39

nothing of the things said by his friends escaped him, but he both responds to everything and speaks doctrines and worthily of God holds the conceptions about him and in a certain way not being in the flesh, but being wholly in the spirit, thus in the midst of torments he philosophizes. 119 The words 12, 2 Then are you men, or will wisdom die with you? Do you think, he says, that you alone happen to be men and that all wisdom ends with you, so that no one else partakes of it? Or even thus: Then is it possible to say of you that you are men who preserve what is according to the image, or does wisdom remain with you until the end? So that he might say that: you are not in the perfection of wisdom, but you have been turned aside and have almost lost being men. But he says these things not boasting over them, but being vexed at what they speak contrary to the truth. 12, 3 And I too have a heart as you do. I am able, he says, to know as much as you also know. 12, 4 For a righteous and blameless man I became a mockery. gon. For the carnal consider the things of the righteous and spiritual to be foolishness. For the natural man does not receive the things of the spirit, for they are foolishness to him. 12, 5 For at an appointed time he was prepared to fall under others, and his houses to be ravaged by the lawless. Here those who believe in fate say that: Behold, the scri 1 pture also says, that it was fated for him to suffer. But the scripture does not say this, may it not befor our affairs are not under necessity, but that God, administering all our affairs in measure, knows by the principles of his own providence both to what extent it is profitable for us to suffer, and he brings temptations according to measure. But Job said this, so that he might grant the judgment to God, as if to say: let not the righteous who suffer be mocked. For they suffer to such an extent as God wills. 12, 6 But however, let no one who is wicked trust that he will be guiltless, for all who provoke the Lord, as if there will not also be an examination of them. And it is manifest, he says, that wickedness is not unpunished, nor do those who provoke God remain unexamined. 12, 78 But now ask the four-footed beasts, if they will tell you; or the birds of the sky, if they will announce to you; and recount it to the earth, if it will declare to you, and the fish of the sea will explain to you. But if it is not enough, he says, to hear from a man, ask the irrational and inanimate things. But he says this to the shame of Zophar, that these things are irrefutable and every man knows them. And perhaps he also says this, that even the inanimate and the irrational, though they do not speak, are conscious of the power of God. 12, 910 Who has not known in all these things that the hand of the Lord has made them? Is not the soul of all living things in his hand, and the spirit of every man? Therefore, it is confessed by all, he says, that by the creative and active power of God all things were established and he himself holds together the life of all things 121. But if he does not mean the same thing here by soul and spirit, soul must be understood concerning the irrational creatures, but spirit concerning man because of the spiritual gift given to man according to his creation from the beginning. 12, 1112 For the ear discerns words, and the throat tastes food. In much time is wisdom, and in a long life is knowledge. For in the same way, he says, that the throat is discerning of tastes—and this we all have in common—so also I have an ear for hearing words and sufficient time for wisdom; for the prudent man, as he grows old, advances in wisdom. He wishes, therefore, to say that: I both know what I hear and I have gained time for knowledge. Now Aquila has rendered 'little ear' instead of 'ear'; but some of the copies have 'mind' instead of 'ear'. Therefore he says that: just as we all have a throat for the discerning of foods, so also we have a mind capable of knowing the things concerning the wisdom and power of God. Wherefore he also adds: 12, 1316 With him are wisdom and power, with him are counsel and understanding. If he pulls down, who will build? If he shuts a man in, who will open? If he holds back the water, he will dry up the earth; but if he lets it loose, he destroys it by overthrowing it. With him are dominion and strength, with him are knowledge and understanding. No one, therefore, is ignorant, he says, that God is both wise and

39

τῶν ὑπὸ τῶν φίλων ῥηθέντων διέλαθεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς πάντα ἀπαντᾷ καὶ δόγματα λαλεῖ καὶ ἀξίως θεοῦ τὰς περὶ αὐτοῦ κέκτηται ὑπολήψεις καὶ τρόπον τινὰ μὴ ὢν ἐν σαρκί, ἀλλ' ὅλος ὢν ἐν πνεύματι, οὕτως ἐν μέσαις ταῖς βασάνοις φιλοσοφεῖ. 119 Αἱ λέξεις 12, 2 εἶτα ὑμεῖς ἐστε ἄνθρωποι ἢ μεθ' ὑμῶν τελευτήσει σοφία; ἆρα οἴεσθε, φησίν, ὅτι μόνοι ἄνθρωποι τυγχάνετε καὶ εἰς ὑμᾶς ἡ πᾶσα σοφία τελευτᾷ, ὡς μηδένα ἄλλον μετέχειν αὐτῆς; ἢ καὶ οὕτως· εἶτα ἔστιν ἐφ' ὑμῖν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ἄνθρωποί ἐστε τὸ κατ' εἰκόνα διασῴζοντες, ἢ μέχρι τελευτῆς συμπαραμένει ὑμῖν ἡ σοφία; ἵνα εἴπῃ ὅτι· οὐκ ἔστε ἐν τελειότητι σοφίας, ἀλλὰ παρετράπητε καὶ σχεδὸν ἀπωλέσατε τὸ εἶναι ἄνθρωποι. ταῦτα δὲ λέγει οὐ κατεπαιρόμενος αὐτῶν, ἀλλὰ ἀχθόμενος ἐφ' οἷς παρὰ τὴν ἀλήθειαν λαλοῦσιν. 12, 3 κἀμοὶ μὲν καρδία καθ' ὑμᾶς ἐστιν. δύναμαι, φησίν, κἀγὼ εἰδέναι ὅσα καὶ ὑμεῖς ἴστε. 12, 4 δίκαιος γὰρ ἀνὴρ καὶ ἄμεμπτος ἐγενήθην εἰς χλεύασμα. γον. οἱ γὰρ σαρκικοὶ τὰ τῶν δικαίων καὶ πνευματικῶν μωρίαν ἡγοῦνται. ψυχικὸς γὰρ ἄνθρωπος οὐ δέχεται τὰ τοῦ πνεύματος, μωρία γὰρ αὐτῷ ἐστιν. 12, 5 εἰς χρόνον γὰρ τακτὸν ἡτοίμαστο πεσεῖν ὑπ' ἄλλους, οἴκους τε αὐτοῦ ἐκπορθεῖσθαι ὑπὸ ἀνόμων. ἐνταῦθα οἱ τὴν εἱμαρμένην δοξάζοντές φασιν ὅτι· ἰδοὺ καὶ ἡ γρα 1 φὴ λέγει, ὅτι εἵμαρτο αὐτὸν παθεῖν. ἀλλ' οὐ τοῦτο ἡ γραφὴ λέγει, μὴ γένοιτοοὐ γὰρ ὑπὸ ἀνάγκην τὰ ἡμέτερα, ἀλλ' ὅτι πάντα ἐν μέτρῳ διοικῶν τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς ὁ θεὸς τοῖς τῆς ἑαυτοῦ προνοίας λόγοις οἶδε, καὶ μέχρι πόσου συμφερόντως δεῖ πάσχειν ἡμᾶς, καὶ κατὰ μέτρον ἐπάγει τοὺς πειρασμούς. τοῦτο δὲ εἶπεν ὁ Ἰώβ, ἵνα τὸ κρίμα τῷ θεῷ παράσχῃ μονονουχὶ λέγων· μὴ γελάσθωσαν οἱ δίκαιοι πάσχοντες. ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον γὰρ πάσχουσιν, ἐφ' ὅσον ὁ θεὸς βούλεται. 12, 6 οὐ μὴν δὲ ἀλλὰ μηδεὶς πεποιθέτω πονηρὸς ὢν ἀθῶος ἔσεσθαι, ὅσοι γὰρ παροργίζουσι τὸν κύριον, ὡς οὐχὶ καὶ ἔτασις αὐτῶν ἔσται. καὶ πρόδηλον, φησίν, ὡς οὐκ ἀτιμώρητος ἡ πονηρία οὐδὲ ἀνεξέταστοι μένουσιν οἱ τὸν θεὸν παροργίζοντες. 12, 78 ἀλλὰ δὴ ἐπερώτησον τετράποδα, ἐάν σοι εἴπωσι ἢ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ἐάν σοι ἀναγγείλωσιν, ἐκδιήγησαι δὲ γῇ, ἐάν σοι φράσῃ, καὶ ἐξηγήσονταί σοι οἱ ἰχθύες τῆς θαλάσσης. εἰ δὲ οὐκ ἀρκεῖ, φησίν, ἀκούειν ἀνθρώπου, ἐπερώτησον τὰ ἄλογα καὶ τὰ ἄψυχα. τοῦτο δὲ λέγει πρὸς ἐντροπὴν τοῦ Σωφάρ, ὅτι ταῦτα ἀναντίρρητά ἐστι καὶ πᾶς ἄνθρωπος αὐτὰ ἐπίσταται. τάχα δὲ καὶ τοῦτό φησιν, ὅτι καὶ τὰ ἄψυχα καὶ τὰ ἄλογα, κἂν μὴ λαλῶσιν, τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ δυνάμεως συναισθάνονται. 12, 910 τίς οὐκ ἔγνω ἐν πᾶσι τούτοις, ὅτι χεὶρ κυρίου ἐποίησεν αὐτά; εἰ μὴ ἐν χειρὶ αὐτοῦ ψυχὴ πάντων τῶν ζώντων καὶ πνεῦμα παντὸς ἀνθρώπου; πᾶσιν οὖν, φησίν, ἐστὶν ὡμολογημένον, ὅτι τῇ ποιητικῇ καὶ δραστηρίῳ τοῦ θεοῦ δυνάμει τὰ πάντα συνέστησαν καὶ αὐτὸς τὴν πάντων 121 συνέχει ζωήν. εἰ δὲ μὴ τὸ αὐτὸ ψυχὴν καὶ πνεῦμα ἐνταῦθα λέγει, τὸ ψυχὴ μὲν ἐπὶ τῶν ἀλόγων νοητέον, πνεῦμα δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου διὰ τὸ δεδομένον τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ κατὰ τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς πλάσιν πνευματικὸν χάρισμα. 12, 1112 οὖς μὲν γὰρ ῥήματα διακρίνει, λάρυγξ δὲ σῖτα γεύεται. ἐν πολλῷ χρόνῳ σοφία, ἐν δὲ πολλῷ βίῳ ἐπιστήμη. ὅνπερ γὰρ τρόπον, φησίν, ὁ λάρυγξ διακριτικός ἐστι τῶν γευστῶν κοινὸν δὲ τοῦτον πάντες ἔχομεν, οὕτως ἐστί μοι καὶ πρὸς ἀκοὴν λόγων ὠτίον καὶ χρόνος ἱκανὸς εἰς σοφίαν· ὁ γὰρ φρόνιμος παλαιούμενος προκόπτει τῇ σοφίᾳ. θέλει οὖν εἰπεῖν ὅτι· καὶ οἶδα ἃ ἀκούω καὶ χρόνον εἰς ἐπιστήμην προσέλαβον. ὁ μὲν οὖν Ἀκύλας ἀντὶ τοῦ οὖς _ὠ_τ_ί_ο_ν ἐκδέδωκε· τινὰ δὲ τῶν ἀντιγράφων ἀντὶ τοῦ οὖς νοῦς ἔχουσιν. λέγει οὖν ὅτι· ὥσπερ λάρυγγα ἐπὶ διακρίσει βρωμάτων ἅπαντες ἔχομεν, οὕτω καὶ νοῦν δυνάμενον εἰδέναι τὰ περὶ τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ σοφίας τε καὶ δυνάμεως. διὸ καὶ ἐπάγει· 12, 1316 παρ' αὐτῷ σοφία καὶ δύναμις, αὐτῷ βουλὴ καὶ σύνεσις. ἐὰν καταβάλῃ, τίς οἰκοδομήσει, ἐὰν κλείσῃ κατὰ ἀνθρώπου, τίς ἀνοίξει; ἐὰν κωλύσῃ τὸ ὕδωρ, ξηρανεῖ τὴν γῆν, ἐὰν δὲ ἐπαφῇ, ἀπώλεσεν αὐτὴν καταστρέψας. παρ' αὐτῷ κράτος καὶ ἰσχύς, αὐτῷ ἐπιστήμη καὶ σύνεσις. οὐδεὶς οὖν ἀγνοεῖ, φησίν, ὅτι καὶ σοφός ἐστιν ὁ θεὸς καὶ