34

they fly, instead of: they are without toil—for they do not live in wickedness—, so that what he says is of this sort: inanimate things and irrational creatures—for through the young of vultures he seems to signify the irrational—do not receive the experience of retribution, while man, because of his sins, partakes of such things, which he says, following his own premise. "But no, but I will beseech the Lord, and I will call upon the Lord, the master of all." Having accused the foolish and having said the things that follow about them, I, he says, do not rejoice as they do, but since I understand providence and know that God is the master of all, I call upon him, considering this to be fitting. Consider, then, if he does not say these things wishing to send out a conception of himself as being righteous. "who does great and unsearchable things, glorious and wonderful things, of which there is no number. Who gives rain upon the earth, sending water upon the land under heaven." He confesses that God is the provider for and creator of all things. It is not unlikely that he holds these conceptions, being a man wise in human affairs. He also has a conception about things invisible and visible, speaking about 120 unsearchable, great, and glorious things, of rain and water, which water, if he distinguishes it from rain, would mean the waters from springs and torrents and streams. And you have these concepts most wisely in many places of the scriptures, not least of all also with Paul who writes: "in Christ were created the visible and the invisible, both things on earth and in heaven." And this must also be considered, that from the things that happened to the holy Job, being brought to fear as a man, he marvels at the works of providence. But the phrase "there is no number" must be understood as 'for man'; for God knows all things. And it is not surprising, since Solomon also says: "God has given me true knowledge of the things that are, to know the constitution of the world and the activity of the elements, the beginning and end and middle of time, the changes of the solstices" and what follows. For not even the things that are by nature unnumbered are unnumbered to God, about whom it is said: "who numbers the multitude of the stars," and: "but the very hairs of your head have been numbered," which things are also given to those worthy to know for their benefit, as was said concerning Solomon. "Who makes the humble high and raises up the lost." 121 He moves on also to providence regarding humans and is disposed in this way concerning the God of all, that he himself humbles from a height, making the rich from the poor, rulers from subjects, and making rulers healthy from being sick, and the reverse. It is clear that these things, both apparent and intelligible, are in reality beneficial, according to this which was said by a holy man: "the Lord appoints kings and removes them," and to this: "through me kings reign," and to this: "who raises the poor from the earth and lifts up the needy from the dunghill." The prelude to exaltation from God is humility from us; for "he who humbles himself will be exalted, and he who exalts himself will be humbled." And again: "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." And he says that "the lost" are "raised up," meaning those who have fallen into trying circumstances and have experienced a change that puts an end to the afflictions and gives in return the things of rest, which also happened to the blessed Job, who remained firm in the virtuous works of the soul. But if you were to take "the lost" to mean "the one who has sinned," God also raises these up, 122 providing a "place of repentance" through teaching. But the blessed Job had not perished with such a perdition, so as to need such a raising up. "frustrating the plans of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform the truth." Through all things he discourses about God in the manner possible for him, moved in many things by human concepts not implausibly. Having discoursed about God's providence and that through him dishonors and glories happen and someone is humbled not without him, he proceeds to show that even if men should use a great variety of understanding, it is God's to grant the outcome. At any rate, it signifies to him

34

πέτονται, ἀντὶ τοῦ· ἀταλαίπωροί εἰσιν-οὐ γὰρ ἐν κακίᾳ ζῶ119 σιν-, ἵνα ὃ λέγει τοιοῦτον ᾖ· τὰ ἄψυχα καὶ τὰ ἄλογα-διὰ τῶν νεοσσῶν γὰρ τῶν γυπῶν τὰ ἄλογα σημαίνειν φαίνεται-οὐ δέχεται πεῖραν ἀνταποδόσεως, ἀνθρώπου διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας τοιούτων παραπολαύοντος, ὅπερ λέγει τῆι οἰκείᾳ ἀρχῇ ἑπόμενος. "οὐ μὴν δέ, ἀλλ' ἐγὼ δεηθήσομαι κυρίου, κύριον δὲ τὸν πάντων δεσπότην ἐπικαλέσωμαι." αἰτιασάμενος τοὺς ἄφρονας καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς εἰπὼν περὶ αὐτῶν ἐγὼ δέ, φησίν, οὐ χαίρομαι ὡς ἐκεῖνοι, ἀλλ' ἅτε πρόνοιαν ἐπιστάμενος καὶ εἰδὼς δεσπότην τῶν πάντων τὸν θεὸν ἐπικαλοῦμαι αὐτόν, πρέπειν τοῦτο ἡγούμενος. κατανόησον δέ, εἰ μὴ διάλημψιν ὡς περὶ δικαίου ἑαυτοῦ ἐξαποστεῖλαι βουλόμενος ταῦτά φησιν. "τὸν ποιοῦντα μεγάλα καὶ ἀνεξιχνίαστα, ἔνδοξά τε καὶ ἐξαίσια, ὧν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀριθμός. τὸν διδόντα ὑετὸν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, ἀποστέλλοντα ὕδωρ ἐπὶ τὴν ὑπ' οὐρανόν." προνοητὴν ὁμολογεῖ τῶν ὅλων καὶ δημιουργὸν τὸν θεόν. οὐκ ἀπεικὸς δὲ αὐτὸν ταύτας ἔχειν τὰς διαλήμψεις, ἄνδρα σοφὸν τὰ ἀνθρώπινα. ἔχει δὲ καὶ περὶ ἀοράτων καὶ ὁρατῶν διάλημψιν, περὶ 120 ἀνεξιχνιάστων λέγων καὶ μεγάλων καὶ ἐνδόξων ὑετοῦ τε καὶ ὕδατος, ὅπερ ὕδωρ εἰ διαστέλλοι τοῦ ὑετοῦ, τὰ ἐκ πηγῶν καὶ χειμάρρων καὶ φλεβίων εἴη̣ λέγων̣. ἔχεις δὲ καὶ πολλαχοῦ τῶν γραφῶν ταύτας τὰς ἐννοίας συνετώτατα, οὐχ ἥκιστα δὲ καὶ παρὰ Παύλῳ γράφοντι· "ἐν Χριστῷ ἔκτισται τὰ ὁρατὰ καὶ τὰ ἀόρατα καὶ τὰ ἐπίγεια καὶ ἐπουράνια." δεῖ δὲ καὶ τοῦτο λογίζεσθαι, ὅτι ἐκ τῶν τῷ ἁγίῳ Ἰὼβ συμβεβηκό των ὡς ἄνθρωπος εἰς φόβον ἀχθεὶς θαυμάζει τὰ τῆς προνοίας ἔργα. τὸ δ' "οὐκ ἔστιν ἀριθμὸς" νοεῖν δεῖ ὅτι ἄνθρωπος· θεὸς γὰρ τὰ πάντα οἶδεν. καὶ οὐδὲν θαυμαστόν, ὅπου καὶ Σαλομών φησιν· "ὁ θεὸς δέδωκέν μοι τῶν ὄντων γνῶσιν ἀληθῆ εἰδέναι σύστασιν κόσμου καὶ ἐνέργειαν στοιχείων, ἀρχὴν καὶ τέλος καὶ μεσότητα χρόνου, τροπῶν ἀλλαγὰς" καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. οὐδὲ γὰρ τὰ φύσει μὴ ἀριθμητὰ καὶ θεῷ ἀναριθμητά ἐστιν, περὶ οὗ λέγεται· "ὁ ἀριθμῶν πλήθη ἄστρων, καί· "ὑμῶν δὲ αἱ τρίχες τῆς κεφαλῆς ἠρίθμηνται", ἅπερ καὶ τοῖς ἀξίοις εἰδέναι πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον δίδοται, ὡς περὶ Σολομῶντος εἴρηται. "τὸν ποιοῦντα ταπεινοὺς εἰς ὕψος καὶ ἀπολωλότας ἐξεγείροντα." 121 μεταβαίνει καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν κατὰ ἀνθρώπους πρόνοιαν καὶ τοῦτο διακείμενος περὶ τοῦ θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων, ὅτι αὐτὸς ἐξ ὕψους ταπεινοῖ ἐκ πενήτων πλουσίους, ἐξ ὑπηκόων ἄρχοντας, ἐκ νοσούντων ἄρχοντας ὑγιαίνοντας ἀπεργαζόμενος καὶ τὸ ἔμπαλιν. δῆλον, ὅτι καὶ τῷ ὄντι ταῦτα κα̣ι`̣ φαινόμενα καὶ νοούμενα ὑπάρχει συμφέροντα, τούτῳ τῷ ὑπὸ ἁγίου εἰρημένῳ· "κύριος κα̣θιστᾷ βασιλεῖς κα̣ὶ μεθιστᾷ", καὶ τῷ· "δι' ἐμοῦ βασιλεῖς βασιλεύουσιν", καὶ τῷ· "ὁ ἐγείρων ἀπὸ γη῀̣ς πτωχὸν καὶ ἀπὸ κοπρίας ἀνυψῶν πένητα." τῆς ὑψώσεως δὲ τῆς ἐκ θεοῦ προοίμιον ἡ ἐξ ἡμῶν ταπεινοφροσύνη· "ὁ" γὰρ "ταπεινῶν ἑαυτὸν ὑψωθήσεται καὶ ὁ ὑψῶν ἑαυτὸν ταπεινωθήσεται." καὶ πάλιν· "ὁ θεὸς ὑπερηφάνοις ἀντιτάσσεται, ταπεινοῖς δὲ δίδωσιν χάριν." "ἀπολωλότας" δὲ "ἐξεγείρεσθαι" λέγει τοὺς ἐν περιστάσεσι καταστάντας καὶ μεταβολῆς πειραθέντας παυούσης μὲν τὰ θλιβηρά, ἀντιδιδούσης δὲ τὰ τῆς ἀναπαύσεως, ὅπερ καὶ τῷ μακαρίῳ Ἰὼβ συμβέβηκεν ἑδραίω διαμείναντι ἐν τοῖς τῆς ψυχῆς ἐναρέτοις ἔργοις. εἰ δὲ τὸν ἀπολωλότα ἀντὶ τοῦ ἁμαρτήσαντος λάβοις, καὶ τούτους ἐξεγείρει 122 θεὸς "μετανοίας τόπον" διὰ διδασκαλίας παρέχων. ἀλλ' ὁ Ἰὼβ ὁ μακάριος οὐκ ἀπολώλει τοιαύτην ἀπώλειαν, ἵνα καὶ τοιαύτης ἐγέρσεως δεηθῇ. "διαλάσσοντα βουλὰς πανούργων, καὶ οὐ μὴ ποιήσουσιν αἱ χεῖρες αὐτῶν ἀληθές." διὰ πάντων περὶ θεοῦ κατὰ τὸν δυνατὸν ἑαυτῷ τρόπον διέξε̣ισιν ἐννοίαις ἀνθρωπίναις οὐκ ἀπιθανῶς ἐν πολλοῖς κινούμενος. διεξελθὼν περὶ προνοίας θεοῦ καὶ ὅτι δι' αὐτοῦ ἀδοξίαι καὶ δόξαι συμβαίνουσιν καὶ ταπεινοῦταί τις οὐκ ἄνευ αὐτοῦ, μέτεισιν ἐπὶ τὸ δεῖξαι, ὅτι κἂν μεγάλῃ ποικιλίᾳ συνέσεως ἄνθρωποι χρήσωνται, θεοῦ ἐστι τὸ τέλος παρασχεῖν. σημαίνει γοῦν αὐτῷ