Lecture 3 — Like the unhappy

^3:20^ Why was light given to him that is in misery? Why is life given to the bitter in soul?

^3:21^ Who long for death, which does not come, like those who dig for buried treasure,

^3:22^ And are glad powerfully when they find the grave.

^3:23^ Why is it given to man whose way is hidden? And God has hedged him in with darkness?

^3:24^ Before I eat, I sigh, and my wailing is like flood waters,

^3:25^ For the thing that I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me.

^3:26^ Have I not dissembled? Was I not silent? Have I not kept quiet? And his wrath comes upon me.

66. Why was light given to him that is in misery. After Job has detested his own life in many ways, he now detests the life of the whole human race taken collectively, both of those in prosperity and those in adversity. He begins to treat first of those who are more renowned. Note that there are two things which belong especially to living beings: to live, and to know. Although knowing in itself is very delightful and very noble, yet to know those things which cause affliction is painful. So he says, why was light given to him that is in misery? as if to say, “For what purpose does a man subject to unhappiness have the light of knowledge, since by it he can consider the evil with which he is afflicted?” To live is noble because of the soul, but if the soul should exist in bitterness, living itself is rendered bitter. So he says, and life to the bitter of soul (understanding why is it given? to be repeated.)

He shows that life is given to them uselessly, because unhappy men desire its contrary. So he says, who, living in bitterness, long for death, which does not come, that is, as quickly as they would like. To show that those who are unhappy wait for death, not shrinking from it but desiring it, he continues, like those who dig for buried treasure, aroused by their great desire to find the treasure by digging. Because desire, when it is fulfilled, causes joy, he adds, and are glad powerfully when they find the grave, that is, when they see they have arrived at death, which procures a grave for them. Some think this passage refers to the fact that those who dig for treasure rejoice in finding a grave, because they often found treasures in ancient tombs. But the first explanation is better.

67. Someone could object, that although life is useless if given to miserable men, yet it is useful if given to those who enjoy prosperity. He removes this possibility, saying, why are they, namely, light and life, given to man whose way is hidden? The way of a man is hidden because he does not know how the state of his present prosperity will end. As Proverbs says, laughter will be mixed with pain, and the end of joy is grief (Prov 14:13), and Jeremiah, man’s road is not in his control (Jer 10:23), and Qoheleth, what necessity is there for man to seek greater things for himself, when he does not know how to use things profitable for himself in this life? Or who can indicate what will be after him under the sun? (Eccl 7:1) He explains how the way of man is hidden on the earth, saying, and God has hedged him in with darkness.

This is evident in many ways.

First, as to those things which happened in the past or will happen in the future, Qoheleth says, many are the afflictions of man because he is ignorant of the past and the future, for who can tell him how it will be? (Eccl 8:6).

Second, as to what is near him, namely men. As Corinthians says, for who knows a man’s thoughts but the spirit of the man which is in him (1 Cor 2:11). As to those things above a man, the last chapter of Timothy says, he (God) lives in inaccessible light, whom no man sees or is able to see, (1 Tim. 6:16) and in the Psalms, he makes the darkness his hiding place (Ps 17:12).

Finally, as to those things which are below him, Qoheleth says, all things are difficult, a man cannot explain them with speech (Eccl 1:8). God is said to have hedged a man in with darkness, because God bestows the kind of intellect on him which is not able to understand these things.

68. After he shows that the life of man is difficult because of the unhappiness and bitterness of men, he applies to himself what he said about men in general. In this he expresses his own bitterness when he says, before I eat, I sigh; for as laughter is a sign of joy, so sighing is a sign of bitterness of soul. In this, he shows the manner of his bitterness, from the manner of his sighing. He began his sighing easily: before I eat, I sigh. And his sighing was continuous and great. So he adds, and my wailing is like flood water. For as sighing is a sign of moderate sorrow, so wailing is a sign of vehement sorrow, a sorrow which can hardly be tolerated. This wailing is compared to the roaring of water, for water which moves swiftly makes a murmuring sound. So a man experiencing great affliction is provoked to wailing from a slight recollection of his misery. He continues, like flood water, to emphasize the continuous character of his bitterness, for flooding water moves continuously and makes a loud noise.

69. Because bitterness of soul arises from unhappiness, after he speaks of the bitterness of his soul, he next speaks about his unhappiness, saying, for the thing that I fear comes upon me. Note here that the unhappiness of man which provokes bitterness seems to consist in two things.

First, in the damage to his things or his person, and in dishonor. As to the first two, he says, for the thing that I fear comes upon me, that is, those things which I fear happen to me. Here, this expression refers to the greatness of loss and pain, for the more prudent someone is, the more he recognizes what can happen to him in a time of adversity, when he is still in a time of prosperity. So Sirach says, in the day of prosperity, do not forget evil (Sir 9:27). Job, who was the most prudent of men, suffered great unhappiness when the very evils happened to him which he feared.

As for the second, dishonor, he says, and what I dread befalls me. According to Aristotle, shame is the fear of dishonor. He shows, therefore, by this, that from great glory, he fell into many disgraces and dishonors.

70. A man often suffers unhappiness and bitterness through his own fault. But this is not the case here, for Job says, have I not dissembled? Understand here that someone sins, and so merits punishment from God, in two ways. In one way, when from injuries inflicted on him he is provoked to revenge beyond what is his due, as the Psalm says: if I repaid evil things to those requiting me, may I perish deservedly destitute at the hands of my enemies (Ps 7:5). He denies this possibility, saying, have I not dissembled? as to the injuries done to me. In another way, when someone offends another first in words. He shows this is not the case here, saying, have I not been silent? as if to say, “For I have not spoken abusive or injurious words.” Nor has he offended in deeds, and he removes this from himself, saying, have I not been master of myself? For the impious are like the restless sea which cannot be quiet (Isa 57:20). Although I am innocent, still his wrath came upon me, that is, the punishment given by God, for anger in God does not happen because God is disturbed in soul, but because he wants to punish someone. In this, Job recognizes that the adversities of this world do not happen without divine command.

71. To summarize what Job said in his lamentation, note that three things are contained in it.

First, he shows his own life is wearisome;

second, the greatness of the unhappiness which he was suffering: before I eat, I sigh;

and third, he shows his innocence: have I not dissembled?