Chapter 14. —Job Was Not Without Sin.

But let us see what Job has to say of himself, after God’s great testimony of his righteousness. “I know of a truth,” he says, “that it is so: for how shall a mortal man be just before the Lord? For if He should enter into judgment with him, he would not be able to obey Him.”303    Job ix. 2, 3. And shortly afterwards he asks: “Who shall resist His judgment? Even if I should seem righteous, my mouth will speak profanely.”304    Job ix. 19, 20. And again, further on, he says: “I know He will not leave me unpunished. But since I am ungodly, why have I not died? If I should wash myself with snow, and be purged with clean hands, thou hadst thoroughly stained me with filth.”305    Job ix. 30. In another of his discourses he says: “For Thou hast written evil things against me, and hast compassed me with the sins of my youth; and Thou hast placed my foot in the stocks. Thou hast watched all my works, and hast inspected the soles of my feet, which wax old like a bottle, or like a moth-eaten garment. For man that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live, and is full of wrath; like a flower that hath bloomed, so doth he fall; he is gone like a shadow, and continueth not. Hast Thou not taken account even of him, and caused him to enter into judgment with Thee? For who is pure from uncleanness? Not even one; even should his life last but a day.”306    Job xiii. 26, to xiv. 5. Then a little afterwards he says: “Thou hast numbered all my necessities; and not one of my sins hath escaped Thee. Thou hast sealed up my transgressions in a bag, and hast marked whatever I have done unwillingly.”307    Job xiv. 16, 17. See how Job, too, confesses his sins, and says how sure he is that there is none righteous before the Lord. So he is sure of this also, that if we say we have no sin, the truth is not in us. While, therefore, God bestows on him His high testimony of righteousness, according to the standard of human conduct, Job himself, taking his measure from that rule of righteousness, which, as well as he can, he beholds in God, knows of a truth that so it is; and he goes on at once to say, “How shall a mortal man be just before the Lord? For if He should enter into judgment with him, he would not be able to obey Him;” in other words, if, when challenged to judgment, he wished to show that nothing could be found in him which He could condemn, “he would not be able to obey him,” since he misses even that obedience which might enable him to obey Him who teaches that sins ought to be confessed. Accordingly [the Lord] rebukes certain men, saying, “Why will ye contend with me in judgment?”308    Jer. ii. 29. This [the Psalmist] averts, saying, “Enter not into judgment with Thy servant; for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified.”309    Ps. cxliii. 2. In accordance with this, Job also asks: “For who shall resist his judgment? Even if I should seem righteous, my mouth will speak profanely;” which means: If, contrary to His judgment, I should call myself righteous, when His perfect rule of righteousness proves me to be unrighteous, then of a truth my mouth would speak profanely, because it would speak against the truth of God.

14. Job autem post tam magnum de illo justitiae testimonium Dei, quid dicat ipse videamus. In veritate, inquit, scio quia ita est. Quemadmodum enim justus erit homo ante Dominum? Si autem velit contendere cum eo, non poterit obedire ei. Et paulo post: Quis, inquit, judicio ejus adversabitur? Quod si fuero justus, os meum impie loquetur. Iterum paulo post: Scio, inquit, quia impunitum me non dimittit. Quia sum impius, quare non sum mortuus? Quod si purificatus nive, et mundatus fuero mundis manibus, sufficienter in sordibus me tinxisti (Job IX, 2, 3, 19, 20, 28-31). Item in alio suo sermone: Quia conscripsisti, inquit, adversus me mala, et induisti me juventutis meae peccata, et posuisti pedem meum in prohibitione, servasti omnia opera mea, et in radices pedum meorum inspexisti, qui veterascunt sicut uter, vel sicut vestimentum a tinea comestum. Homo enim natus ex muliere parvi est temporis, et plenus 0160 iracundia, et sicut flos cum floruit et decidit, discessit sicut umbra, non manet. Nonne et hujus curam fecisti venire in judicium tuum? Quis enim erit mundus a sordibus? Nemo, nec si unius diei fuerit vita ejus. Et paulo post: Dinumerasti, inquit, omnes necessitudines meas, et nihil te latuit de peccatis meis: signasti peccata mea in folliculo, et annotasti si quid invitus commisi (Job XIII, 26-XIV, 1-5, 16, 17). Ecce et Job confitetur peccata sua, et in veritate se dicit scire quia non est justus quisquam ante Dominum. Et ideo iste hoc in veritate scit, quia si nos dixerimus non habere peccatum, ipsa veritas in nobis non est. Proinde secundum modum conversationis humanae, perhibet ei Deus tam magnum justitiae testimonium: ipse autem se metiens ex regula illa justitiae, quam sicut potest conspicit apud Deum, in veritate scit quia ita est. Et adjungit, Quemadmodum enim justus erit homo ante Dominum? Si enim velit contendere cum eo, non poterit obedire ei: id est, si judicandus ostendere voluerit, non in se inveniri posse quod damnet, non poterit obedire ei : amittit enim etiam illam obedientiam, qua obedire possit praecipienti confitenda esse peccata. Unde quosdam increpat, dicens: Quid vultis mecum judicio contendere (Jerem. II, 29)? Quod ille praecavens: Ne intres, inquit, in judicium cum servo tuo, quoniam non justificabitur in conspectu tuo omnis vivens. Ideo etiam dicit Job, Quis enim judicio ejus adversabitur? Quod si fuero justus; os meum impie loquetur: hoc est enim, Si me justum dixero contra judicium ejus, ubi perfecta illa justitiae regula me convincit injustum, profecto impie loquetur os meum, quia contra Dei veritatem loquetur.