Didymus the Blind

Someone could think that Job’s statement comes from desperation, but that is proven wrong by what God has said: “Do you believe I treated you like this for any other reason than to reveal your righteousness?” Job, who previously had said, “If I am wicked, woe to me,” does not contradict this assumption but reveals the bitterness of life. An evil person would not do that, for he rejoices in this [life]. Above all, Job wants to reveal to his friends the reason why he did not die at the moment of his birth, namely, because he was to be an example of energy and strength. According to a different interpretation, even the life in the flesh is indicated, about which Paul writes, “If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” Job experiences the pleasant as well as the bitter sides of life; no one who has rid himself of the flesh rejoices in wealth or excess, nor is he plagued by hardship. Job has tasted this life and its pleasures, for he was blessed with many good children and was rich and healthy. But since his situation turned into its opposite, he also experienced the reverse of his previous life and acknowledged in real life the vanity of these things. This is why Job teaches us not to long for them by saying, “Why did you bring me forth from the womb? Would that I had died before any eye had seen me, and were as though I had not been.”Job expresses this in the form of a prayer, for his burdens were not light and he endured the pains not without feeling them. For it would not have been manful had he not felt his sufferings. But he teaches that he endured the pain with the help of God’s power, by praying in gratefulness. Paul also expresses this: “It was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”
Job wants to find relief before he has to go from where he cannot return. Therefore, he does not pray for himself, but to teach the friends who think that those who suffer hardship are evil but those who are free from hardship are righteous. He desired that they should gain certainty regarding the divine resolutions about him. One should not assume that Job denies the resurrection of the dead. Rather, Job says, “From where I will not return to lead a mortal life.” Job knows that he will rise as immortal.
Although the brave one was in pain, he talked about the coming age. So he says—not to deny the resurrection—“Before I go from where I will not return.” Job calls the land “a land of gloom and deep darkness, where light is like darkness,” since the holy one ascribes only little to himself. For it would not have been suitable to say, “Before I am in the kingdom of the heavens and in the land of our promises, my God.” Job wants his listener to be instructed about the divine judgment. There has not yet been restitution for deeds done.

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.” 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.”

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. 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.” 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.” 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.

Since God is with Job through the hardships he lays upon him, Job says, “Look away!” in the sense of “Bring your anger to an end!” God approaches in different ways by allowing participation and through anger. The friends had come to the conclusion that Job suffers for his sin. He therefore harshly responds that “The human being has a short life and is like a withered flower and a shadow” and “God sees him.” In this Job was demonstrating for them that he was not suffering because of sin. He says, “Look away!” If God delivers someone into such a flood of afflictions, the human being has no calm for remorse. Job therefore teaches his friends that their opinion is unreasonable. For he says, “Look away from him and desist, that he may enjoy, like a hireling, his day.” In such affliction he would not be able to have calm or to enjoy his life.…But Job spoke this to his friends so that it might be clear that God grants a break in order for remorse to occur. This is why Paul says, “Or do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not realize that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” That “desist” is said instead of “end your wickedness and be virtuous” becomes plain in the words “If you have sinned, desist!” And “the earth feared and was still when God rose up to establish judgment.” When people realize that God is judge, they desist from sinning.