Origen of Alexandria, Commentaries on Job

Enarrationes in job

Verse 9. but say a word against the lord, and die. after she had related the tragedy in detail, then she brought forth her shameless counsel. and she

God scattered me, or, my god's contempt. teman, their eclipse. zophar, a watchman, or contempt. bildad, growing old, and renowned. shuhites, their idl

Of pains and such suspicion to be reckoned among the living. therefore, upon the loss of his possessions and the sudden death of his children, we have

He should be unashamed, he speaks to his face, not refuting, nor speaking the truth, but reproaching and insulting. for one must not tread upon those

Is made harsh by the tongue of the one chewing it. just as, he says, that herb, even if one should be very eager to grind it smooth with his teeth, he

They are fearless. they do not fear god, they despise the godhead saying such things about god, they are not afraid that they are speaking about god.

Teach us, having received the grace of teaching. verse 4. and he will enter with you into judgment. god, holding an account of the one for whom he pro

Like a gazelle from snares, and like a bird from a trap. verse 12. does not he who dwells on high observe? but you think that god, who dwells on high,

To pass the verdict of punishments, it was possible to find him. would that it were possible to go to law, he says, and to meet with him, and to le

From the righteousness of job, from his courage. for this is: when my paths flowed with butter. verse 2. and my mountains flowed with milk. as many lo

In the gospel. 17.96 no one puts new wine into old wineskins v. 20. i will speak, that i may be refreshed by opening my lips. he who happens upon an i

But god gives him boldness to speak. and after other things so great is the goodness of god, that he takes upon himself the person not of one judging

To put to death. and each one puts to death, as far as it is in his power, the devil, according to what was said by the apostle: may the god of peace

14. but the flesh of his body are glued together. he could have said: but the flesh of his body are united. but he did not say it for they are not un

is made harsh by the tongue of the one chewing it. Just as, he says, that herb, even if one should be very eager to grind it smooth with his teeth, he is not able to swallow it; so also he who wishes to enjoy what belongs to others will carry away no profit from his labors. Verse 20. For this reason his goods will not flourish. What good things he seems to do, will not flourish; whenever he seems to be already fulfilled, he will be afflicted. Verse 20. There is no salvation for him in his possessions. His possessions are not able to procure salvation for him. Otherwise. Verse 22. And every necessity will come upon him, and He will send upon him the fury of His wrath. Verse 22. And every necessity will come upon him. These things are an exhortation for us, that we may stand aloof from what belongs to others. 17.76 Verse 22. To snow pains upon him. Instead of a snowstorm, pains come upon such a one. Verse 24. And he shall not be saved from the hand of iron. He does not mean this perceptible iron, but a most cutting word. Verse 25. And a missile should pass through his body. These fiery darts wound him. Verse 25. An unquenchable fire will consume him. We learn a certain mystery about the punishment that is laid up, so that we may guard against suffering it. He said an unquenchable fire consumes the ungodly; this material fire that is with us is not an unquenchable fire; for it is seen. But that fire is invisible, the one which comes upon sinners, which burns them within. It is spiritual and punishing. If you wish to receive an image of that fire, imagine for me one who is feverish to an extreme, and inflamed by a fire. You will not find the fire in him by sight, but it is underlying, and it burns up his inward parts. Thus, from sins, one who is feverish is burned up. Verse 25. And a foreigner will afflict his house. He who warred against that people was a foreigner, and not a proselyte; who afflicted his house, destroying the supposed sanctuary, and the city which they said was holy. Verse 27. And may heaven reveal his iniquities. Instead of, Both from God and from heaven he will undergo terrible things. He said these things because Job, saying he had been struck by God, also mentioned how he had been wronged by men. He establishes, therefore, that everything was brought upon him on account of sin. Verse 27. And may the earth rise up against him. The earth itself rises up against that people. Verse 29. And a possession of his belongings from the overseer. Does one learn who is named overseer here? That God is called overseer, and the good and virtuous overseers strive in every way to bear His image. And just as one who has imitated a royal image is honored for imitating it well, and is also honored for having adorned it; so blessed is an overseer who has understood the true overseer, and emulates him, and becomes as God among men; or having an overseer who makes him truly an overseer in Christ Jesus; to whom be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. CHAP. 21. Verse 5. Look at me and be amazed. You say you are wise, and know why I suffer these things, as if God were not asleep over the sins of men. And you dared to say that I am a sinner, and have justly come to this. Verse 7. And they have grown old in wealth. They are not newly rich, but for many years have been 17.77 rich, and always increasing their wealth. Verse 8. Their seed is according to the soul. The seed of the righteous is according to the spirit; For he sows in the spirit, and from the spirit reaps eternal life; but for such people, since the natural man does not receive the things of the spirit, for they are foolishness to him; the seed is not according to the spirit, but according to the soul, which is inferior. Verse 8. And their children are before their eyes. All that they do, they do to be seen by men. For the works of each are his children. The children of the heterodox are not in the heart, in good thoughts, but before the eyes, to be seen by men. Verse 9. Their houses prosper. When you enter a synagogue of heretics, and see a crowd gathered there, behold, their houses prosper. Verse 9. And fear is nowhere.

ἐστιν ἐκτραχυνομένη τῇ γλώσσῃ τοῦ μασσωμένου. Ὥσπερ οὖν, φησὶ, τὴν βοτάνην ἐκείνην, κἂν ἄγαν τις φιλονεικήσειε διαλεά νας τοῖς ὀδοῦσι, καταπιεῖν οὐ δύναται· οὕτω καὶ ὁ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ἀπολαύειν ἐθέλων οὐδὲν τῶν πόνων ἀποίσεται τὸ κέρδος. Στίχ. κʹ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἀνθήσει αὐτοῦ τὰ ἀγαθά. Ἂ δοκεῖ ἀγαθὰ ποιεῖν, οὐκ ἀνθήσει· ὅτ' ἂν δοκῇ ἤδη πεπληρῶσθαι, θλιβήσεται. Στίχ. κʹ. Οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτοῦ σωτηρία τοῖς ὑπάρχουσι. Τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ σωτηρίαν αὐτῷ περιποιῆσαι οὐ δύναται. Ἄλλως. Στίχ. κβʹ. Πᾶσα δὲ ἀνάγκη αὐτὸν ἐπελεύσεται, καὶ ἐπαποστελεῖ ἐπ' αὐτὸν θυμὸν ὀργῆς. Στίχ. κβʹ. Πᾶσα δὲ ἀνάγκη ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἐπελεύ σεται. Ταῦτα προτρεπτικὰ ἡμῖν, ἵνα ἀφιστώμεθα τῶν ἀλλοτρίων. 17.76 Στίχ. κβʹ. Νίψαι ἐπ' αὐτὸν ὀδύνας. Ἀντὶ νιφετοῦ ὀδύναι ἔρχονται ἐπὶ τὸν τοιοῦτον. Στίχ. κδʹ. Καὶ οὐ μὴ σωθῇ ἐκ χειρὸς σιδήρου. Σίδηρον οὐ λέγει τοῦτον τὸν αἰσθητὸν, ἀλλὰ τμη τικώτατον λόγον. Στίχ. κεʹ. ∆ιεξέλθοι δὲ διὰ σώματος αὐτοῦ βέλος. Τὰ βέλη ταῦτα τὰ πεπυρωμένα τιτρώσκει αὐτόν. Στίχ. κεʹ. Κατέδεται αὐτὸν πῦρ ἄκαυστον. Μυστήριόν τι μανθάνομεν περὶ τῆς κολάσεως τῆς ἀποκειμένης, ἵνα φυλασσώμεθα αὐτὴν παθεῖν. Πῦρ εἶπεν ἄκαυστον κατέδεσθαι τὸν ἀσεβῆ· τοῦτο τὸ πῦρ τὸ παρ' ἡμῖν ὑλικὸν οὐκ ἔστιν ἄκαυστον πῦρ· βλεπό μενον γὰρ αὐτό. Ἐκεῖνο δὲ ἀόρατόν ἐστι τὸ πῦρ, τὸ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἁμαρτωλοὺς ἐρχόμενον, ὃ ἔνδον αὐτοὺς καίει. Νοητόν ἐστι καὶ κολάζον. Ἐὰν θέλῃς εἰκόνα παραλαβεῖν ἐκείνου τοῦ πυρὸς, νόει μοι τὸν εἰς ὑπερβολὴν πυρέσσοντα, καὶ ὑπὸ πυρὸς φλεγόμενον. Οὐχ εὑρή σεις ὄψει τὸ πῦρ ἐν αὐτῷ, ὑπόκειται δὲ, καὶ ἐκκαίει αὐτοῦ τὰ σπλάγχνα. Οὕτως ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων πυρέττων τις ἐκκαίεται. Στίχ. κεʹ. Κακώσαι δὲ αὐτοῦ ἐπήλυτος τὸν οἶκον. Ὁ πολεμήσας τὸν λαὸν ἐκεῖνον ἐπήλυτος ἦν, καὶ οὐ προσήλυτος· ὃς ἐκάκωσεν αὐτοῦ τὸν οἶκον, κατα λύων τὸ νομιζόμενον ἁγίασμα, καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἢν ἔλε γον εἶναι ἁγίαν. Στίχ. κζʹ. Ἀνακαλύψαι δὲ αὐτοῦ ὁ οὐρανὸς τὰς ἀνομίας. Ἀντὶ τοῦ, Καὶ ἐκ Θεοῦ καὶ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ὑποστή σεται τὰ δεινά. Ταῦτα δὲ ἔφη, ἐπειδὴ ὁ Ἰὼβ, φήσας ὑπὸ Θεοῦ πεπλῆχθαι, ἐμνημόνευε καὶ ὡς ὑπὸ ἀνθρώ πων ἠδικημένος. Κατασκευάζει οὖν, ὅτι πάντα δι' ἁμαρτίας αὐτὸν ἐπηνέχθη. Στίχ. κζʹ. Γῆ δὲ ἐπανασταίη αὐτῷ. Αὐτὴ ἡ γῆ ἐπανίσταται ἐκείνῳ τῷ λαῷ. Στίχ. κθʹ. Καὶ κτῆμα ὑπαρχόντων αὐτῷ παρὰ τοῦ ἐπισκόπου. Μανθάνει τίς ἐπίσκοπος ἐνθάδε ὠνομάσθη; ὅτι Θεὸς ἐπίσκοπος εἴρηται, καὶ οἱ ἐπίσκοποι ἐκεί νου τὴν εἰκόνα παντὶ τῷ τρόπῳ φιλοτιμοῦνται, οἱ καλοὶ καὶ ἀγαθοὶ, φορεῖν. Καὶ ὥσπερ ὁ μιμησάμενος εἰκόνα βασιλικὴν τιμᾶται ἐπὶ τὸ καλῶς μιμήσασθαι, τιμᾶται δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ αὐτὴν κεκοσμηκέναι· οὕτως μακάριος ἐπίσκοπος, ὁ νοήσας τὸν ἀληθινὸν ἐπίσκο πον, καὶ ζηλῶν αὐτὸν, καὶ γινόμενος ὡς ἐν ἀνθρώποις Θεός· ἢ ἔχων ἐπίσκοπον τὸν ποιοῦντα αὐτὸν ἀληθῶς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ἐπίσκοπον· ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κρά τος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. ΚΕΦ. ΚΑʹ. Στίχ. εʹ. Εἰσβλέψαντες εἰς ἐμὲ θαῦμα σχέτε. Φατὲ σοφοὶ εἶναι, καὶ εἰδέναι διὰ τί ταῦτα πά σχω, ὡς τοῦ Θεοῦ μὴ κοιμωμένου ἐπὶ τοῖς ἁμαρ τήμασι τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Καὶ ἐτολμήσατέ με λέγειν ἁμαρτωλὸν εἶναι, καὶ δικαίως εἰς ταῦτα ἐφθακέναι. Στίχ. ζʹ. Πεπαλαίωνται δὲ καὶ ἐν πλούτῳ. Οὐκ εἰσὶ νεόπλουτοι, ἀλλὰ πολλὰ ἔτη πεποιή 17.77 κασι πλουτοῦντες, καὶ ἀεὶ τὸν πλοῦτον αὔξοντες. Στίχ. ηʹ. Ὁ σπόρος αὐτῶν κατὰ ψυχήν. Τοῦ μὲν δικαίου ὁ σπόρος κατὰ πνεῦμά ἐστι· Σπείρει γὰρ εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος θερίζει ζωὴν αἰώνιον· τῶν δὲ τοιούτων, ἐπεὶ ψυχι κὸς ἄνθρωπος οὐ δέχεται τὰ τοῦ πνεύματος· μω ρία γὰρ αὐτῷ ἐστιν· ὁ σπόρος οὐ κατὰ πνεῦμα, ἀλλὰ κατὰ ψυχὴν, τὸ ὑποδεέστερον. Στίχ. ηʹ. Τὰ δὲ τέκνα αὐτῶν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς. Πάντα ὅσα ποιοῦσιν, πρὸς τὸ θεαθῆναι ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ποιοῦσι. Τέκνα γὰρ τὰ ἔργα ἑκάστου. Οὐκ ἔστι τέκνα τῶν ἑτεροδόξων ἐν καρδίᾳ, ἐν λογισμοῖς ἀγαθοῖς, ἀλλ' ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς, πρὸς τὸ θεαθῆναι ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Στίχ. θʹ. Οἱ οἶκοι αὐτῶν εὐθηνοῦσιν. Ὅτ' ἂν εἰσέλθῃς εἰς συναγωγὴν αἱρετικῶν, καὶ ἴδῃς ἐκεῖ πλῆθος συναγομένων, βλέπε, ὅτι οἱ οἶκοι αὐτῶν εὐθηνοῦσιν. Στίχ. θʹ. Φόβος δὲ οὐδαμοῦ.