Fathers

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What the Fathers say

Job 8:14

Western Saints

Gregory the Dialogist

His own folly shall not satisfy him, and whose trust shall be a spider's web. For it is infinite folly to labour painfully, and pant after the breath of applause, to apply one's self to the heavenly precepts with hard toil, but to aim at the reward of an earthly kind of recompense. For that I may so express myself, he that in return for the good that he practises looks for the applause of his fellowcreatures, is carrying an article of great worth to be sold at a mean price. …

Morals on the Book of Job, Book VIII ↗

Thomas Aquinas

He shows how the hope of the hypocrite perishes as he continues, "His folly will not please him." Here we should consider that a hypocrite has a vain heart, indeed, for he neglects spiritual things and is only interested in things of time. He is satisfied as long as he succeeded well in temporal things according to his expectation. But if temporal things should be taken from him, then he must be displeased because he does not have a true and stable heart respecting God. He says therefore, "His folly does not please him," i.e. …

Commentary on Job ↗