Origen of Alexandria, Commentaries on Job

Enarrationes in job

Verse 9. but say a word against the lord, and die. after she had related the tragedy in detail, then she brought forth her shameless counsel. and she

God scattered me, or, my god's contempt. teman, their eclipse. zophar, a watchman, or contempt. bildad, growing old, and renowned. shuhites, their idl

Of pains and such suspicion to be reckoned among the living. therefore, upon the loss of his possessions and the sudden death of his children, we have

He should be unashamed, he speaks to his face, not refuting, nor speaking the truth, but reproaching and insulting. for one must not tread upon those

Is made harsh by the tongue of the one chewing it. just as, he says, that herb, even if one should be very eager to grind it smooth with his teeth, he

They are fearless. they do not fear god, they despise the godhead saying such things about god, they are not afraid that they are speaking about god.

Teach us, having received the grace of teaching. verse 4. and he will enter with you into judgment. god, holding an account of the one for whom he pro

Like a gazelle from snares, and like a bird from a trap. verse 12. does not he who dwells on high observe? but you think that god, who dwells on high,

To pass the verdict of punishments, it was possible to find him. would that it were possible to go to law, he says, and to meet with him, and to le

From the righteousness of job, from his courage. for this is: when my paths flowed with butter. verse 2. and my mountains flowed with milk. as many lo

In the gospel. 17.96 no one puts new wine into old wineskins v. 20. i will speak, that i may be refreshed by opening my lips. he who happens upon an i

But god gives him boldness to speak. and after other things so great is the goodness of god, that he takes upon himself the person not of one judging

To put to death. and each one puts to death, as far as it is in his power, the devil, according to what was said by the apostle: may the god of peace

14. but the flesh of his body are glued together. he could have said: but the flesh of his body are united. but he did not say it for they are not un

Enarrationes in Job

ORIGEN'S EXPLANATORY WORKS ON JOB. 17.57 CH. 1. V. 10. Have you not put a hedge around his possessions? How do you know that it is hedged? This our adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goes about 17.60, seeking someone to devour. So he came also to Job, wanting to do the same things. Later, having received authority, he did these things. And because everything was hedged about, and understanding this from being hindered; wishing to do things concerning Job, he said: You have hedged his inner and his outer things. Therefore, as long as it is not given to the devil, you have hedged all things. V. 18. While he was still speaking, another messenger saying to Job: Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking at their eldest brother's, V. 19. Suddenly a great wind came from the desert and struck the four corners of the house, and the house fell upon your children, and they are dead. And I alone escaped, and have come to tell you. Therefore, he caused the camels to fall to the horsemen, and the donkeys and the yokes of oxen to the captors; but he hated the sheep. For this reason he brought down fire upon them. But he also plotted against the sons, he sought an opportunity to destroy them. If he had found them reading, he would not have touched the house, nor had a place to kill them. If he had found them praying, he would have been able to do nothing against them. But when he found an opportunity, he prevailed. What then was the opportunity? It was drunkenness, it was a banquet. The spirit touching the corners of the house, understand that in the squares of the corners the hypocrites stand and pray; and everyone who does not walk a straight path uses the corners. A broad corner is great and unrestrained wickedness. CH. 2. V. 2. And the Lord said to the devil: From where do you come? God saw how Satan, being shamed, was distressed. And when, upon questioning, He sees one being ungrateful, then He convicts the evildoer, as He convicted Cain. V. 9. And when much time had passed, his wife said to him. See the evildoer. When much time has passed, then he attacks; for then especially strength weakens. The weaknesses were twofold, in that the one bearing them became weaker with the length of time, and in that hope was more despaired of. And after a little: Let us not then see this, that she is a woman, but what she advises. This I also exhort people today, not to look to the dignities of persons, but to the manner of the counsel. A woman is to help, not to trip up. V. 9. His wife said to him: How long will you endure? The devil later brings forward the strongest of all preceding devices. If only you had taken this one too! If only you had buried her with the children! But some say that the words are not even the wife's, but that he 17.61, having been imprinted into her, utters these things; for Job's wife was not such a person; unless one might say that, having been turned by misfortune, she became such a person. And after a little: It is likely that this was not the first counsel, but that he often heard many things harsher than these from his wife. See the diabolical deceit. He thought of Eve. This, he says, brought down the first man; this will also be able to overcome this one. But, O wretched and foolish one! having found that one weaker than his stomach, she sowed her poison. But you see this one philosophizing, and having overcome nature itself. The loss of wealth did not bend him, nor the untimely death of children, nor the inconsolable torment of the body, nor such a length of time. And the one not captured by deeds, do you expect to subdue this one by words? By the same. Why do you unnerve the athlete? Why do you lower his hands? when you should say according to the Apostle: Yet a little while, yet a little while.

Enarrationes in Job

ΩΡΙΓΕΝΟΥΣ ΕΞΗΓΗΤΙΚΑ ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΙΩΒ. 17.57 ΚΕΦ. Αʹ. Στίχ. ιʹ. Οὐ σὺ περιέφραξας τὰ ἔξω αὐτοῦ; Πόθεν οἶδας, ὅτι πέφρακται; Οὗτος ὁ ἀντίδικος ἡμῶν ὁ διάβολος ὡς λέων ὠρυόμενος περιπορεύε 17.60 ται, ζητῶν καταπιεῖν τινα. Ἦλθεν οὖν καὶ περὶ τὸν Ἰὼβ, βουλόμενος τὰ αὐτὰ ποιῆσαι. Ὕστερον λαβὼν ἐξουσίαν, ταῦτα πεποίηκε. Καὶ ὅτι πάντα πε ριπεφραγμένα ἦν, καὶ ταῦτα νοήσας ἐκ τοῦ κεκωλύ σθαι· βουλόμενος ποιεῖν τὰ περὶ τοῦ Ἰὼβ, εἶπε· Σὺ περιέφραξας τὰ ἔσω αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ ἔξω αὐτοῦ. Πάν τα οὖν ἐφ' ὅσον οὐ δίδοται τῷ διαβόλῳ, σὺ περιέ φραξας. Στ. ιηʹ. Ἔτι τούτου λαλοῦντος, ἄλλος ἄγγελος λέγων τῷ Ἰώβ· Τῶν υἱῶν σου καὶ τῶν θυγατέ ρων σου ἐσθιόντων καὶ πινόντων, παρὰ τῷ ἀδελ φῷ αὐτῶν τῷ πρεσβυτέρῳ, Στ. ιθʹ. Ἐξαίφνης πνεῦμα μέγα ἐπῆλθεν ἐκ τῆς ἐρήμου, καὶ ἥψατο τῶν τεσσάρων γωνιῶν τῆς οἰκίας, καὶ ἔπεσεν ἡ οἰκία ἐπὶ τὰ παιδία σου, καὶ ἐτελεύτησαν. Ἐσώθην δὲ ἐγὼ μόνος, καὶ ἦλθον τοῦ ἀπαγγεῖλαί σοι. Τὰς μὲν οὖν καμήλους πεποίηκε γενέσθαι ὑπὸ τοὺς ἱππεῖς, τοὺς ὄνους δὲ καὶ τὰ ζεύγη τῶν βοῶν ὑπὸ τοὺς αἰχμαλωτίζοντας· τὰ πρόβατα δὲ ἐμίσει. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο πῦρ ἐπ' αὐτὰ κατήγαγεν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς υἱοῖς ἐπεβούλευσε, καιρὸν ἐζήτει τοῦ αὐτοὺς ἀπολέ σαι. Εἰ εὑρήκει ἀναγινώσκοντας, οὐκ ἂν ἥψατο τῆς οἰκίας, οὐδὲ τόπον εἶχε τοῦ αὐτοὺς ἀποκτεῖναι. Εἰ εὑρήκει προσευχομένους, οὐδὲν ἠδύνατο ποιῆσαι κατ' αὐτῶν. Ἀλλ' ὅτε εὗρεν εὐκαιρίαν, ἴσχυσε. Ποῖος οὖν ὁ καιρός; Μέθη ἦν, συμπόσιον ἦν. Τὸ, τῶν γω νιῶν τῆς οἰκίας ἅψασθαι τὸ πνεῦμα, ἐπίστησον, ὅτι ἐν ταῖς τῶν γωνιῶν πλατείαις οἱ ὑποκριταὶ ἑστῶτες προσεύχονται· πᾶς δὲ ὁ μὴ ἐπιβεβηκὼς εὐθείας ὁδοῦ, ταῖς γωνίαις κέχρηται. Πλατεῖα δὲ γωνία ἡ πολλὴ καὶ ἀνειμένη κακία. ΚΕΦ. Βʹ. Στίχ. βʹ. Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τῷ διαβόλῳ· Πό θεν σὺ ἔρχῃ; Ἑώρα ὁ Θεὸς, ὅπως αἰσχυνθεὶς διεπονεῖτο ὁ Σατα νᾶς. Ὅταν δὲ ἐπερωτῶν ἴδῃ ἀγνωμονοῦντα, τότε ἐλέγχει κακουργοῦντα, ὡς ἤλεγξε τὸν Κάϊν. Στ. θʹ. Χρόνου δὲ προβεβηκότος, εἶπεν αὐτῷ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ. Ὅρα τὸ κακοῦργον. Ὅτε πολὺς διῆλθε χρόνος, τότε ἐπιτίθεται· τότε γὰρ μάλιστα τῆς δυνάμεως ἐξασθε νεῖ. ∆ιπλᾶ τὰ τῆς ἀσθενείας ἦν, τῷ τε τὸν φέροντα ἀσθενέστερον γενέσθαι τῷ μήκει τοῦ χρόνου, καὶ τῷ τὴν ἐλπίδα ἀπογνωσθῆναι μᾶλλον. Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· Μὴ τοίνυν τοῦτο ἴδωμεν, ὅτι γυνὴ, ἀλλὰ τί συμβου λεύει. Τοῦτο καὶ τοῖς νῦν ἀνθρώποις παραινῶ, μὴ πρὸς τὰ τῶν προσώπων ἀξιώματα βλέπειν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸν τρόπον τῆς συμβουλῆς. Γυνή ἐστιν ἵνα βοηθῇ, οὐχ ἵνα ὑποσκελίζῃ. Στ. θʹ. Εἶπεν αὐτῷ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ· Μέχρι τί νος καρτερήσεις; Τὸ πάντων μηχανημάτων τῶν προλαβόντων ἰσχυ ρότερον ὕστερον ὁ διάβολος προσάγει. Εἴθε καὶ ταύ την ἔλαβες! Εἴθε μετὰ τῶν παίδων κατέχωσας! Τινὲς δέ φασιν οὐδὲ τῆς γυναικὸς εἶναι τὰ ῥήματα, ἀλλ' αὐ 17.61 τὸν εἰς αὐτὴν τυπωθέντα ταῦτα φθέγγεσθαι· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἦν τὴν γυναῖκα τοῦ Ἰὼβ τοιαύτην εἶναι· πλὴν εἴ τις λέγοι, συμφορᾷ περιτραπεῖσαν, τοιαύτην αὐτὴν γενέ σθαι. Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· Εἰκὸς οὐ ταύτην πρώτην γε γενῆσθαι τὴν συμβουλὴν, ἀλλὰ πολλάκις πολλὰ τού των ἀκοῦσαι χαλεπώτερα παρὰ τῆς γυναικός. Ὅρα διαβολικὴν ἀπάτην. Ἐνενόησε τὴν Εὔαν. Τοῦτο, φησὶ, τὸν πρῶτον κατήνεγκεν ἄνθρωπον· τοῦτο καὶ τούτου περιγενέσθαι δυνήσεται. Ἀλλ', ὦ ἄθλιε καὶ ἀνόητε! ἐκεῖνον ἥττονα γαστρὸς εὑροῦσα, ἰὸν ἔσπειρε τὸν ἑαυ τῆς. Τοῦτον δὲ ὁρᾷς φιλοσοφοῦντα, καὶ αὐτῆς περι γενόμενον τῆς φύσεως. Οὐκ ἐπέκαμψεν αὐτὸν χρη μάτων ἀπώλεια, οὐδὲ παίδων θάνατος ἄωρος, οὐδὲ βάσανος σώματος ἀπαραμύθητος, οὐδὲ χρόνου μῆκος τοσοῦτον. Καὶ τὸν ὑπὸ πραγμάτων οὐχ ἁλόντα, τοῦ τον ὑπὸ λόγων προσδοκᾷς χειρώσασθαι; Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Τί τὸν ἀθλητὴν ἐκλύεις; Τί καταστέλλεις τὰς χεῖ ρας; δέον εἰπεῖν κατὰ τὸν Ἀπόστολον· Ἔτι μικρὸν, ἔτι μικρόν.