And the Lord said to Satan: Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a man simple, and upright, and fearing God, and avoiding evil, and still keeping his innocence? But thou hast moved me against him, that I should afflict him without cause.

“And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION. As if He said explicitly, 'Thou indeed hast wrought thy malice, but he has not lost his innocence; and thou art forced to serve to his advancement by the very means whence thou thoughtest to lessen his advancement. For that inward innocency, which he honourably maintained when at rest, he has more honourably preserved under the rod.' It follows; Although thou movedst Me against him, to destroy him without cause. Whereas God is a just and a true God, it is important to enquire how and in what sense He shews that He had afflicted Job without cause. For because He is just, He could not afflict him without cause, and again, because He is true, He could not have spoken other than what He did. So then that both particulars may concur in Him that is just and true, so that He should both speak truth, and not act unjustly, let us know, that blessed Job was both in one sense smitten without cause, and again in another sense, that he was smitten not without cause. For as He that is just and true, says the thing of Himself, let us prove both that what He said was true, and that what He did was righteous. For it was necessary that the holy man, who was known to God alone and to his own conscience, should make known to all as a pattern for their imitation with what preeminent virtue he was enriched. For he could not visibly give to others examples of virtue, if he remained himself without temptation. Accordingly it was brought to pass, both that the very force of the infliction should exhibit his stores of virtue for the imitation of all men, and that the strokes inflicted upon him should bring to light what in time of tranquillity lay hidden. Now by means of the same blows the virtue of patience gained increase, and the gloriousness of his reward was augmented by the pains of the scourge. Thus, that we may uphold the truth of God in word, and His equity in deed, the blessed Job is at one and the same time not afflicted without cause, seeing that his merits are increased, and yet he is afflicted without cause, in that he is not punished for any offence committed by him. For that man is stricken without cause, who has no fault to be cut away; and he is not stricken without cause, the merit of whose virtue is made to accumulate. But what is meant when it is said, Thou movedst Me against him? Is 'the Truth' then inflamed by the words of Satan, so that at his instigation He falls to torturing His servants? Who could imagine those things of God which he even accounts unworthy of a good man? But because we ourselves never strike unless when moved, the stroke of God itself is called the 'moving' Him. And the voice of God condescends to our speech, that His doings may in one way or another be reached by man's understanding. For that Power which without compulsion created all things, and which without oversight rules all things, and without labour sustains all, and governs without being busied, corrects also without emotion. And by stripes He forms the minds of men to whatsoever He will, in such sort still that He never passeth into the darkness of change from the light of His Unchangeable Being. ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION. Though thou movedst Me against him, to destroy him without cause. If blessed Job bears the likeness of our Redeemer in His Passion, how is it that the Lord says to Satan, Thou movedst Me against him? Truly the Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus, came to bear the scourges of our mortal nature, that He might put away the sins of our disobedience; but forasmuch as He is of one and the self-same nature with the Father, how does the Father declare that He was moved by Satan against Him, when it is acknowledged that no inequality of power, no diversity of will, interrupts the harmony between the Father and the Son? Yet He, that is equal to the Father by the Divine Nature, came for our sakes to be under stripes in a fleshly nature. Which stripes He would never have undergone, if he had not taken the form of accursed man in the work of their redemption. And unless the first man had transgressed, the second would never have come to the ignominies of the Passion. When then the first man was moved by Satan from the Lord, then the Lord was moved against the second Man. And so Satan then moved the Lord to the affliction of this latter, when the sin of disobedience brought down the first man from the height of uprightness. For if he had not drawn the first Adam by wilful sin into the death of the soul, the second Adam, being without sin, would never have come into the voluntary death of the flesh, and therefore it is with justice said to him of our Redeemer too, Thou movedst Me against him to afflict him without cause. As though it were said in plainer words; 'Whereas this Man dies not on His own account, but on account of that other, thou didst then move Me to the afflicting of This one, when thou didst withdraw that other from Me by thy cunning persuasions.' And of Him it is rightly added, without cause. For 'he was destroyed without cause,' who was at once weighed to the earth by the avenging of sin, and not defiled by the pollution of sin. He 'was destroyed without cause,' Who, being made incarnate, had no sins of His own, and yet being without offence took upon Himself the punishment of the carnal. For it is hence that speaking by the Prophet He says, Then I restored that which I took not away. For that other that was created for Paradise would in his pride have usurped the semblance of the Divine power, yet the Mediator, Who was without guilt, discharged the guilt of that pride. It is hence that a Wise Man saith to the Father; Forasmuch then as Thou art righteous Thyself, Thou orderest all things righteously; Thou condemnest Him too that deserveth not to be punished. But we must consider how He is righteous and ordereth all things righteously, if He condemns Him that deserveth not to be punished. For our Mediator deserved not to be punished for Himself, because He never was guilty of any defilement of sin. But if He had not Himself undertaken a death not due to Him, He would never have freed us from one that was justly due to us. And so whereas 'The Father is righteous,' in punishing a righteous man, 'He ordereth all things righteously,' in that by these means He justifies all things, viz. that for the sake of sinners He condemns Him Who is without sin; that all the Elect might rise up to the height of righteousness, in proportion as He Who is above all underwent the penalties of our unrighteousness. What then is in that place called 'being condemned without deserving,' is here spoken of as being 'afflicted without cause.' Yet though in respect of Himself He was 'afflicted without cause,' in respect of our deeds it was not 'without cause.' For the rust of sin could not be cleared away, but by the fire of torment, He then came without sin, Who should submit Himself voluntarily to torment, that the chastisements due to our wickedness might justly loose the parties thereto obnoxious, in that they had unjustly kept Him, Who was free of them. Thus it was both without cause, and not without cause, that He was afflicted, Who had indeed no crimes in Himself, but Who cleansed with His blood the stain of our guilt.”

“And it came to pass on a certain day, etc. Since there is a threefold good of man, namely of the soul, of the body, and of external things, they are ordered to one another in this way: that the body is for the sake of the soul, while external things are for the sake of both the body and the soul. Therefore, just as it is a perverse intention if someone orders the goods of the soul to the prosperity of external goods, so too it is a perverse intention if someone orders the goods of the soul to the health of the body. And indeed that Job abounded in acts of virtue, which are goods of the soul, could be sensibly manifest to all, whence also the Lord had said above to Satan: "Hast thou considered my servant Job," etc. But Satan brought a slander, as though Job aimed at acts of virtue for the sake of temporal goods — just as evil men, of whom Satan is the prince, perniciously judge the intention of good men; but this slander was refuted by the fact that after the loss of external goods he still remained steadfast in virtue, from which it was sufficiently shown that his intention was not bent toward external goods. It remained, therefore, for the perfect demonstration of Job's virtue, to show that his intention was not bent even toward the health of his own body; and therefore the divine judgment is again brought in, by which this is made manifest: this, then, is what is said: "And it came to pass on a certain day, when the sons of God came and stood before the Lord, that Satan also came among them and stood in his sight, that the Lord said to Satan: Whence comest thou?" Since these words have been expounded above, one need not dwell on them longer, except that this should be noted: that on account of another deed another day is here introduced, just as at the beginning of Genesis, according to the different kinds of things being instituted, different days are described. What Satan, being examined, answered is shown next when it is said: "Who answering said: I have gone round about the earth, and walked through it." And this is as above. And again the Lord sets before him, as it were conspicuously, the virtue of Job, as above; whence it follows: "And the Lord said to Satan: Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a simple and upright man, and fearing God, and avoiding evil?" But because a certain virtue of blessed Job had now been manifested which had not been manifest before — namely, constancy in adversity — therefore he now adds "and still," that is, after the loss of temporal goods, "he retaineth his innocence"; from which the Lord further shows that Satan's suspicion was slanderous and his intention frustrated, whence it follows: "And thou hast moved me against him, that I should afflict him without cause." Now from what is said, "thou hast moved me against him," it is not to be understood that God is provoked by someone to will what he did not will before, as is customary among men — for it is said, Numbers 23:19, "God is not as a man, that he should lie, nor as the son of man, that he should be changed" — but Scripture here speaks of God figuratively, in human fashion: for men, when they wish to do something on account of someone, are said to be moved by that person; but God indeed wills to do — as he also does — this on account of that, yet without any commotion of mind, because from eternity he had in mind what he was going to do, and on account of what. The Lord, therefore, had disposed from eternity to afflict Job temporally, in order to demonstrate the truth of his virtue, so that every slander of the malicious might be excluded; whence, to signify this, it is here said: "And thou hast moved me against him." But what is said — "that I should afflict him without cause" — is to be understood with respect to Satan's intention, not with respect to God's intention: for Satan had sought Job's adversity, intending thereby to lead him into impatience and blasphemy, which he had not achieved; but God had permitted this in order to make manifest his virtue, which had indeed come about. Thus, then, Job was afflicted in vain with respect to Satan's intention, but not with respect to God's intention. But Satan, having been repulsed, does not rest, but still contrives a slander, wishing to show that all the good things Job had done, and even this very fact that he had patiently borne adversities, he had done not for love of God but for the health of his own body; whence it follows: "And Satan answering him said: Skin for skin, and all that a man hath he will give for his soul." Now it must be considered that Job had been afflicted in two ways: namely, in the loss of his possessions, and in the loss of his children. Satan, therefore, means to say that Job had patiently borne both afflictions for the health of his own body, and that this was not a matter of great virtue but was human and customary among men; and this is what he means by "man" — as if to say, whoever, even one not virtuous, will easily give skin for skin, that is, another's flesh for his own flesh: for a man not virtuous endures that anyone else, however closely joined to him, be afflicted in body rather than himself; and likewise any man will give all the external things he possesses for his soul, that is, for the preservation of his life: for external goods are sought for the preservation of life, that they may serve as an aid for food and clothing and other such things by which a man's life is conveniently preserved. And because someone might say to Satan: whence can it be proved that Job bore the loss of his children and possessions patiently out of fear for his own skin and his own life? As if answering this question, he adds "but otherwise" — that is, if his bare word is not believed — "put forth thy hand," that is, exercise thy power, "and touch his bone and his flesh," that is, afflict him in body, not only on the surface, which could be signified by the touching of the flesh, but also in depth, which is signified by the touching of the bone, so that the touch may reach even to the innermost parts; "and then thou shalt see," that is, it will be able to be manifestly beheld by all, "that he will curse thee to thy face," which is to be expounded as above. The Lord, therefore, willed to show that Job had not served God for the health of his body, just as he had shown above that he did not serve him for external goods; whence it is added: "The Lord therefore said to Satan: Behold, he is in thy hand" — that is, I hand over to thee the power of afflicting him in body — "but yet save his life" — that is, do not take his life from him. For God does not expose his servants totally to Satan's will, but according to a fitting measure, according to that saying of the Apostle, 1 Corinthians 10:13: "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able." "So Satan went out," etc. Having received the power, Satan proceeds to its execution; whence it is said: "So Satan going forth from the presence of the Lord, struck Job" — with a blow indeed foul and abominable, whence it is called "a sore"; incurable and painful, whence it is called "grievous"; and universal, whence it is said "from the sole of the foot even to the top of his head." Now the afflictions of the sick are usually relieved by remedies applied externally and by comforts, but Job was not relieved in this way, for it follows: "who scraped the corrupt matter with a potsherd," in which it is shown that soothing and delicate medicaments were not applied to him; "sitting on a dunghill," from which it is shown that he was refreshed neither by the pleasantness of the place, nor by the softness of bedding, nor by the odor of any sweetness, but rather made use of their contraries. Now this can have happened in two ways: either because, being struck by the Lord, he himself further afflicted and humbled himself of his own accord, that he might the more easily obtain mercy; or because he had lost everything he had, whence he could not procure fitting remedies for himself; and this is sufficiently probable from what the Lord said above; nor does it appear that Satan did anything to harm him beyond the power given to him. Also, the afflictions of men are usually relieved by consoling words, but to the afflicted Job words of exasperation are spoken, the more provoking the more closely joined the person is who utters them; for it follows: "And his wife said to him" — whom alone the Devil had left him, that through her he might assail the mind of the just man, he who had cast down the first man through a woman. She, however, first broke out into words of mockery, saying: "Dost thou still continue in thy simplicity?" — as if to say: at least after so many scourges you ought to recognize that it was useless for you to keep your simplicity, just as also it is said in the person of certain men, Malachi 3:14: "He is vain that serveth God, and what profit is it that we have kept his commandments?" Second, she proceeds to words of perverse suggestion, saying: "Bless God" — that is, curse — as if to say: since adversity has come upon you while you blessed God, curse God, that you may obtain prosperity. Finally, she concludes with words of despair, saying: "and die," as if to say: consider yourself as good as dead, for nothing remains for you, remaining in your simplicity, except to die. Or, taken otherwise: "bless God and die," that is, since after such reverence toward God you have been afflicted with adversity in this way, if you still bless God nothing remains but for you to await death. But the holy man, who had patiently borne his own misfortunes, could not bear an injury to God; for it follows: "Who said to her: Thou hast spoken like one of the foolish women." Rightly does he accuse her of folly, since she spoke against divine wisdom. That she had spoken foolishly he shows: "If we have received good things at the hand of the Lord, why should we not receive evil?" In which he teaches the perfect wisdom of man. For since temporal and bodily goods are not to be loved except for the sake of spiritual and eternal goods, then, provided these latter — the more principal ones — are safe, a man ought not to be cast down if he be deprived of the former, nor be elated if he abound in them. Job therefore teaches us to have such constancy of soul that we both make use of temporal goods, if they are given to us by God, in such a way that we are not thereby lifted up into pride, and endure the contrary evils in such a way that our soul is not thereby cast down, according to that saying of the Apostle, Philippians (last chapter): "I know both how to be brought low, and I know how to abound," and afterward, "I can do all things in him who strengtheneth me." Then Job's perseverance in innocence is concluded when it is said: "In all these things Job did not sin with his lips." Not only through his wife did the Devil strive to exasperate the mind of blessed Job, but also through his friends, who, although they came to console him, nevertheless proceeded to words of rebuke; of whom it is said: "So the three friends of Job, hearing of all the evil that had befallen him, came, each one from his own place: Eliphaz the Themanite, and Baldad the Suhite, and Sophar the Naamathite." And because almost the whole disputation of this book turns among these men, it must be considered that these three were, in some respect, of the same opinion as Job — whence they are called his friends — and in some respect differed from him, while agreeing with one another — whence they are numbered together with one another and distinguished from Job. They agreed with Job, indeed, that not only natural things but also human affairs are subject to divine providence; but they differed from him in that they thought that man is rewarded by God with earthly prosperity for the good things he does, and punished by God with temporal adversity for the evil things he does, as though temporal goods were the rewards of virtues and temporal evils were the proper penalties of sins. Now each of them strives to defend this opinion in his own manner, according to what his own particular disposition suggested to him; on account of which they are said to have come "each one from his own place." Job, however, was not of this opinion, but believed that the good works of men are ordered to a future spiritual reward after this life, and likewise that sins are to be punished by future punishments. That the aforesaid friends of Job came to console him is shown by what follows: "For they had made an appointment to come together, to visit him and to comfort him," in which they showed themselves true friends, not failing him in tribulations; for it is said, Ecclesiasticus 12:9, "a friend is known in distress and in the evil day of a man." And first indeed the very visitation was consoling: for to see a friend and to live together with him is most delightful. They also console him by deeds, showing him signs of their compassion. Before these signs of compassion, that which provokes compassion is set forth, when it is said: "And when they had lifted up their eyes afar off, they knew him not": for his face was changed by the sore, and his dress and the rest of his attire by the loss of his goods; and what he says, "afar off," is to be understood according to that measure by which a man can be recognized from a distance. This change in their friend provoked them to sorrow and compassion, which they showed through signs; for it follows: "and crying out," that is, on account of the greatness of their grief, "they wept, and rending their garments, they sprinkled dust upon their heads" as a sign of humility and dejection, as it were accounting themselves cast down by the dejection of their friend. He adds, moreover, "toward heaven," as though by this humiliation they might provoke heavenly mercy. It must be considered that the compassion of friends is consoling, either because adversity, like a certain burden, is borne more lightly when it is carried by several, or rather because all sadness is relieved by an admixture of delight: and it is most delightful to take proof of someone's friendship, which is above all taken from compassion in adversities, and therefore it brings consolation. Now they consoled him not only by the compassion shown, but also by rendering him companionship; for it follows: "and they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights"; it is to be understood, however, not continuously but at fitting hours, for so great a sorrow needed a lasting consolation. But the third thing, which is above all consoling — namely, speech — they did not render; for it follows: "and no man spoke a word to him." The reason for their silence is shown when it is added: "for they saw that his grief was very great" — which reason is given more according to the opinion of the ones consoling than according to the true state of the afflicted man; for when someone's mind has been absorbed by grief, it does not receive words of consolation, whence also the poet says: "Who but one lacking sense forbids a mother to weep at the funeral of her son?" Job, however, was not so disposed that he could not receive consolation on account of his sorrow, but rather he himself, according to reason, consoled himself, as appears from his words adduced above.”

“And Satan answered the Lord, and said,.... Satan would not as yet own that Job was the man the Lord had described; but still would suggest, that he was a selfish and mercenary man, and that what had been done to him was not a sufficient trial of his integrity; the thing had not been pushed far and close enough to discover him; he had lost indeed his substance, and most of his servants, and all his children, but still he had not only his own life, but his health and ease; and so long as he enjoyed these he would serve God, though only for the sake of them: and therefore, says he, as it is usually and proverbially said: skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life; the Targum is,"member for member;''which the Jewish commentators, many of them, explain thus, that if a man's head or his eyes are in danger, he will lift up his hand or his arm, and expose that in order to save the other; but the word is generally used of the skin, and so it may in this sense; and mean the skin of his hand, as a shield for the skin of his head or eye, as Gussetius observes (r): some understand it of the skins of others for his own skin, which he will part with, that he may keep that; nay, he will give all that he is possessed of for the preservation of his life, so dear is that unto him; meaning either the skins of beasts, in whom the principal substance of men consisted in those times and countries, and whose skins slain for food, and in sacrifice, might be of worth and value, and used in traffic; or, as others think, money cut out of leather made of skins is meant, which a man would part with, even all such money he had in the world, and even his "suppellex", or all the goods of his house, for to save his life: or the sense is, that Job would not only give the skins of his beasts, even of all that he had, for his own skin, but the skins of his servants, nay, of his own children, provided he could but keep his own skin; and hereby Satan suggests, that Job did not regard the loss his cattle, nor of his servants, nor even of his children, so long as he had his own life and health; and thus represents him as a lover of himself, and as cruel and hardhearted, and without natural affections to his children; the contrary to which is very manifest from Job 1:5; or rather this designs his own skin, and may be rendered, "skin upon skin", or "skin even unto skin", or "skin within skin" (s); for man has two skins, an inward and an outward one, called the "cutis" and "cuticula", "derma" and "epidermis"; the latter is of a whitish colour, and is properly the covering of the skin, is very thin, and void of sensation (t), which may be raised up by a blister, and taken off without pain; but the other is reddish, and very sensible of pain, and cannot be taken off without putting a man to the most exquisite misery; and yet a man will part with both skins, and if he had ever so many, or he willing to be put to the greatest torment, rather than part with his life: and to this one point all the above senses, and others given by interpreters, tend, namely, to observe how precious the life of man is to him; and if this was all that Satan meant, it is very trite; but he seems to insinuate something more, and that is, that any man, and so Job though reckoned a good man, would not only part with all the skins he had, and the substance he was possessed of, to save his life, but he would part with his God, and his religion, and the profession of it, for the sake of it, which is false; for there is something more valuable than life to good men; they reckon the loving kindness of God better than life, and would sooner lose their lives than risk the danger of losing their interest in it; and are willing to part with their lives for the sake of God and true religion, for the sake of Christ and his Gospel, and for his cause and interest, as many have done. (r) Ebr. Comment. p. 582. (s) "cutim super cute", Schultens. (t) Vid Bartholin. Anatomia Reform. l. 1. c. 1. & 9.”

“3 Then Jehovah said to Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, fearing God and eschewing evil; and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou hast moved me against him, to injure him without cause. From the foregoing fact, that amidst all his sufferings hitherto Job has preserved and proved his תּמּה (except in the book of Job, only Pro 11:3), the fut. consec. draws the conclusion: there was no previous reason for the injury which Satan had urged God to decree for Job. הסית does not signify, as Umbreit thinks, to lead astray, in which case it were an almost blasphemous anthropomorphism: it signifies instigare, and indeed generally, to evil, as e.g., Ch1 21:1; but not always, e.g., Jos 15:18 : here it is certainly in a strongly anthropopathical sense of the impulse given by Satan to Jehovah to prove Job in so hurtful a manner. The writer purposely chooses these strong expressions, הסית and בּלּע. Satan's aim, since he suspected Job still, went beyond the limited power which was given him over Job. Satan even now again denies what Jehovah affirms.”