Elihu therefore spoke these words again. Everyone who says many things is always anxious to begin his speech once again, in order. . . to keep his hearers in suspense, so that they may be the more attentively silent, the more they expect, as it were, to hear some new thing. But Elihu, finishing one subject, begins another without delay, in order that his loquacity may be continued without limit by beginnings being constantly joined. It follows, Does your thought seem right to you, that you said, I am more righteous than God? Everyone observes, who reads the text of the history, that blessed Job did not say that he was more righteous than God. But he says, Let him put forth equity against me, and my judgment shall come to victory.^[1] Examining his life without knowing the reasons of his smiting, as has been often observed, Job believed that he was scourged for the sake of washing away his sins and not the increasing of his merits. He was therefore confident that his judgment would come to victory, because he found in himself no fault for which he deserved to be smitten. This indeed the Lord also said of him to the devil, You have moved me against him, to afflict him without cause. What had Job sinned then, by speaking in this way, who unknowingly agreed in these words with the divine and secret sentence on himself? Or what harm is there, if, in the judgment of people, our words differ on the surface from the exactness of truth, when, in that on which they turn in the heart, they are closely joined to and agree with it? The ears of people consider our words to be such as they sound outwardly, but the divine judgments hear them as they are uttered from our inmost heart.

He said, you do not like what is virtuous. Elihu says that holy Job had a wrong opinion about God, and these words are gathered from his reflections, because God is offended by this fact, as Job ascribes to him the errors of others. What advantage will you get if I sin? This concept is even more evident in another passage, What advantage did I get from not committing sin? That is, What else would I have suffered because of the iniquity of my actions, if I received such misfortunes after my dedication to virtue? I will answer you and your friends with you. Since your friends taught you to agree with a wrong opinion about the judgments of God, so that you think to be righteous. Whereas God is unjust, now I will take care to answer in order to confute you and them.

The immensity itself of the unbounded separation [between God and humanity] can teach you that God may neither be offended by your evil actions, nor be benefited by your good deeds. Look at the heavens and see; observe the clouds, which are higher than you. Through the testimony of divine Providence he wants to accuse him of an impudent action, because he had said that he desired to have a trial with God on an equal level, and then he applies himself to approve the eminence of [God’s] works and benefits.

The one who looks at the heavens is not he who raises his physical eyes and observes the heavens. Indeed, also dogs and donkeys look at the heavens in this manner. No one who loves the world looks at the heavens, but only he who does not love the world and the things which are in it. If we love the things that are here, we do not look to the heavens. The clouds are not so high and so removed from us that, if I follow the life and conduct of Moses, through which he was pleasing to God, and recognize my weakness and humility, I will not be able to gain a higher and even more removed cloud. If I imitate Jesus, son of Nun, and the life of the blessed prophets and carefully examine their actions, I will fulfill what was written.

These words mean, you will do no wrong to him, and you will not be more useful to him by being righteous. In fact, he said, If I have sinned, what shall I be able to do?^[1] What shall I do to you? Elihu says, Why did you say that? Does God care about the fact that you sinned, as if he is the victim of an injustice or as if he is suffering damage?

If you look at the heavens and contemplate the clouds, you will understand that you sinned. And what do you need to do? It is necessary that you approach the high priest and implore him to offer a victim for you. If any one does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the expiation of our sins.^[1] If you will do this, you will dissolve your numerous sins. And for those irremediable sins from which we cannot be cured, Jesus Christ came from heaven to cure what was irremediable, and so that it might happen that blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven and whose sins are covered.^{[2] [3]} REASONS FOR PUNISHMENT OF THE WICKED. ISHO‘DAD OF MERV: Your wickedness affects others like you. If one asks, Why does God judge [the wicked] if their sin does not harm him personally? [the author] brings forward the reason and says, Because of the multitude of oppressions people cry out; they call for help.^[1] It is not for him, he says, that the [impious] are punished, but because of those who are oppressed and robbed and cry out to him, so that he may take revenge on those who compel them to suffer afflictions. ^[2]

These words mean, do you not see that everything is set in good order, as in a field, and that with an even greater precision each object is in the most convenient place? [Do you not see] that no object exceeds its own limit or steps on the area reserved to another? It is as if the night watches control everything; during the sleep of mortals nobody tries to attack. Observe wild animals. When they move around, that is the time when human beings sleep. They must not invade cities; people must not perish, because they sleep being conquered by sleep.

Who makes me different from the four-footed beasts of the earth?^[1] If you are a sinner, you were not distinguished from the fourfooted beasts of the earth. Man that has honor does not understand, he is compared to the senseless cattle, and is like them.^[2] If you are a sinner, you were not distinguished from the four-footed beasts of the earth, but it is said to you, So that you might not be like horses and mules that have no understanding.^[3] If you are a sinner, if you are licentious, if you are reckless, you are not distinguished from the four-footed beasts. They became like wanton horses.^[4] For this reason he audaciously said that he was segregated. Who makes me different from the four-footed beasts of the earth?

Because of the pride of humanity, that is, they are reproved for the pride and arrogance that they show before their neighbors. And God will not hear the vain cries of proud people.

For he, the Almighty, observes all those who commit impieties. But plead before him, if you can praise him conveniently. If he had established a court and had published its decisions, you would have not praised him, you would have not glorified him, as he deserves, with regard to what happened to you, because you think you have been unjustly punished. Not to be able to praise God as he deserves, that is not too serious; but not to be able to praise him as he deserves when we plead before him, that is really serious.

For God in truth bears a long while with him whom he condemns forever; and forebears now to bring on his wrath, because he reserves it to be poured forth, hereafter, without end. For suffering is here the portion of the elect, so they may be trained for the rewards of their heavenly inheritance. It is our portion to receive stripes here, for whom an eternity of joy is reserved. Hence it is written, He scourges every son whom he receives.^[1] It is also said to John, I rebuke and chastise those whom I love.^[2] Peter says, It is time that judgment must begin at the house of God.^[3] And then Peter immediately adds with astonishment, But if it first begin at us, what shall be the end of them that believe not the gospel of God?^[4] For the severity of God does not permit sins to remain unpunished; but the wrath of judgment commences with our punishment here, in order that it may cease to rage at the damnation of the reprobate. Let the reprobate proceed then and accomplish the desires of their pleasures, with unpunished iniquity, and let them feel no temporal scourges, since eternal punishments await them. . . . Job opens his mouth in empty talk, he multiplies words without knowledge. But this seems also to be a peculiar fault of the arrogant, that they believe much that they have said, to be little, and the little which is said to them, to be much. Because they always wish to speak their own words, they cannot hear the words of others. And they think that they suffer violence if they do not pour forth their own immoderate opinions more immoderately. Although blessed Job was silent at his words, Elihu finds cause for invective in the speech in which he had replied to his friends. In order to get himself a larger space of his silence, and that he himself might answer many things, he asserts that he had multiplied words. For he immediately begins the commencement of a tedious speech and endeavors to commence, as though he had as yet said nothing at all.