Gregory the Dialogist

One is joined to another, and not even a breath comes between them. 54. These scales of sinners are both hardened and joined together, so as not to be penetrated by any breath of life from the mouth of preachers. For those whom a like guilt associates, the same does a perverse defence also crowd together in obstinate agreement, in order that they may protect each other with mutual defence for their sins. …

Morals on the Book of Job, Book XXXIII ↗

Thomas Aquinas

He shows their perverse accord in evil when he says, "One is joined to another," because as on the body of some fish each scale is not joined to the other at random but there is an order among them; so also in the crowd of evildoers, all do not form a society with all of them, but rather certain men with certain men. As long as the fish is alive and strong, his scales are full of life, so thus they adhere near so close to each other and to the skin of the body that not even air can come between them. …

Commentary on Job ↗