Fathers

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What the Fathers say

Job 18:1

Western Saints

Gregory the Dialogist

Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said, Unto what end will ye cast abroad words? understand first, and so let us speak. ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION We have already said frequently that blessed Job bears a type of the Holy Church universal, and that his friends bear the likeness of heretics, who as it were on the plea of defence of the Lord find occasion of foolish talking, and let loose insulting words against good men; to whom all is displeasing that is thought by the faithful, as though it were uttered to the wind. …

Morals on the Book of Job, Book XIV ↗

Thomas Aquinas

Since Baldath of Shuah could not understand what blessed Job meant with his intellect, he thought that what he himself did not understand was spoken without basis even by the speaker, and so in the beginning of his answer he says, "To what end will you just toss out words?" Here he blames Job for three things: first, the ineffectual character of his speech, as though the words Job had spoken had no efficacious proof of anything, which is shown in the fact that he says, "To what end." Second, he blames him for the vain multiplication …

Commentary on Job ↗