Книга 23 [глава 32, глава 33, стихи 1–22]

The thirty-second and thirty-third chapters are carried up to the twenty-second verse, in which, while Job remains silent, the young man Elihu enters into many righteous and profound topics, although not by right, but with right intention. 1. It is necessary for me to repeat the preface to this work, as I often divide it into separate volumes, making a pause in my observations, so that when it is again read, the subject of the Treatise may at once be refreshed afresh in the mind, and the edifice of doctrine may rise the more firmly, the more carefully the foundation is laid in the mind, taking into account the first principle on the subject. Blessed Job, known to God and to himself only in his state of repose, when he was just about to appear before our mention, was struck down with a rod, so that it might disperse the smell of his power more widely, the more sweetly it would spread its aroma, like spices when burned. During his prosperity, he learned to rule his subjects with gentleness, and strictly guard himself from evil. He learned how to use what he got, but we couldn't tell if he would remain patient after losing it all. He has learned to offer daily sacrifices to God for the safety of his children, but it is doubtful whether he would also offer Him a sacrifice of thanksgiving when he would be deprived of them. Because of the fear that good health should hide any defects, it would be right that pain should lead him to the light. Then permission to use temptation against the holy man is given to the cunning enemy. But he, in an effort to destroy his blessings, which were known to many, also brings out the virtue of patience, which was hidden, and the one whom, in his opinion, he suppressed with his persecutions, he exalted him with his disasters, and spread it far as an example. And he carried out with great skill the permission he received. For he burned his flocks, destroyed his family, overcame his heirs, and, in order to launch against him the weapons of a more severe temptation, he guarded the tongue of his wife, that thus he might both lay down the courage, and harden the heart of the holy man, with grief at the loss of his blessings and prick him with a curse by the words of his wife. But by the many wounds which he inflicted in his cruelty, he unintentionally created many triumphs for the holy man. For the faithful servant of God, who received wounds and insults at the same time, is endowed with the patience of the suffering of the flesh, and reproaches with wisdom the folly of his wife. Therefore, the ancient enemy, saddened that his internal temptations did not take place, continued to seek help from without. Therefore he called his friends, each from his place, ostensibly for the purpose of showing their affection, and they opened their mouths, under the pretext of giving consolation. But, it was by these means that he opened a flood of reproaches against him, so as to wound his heart more severely, the heart of one who reliably listened to them, since they inflicted unexpected wounds under the cover of friendship, which was professed but not observed. Also after this, the young man Elihu was forced to use insult, for the disdainful frivolity of youth can disturb the calm of such great tenderness in all events. But against these many machinations of the sworn enemy, his constancy stood unbowed, his equanimity was unshakable. For at the same time he contrasted his prudence with their hostile words, his behavior with their deeds. Let no one then imagine that this holy man (although it was clearly written about him after his scourging, “In all this Job did not sin with his mouth” (Job 1:22) 1909) subsequently sinned, at least according to him, in his dispute with his friends. For Satan had the goal of tempting, and God, who praised him, took upon himself the meaning of this contest. If anyone, therefore, complains that blessed Job sinned with his words, what else does he do but admit that God, who gave Himself for him, is for the loser. 2. But since the ancient fathers, like fruitful trees, are not only beautiful in appearance, but also beautiful in their fertility, their lives must be so considered by us, when we admire the freshness of their history, we may also know how fruitful they are in the allegorical sense, so that, as the smell of the leaves is pleasant, and we may also know how sweet the taste of their fruit is. For no one has ever had the grace of heavenly acceptance, but he who has received it through the knowledge of the Only Begotten. And it is right that He should shine in their lives and in their words, the One who enlightens them so much that they can (mereantur - pure, Latin) shine. For when the light of a candle is kindled in darkness, the candle which allows other objects to be seen is itself first seen. So, if we really strive to contemplate illuminated objects, we need to open the eyes of our minds to the Enlightenment that light gives them. But this is precisely what shines out in these very discourses of blessed Job, when the shades of allegory were also banished, as if the darkness of midnight had been dispelled, and a bright light, as it were, blazed through them. As when it was said: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and in my flesh I will see God” (Job 19:25) 1910. Paul certainly discovered this light in the night of history when he said, “All were baptized in Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. But they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, but the Rock was Christ” (1 Cor. 10:2–4) 1911. If then the Stone represents the Redeemer, why should not blessed Job be personified by His type, since he expressed the sufferings of Him Whom he spoke with his voice? And, therefore, he is rightly called Job, that is, “the one who mourns,” because he sets forth in his person the image of Him who was announced long before by Isaiah, that He Himself bore our sorrows (Is. 53:4) 1912. Further, it should also be known that our Redeemer represented Himself as one person with the Holy Church, which He received in Himself. For it is said of Him: “Who is the Head, Christ” (Eph.4:15) 1913. And again it is written about His Church: “And the body of Christ, which is the Church” (Col. 1:24) 1914. Thus, Blessed Job, who was truly a type of Christ, since he prophesied of His passion, not only with words, but also with his sufferings, when he remains, setting forth the Redeemer in his words and actions, sometimes suddenly turns to show His body; for, as we believe that Christ and His Church are one, we may consider this designation also to be the actions of one man. 3. But what else does his wife represent, who provokes him to words of blasphemy, if not the depravity of carnal people? For, being, with their manners still unchanged, in the bosom of the Holy Church, they put the heavier pressure on those who lead a righteous life, the closer they are to them; because when they cannot, being believers, avoid believers, they are the more perceived as greater evil, the more of it there is inside. But his friends, who, while they were pretending to be advisers, opposed him, represent to us heretics who, under the pretext of advice, mislead. And thus, while they were speaking to Job in the name of the Lord, they heard His reproof; because all heretics really, trying to do God’s work, insult Him. Here the same holy man correctly told them: “But I would like to speak to the Almighty and would like to compete with God. And you are gossipers of lies, you are all useless doctors” (Job 13:3–4) 1915. And then it becomes clear that they personify heretics, since the holy man accuses them of devoting themselves to the profession of false teachings. And since Job is the personification of sorrow (in his sorrow either the passion of the Mediator or the suffering of the Holy Church is set forth, which is pursued by the collector of the works of this life), which his friends do even by the very word that is used for their names, which shows the nature of their behavior. For, Eliphaz means in Latin “disrespect for God,” and what else personifies the behavior of heretics if not a proud disrespect for God by the false ideas that they express about Him? Bildad is translated as “to grow old alone.” And thus all heretics are called old age alone in what they say about God, since they are anxious to appear to be preachers, not with an honest intention, but with a sincere desire for worldly honor. For they wish to speak not with the zeal of the new man, but with the evil principles of their old life. Zophar is also translated from Latin as “to disperse the view (perspective, panorama)” or “to diffuse the view (perspective, panorama).” For the minds of believers raise themselves to the contemplation of things from above: but when the words of heretics tend to divert them from the right objects of contemplation, they do everything possible to dispel the perspective. The three names of Job's friends describe three cases of the death of heretics. For they do not despise God, they would never support false ideas, respecting Him; and they will not contradict old age, they will not be mistaken in their estimate of the new life and, if they are not darkened by the contemplation of the good, the divine judgments would not reproach them so severely with close attention for the errors that they have committed in their words. Despising God, they maintain themselves in their old age, but by remaining in their old age, they obscure their appearance, which is due to their crooked reasoning. 4. After this also the young man Elihu joins them in their reproaches of blessed Job. He represents a class of teachers who are loyal but still arrogant. It is also difficult for us to understand his words, unless we consider them as the help of the subsequent reproof of the Lord. “Who is this who darkens Providence with words without meaning?” (Job.38:2), for when He uses the word “words”, but does not immediately introduce what nature they are, He desires that the word be initially understood favorably. For when one speaks of “words,” only if they are not spoken of in a bad sense, they cannot be understood in a bad sense. For we always take the word in a good sense, unless any unfavorable addition is made, as it is written: “A lazy man seems wiser in his opinion than seven men who speak resi” (Prov. 26:16) 1916. But, as they say that his words are without meaning, here we can clearly see that they were uttered by him with the stupidity of pride. For he shows great ineptitude when he fails to express himself with humility in what he says, and when he confuses sentiments of truth with words of pride. 5. For the nature of every thing spoken of can distinguish four different qualities. If, for example, one speaks badly about bad things, good things about good things, good things about bad things, or bad things about good things. It is poorly said when one gives wrong advice, as it is written: “Curse God and die” (Job 2:9) 1917. Good things are well spoken of when righteous deeds are righteously preached, as John says: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is approaching” (Matthew 3:2) 1918. Bad things are well spoken of when guilt is admitted to the speaker in order to be reproached, as Paul says: “Women have changed their natural being into something unnatural” (Rom. 1:26) 1919. In this place he also introduced the heinous acts of men. But he spoke about these unseemly things in a godly manner, so that, while speaking about unseemly things, he could practically make many of them seem proper. But good things are spoken ill of when what is right is shown to be wrong, when the Pharisees were said to have said to the blind man who received his sight, “Be thou his disciple” (John 9:28) 1920, for they said it to rebuke him, without intending it, or, as Caiaphas says: “It is fit that one man should die for the people, rather than that all the people should perish” (John 11:50) 1921. What he said was right, but not in a good way, for when he longed for His cruel death, he prophesied the grace of redemption. And in the same way we can reproach Elihu also for saying the right things in the wrong way, for when he speaks the very truths, he puffs himself up with arrogance. And he thus represents the character of the arrogant, therefore through the meaning of the fact that he rises correctly in the words of pride. 6. But what does the Divine Voice mean by showing that the three friends are to be reconciled by seven sacrifices, while leaving Elihu under the conviction of only one sentence, that heretics, when watered with the abundance of Divine grace, sometimes return to the unity of the Holy Church? This is admirably stated by the very reconciliation of friends, for whom blessed Job nevertheless goes to pray. Because, in fact, the sacrifices of heretics cannot be pleasing to God unless they are offered to them by the hands of the Orthodox Church, so that they can receive healing with the medicine of her virtues, whom they use to defeat, attacking her with the shafts of their reproaches. And here it was said that seven sacrifices were offered for them, because while they received in confession the Spirit of sevenfold grace, they were redeemed, as it were, by seven gifts. Therefore, in the Apocalypse of John, the entire Church is represented by seven times the number of Churches (Rev. 1:11) 1922 and, therefore, it turns out that Solomon thus speaks of Wisdom: “Wisdom built herself a house, when her seven pillars were hewn in it” (Prov. 9:1) 1923. The heretics thus express their reconciliation by the very number of victims, by their own former character, since only upon their return they are united to the perfection of sevenfold grace. But they are correctly presented, offering bulls and rams for themselves. For the bull has the neck of pride, and the ram the leadership of the flocks that follow. What then is the offering of bulls and rams in their name, if not the destruction of their proud leadership, that they may think humbly of themselves, and not tempt more the hearts of the innocent to follow them? For they moved away from the general body of the Church with swollen necks, and dragged behind them the weak of will, like herds led behind them. Let them then come to the blessed Job, that is, let them return to the Church, and offer bulls and rams to slaughter for the sevenfold sacrifice, those who, in order to be united in the Orthodox Church, coming in a spirit of humility, must put an end to all the inflamed thoughts that they previously used to support from their arrogant leaders. 7. But Elihu (the one personified by those lovers of vanity who, living in the bosom of the Church, disdain to modestly declare out loud the views they hold) does not intend to be reconciled through sacrifice. For those who are proud, but still faithful, because they are already inside the womb, cannot be returned by seven sacrifices. However, divine wisdom rebukes these men in the person of Elihu, and denounces them not for their statements of truth, but for their character and language of pride. But what is the point of reproof, except that the reproaches of divine severity punish them with whips, as within the Church, or leave them to themselves with righteous judgment? For such men as these preach the truth in the Church, but in the judgment of God they deserve to hear an unfavorable verdict, because those truths which they proclaim aloud, which are not their own, they seek not for the glory of their author, but for their own credit. Therefore we must carefully weigh this passage in which the Divine Voice speaks concerning Elihu: Who is he? A question of this kind is nothing other than the beginning of reproof. For we say Who is he? Only about that person about whom we know nothing. But God's ignorance is the same as His rejection: when He will at the very end say to those whom He rejects: “I don’t know you where you are from; leave Me, all you workers of iniquity” (Matthew 7:23) 1924. To ask this arrogant man: Who is he? What is this, if not to say directly, I don’t know, arrogant? That is, in the excellence of My wisdom, I do not approve of their actions, because, being arrogant people because of praise, they are deprived of the true glory of eternal reward. Not rejecting his mood then, but blaming the man who uttered these words, He clearly teaches, as has been said, I know what he says, but I know not the one who speaks: I approve of everything that is said in accordance with the truth, but I do not recognize the one who is proud of the truths that he utters. 8. But in order to show more clearly how shamefully Elihu falls into the boasting of pride, we must first set forth the character of the teacher's sound, because from the straightforwardness of this standard the deformation of its distortion can clearly appear. Every spiritual preacher in the Orthodox Church carefully examines himself in every thing he speaks about, so that he does not rejoice with the sin of pride when preaching, his behavior should not contradict his words, so that he does not lose this very peace that he preaches about in the church in himself, speaking about it out loud, but living an evil life. But his chief efforts must be directed against the slanderous rumors of his opponents, to defend his conduct with his preaching, and to embellish his preaching with his life. And in all this he seeks not his own glory, but expresses the glory of His Creator, and believes that every gift of wisdom which he has received for preaching was given not for his own deserts, but for the prayers of those for whom he speaks. And thus, while he is thrown down, he rises higher and higher, because he undoubtedly makes more development to obtain his reward, by attributing to the merits of others those good gifts which he is able to exercise. He considers himself the most unworthy of all people, even if he lives more worthy than everyone else. For he knows that good qualities, which are known to exist in large quantities in the world, he can hardly possess them without great danger. And although he feels wise, he would like to be really wise, but not seem so, and is especially afraid of what is said and what happens from the outside. And he strives, if possible, to remain silent, because he understands that silence is much safer for many others, and believes that they are the happier ones whom the lower part in the Holy Church keep in silence, and yet, in defense of the Church, he takes upon himself the necessary duties of speaking, because he is called by the power of charity, while he seeks with sincere desire a rest in silence. He affirms one thing by desire itself, the other he implements, as if out of obligation. But proud people do not know about such ways of speaking. For they do not speak because causes appear, but seek their occurrence in order to speak. And such Elihu is now the type who, in what he says, establishes himself beyond measure, through the sin of pride. When the words of blessed Job ended, he added: “When those three men stopped answering Job, because he was right in his own eyes” (Job 32:1). In the expression “because he was right in his own eyes,” the author of this sacred history intends to appeal to the opinion of Job’s friends, and does not himself accuse him of being puffed up with pride. What follows: Verse 2. The Bozite, from the tribe of Ram, was angry and indignant, and Elihu the son of Barahiel (Job.32:2) 1925. 9 . Names - either his own, or his parents, or his home or relatives, left an imprint on his behavior. For Elihu in translation means “That is my God” or “God the Lord.” Who, as we have already spoken to you, denotes the pure faith of proud men within the Church. Therefore this very name is suitable for them also. For, although they do not live according to the commandments of the Lord, they still recognize God as their Lord, because in the truth of His flesh they also understand the form of the Divine, as the Prophet says: “Do you know that the Lord is God” (Ps. 110:3) 1926. But Barachiel in translation means “Blessing of God,” and Buzite means “despicable.” And any of these expressions is well suited to proud preachers, because in the eloquence of their speech they enjoy the blessing of Divine Grace, but by their proud manners they show that it is to be despised. For they disdain the gifts they have received, not knowing how to use them correctly. But he correctly says that he is also from the Ram tribe. For Ram means “high.” For the sublime is the assembly of believers who despise the base and degrading things of this life. The exalted are those who can say with Paul: “Our conversation is in heaven” (Phil. 3:20) 1927. Therefore, they say about Elihu that he, because every arrogant preacher in the bosom of the Orthodox Church, is united with holy people in the truth of the faith, however, he can be separated from them by acts of sin in his pride. What follows: But he was angry with Job because he said that he was right before God. In addition, he was angry with his friends because they did not find reasonable answers, but simply accused Job (Job.32:2-3) 1928. 10. It should also be noted that he accuses blessed Job of confessing himself only to God, but his friends, in condemning him, did not give any reasonable answer. For from these remarks we can clearly conclude that in him we see a lover of vanity. For he reproaches Job for presuming his own righteousness, and his friends for answering foolishly. For all lovers of vanity, while they prefer themselves to everything else, accuse some of being stupid, and others of receiving what they do not deserve, that is, they consider some to be ignorant, and others to be wicked. And although they can rightly accuse of heresy all who are outside the Church, they despise those who are inside for the meanness in their lives, and have become proud against some of the high matters of their true faith, and against others with the virtues of their good life. But it was well said about Elihu that at one time he reproached the blessed Job, and at another time - his friends, because lovers of vanity, who sometimes live within the bosom of the Holy Church, crush their opponents, preaching the truth, and contrast the customs of the same Holy Church with the boasting of their preaching. They crush the opponents of the Church with the power of their words, they oppress the Holy Church by the way they pronounce them. They attack one by preaching the truth and the other by their sin of pride. What follows: Verses 4, 5 Elihu therefore waited while Job spoke, because they who spoke were older than him. But when he saw that the three were unable to answer, he became very angry (Job 32:4–5) 1929. 11. Although the Holy Church is undoubtedly older than her opponents (for they came out of her, she is not from them, as John says of them: “They went out from us, but they were not ours” (1 John 2:19) 1930), also Elihu is correctly described as being younger than those same opponents. Because, in fact, after the clashes that arose with the heretics, arrogant people began to take places in the Church and puffed with the pride of learning. For when the more difficult battles began with the enemy, some finer thoughts were certainly required to counter the arguments, as well as a more active study of words. And while men of luminous genius invented these weapons to suit the circumstances, they often puffed with pride, and (as usually happens in the sin of pride) they themselves stumbled upon the same subtle meanings with which they attacked the enemy, and in what they think is right in relation to God, they sought not for the glory of God, but for their own. And therefore, although Elihu speaks many things (many things) correctly, he is still convicted by the Divine voice, as if he were declaring errors. But when it was said that Elihu waited while Job spoke, because those who spoke were his elders, it is clear that he observed this respect for blessed Job, not out of respect for him, but out of respect for his friends, because, precisely, haughty people, although they dwell in the Holy Church, despise the very bosom which they defend, and so it usually happens that they show more respect for the abilities of those who are wise to the wicked goals than to the simple life of the innocent, and that they show more respect for the eloquence of those without than for those deserts that are within. And this, despite the fact that they are against them all in opposite directions, as differing from the correctness of their opinion and from the Holy Church due to the unrighteousness of their character. What follows: Verses 6, 7. And Elihu the son of Barahiel the Buzite answered and said, “I am younger in age, and you are older.” So I bowed my head and was afraid to show you my opinion. For I hoped that the elders would speak and that many years would teach wisdom (Job 32:6–7) 1931. 12. All these words, spoken by him through his swollen pride, must be examined by stating them more carefully. For everything that lacks solid gravity does not need any complex exposition. But I think I need only suggest in a few words that Elihu was wiser, while he was silent regarding his age, but by despising the many years in others and showing himself superior to them, he clearly showed that he was childishly stupid. For even older age speaks against his opinion, and wisdom learns through many years. Because, although life span does not give the mind, it does give it a lot of exercise for constant practice. Verse 8. But, as I see, there is a spirit in man, and the breath of the Almighty gives understanding (Job 32:8) 1932. 13. He would be right in saying this if he had not arrogated to himself this same wisdom above all others. For it is a small condemnation when a person boasts to himself of this advantage, which is given to him in common with others, in order to know whether he has received a good gift and to understand how to properly use what he has received. For there are four indicators by which each kind of pride is indicated to the arrogant, either when they think that they have any good quality of themselves, or if they think that it is given to them from above, that they have received it in consequence of their own merits, or, certainly, when they boast of possessing what they do not have, or when they despise others and desire to be the sole possessors of what they have. For he boasted that he possessed his good qualities in himself, to whom it was said by the Apostle: “What have you that you have not received? And if you received it, why do you boast as if you didn’t receive it?” (1 Cor. 4:7) 1933. Again, the same Apostle warns us not to consider that any gift of grace is given to us because of our previous deserts, when he says: “By grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves, but it is the gift of God; not from works, so that no one can boast" (Eph. 2:8-9) 1934. Who also says about himself: “Who was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor, and was impudent, but obtained mercy” (1 Tim. 1:13) 1935. For in these words he plainly declares that grace is not given according to the wilderness when he taught us, and that he deserved for himself for his wickedness, and what he received by the grace of God. But, again, some people may boast of what they have, but they do not really have it, as the divine voice says to Moab through the voice of the prophet: “I know his pride and his arrogance, and that his virtue does not match it” (Jer. 48:30) 1936. And as it was said to the Angel of the Laodicean Church: “Because of what you say, I am rich, and have become rich, and I need nothing, and you do not know that you are miserable, and pitiful, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Rev. 3:17) 1937. Some people again want, in disrespect for others, to be the only ones who have the good qualities they have. When the Pharisee left the church, not being justified, because he attributed to himself in a special manner the merits of good deeds, he preferred himself to the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14) 1938. The Holy Apostles are also warned against this sin of pride, for returning from their sermon they say with pride: “Lord, even the devils obey us in Your name” (Luke 10:17) 1939, in order to protect them from joy in this special gift of miracles, the Lord immediately answered them, saying: “I saw Satan like lightning falling from heaven” ( Luke 10:18) 1940. For he himself said with particular pride: “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mountain in the assembly of gods, on the edge of the north, I will ascend to the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High” (Is. 14:13–14) 1941. And the Lord, in order to knock down pride in the hearts of His disciples, bound with wondrous wisdom the judgment of ruin, which the prince of pride himself went through, so that they could learn from the author of pride that they should have refrained from the sin of arrogance. In the fourth type of pride, namely, boasting of the sole possession of any thing, the mind of man equally suffers from the fall. But precisely in this, this type has a greater resemblance to Satan, because he who rejoices in the sole possession of any good thing, who wants to appear more exalted than others, clearly imitates him - he who, despising the blessing of the company of Angels and placing his place in the north, and proudly desires to be like the Most High, has attempted by his evil intention to obtain some special superiority. Then Elihu, although he confessed that wisdom is given by God, still falls into this type of pride, since he rejoices that he is wiser than others, and is foolishly proud of himself regarding the possession, as it were, of a unique advantage. Which is what he indicates in the words that follow when he says: Verses 9, 10, 11. Old people are not wise, nor do they understand the truth. So I will say, listen to me, I will show you my wisdom. For I was waiting for your words, I heard your wisdom, while you were arguing in words, and until then, I thought that you would say something, I thought so (Job 32:9-11) 1942. 14. As to the literal meaning, Elihu shows us when he speaks how proudly he was silent. For when he says: “For I waited for your words, and I thought that you would say something,” he clearly shows that he was silent, while the elders spoke, more with a desire to condemn than with a desire to learn from them. Although these expressions even better describe the behavior of proud people who, when they finally came to the Holy Church, were accustomed to looking at their opponents, taking into account not how old they were, but what the intentions of their words were. For, however, older heretics can be, like these same arrogant people, they boldly suppress those in whose words they expose false teaching. What follows: Verses 12, 13. But, as I see, there is not one of you who can convince Job and answer his words. So that you do not accidentally say: “We found wisdom, God cast him down, and not man” (Job 32:12–13) 1943. 15. Starting from the fact that heretics are in the habit of showing contempt even to men when they see that the Holy Church honors all nations, they seek to challenge her opinion with all possible objections, and to say that she enjoys all the abundance of worldly goods, because the gifts of eternal rewards are taken from her. Elihu meets the objections of such people by saying: Lest you accidentally say: “We have found wisdom, God cast him down, and not man.” As if those who are in the Church, but are still faithful, should speak out against heretics, since you see that the Church stands high in this world, through a high opinion of people, you must believe that God has not abandoned her. For her Redeemer knows well how to make her comfortable as she sojourns on this journey of hers, and to store for her the fruits of heaven when she comes to her eternal home. It is in vain then that you assert that God cast down, and not man, when you see that she is revered by almost all people, because help from the worldly variety is given to her so that she can be helped in various ways to also receive the rewards of heaven. What follows: Verse 14. He has not said anything to me, and I will not answer him according to your word (Job.32:14) 1944. 16. For what does it mean to say, “He told me nothing”? For will the Holy Church, having discovered arrogant people within itself, let them go, and will it reproach them, will it preach about righteousness? She carries out these duties and does not stop performing them daily. So what about Elihu, who heard the blessed Job speak frankly, saying: “He told me nothing,” because, undoubtedly, all arrogant people, although they certainly hear the words of the Holy Church, still pretend that these words are not addressed to them, when they do not want to get rid of the sin of pride. Or they do not consider that they are reproached for pride, since they themselves consider themselves humble, but they also reprove themselves when they consider themselves much smarter than their accusers. But in the expression “I will not answer him according to your word,” he also says that he does not answer blessed Job with their words. For proud people within the bosom of the Holy Church respond against it, and not like heretics who are outside it. For they oppose it not with false teaching, but with an evil life, because they do not think unworthily about God, as heretics do, but more highly than is necessary for themselves. What follows: Verse 15. They were afraid that they could no longer answer, they were speechless (Job.32:15) 1945. It was also said that Job's friends were afraid of the words of Elihu, since often the defenders of the Church, although they do not observe due order in what they say, yet put their opponents to shame by the power of their words. What follows: Verse 16. Therefore, because I waited and they did not speak, they stood and answered no more with speech (Job 32:16) 1946. 17. Wise people have the habit of limiting their speech, saying so much in order to silence their opponents. For they do not wish to show their power, but to suppress the heresy of their teachers. But after it was said about Job’s friends, “They were afraid that they would no longer answer, they were speechless,” Elihu adds and says: “Therefore, because I waited, and they did not speak, they stood and answered no more.” Even when they had already fallen silent, he still repeated his words, because, being an arrogant man and representing his arrogant character, he hastens not only to refute the arguments of his opponents, but also to show his own wisdom. Here follows: Verse 17. I will also answer from my side and show my knowledge (Job.32:17) 1947. For every proud person considers it his duty to show the possession of his part of knowledge, even if he does not possess it, but he always pretends that this is so. For all proud people desire not to have knowledge, but simply pretend and show it, against whom Moses also says: “Every open vessel that is not bound and covered is unclean” (Num. 19:15). For covering and binding is the evidence of discipline, and everyone who is not under it is rejected as an unclean and dirty vessel. And was not Elihu a vessel without cover, who considered it his part, in order to show the wisdom that he possessed? For he who opens himself to the desire to show, and is not covered with a veil of silence, is polluted, like a vessel without covering and without binding. But holy preachers believe that they are fulfilling their role if they rejoice in their wisdom within, and if they outwardly restrain others from making mistakes. Or they go too far in their speeches in order to show the light of their mind with outwardly eloquent language. But they pray for the grace of their wisdom in the secrets of their hearts, and they rejoice when they achieve it, and they are not obliged to display it in the midst of the snares of so many temptations. Although, when they show the good they receive, they show their charity and they rejoice in the development of their listeners, and not in their own manifestations. But arrogant people, when they receive any knowledge, believe that they are not receiving anything, and if this happens, then they continue to hide it. For their happiness consists of praise. This means that, as it was said: “The foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them” (Matthew 25:3), because, being arrogant, if they guarded themselves from any vices, they cannot ascribe to their conscience the promise of glory. But Paul took oil into his lamp, who said: “Our glory is the testimony of our conscience” (2 Cor. 1:12) 1948. Therefore, to carry an empty vessel is to seek, with an empty heart inside, the condemnation of human lips outwardly. Therefore Elihu, seeking glory from without, has no oil within the vessel, so he says: “I will also answer from my side and show my knowledge.” And in the following words he shows what his suffering is, what vanity is raging in him, saying: Verses 18–20. I am full of words, the spirit of my womb squeezes me. Behold, my womb is like new wine without air, which bursts from the rupture of new vessels. I will speak, I will take a moment to breathe, I will open my mouth and answer (Job 32:18–20) 1949. 18. When boastful people note that holy preachers speak eloquently and are revered for their eloquence, they often imitate the loftiness of their language rather than their righteous intentions. They are far from loving what others desire, but they would especially like to gain greater fame among people. For this often happens when wise men, seeing that they are not being listened to, put silence on their lips. But often, when they see that the sins of the wicked are increasing, when they are silent and cease reproaching, they expose their spirit to violence, so they break out in words of open reproof. And, therefore, when the Prophet Jeremiah imposed silence on himself in the sermon, saying: “I will not speak of Him, I will speak no more in His Name,” he immediately added: “And I felt as if there was a burning fire in my breast, and a prison in my bones, and I was weary, unable to bear it, for I had heard many insults” (Jer. 20:9) 1950. For, seeing that he was not listened to, he wanted to remain silent, but when he saw the growing evil, he no longer insisted on this silence. For when he stopped speaking, tired of it (a comma is required after “locutionis” - Latin - expression, rhythm and meaning require this), he felt a fire kindled by the zeal of mercy. For the hearts of the righteous burn when they see that the deeds of the wicked are intensified by the fact that they are not rebuked, and they feel that they themselves share in the guilt of those whom they allow by their silence to continue to live in unrighteousness. After the prophet David imposed silence on himself, he said: “I will take heed to my ways, lest I sin with my tongue; I will bridle my mouth, as long as the wicked is before me, I was dumb and voiceless, and kept silence even about good things” (Ps. 39:2-3) 1951, and in the midst of this silence, the zeal of charity flared up, and then he immediately added: “And my sorrow moved, my heart was inflamed within me, a fire was kindled in my thoughts” (Ps. 39: 3-4 ) 1952. His heart became hot within himself, because the flame of mercy refused to escape from the words of instruction. A flame burned in the consciousness of his heart, because his rebuke of the wicked ceased to flow reproachfully from his lips. For the zeal of charity tempers itself with a wonderful consolation, since it is filled with strength when it bursts out with words of reproof against the acts of the wicked, so that it does not cease to reproach those unrighteous acts which it cannot change, let it then reproach itself for the fact that by its silence it takes part in their sins. 19. But since some vices take the form of virtue, for example, generosity wants to appear as pity, and avarice as frugality, cruelty as justice, in the same way the desire for empty glory, being unable to keep itself within the limits of silence, flares up like the zeal of charity, and the more powerful the desire for ostentation prompts a person to speak without restrictions, the more the desire for ostentation flares up, like the desire to give advice. For he is not concerned with what good he can achieve by his performance, but with what he can achieve with ostentation; he is not trying to correct the evil that he sees, but to show the good that he feels. Thus Elihu, also swollen with the spirit of pride, and unable to keep himself within the confines of silence, says: I am full of words, the spirit of my womb squeezes me. Behold, my womb is like new wine without air, which bursts from the bursting of new vessels (Job 32:18–19) 1953. 20. If we are to look at this passage in a spiritual sense, the “womb” refers to the recesses of the heart. And “new wine” means the warmth of the Holy Spirit, about which the Lord speaks in the Gospel: “But new wine is poured into new wineskins” (Matthew 9:17) 1954. For when the Apostles were suddenly filled with it, and spoke in all languages, it was said by the Jews, who did not know the truth and simply testified about it: “They were drunk of new wine” (Acts 2:4) 1955. But the vessels do not mean conscience, which is weak in human essence, but, of course, those earthly vessels of our bodies, about which the Apostle Paul says: “But we carry this treasure in earthen vessels” (2 Cor. 4:7). But since Elihu, as we observed earlier, became so proud and swollen with pride, as if he were kindled within to speak through the grace of mercy by the fire of the Holy Spirit, and he compares the spirit that he felt within when he was silent to new wine without air. And he also says: that new vessels burst in half, because the fire of the Holy Spirit is hardly supported by the new life, and even less by the old. New wine breaks new vessels in half, because there is too much such violent heat even for spiritual hearts. I will speak, I will take a moment to breathe, I will open my mouth and answer (Job 32:20) 1956. He also says, “I will take my breath,” because it is a great test for saints to contemplate evil without being able to change it, so it is a great test for the boastful if they do not exercise the wisdom they possess. For they can hardly withstand the violence that boils within them if they are sufficiently behind in communicating everything that they think. And, therefore, when any good deed occurs, all that pride in connection with it must first be overcome in the very heart, so that, if it comes from the root of bad motives, it will bear the bitter fruits of sin. 21. Those who are still in competition with their sins should never try to control others while carrying out the mission of preaching. And this is the reason why, in accordance with the order of the Divine dispensation, the Levites served in the tabernacle from the age of twenty-five years, and from the age of fifty they became custodians of the sacred vessels (Num. 8:24-26) 1957. For what is meant by years five and twenty-five, when the young are in their full strength, and the competition is against every single sin? And what is expressed by the fiftieth years, in which the rest of the Holy Year is also designated, but peace of mind when the competition has come to an end? But what is in the shadow of the vessels of the tabernacle, except the soul of the believers? The Levites, therefore, ministered in the tabernacle from the age of twenty-five, and took upon themselves the charge of the vessels from the age of fifty, to show that they who had passed, in joyful concord, the contest with the sins which still assailed them, should not allow themselves to have that responsibility taken by others, but, when they had succeeded in their contests with temptations, by which they were confident of their inner peace, they could then take upon themselves the care of souls. But who can completely subdue these attacks of temptation when Paul says: “I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and leading me captive to the law of sin” (Rom. 7:23) 1958? But it’s one thing to bravely endure competition, and another thing to be alarmed by it and overcome it. In the first case, virtue engages in exercise in order to protect itself from pride, and in the other, it needs to be quenched. Then he who knows how to survive the daring temptations of competition, even though he feels overwhelmed, sits at the top of the high citadel of the world. For he sees that the attacks of sin, even if they are in him, are subject to his power, since he does not give his consent to them, and overcomes all pleasure. What follows: Verses 21, 22. I will not assume the identity of man, I will not equate God with man, for I do not know how long I will continue, or how long it will take for my Creator to take me away (Job 32:21-22) 1959. 22. Most judiciously, he does not equate God with man, since he does not know how long he can continue, or when he will be taken to God's court. And he also says: After what time my Creator can take me away, for, however long the period of real life may be, it is short, from the very fact that it is not long. For what is contained within limited limits cannot be considered as lasting. But, among those expressions that he utters, based on solid truth, he again bursts into words of pride, saying: Verses 1, 2. Behold, Job, hear my words and attend to all my words. Behold, I have opened my mouth, let my tongue speak in my throat (Job 33:1–2) 1960. 23. Let us consider from what height of pride he descends to exhort Job to listen to him, saying that he has opened his mouth, in the promise that his tongue will speak in his throat. For the teaching of the boastful has this peculiarity, that they cannot modestly offer what they teach, and cannot speak in a right manner about the truth which they rightly hold. For they make it clear, by their words, that they imagine themselves, when teaching, to sit on some high eminence, and that they look at their listeners, who stand far below them, as on the lower floor, as people to whom they would hardly deign to address, not in the tone of advice, but in the tone of authority. The Lord also addresses them through the prophet: “But you ruled them with severity and authority” (Ezek.34:4) 1961. For they rule with severity and authority who seek to correct “those under them, not with calm reasoning, but to bend them with the weight of command.” 24. But clear teaching, on the other hand, the more seriously it avoids this sin of pride in thought, the more it attacks the pride of the teacher himself with the shafts of his words. For here caution is needed, so that the sermon is not accompanied by arrogant behavior, which attacks the hearts of its hearers with holy words. For one must strive to express in one’s words, and in accordance with one’s actions, humility, which is the mistress and mother of all virtues, in order to show his disciples the truth more by his behavior than by words. Here Paul, addressing the Thessalonians, seems to have forgotten the height of his own Apostleship: “We have become like children among you” (1 Thess. 2:7) 1962. Here the Apostle Peter, when he said: “Be always ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15) 1963, argued that in the science of teaching the manner of teaching someone should be strictly participatory, adding: “But with modesty and fear, having a good conscience” (1 Peter 3:16) 1964. But in what the Apostle Paul tells his disciple: “Exhort and teach these things with all authority” (1 Tim. 4:11) 1965, he does not recommend the tyranny of power, but authority over one’s life (Titus 2:15) 1966. For it is prescribed with authority, which is first practiced and then advised. For when conscience causes the tongue to stumble, it diminishes the authority of the one who speaks. Therefore, he did not recommend to him the authority of arrogant words, but the trust of good behavior. Here it was said about the Lord: “He taught as one having authority, and not as the scribes and Pharisees” (Matthew 7:29) 1967. For He alone, in a special and peculiar manner, spoke with the sound of authority, because He committed no sin from weakness. For He possessed that power of His Divinity, which He bestowed on us through the sinlessness of His Maturity. 25. For we, because we are weak people, when we come to speak about God to our fellow men, should first of all remember our own nature, and in the same way, from our own weaknesses, understand in what order we should give advice to our weak brothers. Let us consider that we are now, for example, the same as those whom we correct, or were such before, although by a miracle of Divine Grace we are no longer such, that with humility in our hearts, we can correct them with greater condescension, the more accurately we recognize ourselves in the faces of those whom we correct. But if we are not now such, or were not, for example, such as we wish to improve, for we must fear that our heart may become proud, and it may fall because of its innocence; let us remember in our eyes the other good qualities of those whose mistakes we correct. If they have not one good quality, let us trust in the secret judgments of God. Because since we have received the good things that we possess without our own merits, it is only He who can pour out the grace of power on them from above, so that after it has been poured out on us, they will be able to outstrip even those good qualities that we received so long ago. For who could believe that Saul, who at his death kept the clothes of those who stoned him, would surpass Stephen, who was stoned, in the honor (“Meritum” - Latin - dignity (or service)) of the Apostleship. Our heart must first be humbled by these thoughts, and then the sin of the wicked must be exposed. But, as is often said, Elihu was familiar with this manner of speaking, who became proud of his words with the arrogance of pride, as if by the force of a kind of power, saying: Behold, Job, hear my speeches and give heed to all my words. Behold, I have opened my mouth, let my tongue speak in my throat. 26. To speak in your throat means to speak quietly, not to loudly. What words does he use to designate the arrogant people living in the holy Church? For it is said that they speak as if in the throat, when they do not rush against opponents who, without reproof, are in the bosom of the Holy Church, as if they were neighbors and were next to them. But arrogant people often pretend that they avoid this very pride that is attributed to them, and while they do their best not to escape the notice of any person, they privately mention it to specific people, so that they can boast not only of their sense of wisdom, but also of their disrespect for arrogance before people. Here it was said: Let my tongue speak in my throat. As if it were clearly said: Behold, I whisper what I think is wise against you. But they sometimes rise to such heights of impudence that, when others are silent, they are accustomed to praise their own statements. The following is added: Verse 3. My words are from my simple heart, and my mouth speaks pure words (Job 33:3) 1968. 27. To say that speech is simple is great praise. But since arrogant people do not possess it, they are all the more fussy in asserting that they possess it so that they can be heard with less understanding. And they declare that they are going to speak with pure intent because they are afraid that their evil duplicity may be discovered. But they also often mix truth and lies so that their lies will be believed more quickly, so it is difficult to discern whether they are telling the truth. Because then Elihu said that he would speak with pure intention, and calling his words “speeches”, they were accompanied by approval, he adds the same “speeches” that he promised, saying: Verse 4. The Spirit of God created me, and the breath of the Almighty gave me life ( Job 33:4 ). 28. Intending to speak the truth, he first utters boastful words, and in trying to express the clear opinion that he had, he first showed how enormous his swelling was. The minds of the arrogant are undoubtedly so wicked that even if they think righteously, they are disfigured by their pride. And, consequently, even their clear statements do not reach the listeners because in reality, they lead them with arrogant sayings not to reverence, but to contempt. And when the words of foolishness are mixed with wise sayings, then even their wisdom becomes invisible, because their madness is despised by those who hear it. And, therefore, as Moses said: “If anyone has an emission of semen, he must wash his whole body with water, and he will be unclean” (Lev. 15:16) 1969. For what are our words if not seeds? And when they are poured out in due measure, the mind of the listener, like the womb of one who comprehends, becomes fruitful for the offspring of good deeds. But if they disappear at the wrong time, contaminating that which emits them, they lose their productive power. For if words had not been seeds, the Athenians would never have said of Paul when he preached to them: “What does this foolish man mean to say” (Acts 17:18) 1970? About whom Luke says: “Because he was ruler in the word” (Acts 14:12) 1971. That seed which is intended for the purpose of procreation, when it disappears in an improper manner, it pollutes the other members, and also the speech, if it is intended to reach the hearts of the hearers, if it is spoken in an unspecified manner, it does not bring grace, even if it speaks the truth. Likewise, Elihu pollutes even the truths he speaks when he does not know what he is saying or to whom he is speaking, and he suffers from scattering of seed when he uses his tongue, which is intended to serve a righteous purpose, to produce empty sounds. But he speaks in the correct order - in the order in which he was created and given life. For he says that he was created by the Spirit and received life by the breath of God. For, it was written when Adam was created: “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul” (Gen. 2:7) 1972. But let's hear if he will properly continue what he started. What follows: Verse 5. If you can, answer me and stand before me (Job 33:5) 1973. 29. This is how, regarding the true order of his creation, he suddenly bursts out in the pride of haughty arrogance, and in other words repeats the same statements, saying: verses 6, 7. Look, the Lord has created me in the same way as you, I also was created from the same clay, and let not my wonder terrify you, and let not my eloquence be burdensome to you (Job.33:6-7) 1974. What is meant by the fact that Elihu knows the nature of his true creation, but does not know the limits of his right speech? Why, by his creation, does He place himself on the same level as Job, but exalts himself above him when he is about to speak? What is this if not the fact that although arrogant people remember that, by their nature, they are equal with others, but because of the pride of this knowledge, they did not even deign to check that equals exist even among them (the text seems not entirely grammatically correct, but the meaning coincides with what was presented), and that they compare themselves with them, by nature, they put themselves above them because of the pride of their wisdom. They decided that although they were all equal from birth, they did not continue to be so because of their lifestyle. And because they are not equal in lifestyle, they consider it a great miracle that they were equal at birth. And therefore, when Elihu is puffed up with pride, he says: Look, the Lord has created me in the same way as you, I also was created from the same clay, and let not my wonder terrify you, and let not my eloquence be a burden to you. For it is the characteristic of arrogant people that they always believe, even before they are about to speak, that they will say something wonderful, which they expect from their words with their own admiration, because, with their wit, they do not understand how great a foolishness their pride is. We should also note that Paul, when he was giving some startling warnings to the Jews, added: “I beseech you, brethren, receive this word of admonition; But I have not written much to you” (Heb. 13:22). But Elihu uttered empty words, and then added, as if for consolation: Let my surprise not terrify you, and let my eloquence not be burdensome to you. Some called his sayings words of consolation, others called them eloquence and a miracle. Look how different in taste the fruits that grow from different roots of thoughts are. One person humbly perceives his high qualities, while another exalts himself, without reason, with his meager donations. What we especially need to note in all of the above is the fact that those people who will rise up think lowly of themselves, and those who are about to fall - have they ever stood on high ground? As Solomon testifies: “The heart is exalted before destruction, and humbled before honor” (Prov. 16:18) 1975. What follows: Verse 8: You spoke then in my ears, and I heard the voice of your words (Job 33:8) 1976. And, adding to those words, he says: Verses 9-11: I am pure, and without the stain of sin, and there is no unrighteousness in me, for He found complaints in me, therefore He counted me as His enemy, He put stocks on my feet, He guarded all my ways (Job 33:9-11) 1977. And in answer to these words, which he said blessed Job had uttered, he immediately gives his opinion, saying: Verse 12: This is the very thing in which you are not justified (Job 33:12) 1978. 30. Blessed Job really told the truth that he was scourged without any guilt (Job.27:6) 1979. For, he said about him to the devil: “You stirred me up against him to pacify him without cause” (Job.2:3) 1980. But Elihu did not believe that his guilt meant nothing, that he could be punished by grace. For he did not know that by beating his guilt was not corrected, but his merits were increased, and because he said that he was scourged without any guilt, he denounces him with these words, saying: This is the very thing for which you are not justified. For this is the special fault of the arrogant - they are more ready to condemn than to console, and they also believe that all the suffering that they see that befalls people, they befall them only because of their sins. They do not know how deeply to search into the secret judgments of God, and how to humbly search for that which they cannot understand, for while pride in their knowledge lifts them high, it often brings them down from the secret search of the judgments of God. 31. For the sufferings of the mind are an obstacle to the path of truth, because while they are inflated, they obscure our vision. For if these people ever attain to wisdom, they feed on the husk, and not on the innermost sweetness, and with their brilliant abilities, they often reach only the outer shell, but do not know its inner taste, for, in truth, although they are sharp-sighted outwardly, they are blind within. They do not reach the concept of God that is hidden within, but only that which sounds outwardly. And although they acquire in their understanding certain mysteries, they do not feel their sweetness, and although they know that they exist, they do not yet know, as I have already said, what they taste like. And, as often happens, although they speak boldly, they do not yet know how to live with what they profess. Also, a certain sage said well: “May the Lord allow me to speak according to my sayings” (Wis.7:15) 1981. For “saying” is derived from the word “meaning” (“sentenia” – Latin – opinion, view, “sensu” – Latin – feeling, perception). And a person who wants to speak not only based on internal knowledge, but also to feel what he says, strives to speak out about the truths that he owns, and not be guided only by knowledge (“scienta” - Latin - knowledge), but also by real feelings ("sentenia" - Latin - opinion, view). But the mind of arrogant people does not penetrate into the meaning of their own words, because by righteous judgment it is expelled from the inner taste of things and is wrecked by the recognition that it desires from the outside. But real knowledge influences without pride and makes those whom it fills not proud, but sad. For, any person who is filled with them, first of all strives to know himself and to know his condition, he thus has a greater taste of strength, the more sensitive he is to his weaknesses within. And this same humility opens the way to this knowledge more widely for him, and when he sees his own weakness, this very knowledge opens for him the hidden recesses of sublime secrets, and, clamped by this knowledge, he becomes more subtle in order to move forward in hidden things. Thus, Elihu does not discover the true reason in Job's scourging, because he does not know how to look for it with humility, and he, being more ready to reproach than to console, says: This is the very thing for which you are not justified. 32. Next we must consider that blessed Job said that his feet were put in stocks (Job 13:12) 1982, but he never said that he was clean - in the way that he contradicted him, either without sin, or without the stain of unrighteousness. But Elihu, in his desire to rebuke harshly what was said, falsely added what was not said. For those who constantly desire to blame rather than to encourage often show many lies in their denunciations. For in order to appear clever in their denunciations, they often invent statements for the sake of the denunciation of others, and are ready, like horses, in order to set the course of their boasting in motion, they clear the way for an attack on those whom they have chosen as the object of attack, inventing presentations of illegal acts. We must also understand, as stated above, that arrogant people often mix persuasive words with their words of boasting, and sometimes they do not consider how they live, but carefully weigh only what they teach. Of such people, Elihu is an example who does not want to live well, but to teach well. Since he speaks, although arrogantly, but with knowledge of the matter, let us move on to the pride of his behavior and consider the strength of his teaching. After all these boastful words, he then begins to say in detail, in order to show his knowledge: Verse 12. I will answer you that God is greater than man (Job 33:12) 1983. 33. Someone might perhaps remark: “Who doesn’t know this, even if he wasn’t told?” But it is not surprising that this remark would be of little value if it were not examined from the very root of its meaning. He addressed the one who was scourged, who felt the blows of punishment, and did not know their reason. And thus he noted: I answer you that God is greater than man, that man who was scourged, yet believed that God greater than himself, could present himself to His judgment - to Him Whom he considers undoubtedly greater than himself, and he believes that it is just that he suffers from His superiority, even if he does not know the basis of this justice. For the one who is punished for his sins, even if he grumbles and resists it, immediately becomes a righteous person, without questioning the justice of the One who punishes him. For man is created inferior from God, and returns to the order of his creation when he submits to the justice of his Judge, even if he himself does not understand it. And thus it was rightly said: I answer you that God is greater than man in order that, considering the power of the Creator, the swelling of the mind may cease to rage from the mere thought of the conditions under which he was created. Here the Prophet David, when he was forced under the weight of blows to break through with unusual words, says, regarding the discussion about his origin: “I was foolish, and did not open my mouth, since You created me” (Ps. 39:10) 1984. For he pondered the rank in which he had been created, and he recognized the justice of the blow, for He who had mercifully created him had certainly struck him with justice. What follows: Verses 13–14. You fight against Him, because He has not answered all your words. God will speak once, and will not repeat the same thing a second time (Job 33:13–14) 1985. 34. It is natural for a stricken heart, if it sees anything contrary to its desires, to, if possible, receive an answer from the voice of God as to why things happen as they do, to receive an explanation from God on this subject, and to agree to learn to understand His answer. But Elihu, foreseeing that the Lord created the Holy Scriptures in order to give answers to the open or secret questions of all people, says: You fight against Him, for He has not answered all your words. God will speak once, and will not repeat the same thing a second time. It is as if he meant to say that the Lord does not privately answer the hearts of people one by one, but shows His words in such a way as to satisfy the needs of all people. For if we look at our cases one by one, we are sure to find them in the teaching of His Scripture, for there is no need to look for special answers in the voice of God in our own special sufferings. For in our own particular sufferings we are all given one common answer: the conduct of those who go ahead is an example for those who follow them. As one example of many. We work with our sufferings or displeasures of the flesh. Perhaps we want to know the secret causes of this suffering or displeasure, so that we can then find comfort in our exploration of the knowledge itself. But since no particular answer is given to us, one after another, regarding our own particular investigations, we may have recourse to the Holy Scriptures. And this is what we find that Paul heard, tested by the weakness of the flesh: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9) 1986. And this was said to him in his own suffering, and cannot be said to us one after another. Thus, in Holy Scripture we heard the voice of God to Paul in his affliction, so that we would not try to hear it for each individual, for our own comfort, if we may be experiencing suffering. God, therefore, does not answer all our words, because God will speak once, and will not repeat the same thing a second time, that is, He has presented for our instruction what He set forth for our fathers in the Holy Scriptures. Let then the teachers of the Holy Church, even if these people are arrogant, declare (contemplating some of them in her death from cowardice) that God does not answer all our words, that God will speak once, and will not repeat the same thing a second time. In other words, He does not now satisfy the doubts and perplexities of some people with the voice of Prophets on all sides, or the ministry of Angels. Because He has included in the Holy Scriptures everything that possibly concerns each of us, and has provided for the regulation of the conduct of those who come later the example of those who have gone before. 35. But God will speak this remark once, and will not repeat the same thing a second time; it can also be understood in a deeper meaning that the Father gave birth to His Consubstantial Only Begotten Son. For the speech of God is that He gave birth to the Word. But, for the fact that God speaks once means that He has no other words than the Only Begotten. And thus, here it is rightfully included: and will not repeat the same thing a second time, because this very Word, which is the Son, He begat no other than the Only Begotten. But, in the fact that He does not say “He spoke,” but “will speak,” using in other words, not the past tense, but the future, it becomes clear to everyone that neither the past nor the future tense is inappropriate in relation to God. Therefore, any time can be freely used when speaking about Him, since nothing is used with strict truth. But none of the tenses can be used freely if at least one of them can be used incorrectly. Thus, it is permissible to boldly use any of the tenses when speaking about God, since none of them is strictly correct. For the Father begot the Son out of time. 36. But who can worthily speak about that indescribable birth, that the Co-original was born from the Eternal, that He Who existed before all times gave birth to His Equal, that the Son was not subsequent to Him Who gave birth to Him? We may admire it, but it is not in our power to look into it. But to be able to marvel at this powerful birth is, to some extent, to see it. But how can we see what we cannot understand by any means? But we must borrow examples of the habits of the body to illustrate the feelings of the mind. If one of us is lying in a dark place with his eyes closed, and the light of a candle suddenly flashes in front of him, his eyes, even if they are closed, tremble at the very approach of the light, and then open. Why do they react this way if they didn't see anything while they were closed? And yet, there was not a single ideal thing that they could see while closed. For if they had a good view of a given object in its entirety, why, when they became open, did they begin to look for something that they could look at? And so do we when we want to see an inexplicable birth. And even in this, when our mind is surprised by the radiance, and it begins to see in a way that it is not capable of seeing, it sees in the darkness the power of light with closed eyes. (Here in the old edition of the book there is a paragraph that is omitted. “For Elihu says: God speaks once, and David, looking at the birth of the only begotten Word, said: God spoke once; for, since both the Only Begotten Son and the word of the Father are called “Begotten” in the sense of perfection, and in the sense of eternity, and even in generation; the Holy Scripture freely used, in speaking of God, the words “He spoke” and “He speaks.” For in what He begot the perfect Word He “spoke,” and in what He ever gives birth to, He certainly “speaks,” although what we call “perfect” we call without severity. But we express His fullness by some limited norm of speech, just as the Lord also says about the Father: “Be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48) 1987. There is a similar saying in the previous paragraph, which can be written at the bottom of the page). But since the secret admiration of the Divine Nature does not easily become accessible to minds which are filled with worldly desires, he fittingly suggests the way in which God addresses us by saying: Verse 15. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when sleep covers people and they sleep in their bed (Job 33:15) 1988. 37. What is meant by the word of God coming to us in a dream, except that we do not study the Mysteries of God while we are awake in worldly desires? For in sleep our outer senses are at rest, but our inner senses are recognized. If we want to contemplate what is within, we must rest from external obligations. In fact, we hear the voice of God in our dreams, when, with a light mind, we rest from the bustle of this world, and the Divine commandments appear to us in the deep silence of the mind. For when the mind rests from external affairs, the weight of the Divine commandments can be seen more fully. This occurs when the words of God enter the mind in a more vivid manner, which it refuses to acknowledge in the turmoil of worldly concerns. But a man watches for small good purposes when the turmoil of worldly affairs gives him an unusual shock. For the crowd of earthly thoughts, noisy around, closes the ear of the mind. And the voice of the presiding judge is heard less clearly in the secret court of reason, the less the sound of stormy worries. For when a person is distracted, he cannot equally unite them together. But while he strives for inner instruction and is still engaged in outer pursuits, opening his ear to the outer, he becomes deaf within. Moses, living among the Egyptians, seemed to have woken up, but while living in Egypt, he did not hear the voice of God (Ex. 2:11–12) 1989. But, after he had fled into the desert after death had come to the Egyptians, and had remained there forty years, he fell asleep, as it were, from anxious worries about worldly desires, and thus he was worthy ("meriut" - Latin - merit) to hear the voice of God, because the more indifferent he became, with the help of Divine grace, to external objects of desire, the more he was truly awakened, so that discern the truth within. And again, when he was appointed to rule the people of Israel, he ascended the mountain in order to learn the commandments of the Law, and to limit himself from outward disturbances, so that he could penetrate into the internal mysteries (Ex. 19:3) 1990. 38. And, consequently, holy people, who are obliged by the necessity of their goals to engage in external actions, sometimes turn to the secrets of their hearts, and there they ascend to the height of secret thought, and study (as it was) the Law on the mountain; when they distance themselves from the excesses of worldly affairs, and ponder at the height of their thoughts the utterances of the Divine will. And, therefore, the same Moses often retires to the Tabernacle, if he has doubts, and there secretly consults with God, and studies what definite decision to make. For to leave the crowd and retire to the Tabernacle is to distance yourself from the excesses of the external world and enter the secret depths of the mind. For the Lord teaches us there, and we hear inside in silence what we should openly do outwardly. This is what wise rulers do daily, when they are aware of them but cannot resolve doubtful aspects, they plunge into the secret depths of the mind, as in the Tabernacle. Looking to the Divine Law, they consult with the Lord, as they did before the Ark. And what they first hear in silence, they then reveal to the world in their actions. For in order for them to be able to engage in external activities without harming themselves, they constantly take care of access to the secrets of their heart. And thus they hear the voice of God, as it were, in a dream, at the same time as they withdraw in the thoughts of their minds from bodily influences. So, as in the Song of Songs, the bride, who said: “I sleep, but my heart is awake” (Song.5:2) 1991, heard the voice of the groom in her sleep. It was as if she were saying: “While I allow my outer senses to rest from the cares of this world, I have a more vivid perception of the inner truth when my mind is not distracted. I sleep to the outer world, but my heart is awake within, because when I am insensible to the outer, I have a keen perception of the inner secrets.” 39. Elihu goes on to say that God speaks in a dream, and then correctly adds: In a vision at night. For night vision, as a rule, represents the contemplation of certain images by the mind. But we perceive objects more clearly in daylight, we see more slowly in night vision. And because all holy men, so long as they are in this life, see the secrets of the Divine Nature only under certain resemblances (since they do not see them as they really are), Elihu further says that God speaks in dreams, and then rightly adds: In a vision by night. For “night” is real life, and as long as we are covered in it by the fog of vague visions, as regards internal objects. For the prophet knew that there was a certain mist in his eyes in his vision of the Lord when he says: “My soul has longed for You in the night” (Isa. 26:9) 1992. It was as if he wanted to say: “I want to contemplate You in the darkness of this life, but I am still surrounded by the fog of weakness.” David, also wanting to escape the darkness of this life and, waiting for the brightness of the true light, says: “In the morning I will stand before You, and I will see” (Ps. 5:4) 1993. One who strives for the coming of the morning in order to contemplate God, feels that he can still see, but not enough, at night. But, since, as we have already said, sleep ceases from external influences, Elihu rightly adds: when sleep covers people. And therefore, holy people, when they are not distracted by external actions, rest in the bedchambers of their mind, and he communes: and they sleep in their bed. For for holy people, sleeping in your own bed means resting in the bedchamber of your mind. It is also written here: “The saints shall rejoice in glory; they shall rejoice in their beds. Let them say what God speaks to us in a dream, in a vision of the night, when sleep covers people and they sleep in their bed” (Ps. 149:5–6) 1994. Because then we undoubtedly contemplate the mysteries of God when we find ourselves in the bedchambers of our minds, far from the stormy desires of this world. But since, as we have often said before, the vanity of worldly affairs closes the ear, and other secret contemplations open it, he correctly added: Verse 16. Then He opens the ears of the people, and teaches, instructs them with discipline (Job 33:16) 1995. 40. For when they are dead to outer objects, they hear with open ears the causes that come before their inner judgment. And when they analyze in detail their open punishments or their secret decrees, they no longer grieve themselves with tears. It was also well said: And he teaches, instructs them with discipline, because to the mind, which reflects and wounds itself with repentance, the sorrows of conscience are like blows. Here Solomon also rightly brings together the power of these blows, saying: “Wounds from blows are a medicine against evil, and blows that penetrate into the entrails of the belly” (Prov. 20:30) 1996. For by wounds he means the discipline of blows to the body. But blows in the secret parts of the womb are reproaches within the mind, which are inflicted by twinges of conscience. For just as the belly expands when it is filled with food, so the mind also becomes proud when it is swollen with evil thoughts. Wounds and blows in the secret parts of the womb cleanse from evil, because external discipline eliminates lawlessness, and tenderness pierces the stretched mind with the punishment of repentance. But they differ from each other in this respect, since wounds bring us pain with blows, but the sorrow of repentance has the right taste. One of them grieves and tortures, while the others restore when they strike us. In one of them there is sadness in sorrow, and in others there is joy in sorrow. But the very twinge of conscience hurts the mind; he does not call it discipline. 41. For there are four states in which the mind of a righteous man is greatly subject to remorse: when he appeals to his own sins and analyzes WHERE HE WAS, or when, fearing the judgment of God's judgments and examining himself, he thinks WHERE HE WILL BE, or, even while carefully studying the evils of this present life, he reflects grief - WHERE IS HE, or when he contemplates the blessings of the heavenly country and, because he does not enjoy them, exclaims with regret - WHERE HE IS NOT. Paul remembered his former sins and looked at himself from the perspective of who he was when he said, “I am not worthy to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God” (1 Cor. 15:9) 1997. And again, having carefully weighed the Divine judgments, he was afraid that they would be bad for him in the future, when he said: “I will discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest by chance, while preaching to others, I myself should become rejected” (1 Cor. 9:27) 1998. And again, he analyzed the evils of the present life when he said: “As long as we are in this body, we are not near the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:6) 1999, and “I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and making me captive to the law of sin that is in my members. Poor man I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death" (Rom. 7:23–24) 2000? And again he considers the blessings of his heavenly country, saying: “Now we see, as it were, through a glass darkly, wondering when face to face; Now I know in part, but then I will know, even as I am known” (1 Cor. 13:12) 2001. And again: “We know that when our earthly house where we live is destroyed, we will have a house of God – not made with hands, eternal in heaven” (2 Cor. 5:1) 2002. And looking at the blessing of this house, he says to the Ephesians: “That you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and how beyond measure the greatness of His power is in us who have believed” (Eph. 1:18–19) 2003! But blessed Job, taking into account the evil of this life, says: “Man’s life on earth is a temptation” (Job.7:1) 2004. David also says: “Every person who lives in vanity, and although a person walks in the likeness of God, he lives in vain” (Ps. 39:6) 2005. But again, contemplating his heavenly home, and weighing the evil he was then in, and considering all the good that he had not yet enjoyed, he says: “Woe is me, that my time is prolonged” (Ps. 119:5) 2006, and “And I said in my fear, I am going away from Thy sight” (Ps. 31:22) 2007. Exalted in exultation, which our translators have correctly translated as “fear,” he saw himself cast down from the sight of the eyes of God. For, after contemplating that inner light that flashed in his head with the bright rays of the grace of contemplation, he returned to himself, and analyzed with the knowledge that he had acquired, those blessings that were there, of which he was deprived, or that evil with which he was surrounded. Because no one is able to look at the troubles of life as they really are, unless he is able to contemplate to get a taste of the blessings of the eternal country. He also knew that he had been cast out of God's sight. For when he was lifted up in rejoicing, he saw that which, when he returned to himself, he lamented that he could not contemplate it in himself. 42. For that twinge of conscience, which influences all bodily fantasies, which attack the body and irritate it, and with which it tries to concentrate the gaze of the heart on that very ray of boundless light, will not influence more deeply the perfect mind. For he attracts these appearances of bodily images to himself from within, because of the weakness of his flesh. But when the mind is completely filled with the twinge of conscience, it immediately stands on guard so that the imagination of a limited vision dissolves it; when he seeks the truth, he rejects all the fantasies present in him. For when the mind gets into itself with their help, it tries to rise above itself by running away from them; and when he is distracted in an unusual way by many objects, he strives to gather himself together, and with the predominance of the mighty power of love, he is able to contemplate the one and incorporeal Essence. 43. And, therefore, he admits that from time to time he tastes some unusual taste of sweetness within, and suddenly he is renewed when the glow of the Spirit blows over him, and he wants all the more, the more he gets a taste of what he wants to love, and he wants it within himself, that which tastes sweet inside, because, in truth, from the love of this sweetness he is humiliated before himself and after in some way he has become able to enjoy it, he discovered that he was previously without it. He strives to get closer to this, but with his remaining weakness he cannot get closer to His strength and, since he is not able to contemplate the purity of this, he chooses sweet sobs and, plunging back into himself, in order to create a bed out of his weakness. For he cannot keep the eye of his mind on this - which he has only glimpsed, because because of his own habits he goes down. He tries, and tries, and strives to rise above himself, but he sinks again, exhausted from fatigue, into his usual darkness. But since the mind is thus influenced, it is forced to bear with itself by reason of a persistent struggle with itself, and since this dispute with itself causes no little pain when we are involved in all this, pleasure may be mixed with this pain; after Elihu declared that God speaks to us in dreams and that our ears are opened by His words, he calls this very opening of the ears discipline, and not without reason. Because the more the sound of inner wisdom pours out upon us by the grace of its secret inspiration, the more it affects us with anxiety. Because no one will mourn who he is if he could not understand who he is not yet inside. Because, having seen that we ourselves were created correctly, but that we were deceived into giving fatal consent to the devil's entreaties, we observe in our case that what we ourselves did is one thing, and how we were created is another, that by nature we were clear, but we became corrupted through our own fault. And, therefore, when we are tormented by conscience, we strive to get away from what we ourselves have done, so that we can change in the likeness in which we were created. The following is rightfully included: Verse 17. That He can bring a man out of what he has done, and can deliver him from pride (Job 33:17) 2008. 44. For what has man created of himself except sin? And it was written: “Pride is the beginning of all sin” (Sir.10:15) 2009. And it has been rightly said that when a person is brought out of what he has done, he is freed from pride. To transgress the commandments of our Creator by sin is to be arrogant against Him, because a person throws off, as it were, the yoke of His power, before Whom he does not want to present himself with obedience. On the other hand, he who wishes to escape what he has created calls to mind that he was created by God, and humbly returns to the order of his creation when, walking away from his actions, he loves himself as he was originally created by God. But since by this wisdom eternal glory is gained, and eternal punishments are avoided, here it is rightly added: Verse 18. Saving his soul from corruption, and his life from going over to the sword (Job 33:18) 2010. 45. For every sinner, because of his corruption here, must go there to the sword of punishment, that he may be justly punished in the next world, for the very sins which he delighted in in this. Therefore, we must observe (notice, discern) that God, speaking to us in a dream, protects us from corruption, and then from the sword, because, in fact, He protects the “life” of that person from the punishment of revenge there, whose mind He here protects from the temptation of sin. Likewise, he should not fear the sword of judgment there if he has corrected his guilt here. And, therefore, it was rightly said: The salvation of his soul from decay, and his life from passing to the sword. For to pass from corruption to the sword is, after the commission of sin, to pass to the punishment that must be inflicted. Verse 19. He also punishes him with pain on his bed, and his bones wither (Job 33:19) 2011. 46. A bed, bed or bed in Holy Scripture is sometimes carnal pleasure, sometimes rest after good deeds, sometimes temporary rest, for what is meant when our Lord said in the Gospel to the one who was healed: “Get up, take up your bed and go to your house” (Matthew 9:6 2012; Mark 2:11 2013; Luke 5:24) 2014, if not bodily pleasure indicated by bed? And he was told, when he was healed, to carry that on which he lay sick, since everyone who still takes pleasure in sin lies overcome by carnal pleasures. But he, the healed one, bears that on which he lay sick, because when he was saved from his sins by Divine help, he subsequently endures the attacks of the very flesh whose indulgence he used to rest the rest of the contents. But again, a bed or bed signifies rest after good deeds. When the Apostle Peter says in the Acts of the Apostles: “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you, get up from your bed” (Acts 9:34) 2015! For what does the word “stand up” mean if not forsaking the sins that you have committed? And with the words “out of bed,” how can you not accept the grace in which you should rest? So, having risen, he had to leave what he had done, and “from his bed” - understand what he had to do. And the prophet briefly summarizes both of these aspects when he says: “Depart from evil and do good” (Ps. 36:27) 2016. For to depart from evil and to rise from where he lay and to do good is to do those deeds that will receive the reward in which he must rest. But he who has turned away from evil, but does not do good, has risen from where he was lying, but has not created for himself a place to rest. And again, the bed and bed are needed for temporary rest, as it is written: “You turned his bed into his illness” (Ps. 40:4) 2017. For any person who is tired of worldly worries, led by Divine grace to leave the weary ways of this world, he should consider how to escape the attraction of this life and rest from its labors. He is currently looking for a place for himself to relax, which he desires, and wants to find a place of distraction from all his labors, a kind of bed. But since, still in this life, a person, in any situation, secretly lives without temptation until the end of his life, the pain of redemption usually presses on the place that most strives for rest. Here the prophet rightly said: You turned his bed into his illness. It was as if he were saying: Everything that he did for his peace, You, with your secret judgment, turned into his anxiety. And so it was prescribed by the merciful plan of God, so that during the wandering the life of the elect would be subject to anxiety. 47. For our real life is the road along which we travel to our home (“patriam” - Latin - country): and here we are haunted by frequent worries, in the secret judgments of God, expressed in the fact that we may not love this road. For some travelers, if they see some pleasant meadows along the way, are in the habit of lingering and turning away from the straight path on which they have entered. And the beauty of the road detains them when it brings them pleasure. Then the Lord, for the elect who go to Him, makes this road strong, so that no one, enjoying the peace of this present life, as if on some beautiful road, could receive greater pleasure by prolonging this journey, and not rush to its end or forget, being delighted with the path, that he is going home. But since everything else that we have done to protect ourselves in this world is subject to anxiety, it has been rightly said: You have turned his bed into his illness, that is, he is tested in the peace of this world, either by the bites of temptations, or by the sorrows of calamities. For if a person's mind is occupied with virtue, even for a short period of time, without temptation, often in accordance with the very virtues in which he calmly practices, he is delighted with them and tries to increase them, not knowing what success he achieves in this. Therefore, he is attacked by intrigues, by the merciful dispensation of our Ruler, and thus pride can be removed from him, due to the merit of what he does. Consequently, after he said: You turned his bed into his illness, he immediately added: and his bones wither away. 48. In the Holy Scriptures, bones symbolize virtue, as it is written: “The Lord will keep all his bones, and not one of them will be broken” (Ps. 33:21) 2018. Which does not imply the bones of the body, but the powers of the mind. For we undoubtedly know that the bones of many martyrs were broken in the physical sense, and the pursuers of the Lord broke the bones of that thief (John 19:32) 2019 to whom it was said: “Today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43) 2020, as well as another thief on the cross. When He punishes us with pain in His bed, He causes our bones to wither, because when we are attacked by the evil of temptation, in the peace which we defend for ourselves in this world, we who may be exalted by our virtues are humbled by the shock of the knowledge of our weakness. For when we go, as we wish, to God, if temptations do not break us on the way, we begin to believe that we are people of some power. But since God's providence is always with us, so that we always remember our weakness when we are exposed to temptations, because we forget about it on our way, on the way we learn who we are with the help of the divine gift, and in our temptation what our strength is. But, in fact, this temptation would hasten us if heavenly protection did not restrain us. But it attacks us without breaking, presses without moving us, shakes us, but does not throw us down; so that we may feel that it is only because of our weakness that we stagger, but it is a gift from God that we stand firm. But, because the soul, which is aware of any good quality in itself, often revels in a kind of pleasure in calling upon its benefactors, and swells itself, as if congratulating itself on being full, and it has been rightly said that the bones wither under the pressure of temptation. Because while our own weakness is established by questions of temptation, everything that is inflated and praises its own strength is dried up by the sudden pain of anxiety. And we, those who weigh our good deeds, believe that they have a certain value, when we were struck by something more difficult, we were afraid that we would immediately perish. Then all the satisfaction from our virtue turns into fear of punishment. We then find ourselves guilty, although before that we considered ourselves saints. Our mind goes away, our eyes become dull, all the well-being that previously made us smile disappears; the light becomes hideous, and only the darkness of regret spreads throughout the mind. We see nothing to console us; everything we see is full of sadness. The following is added: Verse 20. His bread becomes disgusting to him on his lips, and the food he so desired is disgusting to his soul ( Job 33:20 ) 2021 . 49. As if he wanted to say in many words: The mind in distress believes that every thing that could previously easily satisfy it and give it pleasure has turned into bitterness. For by “bread” in the Holy Scriptures is sometimes meant the Lord Himself, sometimes spiritual grace, sometimes teaching divine teaching, sometimes the preaching of heretics, sometimes the daily bread of this life, sometimes the pleasantness of worldly pleasure. The Lord is designated by bread, as He Himself says in the Gospel: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven” (John 6:51) 2022. And again, by bread we understand the grace of spiritual gifts, as was said by the prophet: “Whoever stops his ears so as not to hear bloodshed, and closes his eyes so as not to see evil, he will live in a high place, his high place must be impregnable rocks, bread will be given to him” (Is. 33:15-16) 2023. For what is it to “close his ears so as not to hear bloodshed,” if not a refusal to consent to those convincing sins that arise from flesh and blood? And what does it mean to “close your eyes so as not to see evil” if not disapproval of everything that contradicts righteousness? Such a person will dwell in high places, although his flesh still limits him to things below these high places, he has already concentrated his mind on things above. “His high place is the inaccessible rocks” because he, who tramples underfoot his aspirations for worldly conversation, exalts himself to His heavenly country along the roads of the Fathers, which they trod before. And, since he is satisfied with spiritual grace through the gift of contemplation, he rightfully participates here: bread is given to him, that is, he enjoys the freshness of spiritual grace, because he has raised himself above earthly things, hoping for them in heaven. Here the Lord also speaks about the Holy Church of David: “I will give its bread to the poor” (Ps. 131:15) 2024, because those who are humble in disposition and live in it are filled with the food of spiritual gifts. And again, the bread shows the instruction of heavenly teaching, as the prophet said: “You who live on the earth in the South, you who live on the earth in the South will meet with his bread who flies away” (Is. 21:14) 2025. For they live on earth in the South within the Holy Church, under the breath of the love of the Spirit from heaven. But the one who wants to escape from the evil of this world flies away. He who lives on earth in the South must meet with bread the one who is flying away, that is, the one who is already filled with the Holy Spirit within the Church must comfort with words of teaching the one who seeks to break free from his evil ways. To meet someone who is flying away with bread is, of course, to offer the food of pure teaching to someone who is afraid of eternal punishments, on the one hand, to restrain his pride with fear, and on the other, to console his fears with encouragement. But since bread does not always mean the food of the Holy Scriptures, the same prophet said to the Jews who looked at what was written: “Why should you weigh out money for something that is not bread” (Is. 55:2) 2026? It is as if he were saying: You regard holy words, but not as food, because as long as you diligently guard only what is written externally, you will lose the richness of internal food, which is the result of spiritual meaning. Here it is correctly added in this passage: And your labor is for that which satisfies. But again, bread shows the preaching of heretics, like Solomon’s woman, who symbolizes the gathering (“ecclesiae” - Latin - church) of heretics and calling fools together, says: “It is joyful to eat bread in secret,” or, as it is written in our translation: “Stolen waters are sweeter, but hidden bread is more pleasant” (Prov. 9:17) 2027. For there are some heretics who are afraid to preach their views openly and give more flavor to their words in the minds of the weak the more they hold them as if with more reverence. Thus, it was rightly said: “He joyfully eats bread in secret.” For the secret words of heretics are absorbed more by unhappy hearts, the more they do not possess them together with other people. But again, by bread we mean the maintenance of real life, as Jacob, on his way to Laban, says: “O Lord God, if only You would give me bread to eat and clothing to wear” (Gen. 28:20) 2028. And as the Lord says in the Gospel to the crowds who followed Him: “You seek Me, not because you saw miracles, but because you ate bread and were filled” (John 6:26) 2029. For they were satisfied with the seven loaves. With these people, the Lord expresses His disgust for those within the Holy Church who approach God through holy services, but with these holy services they do not seek to acquire the highest virtues, but only their daily bread for real life; they do not think about what example they should set with their behavior, but only about what they can get for their satisfaction. For to follow God while being filled with bread is to receive temporary support from the Holy Church. And to seek the Lord not for the sake of miracles, but for the sake of bread - this is for people seeking religious positions, not for the sake of increasing their benefactors, but to obtain means of support. Again, by bread we mean the pleasantness of human pleasure. When the prophet Jeremiah, lamenting the congregation forsaking its habits: “All the people sigh and seek bread, they gave up all their valuable things for food, that they might revive the soul” (Lam. 1:11) 2030. For men sigh and seek bread, while multitudes of wicked men suffer, because they are not satisfied, according to the desire of their hearts, with the pleasures of this life. And they give up all their valuable things for the sake of food, because they bend the benefactors of their mind for the sake of the desire for temporary pleasure. And they try to revive the soul because they seek to satisfy their perverted desires. And here he rightly adds the words of that chosen majority: See, O Lord, and know that I am becoming disgusting. For the people of God become disgusting when the number of atheists increases, and they, in their person, are drawn not into high heavenly deeds, but into unworthy and worldly ones. 50. What else does Elihu mean by bread, if not the pleasures of this life? For, after establishing the power of temptation, he immediately added: His bread becomes disgusting to him in this life, and to his soul - the food that it used to desire, because, in fact, all that sweetness which he used to enjoy from the prosperity of his life, becomes the bitter power of temptation afterwards, for sometimes every joy and every virtue seemed to smile on him, suddenly it was all lost through the fear of temptation, and a sorrowful mind, deprived of these very virtues, grieves alone. For when temptation attacks the mind more zealously, it cannot oppose it with the strength of its usual courage, and complains about it as if it had already been lost, and feels empty, and recognizes its own weakness from this emptiness. And he immediately becomes broken by every pleasure, and is disgusted by the graceful manifestations of the former delight, and accepts his fullness of grief, which he only desires. For for every man, when success smiles upon him favorably, full of joy, in a holy life, that same joy refreshes the mind, like pleasant food. But when the inevitable temptation attacks him more zealously, all joy, through the aversion of grief, is rejected by his mind, although previously he enjoyed, completely satisfied with this very joy. Because when a person is tempted, he expels all pleasant food from the mouth of his heart, and nothing else gives him pleasure, but knowing and mourning himself, it was rightly said: His bread becomes disgusting to him in this life, and to his soul - the food that it previously desired. 51. But, as we said before, we are allowed to be tempted by the secret dispensation, so that we, who by the Divine gift increase benefactors, may call to our minds who we are by our natural weakness, and all who perform acts of beneficence with the help of the gift received may sacrifice the humility of the awareness of our own weakness. But sometimes, after we have strengthened ourselves, we are not only overcome by sins, but we are also punished with disasters. But when we are overcome by sins, we cope with the help of a merciful dispensation, so that we are not inspired by those benefactors that we increase. But when we are scourged with the whip, we are warned so that we do not agree to the persuasion of the world by punishing evil. While our sins tempt us, they degrade the virtues that are gaining strength within us; while punishments test us, they eradicate the pleasures of this world that rise in our hearts. We learn from our sins that tempt us what we are, and from our punishments that afflict us - what we must avoid in this world. We are held back by some from inner pride, and we are held back by others from what we want outside of us. While we live in this life, our needs must be scourged by the whip, and sometimes sins must tempt them. For, both in the throes of adversity and in the struggle with our sins, we recognize not only our weakness, but also understand what success we have achieved in our beneficence. For no one in a state of rest is aware of his strength. For if there is no competition, there is no possibility of our virtues being accepted by the court. He who boasts of his bravery in times of peace is a short-sighted warrior. Therefore, the quality of our strength often becomes clear only through the punishments of the whip, Elihu rightly adds when he says: Verse 21. His flesh will wither, and his bones, which were covered, will be exposed (Job 33:21) 2031. 52. For when every outward pleasure is worn away by the blow of the whip, the bones of the inner hardness are laid bare. For what does the word “flesh” mean in this place if not carnal pleasure itself? What does the word “bones” mean if not the virtues of the soul? Thus the flesh is worn away and the bones lie exposed, because while carnal pleasure leads to humiliation by the exposure of disasters, those solid virtues lie open which have long been hidden under the flesh. For no one will know what success he has achieved except through misfortune. For it is impossible to consider the evidence of stability in prosperity. It was also written in another place: “The Lord commanded His mercy in the daytime, and declared it in the night” (Ps. 41:9) 2032. Because, truly, a person acquires the grace of a heavenly gift in quiet rest, and in times of troubles and misfortunes, he receives proof of how much he has received. Let our flesh then be worn away and our bones lie bare. Let us be amazed by the Father's reproofs, that we may know what progress we have made. For, by the scourging of the Lord, the abundance of carnal pleasure is erased, but the bones of our benefactor lie exposed. Our outer beauty is tarnished by the sufferings of this world, but what was hidden becomes visible. For when the Apostles were chastened, and forbidden to speak in the Name of Jesus (Acts 5:40-41) 2033, they were in great joy that they were considered worthy to receive dishonor in the Name of Jesus, and they gave a confident answer to their opponents: “We must obey God rather than man” (Acts 5:29) 2034. See how the strength of their faith shone brightly in adversity. See how the stability of their flesh was worn away, and the bones of their virtue lay exposed. Therefore, it was said about them in Wisdom: “God tested them and found them worthy for Himself” (Wis.3:5) 2035. For, although they were tested by the blows of fate, they were worthy with their bare bones. For what is meant here as their testing by punishment, what follows clearly states: “He tested them like gold in a furnace, and received them as a burnt offering” (Wis. 3:6) 2036. Because, since the strength of every person is known in adversity, it was rightly said: His flesh will wither, and his bones, which were covered, will be exposed. For the flesh withers when everything mortal and weak is erased by misfortunes. The bones lie exposed when our hidden strength is revealed through adversity. As we said before, not only the strength of our resolve is revealed, but the weakness of our nature is exposed by the very trial of adversity, and each one, under these trials, shows not only what success he has achieved through God, but also confesses to himself how weak he is, because not only the bones lie exposed, but the flesh also languishes. The following is rightfully included: Verse 22. His soul is approaching destruction, and his life is approaching death (Job.33:22) 2037. 53. For it is said that when the soul of every righteous man is tempted, it approaches destruction, for through the fear that his virtue will exalt him, the whip makes him feel his own natural weakness. He truly approaches destruction because he knows by his own power that he is not far from destruction, so that he can attribute it not to himself, but to the Lord, that he is far from destruction. But he approaches death because he sees that due to the weakness of the flesh, he is very close to the sins that cause death; and by this he moves further away from Divine righteousness, the more he realizes that his own merits are very close. Contemplating his own condition, David came close to destruction when he said: “Remember, O Lord, that we are dust, for to a man his day is grass” (Ps. 102:14–15) 2038. Paul also came, contemplating his own weakness, to destruction when he said: “I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and leading me captive to the law of sin in my members. Wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death” (Rom. 7:23–24) 2039? For a person to approach destruction and death, given the weakness of our human nature, is to see that he is a sinner, as far as his merits are concerned, his own strength is not a matter of boasting (“adrogantiam” - egoism) to himself. For who are we when we are deprived of the protection of our Creator? Protection that was considered less necessary if it was always enjoyed. But we are usually deprived of it for the good, in order to show the person himself how helpless he is without it. The hand of God that leads us, even when we do not know it, in prosperity, leads us to know ourselves in adversity. And when we begin to fall, having lost it, we are still supported by it. This is a warning to us that we are trembling from our fall, and His protection is that we are still standing. 54. Let no one think that he has really any virtues, even if he can imagine them, for if the Divine protection is left to himself, he will be suddenly saddened and depressed in the very place in which he previously boasted that he stood firm. For what does the man of God signify, going to preach against the altar in Samaria, showing in the presence of the king the power of bold speech, in his miraculous deliverance of the king's outstretched hand, which he subsequently healed with his attentive compassion? His refusal of an invitation to eat at his home because he was keeping God's commandments not to eat on the road? But, nevertheless, he was tempted by the food on the way back and therefore died after accepting it (1 Samuel 13:1–34) 2040. What do we gain from carefully examining this matter, what (if I may say so) do we fear or suspect, except that he may have quietly boasted to himself that he showed contempt to the king by obeying the commandments of the Lord? Thus he was soon deprived of his inner firmness, and that sin arose upon us from the same source as pride overflowed into his heart; that he might understand, when he was deceived by the false prophet, that it was not of his own strength that he bore the orders of the king. But he rightly received the sentence of death from the lips of the very man by whose temptation he had turned away from the commandments of life, that he might receive the true announcement of his punishment from the place where he had inadvertently erred. Because the grace of God especially guards and guides each of His elect, at the very time when He seemed to smite and forsake them, let it be justly said: His soul will approach destruction, and his life to death. So that the more he believes through adversity that he is in his own strength approaching death, he can, in all cases where he has acted decisively, have a firmer ground in life, being under the protection that comes from faith in God. In all this, Job did not sin and did not say anything unreasonable about God. But I know that my Redeemer lives, and on the last day He will raise this decaying skin of mine from the dust, and they were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and everyone ate the same spiritual food; and they all drank the same spiritual drink: for they drank from the spiritual stone that followed; the stone was Christ. But He took upon Himself our infirmities and bore our illnesses; and we thought that He was smitten, punished and humiliated by God. but with true love they grew all into the One who is the head, Christ. Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you and make up for the lack in my flesh of the sorrows of Christ for His Body, which is the Church, But I would like to speak to the Almighty and would like to compete with God. And you are gossipers of lies; you are all useless doctors. The sloth in his eyes is wiser than the seven who answer thoughtfully. and says: Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Therefore, God gave them over to shameful passions: their women replaced natural use with unnatural ones. They reproached him and said: you are His disciple, and we are Moses’ disciples. and you will not think that it is better for us that one man should die for the people, than that the whole people should perish. write what you see in a book and send it to the churches that are in Asia: to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamum, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea. Wisdom built herself a house and hewed out its seven pillars. And then I will declare to them: I never knew you; Depart from me, you workers of iniquity. Then the anger of Elihu the son of Barahiel, a Bozite from the tribe of Ram, was kindled: his anger was kindled against Job because he justified himself more than God, I couldn't find the corresponding quote. Our residence is in heaven... His anger flared up against Job because he justified himself more than God, and his anger flared up against his three friends because they did not find anything to answer, and yet they accused Job. Elihu waited while Job spoke, because they were years older than him. When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouths of those three men, then his anger flared. They left us, but they were not ours: for if they were ours, they would have remained with us; but they came out, and through this it was revealed that they were not all ours. And Elihu the son of Barachiel, the Buzite, answered and said, I am young in years, but you are old men; That's why I was timid and afraid to tell you my opinion. I told myself: let the days speak, and many years teach wisdom. But the spirit in man and the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding. For who makes you different? What do you have that you wouldn't get? And if you received it, why do you boast as if you didn’t receive it? For by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. me, who was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and an offender, but received mercy because I acted this way out of ignorance, in unbelief. I know his boldness, says the Lord, but it is not reliable; his empty words: they will not do so. For you say: “I am rich, I have become rich, and I have need of nothing; but you don’t know that you are unhappy, and pitiful, and poor, and blind, and naked. He also spoke to some who were confident about themselves that they were righteous, and humiliated others, the following parable: two men entered the church to pray: one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this: God! I thank You that I am not like other people, robbers, offenders, adulterers, or like this publican: I fast twice a week, I give a tenth of everything I acquire. The publican, standing in the distance, did not even dare to raise his eyes to heaven; but, striking himself on the chest, he said: God! be merciful to me, a sinner! I tell you that this one went to his house justified more than the other: for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted. … God! and the demons obey us in Thy name. He said to them: I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning. And he said in his heart: “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mountain in the assembly of gods, on the edge of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.” It is not only the old who are wise, and it is not the old who understand the truth. Therefore I say: listen to me, I will tell you my opinion too. Behold, I was waiting for your words - I listened to your judgments while you were figuring out what to say. I looked at you intently, and now none of you denounces Job or responds to his words. Do not say: we have found wisdom: God will refute it, not man. If he had addressed his words to me, I would not have answered him with your speeches. They got scared and didn’t answer anymore; stopped talking. And how I waited, but they didn’t speak, they stopped and didn’t answer anymore, then I will answer from my side, I will declare my opinion too. For this praise of ours is the testimony of our conscience... for I am full of words, and the spirit within me oppresses me. Behold, my womb is like unopened wine: it is ready to burst like new wineskins. I’ll talk, and it will be easier for me; I will open my mouth and answer. And I thought: “I will not remind of Him and I will no longer speak in His name”; but it was in my heart, as it were, a burning fire, shut up in my bones, and I grew weary, holding it, and could not. I said, I will take heed to my ways, lest I sin with my tongue; I will bridle my mouth while the wicked is before me. I was dumb and voiceless, and was silent even about good things; and my grief increased. ... and my grief increased. My heart was inflamed within me; a fire was kindled in my thoughts; ... for I am full of words, and the spirit within me oppresses me. Behold, my womb is like unopened wine: it is ready to burst like new wineskins. Neither do they pour new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins break, and the wine flows out, and the skins are lost, but new wine is poured into new wineskins, and both are preserved. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.? Maybe this quote: And others, mocking, said: they got drunk on sweet wine. (Acts 2:13). I’ll talk, and it will be easier for me; I will open my mouth and answer. Here is the law about the Levites: from twenty-five years of age and above they must enter into service to work at the tabernacle of meeting, and at fifty years old they must stop performing work and no longer work: then let them help their brothers maintain the guard at the tabernacle of meeting... but in my members I see another law, warring against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that is in my members. I will not look at a person’s face and I will not flatter any person, because I do not know how to flatter: kill me now, my Creator. So listen, Job, to my speeches and listen to all my words. Behold, I open my mouth, my tongue speaks in my throat. ...and they ruled with violence and cruelty. We could appear with importance, like the Apostles of Christ, but we were quiet among you, like a nurse tenderly treats her children. ... be always ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and reverence. Have a good conscience, so that those for whom you are slandered as evildoers may be put to shame by those who reproach your good life in Christ. Speak, exhort and reprove this with all authority, so that no one despises you. for He taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes and Pharisees. My words are from the sincerity of my heart, and my lips will utter pure knowledge. If anyone has an emission of semen, he must wash his whole body with water, and he will be unclean until the evening. Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to argue with him; and some said: “What does this fool want to say?”, and others: “It seems that he is preaching about foreign deities,” because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection. And they called Barnabas Zeus, and Paul Hermias, because he was the ruler of the word. And the Lord God created man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. If you can, answer me and stand in front of me. Here I am, at your request, instead of God. I am also formed from clay; Therefore, the fear of me cannot confuse you, and my hand will not be heavy for you. Pride goes before destruction, and arrogance before a fall. You spoke into my ears, and I heard the sound of words. I am pure, without blemish, I am innocent, and there is no unrighteousness in me; and He has found an accusation against me and considers me His opponent; He placed my feet in a block, he watches over all my ways. This is where you are wrong, I answer you, because God is higher than man. I held my truth tightly and will not let it go; my heart shall not rebuke me all my days. And the Lord said to Satan: Have you paid attention to my servant Job? for there is no one like him on earth: a blameless, just, God-fearing man who shuns evil, and is still firm in his integrity; and you stirred Me up against him in order to destroy him innocently. If only God would give me to speak according to understanding and think worthily about what has been given, for He is the guide to wisdom and the corrector of the wise. Your reminders are like ashes; your strongholds are strongholds of clay. ? ... I answer you because God is higher than man. I have become dumb, I do not open my mouth; because You did it. Why should you compete with Him? He does not give an account of any of His deeds. God speaks once and, if not noticed, another time. … “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” ... Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. in a dream, in night vision, when sleep falls on people, while dozing on a bed. After a long time, when Moses grew up, it happened that he went out to his brothers (the sons of Israel) and saw their hard work; and he saw that the Egyptian was beating one of the Hebrews of his brothers (the sons of Israel). Looking here and there and seeing that there was no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. Moses went up to God (on the mountain), and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying: Thus speak to the house of Jacob and tell the children of Israel. I sleep, but my heart is awake; Behold, the voice of my beloved, which knocks: “Open to me, my sister, my beloved, my dove, my pure! because my head is all covered with dew, my curls with night moisture.” With my soul I longed for You at night... Lord! Hear my voice early, early I will appear before You and wait. May the saints triumph in glory, may they rejoice on their beds. Let the praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand. Then He opens man's ear and impresses His instruction. Wounds from beatings are a cure against evil, and blows penetrating the insides of the womb. For I am the least of the Apostles, and am not worthy to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. but I subdue and enslave my body, so that, while preaching to others, I myself may not remain unworthy. So we are always in good spirits; and how we know that, being settled in the body, we are removed from the Lord. but in my members I see another law, warring against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that is in my members. Poor man I am! who will deliver me from this body of death? Now we see as if through a dark glass, fortune-telling, but then face to face; Now I know in part, but then I will know, even as I am known. For we know that when our earthly house, this hut, is destroyed, we have from God a dwelling in heaven, a house not made with hands, eternal. and he has enlightened the eyes of your heart, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of His glorious inheritance are for the saints, and how immeasurable is the greatness of His power in us who believe according to the working of His sovereign power. Is not man's time on earth determined, and are his days not the same as the days of a mercenary? Behold, You have given me days as inches, and my life as nothing before You. Truly, every living person is complete vanity. Woe is me that I dwell with Mosoch, I dwell at the tents of Kedar. to divert a person from any enterprise and remove pride from him. for the beginning of sin is pride, and he who possesses it spews out abomination. to take his soul away from the abyss and his life from defeat by the sword. Or he is admonished by sickness on his bed and severe pain in all his bones. But so that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins, then he says to the paralytic: get up, take up your bed, and go to your house. I say to you: get up, take up your bed and go to your house. But so that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins, He said to the paralytic: I say to you, get up, take up your bed and go to your house. Peter said to him: Aeneas! Jesus Christ heals you; get out of your bed. And he immediately stood up. Avoid evil and do good, and you will live forever. The Lord will strengthen him on his sickbed. You will change his whole bed in his illness. He keeps all his bones; not one of them will be crushed. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who was crucified with Him. And Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” and his life turns away from bread and his soul from his favorite food. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; And the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. One who walks in righteousness and speaks the truth; who despises the gain of oppression, keeps his hands from taking bribes, stops his ears so as not to hear about bloodshed, and closes his eyes so as not to see evil; he will dwell on the heights; his refuge is inaccessible rocks; bread will be given to him; his water will not run out. Blessing his food, I will bless him; I will satisfy his poor with bread. Living in the land of Themai! bring water to meet the thirsty; meet those running with bread. Why do you weigh out money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen to Me carefully and eat what is good, and let your soul enjoy the fatness. “Stolen waters are sweet, and hidden bread is pleasant.” And Jacob made a vow, saying: If (the Lord) God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I am going on, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear. Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw miracles, but because you ate bread and were filled.” All his people sigh, seeking bread, and give their treasures for food to refresh their souls. “Look, Lord, and see how humiliated I am!” The flesh on him disappears, so that it is not visible, and his bones are revealed, which were not visible. During the day the Lord will show His mercy, and at night I have a song to Him, a prayer to the God of my life. They obeyed him; and calling the Apostles, they beat them and, forbidding them to speak about the name of Jesus, sent them away. They left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of the Lord Jesus. Peter and the Apostles answered and said: We must obey God rather than men. And although they were punished a little, they would be greatly favored, because God tested them and found them worthy of Him. He tested them like gold in a crucible and accepted them as an all-perfect sacrifice. And his soul approaches the grave and his life approaches death. For He knows our composition, He remembers that we are dust. Man's days are like grass; like the flower of the field, so it blooms. I couldn't find a similar quote.