Fathers

Job 29

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Job again took up his parable, and said, “Oh that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me; when his lamp shone on my head, and by his light I walked through darkness, as I was in my prime, when the friendship of God was in my tent, when the Almighty was yet with me, and my children were around me, when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me, when I went out to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street. The young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up and stood. The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth. The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth. For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it commended me: Because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had no one to help him, the blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem. I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame. I was a father to the needy. I researched the cause of him who I didn’t know. I broke the jaws of the unrighteous and plucked the prey out of his teeth. Then I said, ‘I will die in my own house, I will count my days as the sand. My root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch. My glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.’ “Men listened to me, waited, and kept silence for my counsel. After my words they didn’t speak again. My speech fell on them. They waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain. I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They didn’t reject the light of my face. I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.

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What the Fathers say

Job 29:8

Western Saints

Gregory the Dialogist

The young men saw me and hid themselves, and the old men rose up and stood. If we give heed to the history, the things that he said we believe, if to the allegory, we see the things that he foretold; for those use to be called 'young men' who are not burdened with any weightiness of counsels. But Holy Scripture is used to call those 'elders,' not who are ripe by amount of years alone, but by ancientness of character. …

Morals on the Book of Job, Book XIX ↗

Thomas Aquinas

He shows consequently the authority of his judgment, first by the attitude taken by the young men when he says, "the young men" who are often prone to sin, "saw me and hid themselves," as though they dreaded my judgment. Second as to the old he says, "The aged rose and stood," for they were subject to my judgment. He had authority to judge not only youths, but old men.

Commentary on Job ↗