He means that if God has established an order in the realities of nature, he did even more with regard to human realities. Indeed, he foresees and takes care of events, and nothing comes from him at random. Or, on the other hand, [he means] that the whole of realities is quite visible but the plans of God are invisible; in fact, silver and copper have a place, whereas nobody has ever known the place of wisdom. But God only knows wisdom,^[1] and he has said to mortals that piety is wisdom,^[2] and knowledge means to do good.

He has set a place for darkness, he says; he was right in saying a place, because darkness knows how to give way and fade away [before the daylight]. Who drives this obscurity away? From where does such beautiful order in such a situation come? Then he discusses his power, and then his wisdom in order to persuade us that he does not want to call God to account. Why darkness, he says? Do we really know anything at all? God can do anything. He does everything with wisdom.

A stream separates from the wandering people those who are out of the way and whom the foot of the needy has forgotten. This is what holy Job says, a stream of fire separates those who are out of the way, that is, who live out of the way of true religion and did not show mercy for the needy, that is, for the brothers of Christ, so that they are also divided from the society of the saints. The needy may also be interpreted as a reference to our Savior, who, although he was rich, became needy and poor for us.^[1] So, see in his foot his dispensation, and also his assumption of the man and his entry into the world. . . . Therefore, those who did not accept the dispensation of his salvation in the gospel were given to oblivion, because they did not want to believe for the hardness of their heart. So, they are called out of the way, because they did not receive Christ, who is the way. ^[2] GENERATIVE POWER OF THE EARTH. ISHO‘DAD OF MERV: They have uncovered the earth, from which nourishment comes, through the art of agriculture, [the author] says; [humans] produce what is necessary for nourishment which the earth offers according to the divine precept by which it received.^[1] Therefore, as the fire takes hold of the wood, so the earth acts in the same manner when the seeds are scattered on it; they drive their roots in it, and thanks to the power that they receive from it, they spring up. This is the meaning of the words underneath it is turned up as by fire. ^[2]

In fact the earth itself generates the so-called precious stones and the gold; and they are the glory of the kings and the ornament of the women who love beauty. And after [Job] has shown that God has made many excellent things on the earth, he adds new details.

Even though they sail in the air and reach paths close to heaven, they cannot approach those through which knowledge is attained. That path no bird knows. The context of the exposition seems to demand that effects and duties follow the knowledge that he has set out to describe and that he assigns parts of it, so that people, with its guidance, may reach in the hope of their search those places that had previously been far removed from the access of mortals. And, according to his custom, he exaggeratedly says huge deserts are reached by people that are far removed from birds and other beasts while they are trodden by human foot. The sons of the merchants have not trodden it. While he sets out to show that people penetrate the deserts, how can he now deny that wildernesses are trodden by the feet of merchants? Therefore, it seems that here he has shown the scarceness of the travelers and has denied the frequency of the merchants. The lioness has not passed over it. No bird or reptile or quadruped ever knew those things that reason, the examiner and researcher of hidden things, has found.

He stretches out his hand to the flint; he overturns mountains by the roots. He stretches out his hand to the flint means he presented the arm of his preaching to the hardness of the Gentiles. Hence the same blessed Job, forewarned of the history of his suffering being destined to be made known to the Gentiles, says, Let these things be engraved with an iron pen in a plate of lead or hewn in the flint.^[1] However, whom in this place do we understand by the mountains except the powerful ones of this world, who because of earthly substance puff themselves up? Concerning them the psalmist says, Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke; but the mountains are overturned from the roots, because holy church, preaching the highest powers of this world, fell from their inmost thinking into the adoring of almighty God. For the roots of the mountains are the inmost thoughts of the proud. And the mountains fall from the roots, because for the worshiping of God, the powers of the world are laid level with the earth from the lowest thoughts. For by a root the hidden thought is rightly denoted, because by means of that which is not seen, being within, there bursts out what should be seen without. Therefore, on the side of good it is said by the prophet, And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward. As though it were expressed in plain speech; Deep down below the thought springs up, that up on high the reward may be rendered back. So then, let him say, He stretches out his hand to the flint and overturns the mountains from the roots. While the sacred preaching sought the hardness of the Gentiles, it entirely frustrated the loftiness of the proud, however, because those it empties of earthly thoughts, it fills with heavenly gifts. Moreover, those whom it drains of interest below, it waters with streams from above. It is directly added, He cuts out streams in the rocks, that is, in the hard hearts of the Gentiles he opened the rivers of preaching; as it is likewise spoken by the prophet of watering the dryness of the Gentiles, He turns the wilderness into a standing water and dry ground into water springs.

And his eye has seen every precious thing. That is, not only those things that were useful but also those that were convenient as an ornament, such as clothes from wool, fabrics for the rich from the threads of the Persian worms,^[1] wine from some creeping plants, ointments and other remedies from herbs. The sources of the rivers he has probed, while his curious hand explored the stones covered by the waters. Hidden things he has brought to light; his reason spread the news about the previously unknown usefulness of things. In fact, since before humankind the elements subsisted alone, after he was created, he understood what usefulness could be gained from each of them with the guidance of his reason, which lands were suitable for sowing, which for plantations that benefit could be obtained from a particular plant, which wood was useful to build ships that was suitable for buildings.

And it is not found in the land of those that live sweetly. What is denoted in this passage by the title of the land, except the soul of man? Concerning which the psalmist says, My soul thirsts after you, as a land without water.^[1] But this wisdom cannot be found in the land of those that live sweetly, because the person who is still fed with the pleasures of this life is severed from the perception of eternal Wisdom. For if he were truly wise-minded, being banished from the interior delights, he would mourn over that blind estate of his exile into which he has fallen. Thus Solomon says, He that adds knowledge, adds pain also.^[2] For the more a person begins to know what he has lost, the more he begins to bewail the sentence of his corruption that he has received. For he sees how he has fallen and how that from the joys of paradise he has come to the woes of present life, from the company of the angels to caring for necessities. He considers in what a number of perils he now lies prostrate, who before without peril disdained to stand. He bewails the exile that being accursed he undergoes. He sighs after the state of heavenly glory that he might be enjoying in security, if he had not had a mind to commit sin. . . . The bottomless pit says, ‘It is not with me.’ What does he call the bottomless pit? The hearts of people who by their fall are now floating in darkness and the murkiness of double dealing. Wisdom does not reside in this bottomless pit. In this way the wicked mind, while it longs to be wise in a carnal way, shows itself foolish as to things spiritual. Which same bottomless pit declares that his Wisdom is not with it; because the wicked mind, while it longs to be wise in a carnal way, shows itself foolish as to things spiritual. Paul testifies, The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. Thus, so much the more completely is everyone rendered foolish within, as he endeavors to appear wise outside. . . . And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’ For what is there denoted by the name of the sea except the bitter disquietude of worldly minds, which while they fall foul of one another in enmities by turns, dash themselves together like encountering waves? The life of worldly persons is rightly called a sea, because, while it is agitated by the tempestuous stirrings of actions, it is parted from the tranquility and steadfastness of interior Wisdom. The opposite of this condition was well said by the prophet, Upon whom shall my spirit rest but upon him who is humble and quiet and who trembles at my words?^[3]

None of the most beautiful or most precious things on the earth can be compared with wisdom. Not even the great deep, or the heaped-up seas of the ocean or the glory itself of the earth can circumscribe it. . . . Wisdom surpasses completely all these things.

The highest and loftier things are not worthy of mention in comparison with it. He shows that not only amassed riches but also the heights of honors and the highest peaks of official dignity become worthless in comparison with it. Wisdom is drawn from what is hidden. Since he had depreciated all the things that delight the eyes, or entice the other senses or deceive the minds, in comparison with the honor of wisdom, he also avenges [wisdom] from that offense, in order that it may not appear to be open to everybody, that is, it may not be accused of dwelling in the desires and the actions of the crowd.

These words suggest that even though Christ is presented through a simile, he is, however, above any simile or figure or type and is by no means comparable to the saints. He is said to be similar to the hidden and superior powers, but it is well known that they cannot even direct their looks to him.

Perdition and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’ The devil can be called with both these names, as well as he can be defined as death, so that his bodyguards are named perdition. Therefore, they said that they heard a rumor about the eminence of the fear of God; indeed, they cannot deny that they heard it, as they perceived it to be present in the goodness of nature, but because of the evil of their disobedience, they refused to receive it.

For God’s looking is the renewing to his grace the things that were lost and undone. Hence it is written, A king that sits in the throne of judgment scatters away all evil with his eyes.^[1] For by his very glance he restrains the evils of our lightness and imparts the great value of maturity. Hence it is further added, When he gave to the wind its weight. In the holy Scripture, by the rapidity and subtlety of the winds, souls used to be denoted, as it is spoken by the psalmist of God, Who walks above the wings of the winds,^[2] that is, who passes above the virtues of souls. Accordingly He made the weight for the winds, in that while Wisdom from above fills souls, it renders them weighty with imparted maturity. This is not the same weightiness of which it is said, You children of men, how long with a heavy heart.^[3] For it is one thing to be weighty in relation to good counsel and another to be weighed down in relation to sin. It is one thing to be weighty by faithfulness, another to be weighty by wrongdoing. For this latter weightiness has the weight of burden, the other weight of merit. Therefore, souls receive weight that they should not from this day forward with light motion move away from their aim at God, but be made to settle into him with immoveable weightiness of constancy.

Nothing has more value than that art, nothing is more powerful than that wisdom. The fear of the Lord, that is the beginning of wisdom, and all those who practice it have good understanding.^[1] That is the greatest of all goods. Supreme wisdom is to worship God, not to take trouble to make useless notices, and especially to enquire about events. Do not believe that you may find a different wisdom.