Scholia in Job

27.1344 ATHANASIUS. Indeed, the Scripture saying: "And he had seven sons," will also contribute to our argument against the Ariomaniacs; who hold as a great support for their heresy what is said by the Apostle about the Only-begotten: "who was faithful to him that made him;" and they contend that the Son of God is a creature. But this support of theirs is a bruised reed. For when the substance is a product and a creation, then "he made" and "he created" are said of them in the proper sense, and signify a product; but when the substance is an offspring and a son, "he made," and "he became," and "he created" are no longer applied to him in their proper sense, nor do they signify a product, but one uses the verb "he made" indifferently instead of "he begot." So the Arians will condemn themselves, if they would learn the idiom of Scripture; for even if parents were to speak of those born of them as being "made," and "becoming," and "being created," they would no less not deny their nature. At any rate Hezekiah, as it is written in Isaiah, said in prayer: "For from this day I will make children," having said "I will make" instead of "I will beget," and speaking of those born from him. And it makes no difference. And here too concerning Job it is said: "And he had seven sons;" just as Moses also says in the law: "If they should have." One must first inquire if he is a son. For when this is proven, the suspicion about his being a product and a creation ceases, and it is a clear proof to all that the phrase which says, "to him that made him," is not for the benefit of their heresy, but rather for its condemnation. For it has been shown that the word "he made" is found in Holy Scripture also with respect to legitimate and natural children. Wherefore, since the Lord is proven to be by nature and a legitimate son, even if it is said of him (sic) "he made" or "he became," it is not said as if he were a product, but the saints use the word indifferently. 27.1345 And God said to the devil: "Whence have you come?" Athanasius. At the same time, it is shown in these things that all created beings are in divided places, the luminaries in the firmament, the clouds in the air. And for men he has set the boundaries of the nations; and the angels are sent for ministries, and they ascend and descend on the ladder. And here, "They came," he says, "to present themselves before the Lord." And a question is put to the devil: "Whence have you come?" So they are in a place, and where they are sent, there they are present; but God alone is uncircumscribed; they seek the one present everywhere, that they might find the indefinite one enclosed in some place. But "to present oneself" is to be conformed to his will, and to be stretched out wholly toward him. For before God is all creation, even the apostate and most wicked, according to the uncircumscribed nature of that substance; but the angels are present to God in a special way, according to the insatiable desire of divine love. Athanasius. So Job was contending, and the temptation was great; but the athlete appeared greater than the temptation. And the tempter flowed on mightily, and the combatant was fierce; but the one being tempted appeared more courageous, conquering the attempts and assaults of the evil one by the greatness of his thought. The mark of courage is endurance. For by this each of the saints, bearing the laborious and painful things that happened in life, was strong against the devil; and the Spirit, wanting us to acquire both, commands, saying in the psalm: "Be courageous, and let your heart be strengthened, and wait for the Lord." For he who endures is courageous, and he who is courageous would be one who endures. Therefore the blessed Job also, because he endured was strengthened, and because he bore his labors courageously he persevered, and he pushed away his wife, who had been deceived by the

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Scholia in Job

27.1344 ἈΘΑΝΑΣΙΟΥ. Τό γε μὴν λέγειν τὴν Γραφήν· Ἐγένοντο δὲ αὐτῷ ἑπτὰ υἱοὶ, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς Ἀρειομανίτας ἡμῖν συμβαλεῖται· οἳ ὡς μέγα βοήθημα τῆς αἱρέσεως αὐτῶν κατέχουσι τὸ περὶ τοῦ Μονογενοῦς παρὰ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου λεγόμενον· Πιστὸν ὄντα τῷ ποιήσαντι αὐτόν· καὶ φιλονεικοῦσι ποίημα εἶναι τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱόν. Ἔστι δὲ αὐτοῖς κάλαμος τεθλα σμένος τοῦτο τὸ ἔρεισμα. Ὅταν μὲν γὰρ ἡ οὐσία ποίημα ᾖ καὶ κτίσμα, τηνικαῦτα τὸ, ἐποίησε, καὶ τὸ, ἔκτισε, κυρίως ἐπὶ αὐτῶν λέγεται, καὶ σημαίνει τὸ ποίημα· ὅταν δὲ ἡ οὐσία γέννημα ᾖ καὶ υἱὸς, τό τε, ἐποίησε, καὶ τὸ, ἐγένετο, καὶ τὸ, ἔκτισεν, οὐκ ἔτι κυρίως ἐπ' αὐτοῦ κεῖται, οὐδὲ ποίημα σημαίνει, ἀλλ' ἀντὶ τοῦ ἐγέννησε τῷ ἐποίησεν ἀδιαφόρως τις κέ χρηται ῥήματι. Ὥστε καταγνώσονται ἑαυτῶν οἱ Ἀρειανοὶ, εἰ μάθοιεν τὸ τῆς Γραφῆς ἰδίωμα· καὶ γὰρ εἰ ποιουμένους, καὶ γινομένους, καὶ κτιζομένους τοὺς ἐξ αὐτῶν φυομένους λέγοιεν οἱ γονεῖς, οὐδὲν ἧττον οὐκ ἀρνοῦνται τὴν φύσιν. Ὁ γοῦν Ἐζεχίας, ὡς ἐν τῷ Ἡσαΐᾳ γέγραπται, εὐχόμενος ἔλεγεν· Ἀπὸ γὰρ τῆς σήμερον παιδία ποιήσω, ἀντὶ τοῦ, γεννήσω, τὸ ποιήσω εἰρηκὼς, καὶ τοὺς ἐξ αὐτοῦ φυομένους εἰπών. Καὶ οὐ διαφέρεται. Κἀνταῦθα δὲ περὶ τοῦ Ἰὼβ εἴρηται· Ἐγένοντο δὲ αὐτῷ υἱοὶ ἑπτά· ὥσπερ καὶ Μωϋσῆς ἐν τῷ νόμῳ φησίν· Ἐὰν γένωνται. Χρὴ πρότερον ζητεῖν, εἰ υἱός ἐστιν. Τούτου γὰρ ἀποδεικνυμένου, παύεται ἡ περὶ τοῦ ποιήματος καὶ κτίσματος ὑπόνοια, καὶ φανερὰ πᾶσιν ἀπόδειξις, ὡς ἡ λέξις ἡ λέγουσα, τῷ ποιήσαντι αὐτὸν, οὐκ εἰς ὄνησίν ἐστι τῇ αἱρέσει αὐτῶν, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον εἰς κατά γνωσιν. ∆έδεικται γὰρ, ὅτι ἡ τοῦ, ἐποίησε, λέξις καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν γνησίων καὶ τῶν φύσει τέκνων ἐν τῇ θείᾳ κεῖται Γραφῇ. Ὅθεν τοῦ Κυρίου ἀποδεικνυμένου φύσει καὶ γνησίου υἱοῦ, κἂν λέγηται ἐπ' αὐτοῦ (sic) τὸ, ἐποίησεν, ἢ ἐγένετο, οὐχ ὡς ποιήματος ὄντος αὐτοῦ λέγεται, ἀλλ' ἀδιαφόρως τῇ λέξει χρῶνται οἱ ἅγιοι. 27.1345 Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Θεὸς τῷ διαβόλῳ· Πόθεν παραγέγονας; Ἀθανασίου. Ἅμα δὲ ἐν τούτοις παρίσταται, εἰ καὶ τὰ γενητὰ πάντα ἐν μεμερισμένοις τόποις εἰσὶ, φωστῆρες μὲν ἐν τῷ στερεώματι, νέφη δὲ ἐν τῷ ἀέρι. Καὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἔστησεν ὅρια ἐθνῶν· οἱ δὲ ἄγγελοι ἀποστέλλονται εἰς διακονίας, καὶ ἀναβαίνουσι καὶ καταβαίνουσιν ἐπὶ τῆς κλίμακος. Κἀνταῦθα, Ἦλθον, φησὶ, παραστῆναι ἐνώπιον Κυρίου. Καὶ πεῦσις γίνεται πρὸς τὸν διάβολον· Πόθεν παραγέγονας; Ὥστε ἐν τόπῳ εἰσὶ, καὶ ἔνθα ἀποστέλλονται, ἐκεῖ πάρεισι· μόνος δὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἀπερίγραπτος· τὸν παντα χοῦ παρόντα ζητοῦσιν, ἵν' εὕροιεν ἐν χωρίῳ τινὶ συγ κλειόμενον τὸν ἀόριστον. Ἀλλὰ τὸ παραστῆναι, τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ τοῖς θελήμασιν αὐτοῦ τυπωθῆναι, καὶ τὸ πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁλικῶς ἀνατείνεσθαι. Θεοῦ μὲν γὰρ ἐνώπιόν ἐστι πᾶσα ἡ κτίσις, καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ ἀποστατικὴ καὶ πο νηροτάτη, κατὰ τὸ ἀπερίγραπτον τῆς οὐσίας ἐκείνης· ἰδίως δὲ οἱ ἄγγελοι πάρεισι τῷ Θεῷ, κατὰ τὸν τῆς θείας ἀγάπης ἀκόρεστον ἔρωτα. Ἀθανάσιος. Ἠγωνίζετο μὲν οὖν ὁ Ἰὼβ, καὶ μέγας ἦν ὁ πειρασμός· μείζων δὲ ἐφαίνετο ὁ ἀθλητὴς τοῦ πειρασμοῦ. Καὶ πολὺς μὲν ἔῤῥεεν ὁ πειράζων, καὶ χαλεπὸς ἦν ὁ μαχόμενος· ἀνδρειότερος δὲ ἐφαί νετο ὁ πειραζόμενος, νικῶν τὰς ἐπιχειρήσεις καὶ προσβολὰς τοῦ πονηροῦ τῷ μεγέθει τῆς διανοίας. Γνώρισμα τῆς ἀνδρείας ἐστὶν ἡ ὑπομονή. Ταύτῃ γὰρ ἕκαστος τῶν ἁγίων φέρων τὰ συμβάντα ἐν τῷ βίῳ ἐπίπονα καὶ λυπηρὰ, ἴσχυε κατὰ τοῦ διαβόλου· ἅπερ τὸ Πνεῦμα θέλον ἡμᾶς ἀμφότερα κτᾶσθαι, προστάττει λέγον ἐν τῷ ψαλμῷ· Ἀνδρίζου, καὶ κραταιούσθω ἡ καρδία σου, καὶ ὑπόμεινον τὸν Κύριον. Ὁ γὰρ ὑπομένων ἀνδρεῖός ἐστι, καὶ ὁ ἀνδρεῖος ὑπομονητικὸς ἂν εἴη. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ μακάριος Ἰὼβ διὰ τὸ ὑπομένειν ἐκραταιοῦτο, καὶ διὰ τὸ ἀνδρείως φέρειν τοὺς πόνους ὑπέμεινε, καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα διωθεῖτο, ἐξαπατηθεῖσαν ὑπὸ τοῦ

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