Jó 31

Julian of Eclanum · Comentário Patrístico (catena)

Jó 31:1-2

Deep affect is tightly united with this verse. Not even at the time, he says, when the sweetness of the harp softened my ears did I allow any lustful feeling to dwell in my heart, even though the sounds tuned with art affected the senses. "I have made a covenant with my eyes." After the search for justice and the feeling of mercifulness, he places the virtue of chastity in the highest position. — EXPOSITION ON THE BOOK OF JOB 31:1

Jó 31:13

After describing his virtues of justice, mercifulness and chastity, he adds now a new one, that is, the virtue of moderation. Indeed, he does not defend himself against the complaints of his servants with the authority of a landlord but by satisfying the reasons of righteousness. — EXPOSITION ON THE BOOK OF JOB 31:12-13

Jó 31:16

"If I have withheld anything that the poor desired." In order that it might not appear that by humanely treating his servants, he did not practice a real liberality but only took care of his property, he says that he tended the hand of mercy and benevolence to strangers as well. In a different sense, one who does not wait to satisfy the desire of the needy donates without the slightest hesitation. "Or if I have caused the eyes of the widow to fail." The caring affection of the merciful offers everything, because he thinks that everything must be asked of him. — EXPOSITION ON THE BOOK OF JOB 31:16

Jó 31:34-35

Since he had been driven to the confession of his virtues both by the accusations of his friends and his pious devotion to God [and from the fear of God his virtues had proceeded], he now chooses to add the testimony of the sentence of the Judge in support of his words, so that, after God had declared that he had said the truth, no one among his opponents may deny it. — EXPOSITION ON THE BOOK OF JOB 31:35