Lecture 1 — Satan tries Job in his flesh

^2:1^ Again on a certain day, when the sons of God came to assist in the presence of the Lord, Satan also came among them and assisted in his presence.

^2:2^ The Lord said to Satan: Where do you come from? Satan said in response: I have prowled about the earth and I have run through it.

^2:3^ 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 from evil? He still holds fast his innocence although you moved me against him to afflict him in vain.

^2:4^ Then Satan answered the Lord: Skin for skin! All that man has he will give for his life.

^2:5^ But now, put forth your hand and touch his bone and his flesh and you will see that he will bless you to your face.

^2:6^ The Lord said to Satan: Behold, he is in your hand, only spare his life.

38. Again on a certain day. Since there are three goods of man: of soul, of body and exterior things, these goods are so ordered to each other that the body exists for the sake of the soul, but exterior things exist for the sake of both the body and the soul. Therefore, just as one has a perverse intention if he subordinate the goods of the soul to prosperity in exterior goods, so one also has a perverse intention if he should order the goods of the soul to the health of the body. Job truly abounded in the acts of the virtues, which are the goods of the soul. This was clear sensibly to all, and so the Lord said to Satan above, have you considered my servant Job (Job 1:8). But Satan was inferring calumny, as though Job intentionally performed acts of the virtues for temporal goods, just as evil men, whose prince is Satan, perniciously judge the intention of good men. But this calumny was rejected by the fact that after the loss of exterior goods, Job remained steadfast in virtue. This sufficiently proves that his intention had not been turned aside to exterior goods. There remained then to show, for perfect demonstration of Job’s virtue, that his intention was not bent crooked for the health of his own body, and therefore divine judgment is invoked again to prove this. This is then what the text says, again on a certain day when the sons of God came to assist in the presence of the Lord, and Satan also came among them and assisted in his presence. The Lord said to Satan: where do you come from? Since these words have already been explained at length above, there is no need to delay over them here. Suffice it to note that because this passage recounts another action, another day is introduced here just as at the beginning of Genesis, different days are described, according to the different kinds of things which were created. Thereupon what Satan answered under interrogation is shown when the text says, from prowling and going about the earth. This has the same meaning as before (Job 1:7).

39. Once again the Lord proposes the virtue of Job as something evident, and so there follows, 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 now a certain virtue of blessed Job which was not plain before has been clearly demonstrated; namely, his constancy in adversities, he therefore now adds, he still, that is, after the loss of his temporal goods, holds fast his innocence. From this the Lord shows further that Satan’s suspicion was calumnious, and that his intention has been 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, one must not understand that God was provoked by anyone into willing something he did not will before, as is often the case with men. For according to Numbers, God is not like a man, that he should lie, nor like a son of man that he should change (Num 23:19).

Scripture here speaks of God figuratively acting in a human way. For when men want to do something because of someone’s influence, they are said to be excited by that other one. God, however, wills to do something and so he does it; this because of that. Yet he does it without any excitement of mind, because he had the reason he would do 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 preclude every calumny of the wicked, and so 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 point of view of the intention of Satan, not from the point of view of the intention of God. For Satan, in intending the adversity of Job, had desired from this to lead him into impatience and blasphemy, which did not follow as an effect. God, however, permitted this to proclaim his virtue openly, which in fact happened. So then Job was afflicted in vain from the point of view of the intention of Satan, but not from the point of view of the intention of God.

40. Though repulsed, Satan does not rest, but still provides calumny, wanting to show that every good which Job did, even the very fact that he had patiently tolerated his adversity, he had not done 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 reflect 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 because of the health of his body and there was no great virtue in this, but was human and usual among men. This is what he says, man, as though 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 maintain that anyone else, even those closely related to him in any way, should be afflicted in body rather than himself. For the same reason, every man, regardless of who he is, will give all the exterior goods he possesses for his life, that is, to preserve his own life. For exterior goods are sought to preserve life, like a supply of food and clothing and other such things which maintain the life of man comfortably.

41. Since someone could say to Satan, how can you prove that Job bore patiently with the loss of his children and his possessions because he feared for his own skin and his own life, he now adds, as though 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, that is, afflict him in body, not only on the surface which is what to touch the flesh means, but also in its inmost part, which is what to touch the bone means, so that touch reaches to his inmost part. And you will see, that is, everyone can clearly perceive, that he will bless you to your face, which must be interpreted as above.

42. Therefore, the Lord willed to show that Job had not served God for the health of the body, just as he had already shown that Job did not serve him because of exterior goods, and so the text adds, the Lord said to Satan: Behold, he is in your hand, that is, I commit power to you to afflict him in body, only spare his life, that is, do not take away life from him. For God does not totally expose his servants to the will of Satan, but according to a fitting measure, as St. Paul says, the faithful God does not suffer you to be tempted beyond what you can endure (1 Cor 10:13).