Ephrem the Syrian

Nicene & Post-Nicene · AD 325–500

764 passages across 40 books of the Bible · Who was this?

On Job

20 of 45
  1. Job 20:16-18
    “They will not rejoice on the division of the rivers, the streams flowing with honey and curds.” These words mean that those rivers were divided on Mount Calvary, and the streams derived from the rivers signify the gifts of the Spirit communicated by the revelation of the Gospel.

    COMMENTARY ON JOB 20:17

  2. Job 21:7-14
    Certainly God does not cease from benefiting the wicked, in order to show that he has no hate against them, so that they may not say, “Since God hates us, he will never open the door of repentance to us.” And while he severely and sternly acts with the righteous, he nevertheless offers his love to the unrighteous. The rewards to be granted in time for [righteous] virtues are the future signs of the good works they do.

    COMMENTARY ON JOB 21:3-7

  3. Job 22:21-25
    This means that you will be restored to your former state. And God will be your helper while before it seemed that he had completely neglected the care of your salvation, as if he had been absent.

    COMMENTARY ON JOB 22:23

  4. Job 23:1-2
    “Today also my speech is bitter,” that is, my words happen to be harsh and irksome to both our ears. In a different sense [we may interpret the passage as] you, indeed, to use harsher speech against you, drive me with your words.

    COMMENTARY ON JOB 23:2

  5. Job 24:25
    “If it is not so, may his wrath make me lie,” that is, if sinners do not go into that scorn that I have mentioned before, may the wrath of God prove false what I have said.

    COMMENTARY ON JOB 24:25

  6. Job 25:5-6
    Indeed the stars themselves do not regulate the times according to their authority but know their rising and setting moments according to the [divine] law that has been fixed for them.

    COMMENTARY ON JOB 25:5

  7. Job 26:13
    These words eloquently signify the perceptible serpent that must be annihilated by Christ’s death. He calls Satan a fleeing and deserting serpent in order to indicate his flight from the company of the heavenly powers, and also because he hoped to escape the punishment of his crime.

    COMMENTARY ON JOB 26:13

  8. Job 27:5-7
    “I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go.” That means, I will not surrender, nor will the perseverance and resolution of my soul yield, but I will patiently and bravely bear my calamity.

    COMMENTARY ON JOB 27:6

  9. Job 28:20-21
    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.

    COMMENTARY ON JOB 28:21

  10. Job 29:13
    “The blessing of the one about to die will come upon me,” that is, the blessings of the poor, who, being without a coat, was about to die, will come upon me, as I provided him with a garment. In a different sense, you may suggest that the person about to die is he who is dead to the world and its wealth; when the world is dead together with the things that are in it, the one who said, “Whoever lost his soul for me will find it” will come to him. The blessing of this poor, Job says, will come upon me.

    COMMENTARY ON JOB 29:13

  11. Job 30:18-20
    “I have become like dust and ashes,” that is, I have been rendered contemptible to them as if I were dust, and I appear to be similar to vile mud. Emmanuel too, even though he was God, was thoughtlessly considered to be unworthy when he was clothed with flesh, so that the impure Jews said, “Even though you are a man, you make yourself God.”

    COMMENTARY ON JOB 30:19

  12. Job 31:26
    “If I had looked at the sun when it shone or the moon moving in splendor,” that is, if I had seen the rising sun and worshiped it or had embraced the moon and kneeled down before it, I would have certainly erred in worshiping them.

    COMMENTARY ON JOB 31:26

  13. Job 32:20-22
    “I must speak so that I may find relief,” like a woman in labor, who, after bringing forth her offspring, is relieved from the pain of giving birth. And again, “my belly is in pain and does not open,” that is, I was in pain and could not find any respite, because I strongly desired to speak, but I abstained from it. Now I will break my voice and will make a revelation.

    COMMENTARY ON JOB 32:20

  14. Job 33:19-22
    These words mean that the soul of the wicked will never rejoice in the sins that it has committed or in the justice that it has never reached.

    COMMENTARY ON JOB 33:20

  15. Job 34:18-19
    “Who says to a king, ‘You scoundrel!’ ” These words are referred to God, who is the King of kings and rulers, and exercises his power on everyone, so that no rich or poor is privileged.

    COMMENTARY ON JOB 34:18-19

  16. Job 35:12-13
    “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.

    COMMENTARY ON JOB 35:12-13

  17. Job 36:22-23
    And you certainly, he says, were tested so far in the furnace of correction. But God will indeed restore you and will bring you back to your former wealth and dignity.

    COMMENTARY ON JOB 36:22

  18. Job 37:19
    “Teach us what we shall say to him, so that we may not rejoice at the sight of darkness,” that is, take heed that you do not hide anything from us.

    COMMENTARY ON JOB 37:19

  19. Job 38:6-7
    “And who created at the same time the morning stars?” that is, those stars that also rise and appear in the evening. But in a different sense [we may intend], when we refer to these stars to the substances that are separated from our senses, their generation does not agree with the nature of angels. Therefore, we say that Christ is signified through the term morning and the apostles through stars; and the teachers, sons of the angels, are defined as participants in the angelic nature.

    COMMENTARY ON JOB 38:7

  20. Job 39:9-12
    “Is the unicorn willing to serve you?” This animal, as is reported, is similar to an ox and is found in the austral regions, armed with a single horn. In the unicorn, whoever is not subjected at all to the bondage of the world is covertly represented. It is said to be provided with a single horn, because there is only one truth for the righteous. Again the human soul is compared with the unicorn, and it must be defined as endowed with a single horn if it is led by a single movement to the top. Moreover, it is said that the unicorn cannot be caught as its strength and dangerousness are extreme. However, the virgin hunter can win it, after being captured by the pleasure of beauty. So the soul is caught by the things that it has loved.

    COMMENTARY ON JOB 39:9

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