Hesychius of Jerusalem — Commentary on Scripture

The Lord will accept those who repent but will punish those who remain in their sins.

CATENA

Here is proof that all the ungodly will be punished. For Peter goes over the examples of Sodom and Gomorrah so that anyone who sees this will not behave wickedly, knowing that if he does so he will suffer the same kind of punishment as they did.

CATENA

2 Peter 2:7

Peter adds the story of Lot to his other examples in order to teach us that it is possible to avoid doing evil and thus to escape from the punishment which they will receive.

CATENA

James 1:15

The desires of sinners are the birth pangs of death.

CATENA

James 2:13

Just as oil enables athletes to escape the hands of their opponents, so mercy prepares those who practice it to avoid and escape the demons.

CATENA

James 3:8

Just as a sword, if it is sharpened, is more easily able to kill, so the tongue, which has great difficulty in keeping itself quiet and cannot easily be controlled, becomes more insolent if it learns from bad people how to deceive, how to slander and how to incriminate.

CATENA

James 4:10

It is a blessed thing to humble oneself before the Lord. For James says: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” Whenever we are thus humbled, even if we are tempted by demons and even if we are attacked by those who hate virtue, we have God to deliver us, as long as we do not forget his law or curse him in our sufferings.

CATENA

James 5:1

God delays the judgment because of his love for humanity, so that those who repent may not suffer along with those who are condemned.

CATENA

Job 1:3

You see the greatness of Job’s external wealth; but his internal wealth was even greater. The visible riches were splendid, but the invisible riches were even more splendid because they last; visible riches grow old, lose their value and continually collapse into the most pitiful corruption and destruction.

HOMILIES ON JOB 1.1.2-3E

Job 1:6

Was there ever a time when the angels did not stand before the Lord? Was it not written about them that “a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him”? But this coming, in our opinion, is that of the angels who had been sent to serve human beings. Paul actually says, “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?”

HOMILIES ON JOB 2.1.6

Job 1:16

Who is “the fire”? The enemy himself, about whom David said, “You will throw burning coals at them.” In fact, he could not, as some people believe, cast thunderbolts, nor brandish lightning, nor set in motion any element. Therefore it is the devil in the semblance of fire who fell on the herds of sheep, with the intention of forcing Job to blaspheme God, as if it were he, who from heaven had destroyed the riches of the righteous.

HOMILIES ON JOB 3.1.16

Job 1:22

“Job did not sin” before God. That is, he was pure from sins committed with his tongue or in his thoughts, and he praised God by means of words in accordance with his thoughts. Actually “he did not charge God with insanity,” that is, Job does not accuse the will of God or scorn the economy of the Creator, and he does not perceive insanity in the events that had occurred. He did not believe that the righteous are abandoned into the hands of sinners.

HOMILIES ON JOB 3.1.22

Job 2:9

Now, since the betrayer had been defeated in every battle, had failed in all his attempts, had been hindered in all his hunts, had been deprived of all his schemes, and all his traps had been broken, after destroying Job’s wealth, after the death of his numerous children, after ripping Job’s body with his blows, as a last, and in the betrayer’s opinion, most compelling resource, he leads his wife against Job. - "Homilies on Job 4.2.9"

Job 3:3

“Let the day perish in which I was born,” not the day in which I was formed but that “in which I was born.” … God, in fact, forms me into goodness, but Eve, who transgressed, conceives me into sadness. And David himself did not ignore that, but after learning it from the Spirit, he introduces the concept into a prophetic psalm with these terms: “For, behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and in sins did my mother conceive me.” How? To be sure, Eve began to conceive and give birth after the fall in paradise and after the transgression due to the miserable nourishment of the tree.

HOMILIES ON JOB 6.3.3

Job 3:13

To enjoy the beauty of God’s creation is desirable. It is a good thing to become a human being and to receive the image of God. It is not good to linger in an impure life. Many people are fascinated by an impure life, but not the righteous. Therefore, the departure from this world is no reason for sadness, for death is rest and deliverance from pain. Death is sleep. To depart from one’s body is rest.

HOMILIES ON JOB 6.3.13-16

Job 4:18-19

In truth, to be faultless is not easy for human beings. Faultlessness is beyond human possibilities. The order of the angels is itself subject to such weakness. This is what Eliphaz says, “Even in his servants God puts no trust.” It is evident that God “puts no trust” in the righteous—like you, who have trusted yourself—because he knows the weakness of their nature and how easily their flesh falls. The fallen angels give God a reason not to trust in them, those whom “he charges with error.” He has driven them away from the former honor of their rank and has reduced them to a lower position because they had evil thoughts against God. But if it is so for them, who even though they have a weak nature live nonetheless in the heights among the virtuous powers, and if it is so for angels who in their own nature were above us, what will we say about our own human condition, one even more subject to sin?

HOMILIES ON JOB 7.4.18-21

Job 5:8

Eliphaz says, “You did not devote yourself to prayer. As for me, I would commit my cause to God. You have reassured yourself and ceased from invoking ‘the Lord of all things.’ This is why the present afflictions befell you.” After speaking, Eliphaz glorified God and aroused Job’s anger.

HOMILIES ON JOB 8.5.8

Job 5:12-13

What do these words mean? Eliphaz insults Job, who should be a crafty man. He has a desire for justice, without doing anything for which he boasts with real justice. However, God does not stand still without penetrating such schemes, and “the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end.”

HOMILIES ON JOB 8.5.12-13

Job 5:20

Without doubt Job possesses happiness. You see that, by necessity or willingly, while Job starves and keeps away from all the tables of this world, he cries, “Sighing is my nourishment.” Yet Job does not die and confirms with force this word of God, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out from the mouth of God.”

HOMILIES ON JOB 8.5.20-26

Job 6:27

“You would even attack the orphan,” that is, me, for I am deprived of any human assistance. And since God is “the Father of the orphans,” you make him angry by offending me. “And you would trample your friend underfoot” with your words. You trample him even more violently than with your feet, and you scorn the laws of friendship. But God takes these faults into account. He, who not only commands us to love our neighbor like ourselves, also wants to be called “love.”

HOMILIES ON JOB 9.6.27