12

of the one crowning, there was a certain divine providence for the friends to delay, so that the contest might have an extension and the righteous one, having contended more greatly, might be more justly proclaimed by God. 2, 11 Eliphaz the king of the Temanites; of a nation around Sinai. 2, 11 Bildad the tyrant of the Shuhites; and they say the city of Shuah belongs to the Moabites. Therefore Bildad was king of the Moabites; for "tyrant" here is used instead of "king". 2, 11 Zophar the king of the Minaeans; that is, of the Ammonites. 2, 11 and they came to him with one accord to comfort and to visit him. Symmachus has translated it thus: _f_o_r_ _t_h_e_y_ _a_r_r_a_n_g_e_d_ _t_o_ _c_o_m_e_ _t_o_g_e_t_h_e_r_ _t_o_ _s_y_m_pathize with him and to console 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. 2, 12 and when they saw him from afar, they did not recognize him, as the affliction had wiped out his old features. 2, 12 and crying out with a loud voice, they wept, each one tearing his own robe; and seeing the misfortune of their friend and considering the sudden change of circumstances, they wept with lamentation and tore their robes, mourning him as one dead, who was more pitiful than the cast-out dead. 2, 12 and they sprinkled earth on their heads. But some books have: _a_n_d_ _l_o_o_k_i_n_g_ _u_p_ _t_o_ _h_e_a_v_e_n_ propitiating God and all but saying: be merciful, Lord, and do not surround us with such evils, which indeed we are accustomed to do, marveling and at the same time fearing, when we see some who have fallen into unexpected misfortunes. 2, 13 They sat with him seven days and seven nights, and none of them spoke; for they saw that the affliction was great and exceedingly terrible. The Scripture did not say: 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 after fulfilling their necessary needs. And again returning they would sit until late in the night, and again departing they would come early in the morning to him, which indeed is characteristic of the most genuine and sympathetic friends. But the Scripture, using common custom, said absolutely: they sat with him seven days and seven nights, since also when it says that Jacob served for fourteen years and was scorched by the heat of the day and by the frost of the night; did he never go under a roof? did he get no rest in all that time? Now, to quibble about these things is nonsense; for as I said, the Scripture uses common custom. But since some, mocking the Scripture, also from this slander it as false (for they could not, they say, have remained without food for so many days), we have been compelled to be carried away with their untimely hair-splitting. Persevering therefore both days and nights, in the manner I have said, and as the law of love demanded, they found no word of consolation, as the misfortune overcame the solace from words. 35 CHAPTER THREE Beginning of the saying: After this Job opened his mouth and cursed his day, saying. Preface to the chapter. The righteous man suffers, and no one would deny it; for virtue belongs not to the insensible, but to those who are philosophical in their sufferings. And he is in pain, on the one hand, according to what is apparent, being most sharply pierced by the affliction in the flesh, but on the other hand, according to what is conceived, as a righteous man and one who loves God, seeing some being scandalized by his sufferings, as if the righteous man were enduring such things. Therefore he suffered and was in pain both because of his sufferings and because the glory of God was being slandered on his account. For when he says: "Why have you made me your target?" he was not himself making intercession against God, may it not be so. For against whom could he make intercession? but this is what he says: "Why on my account, Lord, is your name blasphemed?" and he was not least disturbed and grew dizzy, as one severely wounded by the love of God,

12

στεφανώσαντος, οἰκονομία τις θεία γέγονεν ἐμβραδῦναι τοὺς φί 32 λους, ἵνα παράτασιν σχῇ τὰ τοῦ σκάμματος καὶ μειζόνως ἀθλήσας ὁ δίκαιος δικαιότερον ἀναρρηθῇ παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ. 2, 11 Ἐλιφὰζ ὁ Θαιμανῶν βασιλεύς· ἔθνους περὶ τὸ Σινά. 2, 11 Βαλδὰδ ὁ Σαυχαίων τύραννος· τὴν δὲ Σαυχὶ πόλιν εἶναί φασι Μωαβιτῶν. Μωαβιτῶν οὖν ἦν βασιλεὺς ὁ Βαλδάδ· τὸ γὰρ τύραννος ἐνταῦθα ἀντὶ τοῦ βασιλεὺς κεῖται. 2, 11 Σωφὰρ ὁ Μιναίων βασιλεύς· τουτέστιν· Ἀμμανιτῶν. 2, 11 καὶ παρεγένοντο πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁμοθυμαδὸν τοῦ παρακαλέσαι καὶ ἐπισκέψασθαι αὐτόν. Σύμμαχος οὕτως ἐκδέδωκεν· _σ_υ_ν_ε_τ_ά_ξ_α_ν_τ_ο_ _γ_ὰ_ρ_ _ὁ_μ_ο_ῦ_ _ἐ_λ_θ_ό_ν_τ_ε_ς_ _σ_υ_μ_παθῆσαι αὐτῷ καὶ παραμυθήσασθαι αὐτόν. ὅρα καὶ ἐντεῦθεν, ὡς καὶ ἕτερος παρῆλθε χρόνος, ἕως ὅτε πρὸς ἀλλήλους διαπεμψάμενοι τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ σύνοδόν τε καὶ ἄφιξιν ἐποιήσαντο. 2, 12 ἰδόντες δὲ αὐτὸν πόρρωθεν οὐκ ἐπέγνωσαν τῆς λώβης τοὺς παλαιοὺς αὐτοῦ χαρακτῆρας ἐξαφανισάσης. 2, 12 καὶ βοήσαντες φωνῇ μεγάλῃ ἔκλαυσαν ῥήξαντες ἕκαστος τὴν ἑαυτοῦ στολὴν τήν τε τοῦ φίλου συμφορὰν ἰδόντες καὶ τὴν ἀγχίστροφον τῶν πραγμάτων μεταβολὴν ἐνθυμηθέντες ἔκλαυσαν μετ' οἰμωγῆς ἔρρηξάν τε 33 τὴν στολὴν ὡς νεκρὸν πενθοῦντες τὸν τῶν τεθνηκότων ἀπερριμμένων ἐλεεινότερον. 2, 12 καὶ καταπασάμενοι γῆν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτῶν. τινὰ δὲ βιβλία ἔχουσι· _κ_α_ὶ_ _ἀ_ν_α_β_λ_έ_ψ_α_ν_τ_ε_ς_ _ε_ἰ_ς_ _τ_ὸ_ν_ _ο_ὐ_ρ_α_ν_ὸ_ν τὸν θεὸν ἐξιλεούμενοι καὶ μονονουχὶ λέγοντες· ἵλεως ἔσο, δέσποτα, καὶ μὴ τοιούτοις ἡμᾶς περιβάλῃς κακοῖς, ὃ δὴ καὶ ποιεῖν εἰώθαμεν θαυμάζοντες ὁμοῦ καὶ φοβούμενοι, ὅταν ὁρῶμέν τινας ταῖς ἀδοκήτοις περιπεπτωκότας συμφοραῖς. 2, 13 παρεκάθισαν αὐτῷ ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας καὶ ἑπτὰ νύκτας, καὶ οὐδεὶς αὐτῶν ἐλάλησεν· ἑώρων γὰρ τὴν πληγὴν μεγάλην οὖσαν καὶ δεινὴν σφόδρα. οὐκ εἶπεν ἡ γραφή· ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας ἀπὸ πρωίθεν ἕως ἑσπέρας, οὐδέ· ἑπτὰ νύκτας ἀφ' ἑσπέρας μέχρι πρωίας. δῆλον οὖν, ὅτι τὸ πλεῖον τῆς ἡμέρας παρακαθεζόμενοι ὑπανεχώρουν τὰς ἀναγκαίας ἐκπληρώσαντες χρείας. καὶ πάλιν ἐπανήκοντες μέχρι 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 εἶπεν· παρεκάθισαν αὐτῷ ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας καὶ ἑπτὰ νύκτας, ἐπεὶ καὶ ὅτε λέγει τὸν Ἰακὼβ δεκατέσσαρα ἔτη δουλεῦσαι καὶ συγκαίεσθαι τῷ καύσωνι τῆς ἡμέρας καὶ τῷ παγετῷ τῆς νυκτός· ἆρα ὑπὸ στέγην οὐκ εἰσῄει ποτέ; ἆρα οὐδεμιᾶς ἀναπαύσεως ἔτυχεν ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ χρόνῳ; ταῦτα μὲν οὖν καὶ λεπτολογεῖν φλύαρον· ὡς γὰρ ἔφην, ἡ γραφὴ κοινῇ συνηθείᾳ χρῆται. ἐπειδὴ δέ τινες κωμῳδοῦντες τὴν γραφὴν καὶ ἐντεῦθεν αὐτὴν ὡς ψευδῆ δια 34 σύρουσιν (οὐ γὰρ ἄν, φασίν, ἄσιτοι διετέλουν ἐπὶ τοσαύταις ἡμέραις), ἠναγκάσθημεν αὐτῶν συναπαχθῆναι τῇ ἀκαίρῳ στενολεσχίᾳ. προσκαρτεροῦντες τοιγαροῦν τάς τε ἡμέρας καὶ τὰς νύκτας, καθ' ὃν ἔφην τρόπον, καὶ ὡς ὁ τῆς ἀγάπης ἀπῄτει θεσμός, οὐδένα λόγον ηὕρισκον παραμυθίας, ὑπερνικώσης τῆς συμφορᾶς τὴν ἐκ τῶν λόγων παραψυχήν. 35 ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ΤΡΙΤΟΝ Ἀρχὴ τοῦ ῥητοῦ· Μετὰ τοῦτο ἤνοιξεν Ἰὼβ τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ καὶ κατηράσατο τὴν ἡμέραν αὐτοῦ λέγων. Προθεωρία τοῦ κεφαλαίου ἀλγεῖ μὲν ὁ δίκαιος καὶ οὐκ ἄν τις ἀρνήσαιτο· οὐ γὰρ τῶν ἀναισθήτων ἡ ἀρετή, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἐν τοῖς πάθεσι φιλοσοφούντων. ὀδυνᾶται δὲ κατὰ μὲν τὸ φαινόμενον ὑπὸ τῆς ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ πληγῆς δριμυτάτως κεντούμενος, κατὰ δὲ τὸ νοούμενον οἷα δίκαιος καὶ φιλόθεος ἀνὴρ ὁρῶν τινας σκανδαλιζομένους ἐπὶ τοῖς αὐτοῦ πάθεσιν ὡς δὴ τοῦ δικαίου τοιαῦτα ὑπομένοντος. ἤλγει τοιγαροῦν καὶ ὠδυνᾶτο καὶ διὰ τὰ πάθη καὶ ὡς τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ δόξης ἐπ' αὐτῷ διασυρομένης. καὶ γὰρ ὅταν λέγη· ἵνα τί ἔθου με κατεντευκτήν σου; οὐκ αὐτὸς κατὰ θεοῦ ἐνετύγχανεν, μὴ γένοιτο. τίνι γὰρ καὶ εἶχεν ἐντυγχάνειν; ἀλλὰ τοῦτό ἐστιν ὅ φησιν· ἵνα τί δι' ἐμέ, δέσποτα, τὸ ὄνομά σου βλασφημεῖται; ἐθορυβεῖτο δὲ οὐχ ἥκιστα καὶ ἰλιγγία οἷα σφοδρῶς τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ τετρωμένος ἀγάπῃ,