Homilies on Job

1Job was a man of true integrity: blameless, righteous, and God-fearing, who actively shunned every evil practice. In contrast, wicked people are deceptive, much like those who attempt to paint God. To fear God and keep His commandments is the duty of every human being. He was blameless because of his righteousness; he was God-fearing because a virtuous life facilitates the knowledge of God, and that divine knowledge serves as a protective guard for one's life. Regarding the calamities, fire fell from heaven and consumed the sheep. Raiders surrounded the camels and took them captive. While camels were intended for riders, and donkeys and oxen for the plowmen and laborers, but the sheep he hated, and for this reason he brought fire down from heaven upon the sheep.

When much time had passed, his wife said to him. Behold the evildoer: when much time has passed, then he attacks; it is precisely then that hope is most severely tested and strength is most greatly exhausted. Job suffered a double weakness: he grew physically more frail as time went on, and his hope grew increasingly dim. Is not human life on earth a mere trial, much like the daily wage of a laborer? Everyone toils for their own sustenance: the farmer gathers food, the craftsman pursues a lowly trade, and those in high positions live differently. Truly, no one fails to care for their basic necessities.

Your hands formed me and brought me into being. The body is fashioned from the earth, derived from a woman, but the soul is created without any pre-existing matter, being both incorporeal and indivisible. I implore you to remember the lowly and fleeting nature of our existence. For at an appointed time he was prepared to fall under others. Some people glorify fate, claiming the Scriptures say it was predestined for him to suffer, but the Scriptures do not say this! We are not subject to necessity; rather, God governs all our affairs through the words of His providence, knowing exactly how much suffering is beneficial for us and leading us through temptations according to a specific measure. Job said this so that the judgment might be left to God, saying: let not the righteous who suffer be mocked, for they suffer only as much as God wills.

My eyes have seen these things and my ears have heard them; I know as much as you do, and I am not less wise than you. Though I may be younger in age, I lack nothing in understanding or in the knowledge of divine things; I am not inferior to any of you. What grows old becomes like a worn-out garment. Job does not say these things by his own will, but in response to the premise that all who are afflicted suffer because they have sinned. Like a flower that blooms only to fall, or a shadow that passes and leaves no memory for the living, human life is transient. Here, divine providence is made clear: life does not persist by mere chance, but by the Word of God, following an ordered course. This is not to be called fate, but rather the way God has ordered each thing within the limits and measures of His will. Rather than saying he was born before all men or lived through more trials than his peers, it is better to say that through his long life, he has gained more experience than those of a similar nature. —Theodotios: regarding the high and inaccessible place; —The Hebrew: 'You were captured'; —Thinas says...

2He appeals to the mountains, suggesting that they possess knowledge of things existing before the creation of the world Job 27:6. In chapters 1, 17, and 18, he cries out, 'Earth, do not cover my eyes from my physical sight, nor let there be a place for my cry to echo; behold, my witness is in the heavens, and my supporter is in the highest heights.' As he wanders toward the earth, he reasons and calls out for sympathy, uttering words that are profoundly well-spoken. He says, 'O earth, do not remain silent regarding my plight, nor secretly conceal the blood unjustly shed from my flesh through my wounds; do not stand in a place and hide, nor let the memory of my lamentations fall into oblivion; for many have indeed been built up through my trials.' He continues, 'Let not the earth hide my blood, but let it summon God to vengeance, with the wounds of my body serving as witnesses. Let not the air restrain my cry, but let the sound of my voice reach the heavens, so that God, the avenger of these occurring evils, may stand forth. By defending the guilty, you will demonstrate to all the blamelessness of my conduct.' He adds, 'Behold, my witness in the heavens is purer than the human conscience' Job 19:3.

He instructs, 'Only know that the Lord has brought this upon me.' He speaks this to strike fear into them, saying, 'Do not trample upon me while I suffer, lest you yourselves fall into the same condition, sharing the same human nature' Job 4:5, 5:7. 'Truly, I have been led astray; yet the deceiver mocks me, speaking words that should never have been uttered, and he misrepresents my words and speaks them out of season. Let you magnify yourselves at my expense and reproach me. Let it be assumed, as a hypothesis, that I was deceived. But the deceiver mocks me; the deceiver is the devil. What harm comes to you from this? Why is it necessary to judge me as impious and to trample upon one in pain? It is necessary to show compassion to one speaking through agony.' He asks, 'If even such things were done that were not necessary, was it then necessary for you to reproach me so?' He says, 'Having long ago devoted myself to piety, it is necessary for me now to have a reputation based on my works. I have not done this, yet I am judged as a deceiver.' This applies here as well Job 7:6.

He declares, 'Know then that the Lord is the one who has troubled me; He has raised His weapon against me. Behold, I will laugh at your reproaches, but I will not speak. I have cried out, yet no judgment comes. Reason with yourselves; I am not made without purpose, though I feel as if I am encircled by a terrible wall. I speak the truth regarding my circumstances, yet you refuse to accept my words.' He explains that his refusal to speak is not because he has nothing to say, but rather because he feels that since you oppose me, it is better to remain silent. 'Even if I cry out to God to make my situation clear to everyone, I find no favor. No one listens, no one judges, I see no one, and I have nowhere to flee. Should these things not be pitied?' He suggests that by unrighteously mocking him, they allow God to stand as judge to execute a sentence of irrational destruction upon them. 'I do not flee,' he says, 'for God does not abandon such things.' He implies that what appears to you as an unlearned opinion regarding the knowledge of good and the things to come will eventually be proven true. He asks, 'What do you say to the fact that I suffer these things while in wickedness? You yourselves ought to fear the same.' He urges, 'Hurry, even while these things are testifying through words; grasp hold of the words so that you might not be judged as unrighteous even by the truth itself.'

The Hebrew text contains a sin of the word Job 21:1. Having killed his lesser sons, and with his hands having burned the soles, he says those before him—those more inferior—will cast down the children of the lawless Job 14:14. Wealth gathered unjustly will be scrutinized, and an angel will drag the man from his house. The impious man does everything to seize the possessions of others, and one looks at the purpose of these events through him; yet when he seems to be master of all, he will see himself being carried away to others Job 16:14. Like an unplowed, uncontrollable plow, the words and doctrines of the impious are crooked and deceptive, for there is nothing sweet in things that happen against God Job 22:22. But when he seems to be full, he will be crushed, and necessity will press upon him. He says that because of the cause, acquired things are being stripped away and will not be passed to his ancestors Job 23:12. A spirit of wrath will be sent upon him to pour out his soles Job 23:16. Instead, he will undergo terrible things from God and heaven. He said this because Job, having claimed he was struck by God, also remembered how he was wronged by men; thus, he prepares, knowing that all things were brought upon him through sin Job 24:24. And stars in the diets...

3They wander about in ignorance, for the light has emanated from within themselves, even as He declared:. An unconsuming fire shall fall upon him. Regarding the hidden meaning, this unconsuming fire refers either to the conscience or to the judgments that await the righteous in the future. He says that the man shall be consumed by fire so that it may be said he is not even worthy of a burial.

This is the portion assigned to the impious man by the Lord, and it is a possession held by those under the bishop. Through this, divine justice is set in motion against him, whether he is one who, though circumcised, acted impiously toward God through Christ, or whether he is a paradoxical person; regardless, the declared portion belongs to the impious. Consider who the bishop mentioned here was. It is said that God is the Bishop, and the bishops of God strive to imitate His likeness in every way, being good and noble. Just as one who imitates a royal icon is honored for the excellence of his imitation and for the beauty he adds to it, so too is the blessed bishop who has perceived the true Bishop and follows Him with zeal. Such a man becomes like God among men; or, alternatively, he is one who possesses a bishop who truly makes him a bishop in Christ Jesus, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Their children also play, taking up the psaltery and the lyre, finding joy in the sound of psalmody. Indeed, even their foolish children engage in such play, for they sing the psalms of Valentinus and the hymns of Basileidus, finding delight in the melody of their songs.

Is not the Lord the one who imparts understanding and knowledge? Let us observe what Eliphaz says to the righteous man. After Job has spoken, Eliphaz rushes to join the argument, saying: I also know that God alone is wise, and that through certain words one impious man is corrected while another is punished. I also know that God is the giver of good things, as you have said, whereas evil brings about punishment. This doctrine is healthy. Knowledge is the comprehension of those who possess such a theory, while understanding is the power of distinction.

Is it not possible that your wickedness is great and your sins are beyond counting? It is therefore expected that I should say you have not become unrighteous by mere chance because you suffer such things as no other wicked man does; rather, you have fallen into these circumstances because you possess a greater wickedness than others. Wickedness is an evil disposition of the soul, such as grief, anger, or disordered desire, whereas sin is the actual exercise of that disposition. Therefore, he first mentioned wickedness and then sin—the former being a great state and the latter being innumerable acts. I see many sinners, yet none have fallen into such profound depths as you have. It is probable that because of your countless sins and your multitude of faults, these things have befallen you. You were defrauding your brothers through usury, and you were stripping the naked of their clothing. Let us take heed, O engravers, that we never defraud others through lending. These words are useful, for they allow us to speak truthfully about sins as they occur among men according to reason. Eliphaz assumes this regarding Job because he knew Job was wealthy and suspected he might have acquired his riches through improper means; thus he says: You were defrauding by lending, meaning you left nothing unpaid. If I lend money but, distrusting the borrower, I take a pledge of great value as security, that is not true lending. But if I demand and seize a pledge by lending because I slander him, claiming he cannot pay his debts, then I am lending. He adds another suspected sin: it is possible to take garments not from the naked, but from the rich who have many clothes lying around. Yet, if a man has only a single tunic and I use that as a pretext to demand my property, I strip him; having no pity for the naked man, I have deprived him of his clothing. Many such things occur among us when we lend or visit debtors. Often the debtor falls into such excess that he cannot pay, and we, becoming hardened and pitiless, fail to see that a woman must feed children on the few coins provided, and we demand payment bitterly even when we ourselves live in abundance. Such bitter demands occur...

4Someone possesses a piece of bread; if they lack a whole loaf, we take it from them, declaring, 'But you owe.' Thus, he accuses Job, asserting that he stripped the naked of their garments. Not only did you fail to quench the thirst of the parched, but you denied the hungry their sustenance. You favored certain faces, displacing the poor from their dwellings. Widows you sent away empty-handed, and orphans you left in misery. To wrong another is one transgression, but to withhold kindness is equally culpable. The text emphasizes that our duty extends to aiding the desperate, as even the simple act of offering water to the thirsty incurs divine accountability. Though a cup of cold water earns a reward, Job's stubbornness is condemned for withholding even basic charity from the thirsty. The hungry you deprived of bread—Why dwell further on this? When you deny the beggar even a morsel, you commit a grave sin. Bread, as defined here, refers to a fragment of the loaf, as seen in the passage: 'Dip your bread in the vinegar.'

You admired certain faces, rendering judgments not with fairness or impartiality, but with human bias, becoming a mere spectator of appearances. You elevated the powerful while humiliating the meek, forcing the humble and honoring the mighty. You displaced the poor, as some manuscripts suggest 'you laid them to rest' instead of 'lodged them,' implying the theft of their meager beds. Widows you expelled without mercy, and orphans you left destitute. To harm the defenseless is the epitome of wickedness. No one should inflict harm, especially not the orphans, for God commands protection for the helpless. The poor, widows, and orphans require greater compassion than others. The counsel of the wicked lies far from God, and the righteous mock their schemes. What the wicked plan is distant from divine truth. The one who casts a curse from his mouth urges others to internalize his words. They sought redemption in me—what does this mean? In another version, it reads 'confession' instead of 'redemption.' From Akylas, 'Law' is cited. One interpretation urges confession of sins, while another commands receiving God's law and embracing His words. If just and worthy, one is proclaimed by God, receiving divine utterances from the heart, as Jeremiah was told: 'Behold, I have placed my words in your mouth.' Redemption through confession exhorts the righteous to repent. Alternatively, it may mean adopting divine laws or atoning for sins while preserving God's teachings. The dual meaning of redemption stems from these interpretations.

5Who can oppose him when he sits in judgment? Regarding this, I will be diligent to look upon his face; I will seek to understand, and I will stand in awe of him. He claims, 'I have not sinned,' but what does he mean by this? For God is permitted to punish not only based on the authority of actual sins, but I say he also suffers this even without sinning. He did not realize that darkness would descend upon him, and a shadow would shroud his very presence. He says he is in the hand of God's destruction, yet he spoke well when he said that the darkness before him was not a common gloom, but a darkness born of his own despondency.

Why then does God not take notice of these people? They exist upon the earth, yet they remain unaware; they have despised everyone and mocked everyone. None of them commit injustice, nor does God wrong them in any way, yet He does not yet visit them with inspection. He will eventually act, examining everything they have done and refusing to overlook their deeds. They devoured orphans with greed, and having known their works—whether by observing their actions or by having them tested and tortured—He delivered them into darkness.

My soul will not meditate upon injustice. This means I will stand my ground; no one can turn me, no one can approach me, and no one can lead me away from what is set before me. Do not deem me righteous until I die, for I will never abandon my innocence. I will not accuse myself, nor will I change my stance even if you say a thousand things; I will not retreat from my testimony, even if you seem to cease your accusations against me. Even if I were to agree with what you say, once you have realized why these things happened, I would declare you righteous. Yet I will not relinquish my innocence, for I hold different thoughts about you and speak different words. Or, if necessity forces him, does he not have any boldness before God? He says such a thing because the unjust man lacks the boldness to speak or to say the things I am saying now; he is silenced and muzzled, whereas I do not suffer this, but I speak and argue. The wicked are not like this.

He says that there is a place of silver, and so on, meaning that the one who has established the order of chance in material things has even more so established the order of human affairs. Just as iron comes from the earth and bronze is quarried like stone, He has set an order within the darkness, and He examines every end. He considers and cares for all things; nothing passes by Him simply or in vain. Or rather, he suggests that while other things are manifest, the economy of God is unsearchable and unknown. He spoke well when he said, 'He set an order in darkness,' showing that God knows how to withdraw and to stand above all. Who can dispel that darkness? From where does such order arise in such a matter? He describes God's power and wisdom to persuade us not to demand an account from Him.

It is as when his lamp shone above my head, and I walked through the darkness by its light. He sought former prosperity so that God's providence might be clearly demonstrated, as evidenced by his saying, 'When God guarded me.' When God inspected my house, the Companion says, 'When God surrounded my tent.' You see that he desires this inspection and the providence of God. Being young and righteous, he says he made virtue out of useful material, using all things well. When he went out early in the city, his seat was set for him in the streets. Like a ruler and teacher of virtue, he did not occupy himself with sleep or drunkenness, but sat in the streets early in the morning out of love, becoming a law and a pattern for those in the city. A blessing of the perishing comes upon me—Severus, from the letter to Julian. The Lord says in the Gospels regarding those who die to the world...

6Whether they surrender the body to reach the stage of martyrdom, or endure the pains of asceticism—believing that by doing so they are perishing and dying through the loss of life's pleasures—the truth remains: He who loses his soul for my sake will find it. For one who thus perishes, according to the light of the Savior, and in doing so finds his soul, what a great blessing and prayer it is! Any of those who rejoice would wish to offer this to him, saying mindfully: 'Blessing...' quote I was an eye to the blind and a guide. Regarding the intellect, he opened blind minds; he benefited those perfected in soul and became an eye to them. To those who have fallen, he granted feet—the very foundations of the soul—and through his word, he became a guide who leads others. Thus, the eye pertains to noetic guidance, while the guide pertains to ethical guidance. quote I was a father to the helpless. In these words, the character of one who aids the helpless and the weak is made clear. quote I traced out a justice I did not previously know. Observe his protection: it extends not merely to usefulness, nor even to food and clothing, but even to the dangers of foreign warfare. quote I crushed the mills of the unrighteous. Consider the difficulty of the task; he says that he corrected the matter even when it had already been foreseen. Truly, when Christ came, he crushed the mills of opposing forces. The Lord crushed the mills of the lions, as it is written in the prophet: quote 'For he wounds, but he also binds up; he has torn, but his hands will heal.' quote And I said, 'My age has grown old, like a phoenix stem.' Observe how much time has passed before he says these things; he does not speak out of pride or a sense of greatness, but is compelled to speak of God's providence, explaining why he departed from it and what his current state is. quote Now even the least have mocked me; they admonish me in ways that render their own fathers powerless. He does not yield to this powerlessness, but understands them clearly, just as the prophet said: 'Every adulterer is made powerless before him,' for he held such people in no esteem. quote And even the strength of their hands—why should it be against me? Their destruction has perished. In trial and hunger, they are without offspring; those who fled from dryness yesterday now face distress and hardship. (Olympiodorus, Origen). Yet he says he did not ask them for any help, so that they might not use such words against him; for those of old, being wicked, were indebted to justice and somehow escaped their punishment. Or perhaps, desiring death because of extreme poverty, they did not succeed, and their lack of means did not make them wise enough to pursue the good; instead, they remained uncultivated—those enemies who, only a short while ago, had fled from the desert and from misfortunes. It seems to slander them as low-born, coming from dishonorable villages and poor fathers, that their benefit has perished. Instead, they never did anything useful. quote They are like those surrounding a feeding place upon an echoing place, where the feeding was their grain. A 'feeding' is a certain herb, as they say, that quickly satisfies the eater. An 'echoing place' refers to a gorge or rocky terrain, for such places are pleasant and produce echoes when one speaks. Or perhaps he means a leafy place where the wind moving through the wood produces an echo. He is saying, therefore, that they surround the woods, the gorges, and the places where flowing waters resound, searching out herbs and the roots of trees for food as a consolation during extreme hunger. They are dishonorable and despised, lacking in every good. It is another evil to be such even in poverty. quote For if indeed I were able to heal myself—note that he does not say 'if I were able' because of weakness, but because he is forbidden. quote I have stood in a church and cried out. Because of the excess of terrible things, even a crowd in the assembly is not ashamed. quote I have become a brother to sirens and a companion to sparrows. He says he fell into the ferocity of birds, not knowing how to live better than them. quote For I stand in a just yoke, but the Lord knows my wickedness if my foot strays from the way. Woe to the precision! No one is forced to starve after having used wealth and good things for laziness and dissipation; such is a kind of justice. I have fallen, and God has thrown a medicine appropriate to me. For the one who, having attended to the lover of laughter, trifles, and luxury, appropriately opposes the opposite...

7He will be placed in ruin, handed over to mourning and many-lamenting in life; yet he, fleeing from crowds and pursuing men who play and make merry, what kind of words would he fall into, a life of shame and darkness? Since I had been exhausted and broken, I did not descend into the evils of that life. F my sorrowful women often said: Who would satisfy us with his flesh, so very useful to me? Instead of enjoying his life, for I was sweet to them. Lb. A stranger was not turned away outside, and my door was open to all who came. For he did not merely receive them by hosting, but also provided for the poverty that followed. Ch. 24, 1. And Job ceased speaking. Job was silent, giving them words to speak; yet he looked up and called God as witness, declaring that his friends had ceased to accuse. 14. For I will speak, while you listen, until you are wearied by words, and until I understand you. Perhaps he means that even when you should have rebuked, as was right, you did not rebuke; or that later you fell silent. Thus: For I will speak, while you listen. Ch. 25, 12. How can you say: I am righteous, and he did not listen to me? What then happened? Did he not think this: Elihu indeed took this, but Job did not say with such an opinion, that this one is more righteous than God; but that these things happened to him, and he did not accuse God of injustice. And Elihu took this; but he rightly accused those who gave to God a portion and denied Him. 381 k. I will speak, to rest by opening my lips. The one who is a thoughtful listener, full of words, speaks and rests, as if emptying and casting off his abundance, saying: I will speak to rest. Ch. 26, 18. He who is not ashamed before an honorable person, nor knows how to grant honor to the simple. For even if you do not know, you must yield much to him and his glory, so as not to seek all things, but to learn. 23. That he will no longer set against a man. It seems he says this: now the good and the bad lie within us, but in the coming age, not anymore. 10. That toward the strong the one says: If I take, I will not hold back, without myself I will see; show me. Some interpreted this as: no one dares to say to the stronger that you unjustly took my things, not for reproach, but against my will; show that you acted rightly. If no one dares speak to the powerful, how dare you speak against God? And the Ally explained: we undertook an oath toward God, not outside release, clarify for me. And he understood: because we undertook the oath concerning God, Elius says, I do not hold back, but proceed freely. If I speak wrongly, clarify, instead of examining the word. –I think this is how the text is meant: not because I chose to speak concerning God, but you must agree simply, as I demand; without myself I will see, show me, instead of: apart from my words I want to know if you can oppose, so you may say I offer peace and grasp the word if you can. Ch. 45, 5. Look up to heaven. No lover of the world looks up to heaven; let us not love the world or its things. If we love these, we do not look to heaven. If you sinned, what will you do? That is, you will not wrong him, nor benefit, being righteous; for indeed... If I sinned, what can I do? what will I do, he says; this to say: For what reason? does one care about his sinning if not wronged? not as a harm endured? X. The one appointing nocturnal guards. Do you wish to see how God appoints nocturnal guards? The whole age is night, darkness. The light is kept for you; what you see now as light, you see through a mirror. And: In your light we shall see light; we intend to see it. Is not the age all night? since it is night, enemies abound, many beasts roam. Since night is the time of life's darkness, guards must be appointed for this night, so the guards, those over the nights, may guard those in night and come to guard us from robbers. Who then are the guards, appointed by God in these nocturnal watches? The Lord's angel interposes around those who fear Him, and rescues them; these are the angels who in night...

8They stand as our guardians. (Ch. 40, 5) If you have any knowledge, tell me: who established the earth's dimensions? Or who applied the measuring rod to it? Some have attempted to offer a secular explanation regarding the earth's scale, claiming its diameter spans twenty-five myriads of stadia. Yet the Word reveals that the earth's true measure remains beyond all human comprehension; only the Savior, who is also the Creator, possesses this knowledge. He spoke of 'measures' in the plural rather than a single 'measure' to illustrate the diverse variations found across the earth. Tell me, what could be the measure of that which carries the fragrances of the East? What is the measure of that which carries the spices or the living creatures? Since not all things are found in every place, these dimensions are determined by the Word of God. The earth has not simply reached this size by chance or through random occurrence. It seems to me that even if accidental elements were included, they would be out of place; conversely, if they were removed, the entire structure would be ruined according to the divine logic. The mention of measures and the rod alludes to this.

Who is it that has laid the cornerstone upon the earth? Who has set this cornerstone so that the world stands so firmly, as if built upon a secure and established foundation? It is by the counsel of God, for all the boundaries of the earth are held in His hand. This cornerstone can be understood as a reference to the Only-begotten Son of God, who became flesh through us, as the Psalms declare: quote. Having descended to earth through the Father's favor, He united the two peoples—both Jew and Gentile—just as a cornerstone binds two walls together. (14) I said to her, 'It shall flow up to this point and will not overflow.' The Ally replied, 'Let the limit of your waves be so commanded.' For the water is held securely as if by iron bars, yet it moves with ease as if following a set order. I argued, and it cannot be disputed, that this occurs without any external force pushing it, even while it is being lashed by great power and strength. He did not allow the waters to be calm or tranquil so that they might proclaim God's power, struggling against the laws of nature by His command and conquering all through His decree. Had the water been peaceful, many would have attributed its order to the natural properties of water; but now, being tossed, scourged, and driven inward, yet unable to breach its boundaries, it proclaims the might of God through its very turbulence. (Ch. 28, 27) What provided food for the raven? It is said that they do not nurture their young, yet the adults, being large, do provide sustenance in their own way. But who truly nourishes the offspring? Is it not the Word of God? As the Gospel states: quote. (Ch. 28, 27) By whose command is the eagle lifted high? And how does the vulture, having settled upon a carcass, cry out from a high rock in secret?...If there is any rational wisdom in carnivores, it is found in the natural knowledge present in each, directed toward the knowledge of the one I call the dead, even as one carries a vulture. (Ch. 24) Why am I still being judged, being admonished and rebuked by the Lord while I am nothing? Why does he ask why he is being judged for his future? From the beginning, he withdrew from primary things. He says he is defeated by you in matters of justice; why do you advance your judgment so boldly? For what answer is possible? How can one face such a master? He says he was continuing to seek the cause of the plague that befell him, but he summoned no one regarding the creation, and he has nothing to say in response to what has been spoken. —He departs, as if not even rebuking the Lord, being admonished, the wretched man. (Ch. 4, 4) To live as a man by your strength—I will ask you, and you shall answer me. For those who hold rights and do not flee from adversaries, victory comes through their possession. He then defends himself, claiming that men do not concern him; it is clear from that context why this temptation came upon you. I grant you boldness: I will ask, and you shall answer. (Ch. 3) He believes I have used you for any purpose other than to demonstrate your justice. He says the present matter is for profit; he claims he does not speak to condemn, but to prove him just. Or, regarding the temptation, he calls forgiveness a profit, suggesting he was commanded to do this so that he might become something else; he did not say it was so he might change, but so that you might reveal what you truly are and instruct others. See then: he did not say he might become just (for which justice is required...)

9You have undergone training, not merely for the sake of discipline, but so that you might be revealed. Do not allow yourself to appear unrighteous or godless. We must hold these truths in mind during times of surrounding trials, hearing the glory of God present and speaking to us: 'Do you suppose I have used you for any other purpose than so that your own righteousness might be made manifest to those who are ignorant?'

Therefore, take up height and power; clothe yourself in glory and honor. Crown yourself, don splendor, and put on true beauty. The insolent man has been defeated by your presence; you have humbled the proud and driven his phalanxes far away in shame. Rebuke sinners by exposing their sinfulness, filling their faces with dishonor through the rebuke that resides within you. This is not done for mere display or for any other worldly end, but even for the knowledge of God. Observe how much the lowly nature of the creature rebukes him; he does not say that you are lowly, but rather, 'I am great, and I cannot do what you do.'

But behold, beasts are set against you. Like an athlete, learn the tactics of your opponent's movements. These beasts are set against you and against all who are patient, yet they are eventually subdued and brought to heel. Will you draw a dragon with a hook and put a bridle upon his nose? Can you, O Job, do what the Only-begotten later accomplished? Just as one might catch a fish by projecting his own flesh through his own ribs like hooks, so did Leviathan draw up the dragon; thus the Hebrew text signifies the dragon. You will lay your hand upon him, remembering the war that occurs within his body—a war that shall be no more. This 'war' refers to the disturbance, the wildness, and the embittered state of the beast. How does it happen? It is a wild, powerful, and unmanageable beast. Can you, by your own strength, bind him? Or can you even conceive of the war that is to take place within his own body? He calls the body 'demons,' as if they were his head; yet the Lord conquered this war through the trophy of the cross. The phrase 'let it be no more' exists because once the cross has been established, he who died to sin has died once for all Romans 6:10. Who, then, will reveal the face of his clothing?

10The face which he put on—who is able to expose it? Who is able to uncover it and show what the dragon is within? And a little further on: I ran back in memory to the sacred writings that lie in this divinely inspired book of Job, and as in a bodily shaping, [the sentence is corrupt and has no main verb; roughly:] the exceedingly formless and varied thing hidden among his thoughts and in the stripping away of outward masks, describing the devil and the demons, the source of evil and of wicked things. For he says, “Who will uncover the face of his covering?” (Job 41:5 (41:13)).

And since there was a contention over this outward, visible variety, as they rise up from some depth of unseen vice, these words are also added to what has been said: “Who will uncover the face of his covering?”—that is, who is able to enter into the thoughts of his heart, since they are folded together? “His heart will not be shaken; it is fixed like a stone, and it stands like an anvil that cannot be hammered” (Job 41:15-16 (41:23-24)). His heart, he says, has turned to stone, and it cannot be beaten out; he is wholly hardened and brazen—not driven, not following reason, not yielding. He is hard, unmalleable, unyielding. And if anyone has drawn power from the devil, he too has the heart of this dragon, unmalleable and not to be driven. But if anyone is gold, following the word, he yields to the goldsmith’s art until he becomes a golden leaf and receives the impressions of the letters of God, in Christ Jesus, to whom be glory to the ages of ages. Amen.

Chapter 42, verse 10: “And the Lord gave Job double all that he had before, for doubling.” Verse 12: “And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than the former; and his livestock were fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen.” Verse 13: “And seven sons and three daughters were born to him.” If the Lord gave Job double all that he had before, after the…

11The text states that affliction required children to be doubled. Observe the livestock: sheep numbered thirty thousand, having begun with seven thousand. Camels totaled six thousand, starting with three thousand. Oxen yokes reached a thousand, initially five hundred. The same pattern applied to donkeys. Sons and daughters born to him totaled ten, matching his previous count. Fourteen children were necessary, along with six, to equal the number of lost offspring. We conclude that sheep and cattle were lost, while sons and daughters died but were not lost. Thus, God granted him an equal number of new children, ensuring double in the resurrection. This made him a father of double the children he once had. If souls perished with death and resurrection were false, fourteen sons and six daughters would have been required. The sacred text preserves the account of him receiving seven sons. If he later had fourteen sons and six daughters while discussing resurrection, the children would be tripled rather than doubled, contradicting their original number.

Job lived one hundred seventy years after the affliction, with his total lifespan reaching two hundred forty. How does this align with his entire life span? Precisely: having received double blessings, even the years of former prosperity are counted doubly. He lived one hundred twenty years in prosperity, then one hundred forty in suffering. The period 'after the affliction' refers not to when it ended but when it began. Following four and ten years of illness, the duration of his suffering is noted.

12He lived for another numbers years. For the numbers years of the previous prosperity that occurred, the double duration of the later good deeds numbers years accumulates. Including also the numbers years of the plague, numbers years are added, so that after the plague, he lived numbers years as recorded. Thus, the double repayment of his prosperity is preserved. Therefore, calculate as follows: he lived in wealth and good upbringing for numbers years. In the total decline and the body's affliction, numbers years. In the second period of good deeds, numbers years, making the total span of his life numbers years, as the sacred book states.

Job died aged and full of days. It is written that he will be raised with those whom the Lord raises. Akylas and Symmachus, having come together, read the book, following the Hebrew text. Theodotio concludes the numbers, nothing missing—neither time nor life. It is also written that he will be raised with those whom the Lord raises, clearly the righteous. For the wicked, he says, will not be raised in judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. We accept these words, even if not as the entire fabric of the text, but as something woven by the holy ones into the book. Nevertheless, we accept all, having received the book from the fathers.

This is interpreted from the Syriac book. Syriac is now the Hebrew dialect, since Syria is called Judean, and many Palestinians refer to Syriacs as such. Herodotus the historian notes: Indoi, Egyptians, Arabs, and Syriacs in Palestine are circumcised. They call the Jews thus.