Thomas Aquinas Commentary Job 5

Recalling the revelation made to him—which included that men dwell in houses of clay whose foundation is in the dust and die eaten as by a moth (Job 4:19)—Eliphaz now wants to demonstrate this truth through the different conditions of humanity. For there is no human condition in which there is not a tendency to sin. Now, there are two conditions of man. Some are great and haughty in spirit and are easily provoked to anger, because anger is the desire for revenge originating from a previous injury. Thus, the more haughty a man is in his soul, the more he considers himself offended by a slight cause and is therefore more easily provoked to anger. Therefore, he says, Wrath kills the fool, because a man especially exceeds the boundaries of reason through his pride, whereas humility prepares the way for wisdom. As Proverbs says, Where there is humility, there is wisdom (Proverbs 11:2). The foolishness of anger also corresponds with this, because the angry man—as Aristotle teaches—uses reason in seeking revenge for an injury, but he uses it wrongly when he does not maintain the moderation of reason in his revenge. This perversion of reason is foolishness. Other men are timid, and these are prone to envy. So he continues, and jealousy slays the simple. He says this with good reason, for envy is nothing other than sadness over another's prosperity, based on the belief that the other's prosperity impedes one's own. When someone does not believe he can prosper alongside others who are also prospering, this comes from a smallness of soul. So it is clear that humanity, in whatever condition it exists, is prone to some sin. For it would be easy to present similar arguments concerning other sins.

By all he has said until now, Eliphaz intends to prove that adversities in this world do not happen to anyone except as a punishment for sin. Two objections seem to arise against this. The first is that many just men appear to be subject to adversities, but he seems to have answered this by showing that men sin easily. The second objection is that some wicked men prosper in this world. He intends to answer this objection next by showing the way in which their prosperity ultimately results in their own evil. So he says, I have seen the fool—that is, the man who takes pride in his riches—taking root, appearing to be firmly established in the prosperity of this world. But I did not approve of his prosperity. Rather, I suddenly cursed his beauty. Consider here that he speaks of a man using the metaphor of a tree, whose roots produce beauty in its branches and fruit when they are firm in the ground. He therefore compares the prosperity of a man rooted in riches to the beauty of a tree, which he curses by declaring it to be evil and harmful. As Qoheleth says, There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, riches kept by their owner to his harm (Ecclesiastes 5:12). He adds the word suddenly to show that he in no way doubts this opinion.

He first demonstrates the evils that proceed from the fool's prosperity with respect to his sons. For it frequently happens that when a rich and powerful man—which is characteristic of the fool—raises his sons without discipline, his sons fall into many dangers. Sometimes, for example, they are destroyed without due process because of the hatreds stirred up against them. Or, when they are not careful but indulge in pleasures excessively, they even lose their lives. Regarding this, he says, His sons are far from health. Sometimes, when they inflict slander and injuries on others, they are brought to trial before judges and are condemned. Regarding this, he says, They will be crushed at the city gate, where judges used to pass sentence, for judges at one time sat at the city gates. Because foolish men do not hesitate to offend others when they prosper, they find no help in adversity. And so he continues, and there will be no one to deliver them.

But someone could object, "I do not care what happens to my sons as long as I enjoy prosperity in the world." As a second consideration, then, he discusses the bad things that befall the fool in both his property and his person, saying, The hungry will eat his harvest. For foolish men with a great deal of money frequently oppress the poor, who are usually not strong enough to endure many physical burdens and so are almost compelled by need to steal the goods of the rich. Such men live such an extravagant way of life that they usually lose their strength of soul through life's delights and become unfit for work. Thus, they are easily destroyed by the battle-hardened poor. He therefore says, Armed men will seize him, as though he offered no resistance. What he has said about the harvest can be understood universally, and so he continues, and the thirsty will pant after his wealth—that is, men who are desirous of wealth.

After answering these objections, he finally presents an argument to prove his main proposition: that adversities in this world do not happen to anyone except as a punishment for sin. His argument is this: Whatever happens on earth happens from proper and determined causes. Therefore, if adversities happen to someone in this world, this must have a determined cause, which can only be sin. So he says that nothing on earth happens without a cause, for we observe that all effects proceed from a determined cause. From this fact, he concludes, For affliction does not arise from the dust. This is a metaphor. For some plants are produced without seed; these are said to be produced by spontaneous generation from the soil itself. By a kind of likeness, anything that does not appear to have a proper cause—like a plant reproducing without seed—is metaphorically said to arise from the soil. Affliction (that is, adversity) does not arise from the soil (that is, without a cause). From his statement that nothing on earth happens without a cause, it is clear that everything has a natural disposition suited to its own proper operation. From this, it is apparent that the natural dispositions of things are not without a cause but exist for a determined end. So Eliphaz says, but man is born to toil and the bird to fly. For just as the proper motion required by a bird's nature is to fly, so the bird must have from its nature the instruments suitable for flying—namely, wings and feathers. Man, however, because he has reason that enables him to discover all the necessary aids for his life by his own effort, was naturally made without the aids that nature gives to other animals. These aids—such as coverings, weapons, and other such things—he can make for himself through the industry of his reason.

Eliphaz proposed that everything that happens on earth has a specific cause. He proved this by observing that natural things appear to be directed toward an end. This fact—that natural things exist to achieve a purpose—is the most powerful argument for showing that the world is ruled by divine providence and that all things do not happen by chance. From this premise, Eliphaz immediately draws a conclusion about the government of divine providence.

Note that if there were no divine providence, prayer would be fruitless, and God would have no knowledge of human deeds. One who concedes the rule of divine providence must also admit these points. Therefore, from the fact that everything on earth is for a purpose, Eliphaz concludes that one must concede the rule of providence. He says, “This is why I entreat the Lord,” as if to say, “Since God directs human affairs, this prayer is fruitful.” He continues, “and I set my speech before God,” because God knows human deeds, words, and thoughts. To strengthen this conclusion, he adds points that especially demonstrate divine providence.

Note that those who deny providence say that everything in the world occurs from the necessity of natural causes, such as heat and cold, or gravity and lightness. Divine providence, however, is most powerfully demonstrated by things that cannot be explained by such natural principles. One example is the specific quantity of the bodies of this world. No reason can be given from any natural principle why the sun, the moon, or the earth should have a specific mass and not a greater or lesser one. Thus, we must say that this determination of mass comes from the design of an intellect. Eliphaz discusses this when he says God does great things; that is, He puts order in a thing by determining its mass.

Furthermore, if everything came about from the necessity of natural principles, which are known to us, we would be able to investigate everything in this world. Yet there are some things whose knowledge we cannot attain by any investigation, such as spiritual substances, the distances of the stars, and the like. Clearly, then, not everything proceeds from the necessity of natural principles but is established by a superior intellect. This is why Eliphaz says such things are unsearchable. Likewise, there are things we see whose nature we cannot explain at all, for example, why the stars have a certain configuration in one part of the heavens and a different one in another. It is clear that this does not arise from natural principles but from a higher intellect, and so he adds, and wonderful things. The “unsearchable” and the “wonderful” differ in that the unsearchable is hidden in itself and cannot be investigated, while the wonderful is indeed seen, though its cause cannot be investigated.

Note also that some have held that the arrangement of things proceeded from God according to a specific, measured order. For instance, they argue that from the one, primary, simple being proceeds only one primary effect, which already possesses some composition and plurality. From this, in turn, proceed two or three things that are still less simple, and so on, so that the entire multiplicity of things proceeds in this way through graded levels. According to this position, the arrangement of the universe happens not by the design of the divine intellect but from a necessity of nature. To answer this, Eliphaz says God’s works are without number. This is either because things have been brought into being without the necessity of a numerical order, or because innumerable things have been produced directly by God. This is especially apparent in the first heaven, where there are very many stars. Thus, Eliphaz shows that the production of things is from God and not from the necessity of nature.

Consequently, Eliphaz shows that the course of created things is governed by divine providence, first in natural things. These seem to have been made for the use of humanity and the other animals, even though the natural order of the elements would seem to demand something different. For if one considers heaviness and lightness, earth naturally lies beneath water, water beneath air, and air beneath fire. Yet some of the earth, uncovered by water, is found in direct contact with the air; otherwise, animals that breathe could not live on land. Furthermore, so that the uncovered earth might not be made unfruitful and uninhabitable by drought, God waters it in two ways. First, by rain falling from above, regarding which Eliphaz says God brings rain on the face of the earth. Second, by springs, rivers, and brooks, whose source is under the earth just as the source of rain is in the heavens. Regarding this, he says God irrigates everything with water.

Next, Eliphaz shows the activity of divine providence in human affairs. If human affairs were to run their course as their natural arrangement seems to demand, there would appear to be little or no trace of divine providence. But when they proceed in a different way, foolish people, who do not consider higher causes, attribute it to chance or fortune. Solomon personifies them in Ecclesiastes, saying, Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to the men of skill; but time and chance happen to all (Ecclesiastes 9:11). Eliphaz, however, refers this to a higher cause: the providence of God. First, regarding the oppressed who are raised from the lowest station to a higher place, he says God sets on high those who are lowly (that is, those cast down), and that the sorrowful are brought to joy. Regarding this, he says God lifts up the mournful to safety with his favor.

Second, he speaks of those who oppress others, who are of two kinds. Some openly oppress through force, and regarding these, he says, God frustrates the designs of evildoers, so that their hands achieve no success. They are hindered by God from accomplishing their works and cannot bring their evil intentions to pass. Others, however, deceive people by cunning. As for these, he says, God catches the wise in their own craftiness, so that what the cunning devise goes contrary to their own design. He frustrates the plan of evil men, so what they seemed to have wisely planned cannot be carried out because of hindrances placed in their way from on high. Sometimes not only are their plans hindered in practice, but their minds are also clouded so that they fail to discover better options when taking counsel. Thus, he says, They come upon darkness in the daytime, meaning that in a matter that is clear, they are completely ignorant of what they are doing, and grope at noonday as in the night, meaning that in matters that are not at all doubtful, they hesitate as though they were obscure.

To prove that these things happen by divine providence, Eliphaz goes on to describe the useful purpose they serve. When the cunning of evildoers is hindered, the poor are freed from their deceptions. This is why he adds, But he will save the poor from the sword of their mouth. Those who are cunning in evil often seduce others with flattering and deceptive language, and these words are compared to a harmful sword. As the psalmist says, Their tongue is a sharpened sword (Psalms 56:5). When the works of powerful evil men are hindered by God, the poor are also saved, and so he continues, saving the needy from the hand of the mighty. Two things follow from this. First, people who are powerless in their own right must trust in divine power, because God has care for human affairs. Thus, he says, the poor will have hope. Second, powerful and evil people restrain themselves so that they are not totally ruined, and so the text continues, and injustice will shut her mouth, so that it does not completely expend itself in harming others.

Eliphaz had already accused blessed Job of both impatience and presumption because he declared himself innocent. Now, he tries to address the despair he thought he perceived in the words Job used to detest his life. Note, then, that building on what he already said to affirm divine providence in both natural and human affairs, he assumes it is true that all adversities happen to people by divine judgment. However, these adversities happen to those who cannot be corrected as a final condemnation, and to those who amend their lives because of them, they happen as a correction.

He maintains that the latter are blessed, saying, Behold, happy is the man the Lord reproves. For if correction from humans is beneficial—even though they cannot perfectly know the measure and manner in which correction can be saving, nor are they almighty in taking away all evil and establishing good—then the correction of the almighty and all-knowing God ought to be considered much more beneficial and happy. From this idea, he concludes with the proposition, Therefore, despise not the chastisements of the Almighty. This is as if to say: Although you suffer this adversity from God because of your sins, you should still think of this as a kind of rebuke from God to correct you. Therefore, you should not despise this adversity to the point of hating your life because of it.

He explains the reason when he says, For he wounds, with greater adversity, and he binds up, by taking away evil and restoring good. He smites, with lesser adversity, and his hands, that is, his works, will heal, that is, liberate you. Eliphaz, then, did not maintain that the one corrected by God is blessed because of the afterlife—for he did not believe in it—but because of the present life, during which a person obtains immunity from evils and an abundance of goods after the correction. Consequently, he next speaks about immunity from evil: He will deliver you from six troubles; in the seventh no evil shall touch you.

Since all time is represented by seven days, a whole is commonly designated by the number seven. The meaning would be that no adversity will harm the one corrected by God after the correction is complete. According to Eliphaz’s opinion, the more free one is from fault, the less adversity one would suffer in this world. Therefore, he says, in the seventh, no evil shall touch you. He means that before correction, a person is not free from adversity. But when one begins to be freed, one is touched by evil but not crushed while God is delivering him. After perfect liberation, one is not touched at all.

This is true for the mind, which is weighed down by worldly adversities as long as it places its ultimate purpose in worldly affairs. When the mind removes its love from them and begins to love God, it is indeed sad in the face of adversities but is not weighed down by them, because it does not place its hope in this world. When it becomes completely contemptuous of the world, then worldly adversities scarcely touch it. But this opinion is not true for the body, which is how Eliphaz understood it, because the most perfect people sometimes suffer very grave adversities. As the Psalmist says, Because of you, we suffered death all the day long (Psalms 43:22), which is said about the Apostles.

Since he had mentioned seven tribulations, he now enumerates them. The first trial concerns a particular danger to an individual’s life, which can be threatened by withholding its necessities. To describe this, he says, In famine, he will redeem you from death. This is as if to say: You will suffer famine while being reproved by God, but God will free you, and you will not die from it.

The second trial is when life is lost through the violence of someone actively inflicting harm. Regarding this, he says, and in war from the stroke—that is, the power—of the sword. This is as if to say: War will come upon you, but you will not be delivered into the power of the sword. (Physical life is also taken away by natural death, but this does not count among the trials, since it is demanded by human nature.)

The third trial is a personal danger that consists in the loss of honor one enjoys in civil life. About this, he says, You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue. The “scourge of the tongue” is the slander of someone seriously trying to destroy another’s reputation. A person is hidden from this scourge when the deeds that could form the basis of this defamation are hidden from the slanderer.

Next are adversities from more general dangers. The fourth trial threatens people, for example, when an enemy army, from which people commonly fear death or captivity, unexpectedly overruns their country. Expressing this, he says, and you shall not fear damage when it comes. This is as if to say: You will not fear when damage to your country from an enemy threatens. A common danger also threatens property, either through the barrenness of the earth in a time of famine or through the devastation of crops. Regarding these, he says, And you shall laugh at destruction and famine. This means you will have such an abundance that it will be a source of joy for you. In this, he addresses the fifth and sixth trials.

Finally, the seventh trial is adversity from the attack of wild animals, either individually or in groups. About this, he says, and you shall not fear the beasts of the earth. This seems to be the trial in which evil will not touch him.

He lists the abundance of goods that follows immunity from evil.

1. Regarding the fertility of the earth, he says, You shall be in league with the stones of the field; that is, the stony and sterile land will bear fruit for you. As Deuteronomy says, Glean honey from the rock, and so on (Deuteronomy 32:13).
2. Regarding the wild animals, he says, and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you, for they will not attack you. (These two verses can also be explained in another way: the stones can mean hard and rude people, and the beasts can mean cruel people.)
3. He speaks about the members of one's household, saying, and you will know that your tent is at peace, because the members of your household will be at peace with each other.
4. He speaks about one's wife in a special way, saying, Seeing your likeness you will not sin. This is as if to say: You will have a virtuous and peaceful wife with whom you can dwell intimately without sin.
5. Regarding one's children: Your children will be like the grass of the earth. That is, you will have many children and grandchildren.
6. Regarding the peace and quiet of death, he says, You shall come to your grave in a ripe old age, in prosperity, not stripped of your property, like the stock of grain is reaped in due season, as though not cut short by a sudden and untimely death.

Finally, he confirms what he has said: Lo, what we have investigated is true. Since he thought Job was so overcome with sadness that he would not think much about these things, he tries to get his attention back, saying, Once heard, study this with an attentive mind.