Didymus the Blind, Commentaries on Job

to find or for such kindling-materials to arise which lead to it. And in this very thing let not a Lucifer-like word come to be, appearing to be luminous on account of the persuasiveness of the need to be pleased with this way. For often the one who loves sin 66 persists in error, either accepting the pleasure or stirring up plausible reasonings, from which he supposes he is not in error. "Because it did not shut the gates of my mother's womb." Now he seems to state the cause of the curse, which does not fit the perceptible night, but the state, as we said, which leads to this life. For if it had not opened them, neither would the gates of my mother's womb have been opened, that is, this painful life would not exist, nor on account of sin of such a ···· would the sin of the race have occurred. But with this existing, neither would the one living according to the economy κ̣····· · have been prolonged through this state, which things the blessed Paul also, knowing, said: "It is better to depart and be with Christ. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary for your sake," so that the one is for a reason, but the other is absolutely good. For it is blessed to be outside of this life. Indeed, to his own Jesus says: "You are no longer of this world, but I have chosen you." It is better, therefore, not to have experienced such a path at all, even if it happens for the sake of an economy. 67 For it is good, if no one, being healthy, needed a physician. For thus it would follow not to be in the same state, which painful and unpleasant things follow, as he also adds. "For he would have removed pain from my eyes." He indicates not only the pain afflicting and surrounding him, but also that he saw many being perverted; for the eye of the righteous man is weighed down by lawless deeds being performed by the wicked. And yielding to this life itself is no small pain. In injustices it has all these things ·····_6_ρ_ _ε6να, which it would prevent if wickedness did not exist. But Habakkuk also utters such a voice, saying: "Why did you show me toils and pains, to look upon misery and impiety?" "For why did I not die in the belly, or come forth from the womb and not perish immediately? Why did the knees receive me, and why did I nurse at the breasts?" He, it seems, declines the economy which is for the sake of those being helped, like Jonah, in addition to demanding teaching of the judgments of God, 68 which is characteristic of the righteous, not that they are completely ignorant, but so that others might learn this sort of speech in personification. Jeremiah, at any rate, brings forward an inquiry: "You are righteous, O Lord, yet I will speak judgments to you," which is indicative of knowing what happens to these, about whom he asks: "Why does the way of the wicked prosper?" The judgment of God in fact admits much variety, with the unjust prospering, but the righteous being afflicted and partaking of abominations, just as Jeremiah himself, being holy so as even to have been sanctified from the womb, yet suffered such things as even to be cast into a pit of mire; but also Lazarus and the rich man—the one suffering evil, the other living with the greatest comfort—bring forth the precision of the secret judgments of God. But he calls this "to prosper" according to the opinion of the many. Therefore, not speaking idly but asking so that others might learn such things, the holy one adds. Of this sort, then, is also what is said in one of the psalms: "How good God is to Israel, to the upright in heart. But as for me, my feet were almost shaken, my steps had nearly poured out, 69 because I was envious of the lawless, seeing the peace of sinners." And that he does not doubt is clear; for he says: "How good God is to Israel." He makes these things to be understood by those who have an upright heart. And he presents himself as being shaken even though he is firm, taking on the persona of those who are displeased, so that then after the words of hesitation he might bring on the words of teaching. And Job, at any rate, inquiring of God, wishes to learn—for he introduces this persona—the cause of such a way of life. For also to the cause of that which is in

εὑρίσκειν ἢ ἐνγίνεσθαι τοιαῦτα ὑπεκκαύματα τὰ ἄγοντα ἐπ' αὐτήν. ἐν αὐτῆι δὲ ταύτῃ μηδὲ ἑωσφόρος γένοιτο λόγος δοκῶν εἶναι φωτεινὸς διὰ πιθανότητα τοῦ δεῖν ἀρέσκεσθαι τῇ ὁδῷ ταύτῃ. πολλάκις γὰρ ὁ φιλαμαρτήμων 66 ἐμμένει τῶι σφάλματι ἢ τὴν ἡδονὴν ἀποδεχόμενος ἢ λογισμοὺς πιθανοὺς ἀνακινῶν, ἐξ ὧν οἴεται μὴ σφάλλεσθαι. "ὅτι οὐ συνέκλεισεν πύλας γαστρὸς μητρός μου." τὸ αἴτιον τῆς ἀρᾶς νῦν φαίνεται λέγων, ὅπερ ο̣υ᾿̣κ̣ ἐπὶ τῆς αἰσθητῆς νυκτὸς ἁρμ̣ο´̣ζει, ἀλλὰ τῆς καταστάσεως ὡς ἔφαμεν τῆς ἐπὶ τὸν βίον ἀγούσης. εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἦν αὐτὰς οἴξασα, οὐδ' ἂν ἠνοίγοντο πύλαι γαστ̣ρ̣ὸς μητρός, ὅ ἐστιν οὐκ ἂν ἦν ὁ ἐπώδυνος οὗτος βίος οὐδὲ δι' ἁμαρτίαν τοιαύτης ···· ἐγεγόνει τὸ τοῦ γένους ἁμάρτημα. τούτου δ' ὑπάρχοντος οὐκ ἂν οὐδ' ὁ κατ' οἰκονομίαν κ̣····· · διάγων διὰ ταύτης τῆς καταστάσεως παρετείνετο, ἅπερ εἰ δὼς καὶ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος ἔφασκεν· "κάλλιον ἀναλῦσαι καὶ σὺν Χριστῷ εἶναι. τὸ δὲ ἐπιμένειν τῇ σαρκὶ ἀναγκαιότερον δι' ὑμᾶς", ὥστε τὸ μὲν διά τι, τὸ δὲ ἀπολύτως καλὸν ὑπάρχειν. μακάριον γὰρ τὸ ἐκτὸς εἶναι τοῦ ζῆν τούτου. τοῖς γοῦν γνωρίμοις ὁ Ἰησοῦς λέγει· "οὐκέτι ἐστὲ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, ἀλλ' ἐγὼ ἐξελεξάμην ὑμᾶς." βέλτιον οὖν τὸ μηδὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν πειραθῆναι τοιαύτης ὁδοῦ, κἂν δι' οἰκονομίαν 67 συμβαίνῃ. καλὸν γάρ, εἰ μηδεὶς ἐδέετο ἰατροῦ ὑγιὴς ὤν. οὕτω γὰρ ἠκολούθει τὸ μὴ εἶναι ἐν τῇ αὐτῆι καταστάσει, ᾗ ἀκολουθεῖ καὶ ἐπίπονα καὶ ἀηδῆ, ὡς καὶ ἐπιφέρει. "ἀπήλλαξεν γὰρ ἂν πόνον ἀπὸ ὀφθαλμῶν μου." οὐ μόνον τὸν θλίβοντα καὶ περιέχοντα αὐτὸν πόνον δηλοῖ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅτι εἶδεν πολλοὺς διαστρεφομένους· ὁ γὰρ τοῦ δικαίου ὀφθαλμὸς ἐκθέσμοις ἔργοις ἐνεργουμένοις ἀπὸ τῶν φαύλων βαρύνεται. καὶ αὐτὸ δὲ τὸ ἐπιχωρεῖν τῶι βίῳ πόνος οὐ μικρός. ἐν ἀδικίαι ταῦτα πάντα ἔχει ·····_6_ρ_ ̣_ε6να, ἅπερ ἤργει κακίας μὴ γινομένης. ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ Ἁμβακοὺμ τοιαύτην ἀφίησι φωνὴν λέγων· "ἱνατί μοι ἔδειξας κόπους καὶ πόνους, ἐπιβλέπειν ταλαιπωρίαν καὶ ἀσέβειαν;" "διὰ τί γὰρ ἐν κοιλίαι οὐκ ἐτελεύτησα, ἐκ γαστρὸς δὲ ἐξῆλθον καὶ οὐκ εὐθὺς ἀπωλόμην; ἱνατί δὲ συνήντησάν μοι τὰ γόνατα, ἱνατί δὲ μαστοὺς ἐθήλασα;" τὴν οἰκονομίαν τὴν διὰ τοὺς ὠφελουμένους ὡς ἔοικεν παραιτεῖται κατὰ τὸν Ἰωνὰν πρὸς τῷ καὶ διδασκαλίαν ἀπαιτεῖν τῶν τοῦ θεοῦ κριμάτων, 68 ὅπερ ἴδιόν ἐστιν τῶν δικαίων, οὐκ ἀγνοούντων παντελῶς, ἀλλ' ἵνα οἱ ἄλλοι μάθωσιν τὸ τοιο̣ῦτο εἶδος τῶν λόγων προσωποποιουμένων. ὁ Ἰερεμίας γοῦν προσάγει πεῦσιν· "δίκαιος εἶ, κύριε, πλὴν κρίματα λαλήσω πρὸς σέ", ὅπερ δεικτικὸν ὑπάρχει τοῦ εἰδέναι ἃ τούτοις γίνεται, περὶ ὧν ἐρωτᾷ· "τί ὅτι ὁδὸς ἀσεβῶν εὐοδοῦται;" τὸ τοῦ θεοῦ κρίμα τῶι ὄντι πολλὴν δέχεται ποικιλίαν ἀδίκων μὲν εὐθηνουμένων, δικαίων δὲ στενοχωρουμένων καὶ μυσαρῶν μετασχόντων, ὡς αὐτὸς ὁ Ἰερεμίας ἅγιος ὢν ὡς καὶ ἐκ μήτρας ἡγιάσθαι, παθὼν δὲ τοσαῦτα ὡς καὶ εἰς λάκκον βορβόρου ἐμβάλλεσθαι· ἀλλὰ καὶ Λάζαρος καὶ ὁ πλούσιος-ὁ μὲν κακοπαθῶν, ὁ δὲ ζῶν μετὰ πλείστης εὐπαθείας-τὸ τῶν ἀπορρήτων θεοῦ κριμάτων ἀκριβὲς ἐκφέρουσιν. "εὐοδεῖσθαι" δὲ τοῦτο καλεῖ ὡς πρὸς τὴν τῶν πολλῶν δόξαν. οὐκ ματαιολογῶν οὖν ἀλλ' ἐρωτῶν διὰ τὸ τοὺς ἄλλους μαθεῖν τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐπιφέρει ὁ ἅγιος. τούτου τοίνυν ὑπάρχει καὶ τὸ ἐν ἑνὶ τῶν ψαλμῶν λεγόμενον· "ὡς ἀγαθὸς τῷ Ἰσδραὴλ ὁ θεός, τοῖς εὐθέσι τῇ καρδίᾳ. ἐμοῦ δὲ παρὰ μικρὸν ἐσαλεύθησαν οἱ πόδες, παρ' ὀλίγον ἐξεχύθη τὰ διαβήματά μου, 69 ὅτι ἐζήλωσα ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνόμοις εἰρήνην ἁμαρτωλῶν θεωρῶν." ὅτι δ' οὐκ ἀμφιβάλλει δῆλον· φησὶν γάρ· "ὡς ἀγαθὸς τῷ Ἰσδραὴλ ὁ θεός." ταῦτα ποιεῖ νοούμενα παρὰ τῶν εὐθεῖαν ἐχόντων καρ δίαν. ἑαυτὸν δ' ὑποτίθεται σαλευόμενον καὶ βέβαιος ὤν, τῶν δὲ δυσαρεστουμένων πρόσωπον ἀναδεχόμενος, ἵνα λοιπὸν μετὰ τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ δισταγμοῦ τὰ ῥήματα τῆς διδασκαλίας ἐπενέγκῃ. καὶ ὁ Ἰὼβ γοῦν θεοῦ πυνθανόμενος μαθεῖν θέλει-τοῦτο γὰρ εἰσάγει πρόσωπον-τῆς τοιαύτης διαγωγῆς αἰτίαν. καὶ γὰρ πρὸς τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς ἐν