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But his rope is hidden in the earth, and his capture upon the paths. And this he said as a metaphor from hunters. For just as hunters hide the rope of the net in the earth and watch from a distance, sitting, to see if the prey has come near the net, then, pulling the rope, they suddenly catch the quarry which has fallen into the snares, so too will misfortune unexpectedly seize the impious man. And this also signifies that the rope of the impious man, that is, his portion, has been buried. And the phrase "his capture upon the paths" is of this sort: Attacks happen in the desolate places, but the impious man, he says, is not captured in the wilderness, but in the middle of the roads themselves, that is: while still in prosperity he endures a sudden change. 160 18, 11 Let pains destroy him round about. But also painful things will happen to him from every side. 18, 11 And let many come about his feet in harsh famine. Other copies have it thus: Let him come about the feet of many in harsh famine, instead of: he will be driven to extreme want. But according to the first: many, he says, will be about his feet, that is, tripping him up in harsh famine, so that he might say: in the calamity that seizes him. 18, 12-14 And an extraordinary fall has been prepared for him. And let the branches of his feet be eaten; death shall devour his beautiful things, and let healing be driven out from his dwelling. By "branches of feet" he means the offspring of his goings, so that he might say that the impious man will not prosper, falling an extraordinary fall. But also his beautiful things, that is, his children, death will insatiably consume; and from all his dwelling let all healing be separated, instead of: the things that will happen to him will be incurable and without remedy. It is also possible to understand "branches of feet" as his grandchildren perhaps or even his descendants 18, 14 And may necessity hold him for a royal cause. that is: an inexorable punishment. 18, 15 It shall dwell in his tent in his night. Other copies, instead of "in his night," have _i_n_ _h_i_s_ _b_o_d_y_. According, then, to "in his night," instead of: his whole life will be in gloom 161 and moonless night. But according to: "in his body," so that he might say that: he will enter a place where he dwells in extreme poverty, having nothing other than his own body. And Theodotion also agrees with this meaning, having said thus: _n_o_n_e_x_i_s_t_e_n_c_e_ _s_h_a_l_l_ _d_w_e_l_l_ _i_n_ _h_i_s_ _t_e_n_t_. 18, 15 His comely things shall be scattered with brimstone. David also said something similar about sinners: "fire and brimstone and a storm-wind shall be the portion of their cup." And God, sending brimstone and fire upon the land of Sodom, reduced their land to ashes. And he means to say that all their affairs will also be fruitless, as if scattered by brimstone. 18, 16 From beneath his roots shall be dried up. As a metaphor of rooted plants being dried up. 18, 16 and from above his harvest shall fall. And if any suspicion of sprouting should arise, {his remembrance} will be quickly cut off. 18, 17 Let his remembrance perish from the earth, and let him have a name upon the face of {the} land outside. But also the children, he says, of the impious man will perish, who are indeed the remembrance of their parents. And his name will be so awkward and dreadful, that every 162 one hearing the address will turn his own face away from the one speaking, abominating him and his very name. 18, 18-19 He would thrust him from light into darkness. His house will not be known among his people nor preserved under heaven, but others will live in his things. All these things happened to Job except for the royal necessity; and perhaps Bildad said this so that he might not seem to be speaking about him. 18, 21 At him the last groaned, and wonder seized the first. These are the houses of the unrighteous, and this is the place of those who do not know the Lord. By "the first" he means those of his own generation, and by "the last" those after him. Therefore, he says, both those who see the fall of the impious will be amazed, and those who later receive the accounts of them by hearing will groan. And "These are the houses of the unrighteous" instead of: These things they will inherit who

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κέκρυπται δὲ ἐν γῇ σχοινίον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἡ σύλληψις αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τρίβων. καὶ τοῦτο μὲν ἐκ μεταφορᾶς τῶν θηρευτῶν εἶπεν. ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ θηρεύοντες κρύπτουσιν εἰς γῆν τοῦ δικτύου τὸ σχοινίον καὶ πόρρωθεν ἀποσκοποῦσι καθήμενοι, εἰ γέγονε περὶ τὸ δίκτυον τὸ θήραμα, εἶτα ἕλκοντες τὸ σχοινίον συλλαμβάνουσι τὴν ἄγραν ἀδοκήτως ταῖς ἄρκυσι περιπεσοῦσαν, οὕτω καὶ τὸν ἀσεβῆ ἀπροσδοκήτως καταλήψεται ἡ δυσπραγία. σημαίνει δὲ καὶ τοῦτο, ὅτι τὸ σχοινίον τοῦ ἀσεβοῦς, τουτέστιν ἡ μερὶς αὐτοῦ, κατακέχωσται. τὸ δὲ ἡ σύλληψις αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τρίβων τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· αἱ ἔφοδοι ἐν ταῖς ἐρήμοις γίνονται, ὁ δὲ ἀσεβής, φησίν, οὐκ ἐν ἐρήμῳ, ἀλλ' ἐν αὐταῖς μέσαις ταῖς ὁδοῖς συλλαμβάνεται, τουτέστιν· ἔτι ὢν ἐν τῇ εὐημερίᾳ τὴν αἰφνίδιον ὑπομένει μεταβολήν. 160 18, 11 κύκλῳ ὀλέσαισαν αὐτὸν ὀδύναι. ἀλλὰ καὶ πανταχόθεν ὀδυνηρὰ αὐτῷ συμβήσεται. 18, 11 πολλοὶ δὲ περὶ πόδας αὐτοῦ ἔλθοισαν ἐν λιμῷ στενῷ. ἕτερα ἀντίγραφα οὕτως ἔχουσιν· πολλῶν δὲ περὶ πόδας ἔλθοι ἐν λιμῷ στενῷ, ἀντὶ τοῦ· εἰς ἐσχάτην ἀπορίαν ἐλάσοι. κατὰ δὲ τὸ πρῶτον· πολλοί, φησίν, ἔσονται περὶ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ, τουτέστιν ὑποσκελίζοντες αὐτὸν ἐν λιμῷ στενῷ, ἵνα εἴπῃ· ἐν τῇ καταλαμβανούσῃ αὐτὸν συμφορᾷ. 18, 1214 πτῶμα δὲ αὐτῷ ἡτοίμασται ἐξαίσιον. βρωθείησαν δὲ αὐτοῦ κλῶνες ποδῶν, κατέδεται αὐτοῦ τὰ ὡραῖα θάνατος, ἐκραγείη δὲ ἐκ διαίτης αὐτοῦ ἴασις. κλῶνας ποδῶν τὰ βλαστήματα τῶν πορειῶν φησιν, ἵνα εἴπῃ, ὅτι ὁ ἀσεβὴς οὐκ εὐοδωθήσεται πίπτων πτῶμα ἐξαίσιον. ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ὡραῖα αὐτοῦ, τουτέστι τοὺς παῖδας, ἀπλήστως δαπανήσει θάνατος· καὶ ἐκ πάσης δὲ αὐτοῦ τῆς διαίτης πᾶσα ἴασις ἀποχωρισθείη, ἀντὶ τοῦ· ἀνίατα ἔσται καὶ ἀθεράπευτα τὰ αὐτῷ συμβησόμενα. δυνατὸν δὲ καὶ κλῶνας ποδῶν νοῆσαι τοὺς ἐγγόνους τυχὸν ἢ καὶ ἀπογόνους 18, 14 σχοίη δὲ αὐτὸν ἀνάγκη αἰτίᾳ βασιλικῇ. τουτέστιν· ἀπαραίτητος τιμωρία. 18, 15 κατασκηνώσει ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ αὐτοῦ ἐν νυκτὶ αὐτοῦ. ἄλλα ἀντίγραφα ἀντὶ τοῦ ἐν νυκτὶ αὐτοῦ _ἐ_ν_ _σ_ώ_μ_α_τ_ι_ _α_ὐ_τ_ο_ῦ ἔχουσιν. κατὰ μὲν οὖν τὸ ἐν νυκτὶ αὐτοῦ ἀντὶ τοῦ· ἐν ζόφῳ 161 καὶ νυκτὶ ἀφεγγεῖ ὅλη αὐτοῦ ἔσται ἡ διαγωγή. κατὰ δὲ τό· ἐν σώματι αὐτοῦ, ἵνα εἴπῃ ὅτι· εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τόπον, ὅπου κατασκηνοῖ μετὰ τῆς ἐσχάτης πενίας μηδὲν ἕτερον ἔχων ἢ τὸ ἑαυτοῦ σῶμα. ταύτῃ δὲ τῇ ἐννοίᾳ συντρέχει καὶ Θεοδοτίων οὕτως εἰρηκώς· _κ_α_τασκηνώσει ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ αὐτοῦ ἀνυπαρξία. 18, 15 κατασπαρήσονται τὰ εὐπρεπῆ αὐτοῦ ἐν θείῳ. ὅμοιον εἶπε καὶ ὁ ∆αυὶδ περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν· πῦρ καὶ θεῖον καὶ πνεῦμα καταιγίδος ἡ μερὶς τοῦ ποτηρίου αὐτῶν. καὶ ὁ μὲν θεὸς ἐπὶ τὴν Σοδομῖτιν θεῖον καὶ πῦρ ἐπαφεὶς ἐτέφρωσεν αὐτῶν τὴν γῆν. θέλει δὲ εἰπεῖν, ὅτι καὶ ἄκαρπα ἔσται πάντα τὰ κατ' αὐτοὺς ὡς ὑπὸ θείου κατασπαρέντα. 18, 16 ὑποκάτωθεν αἱ ῥίζαι αὐτοῦ ξηρανθήσονται. κατὰ μεταφορὰν τῶν φυτῶν τῶν ῥιζωθέντων ξηραινομένων. 18, 16 καὶ ἐπάνωθεν ἐπιπεσεῖται θερισμὸς αὐτοῦ. εἰ δὲ καί τις ὑπόνοια βλαστήσεως γένηται, ταχέως ἐκκοπήσεται {τὸ μνημόσυνον αὐτοῦ}. 18, 17 τὸ μνημόσυνον αὐτοῦ ἀπόλοιτο ἐκ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ὑπάρχει ὄνομα αὐτῷ ἐπὶ πρόσωπον {τοῦ} ἐξωτέρω. ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ παῖδες, φησίν, ἀπολοῦνται τοῦ ἀσεβοῦς, οἳ δὴ μνημόσυνόν εἰσι τῶν γεννησάντων. τὸ δὲ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ οὕτως ἔσται σκαιὸν καὶ ἀποτρόπαιον, ὡς ἕκα 162 στον ἀκούοντα τῆς προσηγορίας στρέφειν ἐξωτέρω τοῦ λέγοντος τὸ ἑαυτοῦ πρόσωπον μυσαττόμενον αὐτοῦ καὶ αὐτὴν τὴν ὀνομασίαν. 18, 1819 ἀπώσειεν αὐτὸν ἐκ φωτὸς εἰς σκότος. οὐκ ἔσται ἐπίγνωστος ἐν λαῷ αὐτοῦ οὐδὲ σεσῳσμένος ἐν τῇ ὑπ' οὐρανὸν ὁ οἶκος αὐτοῦ, ἀλλ' ἐν τοῖς αὐτοῦ ζήσονται ἕτεροι. ταῦτα πάντα συμβέβηκε τῷ Ἰὼβ δίχα τῆς βασιλικῆς ἀνάγκης· ταύτην δὲ ἴσως εἶπεν ὁ Βαλδάδ, ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ δι' αὐτὸν λέγειν. 18, 21 ἐπ' αὐτῷ ἐστέναξαν ἔσχατοι, πρώτους δὲ ἔσχε θαῦμα. οὗτοί εἰσιν οἶκοι ἀδίκων, οὗτος δὲ τόπος τῶν μὴ εἰδότων τὸν κύριον. πρώτους λέγει τοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ γενεᾶς, ἐσχάτους δὲ τοὺς μετ' αὐτόν. θαυμάσουσιν οὖν, φησίν, καὶ οἱ ὁρῶντες τῶν ἀσεβῶν τὴν πτῶσιν, καὶ οἱ τὰ κατ' αὐτοὺς ὕστερον ἀκοῇ παραδεχόμενοι στενάξουσιν. τὸ δὲ οὗτοί εἰσιν οἶκοι ἀδίκων ἀντὶ τοῦ· ταῦτα κληρονομήσουσιν οἱ