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first He makes him confess that he has surveyed all of human nature, and then He puts the question. From where have you come? And He did not say to him simply, 'having gone around the earth,' but 'and having walked about under heaven,' in order to allude to both the desert and the entire inhabited world and whatever is under heaven. For he especially frequents the deserts, just as Christ also said, 'It passes through waterless places seeking rest.' And this is a work of God's providence, to settle the majority of the demons there. 16 1,8a And the Lord said to him: 8b Have you given your mind's attention against my servant Job, 8c that there is no man like him of those on the earth, 8d a man blameless, just, true, God-fearing, 8e abstaining from every evil thing? See how the athlete is proclaimed for a second time by the impartial vote. But consider for me the devil's folly and wickedness. God testifies that he is blameless, and you expect to overcome the testimony? He would not have said, 'blameless, just, true, God-fearing,' unless He had foreknown that even when temptations befell him, he would remain unconquered. See how He makes the beginning of the contests and the pretext take its cause from the adversary. And just as someone who has a noble athlete wishes for him to contend with his opponents, but does not wish to provide the occasion himself, so that he might not seem to be ambitious, but for those very ones to come to this and issue the challenge, so that the things of victory might be glorious and the things of defeat more shameful for them, so also God does. 'Have you given,' He says, 'your mind's attention against my servant Job?' For to what else does the devil give the most attention? Against whom does he have his envy? 'Against my servant,' He says, 'Job.' This is sufficient for an account of virtue. Hear Him saying also elsewhere, 'Moses my servant is dead,' and again elsewhere, 'Remember,' He says, 'your servant Isaac.' For this immediately provoked him, that he is called His servant. It is as if He is reproaching and wishing to move him to the opposite: 'And you were a servant before this, and you are incorporeal, but this one has a body, this one is on the earth, while you were in heaven.' This is what Paul says: 'We shall judge angels, not to mention matters of this life.' 17 Have you considered that there is none like him on the earth? From this we learn that this especially led him to envy, that he found no one like him. Why are you bitten? Why are you provoked? The comparison is with a man. He said nothing yet about this, 'that there is none like him,' He says, 'on the earth.' Like in what way? In what respect do you say? In wealth? In noble birth? In any of the physical advantages? By no means, but in the virtue of his soul. For since 'like' often signified something of that sort, He adds, 'a man,' He says, 'just, true, God-fearing.' A just man; but you, not being a man, did not remain in virtue. Let no one say, 'So-and-so was a man.' Behold, this one too was a man. Do you see the lowliness of his nature? He was a man and was able to preserve virtue. In an earthen tabernacle he demonstrated such piety. The judgment is impartial, most of all and primarily, because it is spoken by God, and then also, because the enemy is present and listening for a flaw. 1,9a But the devil, it says, answered and said before the Lord: 9b Does Job fear God for nothing? This is characteristic of wicked men, when praises are spoken, not to emulate what is said, but to attempt and strive to tear them down. If any are wasted by the good reputations of others, let them hear whose disciples they are. But the devil, it says, answered and said before the Lord. O the shamelessness! He dared to vote against God. But not only that demon does this, but wicked men also. Or was not that one in the Gospel such, who said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering from where you did not scatter'? And again others said, 'Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord.' 'Does Job,' he says, 'fear the Lord for nothing?' since to lay hold of what had been said

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πρότερον αὐτὸν ποιεῖ ὁμολογῆσαι, ὅτι πᾶσαν ἐπεσκέψατο τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην φύσιν, καὶ τότε τὴν πεῦσιν ἐπάγει. πόθεν παραγέγονας; καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ἁπλῶς· περιελθὼν τὴν γῆν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐμπεριπατήσας τὴν ὑπ' οὐρανόν, ἵνα καὶ τὴν ἔρημον αἰνίξηται καὶ τὴν οἰκουμένην πᾶσαν καὶ εἴ τι ὑπόκειται τῷ οὐρανῷ. καὶ γὰρ μάλιστα ταῖς ἐρήμοις ἐμφιλοχωρεῖ, καθάπερ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς εἶπεν· διέρχεται δι' ἀνύδρων τόπων ζητοῦν ἀνάπαυσιν. καὶ τοῦτο τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ προνοίας ἔργον τὸ τὸ πλέον ἐκεῖ τῶν δαιμόνων ἀποικίζειν. 16 1,8a καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ κύριος· 8b προσέσχες τῇ διανοίᾳ σου κατὰ τοῦ θεράποντός μου Ἰώβ, 8c ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ὅμοιος αὐτῷ ἄνθρωπος τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, 8d ἄνθρωπος ἄμεμπτος, δίκαιος, ἀληθινός, θεοσεβής, 8e ἀπεχόμενος ἀπὸ παντὸς πονηροῦ πράγματος; Ὅρα, πῶς ὁ ἀθλητὴς ἀνακηρύττεται τοῦτο δεύτερον παρὰ τῆς ἀδεκάστου ψήφου. σὺ δέ μοι κατανόει τοῦ διαβόλου τὴν ἄνοιαν καὶ τὴν κακίαν. θεὸς μαρτυρεῖ, ὅτι ἄμεμπτος, καὶ σὺ προσδοκᾷς περιέσεσθαι τῆς μαρτυρίας; οὐκ ἂν εἶπεν· ἄμεμπτος, δίκαιος, ἀληθινός, θεοσεβής, εἰ μὴ προῄδει, ὅτι καὶ τῶν πειρασμῶν συμπεσουμένων ἀχείρωτος ἔμελλεν ἔσεσθαι. ὅρα, πῶς ποιεῖ τῶν παλαισμάτων τὴν ἀρχὴν καὶ τὴν ὑπόθεσιν παρὰ τοῦ ἀντιδίκου λαβεῖν τὴν αἰτίαν. καὶ καθάπερ τις ἀθλητὴν ἔχων γενναῖον βούλεται μὲν συμπλακῆναι αὐτὸν τοῖς ἐναντίοις, οὐ βούλεται δὲ αὐτὸς παρασχεῖν τὴν ἀφορμήν, ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ φιλότιμός τις εἶναι, ἀλλ' αὐτοὺς ἐκείνους ἐπὶ τοῦτο ἐλθεῖν καὶ προκαλέσασθαι, ἵνα καὶ τὰ τῆς νίκης λαμπρὰ γένηται καὶ τὰ τῆς ἥττης ἐκείνοις αἰσχίω, οὕτω καὶ ὁ θεὸς ποιεῖ. προσέσχες, φησίν, τῇ διανοίᾳ σου κατὰ τοῦ θεράποντός μου Ἰώβ; τίνι γὰρ ἄλλῳ μάλιστα προσέχει ὁ διάβολος; πρὸς τίνα ἔχει τὴν βασκανίαν; κατὰ τοῦ θεράποντός μου, φησίν, Ἰώβ. ἀρκεῖ τοῦτο εἰς ἀρετῆς λόγον. ἄκουε αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ λέγοντος· Μωσῆς ὁ θεράπων μου τετελεύτηκεν, καὶ πάλιν ἀλλαχοῦ· τοῦ δούλου σου, φησίν, Ἰσαὰκ μνήσθητι. τοῦτο γὰρ αὐτὸν παρέκνισεν εὐθέως, ὅτι θεράπων αὐτοῦ καλεῖται. μονονουχὶ ὀνειδίζοντός ἐστι καὶ βουλομένου πρὸς τὸ ἐναντίον αὐτὸν μετάγειν· «καὶ σὺ θεράπων ἦς πρὸ τούτου, καὶ σὺ ἀσώματος, ἀλλ' οὗτος σῶμα ἔχει, οὗτος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, σὺ δὲ ἐν οὐρανῷ.» τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὃ λέγει ὁ Παῦλος· ἀγγέλους κρινοῦμεν, μήτι γε βιωτικά. 17 προσέσχες, ὡς οὐκ ἔστιν ὅμοιος αὐτῷ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς; ἐντεῦθεν μανθάνομεν, ὅτι τοῦτο μάλιστα εἰς βασκανίαν αὐτὸν ἤγαγε τὸ μηδένα εὑρεῖν ὅμοιον αὐτῷ. τί δάκνῃ; τί παροξύνῃ; πρὸς ἄνθρωπον ἡ σύγκρισις αὐτῷ. οὐδὲν οὐδέπω περὶ τούτου εἶπεν, ὡς οὐκ ἔστιν ὅμοιος αὐτῷ, φησίν, ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. τί ὅμοιος; κατὰ τί λέγεις; κατὰ τὸν πλοῦτον; κατὰ τὴν εὐγένειαν; κατά τι τῶν σωματικῶν πλεονεκτημάτων; οὐδαμῶς, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν ἀρετὴν τῆς ψυχῆς. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πολλάκις τὸ ὅμοιον ἐδήλου κατά τι τοιοῦτον, ἐπάγει· ἄνθρωπος, φησίν, δίκαιος, ἀληθινός, θεοσεβής. ἄνθρωπος δίκαιος· σὺ δὲ οὐκ ἄνθρωπος ὢν οὐκ ἔμεινας ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς. μηδεὶς λεγέτω· ἄνθρωπος ἦν ὁ δεῖνα. ἰδού, καὶ οὗτος ἄνθρωπος ἦν. ὁρᾷς τῆς φύσεως τὴν εὐτέλειαν; ἄνθρωπος ἦν καὶ ἠδυνήθη διατηρῆσαι τὴν ἀρετήν. ἐν πηλίνῳ σκηνώματι τοσαύτην εὐσέβειαν ἐπεδείξατο. ἀδέκαστος ἡ κρίσις, μάλιστα μὲν οὖν καὶ προηγουμένως, ἐπειδὴ παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ λέγεται, ἔπειτα δέ, ὅτι καὶ τοῦ ἐχθροῦ παρόντος καὶ τοῦ μώμου ἀκούοντος. 1,9a ἀπεκρίθη δέ, φησίν, ὁ διάβολος καὶ εἶπεν ἐναντίον τοῦ κυρίου· 9b μὴ δωρεὰν σέβεται ˉ̓Ιὼβ τὸν θεόν; τοῦτο πονηρῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐστὶν ἐγκωμίων λεγομένων μὴ ζηλοῦν τὰ λεγόμενα, ἀλλ' ἐπιχειρεῖν καὶ σπουδάζειν αὐτὰ καθαιρεῖν. εἴ τινες ταῖς ἑτέρων εὐδοκιμήσεσι τήκονται, ἀκουέτωσαν, τίνος εἰσὶ μαθηταί. ἀπεκρίθη δέ, φησίν, ὁ διάβολος καὶ εἶπεν ἐναντίον τοῦ κυρίου. ὢ τῆς ἀναισχυντίας· ἐτόλμησεν ἀντιψηφίσασθαι τῷ θεῷ. τοῦτο δὲ οὐχὶ ὁ δαίμων ἐκεῖνος ποιεῖ μόνος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄνθρωποι πονηροί. ἢ οὐχὶ τοιοῦτος ἐκεῖνος ἦν ὁ ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ λέγων· ᾔδειν, ὅτι σκληρὸς εἶ ἄνθρωπος θερίζων, ὅπου οὐκ ἔσπειρας, καὶ συνάγων, ὅθεν οὐ διεσκόρπισας; καὶ πάλιν ἕτεροι ἔλεγον· πᾶς ποιῶν πονηρὸν καλὸν ἐνώπιον κυρίου. μὴ δωρεὰν σέβεται, φησίν, Ἰὼβ τὸν κύριον; ἐπειδὴ τῶν εἰρημέ18 νων ἐπιλαβέσθαι