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them, says the melodist. Let us now reverently listen to the very utterance of the Lord. The words 38:2 *Who is this that hides counsel from me, and holds back words in his heart and thinks to hide them from me?* Job did not hide from the one who knows the counsels of hearts; for we heard him say before God: *he who knows the mind of men*. But since he spoke some things obscurely, using a pious disposition, but a harsher delivery, and since 335 he agreed with the words of Elihu, who spoke orthodoxly about God, but was silent and did not answer, God says: *Who is this that hides counsel from me?* That is to say: No one can hide from me, but I also know the movements of hearts, even if they are not announced through words. Do you then suppose, he says, Job, that you have escaped my notice? I know your noble struggles contended for us, nothing concerning you has escaped my notice. Not that Job supposed any such thing, that anything concerning him escaped God's notice, but encouraging him as a friend he says: Do you think to hide from me? Or do you suspect that I was ignorant of your wrestlings? I am not ignorant of your sincere disposition, even if you are silent, even if you have used more obscure words. But it should be known that some say that the God and Father over all is the one speaking through the Holy Spirit, while others say it is the only-begotten Word of God himself, about whom it is said: *But the gatekeepers of Hades, seeing you, were terrified.* But whether the words are brought forth from the person of the Father—as when Moses says: *Let us make man in our own image and after our likeness*—, or from the person of the only-begotten—as when he himself says about himself: *Before Abraham was, I was*—, or from the person of the Holy Spirit—for, it says, the Holy Spirit said: *Set apart for me Paul and Barnabas for the work to which I have called them*, as it is said in the Acts of the Apostles—there is one counsel of the Godhead in the monad of the trinity, and one will, one substance known in three hypostases. 336 38:3 *Gird up your loins like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.* Be a man, therefore, cast off despondency, and since you desired to come into conversation with me, behold, I speak with you, behold, I fulfill your request; answer what is said. 38:4 *Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.* Since you were despondent, he says, because you did not know the outcome of the things brought upon you and the reason for your struggles, behold, I ask you countless other things, whose reasons you do not know. And God, speaking with his friend, teaches us both that he is the maker of all things and that the depths of his wisdom are unattainable. But it must be known that now for the first time the account concerning the creation of the world is introduced by a divine voice; for we said that Job existed before the law. For even if the creator of them is contemplated analogously from the greatness and beauty of the created things, and the lovers of God knew this, yet we hear this now for the first time from a divine voice. If then, he says, you have understanding of the making of created things, answer me. 38:5-6 *Who set its measurements, if you know? Or who stretched a measuring line upon it? Upon what are its sockets fixed? Or who is it that laid its cornerstone?* From the likeness of our buildings he spoke of measurements and a measuring line stretched for the evenness of the structures and a corner- 337 stone binding both walls; and by sockets he means the supports. Say then, if you know the measurements of the earth, say, what is its foundation, upon what is this heavy and great element borne; but these things are completely incomprehensible to men. Who then is the one who created these things? That is to say: No one else but me; for they are works of the ineffable wisdom of God. 38:7 *When the stars were made, all my angels praised me with a loud voice and sang hymns.* Here we are taught that before the sensible world the holy angels existed, being amazed at each of the created things and singing hymns to their maker. From this also the blessed angels, through which they saw the non-existent things being brought into being, knew also

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αὐτούς, φησὶν ὁ μελωδός. αὐτῆς δὲ λοιπὸν σεβασμίως τῆς τοῦ κυρίου ῥήσεως ἐπακουσόμεθα. Αἱ λέξεισ 38, 2 τίς οὗτος ὁ κρύπτων με βουλήν, συνέχων δὲ ῥήματα ἐν καρδίᾳ ἐμὲ οἴεται κρύπτειν; οὐ τὸν εἰδότα τὰς βουλὰς τῶν καρδιῶν ἔκρυψεν Ἰώβ· ἠκούσαμεν γὰρ αὐτοῦ λέγοντος ἔμπροσθεν θεοῦ· ὁ ἐπιστάμενος τὸν νοῦν τῶν ἀνθρώπων. ἀλλ' ἐπειδήπερ τὰ μὲν ἀσαφῶς διελέχθη, εὐσεβεῖ μὲν τῇ διανοίᾳ χρώμενος, τραχυτέρᾳ δὲ τῇ ἀπαγγελίᾳ, καὶ ἐπειδήπερ 335 συνετίθετο μὲν τοῖς τοῦ Ἐλιοὺς λόγοις ὀρθοδοξαστικῶς τὰ περὶ θεοῦ λέγοντος, ἐσιώπα δὲ καὶ οὐκ ἀπεκρίνατο, φησὶν ὁ θεός· τίς οὗτος ὁ κρύπτων με βουλήν; ἀντὶ τοῦ· οὐδεὶς ἀποκρύψαι με δύναται, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ τῶν καρδιῶν οἶδα κινήματα, κἂν διὰ λόγων μὴ ἐξαγγέλλωνται. ἆρα οὖν, φησίν, ὑπολαμβάνεις, Ἰώβ, ὅτι λέληθάς με; οἶδά σου τοὺς καλοὺς ἀγῶνας παρ' ἡμῖν ἀγωνιζομένου, οὐδέν με λέληθε τῶν κατὰ σέ. οὐχ ὅτι Ἰὼβ τοιοῦτόν τι ὑπελάμβανεν, ὅτι θεόν τι τῶν κατ' αὐτὸν διελάνθανεν, ἀλλ' ἐπιρρωννὺς αὐτὸν ὡς πρὸς φίλον φησίν· ἐμὲ νομίζεις κρύπτειν; ἢ ὑπονοεῖς, ὅτι ἠγνόουν σου τὰ παλαίσματα; οὐκ ἀγνοῶ σου τὴν εἰλικρινῆ διάθεσιν, κἂν σιωπᾶς, κἂν ἀσαφεστέροις κέχρησαι τοῖς λόγοις. ἰστέον δέ, ὡς οἱ μέν φασι τὸν ἐπὶ πάντων θεὸν καὶ πατέρα εἶναι τὸν διαλεγόμενον διὰ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος, οἱ δὲ αὐτὸν τὸν μονογενῆ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγον, περὶ οὗ λέγεται· πυλωροὶ δὲ ᾅδου ἰδόντες σε ἔπτηξαν. εἴτε δὲ ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ πατρὸς οἱ λόγοι προφέρονταιὡς ὅταν λέγῃ Μωυσῆς· ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον κατ' εἰκόνα ἰδίαν καὶ καθ' ὁμοίωσιν ἡμετέραν, εἴτε ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ μονογενοῦςὡς ὅταν αὐτὸς περὶ αὑτοῦ λέγῃ· πρὶν Ἀβραὰμ γενέσθαι ἐγὼ ἤμην, εἴτε ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματοςεἶπε, γάρ φησιν, τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον· ἀφορίσατε δή μοι τὸν Παῦλον καὶ τὸν Βαρναβᾶν εἰς τὸ ἔργον, ὃ προσκέκλημαι αὐτούς, ὡς ἐν τοῖς Πράξεσι τῶν ἀποστόλων εἴρηται, μία μέν ἐστιν ἡ βουλὴ τῆς θεότητος ἐν μονάδι τριάδος, ἓν δὲ θέλημα, μία οὐσία ἐν τρισὶ γνωριζομένη ταῖς ὑποστάσεσιν. 336 38, 3 ζῶσαι ὥσπερ ἀνὴρ τὴν ὀσφύν σου, ἐρωτήσω δέ σε, σὺ δέ μοι ἀποκρίθητι. ἄνδρισαι τοιγαροῦν, ἀπόρριψον τὴν ἀθυμίαν, καὶ ἐπειδήπερ ἐπεθύμεις εἰς ἐμὴν ὁμιλίαν ἐλθεῖν, ἰδού σοι διαλέγομαι, ἰδοὺ πληρῶ σου τὴν αἴτησιν, ἀποκρίθητι πρὸς τὰ λεγόμενα. 38, 4 ποῦ ἦς ἐν τῷ θεμελιοῦν με τὴν γῆν; ἀνάγγειλόν μοι, εἰ ἐπίστασαι σύνεσιν. ἐπειδὴ ἠθύμεις, φησίν, ὅτι ἠγνόεις τῶν ἐπαγομένων σοι τὴν ἔκβασιν καὶ τῶν σῶν ἀγώνων τὴν ὑπόθεσιν, ἰδοὺ ἐρωτῶ σε καὶ ἄλλα μυρία, ὧν τοὺς λόγους ἀγνοεῖς. διδάσκει δὲ ἡμᾶς ὁ θεὸς πρὸς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ φίλον διαλεγόμενος, ὅτι τε ποιητὴς τῶν ὅλων ἐστὶ καὶ ὅτι ἀνέφικτα τὰ βάθη τῆς ἑαυτοῦ σοφίας. ἰστέον δέ, ὅτι νῦν πρῶτον ἐκ θείας φωνῆς ὁ περὶ τῆς δημιουργίας τῆς κτίσεως εἰσάγεται λόγος· ἔφημεν γάρ, ὡς πρὸ τοῦ νόμου ὁ Ἰὼβ ἐτύγχανεν. εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἀπὸ μεγέθους καὶ καλλονῆς τῶν κτισμάτων ἀναλόγως ὁ γενεσιουργὸς αὐτῶν θεωρεῖται, καὶ τοῦτο ᾔδεσαν οἱ φιλόθεοι, ἀλλ' ἐκ θείας φωνῆς νῦν πρῶτον τοῦτο ἀκούομεν. εἰ οὖν ἔχεις, φησίν, σύνεσιν τῆς ποιήσεως τῶν κτισμάτων, ἀποκρίθητί μοι. 38, 56 τίς ἔθετο μέτρα αὐτῆς εἰ οἶδας; ἢ τίς ὁ ἐπαγαγὼν σπαρτίον ἐπ' αὐτῆς; ἐπὶ τίνος οἱ κρίκοι αὐτῆς πεπήγασιν; τίς δέ ἐστιν ὁ βαλὼν λίθον γωνιαῖον ἐπ' αὐτῆς; ἐξ ὁμοιώματος τῶν παρ' ἡμῖν οἰκοδομῶν μέτρα ἔφη καὶ σπαρτίον ἐπ' ἰσότητι τῶν οἰκοδομημάτων ἀποτεινόμενον καὶ λίθον γω 337 νιαῖον ἑκατέρους συνδέοντα τοὺς τοίχους· κρίκους δὲ λέγει τοὺς ἀναβαστακτῆρας. εἰπὲ οὖν, εἰ οἶσθα τὰ τῆς γῆς μέτρα, εἰπέ, τίς αὐτῇ ὑποβάθρα, ἐπὶ τίνος ὀχεῖται τὸ βαρὺ τοῦτο καὶ μέγα στοιχεῖον· ταῦτα δὲ ἀνθρώποις παντελῶς ἀκατάληπτα. τίς οὖν ὁ ταῦτα δημιουργήσας; ἀντὶ τοῦ· οὐδεὶς ἕτερος πλὴν ἐμοῦ· ἔργα γάρ εἰσιν ἀπορρήτου σοφίας τοῦ θεοῦ. 38, 7 ὅτε ἐγενήθησαν ἄστρα, ᾔνεσάν με φωνῇ μεγάλῃ πάντες ἄγγελοί μου καὶ ὕμνησαν. ἐνταῦθα διδασκόμεθα πρὸ τοῦ αἰσθητοῦ κόσμου τοὺς ἁγίους ἀγγέλους εἶναι, ἐκπληττομένους ἐφ' ἑκάστῳ τῶν δημιουργημάτων καὶ ὑμνολογοῦντας τὸν τούτων ποιητήν. ἐντεῦθεν δὲ καὶ οἱ μακάριοι ἄγγελοι, δι' ὧν ἔβλεπον τὰ μὴ ὄντα εἰς γένεσιν παραγόμενα, ἐγνώριζον καὶ