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Origen · Selecta on Job §1-19

Job's Losses and Endurance in Trials

Passage 1 of 6 · Greek

Summary

In Chapter 1, the text explains how Job's assets and children were destroyed by the Devil's plots and the spiritual meaning of the corners, while Chapter 19 expounds on Job's spiritual endurance under Bildad's harsh words as an athlete waiting for God's final judgment.

§1## ΚΕΦ. Α΄. Οἱ ἱππεῖς ἐποίησαν ἡμῖν κεφαλὰς τρεῖς καὶ ἐκύκλωσαν τὰς καμήλους.
## Chapter 1 The horsemen made three bands for us and surrounded the camels.
Τὰς μὲν οὖν καμήλους πεποίηκε γενέσθαι ὑπὸ τοὺς ἱππεῖς· τὰς ὄνους δὲ καὶ τὰ ζεύγη τῶν βοῶν ὑπὸ τοὺς αἰχμαλωτίζοντας· τὰ πρόβατα δὲ ἐμίσει· διὰ τοῦτο πῦρ ἐπʼ αὐτὰ κατήγαγεν·
Now indeed, he caused the camels to be placed under the horsemen, and the she-asses and the yokes of oxen under those who take captives; but he hated the sheep, and therefore he brought down fire upon them.
ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς υἱοῖς ἐπεβούλευε, καὶ καιρὸν ἐζήτει τοῦ αὐτοὺς ἀπολέσαι.
Furthermore, he plotted against the sons also, and was seeking an opportunity to destroy them.
Εἰ εὑρήκει ἀναγινώσκοντας, οὐκ ἂν ἥψατο τῆς οἰκίας, οὐδὲ τόπον εἶχε τοῦ αὐτοὺς ἀποκτεῖναι·
If he had found them reading, he would not have touched the house, nor would he have had an opportunity to kill them.
εἰ εὑρήκει προσευχομένους, οὐδὲν ἐδύνατο ποιῆσαι κατʼ αὐτῶν· ἀλλʼ ὅτε εὖρεν εὐκαιρίαν, ἴσχυσε.
If he had found them praying, he would have been able to do nothing against them; but when he found an opportunity, he prevailed.
Ποῖος ἦν ὁ καιρός;
What kind of opportunity was it?
μέθη ἦν, συμπόσιον ἦν.
It was drunkenness, it was a banquet.
Τῷ δὲ τῶν γωνιῶν ἅψασθαι τὸ πνεῦμα, ἐπίστησον, ὅτι ἐν ταῖς τῶν γωνιῶν πλατείαις (16· ) οἱ ὑποκριταὶ ἑστῶτες προσεύχονται· πᾶς δὲ ὁ μὴ ἐπιβεβηκὼς εὐθείας ὀδοῦ ταῖς γωνίαις κέχρηται·
Concerning the wind's touching of the corners, observe that the hypocrites stand and pray at the wide corners of the streets; and everyone who has not trodden the straight path makes use of the corners.
πλατεῖα δὲ γωνία ἐστὶν ἡ πολλὴ καὶ ἀνειμένη κακία.
And a wide corner is abundant and unrestrained vice.
§19## ΚΕΦ. ΙΘ΄. Ἕως τίνος ἔγκοπον ποιήσετε ψυχήν μου;
## Chapter 19 How long will you vex my soul?
Ὥσπερ σώματα βαρέα ἐπιτιθέμενα ζώων σώμασι κάμνειν ποιεῖ τὰ βαστάζοντα· οὔτως εἰσί τινες λόγοι βαρεῖς, οὓς ἀκούσας τις, κάμνει ὡς ὑπὸ βάρους πιεζόμενος τῆς δυνάμεως τῶν λόγων, τῶν ὀνειδιστικῶς καὶ χαλεπῶς, ἢ ἐπὶ λοιδορίαις εἰρημένων·
Just as heavy weights placed upon the bodies of animals make those that carry them grow weary, so there are some heavy words, which when one hears, he grows weary as if pressed down by the weight of the power of the words spoken reproachfully and harshly, or in insults.
ὡς καὶ νῦν τῶν ὑπὸ Βαλδὰδ εἰρημένων, οἱονεὶ φορτίου αἰσθανθεὶς βαρέος ὁ Ἰὼβ, καμὼν τῇ ψυχῇ φησιν· « Ἕως τίνος ἕγκοπον ποιήσετε τὴν ψυχήν μου, » καὶ ὡσεὶ φορτίον βαρὺ βαρυνεῖτε κατʼ ἐμοῦ τοὺς λόγους;
As now also in the case of the things spoken by Bildad, Job, having felt as it were a heavy burden, says in his weariness of soul: "How long will you vex my soul," and as if a heavy burden, make your words heavy against me?
Ὁρᾷς, ὅτι τυραννικοί εἰσιν οἱ τοῦ Σαυχαίων τυράννου λόγοι, οὓς ἀκούσας ὁ Ἰὼβ. λέγει τὰ προκείμενα.
You see that tyrannical are the words of the tyrant of the Shuhites, hearing which Job says the things set before us.
Οὐχ οὕτως γὰρ καθικνεῖται ψυχῆς ἀνθρώπου ἄλλο τι. ὡς λόγος σκληρός· πολλάκις γάρ τις ὑπομείνας βασάνους σώματι προσφερομένας, λόγους οὐχ ὑπέμεινεν.
For nothing else so reaches the soul of a man as a harsh word; for many a time one who has endured tortures applied to his body has not endured words.
Ὁ μέντοιγε τέλειος ἀθλητὴς. εἰ καὶ κάμνων, ἀλλʼ ὑπομένει τοὺς χαλεποὺς λόγους· ὕβριν γὰρ ὑπομένειν, μεγάλου ἀνδρός ἐστι·
Yet indeed the perfect athlete, even if weary, nevertheless endures harsh words; for to endure insult is the mark of a great man.
διόπερ ἐν τοῖς ἀνδραγαθήμασιν ἑαυτοῦ ὁ Ἀπόστολος λέγει· « Λοιδορούμενοι εὐλογοῦμεν· βλασφημούμενοι παρακαλοῦμεν. » Καὶ νῦν δὲ ὁ Ἰὼβ ἐστιν, ὁ τῶν ἀθλητῶν γενναιότατος. ὁ ταῦτα λέγων· οὗ καὶ τὸ βιβλίον οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἐξαιρέτος περιέχει ἢ τὴν ἀνδρείαν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν ὑπομονήν· ἀλλʼ ὅμως αἰσθάνεται τῶν καμάτων ὧν κεκμήκει ἀπὸ τοῦ λόγου τοῦ σκληροῦ τῶν ἐληλυθότων αὐτὸν ἐπισκοπῆ σαι.
Therefore, among his own brave deeds, the Apostle says: "Being reviled, we bless; being slandered, we entreat." And now also it is Job, the most noble of athletes, who says these things; whose book also contains nothing else especially except his courage and his patience; but nevertheless he is sensible of the weariness which he had suffered from the harsh word of those who had come to visit him.
Καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἡ τοῦ λόγου βαρύτης, ὥσπερ τι φορτίον ἐπιτιθέμενον τῇ ψυχῇ, κάμνειν αὐτὴν παρασκευάζει, διὰ τοῦτό φησιν· Ἀνθʼ ὅτου, ὦ φίλοι, ταῖς τοῦ σώματος ἀλγηδόσι προστίθετε τὸν τῆς ψυχῆς πόνον, μᾶλλον κεντοῦντες τοῖς ῥήμασιν ἢ τὰ πάθη τὸ σῶμα;
And since the heaviness of the word, like some burden placed upon the soul, prepares it to grow weary, therefore he says: Why, O friends, do you add the pain of the soul to the distresses of the body, pricking more with words than the sufferings prick the body?
Καταλαλεῖτέ μου.
You speak against me.
Πολλάκις καταλαλεῖ τις κακῶς ποιῶν· ὅταν δὲ ἀπερυθριάσῃ, εἰς πρόσωπον λέγει ἐκείνου, οὐκ ἐλέγχων, οὐδὲ τἀληθῆ λέγων, ἀλλʼ ὀνειδίζων καὶ ὑβρίζων.
Often one speaks against another while doing evil; but when he has lost all shame, he speaks to his face, not reproving, nor speaking the truth, but reproaching and insulting.
Κεκράξομαι, καὶ οὐδαμοῦ κρῖμα.
I shall cry out, and there is no judgment.
Νῦν ἐὰν κράξω, οὐδαμοῦ τὸ κρῖμά μου ἔρχεται· ἔτι ἀθλῶ.
Now if I cry out, my judgment comes nowhere; I am still competing.
Ὡσεὶ ἔλεγεν· Ὥς τις ἀθλητὴς ἐν σταδίῳ κέκραγα, καὶ οὐδαμοῦ τὸ κρῖμά μου ἐπανίσταται· ἔτι γὰρ παλαίω.
It is as if he were saying: Like some athlete in the stadium I have cried out, and nowhere does my judgment arise; for I am still wrestling.
Ἐὰν μὴ τελέσω τὸ πάλαισμα, οὐκ ἔρχεται τὸ κρῖμα τοῦ στεφάνου.
If I do not finish the wrestling, the judgment of the crown does not come.
Καὶ ταῦτά φαμεν, ἵνα μὴ κατηγορῶμεν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι τοσαῦτα πάσχει ὁ Ἰὼβ, καὶ οὐδαμοῦ τὸ κρῖμα, τουτέστιν ἡ ἀπόφασις τῆς ἐλευθερίας, καὶ τῆς τῶν δεινῶν ἀπαλλαγῆς.
And we say these things so that we may not accuse God because Job suffers so much and there is no judgment anywhere, that is, the decision of freedom and deliverance from evils.

Notes

  1. §1πεποίηκε γενέσθαι — The verb ποιέω combined with the infinitive expression denotes causation ('caused to be'). The unexpressed subject is the Devil who tests Job. The subsequent prepositional phrase ὑπὸ τοὺς ἱππεῖς (ὑπό + accusative) indicates transition into subjection under the horsemen.
  2. §1τοῦ αὐτοὺς ἀπολέσαι — An articular infinitive in the genitive case modifying the noun καιρόν ('opportunity'), expressing purpose or content ('to destroy them').
  3. §1Εἰ εὑρήκει — A past contrary-to-fact conditional sentence, using the pluperfect indicative (εὑρήκει) in the protasis, and the aorist indicative with ἄν (ἥψατο) in the apodosis. In the second part, οὐδὲ τόπον εἶχε (imperfect indicative), ἄν is shared or omitted to present the result vividly.
  4. §1Τῷ δὲ τῶν γωνιῶν ἅψασθαι τὸ πνεῦμα — An articular infinitive phrase in the dative case without a preposition. It takes the accusative τὸ πνεῦμα as its subject and the genitive τῶν γωνιῶν as its object, functioning as a dative of means or reference ('concerning the wind's touching of the corners').
  5. §19τῶν ἐληλυθότων αὐτὸν ἐπισκοπῆσαι — The genitive participle τῶν ἐληλυθότων ('those who had come') is accompanied by the infinitive ἐπισκοπῆσαι expressing purpose ('to visit/examine'). αὐτόν is the accusative object of the infinitive. The entire phrase depends on the preceding τοῦ λόγου τοῦ σκληροῦ ('the harsh word of those who had come to visit him').

Cite this passage

Origen, Selecta on Job §1-19. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2042.tlg057.humanitext-grc1:1-19

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