God scattered me, or, my God's contempt. Teman, their eclipse. Zophar, a watchman, or contempt. Bildad, growing old, and renowned. Shuhites, their idle talk. Verse 11. Now when his three friends heard of all the evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own country to him. If anyone asks why the friends arrived after so much time, let him consider first that they lived in different countries, and after a very long time many perhaps heard, but the extraordinary nature of the calamity seemed unbelievable, that Job 17.65 was sitting on a dunghill and without help. And they waited to confirm the report through several people, or even to send out and see if what was said was true. In these matters, then, time was spent. In addition to these things, when they knew the truth, being kings and about to travel abroad, they had the necessity first to set their household affairs in order, and to appoint those who would rule in their place over their subjects. All these things kept them busy, and they were delayed. And if they were not very beloved and just men, they would not have, leaving their own countries and kingdoms, arrived for the visit, but would have fulfilled the need through others. It is possible to consider, that the delay of their arrival was also a certain divine economy. For since the whole of the contest was resolved along with the discourse of the friends, with God having spoken, and having restored and crowned the just man, it was a certain divine economy for the friends to be delayed, so that the things of the sickness might be prolonged, and the just man, having contended more greatly, might be more justly proclaimed by God. Verse 11. And they came to him with one accord, to comfort and to visit him. Symmachus rendered it thus: For they arranged to come together to sympathize with him, and to comfort him. See from this also, that another period of time passed, until, having sent messages to one another, they made their meeting and arrival at the same place. Verse 12. And sprinkled dust on their heads. Verse 13. They sat with him seven days, and seven nights. But Scripture did not say that they sat for seven days from morning until evening, nor seven nights from evening until morning. It is clear, then, that, sitting for the greater part of the day, they would withdraw to fulfill necessary needs; and returning again, they would sit until late in the night, and going away again, they would rise early to be with him again. This is indeed characteristic of the most genuine and sympathetic friends. But Scripture, using common custom, said thus absolutely: They sat with him seven days and seven nights. Since also when it says that Jacob served for fourteen years, and was consumed by the heat of the day and the frost of the night, did he never go under a roof? Did he receive no rest at all in that time? To quibble over these things, then, is foolish. For as I said, Scripture uses common custom. But since some, mocking Scripture, also from this slander it as false, saying: For how could they have remained without food and without sleep for so many days? We were compelled to be drawn into their untimely hair-splitting. CHAPTER 3. But in these things the second chapter has been completed; and making a preliminary consideration of the third, we say, 17.68 that the just man is in pain, and no one would deny it, for virtue does not belong to the insensible, but to those who philosophize in their sufferings. But he is unable, according to what is apparent, being most sharply pricked by the wound in his flesh; but according to what is understood, as a just and God-loving man seeing some being scandalized by their sufferings, as if the glory of God were being slandered in him, if the just man endures these things. For when he says, 'Why have you set me as a mark for yourself?' he was not himself petitioning against God, may it not be! For against whom could he petition? But this is what he says: Why on my account, Master, is your name blasphemed? And he is no less disturbed and dizzy, lest he has undergone a greater abandonment by God. For a God-loving soul is not so punished as by suspecting it has been abandoned by God; and it chooses death ten thousand times rather than with

Θεός με διέσπειρεν, ἢ, Θεοῦ μου φαυλισμός. Θαιμὰν, ἔκλειψις αὐτῶν. Σωφὰρ, σκοπὸς, ἢ φαυλισμός. Βαλδὰδ, παλαίωσις, καὶ ἐπίδοξος. Σαυχαίων, ἀδολεσχία αὐτῶν. Στίχ. ιαʹ. Ἀκούσαντες δὲ οἱ τρεῖς φίλοι αὐτοῦ τὰ κακὰ πάντα, τὰ ἐπελθόντα αὐτῷ, παρε γένοντο ἕκαστος ἐκ τῆς ἰδίας χώρας πρὸς αὐτόν. Ἐάν τις ζητῇ, διὰ τί μετὰ τοσοῦτον χρόνον οἱ φί λοι παραγεγόνασιν, ἐννοείτω πρῶτον μὲν, ὅτι δια φόρους ᾤκουν χώρας, καὶ μετὰ πλεῖστον χρόνον πολλοὶ μὲν ἤκουσαν ἴσως, τὸ δὲ παράδοξον τῆς συμ φορᾶς καὶ ἄπιστον ἐδόκει, εἰ καὶ ἐπὶ κοπρίας ὁ Ἰὼβ 17.65 καὶ ἀνεπικούρητος κάθηται. Καὶ περιέμενον διὰ πλειόνων πιστώσασθαι τὴν ἀκοὴν, ἢ καὶ ἐκπέμψαι καὶ ἰδεῖν, εἰ καὶ ἀληθῆ τὰ λεγόμενα. Ἐν τούτοις οὖν ὁ χρόνος ἐτρίβετο. Πρὸς δὴ τούτοις, ὅτε τὸ ἀληθὲς ἔγνωσαν, βασιλεῖς ὄντες καὶ ἐκδημεῖν μέλλοντες, ἀνάγκην εἶχον πρότερον εὖ διαθεῖναι τὰ κατὰ τὸν οἶκον, καὶ ἐπιστῆσαι τοῖς ἀρχομένοις τοὺς ἀνθ' ἑαυτῶν. Ταῦτα πάντα αὐτοὺς ἀπησχόλει, καὶ ἐνε βράδυνον. Καὶ εἰ μὴ σφόδρα γε ἀγαπητοί τινες ἦσαν καὶ δίκαιοι, οὐκ ἂν, τὰς οἰκείας καταλιπόντες χώρας καὶ βασιλείας, ἀφικνοῦντο πρὸς τὴν ἐπίσκεψιν, ἀλλὰ δι' ἑτέρων τὴν χρείαν ἐπλήρουν. Ἔστι δὲ ἐννοεῖν, ὡς καὶ οἰκονομία τις ἦν θεία τῆς ἀφίξεως ἡ ἀναβολή. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁμοῦ τῇ τῶν φίλων διαλέξει καὶ τὸ πᾶν τοῦ ἀγῶνος ἐλύθη, τοῦ Θεοῦ χρηματίσαντος, καὶ τὸν δίκαιον ἀνακτησαμένου καὶ στεφανώσαντος, οἰκονο μία τις γέγονε θεία, ἐμβραδῦναι τοὺς φίλους, ἵνα παραταθῇ τὰ τοῦ νοσήματος, καὶ μειζόνως ἀθλή σας ὁ δίκαιος, δικαιότερον ἀναῤῥηθῇ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Στίχ. ιαʹ. Καὶ παρεγένοντο πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁμοθυ μαδὸν, τοῦ παρακαλέσαι καὶ ἐπισκέψασθαι αὐτόν. Ὁ Σύμμαχος οὕτως ἐξέδωκε· Συνετάξαντο γὰρ ὁμοῦ ἐλθόντες συμπαθῆσαι αὐτῷ, καὶ παραμυ θήσασθαι αὐτόν. Ὅρα καὶ ἐντεῦθεν, ὡς καὶ ἕτερος παρῆλθε χρόνος, ἕως ὅτε, πρὸς ἀλλήλους διαπεμψά μενοι, τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ σύνοδόν τε καὶ ἄφιξιν ἐποιή σαντο. Στίχ. ιβʹ. Καὶ καταπασάμενοι γῆν ἐπὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς αὐτῶν. Στίχ. ιγʹ. Παρεκάθισαν αὐτῷ ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας, καὶ ἑπτὰ νύκτας. Οὐκ εἶπε δὲ ἡ Γραφὴ, ὅτι παρεκάθηντο ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας πρωΐθεν ἕως ἑσπέρας, οὐδὲ ἑπτὰ νύκτας ἀφ' ἑσπέρας μέχρι πρωΐ. ∆ῆλον οὖν, ὅτι, τὸ πλεῖον τῆς ἡμέρας παρακαθεζόμενοι, ὑπεχώρουν τὰς ἀναγκαίας ἐκπληρώσοντες χρείας· καὶ πάλιν ἐπανήκοντες, μέ χρι πολλοῦ τῆς νυκτὸς παρεκαθέζοντο, καὶ αὖθις ἀπιόντες, πάλιν ὤρθριζον πρὸς αὐτόν. Ὃ δὴ τῶν γνησιωτάτων καὶ συμπαθεστάτων φίλων ἴδιον. Τῇ δὲ κοινῇ συνηθείᾳ χρωμένη ἡ Γραφὴ, οὕτως ἀπολύτως εἶπε· Παρεκάθισαν αὐτῷ ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας καὶ ἑπτὰ νύκτας. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ὅτε λέγει τὸν Ἰακὼβ δεκατέσσαρα ἔτη δουλεῦσαι, καὶ συγκαίεσθαι τῷ καύσονι τῆς ἡμέρας καὶ τῷ παγετῷ τῆς νυκτὸς, ἆρα ὑπὸ στέ γην οὐκ εἰσῄει ποτέ; ἆρα οὐδεμιᾶς ἀναπαύσεως ἔτυχεν ὅλῳ τῷ χρόνῳ; Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν καὶ λεπτολο γεῖν φλύαρον. Ὡς γὰρ ἔφην, ἡ Γραφὴ κοινῇ συνη θείᾳ χρῆται. Ἐπειδὴ δέ τινες, κωμῳδοῦντες τὴν Γραφὴν, καὶ ἐντεῦθεν αὐτὴν ὡς ψευδῆ διασύρουσιν· Ὡς γὰρ ἂν, φασὶν, ἄσιτοι διετέλουν καὶ ἄϋπνοι ἐπὶ τοσαύταις ἡμέραις; ἠναγκάσθημεν αὐτῶν συνα παχθῆναι τῇ ἀκαίρῳ στενοχωρίᾳ. ΚΕΦ. Γʹ. Ἀλλ' ἐν τούτοις μὲν τὸ δεύτερον ἤνυσται κεφά λαιον· τοῦ τρίτου δὲ προθεωρίαν ποιούμενοι, φαμὲν, 17.68 ὡς ἀλγεῖ μὲν ὁ δίκαιος, καὶ οὐκ ἄν τις ἀρνήσαιτο οὐ γὰρ τῶν ἀναισθήτων ἡ ἀρετὴ, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἐν τοῖς πάθεσι φιλοσοφούντων. Οὐ δύναται δὲ, κατὰ μὲν τὸ φαινόμενον, ὑπὸ τῆς ἐν σαρκὶ πληγῆς δριμυ τάτως κεντούμενος· κατὰ δὲ τὸ νοούμενον, οἷα δί καιος καὶ φιλόθεος ἀνὴρ ὁρῶν τινας σκανδαλιζομέ νους ἐπὶ τοῖς αὐτῶν παθήμασιν, ὡς τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δόξης ἐπ' αὐτῷ διασυρομένης, εἰ ὁ δίκαιος ταῦτα ὑπομένει. Καὶ γὰρ ὅτε λέγει· Ἵνα τί ἔθου με κατ' ἐντευκτήν σου; οὐκ αὐτὸς κατὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐτύγχανε, μὴ γένοιτο! τίνι γὰρ εἶχεν ἐντυγχάνειν; Ἀλλὰ τοῦτό ἐστιν ὅ φησιν· Ἵνα τί δι' ἐμὲ, ∆έσποτα, τὸ ὄνομά σου βλασφημεῖται; Θορυβεῖται δὲ οὐδὲν ἧττον καὶ ἰλιγγιᾷ, μήπως πλείως ἐγκατάλειψιν ὑπέστη παρὰ Θεοῦ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οὕτω τιμωρεῖται ψυχὴ φιλόθεος, ὡς τὸ ὑποπτεύειν καταλελεῖφθαι παρὰ Θεοῦ· καὶ μυριάκις αἱρεῖται τὸν θάνατον, ἢ μετὰ