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Of the Lord, Do not think, he says, that what has happened is the work of wicked demons, nor of treacherous men. It is God who is punishing, is it not therefore indisputable that the punishment is just? "But if any true word had been in your speeches." And the phrase, If any true word had been in your speeches, hints that Job often said certain venerable things, either to bring some to zeal, or for the sake of some other economy. "If he does not trust his own servants, and has devised some crooked thing against his angels." 64.588 And he well said, he has devised; for through this he shows his wisdom, so that the greatness of their nature might not lift them up, but they might be forever subject to God. If indeed He has also devised some crooked thing against them, that is, He punished them for leaving their own habitation. "He has struck them down like a moth, and from morning until evening they are no more." Therefore, He has struck them down like a moth, instead of, easily and utterly he destroyed them. And he breathed upon them, that is, he did not need toil, but only willed, and it was the end for them. And this is said metaphorically of those who are angry, who have the habit of using a puff of breath instead of a rebuke. And the phrase, From morning until evening they are no more, he said either because Job endured everything on the same day; or to show that God does not need time when punishing the impious.

CHAPTER 5

"For trouble will not come forth from the earth." [But Symmachus, For pain will not come forth from the dust.] "Nor will toil spring up from the mountains; but man is born to trouble; and the young of the vulture fly on high." What then? Do they enjoy greater providence? Not at all; since neither the earth, nor the mountains, as they happen to be insensible; for it is a natural thing, he says, it is impossible to escape adversity. For lest someone say again that he is righteous; he says that human nature is such, not without sin. Therefore, from nature Eliphaz argues, and says, It is peculiar to man to be tested in calamities. At least, as soon as he is born, it is his lot to toil, and all his life is full of hardship and misery. And in this, our nature is inferior to the things that grow from the earth and the mountains, having what is painful in its birth and growth. And to the birds it is given to fly without pain, and to gather food without toils; but none of these things is available to man except through misery. "Who gives rain upon the earth, sending water upon the land under heaven." Which is the first of His beneficence, and sustaining of our life, and indicative of the change of season. "But the powerless might escape from the hand of the mighty; and there would be hope for the powerless, and the mouth of the unjust would be stopped." These things, he says, God does, so that the powerless might hope for good things, and the unjust might not be exalted, but the boastful tongue might be stopped, and the high brow might be lowered. 64.589 "But blessed is the man whom the Lord has reproved, and do not refuse the admonition of the Almighty." For if he is the one who looses terrible things, and transforms them to their opposites, and makes one enjoy deep peace, he does not do these things from a different intention, but also from the same one. "Six times he will deliver you from necessities, and in the seventh no evil will touch you." That is, he does not always do these things; but in the first ones he allows one to be tested; but after these, not even a test, so that there is no longer a need for you to be rescued. "He will hide you from the scourge of the tongue." And this is not a small thing, but very great, to be rescued from a man who speaks no good. For nothing is worse than a tongue; this is more grievous and unbearable than any plot, than any sword. "Of the unjust and lawless

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Κυρίου, Μὴ νομίσῃς, φησὶ, δαιμόνων εἶναι πονηρῶν, μηδὲ ἀνθρώπων ἐπιβούλων, τὰ συμβεβηκότα. Θεός ἐστιν ὁ κολάζων, οὔκουν ἀναμφισβήτητον δικαίαν εἶναι τὴν κόλασιν; «Εἰ δέ τι ῥῆμα ἀληθινὸν ἐγεγόνει ἐν λόγοις σου.» Τὸ δὲ, Εἴ τι ῥῆμα ἀληθινὸν ἐγεγόνει ἐν τοῖς λόγοις σου, αἰνίττεται, ὅτι πολλάκις σεμνά τινα εἶπεν ὁ Ἰὼβ, ἤτοι εἰς ζῆλόν τινας ἄγων, ἢ καὶ ἑτέρας ἕνεκεν οἰκονομίας. «Εἰ κατὰ παίδων αὐτοῦ οὐ πιστεύει, κατὰ δὲ ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ σκολιόν τι ἐπενόησεν.» 64.588 Καλῶς δὲ εἶπε τὸ, ἐπενόησε· τὴν γὰρ σοφίαν αὐτοῦ διὰ τούτου δείκνυσιν, ἵνα μὴ τὸ τῆς φύσεως αὐτοὺς μεγαλεῖον ἐπάρῃ, ἀλλὰ διαπαντὸς ὦσιν ὑποτεταγμένοι τῷ Θεῷ. Εἴ γε καὶ Κατ' αὐτῶν σκολιόν τι ἐπενόησε, τουτέστιν, Ἐκόλασεν αὐτοὺς ἀπολιπόντας τὸ ἴδιον οἰκητήριον. «Ἔπαισεν αὐτοὺς σητὸς τρόπον, καὶ ἀπὸ πρωΐθεν μέχρι ἑσπέρας οὐκ ἔτι εἰσί.» Τὸ οὖν, Ἔπαισεν αὐτοὺς σητὸς τρόπον, ἀντὶ τοῦ, εὐκόλως καὶ τὰ ἐνδότατα διέφθειρε. Τὸ δὲ, ἐνεφύσησε, τουτέστιν, οὐκ ἐδεήθη καμάτου, ἀλλ' ἠβουλήθη μόνον, καὶ τέλος ἔσχε τὰ κατ' αὐτούς. Τοῦτο δὲ ἐκ μεταφορᾶς εἴρηται τῶν ὀργιζομένων, οἳ ἔθος ἔχουσιν, ἀντὶ ἐπιτιμήσεως τῷ ἐμφυσήματι κεχρῆσθαι. Τὸ δὲ, Ἀπὸ πρωΐθεν ἕως ἑσπέρας οὐκ ἔτι εἰσὶν, εἶπεν, ἢ διὰ τὸ τὸν Ἰὼβ αὐθημερὸν ἅπαντα ὑποστῆναι· ἢ ὥστε δεῖξαι, ὅτι οὐ δεῖται χρόνου Θεὸς, τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς τιμωρούμενος.

ΚΕΦ. Εʹ

«Οὐ γὰρ μὴ ἐξέλθῃ ἐκ τῆς γῆς κόπος.» [Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος, Οὐ γὰρ ἐξελεύσεται ἀπὸ κόνεως ὀδύνη.] «Οὐδὲ ἐξ ὀρέων ἀναβλαστήσει πόνος· ἀλλὰ ἄνθρωπος γεννᾶται κόπῳ· νεοσσοὶ δὲ γυπὸς τὰ ὑψηλὰ πέτονται.» Τί οὖν; πλείονος ἀπολαύουσι προνοίας; ἄπαγε· ἐπεὶ μηδὲ ἡ γῆ, μηδὲ τὰ ὄρη, ἐπείπερ ἀναίσθητα τυγχάνουσι· φυσικὸν γὰρ, φησὶ, τὸ πρᾶγμά ἐστιν ἀδύνατον διαφυγεῖν δυσπραγίαν. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ λέγῃ τις πάλιν, ὅτι δίκαιός ἐστι· φησὶν, ὅτι ἡ φύσις ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη τοιαύτη ἐστὶν, οὐκ ἀναμάρτητος. Ἀπὸ οὖν τῆς φύσεως ὁ Ἐλιφὰζ διισχυρίζεται, καί φησιν, Ἀνθρώπου ἴδιον, τὸ ἐν συμφοραῖς ἐξετάζεσθαι. Εὐθὺς γοῦν γεννηθεὶς, τὸ κοπιᾷν προσκεκλήρωται, καὶ πᾶσα ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ, μόχθου καὶ ταλαιπωρίας γέμει. Καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο, τῶν ἐκ γῆς καὶ ὀρέων φυομένων, ἡ ἡμετέρα φύσις ἐλαττοῦται, ἔχουσα τὸ ὀδυνηρὸν ἐν τῇ γενέσει καὶ αὐξήσει. Καὶ τοῖς ὀρνέοις δὲ δέδοται, τὸ ἀλύπως ἵπτασθαι, καὶ δίχα πόνων τὴν τροφὴν ἐκλέγειν· οὐ μήν τι τούτων ὑπάρχει ἀνθρώπῳ ἐκτὸς ταλαιπωρίας. «Τὸν διδόντα ὑετὸν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, ἀποστέλλοντα ὕδωρ ἐπὶ τὴν ὑπ' οὐρανόν.» Ὃ πρῶτον τῆς εὐεργεσίας αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῆς ζωῆς ἡμῶν συνεκτικὸν, καὶ μεταβολῆς καιροῦ δηλωτικόν. «Ἀδύνατος δὲ ἐξέλθοι ἐκ χειρὸς δυνάστου· εἴη δὲ ἀδυνάτῳ ἐλπὶς, ἀδίκου δὲ στόμα ἐμφραχθείη.» Ταῦτα δὲ, φησὶ, ποιεῖ ὁ Θεὸς, ἵνα καὶ ὁ ἀδύνατος ἐλπίζῃ τὰ χρηστὰ, καὶ ὁ ἄδικος μὴ ἐπαίρηται ἀλλ' ἡ μεγαλοῤῥήμων γλῶσσα ἐμφράσσηται, καὶ ἡ ὑψηλὴ ὀφρὺς καταστέλληται. 64.589 «Μακάριος δὲ ἄνθρωπος, ὃν ἤλεγξεν ὁ Κύριος, νουθέτημα δὲ παντοκράτορος μὴ ἀπαναίνου.» Εἰ γὰρ αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ λύων τὰ δεινὰ, καὶ πρὸς τὰ ἐναντία μετάγων, καὶ ποιῶν ἀπολαῦσαι βαθείας εἰρήνης, οὐδὲ ταῦτα ἀπὸ γνώμης ἑτέρας ποιεῖ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς αὐτῆς. «Ἑξάκις ἐξ ἀναγκῶν σε ἐξελεῖται, ἐν δὲ τῷ ἑβδόμῳ οὐ μὴ ἅψηταί σου κακόν.» Τουτέστιν, οὐκ ἀεὶ ταῦτα ποιεῖ· ἀλλ' ἐν μὲν τοῖς πρώτοις ἀφίησι πεῖραν λαβεῖν· μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα, οὐδὲ πεῖραν, ὥστε μηδὲ τοῦ ῥυσθῆναί σε χρείαν εἶναι λοιπόν. «Ἀπὸ μάστιγος γλώσσης σε κρύψει.» Οὐ μικρὸν δὲ καὶ τοῦτο, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάνυ μέγα, τὸ ῥυσθῆναι ἀπὸ ἀνδρὸς λαλοῦντος μηδὲν ἀγαθόν. Οὐδὲν γὰρ γλώσσης χεῖρον· πάσης ἐπιβουλῆς, παντὸς ξίφους τοῦτο χαλεπώτερον καὶ ἀφορητότερον. «Ἀδίκων καὶ ἀνόμων