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spoke to Job. Therefore God granted them pardon and for their ignorance made them offer a sacrifice. For they did not do this with evil intent, but were saying this as if justifying providence, even if they were ignorant of the exact truth. From this assumption, at any rate, the one who began first adds the words, saying: "Has it not been spoken to you many times in weariness," which indicates that: You yourself have also often used words toward those who have fallen into afflictions, so that we may hear "it has been spoken" in an active sense, like "it has been done by you." It can also be said passively, so that 97 what is said may be: Have you, being now for the first time in troubles, had one speaking to you the words of comfort? with "not" (μὴ) being taken for "not" (οὐχὶ). For Job was not in adversity only then. For it is likely that he had been in afflictions for a longer time. Then, having understood the meaning of what was said by Job differently, and having heard his words as from one who despises, he adds: "But who will bear the strength of words?" You yourself brought comfort to many, but your words, filled with contempt, no one is able to bear. But he said these things, being ignorant of the greatness of what was said by him. And he ostensibly receives the comparison from him, saying: "For if you have admonished many" and what follows, indicating that: what you produced for others for comfort, in a way raising up those paralyzed by grief, not remembering, "you hastened"—instead of "you are troubled"—, and doing many things for the aid and comfort of the afflicted, so as to extend a right hand to them according to what is said in Isaiah to the rulers: "Comfort with the hand," with the word signifying98 unanimity and sympathy. "and to failing knees you have imparted courage," giving strength to people seized by weakness through your zeal for them. And according to an allegorical interpretation, "he who bends them to Baal" has paralyzed knees, he who proclaims another god, he who serves the sin which he commits. "But now trouble has come upon you and has touched you," with "has touched" indicating a severe intensification of the adversity. In addition to what was said there, it is fitting to understand that there was an affliction more grievous than the adversity: the condemnation brought by his friends through their words. For in addition to the calamity being inconsolable, also the words, being burdensome, provided no small distress. "Is not your fear in folly, and your hope and the evil of your way?" Although the scriptural spirit testified for Job that he did not attribute folly to God, this one, having another opinion about what had been brought upon him and reasoning that he suffers because of sins, and thinking that he spoke what he uttered out of contempt, says: "Is not your fear in folly"—for you think yourself righteous— 99 "and your hope and the evil of your way." And it is folly, he says, also to hope that he will be seen to be righteous. For such things are not brought upon one justly. This same way is called a way of evil, since Eliphaz thought in all respects that the blessed one suffers because of sin. Thus he also attributed folly to him. "Remember, then, who that was pure has perished, or when have the true been utterly destroyed? In the manner that I have seen those who plow what is amiss, and those who sow it shall reap pains for themselves. They shall perish by the command of the Lord, and by the breath of his anger they shall be consumed." Still holding to the same thought, that it was because of sin Job had experience of adversities, he says these things to him, thinking that no person who was pure in his life fell into afflictions and "was utterly destroyed," hinting at the loss of children and of money and of possessions. For this is what "were destroyed" means to him. But he compares the wicked, supposing that these 100 also fall into calamities—saying something true, that "those who sow injustices reap pains"—, suggesting that one should understand the retribution, which he says is sent from God, and being correctly disposed about this, through the

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τὸν Ἰὼβ ἐλάλησαν. διὸ καὶ ὁ θεὸς συγγνώμην αὐτοῖς ἀπένειμεν καὶ ὑπὲρ ἀγνοίας ἐποίησεν προσαγαγεῖν θυσίαν. ὅτι δ' οὐ κακῇ προθέσει τοῦτο ἐποίησαν ἀλλ' ὡς δικαιοῦντες τὴν πρόνοιαν, τοῦτο ἔλεγον, εἰ καὶ τὴν ἀκρίβειαν ἠγνόησαν. ἀπὸ ταύτης γοῦν τῆς διαλήμψεως καὶ τὰς λέξεις ἐπιφέρει ὁ πρῶτος ἀρξάμενος φάσκων· "μὴ πολλάκις σοι λελάληται ἐν κόπῳ", ὅπερ δηλοῖ ὅτι· καὶ αὐτὸς σὺ πολλάκις ἐχρήσω λόγοις πρός τινας περιπεπτωκότας θλιβηροῖς, ἵνα τὸ λελάληται ἐνεργητικῶς ἀκούσωμεν ὡς τὸ πέπρακταί σοι. δύναται καὶ παθητικῶς εἰρῆσθαι, ἵν' ᾖ 97 τὸ λεγόμενον· ἦ νῦν πρῶτον ἐν κόποις γεγενημένος ἔσχες τὸν λαλοῦντά σοι τὰ τῆς παρακλήσεως; τοῦ μὴ ἀντὶ τοῦ οὐχὶ λαμβανομένου. οὐδὲ γὰρ τότε μόνον ἐν περιστάσει ἦν ὁ Ἰώβ. εἰκὸς γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐν πλείονι χρόνῳ ἐν τοῖς θλιβηροῖς εἶναι. εἶτα τῶν εἰρημένων πρὸς τοῦ Ἰὼβ ἑτέρως ἐξειληφὼς τὴν διάνοιαν καὶ ὡς παρὰ ὀλιγωροῦντος ἀκούσας αὐτοῦ τὰ ῥήματα ἐπάγει· "ἰσχὺν δὲ ῥημάτων τίς ὑποίσει;" αὐτὸς μὲν πολλοῖς παράκλησιν προσήγαγες, τὰ δὲ σὰ ῥήματα ὀλιγωρίας πεπληρωμένα οὐδεὶς οἷός τέ ἐστι φέρειν. ταῦτα δὲ ἔλεγεν ἀγνοῶν τὸ μέγεθος τῶν παρ' αὐτοῦ εἰρημένων. καὶ δέχεται δῆθεν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τὴν σύνκρισιν λέγων· "εἰ γὰρ σὺ ἐνουθέτησας πολλοὺς" καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, δηλῶν ὅτι· ἃ σὺ τοῖς ἄλλοις εἰς παραμυθίαν παρήγαγες διανιστῶν τρόπον τινὰ τοὺς παρεθέντας ὑπὸ λύπης οὐχ ὑπομιμνῃσκόμενος "ἐσπούδασας"-ἀντὶ τοῦ τετάραξαι-, καὶ πρὸς ἐπικουρίαν καὶ παράκλησιν πολλὰ ποιῶν τοῖς θλιβομένοις ὡς δεξιὰν ὀρέγειν αὐτοῖς κατὰ τὸ ἐν Ἠσαίᾳ λεγόμενον πρὸς τοὺς ἄρχον τας· "παρακαλεῖτε τῆι χειρί", τὴν σύνπνοιαν καὶ συνπάθειαν δηλοῦν98 τος τοῦ λόγου. "γόνασιν δὲ ἀδυνατοῦσιν θάρσος περιέθηκας", ἀσθενείᾳ πεπιασμένοις ἀνθρώποις ἰσχὺν παρέχων διὰ τῆς εἰς αὐτοὺς σπουδῆς. κατὰ δὲ ἀναγωγὴν γόνατα παραλελυμένα ἔχει "ὁ τῇ Βάαλ αὐτὰ κάμπτων", ὁ θεὸν ἕτερον ἀναγορεύων, ὁ δουλεύων ᾗ ποιεῖ ἁμαρτίᾳ. "νῦν δὲ ἥκει ἐπὶ σὲ πόνος καὶ ἥψατό σου", τοῦ ἥψατο δηλοῦντος σφοδρὰν ἐπίτασιν τῆς περιστάσεως. πρὸς τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἐκεῖ ἐννοεῖν ἀκόλουθον ὡς χαλεπωτέρα τῆς περιστάσεως θλῖψις ὑπῆρχεν ἡ παρὰ τῶν φίλων διὰ τῶν λόγων προσαγομένη καταδρομή. πρὸς γὰρ τῷ ἀπαράκλητον εἶναι τὸ δεινὸν ἔτι καὶ οἱ λόγοι φορτικοὶ ὄντες οὐ μικρὰν παρεῖχον ἀνίαν. "πότερον οὐχ ὁ φόβος σού ἐστιν ἐν ἀφροσύνῃ καὶ ἡ ἐλπίς σου καὶ ἡ κακία τῆς ὁδοῦ σου;" τοῦ συνγραφικοῦ πνεύματος μαρτυρήσαντος τῷ Ἰὼβ ὅτι οὐκ ἔδωκεν ἀφροσύνην τῷ θεῷ, οὗτος ἑτέραν διάλημψιν ἔχων περὶ τῶν ἐπαχθέν των αὐτῷ καὶ λογιζόμενος, ὅτι διὰ ἁμαρτήματα πάσχει, οἰόμενός τε αὐτὸν ἐξ ὀλιγωρίας εἰρηκέναι ἃ ἐφθέγξατο, φησίν· "πότερον οὐχ ὁ φόβος σού ἐστιν ἐν ἀφροσύνῃ"-οἰόμενος γὰρ σαυτὸν δίκαιον- 99 "καὶ ἡ ἐλπίς σου καὶ ἡ κακία τῆς ὁδοῦς σου". ἀφροσύνη δέ, φησίν, καὶ τὸ ἐλπίζειν ὅτι δίκαιος ὀφθήσει. δικαίῳς γὰρ τοιαῦτα οὐκ ἐπάγεται. αὐτὴ δ' αὕτη ἡ ὁδὸς ὁδὸς κακίας εἴρηται διὰ πάντων νομίζοντι τῷ Ἐλιφὰζ ὅτι δι' ἁμαρτίας πάσχει ὁ μακάριος. οὕτως καὶ ἀφροσύνην αὐτῷ προσῆπτεν. "μνήσθητι οὖν τίς καθαρὸς ὢν ἀπώλετο ἢ πότε ἀληθινοὶ ὁλόρριζοι ἀπώλοντο. καθ' ὃν τρόπον εἶδον τοὺς ἀροτριῶντας τὰ ἄτοπα, οἱ δὲ σπείροντες αὐτὰ ὀδύνας θερίσουσιν ἑαυτοῖς. ἀπὸ προστάγματος κυρίου ἀπολοῦνται, ἀπὸ δὲ πνεύματος ὀργῆς αὐτοῦ ἀφανισθήσονται." ἔτι τῆς αὐτῆς ἐχόμενος διανοίας ὡς δι' ἁμαρτίας ὁ Ἰὼβ τῶν περιστατικῶν εἰλήφει πεῖραν, ταῦτά φησιν πρὸς αὐτόν, οἰόμενος ὡς οὐδεὶς ἄνθρωπος καθαρὸς ὢν τῶι βίῳ θλιβηροῖς περιέπεσεν καὶ "ὁλό ρριζος ἀπώλετο", αἰνιττόμενος τὴν τέκνων καὶ χρημάτων καὶ κτημάτων ἀπώλειαν. τὸ γὰρ ἀπώλοντο τοῦτο αὐτῷ σημαίνει. παραβάλλει δὲ τοὺς φαύλους, τούτους 100 καὶ ὑποτιθέμενος ταῖς κακώσεσιν ὑποπίπτειν-λέγων τι ἀληθὲς ὡς "οἱ σπείροντες ἄδικα ὀδύνας θερίζουσιν"-, τὴν ἀνταπόδοσιν ὑποβάλλων νοεῖν, ἥντινα ἐπιπέμπεσθαι ἐκ θεοῦ φησιν, καὶ περὶ τοῦτο ὀρθῶς διακείμενος διὰ τοῦ