Thomas Aquinas Commentary Job 1:12-19

"And Jehovah said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thy hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of Jehovah. And it fell on a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother`s house, that there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them; and the Sabeans fell [upon them], and took them away: yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have taken them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother`s house; and, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee." — Job 1:12-19 (ASV)

After considering the cause of the blessed Job’s adversity, the text consequently shows how that adversity came upon him. Because Satan produced all the adversity, the text first speaks about him, saying, So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, as if to use the power permitted to him. It is expressly stated, He went out from the presence of the Lord. Satan is in the presence of the Lord in the sense that he is permitted the power to harm someone, because this happens according to the reasonable will of God. But when he uses this permitted power, he goes out from the presence of the Lord, because he turns away from the intention of the one who gave him permission. This is apparent in this case: God permitted him to harm Job to make Job’s virtue clearly known. However, Satan did not afflict him for this reason, but to provoke him to impatience and blasphemy.

At the same time, what we said earlier is clearly shown to be true in this text. Satan came to present himself among the sons of God attending in His presence, in the sense that some are said to attend in God's presence who are subject to divine judgment and examination, not in the sense of those who see God. So here the text does not say Satan was cast away from God’s presence, but that he went out from the presence of God, as if he turned away from the intention of His providence, although he was not able to escape the order of that providence.

Notice that the order in which the adversities are explained is the exact opposite of the order in which the prosperity was explained. The account of prosperity proceeded from the more important to the less important, beginning with the person of Job himself. After him came his offspring and then his animals—first the sheep and then the rest. This was done reasonably, because the duration that cannot be preserved in one’s own person is sought in one’s offspring, for whose sustenance possessions are needed. In the adversity, however, the opposite order is presented. First, the loss of possessions is reported, then the destruction of the children, and third, the affliction of his own person. This is to increase the adversity, for someone oppressed by a greater adversity does not feel a lesser one. But after a lesser adversity, one feels a greater one. Therefore, so that Job would feel each individual affliction and be disturbed into greater impatience, Satan began to afflict him with a small adversity and gradually proceeded to greater ones.

Consider also that the human soul is more disturbed by things that happen suddenly, for adversities that are foreseen are more easily tolerated. Therefore, to disturb Job more, Satan brought adversity upon him at a time of the greatest joy, when he would least expect it, so that the adversity might seem more severe by its contrast with his rejoicing. For “when contrary things are placed side by side, they become clearer in their contrast.” Therefore, the text says, on a certain day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine, which is included here specifically to indicate joy, because according to Sirach, Wine was created from the beginning for rejoicing, not for drunkenness . They were in their eldest brother’s house, which is included to show greater solemnity, for it is likely that a more solemn banquet would be celebrated in the home of the firstborn.

A messenger came to Job and said: The oxen were plowing, which would remind him of his profits, so that the damage would seem more unbearable. And the donkeys feeding beside them, which is also included to increase his pain, as he considered that the enemy attacked at a time when they could steal more at once. And the Sabeans fell upon them—namely, an enemy from far away, from whom the stolen goods could not be easily retrieved. And took everything, so that nothing remained for necessary use or breeding. They struck down the servants with the sword, which was a graver matter for the just man. I alone have escaped to tell you, as if to say: the fact that I alone escaped happened by God’s design so that you could have an account of such a great loss, as if God himself intended to afflict you with pain.

Immediately after the announcement of this adversity, another is announced, so that no interval would occur in which Job might recover his composure and patiently prepare himself to endure what followed more easily. Because of this, the text adds, While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said: The fire of God—that is, sent by God—fell from heaven. This was as if to impress upon his mind that he was suffering persecution not only from men but also from God, and thus he might be more easily provoked against God. And it burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them, as if to say: this was divinely caused, so that everything was consumed immediately at the touch of the fire, which is beyond the natural power of fire. And I alone have escaped to tell you.

The text continues, While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said: The Chaldeans (who were fierce and powerful) formed three companies to emphasize how strong they were, so that he could not hope for revenge or recovery of his lost goods. The text then shows what he lost, saying, and made a raid on the camels and took them, and struck down the servants with the sword. I alone have escaped to tell you.

The destruction of his children follows. While he was still speaking, another messenger entered and said: Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their brother’s house. This was so their death would be sadder for Job, since he would be uncertain about their state of sin preceding their death. For he used to sanctify them and offer burnt offerings for each one for this reason, because he was afraid that they had incurred some sin during their banquets. So that he could not think they had repented or made provision for their souls, the text adds, a violent wind suddenly rushed in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. This is said to show the force of the wind, which unusually destroyed the whole house at once, which shows the wind was sent by divine will. This was so Job would be more easily moved against God when he was afflicted by the very One he had served with a devout mind. To compound his sorrow even more, the devastation of his children's death is added, when the text says, It fell and crushed the young people, and they are dead—namely, all of them, so that no hope of posterity would remain in the escape of even one child. This was believed to be more sorrowful because although all the children were destroyed, one of the servants escaped only to increase his pain, for there follows, and I alone have escaped to tell you.

Since all this adversity comes from Satan, we must confess that with God’s permission, demons can bring about turbulence in the air, stir up the winds, and make fire fall from heaven. For although physical matter obeys only the command of God the Creator for the reception of forms, and does not obey the command of either good or wicked angels, physical nature is nevertheless naturally subject to spiritual nature regarding local movement. Evidence of this appears in humans, for the members of the body are moved at the mere command of the will to perform the act the will desires. Therefore, whatever can be accomplished by local motion alone can be done by the natural power of not only good but also wicked angels, unless prohibited by divine power.

The winds, the rains, and other similar disturbances in the atmosphere are caused only by the motion of vapors released from the earth and the water. Thus, a demon’s natural power is sufficient to produce these things. However, they are sometimes prohibited by divine power, so they are not permitted to do everything they are naturally able to do. Nor does this contradict what is said in Jeremiah: Are there any among the false gods of the nations that can give rain? (Jeremiah 14:22). For it is one thing for rain to occur by natural causes—which is the work of God alone, who orders these natural causes—and it is another thing to artificially use those natural causes ordered by God to produce rain or wind, sometimes in an almost extraordinary way.