Lecture 1 — God aids the humble

^12:1^ But Job answered:

^12:2^ So you think only you are men, and wisdom will die with you?

^12:3^ I, too, have a heart and this heart is not less than yours. For who is ignorant of the things which you know?

^12:4^ Someone who is derided by his friends like I am will call upon God and he will hear him. For the simplicity of the just man is derided,

^12:5^ a lamp condemned by the thought of the rich, prepared at the appointed time.

^12:6^ The tent of the robbers is crammed full and they audaciously provoke God, since he has given everything into their hands.

^12:7^ Ask the beasts and they will tell you; the birds of the air will be your counselors.

^12:8^ Speak to the earth and it will answer you; the fish of the sea will make it known to you.

^12:9^ Who does not know that the hand of the Lord made all these things?

^12:10^ In whose hand lies the soul of every living thing and also the spirit of all human flesh.

203. But Job answered. In the preceding chapter, Sophar had tried to show that man cannot understand the secrets of the wisdom of God (Job 11:6) to insult Job, who seemed almost to demand an argument with God. So one can posit from his words and the words of the other friends, that their whole intention was directed to three things.

First, they were eager to speak about the wonderful things of God, extolling his wisdom, power, and justice, to make their case appear more favorable.

Second, they applied these wonders, which are accepted by everyone about God, to certain false dogmas; specifically, that men prosper in this world because of justice, and have tribulations because of sins, and that after this life one should hope for nothing.

Third, from these sorts of assertions, they denounced Job as evil because of the adversity which he had suffered, and they promised him certain vain things if he would stop doing evil. Specifically, this was that he would sleep in a *secure grave *(Job 11:17–18), and that the radiance of noon would rise in the evening for him, which Job considered almost derision.

Job addresses all three of these in his response.

First, he speaks against them because they praised themselves in speaking about certain wondrous things of God as though they alone knew them, and Job were ignorant of them. So the text says, but Job answered: so you think only you are men? which follows, if you consider yourselves alone to know the greatness of God, which all men know. Further, since wisdom consists in the knowledge of the greatness of God, it follows that, if you alone know this, that wisdom is found only in you, and thus wisdom will pass away when you pass away. So he continues, and wisdom will die with you? for it is not fitting for you to think that you are the only men, or that you alone are wise.

204. Since they could object: we are not the only ones who know, but even so, you still do not know; he answers, saying, I too have a heart, to know these things as do you, and this heart is not less than yours, in this knowledge. Lest this be ascribed to arrogance, he continues, for who is ignorant of these things which you know? because it is no great thing if I say I know what you know. It is no great claim to know them, since every man can know them. But by the fact that you say that I am ignorant of these things, you seem to hold me in contempt, saying I am ignorant of things which everyone knows. Thus he says, someone who is derided by his friends like I am, as you do when you think me foolish, will call upon God and he will hear him, because God especially helps those bereft of human aid. As the Psalm says, though my mother and father forsake me, the Lord will receive me (Ps 26:10). In this he attempts to answer Sophar’s argument, then you can lift up your head (Job 11:15), for I do not have to wait any longer to pray confidently, because by the very fact that I am derided by my friends, I hope to receive help from God.

205. He shows why the one derided by a friend is heard by God, saying, for the simplicity of the just man is derided. He shows who these just men are, why they are derided, and also by whom, when he continues, a lamp condemned by the thoughts of the rich. To be derided is the lot of someone in need, but to deride is the lot of someone who has a superabundance of possessions. But those who superabound in virtue do not laugh at those who need virtues. Rather, they have more compassion on them, and help them if they can. But those who abound in temporal goods often especially deride those who lack temporal goods, and especially when they do not show enthusiasm for acquiring temporal goods. But the enthusiasm of just men is not to acquire temporal goods, but to pursue righteousness eagerly, and so they abstain from the fraud and the evil intent with which they may acquire more riches. They are accounted naive because of this. So most people laugh at the just. Moreover, the simplicity is the cause of mockery, but simplicity is not mocked as a clear evil but as a hidden good, and so here simplicity is called a lamp because of the clarity of justice. So simplicity is condemned by the thoughts of the rich by those who put their end in riches. Truly, those who place their highest good in riches must think that goods are greater in proportion to their utility for acquiring riches. They must have contempt for the simplicity of the just, since it is the opposition of the growth of wealth.

But, although the simplicity of the just is itself condemned in the thoughts of the wealthy, at the same time he is not frustrated from realizing his true end, and so he says, prepared at the appointed time. However, he does not say this as though at some moment in this present life, some earthly prosperity must be given to the just as a reward for his simplicity. Rather, he leaves undetermined what that appointed time is and to which end the simplicity of the just is prepared. For the argument has not yet arrived at this point, but it will be clarified in the following things. So then Job insinuates in a hidden way why he is derided by his friends, whom he calls rich men, because they placed the end of man in the prosperity of this world as the reward of the just man. He, however, does not seek this as a reward for his simplicity, but another at the appointed time. Thus, he has faith that if he invokes the Lord he will be heard.

206. Since the rich who deride the simplicity of the just do not stop at this, but go as far as contempt of God, he adds, the tents of the robbers are crammed full. Because some place their end in riches, they search carefully for all the ways to attain this last end, either by fraud or in some other manner. So they become robbers who abound in the wealth which they robbed. Contempt of God follows from these riches, and so he adds, and they audaciously provoke God. For someone acts audaciously when he believes what he is doing is good. For since the conscience has remorse about evil, man does not perpetrate evil without fear, as Wisdom says, since iniquity is fearful, it is condemned by all (Wis 17:10). Those who place their ultimate end in riches think from this very fact that everything is good which is useful to attain this end. Now it is clear that when they acquire riches by robbery, they provoke God by acting against his justice, and so they consequently audaciously provoke God. Or another interpretation is: from riches, man becomes so swelled with pride that he thinks he is sufficient unto himself, and so he has audacious contempt for God, because he put his confidence in riches. As Deuteronomy says, pampered and well-fed, you threw off the yoke (Deut 32:15).

207. He had said that the tents of robbers who provoke God are crammed full. So lest someone object that this kind of abundance is not from God, he says, since he has given everything into their hands, into their power. For the power to harm someone comes only from God, but the will to do evil comes only from oneself. By the fact, then, that they rob they provoke God, but their resulting abundance comes to them from God. He proves this as a consequence when he continues, ask the beasts and they will tell you, the birds of the air will be your counselors; speak to the earth and it will answer you, the fish of the sea will make it known to you. All these things answer when asked, who does not know that the hand of the Lord made all these things? So, then, all things confess that they are made by God. Man asks creatures when he diligently considers them. But they respond to the questioner when in considering them, he perceives that there is such a great order found in their disposition of parts, and in the order of their actions, that they could only be governed by some superior wisdom.

If, however, creatures of this sort are made by God, it is evident that they are in the power of God, as something made by art is in the power of the artisan, and so he begins, in whose hand, in whose power, lies the soul of every living thing, of animals other than man, and also the spirit of all human flesh. If, then, they are in his power, it is clear that no one can have riches, except from him, as Daniel says, the Most High will rule in all the kingdoms of men, and he will give to each one what he will (Dan 4:14). So it is evident that no man can possess the earth and these animals which are the wealth of man, unless God will give them into his hands. So if robbers prosper, God gave it into their hands. By this opinion he refutes those who asserted that wealth is given by God as a reward for justice, since wealth is even given to thieves by God.