Didymus the Blind, Commentaries on Job

God saying: "I am a God at hand and not a God afar off. Shall any one hide himself in secret places and I shall not see him? Do I not fill heaven and earth? says the Lord." Setting his face against the sinner he sends him away, instead of "he shows him to be alien to himself," according to, "God will cast them 384 away, because they did not listen to him, and they shall be wanderers among the nations," and, "like the wounded, cast down, sleeping in the tomb, whom you no longer remembered, and they were cast away from your hand." And when his sons become many he does not know, or if they become #6few, he is not aware. Consider whether these things do not declare the incomprehensibility of God's judgments. But either his flesh was pained, and his soul mourned. It shows that when wrath proceeds against the sinner according to the ineffable reasons of providence, the one who falls into it suffers pain and mourns, but is ignorant of the reasons for being handed over. But these things are instructive, so that the friends may not speak as if they know that he suffers because of sin. Therefore, the one who does not endure suffers pain and laments when he falls into distress, but the courageous man, even if he perceives the distressing things, yet bears them nobly, looking toward the goal. For only he suffers pain who looks to nothing good or beneficial when he is afflicted. But the virtuous man, like a victorious athlete, considers 385 the toils as nothing because of the expectation of the crown. And Eliphaz the Temanite, taking up, says: Will a wise man give an answer of the spirit of understanding? And this man, being of the same opinion and supposing that he suffers because of sin, begins his words by asserting that it is the part of a wise man to answer with understanding, hinting that Job is not answering with understanding. Therefore this man too is burdensome, striking the holy man for his lack of understanding. and has filled the pain of his belly, rebuking with words that are not necessary, and in speeches in which there is no profit. As has been said, he begins contentiously; for he says that it is for the wise to answer with understanding, "but he has filled the pain of his belly, rebuking with words that are not necessary," instead of "from the pains which he had in his heart and has not been able to restrain, he utters words which are not necessary, and speeches in which there is no profit," mocking his words as ineffectual and uttered in vain. Have you not also cast off fear? The things said before are confirmed; for he rebukes him, forsooth, as not having fear, clearly the fear of God, suggesting again, 386 this man also, that because he did not have fear, but was in sins, he has suffered these things, and that it is for one who does not have fear to use such words. For they thought them bold, being ignorant of his virtue, supposing that he says these things having cast off fear. And have you uttered such words before the Lord? Perhaps because of the boldness of his words, which he uttered from a pure conscience, he says these things, which this man considers as blasphemous, positing the false principle that he suffers because of sin. You are liable for the words of your mouth. He speaks boldly to him, uttering his words as to an unrighteous man. And he thinks to rebuke him from his own words, saying that "you will be rebuked by your own words." Nor have you discerned the words of the mighty. Consider whether by "mighty" he means those who excel in understanding, either in his own time or before him, as is said in the preceding parts: "For ask the former generation, and search out according to the race of the fathers," so that what he says may be of this sort: "You have not discerned 387 the words of the wise so as to regulate your words and your whole life through them." For it has often been said that they rebuke him as one suffering from sins. Let your own mouth rebuke you, and not I; and let your lips testify against you. These things too are uttered out of boldness; for he was not able to rebuke him thus. For these things too are uttered in accordance with the initial opinion. For what? Were you born the first of men, or were you formed before the hills? They wish to show him that "you are no different from other men

ὁ θεὸς λέγων· "θεὸς ἐγγίζων εἰμὶ καὶ οὐ θεὸς πόρρωθεν. μὴ κρυβήσεταί τις ἐν κρυφαίοι̣ς κἀγὼ οὐκ ὄψομαι αὐτόν; οὐχὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν ἐγὼ πληρῶ; λέγει κύριος" ἐπιστήσας τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ τῷ ἁμαρτάνοντι ἐξαποστέλλει αὐτόν, ἀντὶ τοῦ «ἀλλότριον ἑαυτοῦ αὐτὸν ἀποδείκνυσιν», κατὰ τὸ "ἀπώ384 σεται αὐτοὺς ὁ θεός, ὅτι οὐκ εἰσήκουσαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔσονται πλανῆται ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν" καὶ το`̣ "ὡσεὶ τραυματίαι ἐρριμμένοι κ̣αθεύδοντες ἐν τάφῳ, ὧν ο̣ὐκ ἐμ̣ν̣ήσθης ἔτι, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐκ τῆς χειρός σου ἀπώσθησαν". πολλῶν δὲ γενομένων τῶν υἱῶν αὐτοῦ οὐκ οἶδεν, ἐάν τε ὀλίγοι #6γένωνται, οὐκ ἐπίσταται. ἐπίστησον, μὴ τὸ ἀκατάλημπτον τῶν κριμάτων τοῦ θεοῦ ταῦτα δηλοῖ. ἀλλ' ἢ αἱ σάρκες αὐτοῦ ἤλγησαν, ἡ δὲ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ ἐπένθησεν. παρίστησιν, ὅτι τῆς ὀργῆς κατὰ τοῦ ἁμαρτάνοντος χωρούσης κατὰ τοὺς ἀπορρήτους λόγους τῆς προνοίας ἀλγεῖ μὲν ὁ περιπίπτων καὶ πενθεῖ, ἀγνοεῖ δὲ τοὺς λόγους τῆς παραδόσεως. ταῦτα δὲ παιδευτικὰ πρὸς τὸ μὴ λέγειν τοὺς φίλους ὡς εἰδότας, ὅτι δι' ἁμαρτίας πάσχει. ἀλγεῖ μὲν οὖν καὶ ὀλοφύρεται ὁ μὴ ὑπομένων, ὅτε ἀνίαις περιπίπτει, ὁ δὲ ἀνδρεῖος, κἂν ἐπαίσθηται τῶν ἀνιαρῶν, ἀλλὰ φέρει γενναίως πρὸς τὸν σκοπὸν ἀποβλέπων. ἀλγεῖ μὲν γὰρ μόνον ὁ πρὸς μηδὲν ἀφορῶν χρηστὸν ἢ ὠφέλιμον, ἐὰν θλίβηται. ὁ δὲ ἐνάρετος ὡς στεφανίτης ἀθλητὴς οὐ385 δὲν ἡγεῖται τὰ ἐπίπονα διὰ τὴν τοῦ στεφάνου προσδοκίαν. ὑπολαβὼν δὲ Ἐλιφὰζ ὁ Θαιμανίτης λέγει· πότερον ὁ σοφὸς ἀπόκρισιν δώσει συνέσεως πνεύματος; καὶ οὗτος τῆς αὐτῆς ὑπάρχων διαλήμψεως καὶ οἰόμενος, ὅτι δι' ἁμαρτίας πάσχει, ἄρχεται τῶν λόγων φάσκων, ὅτι σοφοῦ ἐστιν μετὰ συνέσεως ἀποκρίνεσθαι, αἰνιττόμενος, ὅτι ὁ Ἰὼβ οὐ μετὰ συνέσεως ἀποκρίνεται. φορτικὸς οὖν καὶ οὗτος πλήττων τὸν ἅγιον ἐπὶ ἀσυνεσίᾳ. καὶ ἐνέπλησεν πόνον γαστρὸς ἐλέγχων ῥήμασιν, οἷς οὐ δεῖ, καὶ ἐν λόγοις, οἷς οὐδὲν ὄφελος. ὡς εἴρηται, πληκτικῶς ἄρχεται· φησὶν γάρ, ὅτι τῶν μὲν σοφῶν ἐστιν συνετῶς ἀποκρίνεσθαι, "ἐνέπλησεν δὲ πόνον γαστρὸς ἐλέγχων ῥήμασιν, οἷς οὐ δεῖ," ἀντὶ τοῦ «ἐκ τῶν πόνων, ὧν ἐν καρδίᾳ ἔσχεν καὶ κατασχεῖν οὐ δεδύνηται, προφέρει ῥή ματα, ἃ μὴ δεῖ, καὶ τοὺς λόγους, οἷς μηδὲν ὄφελος,» διαχλευάζων αὐτοῦ τοὺς λόγους ὡς ἀνηνύτους καὶ μάτην ἐκπεμφθέντας. οὐ καὶ σὺ ἀπεποιήσω φόβον; βεβαιοῦται τὰ προειρημένα· ἐλέγχει γὰρ αὐτὸν δῆθεν ὡς μὴ ἐσχηκότα φόβον, δῆλον δὲ ὅτι τὸν θεοῦ, ὑποβάλλων πάλιν 386 καὶ οὗτος, ὅτι διὰ τὸ μὴ ἐσχηκέναι φόβον, ἀλλ' ἐν ἁμαρτίαις γεγενῆσθαι ταῦτα πέπονθεν, καὶ ὅτι μὴ φόβον ἔχοντος τὸ τοιούτοις χρῆσθαι λόγοις. θρασεῖς γ̣α`̣ρ αὐτοὺς ἐνόμιζον ἀγνοοῦντες αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀρετὴν οἰόμενοι, ὅτι ἀποποιησάμενος τὸν φόβον ταῦτα λέγει. συνετέλεσας δὲ ῥήματα τοιαῦτα ἔναντι κυρίου; ἴσως διὰ τὸ εὐπαρησίαστον αὐτοῦ τῶν λόγων, οὓς προέφερεν ἀπὸ καθαροῦ τοῦ συνειδότος, ταῦτα λέγει, ἅπερ οὗτος νομίζει ὡς βλάσφημα, ψευδῆ ἀρχὴν ὑποτιθέμενος τὴν ὅτι δι' ἁμαρτίας πάσχει. ἔνοχος εἶ ῥήμασιν στόματός σου. θρασέως αὐτῷ διαλέγεται ὡς πρὸς μὴ δίκαιον προφέρων τοὺς λόγους. οἴεται δὲ καὶ ἐκ τῶν αὐτοῦ λόγων ἐλέγχειν αὐτὸν φάσκων ὅτι «ἐκ τῶν σεαυτοῦ ἐλεγχθήσει λόγων». οὐδὲ διέκρινας ῥήματα δυναστῶν. συνεπίσκεψαι, μήποτε δυνάστας λέγει τοὺς ὑπερέχοντας συνέσει ἤτοι κατὰ τὸν αὐτοῦ καιρὸν ἢ κατὰ τὸν πρὸ αὐτοῦ, καθὰ λέγεται ἐν τοῖς ἔνπροσθεν· "ἐπερώτησον γὰρ γενεὰν πρώτην, ἐξιχνίασον δὲ κατὰ γένος πατέρων," ἵν' ᾖ ὃ λέγει τοιοῦτον· «οὐ διέ 387 κρινας τὰ τῶν σοφῶν ῥήματα ὥστε δι' αὐτῶν ῥυθμίσαι σου τὰ ῥήματα καὶ ὅλον τὸν βίον.» πολλάκις γὰρ εἴρηται, ὅτι ὡς ἐξ ἁμαρτιῶν πάσχοντι ἐπιτιμῶσιν. ἐλέγξαι σε τὸ σὸν στόμα καὶ μὴ ἐγώ, τὰ χείλη σου καταμαρτυρήσαισάν σου. ἀπὸ θρασύτητος καὶ ταῦτα προφέρονται· οὐ γὰρ εἶχεν αὐτὸν οὕτως ἐλέγξαι. πρὸς γὰρ τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς διάλημψιν καὶ ταῦτα προφέρεται. τί γάρ; μὴ πρῶτος ἀνθρώπων ἐγεννήθης, ἢ πρὸ θινῶν ἐπάγης; παριστᾶν αὐτῷ βούλονται ὅτι «οὐ διαφέρεις τῶν ἄλλων ἀνθρώπων