Fathers

Job 17

Tap a verse to read the Fathers. Press and hold, then drag, to make a card.

“My spirit is consumed. My days are extinct, and the grave is ready for me. Surely there are mockers with me. My eye dwells on their provocation. “Now give a pledge. Be collateral for me with yourself. Who is there who will strike hands with me? For you have hidden their heart from understanding, Therefore you will not exalt them. He who denounces his friends for plunder, Even the eyes of his children will fail. “But he has made me a byword of the people. They spit in my face. My eye also is dim by reason of sorrow. All my members are as a shadow. Upright men will be astonished at this. The innocent will stir himself up against the godless. Yet the righteous will hold to his way. He who has clean hands will grow stronger and stronger. But as for you all, come back. I will not find a wise man among you. My days are past. My plans are broken off, as are the thoughts of my heart. They change the night into day, saying ‘The light is near’ in the presence of darkness. If I look for Sheol as my house, if I have spread my couch in the darkness, if I have said to corruption, ‘You are my father;’ to the worm, ‘My mother,’ and ‘My sister,’ where then is my hope? as for my hope, who will see it? Shall it go down with me to the gates of Sheol, or descend together into the dust?”

About · Privacy · Credits · Support VRSZ

What the Fathers say

Job 17:8

Western Saints

Gregory the Dialogist

Ver. 8. Upright men shall be astonied at this, and the innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite. [LITERAL INTERPRETATION] In this place, 'the innocent' is taken for the as yet imperfectly righteous, who, as yet but commencing in good ways, though he is not minded to do mischief to others, yet is not at all able himself to do things that are perfect; and because the hearts of the little ones, while they see the wicked flourishing in the present life, are set on fire with the brands of envy; (for a man the more envies …

Morals on the Book of Job, Book XIII ↗

Thomas Aquinas

One could think that this misting of sight is against justice and this anger against innocence. So to reject this he then says, "the just will be astonished at this," as if to say: The just are rightly astonished when they see the doctrine of evil men, and above he called this astonishment misting over. The text continues "and the innocent will arouse himself against the hypocrite," saying in effect: It is not against innocence if someone is roused in anger against the hypocrite who perverts true doctrine from a zeal for justice.

Commentary on Job ↗