Job 4:10

“The writer mentions natural things, that is, nothing that is new or unusual. Certain laws regulate everything, and nothing has changed. Indeed, if what concerns wild beasts remains the same, even more so what concerns us remains unchanged. If it is not possible to restrain "the strength of the lion," then the righteous also cannot be prevented from talking frankly. In fact, as the wild beast naturally possesses strength, so also the righteous person possesses a natural power and force. Actually it is more likely for a lion to become weak than for a righteous person to allow others to manipulate him.”

“The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the lioness, and the teeth of the young lions are broken. For what does he call the roaring of the lion but, as we have said a little above, the severe character of that man? what the voice of the lioness, but his wife's loquacity? what the teeth of the young lions, but the greediness of his children? For because his sons had perished when feasting, they are denoted by the term of 'teeth;' and while unsparing Eliphaz rejoices that they are all 'broken,' he denounces them as deservedly condemned.”

“ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION. The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the lioness, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken. Forasmuch as the nature of every thing is compounded of different elements, in Holy Writ different things are allowably represented by anyone thing. For the lion has magnanimity, it has also ferocity: by its magnanimity then it represents the Lord, by its ferocity the devil. Hence it is declared of the Lord, Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David hath prevailed. Hence it is written of the devil, Your adversary, the devil, like a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour. But by the title of a 'lioness' sometimes Holy Church, sometimes Babylon is represented to us. For on this account, that she is bold to encounter all that withstand, the Church is called a 'lioness,' as is proved by the words of blessed Job, who in pointing out Judaea forsaken by the Church, says, The sons of the traders have not trodden, nor the lioness passed by it. And sometimes under the title of a lioness is set forth the city of this world, which is Babylon, which ravins against the life of the innocent with terribleness of ferocity, which being wedded to our old enemy like the fiercest lion, conceives the seeds of his froward counsel, and produces from her own body reprobate sons, as cruel whelps, after his likeness. But the 'lion's whelps' are reprobate persons, engendered to a life of sin by the misleading of evil spirits, who both all of them together constitute that great city of the world which we have declared before, even Babylon; and yet these same sons of Babylon severally are called not 'a lioness' but 'a lioness's whelps.' For as the whole Church together is denominated Sion, but the several individual Saints the sons of Sion, so both the several individuals among the reprobate are called the children of Babylon, and all the reprobate together are designated the same Babylon. But so long as good men remain in this life, they keep watch over themselves with anxious heed, lest the lion that goeth about surprise them by guile, i.e. lest our old enemy slay them under some shew of virtue; lest the voice of the lioness stun their ears, i.e. lest the glory of Babylon catch away their minds from the love of the heavenly country; lest 'the teeth of the young lions' bite them, i.e. lest the promptings of the reprobate gain power in their heart. But, on the other hand, heretics are already as if secured touching holiness, because they fancy that they have surmounted all obstacles by the preeminent merit of their life. And hence it is said here, The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the lioness, and the teeth if the young lions are broken. As though it were expressed in plain words; 'We for this reason are never beaten and bruised with any strokes, for that we tread under at once the might of the old enemy, and the lust of earthly glory, and the promptings of all the reprobate, overcoming them by the preeminence of our life.'”

“But the fact that the children and family should suffer for the sins of the parents seemed to go contrary to the opinion of Eliphaz since he intends to defend the opinion that adversities in this world are punishments for sin. Eliphaz answers this objection saying, "The roar of the lion, the voice of the lioness, and the teeth of the whelp have been broken." Here first occurs the consideration that man is more noble than other animals because of reason. When then he sets reason aside, he follows the passions of beasts, and so he bears the likeness of beasts and the name of beast befits him because he imitates their passions. For example, one who gives in to the passion of concupiscence is likened to a horse or a mule in the Psalms, "Be not like horse and mule, unintelligent." (31:9) The one who gives into anger or ferociousness is called a lion or a bear in Proverbs, "A roaring lion or a hungry bear is the impious prince over a poor people" (28:15) and Ezechiel, "He became a lion and he learned to catch prey and devour men." (19:3) So now he compares a furious man to a lion saying, "The roar of the lion," for roaring is an indication of the ferociousness of the lion. Often the prodding of a wife adds to the ferociousness of her husband, and so the ferocious thing the husband does is imputed to the fault of his wife. This is clear with Herod's wife who prodded him to behead John the Baptist. (cf. Matt. 14:8) So he says, "The voice of the lioness." Sometimes what a tyrant acquired by cruelty, his sons use wantonly and so they rejoice in the father's plunder. Therefore they are not immune from fault. So the text continues, "the teeth of the whelps are broken." Nahum says, "The lion took enough for his whelps." (2:12) Thus he seems to have responded to the premised objection, because it is not just for the wife and the children to be punished for the sins of the husband, when they were participants with him in the fault. He said all this in trying to render Job and his family infamous for robbery.”