BAR 1:1 — FRAGMENTS ON BARUCH 1:1
Perhaps he mentions Baruch's ancestors because they were worthy of respect.
BAR 1:3 — FRAGMENTS ON BARUCH 1:3
He had earlier been deported to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar: the same Jeconiah, son of Jehoiakim, was also called Eliakim, because he had two names.
BAR 1:10 — FRAGMENTS ON BARUCH 1:10
Even though the temple had been razed to the ground, they offered sacrifices on the spot where it was built. In fact, it was unlawful to offer sacrifices in a place other than Jerusalem.
BAR 1:15 — FRAGMENTS ON BARUCH 1:15
God punished us justly, and today we are ashamed to be justly made prisoners.
BAR 2:18 — FRAGMENTS ON BARUCH 2:18
Those who carry a great weight bend over due to their weakness. And the soul that is tormented and greatly saddened by its sins also confesses to be bowed down and weak.
BAR 2:24 — FRAGMENTS ON BARUCH 2:24
After death, their bones were to suffer as a sign of the future judgment.
BAR 3:4 — FRAGMENTS ON BARUCH 3:4
Those who have received condemnation for sin are dead. These words clearly indicate the immortal nature of the soul.
BAR 3:9 — FRAGMENTS ON BARUCH 3:9
This is the beginning of Baruch's prophecy. All of the preceding words are part of the letter of the deportees to Babylon and are in the form of a confession.
BAR 3:13 — FRAGMENTS ON BARUCH 3:13
The Lord says, "I am the way." The one who walks in imitation of him follows his way.
BAR 3:14-15 — FRAGMENTS ON BARUCH 3:14
Obviously, in the Lord, "the one who believes in me, will never die." In fact, the Lord says, "I am the light of the world." And the apostle, "He indeed is our peace."
BAR 3:16-17 — FRAGMENTS ON BARUCH 3:17
They are those who look for omens in the birds. Or, they are called this because their wisdom is earthly, beastly, diabolical.
BAR 3:16-17 — FRAGMENTS ON BARUCH 3:16
The leaders of the nations are the wise of this age who ruled over human beings who behaved like beasts.
BAR 3:22-23 — FRAGMENTS ON BARUCH 3:22
Those who followed the letter of the law were judged like the pagans who had not received the law. In fact, "seeing, they see not, and hearing, they hear not."
BAR 3:22-23 — FRAGMENTS ON BARUCH 3:23
He calls them merchants because they have no experience with cultivation. Asked to make wine, they gathered wild grapes instead of domestic grapes. Merran and Teman are barbarous peoples. They represent the uncouth manners of those who remain entangled in the vanity of this life.
BAR 3:24-25 — FRAGMENTS ON BARUCH 3:24
This treats of the church and of the nature of the mystery, since now "our knowledge is imperfect," and the perfection of knowledge has not yet arrived. He refers to compassion as territory, which increases as one grows toward the good.
BAR 3:26 — FRAGMENTS ON BARUCH 3:26
This refers to demons, who in the beginning were part of the ranks of angels and were cast down from the highest heaven for their lack of respect. They are famous because their condition was foretold. They were tall in stature, though proud. "Experts in war," since demons, or rather heretics, being unworthy of the peace of Christ, are committed to fighting him.
BAR 3:35 — FRAGMENTS ON BARUCH 3:36
They speak who obeyed the apostolic calling without delay and "have the desire to be set free from the body so as to be with Christ," preferring nothing to the fulfillment of the commandments.
BAR 4:4 — FRAGMENTS ON BARUCH 4:4
He urges the Israelites to be the first to take hold of grace. In fact, "it was necessary that the Word of God first be announced to them." The spiritual Israel speaks in this way, to whom the Savior addresses himself, saying, "Blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears, because they hear."
BAR 4:6 — FRAGMENTS ON BARUCH 4:6
The devil in fact had a written note for our debt, but Christ redeemed us with his own blood.
BAR 4:12 — FRAGMENTS ON BARUCH 4:12
He calls her a widow because she was without the divine care, alone and desolate—clearly she who is now alone. Or, furthermore, the only one to have had the divine temple. Or the only one to have been encircled by the Assyrians but not conquered, because in fact "the Lord tried me harshly but did not give me over to death." But above all it is the synagogue that deserves the name widow, which, having acted arrogantly toward Christ her spouse, has been abandoned.
BAR 4:15 — FRAGMENTS ON BARUCH 4:15
God "removed our sins from us," but we are attracted to them, and for them we are punished. It says that he sends, because nothing happens without God's consent. The "perverse nation" was first the Babylonians, then the Romans. This can also be understood as those who teach false knowledge, resorting to the deceptions of the sophists.
BAR 4:19 — FRAGMENTS ON BARUCH 4:19
I remain alone because of God's absence. This could have been said by the saints, who made the condition of sinners their own; or by the synagogue of the Jews, when because of its arrogance toward Christ it was said to it, "See, your house will be left desolate"; or by the city, because of the desolation of the inhabitants.
BAR 4:30 — FRAGMENTS ON BARUCH 4:30
That is, the Word of God, who became incarnate for us and made the church worthy to be called his spouse.
BAR 4:36 — FRAGMENTS ON BARUCH 4:36
Look toward the sun of justice, toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
BAR 5:1 — FRAGMENTS ON BARUCH 5:1
Put off the old humanity with its desires, since "as many of you as have been baptized in Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ."
BAR 5:2 — FRAGMENTS ON BARUCH 5:2
That is, the cross of Christ, which is marked on the foreheads of believers. Or it is said of the Lord, since Christ is the head of the church.
BAR 5:4 — FRAGMENTS ON BARUCH 5:4
These are the distinguishing signs of the new Jerusalem. He added the term "justice." Because, however, he is the peace of sinners, as David says, for this reason the Lord adds, "My peace I leave you, my peace I give you." In fact, the enemies' attacks can no longer destroy the peace of justice or defeat the glory of piety. And moreover, because Christ is our peace, he is also our justice and our glory and is the model for our behavior according to justice, and by him we also have been called.
BAR 6:1 — FRAGMENTS ON THE LETTER OF JEREMIAH
Instructed by the Spirit that the Jews would be deported, the prophet is commanded by God to write the letter even before the deportation, so that when the time of their imprisonment had arrived, it would be a protection for them so that they would not let themselves be deceived or worship the idols of the Babylonians.
BAR 6:3 — FRAGMENTS ON THE LETTER OF JEREMIAH 2
He calculates ten years for each generation.
BAR 6:17 — FRAGMENTS ON THE LETTER OF JEREMIAH 16
He speaks of idols but says the same of the leaders of the heretics and of those who are preoccupied with earthly things. Their eyes are full of the devil's dust, so they truly cannot see the diabolical impulses that enter them.
BAR 6:19 — FRAGMENTS ON THE LETTER OF JEREMIAH 18
Along with idols he considers those who have been drawn into error and are not enlightened by the law of God, of which it is written, "Your law is light for my feet," or by the word of the prophets, "lighted like a lamp that shines in a dark place."
BAR 6:20 — FRAGMENTS ON THE LETTER OF JEREMIAH 20
Idolaters are similar to idols. Indeed, it is written, "The one who makes them will be like them." And for all those who are moved by demons, the face of the soul is deprived of light, darkened by the diabolical smoke that is in their hearts.
Ecclesiastes 1:5 — COMMENTARY ON ECCLESIASTES 1:5
The great sun, when compared with the Sun of righteousness, is vanity.
Ecclesiastes 1:6 — COMMENTARY ON ECCLESIASTES 1:6
According to the narrative he calls the sun wind, due to the speed of its movement.
Ecclesiastes 1:8 — COMMENTARY ON ECCLESIASTES 1:8
All writings, both of secular and of divine wisdom, yield instruction when effort is applied.
Ecclesiastes 2:3 — COMMENTARY ON ECCLESIASTES 2:3
It is not the acuity of the mind but rather the disposition of the soul, being employed beneficially or shamefully in making use of the gift, which is to be praised or condemned.
Ecclesiastes 3:19 — COMMENTARY ON ECCLESIASTES 3:19
Ecclesiastes teaches us from this not to attend to our physical needs but to our spiritual existence.
Ecclesiastes 3:21 — COMMENTARY ON ECCLESIASTES 3:21
Ecclesiastes, instructing us through enigmas, guides us to the other life.
Job 3:4-5 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 3:4-5
According to Job's words, he desires that the moon or the stars might not illuminate his night but that it may be obscured by thick darkness, which Job calls the shadow of death. If one carefully examines the text's meaning, Job demands through his prayers that sin may appear as it actually is in its great depravity, so that sin may not simulate virtue. Rather, after sin has been recognized as dark and deadly, it may be avoided and rejected.
Job 4:17 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 4:17
And do not think, Eliphaz says, that I am speaking these words to you reproachfully. No person, in fact, is totally blameless, and if he can hide his sins from people, he does not hide them from God's all-seeing eye that knows everything accurately. This indicates what is contrary to the Lord.
Job 5:21 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 5:19-21
He will hide you from the evil tongue, which knows how to persecute unjustly. In fact, they call "scourge" the malice and slander of the tongue. Moreover, you will end up in complete safety.
Job 6:25-26 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 6:24-27
Job's words mean … "It is likely you have suffered the same in many things." Truth, however, is always hateful to many. Therefore, you despise my words of truth. "You do not come down to me," Job says, "nor do you speak about the gifts of grace like people who desire to encourage. On the contrary, you accuse me openly, whereas I have never accused you. I hope, however, that after answering each of you, my words will defeat you."
Job 7:15-16 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 7:15
"I beg of you. Take away my life. Deliver me from my pains through death. In fact, you did not create me immortal. So … may [I] enjoy quiet and tranquility in the future. I do not demand, O Lord, anything contrary to your decree. You made me mortal, not immortal. Therefore bring me death." Moses prayed with these same words by saying, "If that is your purpose for me, then kill me."
Job 8:5 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 8:5-7
Bildad says, "I suggest you pray to the Lord with all your devotion and diligence. Everything else should come after your prayers." This is what "be early" means.
Job 8:6 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 8:5-7
And if you are true and empty of any deceit and falseness, God will give you back a condition of life and a status worthy of a righteous person.
Job 8:7 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 8:5-7
You will enjoy an abundance of goods as great as you possessed earlier. Notice how Bildad demonstrates in this part of his discourse of praise his belief that the happiness of the righteous is found in the material goods of worldly life.
Job 8:16 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 8:16
The papyrus and the reed are dried by the scorching heat of the sun and their shoots rot, even though they are moistened by water. In fact, this is what "his branch shall sprout from his dung heap" means. The impious will suffer the same destiny, when the wrath of God falls upon them. Bildad appears to allude to the death of Job's children through his use of "branch," which can indicate shoots, branches or flowers.
Job 10:4-7 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 10:4-7
"Do you judge things according to human views? May anything hide from your careful examination, as it is hidden from human beings? Are your years few, and do you ignore what was previous to your age? Do you need to make an enquiry and an investigation about what happened to me, in order to understand that I am not impious?" He says these words by bringing forward God as the witness of his righteousness and by demanding the benefit of his infinite benevolence. People, in fact, ask for similar things, and God, in his benevolence, reveals few of them to the many. "But if I have not committed iniquity," he says, "I know, in my heart, that it is not possible to escape from your will; and if I did not know this by myself, your will which knows human things better than us, would have mastered me." The blessed Job pronounces all these words by teaching us that in temptation we can only take refuge in God and supplicate that his mercy may spare his creature.
Job 11:13-14 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 11:13-14
Here times are changed, and the meaning is, "If you want to obey me, open your arms in prayer to God with a pure heart, and you will never commit iniquity or transgression, and those things which Zophar mentions later will happen to you." And here it seems that Zophar is giving advice to Job, save that he himself strikes him by saying that Job is punished for his sins.
Job 12:22 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 12:22
"Revealing deep things out of darkness, and he has brought into light the shadow of death." The literal meaning is, "He manifests the things which are hidden to all, and preserves those who are in danger and close to death." He calls danger "the shadow of death," because, as shadow is very close to the body that produces it, so danger is very close to the death that causes it. However, the profound meaning of this sentence appears to announce prophetically the advent of the Lord, who said to the prisoners, "Come out, and to those who are in the shadow, show yourselves," "and appeared to those, who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death."
Job 13:6-7 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 13:6-7
"Consider now the words which I am about to say in order to correct you, and then judge whether I pronounce them thoughtfully." "Do you not speak before the Lord and utter deceit before him?" "Do you not realize that God hears your speeches? How do you dare, while he hears you, say false words?" Consider also these words from that blameless and truthful man, how falsehood is able to blame everything, even when one appears to speak according to God. Therefore Job ponders with truth and frankness all the words that are spoken, so that God himself may approve him, as God is the truth. Falsehood, in fact, comes from the evil one, as the Savior says.
Job 13:17-18 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 13:17-18
The Lord is near those, it is said, who invoke him, and therefore God is kindly disposed toward them. So listen, Job says, to what I am about to say: I will maintain my kindly disposed judgment upon God, who is just and speaks truthfully; and by trusting his truthfulness, I believe that I will appear to say words more righteous than yours. Or, in a different sense, "I am near my judgment," that is, I am ready to suffer what God has decreed. Confiding in his truthfulness, I hope I will be seen to be righteous.
Job 14:13-14 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 14:13-14
The meaning is, "Oh that in the time when you were inflamed with rage against me, you would have kept me in custody in the netherworld—there, in fact, custody is not due to faults—and that you would not have forgotten me completely but would have set a time for my custody there!" Job has given us a reason for his desiring death. Without trials, he says, while being kept there, I will wait for resurrection. In fact, Job says, if a person dies after completing the days of this life, he does not withdraw into nonexistence but lives in his soul and waits for resurrection.
Job 15:14-16 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 15:14-16
"Who is the person," Eliphaz asks, "who can be blameless or can proclaim, I am righteous?" If, in fact, those who are very holy, both men and angels, and the purity itself of heaven before the judgment of the most pure God appear to be unclean, what should we say about the damnable and impure human being who drinks iniquity like a draught? He has said this because humans commit sin deliberately. The words "as he does not trust his saints" may also be interpreted in this manner, since the angels themselves can become different in their nature, and actually some of them slipped away from their own former position. Heaven is not pure because of this, and it is also often obscured by clouds.
Job 15:28-29 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 15:28-29
He describes the absolute solitude of the impious and says that because of their misery, they inhabit desolation instead of prosperous cities and houses. "In fact," Eliphaz says, "their wealth will not last."
Job 18:7-9 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 18:7-9
Bildad says these things using the metaphor of the birds or the animals that are captured in the hunt. In fact, as they can no longer escape after falling into snares and nets, so the impious are caught by inevitable calamities that overwhelm them. And what is worse, after all their schemes have been overturned and reversed, their riches are taken away from them not by the powerful but by people of the lowest class.
Job 18:13-14 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 18:12-14
He calls the "soles of their feet" the products of their journeys, in order to say that the impious are not prosperous in their travels when they fall into "a violent ruin." But also their fruits of season, that is, their children, are insatiately consumed by death; and from this entire condition, in which they find themselves, all healing withdraws. That is, their results will always be incorrigible and incurable. It is also possible to interpret the "soles of their feet" as their offspring or descendants.
Job 19:8 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 19:8-11
"No speech," Job says, "can describe my misfortunes. As those who are surrounded on every side by a wall or are oppressed by darkness, I cannot proceed any further. So, it is impossible for me to escape these calamities."
Job 19:9-11 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 19:8-11
He says that his crown was taken away from him, that is, he also was a king before, or … "He tore me off," he says, "and like a tree he cut away all my hopes from the roots. Like an enemy who is inflamed with anger, he destroyed all my prosperity." Job correctly says "like an enemy," because God does not inflict torments with an angry or hostile mind. He says these things in order to persuade his friends and himself that his punishment exceeds the limits of human crimes. Indeed, that righteous man was suffering not because of his crimes but in order that his patience might be tested.
Job 19:20 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 19:20-22
"My flesh is corrupt under my skin, and my teeth grip my bones." "While I am alive," Job says, "my flesh putrefies, and my bones are chewed by the teeth of some wild animal."
Job 19:21 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 19:20-22
"Pity me, pity me, O friends, for it is the hand of the Lord that has touched me." "You are not ashamed before the one who says righteous words. As benevolent persons, you have compassion upon me and take pity by considering also the respect due to what has been inflicted on me by God. You will not be tested by God through the same calamities."
Job 19:22 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 19:20-22
"Why do you persecute me as also the Lord does, and are not satisfied with my flesh? Why do you add your wrath to divine wrath without doing this according to God's will? Even though God punishes, he, nonetheless, wants to be good to us—and therefore, why do you insatiably use the harshness of your words against me?" In fact, abusive words are sufficient to devour flesh. So let us fear invectives and insults, because we are aware of the fact that they wound our brothers.
Job 20:19-21 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 20:19-21
"For he has broken down the houses of many poor men, and he has plundered a dwelling, though he did not build it. His possessions provide no security." He has broken down, that is, has shattered mercilessly [their houses], has carried off all their properties and has not given them back. In fact, he has not mended this situation, that is, has not returned what he has stolen. But, as he has carried off the properties of the poor and has not restored them, so his own possessions will not be saved either. "He shall not be saved by his desire. There is nothing remaining of his provisions; therefore his goods shall not flourish." The impious, Zophar says, will not save himself through his desire, and then he will not have any provision left, because he does not possess anything that has been left to him by his absolute misery.
Job 20:22-23 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 20:21-23
Perhaps not even his goods will flourish, but they will become corrupted while still in bloom. In fact, if he appears to be full and abundant in all goods, then every need and affliction will assault him, so that he fills his belly, that is, fills his soul with every pain. "Let God send upon him the fury of wrath; let him bring a torrent of pains upon him." God, by striking him with the most severe punishment, will bury him in pains as under a snowstorm.
Job 20:28-29 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 20:28-29
"Let a day of wrath come upon him. This is the portion for the ungodly man from the Lord, and the possession of his goods appointed him by the all-seeing God." Since he did not recognize the benevolence of God while he possessed his goods, the fullness of wrath is given him as his property and reward. Therefore the bishops, when they hear in holy Scripture that God is invoked with this name, must protect the dignity of his name by taking care of the safety of their herd with watchful guard and faith, being irreprehensible in life and adorned with doctrine.
Job 21:7-11 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 21:6-14
Since you believe to be wise and to know the reason why I suffer these afflictions, now answer my question. Why does it happen that very often many impious persons reach an old age in their wealth?… Their fields produce large crops, and they are delighted by their children and enjoy a constant abundance. They fear no one and receive no blow sent them by God. Their plowing cow does not give birth to an immature fetus, that is, it does not generate an imperfect or dead fetus, and their wives have no miscarriages. And they remain in prosperity like a flock, that is, free from care.
Job 22:7 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 22:7
A criminal act not only causes harm but also denies any benefit. Therefore, notice to what point our benevolence must be extended. As there is a certain crime, when those thirsty do not drink, so we have a reward for a glass of cool water, according to the truthful voice of the Savior.
Job 22:13-14 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 22:13-14
Eliphaz pronounces a serious accusation of impiety and madness against Job. "In fact," he says, "you committed iniquities, as if [God] did not realize they were [committed] in the land of the Lord, but as if he judged in darkness. That is, as if, in judging, he did not see what happened in his land. You said, in fact, that since he is invisible and separates himself with clouds from what happens among us, and only goes around the circle of heaven, he does not deem it worthy to take care of earthly things." This is what the pagan philosophers thought, when they said that God does not take care of what is under the moon.
Job 23:8-9 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 23:8-9
The real meaning is this, "Suppose I willingly submit the judgment of my actions to the eyes of the Lord." What happens to me? God is invisible in his nature. Will I look for him in those material things that are before me? He cannot be seen. He is before me, but I do not perceive him. When he moves to the left, I cannot grasp him, and when he is on the right, I cannot see him at all. These words do not mean that God passes from one place to another bodily or by moving, but they intend to show that he is present everywhere and, nonetheless, escapes our perception and cannot be comprehended by us. "If I am no longer," that is, "If I further extend my research, I will be out of myself and dizzy in reflection while I try to comprehend what is incomprehensible."
Job 24:9 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 24:9-12
"They have snatched the fatherless from the breast." They have lamentably and mercilessly taken away the child who still nursed and hanged from his mother's breast. "And they have deprived the outcast," that is, they have also deprived the outcast of his properties by taking away what he had.
Job 24:10 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 24:9-12
"They have wrongfully caused others to sleep without clothing." By wrongfully stripping others, who owed them nothing, they have caused them to love rest. "They have taken away the morsel of the hungry." They have reduced them to extreme poverty and starvation.
Job 24:11 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 24:9-12
"They have unjustly laid ambush in narrow places." They have laid ambush in hidden places; in fact, in larger places and roads they wait in ambush for those who have no chance to escape. "And they," that is, all the impious persons, "have not known the righteous way." "They have been cast forth from their cities and their houses." This refers to those who wantonly sleep without clothing. They [the fatherless] have, in fact, suffered these things from these criminals, after being driven out of their city and their houses.
Job 24:12 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 24:9-12
"And the soul of the children has groaned aloud." From the bottom of their heart [they groaned], because they had no parents any longer who provided them with food.
Job 24:12-13 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 24:12-13
He says this again to his friends with a bit of hesitation, If afflictions entirely derive from sins, why did he who observes all that happens on earth allow them to go without being visited by him? "And they took no notice," that is, the iniquitous took no notice of the fact that they were not visited. Indeed it is believed and taught about divine visitation, "The Lord reproves the one he loves, as a father checks a well-loved son."
Job 24:21-22 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 24:20-22
"He has not treated the barren woman well," that is, the woman who is without help because of her lack of children. And notice again how ill treatment is considered an act of impiety. "Keep away from evil," the divine psalmist says, "and practice good." "And he had no pity on a feeble woman," that is, on a woman who needs help because of her feeble nature. "And in wrath he has overthrown the helpless." In fact he did not overthrow the feeble and the helpless for any rational cause, but because of the impulse of his wild soul, while being inflamed with his wrath; and he reduced them to extreme poverty.
Job 24:22 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 24:22-24
"Therefore when he has risen, he will not feel secure of his own life." For these reasons the impious, after rising every day not really believing that he will live, remains in fear and is frightened. As the wise Solomon stated, "Fear, indeed, is nothing other than the abandonment of the supports offered by reason."
Job 24:23 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 24:22-24
"When he has fallen sick, let him not hope to recover, but let him perish by disease." The diseases of the body, in fact, often occur because of sin. "Let him not hope," that is, the lack of hope is due to the consciousness of his sins. "Let him perish" by disease, that is, by the blows of calamity.
Job 24:24 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 24:22-24
"For his exaltation has hurt many." For this reason, "let him perish," because his exaltation has hurt many. "But he has withered as mallows in the heat or as an ear of corn falling off of itself from the stalk." Other examples [from the Greek Bible] read "like grass." In a similar way, the psalmist also says, "Quick as the grass they wither, fading like the green in the field." And he rightly says, "falling off of itself," indeed, for everybody sin itself becomes a punisher.
Job 26:7 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 26:7-9
"He stretches out the north wind upon nothing, and he upon nothing hangs the earth." Indeed the support of the earth is nothing but an understructure, but it is suspended and is sustained by divine will.
Job 26:8 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 26:7-9
"Binding water in his clouds, and the cloud is not dispersed under it." In fact, if he does not order the clouds to rain, they do not release rain on earth in the quantity that has been ordered by him.
Job 26:9 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 26:7-9
"He constrains the elements with his purposes hidden, stretching out his cloud upon them." Heaven is often called "the throne of God" in holy Scripture. Air is placed before the face of heaven. Therefore, he says that God, by containing the air and expanding the clouds, does not allow them to release rain, if not in the measure that he knows to be convenient and useful.
Job 27:1-2 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 27:1
While his three friends remained silent about his words, the blessed Job, by linking himself with what had been said before, adds the words that follow. Indeed he had spoken his previous words as a prologue to what follows now.
Job 27:8-10 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 27:8-10
What hope, he says, does the impious have, even though he has lived so far? With what sort of assurance does he expect any salvation from God like that by which I trust to be saved? How will he confidently invoke God, after falling into misfortune, as if his prayers should be really heard?
Job 27:14-15 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 27:14-15
He describes what is likely to happen to the ungodly. Admittedly, things do not always go in this manner for them. Some of them, indeed, preserve their prosperity until the end of their life, as he himself, in his quandary, has taught his friends in the previous chapters. Therefore, he calls "slaughter" the kind of death that is inflicted by enemies, and "death" the one that comes suddenly and prematurely.
Job 34:2 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 34:1-6
Because of the former accusations that he had brought against his hearers, Elihu soothes them now with softer words by calling them wise men who know righteousness and honesty.
Job 41:3-4 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 40:22-23
He said this because the demons asked the Lord not to cast them into the abyss, or because Satan said to Christ, "I will give you all these things." Will he now, he says, implore you with a soft speech? Will he make a covenant with you, and will he stop fighting his war against you?
Job 41:14-15 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 41:5
This is not the fear of God but the fear that is all around [the Leviathan's] teeth. But if you have Christ in you, you must not be worried by this fear. Indeed, you will fear the Lord God and will fear no one else.
Job 41:18 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 41:9
Others believe that here he alludes to the fact that sneezing has the power to purify the brain; therefore, [the devil] transfigures himself into light, and even pretends to be able to purify. So [faithless] Gentiles and wizards use the devil's power in certain rites of purification, pretending that they have the power of the light, whereas they are entirely full of filth.
Job 41:22 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 41:13
"In its neck" means in arrogant self-estimation; "its strength abides," because it does not stand still but always overestimates itself. The souls that advance with a high neck (as is confirmed by Isaiah) are [like the devil's] neck, because they have the power to deceive. But such a power is vain; indeed, the weakness that my Savior and Lord assumed for me, which is called the weakness of God, completely defeated that power.
Job 41:27 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 41:18
The spiritual weapons [of humans], he says, are unable to kill him, and [the devil] considers as straw and rotten wood those weapons that cannot inflict a lethal wound on him.
Job 42:2 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 42:1-3
[Job] openly declares that he had not learned these things before but had come to know the unconquered power of God. And since God penetrates the decisions of people and understands the thoughts of all, there is nobody who can hide from his eye, which sees everything.
Job 42:3 — COMMENTARY ON JOB 42:1-3
Who is he, he says, who being sparing of words, can hide the secrets of his mind in silence, because they have not been expressed in words?