George Leo Haydock

Seven days, &c. They sat with him for a good part of the day, and of the night, during seven days: and spoke nothing all that time that could give him any uneasiness. (Challoner) (Menochius) (Olympiad.) — They mourned for him as if he had been dead. Their mutual grief was too great for utterance. But the text seems to intimate that they remained with Job, all this time. (Scultet.) (Calmet) — Their design in coming was really to afford him consolation; but being under a mistake, respecting the conduct of Providence towards mankind, (Calmet) they erred involuntarily, (Tirinus) and by attempting to prove their assertions, as if none but criminals could be so grievously afflicted, they eventually insulted the holy man, Tobias ii. 15. — They argued on the principle, “that under a just God no one is miserable, unless he have deserved it;” not reflecting that God sometimes puts his best servants to the trial, that their merit and glory may increase. Notwithstanding their piety and learning, they became therefore the devil’s most powerful agents unawares: (Calmet) and though they were not properly heretics, as they acquiesced when better informed, they were a figure of them, by drawing from many undeniable truths false inferences, and by a parade of learning, and of new things. (St. Gregory, Mor. iii. 24., and v. 18.) — They also judged rashly of Job’s secret behaviour. (Worthington) Bible Text & Cross-references: Satan, by God’s permission, striketh Job with ulcers from head to foot: his patience is still invincible. 1 And it came to pass, when on a certain day the sons of God came, and stood before the Lord, and satan came amongst them, and stood in his sight, 2 That the Lord said to satan: Whence comest thou? And he answered, and said: I have gone round about the earth, and walked through it. 3 And the Lord said to satan: Hast thou considered my servant, Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a man simple and upright, and fearing God, and avoiding evil, and still keeping his innocence? But thou hast moved me against him, that I should afflict him without cause. 4 And satan answered, and said: Skin for skin; and all that a man hath, he will give for his life: 5 But put forth thy hand, and touch his bone and his flesh, and then thou shalt see that he will bless thee to thy face. 6 And the Lord said to satan: Behold, he is in thy hand, but yet save his life. 7 So satan went forth from the presence of the Lord, and struck Job with a very grievous ulcer, from the sole of the foot even to the top of his head: 8 And he took a potsherd and scraped the corrupt matter, sitting on a dunghill. 9 And his wife said to him: Dost thou still continue in thy simplicity? bless God and die. 10 And he said to her: Thou hast spoken like one of the foolish women: If we have received good things at the hand of God, why should we not receive evil? In all these things Job did not sin with his lips. 11 Now when Job’s three friends heard all the evil that had befallen him, they came every one from his own place, Eliphaz, the Themanite, and Baldad, the Suhite, and Sophar, the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment to come together and visit him, and comfort him. 12 And when they had lifted up their eyes afar off, they knew him not, and crying out, they wept, and rending their garments, they sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven. 13 And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no man spoke to him a word: for they saw that his grief was very great. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42