Jó 29
John Chrysostom · Comentário Patrístico (catena)
Jó 29:1-2
What do the words "he adds at the beginning of his speech" mean? It is not that he completes his speeches, but he comes back to his starting point, without allowing his adversaries to interrupt him or to begin new arguments. What does he say? I would like to live one month of my old happiness in order to shut your mouth and to show you who I was."One month comparable to a month of my past days." He calls for nothing extraordinary, only to live his past happiness for thirty days and to enjoy that prosperity with which nobody can provide him anymore. Then he describes it through his words. In fact, since it was impossible now [to live his past happiness], he shows it through his words and says what he did and how he lived before. See the piety of the man: he attributes everything to God. In fact, it is impossible that a person deprived of divine help may ever stand. — COMMENTARY ON JOB 29:2A
Jó 29:2-3
If he actually searched for his former happiness, that was in order to show the providence of God; this is clear when he says, "In the days when God watched over me." Then he gives evidence of this godly watch. "When his lamp," he says, "shone over my head." This means, you will make the light of my lamp shine, because a lamp is really necessary, if the present darkness is deep, if the difficulties of my situation are serious, as well as the assaults of physical suffering, and the plots of the wicked and the fights and attacks of cruel demons. All this shows that "by his light I walked through darkness." You see that darkness invades everything and that "light shines through darkness." But, as natural darkness is useful to have rest, it is not useful because of its own nature but thanks to the wisdom of God, who has created everything. — COMMENTARY ON JOB 29:2A-5
Jó 29:11-12
In order to explain why they proclaimed him to be blessed, he mentions his good works. "I have saved," he says, "the poor from the hand of the powerful," but it is after attributing to God the merit of protecting and watching him that "he is glorified in the Lord." — COMMENTARY ON JOB 29:10-12
Jó 29:14
"I put on righteousness," he says. There are people who occupy higher positions than others but who often commit injustice. But this is not the case with Job, because he constantly lived in the greatest righteousness. So, when with regard to God you hear that "he is clothed with righteousness," do not believe that real garments clothe incorporeal beings. Job did not wear that kind of garment either. "And I clothed myself with judgment like a double mantle." That was my elegance. To be sure, others are unhappy with that activity; they find it unpleasant and heavy. But I did not, he says. As one is proud of a double mantle, so I was constantly glorified … in that activity. But who appointed him to be a judge? He became one by himself, thanks to his virtue, like Moses. — COMMENTARY ON JOB 29:13-18
Jó 29:15
See how these miracles are worthy of the apostles. Job was not able to give sight back to them, because that charisma did not yet exist, but he provided them with light, even though they remained blind, whereas now we even make blind those who are able to see. He did not say, I employed my servants to do that, but I, he says, corrected the errors of nature, not only the errors that derived from the action of people but also those coming from nature itself. — COMMENTARY ON JOB 29:13-18