eldest brother," not only ... by age but perhaps also by virtue, being taught beneficial things by him. And it is good also that they took along their own sisters, which is a clear sign of moderation and decency. "And when the days of the feast were completed, Job would send and purify them, rising early in the morning and offering

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αὐτῷ τὸν υἱόν. ὅτι δὲ τοιαύτης ἐπιβουλευτικῆς προθέσεώς ἐστιν διάβολος καὶ ἐκ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου παιδευόμεθα λέγοντος τοῦ ςωτῆρος πρὸς τοὺς ἰδίους μαθητάς· "ἰδοὺ ἐξῃτήσατο ὑμᾶς ὁ σατανᾶς τοῦ σινιάσαι ὡς τὸν σῖτον." ὁμώνυμον δὲ τῶι ἀνδρὶ καὶ τὸ βιβλίον ἔχει τὴν ἐπιγραφὴν ἀκολούθως, ἐπεὶ πᾶσα ἡ βίβλος τὴν περὶ αὐτοῦ ἱστορίαν περιέχει, οὐδενὸς ἑτέρου παραβαλλομένου. κἀκεῖνο δὲ ἀκόλουθον προσθεῖναι, ὡς ἐζήτηταί τισιν, τίνος ἂν εἴη τὸ βιβλίον. καὶ οἱ μὲν 8 τῷ ἁγίῳ Ἔσδρᾳ αὐτὸ προσνέμουσιν, ῃαξατ οἱ δὲ καὶ ἐπεὶ ἐν τῶι τέλει τοῦ βιβλίου εἴρηται ῃαξατ ῃαξατ φασίν, ὡς ἐν τοῖς ἀρχείοις ἅτε βασιλεῖς ὄντες οἱ φίλοι τοῦ Ἰὼβ ἀρεσθέντες τῶι κατορθώματι τὴν περὶ τούτου γραφὴν ἀπέθεντο. ζητείτω δὲ ὁ φιλόκαλος περὶ τούτου, εἰ μὴ τὰ εἰρημένα ἐνκρίνει. ἔστιν δὲ ὁ Ἰὼβ πέμπτος ἀπὸ Ἀβραάμ, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἐν τῷ τέλει τοῦ βιβλίου εἴρηται. ῃαξατ ῃαξατ ῃαξατ ῃαξατ ἄνθρωπός τις ἦν ἐν χώρᾳ τῇ Αὐσίτιδι, ᾧ ὄνομα Ἰώβ. καὶ ἦν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος ἀληθινός, ἄμεμπτος, δίκαιος, θεοσεβής, ἀπεχόμενος ἀπὸ παντὸς πονηροῦ πράγματος. ἐγένοντο δὲ αὐτῶι υἱοὶ ἑπτὰ καὶ θυγατέρες τρεῖς, καὶ ἦν τὰ κτήνη αὐτοῦ πρόβατα ἑπτακισχίλια, κάμηλοι τρισχίλιαι, ζεύγη βοῶν πεντακόσια, ὄνοι θήλειαι νομάδες πεντακόσιαι, καὶ ὑπηρεσία πολλὴ σφόδρα, καὶ ἔργα μεγάλα ἦν αὐτῶι ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. ἀκολούθως μέλλων ἀρετὴν ὑπερβάλλουσαν τοῦ μακαρίου Ἰὼβ ὁ λόγος διηγεῖσθαι καὶ χώρας 9 μνημονεύει καὶ τρόπου ἀμέμπτου καὶ πολυπαιδίας καὶ εὐπαιδίας καὶ πλούτου ἔν τε ἀγέλαις καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις, ἵνα διδάξῃ, ὡς οὐκ εὐτελῶν ὑπερεφρόνησεν -οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔχων αὐτὰ μέγα ἐφρόνει- πάντων τούτων ἀφαιρεθεὶς ἐν τῶι πειρασμῶι. ἀπαγγελὼν δὲ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ καθαρὸν τῆς ψυχῆς δείκνυσιν, ὡς οὐκ ἠμελημένον ἄνθρωπον διάβολος ἐξῃτήσατο. ἔδει γὰρ πρὸ τῆς πάλης τῆς πρὸς τὸν ἀντικείμενον τὸ μέγεθος τοῦ ἀθλητοῦ διαγράψαι, ὡς παντὸς πράγματος πονηροῦ ἀπεχόμενος οὐκ ἄχρι τούτου ἠρκέσθη, ἀλλὰ καὶ τελειότητος ἐπεμελεῖτο, ὅπερ ἀνατρεπτικόν ἐστιν τῶν λεγόντων, ὡς καὶ τὰ παιδία καὶ τὰ ἄλογα πονηροῦ πράγματος ἀπέχεται. οὗτος γὰρ καὶ δίκαιος καὶ ἄμεμπτος ὑπῆρχεν. τοῦτ' αὐτὸ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ πρώτου ψαλμοῦ λέγοντες οἱ ἐνιστάμενοι ἐλέγχονται. φασὶν γάρ, ὅτι "μακαρίζεσθαι ἐπὶ τῷ μὴ πεπορεῦσθαι ἐν βουλῆι ἀσεβῶν καὶ ἐπὶ καθέδραν λοιμῶν μὴ κεκαθικέναι" ἁρμόσει καὶ τοῖς ἀλόγοις καὶ βρέφεσιν. ἀλλ' ἐλέγχονται ἐκ τοῦ ἐπιφερομένου· εἴρηται γάρ· ῃαξατ "ἀλλ' ἦν ἐν νόμῳ κυρίου τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν τῶι νόμωι αὐτοῦ μελετήσει 10 ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτός", ὅπερ ἐπὶ τῶν βρεφῶν καὶ ἀλόγων οὐχ ἁρμόζει. εὖ δὲ καὶ τὸ ἐν τῆι Αὐσίτιδι τοῦτον οἰκεῖν, ἥτις ἑρμηνεύεται βουλή· οὐδὲν γὰρ ὁ δίκαιος ἀβούλως ποιεῖ, ἀλλ' οἶκος αὐτῶι καὶ πόλις ἡ καθαρὰ βουλή. "καὶ ἦν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος εὐγενὴς τῶν ἀφ' ἡλίου ἀνατολῶν." καὶ πρὸς τὸ αἰσθητὸν δυνατὸν τοῦτο. εἰ δὲ πρὸς ἀναγωγὴν νοοῖτο, λεχθείη ἄν, ὅτι ὁ δίκαιος εὐγένειαν κτᾶται, οὐκ ἀπ' ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τοῦ φωτὸς τοῦ "ἡλίου τῆς δικαιοσύνης" καταλαμπομένην. "συνπορευόμενοι δὲ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐποίουν πότον καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν συνπαραλαμβάνοντες ἅμα καὶ τὰς τρεῖς ἀδελφὰς αὐτῶν ἐσθίειν καὶ πίνειν μετ' αὐτῶν." εὖ ἀνατεθραμμένοι οἱ τοῦ Ἰὼβ υἱοὶ οὐ πρὸς ἄλλους ἐποιοῦντο τὰς ἐπιμειξίας καὶ τὸν πότον ἢ πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς κατὰ τὸ ἐν ψαλμοῖς λεγόμενον· "ἰδοὺ δή, τί καλὸν ἢ τί τερπνὸν ἀλλ' ἢ τὸ κατοικεῖν ἀδελφοὺς ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό." σύμφωνον παρέχοντες τὴν ἀρετὴν καὶ ἐν τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς ἦσαν ἀστασίαστοι "πρὸς ἀλλήλους" πορευόμενοι καὶ οὐ πόρρω· τὰς γὰρ συνη̣λύσεις "ἐν τῆι οἰκίᾳ τοῦ 11 ἀδελφοῦ αὐτῶν τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου" οὐ μόνον ον κατὰ χρόνον ἀλλ' ἴσως καὶ κατὰ ἀρετὴν ἐποιοῦντο τὰ πρὸς ὠφελίαν παρ' αὐτοῦ παιδευόμενοι. εὖ δὲ καὶ τὸ συνπαραλαμβάνειν τὰς ἰδίας ἀδελφάς, ὅπερ ἐστὶν σημεῖον ἐναργὲς σωφροσύνης καὶ κοσμιότητος. "καὶ ὡς ἂν συνετελέσθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ πότου, ἀπέστελλεν Ἰὼβ καὶ ἐκαθάριζεν αὐτοὺς ἀνιστάμενος τὸ πρωῒ καὶ προσέφερεν