Literal Commentary on Job (Expositio super Iob ad litteram)

"But Job answering the Lord said," and so on. After the Lord had rebuked Job for an incautious speech which seemed to savor of pride — namely because he asserted himself to be just to such an extent that this seemed to some to redound to the derogation of the divine judgment — Job, reckoning himself humbly convicted, answers: first indeed by confessing the divine excellence as to power, whence he says, "But Job answering the Lord said: I know that you can do all things," and also as to knowledge, whence he adds, "and no thought is hidden from you." By the first of these he was confessing that God was able to remove the adversity introduced by the Devil, whom the Lord had described under the figure of Behemoth and Leviathan; by the second, however, he acknowledges that he had inwardly been moved by some proud thought, which he acknowledges did not escape God's notice; and therefore he consequently inveighs against those who deny divine providence, saying, "Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?" That is, who is so presumptuous and foolish as to say that human counsel can be hidden from God without God knowing it?

From the consideration of the divine excellence he proceeds to the consideration of his own fault, when he adds, "Therefore I have spoken unwisely," namely by not showing due reverence to the divine excellence in my words, "and things that exceed my knowledge beyond measure," namely by discussing the divine judgments. And because "I have spoken unwisely," henceforth I will speak wisely, whence he adds, "Hear, and I will speak," namely by confessing my fault; and because I have spoken things that exceed my knowledge, henceforth I do not dare to speak about it but only to question you concerning these things, whence he adds, "I will question you," namely by asking, praying, knocking, "and answer me," namely by instructing me inwardly.

He then shows why he was thus changed, adding, "By the hearing of the ear I have heard you," namely formerly, when I was speaking unwisely, "but now my eye sees you," that is, I know you more fully than before, just as what is seen by the eyes is known more certainly than what is heard by the ear: for he had made progress both from the blow he suffered and from divine revelation. Now the more one considers God's justice, the more fully he recognizes his own fault, whence he adds, "Therefore I reprehend myself," namely by considering my own fault. And because it does not suffice to confess a fault unless satisfaction follows, he therefore adds, "and I do penance in dust and ashes," namely as a sign of the fragility of the bodily nature: for humble satisfaction is fitting for expiating the pride of thought.

Because, then, the Lord had above rebuked Eliud and also Job, now in the third place he rebukes his friends, among whom the chief was Eliphaz — which is clear from the fact that he had first begun to speak — whence it is said, "And after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Themanite: My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends," namely Baldad and Sophar. Here it must be considered that Eliud had sinned out of inexperience, but Job out of levity, and thus neither of them had sinned gravely: whence the Lord is not said to have been angry against them, but against the three friends of Job he is said to have been gravely angry, because they had sinned gravely by asserting perverse dogmas, as was held above, whence he adds, "because you have not spoken before me what is right," that is, faithful dogmas, "as my servant Job has," who indeed did not depart from the truth of the faith.

Now for the expiation of grave sins, the ancients were accustomed to offer sacrifices, whence he adds, "Take therefore for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams," because they were indeed leaders of the peoples; and seven is the number of totality, whence a sevenfold of sacrifices is fitting for the expiation of grave offenses. But since unbelievers ought to be reconciled to God through believers, he adds, "and go to my servant Job," namely so that through his mediation you may be reconciled to me, "and offer a holocaust for yourselves," namely so that you who have sinned may make satisfaction. But your satisfaction needs the patronage of a faithful man, whence he adds, "Job, my servant, shall pray for you," who indeed is worthy to be heard on account of his faith, whence he adds, "his face," namely as he entreats, "I will accept," namely by hearing his prayer, "that folly may not be imputed to you," namely of unfaithful dogma; and he explains this by adding, "for you have not spoken before me what is right, as my servant Job has."

Having received the hope of pardon, they fulfilled what had been commanded them, whence it follows, "So Eliphaz the Themanite, and Baldad the Suhite, and Sophar the Naamathite went, and did as the Lord had spoken to them." And thus through their obedience and humility they were made worthy that Job's prayer should be heard on their behalf, whence it follows, "And the Lord accepted the face of Job," as he prayed for his friends. Nor did only the humility of the friends confer efficacy on his prayer, but also his own humility, whence it is added, "The Lord also was turned," namely from wrath to clemency, "to the penance of Job, when he prayed for his friends": for it was fitting that he who humbly did penance for his own light sin should also obtain pardon for others who had sinned gravely.

Now one's own penance profits each one more than that of others, whence if Job's prayer and penance merited the removal of the divine indignation from his friends, it was much more fitting that he himself also should be freed from adversity. And although Job did not refer his hope to the recovery of temporal prosperity but to the attainment of future happiness, the Lord nevertheless out of abundance also restored temporal prosperity to him, according to that saying of Matthew 6:33, "Seek first the kingdom of God and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you." And this indeed was fitting to the time, on account of the state of the Old Testament, in which temporal goods were promised, so that through the prosperity which he had recovered, an example might be given to others that they might be converted to God; it was also fitting to the person of Job himself, whose reputation had been injured among some on account of the manifold adversities that had befallen him, and therefore, in order to restore his good name, he brought him back to a state of greater prosperity, whence it follows, "And the Lord also added all things that had been Job's twofold."

Now among Job's adversities, as it were the chief one was that he had been deserted by his friends, and therefore the remedy for this adversity is set down first when it is said, "And all his brothers came to him, and all his sisters, and all who had known him before," in which the recollection of former friendship is indicated, "and they ate bread with him in his house," in which the return to the old familiarity is indicated, "and they shook their heads over him," namely by sympathizing with his affliction.

And because it is fitting not only to sympathize with the afflicted but also to provide a remedy for their affliction, they first indeed provided a remedy for his interior grief through consoling words, whence it is added, "and they comforted him over all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him"; and secondly they applied the remedy of assistance against his exterior want, and because he had lost both animals in the fields and household goods in the overthrow of his house, they therefore came to his aid in both respects, for it follows, "and each one gave him one sheep," as to the animals, "and one golden earring," as to the household goods.

But these things would have contributed little to his restoration, had not the Lord applied his own hand so that from these he might advance to greater things, whence it follows, "And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job," namely by multiplying them, "more than his beginning," that is, more than his first prosperity: for "he is able to do more than we understand or ask," as is said in Ephesians 3:20.

Now Job had desired above, in chapter 29:2, "that it might be with him as in the months past," but the Lord restored to him greater things, and doubled, as was said above, whence it follows, "And there were made for him fourteen thousand sheep": for it was said above that his possession was seven thousand sheep; "and six thousand camels": for at first he had had three thousand camels, as was said above; there had also been for him five hundred yoke of oxen, whence here the double is set down when it says, "and a thousand yoke of oxen"; and it was said above that he had had five hundred she-asses, but here the double is set down when it follows, "and a thousand she-asses."

Now he had lost not only possessions but also sons, who are restored to him but not in double, for it follows, "And there were born to him seven sons and three daughters," the reason for which can be twofold: one pertaining to the future life, namely because the sons whom he had had did not perish entirely for him but were being reserved for the future life, to live with him then; another reason can be as to the present life, for if along with the other things being doubled the number of sons had also been doubled, the fortune of the household would not have seemed to have been increased, since each of the sons would have had the same amount in his goods as before; and therefore it was more fitting that his offspring should be increased not in number but rather in worth.

This is covertly hinted at in the daughters, who are read to have been most beautiful, to whose beauty even their names correspond, for it follows, "and he called the name of the first Day," namely on account of her brightness, "and the name of the second Cassia," which is an aromatic species, on account of her sweetness, "and the name of the third Horn of Antimony": now antimony is that which women use for the adornment of the eyes, according to that saying of 4 Kings 9:30, "she painted her eyes with antimony and adorned her head," which antimony indeed is kept by women in a horn, so that they may have it ready when there is need, whence he called her "Horn of Antimony" to designate the abundant beauty of her eyes; whence also concerning their beauty it is added, "and there were not found women as beautiful as the daughters of Job in all the earth."

By which it is also given to be understood that his sons were preeminent in virtue, for it follows, "and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers," namely to designate the fittingness of virtue in both. And because Job had also been scourged in his own body, length of days is added to him for the increase of his prosperity, whence it follows, "And Job lived after these stripes a hundred and forty years." And that it may be understood that he lived in prosperity throughout this whole time, he adds, "and he saw his sons and his sons' sons, even to the fourth generation." And this prosperity is given to be understood to have lasted even until death, whence it follows, "and he died old," which pertains to length of life, "and full of days," which pertains to the prosperity of life, whence above, to designate his adversity, he had said thus, "and I too have had empty months"; whence also by the fullness of days is designated his abundance both as to the goods of fortune and as to the goods of grace, by which he was brought through to the future glory which endures through all ages of ages. Amen.