Literal Commentary on Job (Expositio super Iob ad litteram)

But Job continued, taking up his parable, and said: "Who will grant me," and so on. Because Job, in the words set forth above, had shown in a universal way the reason from which it evidently appears that it is not contrary to divine justice that the wicked prosper and the good sometimes lack temporal prosperity in this world — those to whom greater things, namely spiritual goods, are granted — he now makes this manifest in his own case, as it were by way of example, intending thereby also to refute their opinion in this respect, namely as to what they had asserted, that he had suffered adversities because of sin. And first he calls to mind his past prosperity, which he used virtuously; then the magnitude of the adversity into which he had fallen; and last of all he demonstrates his innocence in many ways. Now it is given to be understood that just as, after he had satisfied the words of Baldad, Sophar being silent, he proceeded to show his own proposal, so also, once his proposal had been made manifest, he waited to see if any of the others would speak; but with all of them silent, he took up his discourse again. Hence it is said, "Job continued, taking up his parable" — because, that is, he was about to speak metaphorically — "and said: Who will grant me," which is put to designate desire rather than to frame a petition, "that I might be according to the months past," that is, that I might live in prosperity as I once did? And because he attributed this prosperity not to fortune nor to his own strength but to divine assistance, he adds, "according to the days in which God kept me," namely by protecting me against adversities, and also directing me to good things: in some cases indeed leading me to good results even beyond my own intention, and this is what he says, "when his lamp," that is, his providence, "shone above my head," that is, over my mind, directing me to many good things which my mind did not reach; in other cases he was directed by God as one instructed by him concerning the things that were to be done, hence he adds, "and by his light," that is, by his instruction, "I walked," that is, I proceeded, "in darkness," that is, in doubtful matters; and lest this be attributed to the merit of some preceding righteousness, he adds, "as I was in the days of my youth," namely when he could not yet have merited so great a prosperity. Then he expounds in order the goods of his former condition, and he begins, as it were, from the chief thing, from the familiarity with God which he perceived in prayer and contemplation, hence he says, "when God was secretly in my tabernacle," that is, I felt the presence of God while I prayed and meditated secretly in my tabernacle, which pertains to contemplation; but as to action he adds, "when the Almighty was with me," as it were cooperating with me in acting well. Then he describes his prosperity on the side of his offspring when he adds, "and my children were about me," for it is fitting that the children of a young father should be boys. Further he proceeds to the abundance of things pertaining to the use of life when he adds, "when I washed my feet with butter," for among the ancients, riches consisted chiefly in cattle, on account of which, according to Augustine, money (pecunia) is named from cattle (pecus); and among the products of cattle, butter, which is the richness of milk, seems the more precious, whose abundance he designates figuratively by the washing of the feet, as if someone were to say that he had such an abundance of some precious liquid that it was enough even to wash his feet with it. And just as butter seems the more precious among the products of animals, so also oil among the products of the earth; now olives having the best oil are wont to grow in stony and sandy places, hence he adds, "and the rock poured out for me rivers of oil," by which he designates both abundance and the goodness of the produce. Then he sets forth the greatness of his former glory when he adds, "when I went out to the gate of the city," by which he gives it to be understood that he had the authority of judging, because among the ancients judgments were carried out in the gates. And to show that he was not, as it were, one of the lesser judges, he adds, "and in the street they set a seat for me," by which it is shown that he was of singular dignity. He then shows the authority of his judgment, first indeed by a sign taken on the part of the young men, when he says, "the young men saw me," who are indeed wont to be prone to sins, "and hid themselves," as it were fearing my judgment. Secondly as to the old men, when he adds, "and the old men rising up stood," as it were subject to my judgment: for he had authority not only to judge the young but also the old. Thirdly as to the rulers of cities, who showed reverence to his judgment — first indeed in that they left off their words begun when he wished to speak, hence he adds, "the princes ceased to speak"; secondly, because when he was speaking they did not dare to interrupt him, hence he adds, "and put a finger upon their mouth." Fourthly as to the leaders in war, who are wont to be bolder and more ready to speak, yet who did not dare to speak presumptuously and tumultuously in his presence, hence he adds, "the leaders restrained their voice," namely speaking plainly and humbly; and sometimes they were so astonished that they did not dare to speak at all, hence he adds, "and their tongue stuck to their throat," as if they were not able to speak. And because men of such rigorous authority are wont to be feared by the people rather than loved, he shows that he was lovable to the people, because it belongs to a magnanimous man both to preserve authority among the great and yet to condescend to the lesser, hence he adds, "the ear that heard," that is, from others, when my glory or my judgments were recounted, "did not hate nor envy but called me blessed," that is, reckoned me blessed and wished blessedness for me, and this pertains to those absent; but as to those present he adds, "and the eye that saw," namely my glory and my judgments, "gave testimony," namely to my virtue, "for me," namely before others, and this on account of the works of mercy which he practiced. And this he shows first as to the poor, hence he adds, "because I had delivered," namely from the hand of the oppressor, "the poor man that cried out," that is, that complained; secondly as to orphans, hence he adds, "and the fatherless that had no helper," namely having lost his father; thirdly as to men existing in dangers, hence he adds, "the blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me," that is, he who was in dangers, being helped by me, blessed me; fourthly as to widows, hence he adds, "and I comforted the heart of the widow," because indeed she had lost the solace of her husband. Now it is not the case that in judgment one ought so to have mercy on some that justice be abandoned, hence he adds, "I put on justice," that is, in all my proceedings justice appeared on every side, for a man is surrounded on every side by a garment; and to show that he was not compelled but did justice willingly, he adds, "and I clothed myself," as it were of his own accord, "putting on justice as a garment," namely protecting and adorning him on every side. And just as in the contest of wars a crown is given to the victors, so also a judge, when by his judgment he grants the victory of justice, deserves a crown, hence he adds, "and with my diadem, my judgment," as if to say: I was clothed with my judgment as with a diadem. And to show how he was able to preserve mercy together with justice, he adds, "I was an eye to the blind," that is, I instructed the simple how they should proceed in their affairs lest they suffer loss through ignorance; and because he gave counsel not only to the ignorant but also help to the powerless, he adds, "and a foot to the lame," that is, I gave help to him who could not proceed in his business, so that he might be able to proceed; he also watched over those who lacked protection, hence he adds, "I was a father to the poor," namely protecting and fostering them. Now it happens sometimes that certain persons, through fraud, injure by calumny the simple, the powerless, and the poor; but against this he applied diligent care to exclude the calumnious proceedings of the malicious, hence he adds, "and the cause which I knew not I searched out most diligently," lest indeed any fraud lie hidden there. Some, however, oppress the poor through violence, swallowing them up as it were by plunder, and Job destroyed their violence by his power, hence he adds, "I broke the jaws of the wicked," that is, I destroyed the rapacity of violence so that it could not plunder further, "and out of his teeth I took away the prey," because indeed he compelled them to restore what they had already taken by plunder. Now from the aforesaid good works he was confident that his prosperity would endure; the continuance of which he describes first as to his own person, hence he adds, "and I said: I shall die in my nest," that is, I hoped, on account of my preceding merits, that I would die in the quiet of my house, not an exile from my home nor even with my home disturbed; nor yet did he believe that he would be overtaken by an untimely death, hence he adds, "and as the palm tree," which indeed lives a very long time, "I shall multiply my days," namely through length of life. Secondly he describes the continuance of prosperity as to riches, whose increase he describes when he adds, "my root is opened beside the waters," for trees which have their roots beside the waters are wont to abound in fruits, whereby he designates the multiplication of temporal fruits; but it happens sometimes that the fruits of some man are multiplied, but on account of certain intervening hindrances he cannot gather them, hence to exclude this he adds, "and the dew shall abide in my harvest," for it happens in hot countries that, on account of the violence of the heat, reapers cannot stand in the field to reap, but a cloud of dew provides them refreshment so that they are not hindered from reaping, according to that saying of Isaiah 18:4, "like a cloud of dew in the days of harvest." Thirdly he describes the continuance of his progress as to glory, when he adds, "my glory shall always be renewed," namely through the good works which he proposed to multiply. Fourthly as to the continuance of power he adds, "and my bow shall be renewed in my hand": for power is designated by the bow, since the Orientals especially use such weapons for wars. Thus, then, in the foregoing he has described both the severity and the mercy which he showed in judging; now, thirdly, he shows how he also employed wisdom; and first indeed in judgments, and as to this he says, "they that heard me," as if subject to my judgment, "waited for my sentence," namely mine, believing they were hearing something most wise; but as to counsels he adds, "and they kept silence, attentive to my counsel," namely awaiting it and listening eagerly. And after I had given counsel they were content with it, hence he adds, "they durst add nothing to my words," on account, namely, of the great wisdom which they judged to be in me; and they not only held my counsel firm but even took comfort in it, perceiving it to be effective for attaining their purpose, hence he adds, "my speech dropped upon them," that is, it refreshed them after the manner of drops. Since, therefore, he had already said what he was like in judgments and in counsels, he next shows what he was like in the common conversation of men, and first he shows that he was gracious, because when he was absent his presence was desired, hence he says, "they waited for me as for rain," by which men are refreshed; but when he was present they were comforted by his look and his speech, hence he adds, "and they opened their mouth," that is, their spirit, namely toward me, that they might receive comfort, and this is what he adds, "as for an evening shower," which indeed provides refreshment after the heat of the day. Secondly he shows that he was moderate in his conduct: for he was not dissolved in joy, hence he says, "if at any time I laughed on them," namely showing some signs of gladness, "they believed it not," namely that I was given over to laughter; likewise also he was not weighed down by sadness, hence he adds, "and the light of my countenance fell not to the ground": for men weighed down by grief are wont to have their eyes cast down to the ground. Thirdly he shows that he was not immoderate concerning honors, because indeed he did not desire them, hence he adds, "if I had a mind to go to them," which yet I did not easily do, "I sat first," namely being in a position of honor among them; nor yet was he haughty in honors, hence he adds, "and when I sat as a king with his army standing about him," everyone, namely, admiring me on this side and that, "yet I was a comforter of them that mourned," as one not despising them.