Thomas Aquinas Commentary Job 2

There are three kinds of human goods: those of the soul, of the body, and external things. These goods are ordered in such a way that the body exists for the sake of the soul, while external things exist for the sake of both the body and the soul. Therefore, just as a person has a perverse intention if he subordinates the goods of the soul to prosperity in external goods, so too does he have a perverse intention if he orders the goods of the soul to the health of the body.

Job truly abounded in virtuous acts, which are the goods of the soul. This was obvious to all, and so the Lord said to Satan, Have you considered my servant Job...? (Job 1:8). But Satan was slanderously suggesting that Job performed virtuous acts for the sake of temporal goods, just as evil people, whose prince is Satan, maliciously judge the intentions of the good. This slander was refuted by the fact that after losing his external goods, Job remained steadfast in virtue. This sufficiently proves that his intention was not focused on external goods.

It remained, then, for the perfect demonstration of Job’s virtue, to show that his intention was not bent toward the health of his own body. Therefore, divine judgment is again invoked to prove this. This is what the text says: Again on a certain day when the sons of God came to stand in the presence of the Lord, and Satan also came among them and stood in his presence. The Lord said to Satan: Where do you come from? Since these words have already been explained at length, there is no need to linger on them here. It is enough to note that because this passage recounts another action, another day is introduced, just as at the beginning of Genesis different days are described according to the different kinds of things that were created. Then, what Satan answered when questioned is shown when the text says, From prowling and going about the earth (Job 1:7). This has the same meaning as before.

Once again, the Lord presents Job's virtue as something evident, and so the text continues: The Lord said to Satan: Have you considered my servant Job; there is none like him on earth? He is a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil. Since a certain virtue of blessed Job that was not clear before has now been plainly demonstrated—namely, his constancy in adversity—He therefore now adds, He still holds fast his innocence, that is, after the loss of his temporal goods. From this, the Lord further shows that Satan’s suspicion was slanderous and that his intention was frustrated. And so the text next says, although you moved me against him to afflict him in vain.

In saying, You moved me against him, we must not understand this to mean that God was provoked by anyone into willing something He did not previously will, as is often the case with humans. For according to Numbers 23:19, God is not like a man, that he should lie, nor like a son of man that he should change. Here, Scripture speaks of God figuratively, in a human way. For when people want to do something because of someone’s influence, they are said to be moved by that other person. God, however, wills to do something, and so He does it for a particular reason. Yet He does it without any agitation of mind, because He had the reason for doing it in mind from all eternity.

So, the Lord had arranged from all eternity to afflict Job in time to prove the truth of his virtue, in order to prevent every slander of the wicked. To indicate this, the text says, You moved me against him. When the text adds, to afflict him in vain, this must be understood from the perspective of Satan's intention, not from the perspective of God's intention. Satan, in intending Job's adversity, had desired to lead him into impatience and blasphemy, which did not happen. God, however, permitted this to proclaim Job's virtue openly, which is in fact what happened. Therefore, Job was afflicted in vain from the perspective of Satan's intention, but not from the perspective of God's intention.

Though repulsed, Satan does not rest. He continues his slander, wanting to show that every good thing Job did—even patiently tolerating his adversity—he had done not for the love of God, but for the health of his own body. So the text continues, Then Satan answered the Lord: Skin for skin! All that man has he will give for his life. We must consider that Job had been afflicted in two ways: the loss of his possessions and the loss of his children. Satan, therefore, intends to say that Job had patiently tolerated both afflictions for the sake of his body's health. This, he argues, was not a great virtue but was merely human and common among people.

This is what he means by saying a man—as if anyone, even those without virtue—will easily give skin for skin!, that is, the flesh of another in place of his own. For a man who is not virtuous will insist that anyone else, even those closely related to him, should be afflicted in body rather than himself. For the same reason, any person, regardless of who they are, will give all the external goods he possesses for his life, that is, to preserve his own life. For external goods are sought to preserve life, such as a supply of food, clothing, and other things that comfortably maintain a person's life.

Since someone might say to Satan, “How can you prove that Job patiently bore the loss of his children and possessions because he feared for his own skin and life?” he now adds, as if in answer to this objection: But now, if you do not believe mere words, put forth your hand—that is, exercise your power—and touch his bone and his flesh. This means to afflict him in his body, not only on the surface (which is what “to touch the flesh” means), but also in his innermost part (which is what “to touch the bone” means), so that the touch reaches his very core. And you will see—that is, everyone will be able to clearly perceive—that he will curse you to your face, which must be interpreted as explained before.

Therefore, the Lord willed to show that Job had not served God for the health of his body, just as He had already shown that Job did not serve Him for the sake of external goods. And so the text adds, The Lord said to Satan: Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life. This means, “I grant you power to afflict him in his body, but you cannot take his life.” For God does not completely expose His servants to the will of Satan, but only to a fitting measure, as the Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:13, The faithful God does not suffer you to be tempted beyond what you can endure.

When Satan had received the power, he proceeded to execute it. The text continues, “So Satan went forth from the face of the Lord and afflicted Job,” with what was truly an abominable and shameful blow. The text says it was “with sores,” which were incurable and painful—that is, “loathsome”—extending entirely “from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.”

The afflictions of the sick are customarily alleviated by pleasant, external cures. But Job was not relieved in this way, for the text continues, “Job scraped the bloody matter with a shard.” In this, the text shows that pleasant and soothing remedies were not applied to him. “And he sat in a dungheap.” This shows that he did not recover in a pleasant place, on soft straw, or with a pleasing aroma; instead, he endured the opposite.

This could have happened in two ways. First, after being struck by the Lord, he might have voluntarily afflicted and humiliated himself even more to obtain mercy more easily. Second, because he had lost everything he owned, he could not afford suitable cures for himself. This second possibility is quite probable based on what the Lord said earlier, as it does not seem that Satan acted beyond the power given to him to cause harm.

In their afflictions, people customarily find solace in the words of those offering consolation. But Job’s affliction was accompanied by irritating words, which were all the more provocative because the person who spoke them was so closely connected to him. The text continues, “Then his wife said to him.” She was the only person the devil left untouched, so that through her—just as he had deceived the first man through a woman—he might assault the mind of this righteous man.

This woman first broke out in words of mockery: “Do you still hold fast your simplicity?” It is as if she said, “After so many punishments, you should at least know that it was useless for you to guard your simplicity.” Someone like her says the same in the prophet Malachi: “It is vain to serve God. What is the profit in keeping his commandments?” (Malachi 3:14). Second, she proceeded to words of perverse suggestion, saying, “Bless God” (that is, curse God). It is as if she said, “Since adversity came upon you when you were blessing God, curse God, and you will enjoy prosperity.” Finally, she concluded with words of despair, saying, “and die.” It is as if she said, “Consider yourself as good as dead, because nothing is left for you in maintaining your simplicity except to die.” Alternatively, “Bless God and die” can be understood to mean that since you have been so afflicted with adversity after showing such reverence for God, if you still bless God, nothing remains for you but to wait for death.

The holy man, who had borne his own troubles patiently, could not bear the offense against God, for the text continues: “But he said to her: You have spoken like one of the foolish women speaks.” He rightly accuses her of foolishness for speaking against divine wisdom. He shows that she spoke foolishly when he adds, “If we received good at the hand of the Lord, shall we not also tolerate evil?”

In this, he teaches the perfect wisdom for humanity. Since temporal and physical goods should be loved only for the sake of spiritual and eternal ones, a person should not be dejected when deprived of the former, nor puffed up when possessing them in abundance, as long as the latter—which are more important—are preserved. Job, therefore, teaches us that we should have such steadfastness of spirit that if temporal goods are given to us by God, we use them without being puffed up with pride; and if we face the contrary evil, we endure it so that our soul is not dejected by its lack. This accords with what St. Paul says in the last chapter of Philippians: “I know how to be humbled and how to enjoy prosperity” (Philippians 4:12), and further on, “I can do all things in him who gives me comfort” (Philippians 4:13). Finally, the conclusion that Job persevered in innocence is given when it is said, “In all these things Job did not sin with his lips.”

The devil strove to exasperate the mind of blessed Job not only through his wife but also through his friends, who, although they came to console him, eventually resorted to words of rebuke. Regarding this, the text says, “Now when Job’s three friends heard of all the evil which had come upon him, they came, each from his own place: Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuite, and Zophar the Naamathite.”

Because nearly the entire debate of this book occurs between these men, we must consider that these three were of the same opinion as Job in some respects, and so they were called his friends. In other respects, they differed from him and were in agreement among themselves; for this reason, they are grouped together and distinguished from Job. They agreed with Job that not only natural things but also human affairs are subject to divine providence. However, they differed from him in their belief that God rewards a person for good deeds with temporal prosperity and punishes a person for evil deeds with temporal adversity. They viewed temporal goods as the rewards for virtue and temporal evils as the proper punishments for sin. Each of these men strives to defend this opinion in his own way, as his own character suggested to him, which is why they are said to have come “each from his own place.” Job, however, was not of this opinion. He believed that the good works of people are directed toward a future spiritual reward after this life, and likewise, that sins would be punished with future punishments.

The next verse expresses that these friends came to console Job, saying, “They agreed to come to visit him together and console him.” In this, they showed themselves to be true friends by not deserting him in a time of tribulation, for Sirach says, “A man’s friend is recognized in sorrow and evil” . At first, the visit itself was certainly consoling, for it is most delightful to see and associate with a friend. They also consoled him by their actions, showing him signs of compassion. The text now introduces what provoked these signs. “When they saw him from afar, they did not recognize him,” for his face was changed by sores, and his fine clothing and appearance were gone due to the loss of his possessions. The phrase “from afar” should be understood to mean the typical distance from which a person can be recognized. This change in their friend stirred them to a sadness and compassion that they showed by external signs. The text continues: “and raising their voices,” out of the great depth of their sorrow, “they wept, and they rent their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads,” as a sign of humility and dejection, as though they felt themselves cast down by their friend’s downfall. The text adds “heavenward,” as though they hoped to provoke the mercy of heaven by this humiliation.

Consider that the compassion of friends is a consolation, either because adversity, like a burden, is more lightly borne when carried by many, or because all sorrow is alleviated when mixed with pleasure. Experiencing someone’s friendship is very pleasurable, and this pleasure, which especially comes from their compassion in adversity, offers consolation.

They consoled him not only by showing him compassion but also by showing their fellowship with him, for the text continues, “they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights.” Nevertheless, one must not understand this to mean a continuous period but rather at suitable times, for great sorrow required consolation over a long time. But they did not offer him the third form of consolation, which is especially found in words, for the text continues, “and no one said a word to him.” The cause of their silence is shown when the text continues, “for they saw that his suffering was very great.” This cause reflects the consolers’ perception more than the actual state of the one afflicted. For when a person’s mind is absorbed with pain, he does not listen to words of consolation. As Ovid remarks, “Who but someone with no good sense would forbid a mother to weep at the funeral of her child?” Job, however, was not so disposed that he could not accept consolation because of his great sorrow. Rather, he consoled himself greatly according to reason, as is apparent from the words quoted earlier.