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so that he who considers the things said about the dragon according to the modes of allegory and refers what is written to the devil is entirely sound and unshakable, whether such a tangible beast exists or not, but yours is both doubtful and mistaken, until it be shown whether such a beast exists or not. 381 CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE Beginning of the saying: But Job answered and said to the Lord: I know that you can do all things, and nothing is impossible for you. Introduction to the chapter. We heard Job say above: I have spoken once, but I will not add a second time. It is worthwhile, therefore, to ask how he who promised to speak no more speaks again. But the solution is at hand: for since, having promised to be silent, he heard God say, No, but gird up your loins like a man, he considers the divine command better than his own promise and speaks again, so that it is better to obey divine laws than to fulfill one's own promises, when it opposes the Lord's will. Wherefore Herod also would have done well to have set aside his own oaths and not cut off the head of the Forerunner; except that it is altogether better not to make promises rashly. Not that the divine Job did not do well in promising not to speak, honoring the divine preeminence, but he also does well to speak again, since God released him from his promise of silence. 382 The words. 42, 2 I know that you can do all things, and nothing is impossible for you. He does not say that he has learned this now, but that he knows the invincible power of God and that nothing is impossible for the omnipotent power of God. 42, 3 For who is he that hides counsel from you? and holding back words thinks to hide from you? But this also I know, that you examine counsels and understand the thoughts of all, and there is no one who can escape your all-seeing eye. 42, 3 Who will tell me what I did not know, great and wonderful things, which I did not understand? Instead of: no one but you. And what were the things that the just Job did not understand, who had opinions about God that were fitting for God? He was ignorant, therefore, of his own case, and that the contest was a trial of virtue. This he learned upon hearing: But do you think that I have dealt with you in any other way than that you might appear just? He was ignorant of the most impetuous strength of the devil, his immutability, his deceits, his villainies, and all that He taught by describing them in detail: for, He says, have you not seen him? He learned these things also. He was dimly enlightened concerning the economy of the Savior; he was taught this most clearly and was assured of it through the divine utterance. He learned, therefore, what he did not know, having acquired greater knowledge. 42, 4 Hear me, Lord, that I also may speak. I will question you, and you 383 teach me. It is worth asking how, having promised to ask, he asked God nothing, but ended his speech without either asking or receiving any answer. It seems to me, therefore, that the preceding words have some such meaning as this: Since, therefore, he says, you have taught me what I did not understand, hear me, Lord, and if, wishing to learn something of the things I am ignorant of, I should ask you, deign to teach me, that I too may be able to speak and become a teacher to others of the things they are ignorant of, having received knowledge from you. 42, 5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear before, but now my eye has seen you. I have acquired, he says, more knowledge about you, as much as eyes have more than hearing. And perhaps he also says this because of the mystery of the incarnation of the only-begotten. For being dimly informed of it before, he has now acquired a more perfect knowledge of it. 42, 6 Therefore I have debased myself and melted away, and I have considered myself earth and ashes. I debased myself as one who thought he knew something, but now having learned things beyond me, I have understood the pettiness of the humility of my nature. And consider for me the holy men, how, when they are deemed worthy of greater things, they acquire more humility. 384 CHAPTER THIRTY Beginning of the saying: And it came to pass after the Lord had spoken all these words to Job, God said to Eliphaz the Temanite. Introduction to the

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ὥστε ὁ μὲν τῶν θεωρούντων τὰ εἰρημένα περὶ τοῦ δράκοντος κατὰ τοὺς τῆς ἀλληγορίας τρόπους καὶ εἰς τὸν διάβολον ἀναγόντων τὰ γεγραμμένα πάντως ἔρρωται καὶ ἀκίνητός ἐστιν, εἴτε ἔστι τι τοιοῦτον θηρίον αἰσθητόν, εἴτε καὶ μή, ὁ δὲ ὑμέτερος καὶ ἀμφίβολος καὶ ἐσφαλμένος, ἕως ὅτε ἀποδειχθῇ, πότερον ἔστι τοιοῦτον θηρίον ἢ μή. 381 ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ΕΙΚΟΣΤΟΝ ΕΝΑΤΟΝ Ἀρχὴ τοῦ ῥητοῦ· ὑπολαβὼν δὲ Ἰὼβ λέγει τῷ κυρίῳ· οἶδα, ὅτι πάντα δύνασαι, ἀδυνατεῖ δέ σοι οὐδέν. Προθεωρία τοῦ κεφαλαίου ἠκούσαμεν ἀνωτέρω τοῦ Ἰὼβ λέγοντος· ἅπαξ ἐλάλησα, ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ δευτέρῳ οὐ προσθήσω. ζητῆσαι τοιγαροῦν ἄξιον, πῶς πάλιν φθέγγεται ὁ μηκέτι λαλεῖν ἐπαγγειλάμενος. παρὰ πόδα δὲ ἡ λύσις ἐστίν· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ σιωπήσειν ὑποσχόμενος ἀκήκοεν τοῦ θεοῦ λέγοντος· μή, ἀλλὰ ζῶσαι ὥσπερ ἀνὴρ τὴν ὀσφύν σου, ἄμεινον τίθεται τὸ θεῖον πρόσταγμα τῆς οἰκείας ὑποσχέσεως καὶ πάλιν διαλέγεται, ὥστε κάλλιον τοῖς θείοις πείθεσθαι νόμοις ἢ τὰς οἰκείας πληροῦν ἐπαγγελίας, ὅταν δεσποτικὸν ἀντιπράττῃ βούλημα. διὸ καὶ ὁ Ἡρώδης καλῶς ἂν ἐποίει τοὺς οἰκείους ἀθετήσας ὅρκους καὶ μὴ τοῦ προδρόμου τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀφελόμενος· πλὴν τὸ πάντῃ κάλλιον μὴ ῥᾳδίως ἐπαγγέλλεσθαι. μὴ ὅτι γε ὁ θεῖος Ἰὼβ καλῶς μὲν ὑπέσχετο μὴ λαλήσειν τιμῶν τὴν θείαν ὑπεροχήν, καλῶς δὲ καὶ αὖθις φθέγγεται λύσαντος αὐτῷ τοῦ θεοῦ τῆς σιωπῆς τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν. 382 Αἱ λέξεισ 42, 2 οἶδα, ὅτι πάντα δύνασαι, ἀδυνατεῖ δέ σοι οὐδέν. οὐ νῦν τοῦτο μεμαθηκέναι λέγει, ἀλλ' εἰδέναι τὴν ἄμαχον τοῦ θεοῦ δύναμιν καὶ ὡς οὐδὲν ἀδύνατον τῇ παντοδυνάμῳ δυνάμει τοῦ θεοῦ. 42, 3 τίς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ κρύπτων σε βουλήν; φειδόμενος δὲ ῥημάτων καὶ σὲ οἴεται κρύπτειν; ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο οἶδα, ὡς καὶ ταῖς βουλαῖς ἐμβατεύεις καὶ πάντων τὰς ἐννοίας ἐπίστασαι καὶ οὐδείς ἐστιν, ὃς διαλαθεῖν σου δύναται τὸν πανεπίσκοπον ὀφθαλμόν. 42, 3 τίς δὲ ἀναγγελεῖ μοι, ἃ οὐκ ᾔδειν, μεγάλα καὶ θαυμαστά, ἃ οὐκ ἠπιστάμην. ἀντὶ τοῦ· οὐδεὶς πλὴν σοῦ. ποῖα δὲ ἦν, ἃ οὐκ ἠπίστατο ὁ δίκαιος Ἰὼβ ὁ τὰς περὶ θεοῦ δόξας θεοπρεπεῖς ἔχων; ἠγνόει τοιγαροῦν τὴν καθ' ἑαυτὸν ὑπόθεσιν, καὶ ὅτι πεῖρά τις ἦν ἀρετῆς ὁ ἀγών. ταύτην ἔμαθεν ἀκηκοώς· οἴει δὲ μὴ ἄλλως σοι κεχρηματικέναι ἢ ἵνα ἀναφανῇς δίκαιος; ἠγνόει τοῦ διαβόλου τὴν ἰταμωτάτην ἰσχύν, τὸ ἀμετάθετον, τοὺς δόλους, τὰς πανουργίας, καὶ ὅσα τούτοις ὅλως διαγράφων ἐδίδαξεν· οὐ, γάρ φησιν, ἑώρακας αὐτόν; ἔμαθε καὶ ταῦτα. ἀμυδρῶς ἦν ἐλλαμφθεὶς τὰ περὶ τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος οἰκονομίας· σαφέστατα ταύτην ἐδιδάχθη καὶ ἐπιστώθη διὰ τῆς θείας ῥήσεως. ἔμαθε τοίνυν, ἅπερ οὐκ ᾔδει, πλείονα γνῶσιν προσειληφώς. 42, 4 ἄκουσον δέ μου, κύριε, ἵνα κἀγὼ λαλήσω. ἐρωτήσω δέ σε, σὺ 383 δέ με δίδαξον. ἄξιον ζητῆσαι, πῶς ἐρωτήσειν ἐπαγγειλάμενος οὐδὲν ἐπηρώτησε τὸν θεόν, ἀλλὰ κατέπαυσε τὸν λόγον μήτε ἐρωτήσας, μήτε τινὰ ἀπόκρισιν δεξάμενος. φαίνεταί μοι τοιγαροῦν τοιοῦτόν τινα νοῦν ἔχειν τὰ προκείμενα· ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν, φησίν, ἐδίδαξάς με, ἃ οὐκ ἠπιστάμην, εἰσάκουσόν μου, κύριε, καὶ ἐάν τι τῶν ἀγνοουμένων μαθεῖν βουλόμενος ἐρωτήσω σε, διδάσκειν με ἀξίωσον, ἵνα δυνηθῶ κἀγὼ λαλῆσαι καὶ ἑτέροις γενέσθαι τῶν ἀγνοουμένων διδάσκαλος παρὰ σοῦ τὴν γνῶσιν λαβών. 42, 5 ἀκοῇ μὲν ὠτὸς ἤκουόν σου τὸ πρότερον, νυνὶ ὁ ὀφθαλμός μου ἑώρακέ σε. πλείονα, φησίν, προσείληφα γνῶσιν περὶ σοῦ, ὅσον ὀφθαλμοὶ πλέον ἀκοῆς ἔχουσιν. ἴσως δὲ καὶ τοῦτο λέγει διὰ τὸ τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως τοῦ μονογενοῦς μυστήριον. ἀμυδρῶς γὰρ αὐτὸ πρότερον πληροφορούμενος τὴν τελειοτέραν περὶ αὐτοῦ προσείληφε γνῶσιν. 42, 6 διὸ ἐφαύλισα ἐμαυτὸν καὶ ἐτάκην, ἥγημαι δὲ ἐμαυτὸν γῆν καὶ σποδόν. ἐφαύλισα ἐμαυτὸν ὡς οἰηθέντα εἰδέναι τι, νῦν δὲ μαθὼν τὰ ὑπὲρ ἐμαυτὸν τῆς εὐτελείας τῆς ἐμῆς φύσεως τὸ μικροπρεπὲς κατενόησα. θεώρει δέ μοι τοὺς ἁγίους ἄνδρας, πῶς, ὅτε μειζόνων ἀξιοῦνται, πλείονα κτῶνται ταπεινοφροσύνην. 384 ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ΤΡΙΑΚΟΣΤΟΝ Ἀρχὴ τοῦ ῥητοῦ· ἐγένετο δὲ μετὰ τὸ λαλῆσαι τὸν κύριον πάντα τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα τῷ Ἰώβ, εἶπεν ὁ θεὸς Ἐλιφὰζ τῷ Θαιμανίτῃ. Προθεωρία τοῦ