Book Snippets

Job’s wisdom of saying what’s needed and being silent when needed

2 min • Digitized on June 11, 2024

#Bible Commentary #Doctors of the Church #What the Saints Say

From Morals on the Book of Job, in file "Morals on the Book of Job, Vol I", page 141
By St. Gregory the Great

In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

17. We sin with our lips in two ways; either when we say unjust things, or withhold the just. For if it were not sometimes a sin also to be silent, the Prophet would never say, Woe is me, that I held my peace.

Blessed Job, then, in all that he did, sinned no wise with his lips; in that he neither spake proudly against the smiter, nor withheld the right answer to the adviser.

Neither by speech, therefore, nor by silence did he offend, who both gave thanks to the Father that smote him, and administered wisdom of instruction to the ill-advising wife.

For because he knew what he owed to God, what to his neighbour, viz. resignation to his Creator, wisdom to his wife, therefore he both instructed her by his uttering reproof, and magnified Him by giving thanks.

But which is there of us, who, if he were to receive any single wound of such severe infliction, would not at once be laid low in the interior?

See, that when outwardly prostrated by the wounds of the flesh, he abides inwardly erect in the fences of the mind, and beneath him he sees every dart fly past wherewith the raging enemy transfixes him outwardly with unsparing hand; watchfully he catches the javelins, now cast, in wounds, against him in front, and now, in words, as it were from the side.

And our champion encompassed with the rage of the besetting fight, at all points presents his shield of patience, meets the darts coming in on every hand, and on all virtue’s sides wheels round the guarded mind to front the assailing blows.