Thomas Aquinas Commentary Job 1:1-5

"There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and turned away from evil. And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the children of the east. And his sons went and held a feast in the house of each one upon his day; and they sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt-offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and renounced God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually." — Job 1:1-5 (ASV)

As was stated in the Prologue, the entire purpose of this book is to show how human affairs are governed by divine providence. A history is presented first, relating the many sufferings of a particular just man, which serves as the foundation for the entire debate.

This is because affliction of this kind seems, more than anything else, to exclude divine providence from human affairs. Therefore, the man is first described by his sex when the text says, There was a man, as this sex is found to be stronger in enduring troubles. He is also described by his land of origin when the text continues, in the land of Hus, which is located in the East. Finally, his name is given: whose name was Job. These two details seem to be included to suggest that this is not a parable but recounts an actual event.

Job’s virtue is then described, showing him to be free from sin, so that no one would think the adversities described later happened to him because of his sins. A person sins in three ways: against a neighbor (such as murder, adultery, and theft), against God (such as perjury, sacrilege, and blasphemy), and against oneself. As Saint Paul says, He who fornicates, sins against his own body (1 Corinthians 6:18).

One can sin against a neighbor in two ways: secretly through fraud or openly through violence. Job did not deceive his neighbor with fraud, for the text says he was without guile (simplex). Being without guile is the proper opposite of fraud. Nor did he commit violence against anyone, for the text continues, and upright. Uprightness properly belongs to justice, which lies in the mean between good and evil, as Isaiah says, The way of the just is upright; you make straight the path the righteous walk (Isaiah 26:7).

The text clearly indicates that he did not sin openly against God when it continues, and he feared God, which points to his reverence for God. The fact that he also did not sin against himself is shown when the text states, and turned away from evil. This is because he regarded evil with hatred for his own sake, not only for the sake of harming his neighbor or offending God.

After describing the man and his virtue, the text then shows his prosperity. This is done so that the adversity that follows may be judged as more severe because of the prosperity that preceded it. At the same time, this also demonstrates that God’s first intention is to give not only spiritual goods but also temporal goods to the just. The fact that the just are sometimes afflicted with adversities happens for a special reason. For this reason, from the beginning, man was established in such a way that he would not have been subject to any disturbances if he had remained in innocence.

After the good that one possesses personally, an element of temporal prosperity consists in one's relatives, especially children, who are in a sense a part of their parents. Therefore, Job’s prosperity is first described in terms of his many children when the text says, There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. The number of sons is fittingly greater than the number of daughters because parents usually have more affection for sons. This is both because what is more perfect is more desirable (men are compared to women as perfect to imperfect) and because sons are usually of more help in managing business than daughters.

Next, Job’s prosperity is shown by the great number of his riches, especially his animals. In the early days of the human race, possessing animals was more valuable than possessing land because of the small number of people. This was especially true in the East, where even now there are few inhabitants compared to the size of the region. Among the animals, those most useful for providing food and clothing are listed first, namely sheep, so the text continues, His property was seven thousand sheep. Next are the animals most useful as beasts of burden, camels, so the text adds, and three thousand camels.

Third are the animals that serve to cultivate the fields, as the text says, five hundred yoke of oxen. Fourth are the animals used for transportation, so the text says, and five hundred she-asses, from which mules are bred, which the ancients used especially as mounts. All other species serving similar purposes are categorized under these four types; for example, all animals needed for food and clothing are included with the sheep, and so on.

Since people with great wealth need many servants to manage it, the text fittingly adds, and a great number of servants. Finally, his prosperity is established in terms of his honor and reputation, which was known far and wide. This is what the text means when it says, So this man was accounted great among all the peoples of the East; that is, he was honored and respected.

To praise Job even more, the discipline of his household is described next, noting it was free from the vices that wealth usually produces. Very often, great wealth produces discord; Genesis says that Abraham and Lot could not live together because of the quarreling that arises from an abundance of possessions (Compare to Genesis 13). Also, people with many possessions, while loving them excessively, frequently use them too sparingly. As Ecclesiastes says, There is another evil which I see under the sun, and which happens frequently among men: a man to whom God gave wealth, possessions and honor so that his soul lacks nothing he desires. Yet God does not give him power to consume it (Ecclesiastes 6:1–2).

The house of blessed Job was free from these evils, for harmony, joy, and proper frugality were found there. The text states, His sons used to go and hold banquets in each other’s houses, each one on his appointed day. This charity and harmony existed not only among the brothers but also extended to the sisters, who are often despised by their brothers because of the pride that wealth generally produces. So the text adds, And they would send and invite their sisters to eat and drink with them.

At the same time, this also shows the confidence Job had in his daughters’ chastity. Otherwise, they would not have been allowed to go about in public but would have been kept at home, as Sirach wisely says, Do not forget to keep a firm watch on your daughter lest she abuse an opportunity she finds .

Just as frugality and harmony flourished in Job’s house, so a holy concern for purity—which riches frequently destroy or diminish—flourished in Job himself. As Deuteronomy says, But he waxed fat, and kicked... and he forsook the God who made him (Deuteronomy 32:18). Job was so concerned for his own purity that he completely removed himself from things that could defile it, as shown in the text already quoted: He feared God and turned away from evil.

But he was also concerned for the purity of his sons, even though he permitted them to have banquets as an indulgence for their age, since some things can be tolerated in young people that would be reprehensible in adults. Because it is difficult at banquets to avoid inappropriate humor, excessive speech, or immoderate use of food, he provided a remedy of purification for his sons, whom he did not keep from these banquets. The text says, And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send for them and purified them.

The phrase “days of banqueting had run their course” is used because, with seven sons each holding a banquet on his own appointed day, the feasts would use up the seven days of the week. Afterward, the cycle of banquets would begin again, just like the days of the week. It should be noted, however, that although Job indulged his sons by allowing them to have feasts, he did not participate himself, thus preserving his maturity. The text says, He would send for them, but not that he would go himself.

The manner of this purification, by which he sanctified them through an intermediary, can be understood in two ways. Either he had them instructed with helpful warnings so that they would correct anything wrong they had done at the banquets, or he had them perform a rite of expiation to atone for these kinds of faults, as sacrifices and the offering of first fruits and tithes existed even before the Law was given.

At banquets, people not only sometimes fall into impurity in the ways already mentioned, but also immerse themselves in more serious sins, even holding God in contempt. This happens when, because of moral depravity, their reason is dulled and they are separated from reverence for God, as Exodus says, The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play (Exodus 32:6)—that is, to fornicate and to sacrifice to idols. So Job not only assisted his sons by purifying them from their minor faults, but he was also eager to add a remedy for their more serious sins so they might be pleasing to God: And rising at dawn he offered burnt offerings for each one.

These words show the perfection of his devotion. This is seen in the timing, because he rose at dawn, as Psalm 5 says, In the morning, I will stand before you... (Psalms 5:5); in the manner of the offering, because he offered burnt offerings which were completely burned in God’s honor, with no part remaining for the use of the offerer or the one for whom it was offered, as was the case with peace or sin offerings; and in the number of the offerings, because he offered one for each of his sons, for each sin must be expiated by a suitable satisfaction.

The text adds the reason for offering the burnt offerings, saying, For he (Job) said in his heart—not with certainty, but with doubt about his sons’ sins—It may be that my sons have sinned in word or deed, and blessed (benedixerint) God in their hearts. This can be understood in two ways. First, the phrase can be taken as a single idea. Although blessing God is good, blessing God for the fact that one has sinned means that one’s will consents to the sin. This is blameworthy, as we read in Zechariah against certain men: Feed the flocks doomed to slaughter, which they killed who took possession... and sold them saying: Blessed be the Lord, we have become rich (Zechariah 11:4–5).

Alternatively, the phrase can be understood differently, where “they blessed” (benedixerint) actually means “they cursed” (maledixerint). The crime of blasphemy is so horrible that pious lips dread to speak its proper name, and so they call it by its opposite. Burnt offerings are fittingly offered for the sin of blasphemy, because sins committed against God must be expiated by a sign of divine respect.

When divine worship is rare, people usually celebrate it more devoutly; but when it is frequent, it often becomes tiresome. This is the sin of acedia, namely, when someone is saddened by spiritual work. Job was not subject to this sin, for the text adds, Job did this every day, maintaining an unwavering devotion in divine worship.