For Job saw what was to follow as present in him; it was not as if future things came to Job or things from the past; but all things are present at once and together before his eyes. And because he saw the very things that were to come were in part works and in part words, it is rightly said, My eye has seen and my ear has heard all this. However, words are without use if those who use them do not understand them. Hence it is fitly added, And I have understood it. For if something is shown or heard but the understanding of it is not bestowed, it is insignificant as prophecy. Thus Pharaoh saw in a dream things that were to come upon Egypt, but because he could not understand what he saw, he was no prophet. King Belshazzar saw the fingers of the hand that wrote^[1] on the wall, but he was no prophet, because he did not attain to the understanding of that which he saw. Therefore, in order that blessed Job might testify that he had the spirit of prophecy, he declares not only that he had seen and heard but also that he had understood all this. Yet Job is not elated on the grounds of such understanding; his appended words bear witness when he says, What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you. By these same words, he made known what exceeding humility he had, who says that he was not inferior to them. Job by far surpassed them in holiness of life. For he proves that what they knew he knew, who by knowing all things of heaven transcended their earthly thoughts through the spirit of prophecy.

This means, I know the tremendous greatness of God, the endless wisdom of the Creator and his prodigious power; but even though I know that, ‘I will speak to the Lord,’ because if I know his power, I also know his justice. For he is just, he supports those who in the meantime, without rendering themselves accusers, speak to him. This teaches people that even though they are very righteous, they have to accept the judgments given to them. That is why ‘I will reason before him, if he wants to.’ For if he does not want, I will remain silent, because I know what is honorable to the servant. It is according to the command of the Lord that I will speak and will have the boldness to ‘reason before him.’

A worthless physician is literally one who applies curing strategies that are not useful for the suffering. This happens in two ways: either it is due to lack of experience in the physician or to his wickedness. The friends who are contradicted here speak out of a lack of knowledge rather than wickedness in saying, You suffer due to your sins. They think they are bringing words of comfort. They were worthless physicians since they did not discover the true reason. Whitewash with lies, Job says against them, who think highly of themselves as if they could cure the affliction that occurs in others. He wishes that they had knowledge of the right times, to speak when it is appropriate and to be silent when it is appropriate, since they have realized their mistake. For that would be the beginning and commencement of wisdom for them. For once they learn that one can also be suffering for a different reason, namely, for inherent virtue to become visible, then Job’s friends will possess wisdom. Even for those who long for insight, it is beneficial to restrain their speech. In Proverbs it is said, Even fools who keep silent are considered wise.^[1] For if someone realizes that he needs the illuminating teaching of a teacher, this will make him wise. As someone who can talk and teach about wisdom is wise and a teacher, likewise is the one partially wise, who is able to ask what needs to be asked. He did not call him fool because he lacked insight altogether but because he had deficiency of insight. The word If you would only keep silent is similar to There is a time, when one has to be silent. However, since one has to talk, when one has become wise, he adds, But there is a time to speak.^[2]

Indeed, when senseless words are spoken, it is better to remain in silence, and in being silent, one will show greater wisdom than in speaking.

Consider now the words which I am about to say in order to correct you, and then judge whether I pronounce them thoughtfully. Do you not speak before the Lord and utter deceit before him? Do you not realize that God hears your speeches? How do you dare, while he hears you, say false words? Consider also these words from that blameless and truthful man, how falsehood is able to blame everything, even when one appears to speak according to God. Therefore Job ponders with truth and frankness all the words that are spoken, so that God himself may approve him, as God is the truth. Falsehood, in fact, comes from the evil one,^[1] as the Savior says.

If he follows your traces, Job says. Therefore you, who speak so now would have not spoken so, if you were directly involved in the case that is judged. That is, if you were in my place and God were judging your matters with severity, you would have not judged my words as you do now. Or, to say things in a different manner, you, who speak so, would have not been judges of my words. In fact, Job says, even if you speak more, and you do everything to speak in God’s favor, he will not confound you any less and will ask you for explanations. ^[1] TERRIFIED BY GOD. ISHO‘DAD OF MERV: The author seems to say that Job’s friends will abstain from pronouncing reproaches, because of the fear of God and the terror that he inspires. ^[1]

As those, Job says, who devour themselves have a consolation, as those who bite their flesh feel a certain relief in their sufferings, so it is the same with me, when I express myself in these terms, And I may put my life in my hands. Consider, above all, this sentence, I may put my life in my hand. This means, I will destroy myself! Like those who destroy themselves, I also find a consolation; and that is my consolation, if God does not cause me to perish, my consolation is to give expression to my thoughts.

These words mean, Even if he kills me, I will support myself with my hope and faith in him. O admirable man, who, being destined to be killed, praises his killer and looks at him. Indeed Job knew that if he had taken away his life, the same one who is the Lord of Abraham, would have given it back to him. He believed that God was able to make alive those who had died.

And he shall turn to me for salvation; for fraud shall gain no entrance before him. This means, my consolation is that fraud shall gain no entrance before him. You see, I do not speak like you, with hidden thoughts. I know that there is no dissimulation in him.

The Lord is near those, it is said, who invoke him, and therefore God is kindly disposed toward them. So listen, Job says, to what I am about to say: I will maintain my kindly disposed judgment upon God, who is just and speaks truthfully; and by trusting his truthfulness, I believe that I will appear to say words more righteous than yours. Or, in a different sense, I am near my judgment, that is, I am ready to suffer what God has decreed. Confiding in his truthfulness, I hope I will be seen to be righteous.

What are we to understand here by the face of God, except his visitation? While God beholds, he also punishes our sins from which no just person is even hidden if the two things that he entreats are not removed. About this, Job adds, Withdraw your hand far from me, and do not let dread of you terrify me. Concerning the two, what else does Job ask for in a voice of prophecy, but the season of grace and redemption? For the law held the people abhorrent to the stroke of vengeance, that whoever committed sin under its yoke should be immediately punished with death. Nor did the Jewish people serve God from a principle of love but of fear. But righteousness can never be perfected by fear, seeing that according to the voice of John, perfect love casts out fear.^[1] And Paul comforts the children of adoption by saying, For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.^[2] Therefore in the voice of humankind, longing for the hardness of the law’s stroke to pass away and eagerly desiring to advance from fear to love, Job names in prayer the two things God should put far from him, saying, Withdraw your hand far from me, and do not let dread of you terrify me; that is, remove from me the hardness of the stroke, take away the weight of dread, and while the grace of love illuminates me, pour upon me the spirit of assurance. If I am not removed far from the rod and from dread, I know that I shall not be withdrawn from the strictness of your searching since he cannot be justified before you, who serves you on a principle of love but of fear. Hence he seeks the very presence of his Creator, as if it were a familiar and bodily way, that he may thereby both hear what he is ignorant of and be heard in the things that he knows.

The lack of clarity in the text could be explained in the following way. Job says, If you want to treat me as the friends say, as if you wanted to show my wickedness, I will hide from your face. But if I am right, then withdraw your hand far from me, and do not let your dread terrify me! Every sinner hides from God’s face, since he does unworthy things. Thus Adam was hiding from God’s face.^[1] The opposite of this is to be hidden by God according to the word, In the shelter of your presence you hide them from human plots.^[2] This brings salvation since God protects the righteous so that he is not stumbling due to human confusion. The hiddenness of God’s face in contrast to the revealed might be the mystical thoughts. To gain insight from the works of Providence and God’s creation does not happen in hiddenness but in the open. It is written, For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made.^[3] To be hidden by God, as mentioned, is bringing salvation. But to hide oneself as Adam did is ruinous. Since this is not true for Job, because he had no sin, he says, Withdraw your hand from me so that the friends may experience that I am not suffering because of sin. For the friends did not believe anything else but that Job suffered for his sins.

Why, Job says, do you not act clearly? Why do you not say, See, this is the reason why I punish you? It is no small consolation for those who are chastised to know the reason for their punishment. That is why Job says, Make me know my transgressions, but God will not let him know.

For what is a human being but a leaf who fell in paradise from the tree? What but a leaf is he who is caught by the wind of temptation and lifted up by the gusts of his passions? For the human mind is agitated as it were by as many gusts as it undergoes temptations. Thus very often anger agitates it; when anger is gone, empty mirth follows. It is driven by the goading of lust. The fever of avarice causes the mind to stretch itself far and wide to compass the things that belong to the earth. Sometimes pride lifts it up, and sometimes excessive fear sinks it lower than the dust. Therefore, perceiving that he is lifted and carried by so many gusts of temptation, a human is compared well with a leaf.. . . For seeing that everything we speak passes away but what we write remains, God is said not to speak but to write bitter things, in that his scourges upon us last for long. For it was once said to man when he sinned, Dust you are, and into dust you shall return. And angels many times appearing gave commandments to people. Moses, the lawgiver, restrained sins by severe means. The only begotten Son of the most high Father himself came to redeem us. He swallowed up death by dying. He announced that everlasting life to us that he exhibited in himself. Yet that sentence that was given in paradise concerning the death of our flesh remains unaltered from the very beginning of the human race up to the end of the world. ^[1] AFFLICTIONS IMPOSED WITH FORCE AND CARE. ISHO‘DAD OF MERV: You observe the strength of my feet. The words you observe signify God’s consideration, because we keep our eye on what we care for. And the words my feet refer to the firmness, because feet are supports. But these words are also analogous to the roots of the plants. That is, you have sent me tribulations and imposed them on me with force and care. ^[1]