And while he was yet speaking, another came, and said: The fire of God fell from heaven, and striking the sheep and the servants, hath consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell thee.

“HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION Lest the loss of his property might not stir up sufficient grief at the hearing, he urges his feelings to exceed by the very words of the messengers. For it is to be remarked how craftily it is said, the fire of God, as though it were said, thou art suffering the visitation of Him, Whom thou desiredst to appease by so many sacrifices: thou art undergoing the wrath of Him, in Whose service thou didst daily weary thyself! For in signifying that God, Whom he had served, had brought upon him his misfortunes, he mentions a sore point on which he may break forth; to the end that he might recall to mind his past services, and reckoning that he had served in vain, might be lifted up against the injustice of the Author. For the godly mind, when it finds itself to meet with crosses from the hands of man, finds repose in the consolations of Divine favour; and when it sees the storms of trial gather strength without, then seeking the covert of trust in the Lord, it takes refuge within the haven of the conscience. But that the cunning adversary might at one and the same moment crush the bold heart of the holy man, both by strokes from man and by despair in God, he both brought tidings at first that the Sabeans had made an irruption, and announced immediately afterwards that the fire of God had fallen from heaven, that he might as it were shut up every avenue of consolation, whereas he shews even Him to be against him, Who might have solaced his spirit amidst his adversities; so that considering himself in his trials to be on every side forsaken, and on every side in a strait, he might burst into reviling with so much the more hardihood as he did it in the greater desperation. ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION All, who held the office of preaching in the Synagogue, were rightly named, 'the heavens,' plainly because they were supposed to be imbued with heavenly wisdom; and for this reason, when Moses was urging the Priests and the people to take heed of his words of admonition, he exclaimed, Give ear, O ye Heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth; evidently signifying by the Heavens the order of rulers, and by the earth the people under them. There is then in this place no unfitness in interpreting the Heavens to mean either the Priests or the Pharisees, or the Doctors of the Law, who, to the eyes of men, while they attended on heavenly duties, seemed as it were to shed light from on high. Now because they were greatly stirred up in opposition to our Redeemer, it was as though 'fire fell from heaven;' whilst from those very men, who were accounted teachers of the truth, the flames of envy burst out, to the deceiving of the ignorant people. For we know from the testimony of the Gospel, that through envy at the truths which He taught they sought an opportunity for His betrayal, but that from fear of the people they dared not make known what they went about. Hence too it is therein written, that in order to dissuade the people they say, Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on Him? but this people, who knoweth not the Law, are cursed. But what do we understand by the sheep and the servants, save all inoffensive, but still as yet fainthearted persons, who, while they feared to undergo the persecution of the Pharisees and the Rulers, were devoured by the fires of infidelity. So let it be said; The fire of God is fallen from Heaven, and hath burned up the sheep and the servants; i.e. the flame of envy hath come down from the hearts of the rulers, and burnt up all that there was of good springing up in the people; for while the wicked rulers are claiming honour to themselves in opposition to the Truth, the hearts of their followers are turned from every right way. And here too it is well added, And I only am escaped alone to tell thee; for whereas the predicted case of wickedness is fulfilled, that word of prophecy escapes the extinction of falsehood, wherein it is said, yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them; as though it were plainly expressed, 'not only are the wicked afterwards tormented by fire sent in vengeance, but even now they are consumed therewith through envy;' in that they who are hereafter to be visited with the punishment of just retribution, inflict upon themselves here the tortures of envy. And thus the servant flies and returns alone, and announces that the sheep and the servants have been destroyed by fire, when Prophecy in forsaking the Jewish people shews that she has declared the truth, saying, Jealousy has taken hold of a people without knowledge; as though it said in plain words, 'when the people would not make out the words of the Prophets, but gave their belief to the words of the envious, the fire of jealousy consumed them, seeing that they were burnt in the fire of other men's envy.' MORAL INTERPRETATION What is signified by sheep but the innocency of our thoughts? what is signified by sheep, but cleanness of heart in the good? Now we have said a little above that we speak of the aerial 'heaven,' whence too we name the birds of heaven. And we know that the impure spirits, that fell from the ethereal heaven, roam abroad in the mid space between this heaven and earth. These are the more envious that the hearts of men should mount up to the realms of heaven, that they see themselves to have been cast down from thence by the impurity of their pride. Forasmuch then as the glances of jealousy burst forth from the powers of the air against the purity of our thoughts, 'fire fell from heaven upon the sheep;' for oftentimes they inflame the pure thoughts of our minds with the fires of lust, and they do as it were consume the sheep with fire, when they disorder the chaste feelings of the mind with the temptations of sensuality. This is called the fire of God, for it owes its birth, though not to the making, yet to the permission of God. And because by a sudden onset they sometimes overwhelm the very cautions of the mind, they slay with the sword as it were the servants that are their keepers. Yet one escapes in safety, so long as persevering discernment reviews with exactness all that the mind suffers, and this alone escapes the peril of death; for even when the thoughts are put to rout, discretion does not give over to make known its losses to the mind, and as it were to call upon her lord to lament.”

“"There was a man in the land of Hus," etc. Because, as has been said, the whole intention of this book is ordered to showing how human affairs are governed by divine providence, there is set forth first, as it were the foundation of the whole disputation, a certain history in which the manifold affliction of a certain just man is recounted: for this is the very thing which seems most of all to exclude divine providence from human affairs. First, therefore, the person of this man is described, both as to sex, when it is said "there was a man" (for this sex is found more robust for enduring troubles), and as to homeland, when it is said "in the land of Hus," which is in the regions of the east, and as to name, when it is said "by the name of Job"; and these two seem to be set down in order to suggest that what is being related is not a parable but an actual event. And lest anyone should believe that the adversities afterward brought upon him befell him on account of this man's sins, his virtue is consequently described, by which he is shown to be immune from sins. For it must be known that a man sins in three ways: there are certain sins by which one sins against one's neighbor, such as murders, adulteries, thefts, and the like; certain by which one sins against God, such as perjury, sacrilege, blasphemy, and the like; certain by which each one sins against himself, according to the word of the Apostle, 1 Corinthians 6:18, "he who fornicates sins against his own body." Now one sins against one's neighbor in two ways, secretly through guile and openly through force; but this man did not circumvent his neighbor through guile, whence it is said, "and that man was simple," for simplicity is properly opposed to guile; he did no violence to anyone, for there follows "and upright," for uprightness properly pertains to justice, which consists in equality, according to Isaiah 26:7, "the path of the just is straight, the way of the just is right for walking." That he did not sin against God is openly shown by what is added, "and fearing God," in which reverence toward God is designated. That he did not sin against himself either is shown by what is added, "and departing from evil," because he held evil in hatred for its own sake, not only on account of harm to his neighbor or offense to God. Having thus described both the person and the virtue of this man, his prosperity is consequently shown, so that the following adversity may be judged the more grievous from the preceding prosperity, and at the same time to show that by God's first intention good things are always granted to the just, not only spiritual goods but temporal ones as well; but that the just are sometimes oppressed by adversities happens on account of some special cause: whence also from the beginning man was so constituted that he would be subject to no disturbances if he had remained in innocence. Now the beginning of temporal prosperity, after the good standing of one's own person, consists in persons joined to one, and especially in one's children, who are in a certain way something of their parents. Therefore his prosperity is first described as to the fruitfulness of offspring, when it is said, "and there were born to him seven sons and three daughters." Fittingly a greater number of males than females is set down, because parents are wont to be more fond of sons than of daughters, both because that which is more perfect is more desirable — for males are compared to females as the perfect to the imperfect — and because parents are usually more assisted in the conduct of affairs by sons than by daughters. Then his prosperity is shown as to abundance of riches, and especially in animals: for around the beginning of the human race, on account of the scarcity of men, the possession of fields was not so valuable as that of animals, and especially in the regions of the east, in which even to this day there are few inhabitants in proportion to the breadth of the region. Among the animals, first are set down those which serve most for the food and clothing of the person, namely sheep, whence it is said, "and his possession was seven thousand sheep"; second are set down those which serve most for bearing burdens, namely camels, and this is what is added, "and three thousand camels"; third are set down those which serve for the tilling of fields, and this is what is added, "also five hundred yoke of oxen"; fourth are set down the animals which men use for conveyance, whence there follows "and five hundred she-asses," from which mules are generated, upon which the ancients especially used to ride. Under these four kinds of animals are comprised all the others which serve the same uses — for instance, under sheep, everything necessary for food and clothing, and so for the rest. And because men possessing many riches need a multitude of servants to govern them, fittingly there is added, "and a very great household." Consequently his prosperity is set down as to honor and fame, which was spread far and wide, and this is what is said, "and that man was great among all the people of the East," that is, honored and famous. For the greater commendation of Job himself, the discipline of his household is consequently described, which was free from those vices which opulence is wont to beget. For very often abundance of riches gives rise to discord, whence it is read in Genesis that Abraham and Lot could not dwell together, in order to avoid the quarreling that arose from the abundance of their possessions. Frequently, too, men possessing many things, since they love immoderately what they possess, use them the more tenaciously; whence it is said, Ecclesiastes 6:1-2, "there is another evil which I have seen under the sun, and indeed a frequent one among men: a man to whom God has given riches and substance and honor, and nothing is lacking to his soul of all that he desires, yet God does not give him the power to eat of it." From these evils, then, the house of blessed Job was free: for there was concord in it, and joyful and fair frugality, which is signified when it is said, "and his sons went and held feasts, each in his house on his day." And this charity and concord was not only among the brothers but extended even to the sisters, who are frequently despised by brothers on account of the pride which opulence very much begets, whence it is added, "and sending, they called their three sisters to eat and drink wine with them." At the same time there is also designated in this the security that was had concerning the chastity of the daughters; for otherwise they were not to be led about but kept enclosed, according to the word of the wise man, Ecclesiasticus 26:13, "over a daughter who does not turn herself away, keep firm watch, lest, an occasion found, she abuse herself." As frugality and concord flourished in the house of Job, so in Job himself there flourished a holy solicitude for purity, which riches frequently overwhelm or even diminish, according to Deuteronomy, "the beloved grew fat and kicked," and afterward there follows, "he forsook God his maker," etc. And indeed he was so solicitous for his own purity that he was wholly removed from those things which could defile him: for it was said above that he was "fearing God and departing from evil." But he was also most solicitous concerning the purity of his sons; he permitted them, to be sure, to hold feasts, indulging their age — for certain things are tolerated in the young which are reprehensible in persons of weight. And because at feasts men can scarcely, or never, avoid giving offense either through inept mirth or through disorderly talkativeness or even through immoderate use of food, to the sons whom he did not restrain from feasting he offered the remedy of purification, whence it is said, "and when the days of the feast had gone round in a circle, Job sent to them and sanctified them." Now the days of the feast are said to go round in a circle because, since there were seven sons and each one held a feast on his day, through all the days of the week in sequence they completed feasts of this kind; afterward, as it were circularly or in a circle, just as through the days of the week so also through the feasts, they returned to the beginning. Now it is to be noted that although Job indulged his sons in holding feasts, yet he, preserving his own gravity, did not mingle himself with their feasts: whence it is said that "he sent to them," not that he himself went to them. The manner of the sanctification by which he sanctified them through a messenger can be understood in two ways: either because he had them instructed with wholesome admonitions, so that if they had done anything wrong at the feasts they might amend it, or else they had some rite of expiation by which sins of this kind were expiated, just as sacrifices too were given even before the Law, as well as the offering of first fruits and of tithes. Now at feasts men sometimes incur not only impurity in the ways aforesaid, but are even plunged into graver sins, even to the contempt of God, when reason is absorbed by wantonness and drawn away from divine reverence, as it is said in Exodus, "the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play," that is, to fornicate or to sacrifice to idols. Job, therefore, not only came to the aid of his sons against light offenses by sanctifying them, but also strove to apply a remedy against graver offenses by which God might be appeased toward them, whence there follows, "and rising at dawn he offered holocausts for each one." In these words the perfection of his devotion is shown, both as to time, because he rose at dawn, according to the word of the Psalm, "in the morning I will stand before you," etc.; and as to the manner of the offering, because he offered holocausts, which were wholly burned up in honor of God, no part being left for the use of the one offering or of the one for whom it was offered, as was the case in peace offerings and sin offerings — for a holocaust is so called as being, as it were, wholly burnt; and as to the number, because he offered holocausts for each of his sons individually, for individual sins are to be expiated by fitting satisfactions. He then adds the cause of the offering of the holocausts, saying, "for he said" — namely Job in his heart, not indeed being certain of his sons' sins but in doubt — "lest perhaps my sons have sinned," namely in deed or in word, "and have blessed God in their hearts." This can be understood in two ways. In one way, that the whole be understood conjointly: for although to bless God is a good thing, yet to bless God on account of the fact that one has sinned signifies a will resting content in sins, and in this respect it is blamed, as it is said in Zechariah against certain people: "feed the flock of slaughter, which those who possessed them killed and did not grieve, and sold them saying: Blessed be the Lord, we have become rich." In another way, that it be understood disjunctively, so that by what is said, "have blessed," is understood "have cursed": for the crime of blasphemy is so horrible that pious mouths shrink from naming it by its own name, but signify it by its opposite. And fittingly holocausts are offered for the sin of blasphemy, because those things which are committed against God are to be purged by divine honoring. Now it is wont to happen that divine worship is devoutly performed by some if it is rare, but when it has become frequent it comes into disdain, which is the sin of acedia, when someone, that is, grows sad over spiritual labor. To this vice Job was not subject, for it is added, "so did Job all the days," as one preserving a devotion persevering in divine worship. "Now on a certain day, when the sons," etc. After the prosperity of blessed Job has been enumerated, his adversity is set down, and first the cause of it is introduced. And lest anyone should think that the adversities of the just proceed apart from divine providence, and through this suppose that human affairs are not subject to providence, it is set forth beforehand how God has care of human affairs and dispenses them. This is proposed symbolically and under a figure, according to the custom of sacred Scripture, which describes spiritual things under the figures of bodily things, as is clear in Isaiah 6:1, "I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up," and in the beginning of Ezekiel and in many other places. And although spiritual things are set forth under the figures of bodily things, nevertheless those things which are intended concerning spiritual matters through sensible figures do not pertain to the mystical sense but to the literal sense, because the literal sense is that which is first intended through the words, whether properly spoken or figuratively. Now it must be known that divine providence governs things in such an order that it dispenses the lower through the higher: for bodies subject to generation and corruption are subjected to the motion of the heavenly bodies, and likewise the lower rational spirits united to mortal bodies, namely souls, are administered through the higher incorporeal spirits. Now ecclesiastical tradition holds this, that among the incorporeal spirits there are certain good ones who, preserving the purity in which they were created, enjoy the divine glory, never departing from the will of God: and these spirits are sometimes called Angels in the Scriptures, that is, messengers, because they announce divine things to men, and sometimes they are called sons of God insofar as they are assimilated to God through participation in glory. But there are certain evil spirits, not by nature or by creation, since God is the author of every nature, nor can the highest good be the cause of anything but good things, but they are evil through their own fault; spirits of this kind are called Demons in the Scriptures, and the first of them is called the Devil, as it were falling downward, or also Satan, that is, adversary. Both kinds of spirits, then, move men to do certain things, the good ones indeed to good things, the evil ones to evil things. And just as men are moved by God through the aforesaid spirits, so also the things that are done through men are said in the Scriptures to be referred, through the mediation of these same spirits, to the divine examination. To show, therefore, that both the good and the evil things which men do are subject to the divine judgment, it is said, "now on a certain day, when the sons of God came to stand before the Lord, Satan also was present among them." Now it must be known that the Angels, who are here called sons of God, are said to stand before the Lord in two ways: in one way inasmuch as God is beheld by them, as it is written in Daniel, "thousands of thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times a hundred thousand stood before him"; in another way inasmuch as the Angels themselves and their acts are beheld by God — for those who stand before some lord both behold him and are beheld by him. In the first way, then, to stand before does not befit the Angels except the blessed ones who enjoy the divine vision, nor all of these, but only those among them who exist as the higher ones, who enjoy the divine vision more intimately and who do not go out to exterior ministries, according to the opinion of Dionysius: whence in the aforesaid authority of Daniel those who stand before are also distinguished from those who minister. In the second way, however, to stand before befits not only all the good Angels but also the evil ones, and even men, because whatever is done through them is subjected to the divine sight and examination, and on this account it is said that "when the sons of God came to stand before the Lord, Satan also was present among them." And although the things that are administered through good or evil Angels are continually subjected to the divine sight and examination, and thus the sons of God are always standing before him and Satan is always present among them, it is nevertheless said "on a certain day," according to the custom of Scripture, which sometimes designates through time those things which are above time, from certain things which are said to occur in time; just as at the beginning of Genesis it is said that God said certain things on the first or second day, although his speaking is eternal, on account of the fact that the things said by him came to be in time. So too now, because the deed which is now intended took place at a determined time, the administrators of this deed are said to have stood before the Lord on a certain day, although they never cease to stand before the Lord. It must also be considered that the things done through good Angels are referred to the divine judgment otherwise than those done through evil ones. For the good Angels intend that what they do be referred to God, and therefore it is said that the sons of God came to stand before the Lord, as it were subjecting all things to the divine judgment by their own motion and intention; but the evil Angels do not intend to refer what they do to God, but, though they are unwilling, it happens to them that whatever they do is subjected to the divine judgment, and therefore it is not said of Satan that he came to stand before the Lord, but only that he "was present among them." Now it is said "among them" both on account of the equality of nature, and to suggest that evil things are not from a principal intention but come upon good things as it were incidentally. There is, moreover, a difference between the things done through good Angels and evil ones: for the good Angels do nothing except what they are moved to by divine command and will, for in all things they follow the divine will; but the evil ones by their own will are at discord with God, whence the things they themselves do exist as alien from God as regards their intention. And because we are not accustomed to ask about the things which we ourselves do, but about the things which happen apart from us, therefore it is not said that the Lord asked anything of the sons of God, but only of Satan, and this is what is added, "to whom the Lord said: whence do you come?" And it is to be noted that the Lord does not say to him, "what are you doing?" or "where are you?" but "whence do you come?" Because the very deeds which are procured through the Demons sometimes proceed from the divine will, in that through them either the wicked are punished or the good are exercised; but the intention of the Demons is always evil and alien from God, and therefore it is asked of Satan, "whence do you come?" because his intention, from which his whole action proceeds, is alien from God. Now it must be known that "to say" is taken in two ways, for sometimes it is referred to the concept of the heart, sometimes to the signification by which such a concept is expressed to another. According to the first way, then, the speaking of God is eternal and is nothing other than begetting the Son, who is his Word. In the second way, however, God says certain things temporally, yet in various manners according to what is fitting to those to whom he speaks: for to men having bodily senses God has sometimes spoken with a bodily sound formed in some created subject, as the voice sounded at the Baptism and at the Transfiguration of Christ, "this is my beloved son"; sometimes, however, through an imaginative vision, as is read many times in the prophets; sometimes through an intelligible expression, and in this way it must be understood that God said something to Satan, inasmuch as he causes him to understand that the things he himself does are beheld by God. Just as, then, God's speaking to Satan is his affording him knowledge, so Satan's answering God is not indeed his conveying knowledge of some thing to God, but his considering that all his own doings are open to the divine sight, and according to this manner it is said, "who answering said: I have gone about the earth and walked through it." Through this, then, that the Lord says to Satan, "whence do you come?" God examines the intention and acts of the Devil; and through this, that Satan answers, "I have gone about the earth and walked through it," as it were rendering to God an account of his own acts, so that from both it may be shown that all things which are done through Satan are subject to divine providence. Now through his going about, Satan's craftiness is shown, in exploring whom he may be able to deceive, according to 1 Peter 5, "your adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, goes about, seeking whom he may devour." Fittingly, moreover, craftiness is designated through going about, just as simple justice is designated through the straight: for the straight is that whose middle does not depart from its extremes; because, therefore, the action of the just man does not disagree with its principle, which is the will, and its intended end, uprightness is fittingly ascribed to the just; but it is characteristic of the crafty to pretend one thing and intend another, and thus what they display from their work departs from the extremes, since it agrees neither with their will nor with their end: whence the crafty are rightly said to go about, on account of which it is written, "the wicked walk about in a circle." Now it must be known that although the Devil applies the pursuit of his craftiness toward all, both good and evil, yet he attains the effect of his craftiness only in the evil, who are rightly called earth; for since man is composed of a spiritual nature and earthly flesh, the evil of man consists in this, that, having abandoned the spiritual goods to which he is ordered according to his rational mind, he clings to earthly goods, which befit him according to his earthly flesh: and therefore the evil, inasmuch as they follow their earthly nature, are rightly called earth. This earth, then, Satan not only goes about but also walks through, because in them he completes the effect of his malice: for in the walking through, the completion of his process is designated, just as, on the contrary, it is said of just men that God walks in them, whence the Apostle in 2 Corinthians 6:16 introduces, "I will dwell in them and walk among them." Something else too can be understood from this. For there is a threefold condition of living beings: some are above the earth, that is, in heaven, as the Angels and all the blessed; some are on the earth, as men living in mortal flesh; some are under the earth, as the Demons and all the damned. The first, then, Satan neither goes about nor walks through, because in the heavenly citizens there can be no malice, just as no evil of nature is found in the heavenly bodies; those who are in Hell he walks through but does not go about, because he holds them wholly subjected to his malice, nor is it necessary for him to use any craftiness to deceive them; but those who are on the earth he goes about and walks through, because he strives both to deceive them by craftiness and to draw some of them to his malice — these being the ones most designated by the earth, as has been said. And that by the earth earthly men are designated is shown quite openly by the fact that the Lord, though Job dwells on the earth, seems to separate him from the earth. For when Satan had said, "I have gone about the earth and walked through it," there is added, "and the Lord said to him: have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth?" For it would seem to be asked in vain whether he had considered Job, who was asserting that he had gone about and walked through the earth, unless he understood his servant Job to be apart from the earth. And he clearly shows in what respect he is separated from the earth by saying, "my servant Job." For man is constituted as it were midway between God and earthly things, for by his mind he cleaves to God, but by his flesh he is joined to earthly things; and every mean between two things recedes the more from one extreme the more it approaches the other: man, therefore, the more he cleaves to God, the more distant he is from the earth. Now this is what it is to be a servant of God, to cleave to God in mind, for a servant is one who is not for his own sake: but he who cleaves to God in mind orders himself into God as it were a servant of love, not of fear. And it is to be noted that earthly affections in some way, though at a distance, imitate the spiritual affections by which the mind is joined to God, but can in no way arrive at their likeness: for earthly love falls short of the love of God, and consequently every affection does, for the principle of any affection whatsoever is love. Whence fittingly, after he had said, "have you considered my servant Job," there is added, "that there is none like him on the earth," because nothing among earthly things can be equal to spiritual things. Although it can also be understood otherwise: for in each saint there is some pre-eminence of virtue as regards some special use, on account of which it is sung of each individual confessor in the Church, "there has not been found one like unto him who kept the law of the Most High," except that in Christ all things existed according to most perfect excellence; and according to this manner it can be understood that no one among the inhabitants of the earth was like Job, inasmuch as Job excelled as regards some particular exercise of virtue. Now in what respect Job was a servant of God and none like him on the earth, he shows when he adds, "a simple man, and upright, and fearing God, and departing from evil," which, since they have been expounded above, may for the present be set aside. Now it must be considered that God orders the life of the just not only to their own good but also renders it conspicuous to others; but those who behold it are not affected toward it in the same way: for the good, having it as an example, profit from it, but the evil, if they are not corrected so as to become good by its example, fall short upon beholding the life of the saints, either being tormented by envy or striving to pervert it by false judgments, according to the word of the Apostle, 2 Corinthians 2:15-16, "we are the good odor of Christ unto God, both in those who are being saved and in those who are perishing: to some indeed the odor of death unto death, but to others the odor of life unto life." Thus, then, God wills the life of the saints to be considered not only by the elect unto the advancement of salvation, but also by the wicked unto the increase of their damnation, because from the life of the saints the reprehensible perversity of the impious is shown, according to what is said in Wisdom 4:16, "the just, dead, condemns the impious living." And therefore the Lord says to Satan, "have you considered my servant Job," etc., as if to say: you indeed go about and walk through the earth, but my servant Job you can only consider and marvel at his virtue. Now it is the custom of perverse men, of whom Satan is the prince and here bears their person, that, since they cannot reprove the life of the saints, they slander them as not acting from a right intention, according to Ecclesiasticus 11:33, "turning good things into evil he lies in wait, and upon the elect he will impose a stain." And this appears from what is added, "to whom Satan answering said: does Job fear God in vain?" As if to say: I cannot deny that he does good things, but he does not do this from a right intention out of love for you and of honesty, but on account of the temporal things he has obtained from you. And therefore he says, "does Job fear God in vain?" For we are said to do something in vain when we cannot attain what we intend by it; but Job serves you on account of the temporal things he has obtained from you, whence it is not in vain that in serving you he fears you. And that he has obtained temporal prosperity he shows as to two things. First as to immunity from evils, namely that he had been preserved by God from every adversity, and this is what he says, "have you not hedged him," that is, protected him as a rampart or a wall protects, "and his house," as to his offspring and household, "and all his substance," as to his possessions; and he adds "round about," so that a perfect immunity may be shown, because that which is hedged round about can suffer assault from no side. Second he shows his prosperity as to the multiplication of goods, and this is what he says, "you have blessed the works of his hands." And indeed, since God makes all things by speaking, for God to bless is to give goodness to things: God, then, blesses someone's works when he brings them to a good end so that they attain their due end. And because certain goods come to a man apart from his own work and intention, on this account he adds, "and his possession has increased in the land." Thus, then, Satan slanders the deeds of blessed Job as though he did them from an intention of earthly advantage; whence it is manifest that the good things we do are not referred to earthly prosperity as to a reward, otherwise it would not be a perverse intention if someone were to serve God on account of temporal prosperity; and likewise, on the contrary, temporal adversity is not the proper punishment of sins, a question which will occupy nearly the whole book. Now Satan wishes to show that Job had served God on account of the earthly prosperity he had obtained, by the opposite proof: for if, temporal prosperity ceasing, Job should cease to fear God, it would become manifest that he feared God on account of the temporal prosperity he enjoyed; and therefore he adds, "but stretch forth your hand a little and touch all that he possesses," namely by taking it away, "unless he shall bless you to your face," that is, shall openly curse you — understand: "let evil befall me." And it is to be noted that even the hearts of the truly just are sometimes moved by great adversity, but the falsely just are disturbed by even slight adversity, as having no root of virtue. Satan, then, wishes to suggest that Job was not truly just but only in pretense, and therefore he says that if he were touched even a little by adversity he would murmur against God, which is to blaspheme God. And he pointedly says, "unless he shall bless you to your face," to signify that even in prosperity he was in a certain way blaspheming God in his heart, in that he preferred temporal things to love of him, but with prosperity removed he would blaspheme even to his face, that is, openly. This too — "unless he shall bless you to your face" — can be understood otherwise, so that "blessing" be taken properly, and the sense be: if you touch him a little by taking away his earthly prosperity, let this befall me, unless it become manifest that he had before blessed you not in his true heart but to the face, that is, for the appearance of men. And because, as has been said, the Lord wills the virtue of the saints to be known to all, both good and evil, it pleased him that, just as all had beheld his good deeds, so also his right intention should be made manifest to all: and therefore he willed to deprive Job of earthly prosperity, so that, with him persevering in the fear of God, it might become manifest that he feared God from a right intention and not on account of temporal things. But it must be known that God punishes the wicked both through good Angels and through evil ones, but he never brings adversity upon the good except through evil ones: and therefore he willed that adversity be brought upon blessed Job through no one but Satan, and on this account it is added, "the Lord therefore said to Satan: behold, all that he has is in your hand," that is, I hand it over to your power, "only put not forth your hand upon him." From which it is clearly given to understand that Satan can harm just men not as much as he wishes but as much as he is permitted. It must also be considered that the Lord did not command Satan to offend Job but only gave him power to do so, because the will to harm is present in every evil person from himself, but the power is only from God. It is clear, then, from what has been said, that this was the cause of blessed Job's adversity, that his virtue might be made manifest to all, whence it is also said of Tobias that the Lord permitted temptation to befall him for this reason, that an example of his patience might be given to posterity, as also of holy Job. It must be guarded against, however, that one should believe the Lord to have been induced by the words of Satan to permit Job to be afflicted, but he ordained this by an eternal disposition to manifest the virtue of Job against all the slanders of the wicked: and therefore the slander is set first and the divine permission follows. "And Satan went forth from the face of the Lord," etc. The cause of blessed Job's adversity having been set down, it is consequently shown how this adversity came upon him. And because it was all brought about through Satan, therefore it is said of him first, "and Satan went forth from the face of the Lord," as it were to use the power permitted to him. And it is pointedly said that "he went forth from the face of the Lord," for Satan, insofar as the power of harming someone is permitted to him, is before the face of the Lord, because this comes about by the reasonable will of God; but while he carries out the power permitted to him he goes forth from the face of the Lord, because he departs from the intention of the one permitting it — which appears in the case at hand: for it was permitted to him by God that he might be able to harm Job in order to manifest his virtue, but Satan did not afflict him for this reason, but in order to provoke him to impatience and blasphemy. At the same time it manifestly appears here to be true what we said above, that Satan was present among the sons of God standing before him according as some are said to stand before God insofar as they are subjected to the divine judgment and examination, not according as those are said to stand before God who see God: whence here too it is not said that Satan cast God from his own face, but that "he went forth from the face of the Lord," as it were departing from the intention of his providence, though not able to escape the order of providence. Now it must be considered that in the narrating of the adversity, an order contrary to that in which the prosperity was narrated is observed. For in the narrating of the prosperity, he proceeded from the greater things to the lesser, beginning from the person of Job himself, and after this he set down the offspring and then the animals, first the sheep and thereafter the rest: and this reasonably, because the perpetuity which cannot be preserved in the person is sought in the offspring, for whose sustenance possessions are needed. But in the adversity it is proposed the other way around: for first is narrated the loss of substance, second the oppression of the offspring, third the affliction of his own person, and this toward the increase of the adversity, for one who is oppressed by a greater adversity does not feel a lesser one, but the greater is felt after the lesser. And therefore, so that Job might feel his own affliction from each of the adversities in turn and thus be moved more to impatience, Satan began to afflict Job with the lesser adversity and proceeded gradually to the greater ones. It must also be considered that the mind of man is more disturbed by things which come suddenly, for adversities thought of beforehand are more easily borne; and therefore, so that Job might be more disturbed, at the time of greatest joy, when adversity could least be thought of, Satan brought adversity upon him, so that even from the very joy then present the adversity might appear the graver — for contraries placed next to one another shine forth the more. And therefore it is said, "now on a certain day, when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine" — which is set down especially as an indication of joy, according to Ecclesiasticus 31:35, "wine was created from the beginning for joy, not for drunkenness" — "in the house of their firstborn brother," which is also set down for the greater solemnity: for it is probable that a more solemn feast was celebrated in the house of the firstborn; "a messenger came to Job who said: the oxen were plowing," so that from the memory of the fruit the loss might appear the more unbearable; "and the she-asses were feeding beside them," which is also set down for the increase of grief, as he might consider that the enemies came upon them at the time when they could seize the most all at once; "and the Sabeans rushed in," namely enemies coming from far off, from whom what they had seized could not easily be recovered; "and took away everything," lest, if they had left anything, it might at least suffice for necessary use and for propagation; "and slew the servants with the sword," which was the more grievous to the just man; "and I alone escaped to tell you," as if to say: this happened by divine disposition so that I alone might escape, that you might have a messenger of so great a loss, as though God intended to afflict you with grief. Now this adversity having been announced, at once another is announced, lest, if some interval should occur, he might in the meantime return to himself and prepare himself for patience, and thus more easily sustain what followed; and on this account there is added, "and while he was yet speaking, another came and said: the fire of God" — that is, sent from God — "fell from heaven," so that it might be impressed, as it were, upon his mind that he was suffering persecution not only from men but also from God, and thus be more easily provoked against God; "and consumed the sheep and the servants that were touched by it," as though this were brought about by divine power, that immediately at the touch of the fire all things should be consumed, which is above the natural power of fire; "and I alone escaped to tell you." There follows: "but while he was yet speaking, another came and said: the Chaldeans," who were fierce and powerful; whence to show their power there is added, "made three troops," so that in this way neither vengeance nor recovery of the loss could be hoped for; concerning which loss there is added, "and fell upon the camels," etc. There follows the oppression of the offspring: "he was yet speaking, and behold another came in and said: while your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their firstborn brother" — so that from this their death might be the sadder, in that Job could be in doubt whether they had been overtaken by death in some state of sin: for he himself, for this reason, sanctified them and offered holocausts for each one, because he feared lest at the feasts they might have incurred some sin. And lest perhaps it might be believed that they had repented and provided for their souls, there is added, "suddenly a violent wind rushed in from the region of the desert and struck the four corners of the house," which is said to show the vehemence of the wind, which, contrary to custom, overturned the whole house at once, so that through this it might be shown to have proceeded from the divine will, and thus he might be more easily moved against God while being afflicted by him whom he had served with a devoted mind. And for the greater heaping up of grief there is added the loss of the slain offspring, when it is said, "and it fell and crushed your children, and they are dead" — namely all of them, lest even in some one of the children escaping there should remain hope of posterity. And this was believed to be the more sorrowful in that, with all the children slain, some one of the servants was able to escape to stir up grief, for there follows, "and I alone escaped to tell you." Now it must be considered that, since all the aforesaid adversity was brought about through Satan, it must be confessed that, God permitting it, Demons can bring about disturbance of the air, stir up winds, and cause fire to fall from heaven. For although corporeal matter does not obey the beck of Angels, neither good nor evil, for the reception of forms, but only the Creator God, nevertheless corporeal nature is naturally disposed to obey spiritual nature as to local motion; an indication of which appears in man, for the limbs are moved only at the command of the will, so as to carry out a work disposed by the will. Whatever things, then, can be brought about by local motion alone, these not only the good spirits but also the evil ones can do by their natural power, unless they are divinely prohibited; but winds and rains and other disturbances of the air of this kind can come about from the mere motion of vapors released from earth and water, whence the natural power of the Demon suffices to procure things of this kind; but sometimes they are prohibited from this by divine power, so that it is not permitted them to do everything they naturally can. Nor is this contrary to what is said in Jeremiah 14:22, "are there any among the idols of the nations that can send rain?" For it is one thing to rain by the natural course, which belongs to God alone, who ordained the natural causes for this; but it is another thing for the natural causes ordained by God for raining to be used artificially at times for rain, or a wind to be produced at times as it were extraordinarily. "Then Job arose," etc. The adversity of blessed Job having been enumerated, there is here treated the patience which he showed in adversity. Now it must be known, for the clarification of what is said here, that concerning bodily goods and concerning the passions of the soul there was a diverse opinion among the ancient philosophers. For the Stoics said that exterior goods are no goods of man at all, and that for their loss no sadness could be in the soul of the wise man; but the opinion of the Peripatetics was that exterior goods are indeed some goods of man, not indeed principal ones, but ordered as it were instrumentally to man's principal good, which is the good of the mind: and on this account they granted that the wise man might be moderately saddened at the loss of exterior goods, in such a way, namely, that reason not be so absorbed by sadness as to decline from rectitude. And this opinion is the truer one and agrees with ecclesiastical doctrine, as is clear through Augustine in the book On the City of God. Following this opinion, then, Job showed sadness indeed in adversity, yet so moderated that it was subject to reason, and therefore it is said that "then Job arose and rent his garment," which among men is wont to be an indication of sadness. Now it is to be noted that he says "then," namely after the death of his sons had been heard, so that he may seem to have grieved more over them than over the loss of his goods. For not to grieve over dead friends seems to be a mark of a hard and unfeeling heart, but it belongs to the virtuous man not to have this grief immoderate, according to the word of the Apostle, 1 Thessalonians 4:13, "we do not want you to be ignorant concerning those who sleep, that you not be saddened as also the rest who have no hope"; and this was the case in blessed Job, whence also the state of his mind appeared through an exterior act. For because his reason stood erect, it is fittingly said that "Job arose," although grieving men are more wont to be prostrated; but because he was suffering sadness, yet not one penetrating so as to disturb the innermost parts of reason, he showed a sign of sadness in exterior things as to two things, namely as to those things which are outside the nature of the body, whence it is said, "and he rent his garment," and as to those things which proceed from the nature of the body, whence it is said, "and having shaved his head," which among those who cultivate their hair is wont to be an indication of grief. Whence these two signs of sadness fittingly correspond to the aforementioned adversities, for the rending of the garment corresponds to the loss of goods, the shaving of the head to the loss of the sons. Now the mind stands erect at that time when it humbly submits itself to God: for each thing subsists in a greater height of nobility the more it is subject to that which perfects it, as air when it is subject to light, and matter when it is subject to form; that the mind of blessed Job, then, was not cast down by sadness but persisted in its own rectitude is manifested by this, that he humbly submitted himself to God, for there follows, "and falling upon the ground he worshipped," to show a mark of humility and devotion. And he declared the state of his mind not only by deeds but also by words; for he reasonably showed that, even though he was suffering sadness, he ought not to succumb to sadness. First indeed from the condition of nature, whence it is said, "and he said: naked I came forth from my mother's womb" — namely the earth, which is the common mother of all — "naked shall I return thither," that is, into the earth; and according to this manner it is said in Ecclesiasticus 40:1, "great occupation has been created for men, and a heavy yoke upon the sons of Adam, from the day of their coming forth from their mother's womb until the day of burial in the mother of all." It can also be understood otherwise, so that what is said, "from my mother's womb," be taken literally of the womb of the woman who bore him, but what is said, "naked shall I return thither," be understood such that this word "thither" makes a simple reference — for no one returns a second time into his mother's womb, but he returns into that state which he had in his mother's womb as regards a certain respect, namely as regards this, that he is alien from human converse. Saying this, then, he reasonably shows that on account of the loss of exterior goods a man ought not to be overwhelmed by sadness, because exterior goods are not connatural to him but come to him accidentally, which is clear from this, that man comes into this world without them and departs without them: whence, the accidental goods being taken away, if the substantial remains, a man ought not to be overcome by sadness even though sadness touch him. Second he shows the same thing from the divine operation, saying, "the Lord gave, the Lord has taken away," where first his true judgment concerning divine providence over human affairs is to be considered. For in that he said, "the Lord gave," he confessed that worldly prosperity comes to men not by chance, nor from the fate of the stars, nor from human effort alone, but from divine dispensation; but in that he says, "the Lord has taken away," he confesses also that worldly adversities come upon men by the judgment of divine providence. Now this brings it about that a man has no just complaint against God if he is despoiled of temporal goods, because he who gave freely was able to grant either until the end or for a time: whence, when he takes away temporal things from a man before the end, the man cannot complain. Third he shows the same thing from the good pleasure of the divine will, saying, "as it has pleased the Lord, so has it been done"; now it belongs to friends to will and not will the same thing: whence, if it proceeds from the divine good pleasure that someone be despoiled of temporal goods, if he loves God he ought to conform his own will to the divine will, so that by this consideration sadness may not overwhelm him. These three reasons, then, are set down in their due order: for in the first reason it is set down that temporal goods are extraneous to man, in the second that they are given and taken away from man by God, in the third that this happens according to the good pleasure of the divine will. Whence from the first reason it is concluded that man ought not to be overwhelmed by sadness on account of the loss of temporal goods, from the second that he cannot even complain, from the third that he ought even to rejoice. For it would not be pleasing to God that someone suffer adversity except on account of some good coming from it: whence adversity, although in itself it is bitter and generates sadness, ought nevertheless, from consideration of the benefit on account of which it pleases God, to be a source of joy, just as it is also said of the apostles, "the apostles went rejoicing," etc.; for one also rejoices in reason at the taking of a bitter medicine on account of the hope of health, although he is disturbed in sense. And because joy is the matter of thanksgiving, he therefore concludes this third reason in an act of thanksgiving, saying, "blessed be the name of the Lord." Now the name of the Lord is blessed by men insofar as they have knowledge of his goodness, namely that he dispenses all things well and does nothing unjustly. Thus, then, the innocence of Job is concluded when it is said, "in all these things Job did not sin with his lips," namely by expressing through words an impatient impulse, "nor did he speak anything foolish against God," that is, blasphemous, namely so as to blaspheme concerning divine providence: for folly is opposed to wisdom, which is properly the knowledge of divine things.”

“While he was yet speaking, there came also another,.... Another messenger, one of Job's servants, from another part of his fields where his sheep were grazing, and was one of those that kept them; he came with another piece of bad news, even before the other had finished his whole account; and the same is observed of all the other messengers that follow: so Satan ordered it, that all Job's afflictions should come upon him at once, and the news of them be brought him as thick and as fast as they could, to surprise him the more into some rash expressions against God; that he might have no intermission, no breathing time; no time for prayer to God to support him under the affliction, and sanctify it unto him; no time for meditation upon, or recollection of, past experiences of divine goodness, or of promises that might have been useful to him; but they came one upon the back of another, to hurry him into some indecent carriage and behaviour towards God, being considered by him as his judgments upon him: and said, the fire of God is fallen from heaven; which the servant thought, or Satan put it into his mind to say, that it came immediately from God, like that which destroyed Nadab and Abihu and the murmurers in the camp of Israel, Lev 10:2 or, as it is commonly thought, is so called, because a most vehement one, as a vehement flame is called the flame of the Lord, Sol 8:6 this being such a fire as was never known, since the fire that came down from heaven and destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities of the plain. I am inclined to think it was a prodigious flash or flashes of lightning; for as thunder is the voice of God, so lightning, which accompanies it, may be called the fire of God; and this agrees with the phraseology of the passage; it comes from heaven, or the air, and falls upon the earth, and strikes creatures and things in it; and which, as it is the effect of natural causes, Satan might be permitted to join them together and effect it; and this was done, and the news of it expressed in such language as to make Job believe that God was against him, and become his enemy, and that the artillery of heaven was employed to his harm, and to the ruin of his substance: and hath burnt up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; as the fire or lightning which came down from heaven and consumed the captains, and their fifties, in Elijah's time, Kg2 1:10 and such like effects of lightning are often to be observed, both with respect to men and cattle; these were the 7000 sheep Job was possessed of, Job 1:3 and which were all destroyed at once, with the servants that kept them, excepting one; creatures very productive and very useful both for food and clothing, and also used for sacrifice; and it is thought that Satan's end in the destruction of these was, that Job might conclude from hence that his sacrifices were not acceptable to God, and therefore it was in vain to serve him; which he hoped by this means to bring him to express in a passionate manner to God: and I only am escaped alone to tell thee; See Gill on Job 1:15.”

“fire of God--Hebraism for "a mighty fire"; as "cedars of God"--"lofty cedars" [Psa 80:10]. Not lightning, which would not consume all the sheep and servants. UMBREIT understands it of the burning wind of Arabia, called by the Turks "wind of poison." "The prince of the power of the air" [Eph 2:2] is permitted to have control over such destructive agents.”

“The Second Messenger: 16 While he was yet speaking, another came, and said, The fire of God fell from heaven, and set fire to the sheep and servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. The fire of God, which descends, is not a suitable expression for Samm (Schlottm.), that wind of the desert which often so suddenly destroys man and beast, although indeed it is indicated by certain atmospheric phenomena, appearing first of a yellow colour, which changes to a leaden hue and spreads through the atmosphere, so that the sun when at the brightest becomes a dark red. The writer, also, can scarcely have intended lightning (Rosenm., Hirz., Hahn), but rain of fire or brimstone, as with Sodom and Gomorrha, and as Kg1 18:38; Kg2 1:12.”