Literal Commentary on Job (Expositio super Iob ad litteram)

"Times are not hidden from the Almighty," etc. In the preceding chapter Job showed that he was not being punished on account of wickedness, as Eliphaz had asserted; now, however, he wishes to make clear that he does not think that God has no care for human affairs, as Eliphaz had imputed to him. Now it must be considered that some held that God has no knowledge and care of human affairs on account of his distance from us: for they believed that just as, on account of this kind of distance, we are not able to know him, so neither does he know us; but he first excludes this by saying "times are not hidden from the Almighty," as if to say: although the Almighty is outside the mutability of times, he nevertheless knows the course of times; but those who are in time know him in such a way that they are nonetheless unable to comprehend the manner of his eternity, whence he adds "but those who have known him," that is, temporal men having some knowledge of him, whether by natural cognition or by faith or by some greater illumination of wisdom, "do not know his days," that is, they are not able to comprehend the manner of his eternity. And because he had said that the course of temporal things is not unknown to God, he consequently shows how he judges temporal things, prefacing the diverse faults of men, of whom some fraudulently inflict harms on others, whence he says "some," namely among men, "have moved boundaries," namely stealthily changing the confines of possessions, and they have done similar things regarding animals that are pastured in flocks, whence he adds "they have stolen," namely stealthily, "flocks," namely belonging to others, "and pastured them," so that thus they may seem to be their own. And he aggravates their fault from the condition of the persons on whom they inflict harm: for men are accustomed to have mercy on orphans on account of the deficiency of their age and the lack of parental support, and against this he says "they have driven away the orphans' donkey," that is, they made it wander off so that they might seize it, not having mercy on the orphan. Likewise also men are accustomed to have mercy on widows on account of the frailty of their sex and because they are deprived of the comfort of a husband, but against this he adds "and they have taken the widow's ox for a pledge," as it were burdening her under some pretense of justice. Men are also accustomed to have mercy on the poor who lack the support of riches, and against this he adds "they have overturned the way of the poor," that is, they have taken away from them the ability to procure what is necessary for themselves, harassing them in many ways. Men are also accustomed to desist from harming those who are not accustomed to harm others but who deal gently among others, and against this he adds "and they have likewise oppressed the meek of the earth," namely those who knew neither how to be provoked nor how to provoke others. Now there are some who harm others not fraudulently as the aforesaid, but by manifest violence, who rush forth to do evils as though restrained by no discipline of law, of whom he adds "others, like wild asses in the desert," that is, wild donkeys which are not subject to the servitude of men, "go forth to their work," namely to brigandage, to which they attend solicitously as if to their own proper work, whence he adds "and watching for prey," namely to be seized, "they prepare bread for their children," namely from the plunder they have seized. Then he specifies the kind of plunder, adding "they reap a field not their own," namely gathering others' harvests by violence, "and they gather the grapes of the vineyard of him whom they have oppressed by force," because, namely, they first oppress someone in order that they may more freely seize his goods. Nor do they only take away exterior goods by violence, but also those things which are already applied to the use of sustaining the body, whence he adds "they send men away naked," that is, leaving them nothing, "taking away their clothing." And in order to aggravate the fault of this plunder still more, he adds the afflictions which they suffer from nakedness, whence he says "those to whom there is no covering in the cold": for it would be somewhat tolerable if from some other source they could relieve their nakedness. Nor are garments necessary only for warming against cold but also for covering against rain, whence it is fitting that those stripped naked by the robbers be beaten not only by cold but also drenched by rain; and this is what he adds, "whom the rains of the mountains soak": for men are accustomed to flee to mountainous places as though more fortified, for fear of robbers or enemies, where, on account of the coldness of the air, the rains are both more frequent and heavier, especially for naked men. Now there is some remedy for nakedness if he who does not have the covering of clothing at least does not lack the covering of a house, but against this he adds "and, not having a covering," namely of clothing nor of a house, "they embrace the rocks," that is, they hide themselves in caves of rock which are found in mountainous places. Further, he aggravates their fault from the condition of the wretched persons whom they burden, whence he adds "they did violence, plundering the orphans," who namely ought rather to have been supported, "and they despoiled the poor common people," to whom aid ought rather to have been given. Now it would be somewhat tolerable if at least they wished to take away only from those who had a sufficiency; and therefore, for the greater aggravation of their iniquities, he adds "from the naked," that is, from those not having garments, "and from those going about without clothing," that is, on account of excessive need coming forth even into public naked without garments, which pertains to a great destitution of clothing; and in order to show that they suffer want also in food, he adds "and from the hungry"; from these, however, they cannot take away anything of great worth, but they do not fear to steal from them the little that they have, whence he adds "they took away the ears of grain," as if to say: they did not take away from them the harvest which they do not have, but some few ears of grain which they had gathered for themselves. And if by chance they seem to abound in something, they take it away, not weighing how great a want the others suffer, whence he adds "they took their midday rest among their heaps," namely of crops, that is, they rested at midday as if reveling in the goods of those who, "the winepresses having been trodden, thirst," that is, who immediately after the vintage have but little wine. Nor do men only despoil in exterior things but also injure in persons, whence he adds "they have made men groan out of the cities," because, namely, when some have been injured, many of the citizens are disturbed; and those who have been injured complain, whence he adds "and the souls of the wounded will cry out, and God," from whom, namely, the things that are done in time are not hidden, "does not allow it to go unpunished," which indeed would not be the case if he had no providence over human affairs. Now he shows the reason why God does not allow this to go unpunished from the fact that they sin not through ignorance but through malice, from which they hate the wisdom that rebukes their sins; whence he adds "they themselves were rebels against the light," namely acting deliberately against what the light of reason dictates to them. But just as wisdom anticipates those who desire it, so it flees from those who resist it, whence he adds "they did not know its ways," that is, having a sense depraved by malice, they were not able to know the processes of wisdom; or "they did not know," that is, they did not approve nor were they willing to experience the commands of wisdom. And he shows their impenitence, adding "nor did they return by its paths": for those indeed return by the path of wisdom who, even if they were rebels against wisdom in sinning, nevertheless return to wisdom by repenting. Now as a sign that they are opposed to the spiritual light of wisdom, he introduces the fact that they also detest exterior light, loving darkness, according to what is said in John 3:20, "everyone who does evil hates the light"; whence here too it is added "at the very break of dawn," while darkness still remains, "the murderer rises up and kills the needy and the poor," because at that hour men do not yet commonly go along the road, but some poor, driven by necessity, anticipate the time for work, and the robbers lie in wait for them along the way. But in order that they may steal something stealthily from houses, they need deeper darkness, whence he adds "but in the night he will be like a thief," namely despoiling houses, which it would not be safe for him to do at early dawn, because then men begin to wake up. He shows the same thing in the adulterer, adding "the eye of the adulterer," who indeed lies in wait for another's marriage bed, "watches for darkness," so that, namely, he cannot be caught, whence he adds, saying, "no eye will see me," that is, with this intention he watches for darkness so that he may not be seen by anyone's eye; and as if the concealment of night were not enough for him, he takes up still other arts of concealing himself, whence he adds "and he will cover his face," namely by some change of dress. And just as he watches for darkness in order to begin the deed, so too he carries out the deed in darkness, whence he adds "they dig through houses in the darkness," namely by whatever fraud or violence removing obstacles, "just as they had agreed among themselves by day," namely the adulterer and the adulteress, "and they have ignored the light," that is, they cast it aside in the whole execution of the wicked deed; "if suddenly," as though unforeseen, because the time seems short to them while they devote themselves to carnal delight, "the dawn should appear," which is the beginning of daylight, "they think it the shadow of death," that is, they consider it hateful like the shadow of death, when they see that they can no longer prolong their wantonness. Now men are accustomed to be hindered from their works in two ways: in one way, when they do not foresee the outcome of the matter; in another way, when they have a weak support in their purpose; but adulterers, who are led by concupiscence, on the contrary, first indeed thrust themselves inconsiderately into dangers, although they do not know what will follow, and to signify this he says "and thus in the darkness," that is, in doubtful and obscure things, "as though in the light," that is, in manifest things, "they walk," that is, they proceed; secondly, from something slight and fragile they take great confidence, whence he adds "he is light," namely the adulterer, "upon the face of the water," as if to say: he is moved so lightly that it seems to him that through certain soft things, as water is, he can pass through to accomplish his purpose. Or, taking it literally, what he says, "thus in the darkness they walk as though in the light," can be referred to this, that both, namely the adulterer and the adulteress, love to carry out their deeds in darkness; but what he adds, "he is light upon the face of the water," refers especially to the adulterer, to whom, on account of the impulse of concupiscence, it seems that even over water, that is, over any difficulty or adversity whatsoever, he can pass lightly in order to arrive at the enjoyment of the thing desired. Having thus recounted the diverse kinds of sins, he adds concerning the punishment, and first indeed as to the punishment of the present life, when he adds "let his portion be cursed on the earth": that seems to each one to be his portion which he desires as if it were his chief good; but the sinner establishes his ultimate end in earthly things as if in his own portion, according to that saying of Wisdom, "this is our portion and this is our lot," which indeed is cursed because the goods of this world, which he uses badly, are turned into evil for him. And he makes this clear, adding "nor let him walk by the way of the vineyards": for the ways of vineyards are usually shaded and consequently temperate; vineyards also require a temperate place, for in places too cold they are destroyed by ice, and in places too hot they are scorched by heat; the wicked man, therefore, does not walk by the way of the vineyards because he does not use the things of this world with moderation, but sometimes declines to one extreme, sometimes to the other, and as to this he adds "let him pass from the waters of snow to excessive heat," as though he passes from one contrary vice to the contrary one, because he does not remain in the mean of virtue; and this punishment follows upon all the wicked because a disordered mind is a punishment to itself, as Augustine says in Book I of the Confessions. Then he sets forth the punishment that will come after death, when he adds "and his sin even unto Hell," as if to say: not only is his portion cursed on earth, while he uses the things of the world in a disordered way, but also for this he will suffer punishments in Hell, to which punishments also can be referred what he had said about "the waters of snow," etc., because in Hell there will be no temperateness. And lest anyone should believe that those punishments would be ended by God's mercy, he adds "let mercy forget him," namely the sinner damned in Hell, that is, God's mercy, so that he may never from thence be freed. Now what that punishment is like he shows, adding "the sweetness of him is a worm," that is, the delight of sin will be turned for him into a worm, that is, into the remorse of conscience, of which it is said in the last chapter of Isaiah, "their worm shall not die"; whence also concerning the unendingness of this punishment he adds "let him not be in remembrance," that is, let him be so totally abandoned by God without any remedy of deliverance as if he had been forgotten by him. And he sets forth a comparison when he adds "but let him be broken like an unfruitful tree": for a tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and cast into the fire, as is said in Matthew 3:10, whereas a fruitful tree is pruned in order that it may be cleansed, according to that saying in John 15:2, "every branch that bears fruit he will prune, that it may bring forth more fruit"; the wicked, therefore, are punished unto extermination, but the just unto their advancement. Now why he is compared to an unfruitful tree he makes clear from two things: first indeed because he consumed his goods on useless things, whence he says "for he fed the barren woman and her that does not bear," and he speaks of one who consumed his goods on useless things after the likeness of one who uselessly nourishes a barren wife; second, because he did not come to the aid of those in need, which could have been fruitful for him, whence he adds "and he did not do good to the widow," signifying by the widow all those in need. Nor was he only unfruitful but he was also harmful, like a tree bringing forth poisonous fruits, whence he adds "he brought down the strong in his strength," that is, he used his power not to help the oppressed but rather to oppress the strong. And this, that he harms others, redounds also to his own harm, because, namely, he is not able to lead a secure life in himself, fearing to be injured by those whom he had injured, whence he adds "and when he shall have stood," that is, when he shall have suffered nothing adverse, "he will not trust in his life," that is, he will not be secure concerning his life, according to what Eliphaz had said above in chapter 15:21, "the sound of terror is always in his ears, and when there is peace he always suspects ambushes." Now he assigns the reason why he is to be punished without mercy from the fact that he was unwilling to make use of God's mercy while he could, whence he adds "God gave him a place for repentance," namely deferring the punishment, and this is the reason why he was permitted to live for some time in prosperity; but what God offered him for good he himself perverted into evil, whence he adds "and he abuses it unto pride," not attributing to divine mercy the fact that he is not punished immediately after sin, but from this taking boldness for sinning even unto contempt of God. And although the sinner seeks darkness in order to sin, he nevertheless cannot avoid being seen, whence he adds "for his eyes," namely God's, "are upon his ways," that is, they consider his proceedings although he walks in darkness. And hence it is that "they are lifted up for a little while," that is, to some earthly and transient loftiness, God giving them a place for repentance, "and they will not endure," namely finally, because they abuse God's mercy unto pride. And he applies a comparison to this matter: for all things that are generated in time grow for a determined time and afterward begin to be cast down and at last are totally destroyed, and so it happens with the wicked, whence he adds "and they will be humbled like all things," namely the things that grow in time, "and they will be taken away," namely totally, when they shall have arrived at their summit; and he applies a comparison, adding "and like the tops of the ears of grain they will be crushed": for crops are not crushed as long as they are in the blade and growing, but when they have already arrived at perfect maturity, and likewise the wicked are not punished immediately by God but when they shall have arrived at their summit according to the measure foreseen by God. Now he brought this in to show that the fact that the wicked are not punished in time but lead a prosperous life does not happen from a defect of divine providence, but from the fact that God defers the punishment to a fitting time; and thus it is clear that what Eliphaz had calumniously imputed to him concerning the denial of divine providence is false, whence he adds "that if it is not so," as I have said beforehand concerning the punishment of the wicked, as you suppose, believing that man is always punished in this life for his sins, "who can prove me to have lied," as though, namely, I should be denying divine providence, "and set my words before God," that is, turn my words into an accusation before God, as if they had been spoken against his providence?