Job 13:24 Douay-Rheims

Why hidest thou thy face, and thinkest me thy enemy?

Gregory the Great

c. A.D. 540–604 Patristic

Wherefore hidest Thou Thy face, and holdest me for Thine enemy?

Man enjoyed the light of inward contemplation in Paradise, but by gratifying himself as he departed from himself, he lost the light of the Creator, and fled from His face to the trees of Paradise, seeing that, after his sin, he dreaded to see Him, whom he had used to love. But mark, after sin he is brought into punishment, but from punishment he returns to love, because he finds out what was the consequence of his transgression, and that face, which he feared in sin, being awakened to a right sense, he seeks afresh by punishment, that he may henceforth flee the darkness of his blind condition, and shrink with horror from this alone, that he does not behold his Creator. Pierced with which longing the holy man exclaims, Wherefore hidest Thou Thy face, and takest me for Thine enemy? 'since, if Thou didst regard me as a friend, Thou wouldest not deprive me of the light of Thy vision.' And going on, he adds the fickleness of the human heart.

Source details
A.D. 604 · on Job 13:24 (Morals on the Book of Job, Book XI)

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.

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