Didymus the Blind, Commentaries on Job

For thus your face will shine like pure water. He says that, freed from every stain and injustice, you will have a face as pure as water; and it is clear that he speaks of the face of the soul. For having been separated from all defilement, the man will truly show the "in the image" to be pure and sincere. And you will put off filth and you will not be afraid. The discourse proceeds irregularly. For after saying "your face will shine like pure water," to say again "you will put off filth" is a great irregularity. Nevertheless, he says this, that by preparing yourself for purity, you will be freed from all filth, so as to be fearless and no longer fear retribution. And he also plausibly says this, that after the putting off of filth, one is fearless; for God, seeing "thoughts" and "hidden things," does not punish such a one; for men, since they are ignorant of what is hidden, and seizing someone who has repented, they punish him, having been convicted of having sinned long ago. But God, accepting the present virtue, is unmindful of past sins, as the repenting person represents, saying: "Do not remember our former iniquities. And you will forget the toil like a passing wave and you will not be terrified. The toil from the scourges, which they thought the holy one suffered because of sin, he says will be forgotten there and will pass away easily like a wave, with him being terrified of nothing. And he clearly means forgetfulness not as the complete destruction of memory, but the passing of sorrows; as was also said concerning the righteous: "For they shall forget their former affliction, and it shall not come upon their heart." "For in a day of good things, there is an amnesty for bad things." And your prayer will be like the morning star, and from midday life will rise for you. He says this as following what came before, that if you would purify yourself so as not even to be in filth, your prayer will shine like the morning star. And this signifies for him perhaps the morning illumination, according to which the light of virtue begins; and thus the light will be as strong as at its peak. But consider what he means by "life will rise for you," whether perhaps he means virtue, or the future life, or the life without toils when the toilsome things have changed. And the luminous life happens to be illuminated by the "sun of righteousness." It has been said: "In the morning I will stand before you and I will look upon you." And you will be confident that there is hope for you. And again he says that he believes from the preparation concerning the hoped-for good things. These things ... but it is clear that the ... of the soul ... the divine hope ... for eternal things follow the one wishing "to live according to God," as Paul says: "Now faith, hope, love remain." And from care and anxiety peace will appear to you. He says this, that having been freed from toilsome and grievous things because of the hope that has come from the preparation, "peace will appear to you," calling peace the rest from circumstances. And we have in the divine letters things said about peace according to the soul, concerning which it is said: "Great peace have they who love you, and there is no stumbling block for them." And this, being tranquility of the soul, is a fruit of the spirit; "for the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace." From this are blessed those concerning whom it is said: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." For whenever someone "casts his care upon the Lord," he will have this peace; but the sinner will not be in this peace; "for the whole life of an impious man is in troubled care." And you will be at rest and there will be no one who makes war against you; and many, having changed, will entreat you. Consider if again he calls this quietness the no longer being reproached in some way as wicked because of the afflictions; with this being brought forward, he adds "and many, having changed, will entreat you," showing that those who formerly pursued you will entreat you because of the change concerning you. But quietness in the proper sense, the tranquility of the soul, is given to the holy one, as the word says: "each one will rest under his vine and under

οὕτως γὰρ ἀναλάμψει σου τὸ πρόσωπον ὥσπερ ὕδωρ καθαρόν. λέγει, ὅτι πάσης ἀπηλλαγμένος κηλῖδος καὶ ἀδικίας καθαρὸν ὥσπερ ὕδωρ ἕξεις τὸ πρόσωπον· δῆλον δέ, ὅτι τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς λέγει. παντὸς γὰρ μολυσμοῦ χωρισθεὶς τῷ ὄντι ὁ ἄνθρωπος καθαρὸν καὶ εἰλικρινὲς τὸ "κατ' εἰκόνα" ἐπιδ»ε»ίξει. ἐκδύσῃ δὲ ῥύπον καὶ οὐ μὴ φοβηθήσῃ. ἀνωμάλως μὲν κινεῖται τῷ λόγῳ. μετὰ γὰρ τὸ "ἀναλάμψει τὸ πρόσωπον ὥσπερ ὕδωρ καθαρὸν" λέγειν πάλιν "ἐκ δύσῃ ῥύπον" ἀνωμαλία πολλή. ὅμως δὲ τοῦτο λέγει, ὅτι εὐτρεπίζων σεαυτὸν εἰς καθαρότητα παντὸς ἀπαλλαγήσῃ ῥύπου ὥστε ἄφοβον εἶναι καὶ μηκέτι δεδοικέναι ἀνταπόδοσιν. πιθανῶς δὲ καὶ τοῦτο λέγει, ὅτι μετὰ ἔκδυσιν ῥύπου ἄφοβός ἐστι· "διανοίας" γὰρ καὶ "τὰ κρυπτὰ" ὁρῶν ὁ θεὸς οὐ κολάζει τὸν τοιοῦτον· ἄνθρωποι μὲν γὰρ ἅτε τὸ κρυπτὸν ἀγνοοῦντες καὶ μεταγνόντα τ̣ι̣νὰ λαβόντες ἐλεγχόμενόν τε ὡς πάλαι ἁμαρτόντα κολάζουσιν. θεὸς δὲ τὴν παροῦσαν ἀρετὴν ἀπο305 δεχόμενος τῶν παλαιῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀμνημονεῖ, καθὼς τὸ μετανοοῦν παριστᾷ πρόσωπον λέγον· "μὴ μνησθῇς ἡμῶν ἀνομιῶν ἀρχαίων. καὶ τὸν κόπον ἐπιλήσῃ ὥσπερ κῦμα παρελθὸν καὶ οὐ μὴ πτοηθήσῃ. τὸν ἐκ τῶν π̣ληγῶν κόπ̣ον, ὃν ἐνόμιζον δι' ἁμαρτίας παθεῖν τὸν ἅγιον, φησὶν ἔνθα ἐπιλησθήσεσθαι καὶ ῥᾳδίως παρελθεῖν ὡς κῦμα μηδὲν αὐτοῦ πτοουμένου. λήθην δὲ λέ γει δηλονότι οὐ τὴν παντελῆ τῆς μνήμης φθίσιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν πάροδον τῶν ἀνιῶν· καθὸ καὶ περὶ τῶν δικαίων εἴρηται· "ἐπιλήσονται γὰρ τὴν θλῖψιν αὐτῶν τὴν πρώτην καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀναβῇ αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν." "ἐν ἡμέρᾳ γὰρ ἀγαθῶν ἀμνηστία κακῶν." ἡ δὲ εὐχή σου ὥσπερ ἑωσφόρος, ἐκ δὲ μεσημβρίας ἀνατέλλει σοι ζωή. ὡς ἑπόμενον τοῦτο λέγει τοῖς φθάσασιν, ὅτι εἰ καθήραις σεαυτὸν ὡς μηδὲ εἰ»ς» ῥύπον γενέσθαι, ἡ εὐχή σου λάμψει ὥσπερ ἑωσφόρος. σημαίνει δὲ αὐτῷ τοῦτο τὸν ἑωθινὸν τάχα φωτισμόν, καθ' ὃν ἄρχεται τὸ τῆς ἀρετῆς φέγγος· οὕτω δὲ ἰσχύσει τὸ φῶς ὡς τὸ ἀκμαῖον. σκόπει δέ, τί αὐτῷ βούλεται τὸ "ἀνατέλλει σοι ζωή", μή που τὴν ἀρετήν φησιν ἢ τὴν μέλλουσαν ζωὴν ἢ τὴν ἄνευ πόνων ζωὴν μεταβα306 λόντων τῶν ἐπιπόνων. ἡ δὲ φωτεινὴ ζωὴ ὑπὸ τοῦ "ἡλίου τῆς δικαιοσύνης" πεφωτισμένη τυγχάνει. εἴρηται· "τὸ πρωὶ παραστήσομαί σοι καὶ ἐφόψομαι." πεποιθώς τε ἔσῃ, ὅτι ἔστιν σοι ἐλπίς. καὶ π̣άλιν αὐτόν φησιν ἐκ τῆς προπαρασκευῆς πιστεύειν περὶ τῶν ἐλπιζομένων ἀγαθῶν. ταῦτα μὲν ····· · δῆλον δέ, ὅτι ἡ τῆς ψυχῆς ι̣······ ·· τὴν θείαν ἐλπίδα πρ····· · ἕπεται γὰρ τῷ "κατὰ θεὸν ζῆν" βουλομένῳ τὰ ἀίδια, καθὰ Παῦλος λέγει· "νυνὶ μένει πίστις, ἐλπίς, ἀγάπη." ἐκ δὲ μερίμνης καὶ φροντίδος ἀναφανεῖταί σοι εἰρήνη. τοῦτο λέγει, ὅτι ἀπαλλαγεὶς τῶν ἐπιπόνων καὶ ἀνιαρῶν διὰ τὴν ἐλπίδα τὴν γεγε_6_ν_η_μ_έ6νην ἐκ τῆς προπαρασκευῆς "ἀναφανεῖταί σοι εἰρήνη", εἰρήνην λέγων τὴν τῶν περιστάσεων ἀνάπαυσιν. ἔχομεν δὲ ἐν τοῖς θείοις γράμμασιν περὶ εἰρήνης λεγόμενα τῆς κατὰ ψυχήν, περὶ ἧς λέγεται· "εἰρήν̣ην πολλὴν τοῖς ἀγαπῶσίν σε καὶ οὐκ ἔστ»ι» ἐν αὐτοῖς «ς»κάνδαλον." αὕτη δὲ ἀταραξία οὖσα τῆς ψυχῆς καρπός ἐ»ς»τι τοῦ ν πνεύματος· "ὁ γὰρ καρπὸς τοῦ πνεύματος ἀγάπη, χαρά, εἰρήνη." ἀπὸ ταύτης μακαρίζονται περὶ ὧν λέγεται· "μακάριοι οἱ εἰρηνοποιοί, ὅτι υἱοὶ θεοῦ κληθήσονται." ἐπὰν γάρ 307 τις τὴν ἑαυτοῦ "μέριμναν ἐπὶ κύριον ἐπιρίψῃ", ἕξει ταύτη̣ν τὴν εἰρήνην· ὁ ἁμαρτωλὸς δὲ οὐκ ἔσται ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ εἰρήνῃ· "πᾶς γὰρ βίος ἀσεβοῦς ἐν φροντίδι" τεταραγμένῃ. ἡσυχάσεις δὲ καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ὁ πολεμῶν σε· μεταβαλόμενοι δὲ πολλοί σου δεηθήσονται. ἐπίστησον, εἰ πάλιν τη`̣ν ἡσυχίαν οὗτός φησιν τὸ μηκέτι τρόπον τινὰ διὰ τα`̣ς κακώσεις ὀνειδίζεσθαι ὡς φαῦλον· τούτου ἐπιφερομένου ἐπάγει τὸ "μεταβαλόμενοι δὲ πολλοί σου δεηθήσονται" δηλῶν, ὅτι οἱ πρότερον κατατρέχοντες διὰ τὴν περὶ σὲ μεταβολὴν δεηθήσονταί σου. ἡ κυρίως δὲ ἡσυχία ἡ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀταραξία τῷ ἁγίῳ δίδοται λέγοντος τοῦ λόγου· "ἀναπαύσεται ἑ´̣καστος ὑποκάτω ἀμπέλου αὐτοῦ καὶ ὑποκάτω