Moralia in Job 1354

18. 'The Lord bound its tongue, when He compelled its errors to be silent.' Understand: as I do. For Sacred Scripture is wont sometimes to signify by a rope the lots of measured allotments, sometimes sins, sometimes faith. For on account of the hereditary lots of allotments it is said: 'The ropes have fallen unto me in goodly places; for my inheritance is goodly to me' (Ps. 15:6). For ropes fall in goodly places, when through humility of life the lots of a better country receive us. Again, because by a rope sins are signified, it is said through the prophet: 'Woe to you that draw iniquity with cords of vanity' (Isa. 5:18). For iniquity is drawn with cords of vanity, when by increase guilt is prolonged. Whence also it is said through the Psalmist:

'The ropes of sinners have encompassed me' (Ps. 118:61). Because indeed a rope is twisted by adding, so that it grows, not without reason is sin figured in a rope, which in a perverse heart is often multiplied while it is defended. Again, faith is expressed by a rope, Solomon attesting, who says: 'A threefold cord is hardly broken' (Eccl. 4:12), because faith, namely, which is woven from the knowledge of the Trinity by the mouth of preachers, remaining strong in the elect, is scattered only in the heart of the reprobate. And so in this place nothing hinders us from understanding by the name of rope either sin or faith. [Old

ch. 13.] For our Lord, having become incarnate, bound Leviathan's tongue with a rope, because He appeared in the likeness of sinful flesh, and condemned all the teachings of its errors (Rom. 8:3). Whence, with Paul attesting, it is said: 'And of sin He condemned sin' (ibid.). He bound its tongue with a rope, because through the likeness of sinful flesh He destroyed all the arguments of its deceit from the hearts of His elect. For behold, when the Lord appeared in the flesh, Leviathan's tongue was bound, because, its truth being known, those teachings fell silent. 19.

'The Academics and the Astrologers are refuted.' For where now is the error of the Academics, who certainly strive to assert that nothing is certain, who with shameless brow demand faith from their hearers for their assertions, while they testify that none are true? Where is the superstition of the astrologers, who, while they gaze up at the courses of the constellations, hang the lives of men upon the moments of the stars? Whose doctrine the birth of twins often plainly scatters, who, though they come forth in one and the same moment of the hour, do not endure in one same quality of life. Where are so many pronouncements of falsehood, which we forbear to enumerate, lest we depart far from the order of our exposition? But now every doctrine of error has grown silent, because the Lord then bound Leviathan's tongue by His incarnation.

Whence it is also well said through the prophet: 'And the Lord shall lay waste the tongue of the sea of Egypt' (Isa. 11:15). For the tongue of the sea is the science of secular learning. And it is well called the Egyptian sea, because it is darkened by the obscurity of sin. Therefore the Lord laid waste the tongue of the Egyptian sea, because by showing Himself through the flesh He destroyed the false wisdom of this world. Therefore with a rope Leviathan's tongue is bound, because through the likeness of sinful flesh the preaching of the old sinner is bound. 20. 'When the faith of the most holy Trinity was disseminated, secular learning fell silent.' But if faith is signified by a rope, the same meaning is again intimated to us, namely that, when through the holy preachers the faith of the Trinity in the world

became known, the learning of the world ceased to break forth against the minds of the elect. Whence it is well said to the Lord through the prophet: 'Thou hast broken up the fountains and the torrents; thou hast dried up the rivers of Ethan' (Ps. 73:15). For Ethan is interpreted 'strong.' And who is this strong one, but He of whom the Lord says through the Gospel: 'No one can enter into the house of the strong one and spoil his goods, unless he first bind the strong one' (Mark 3:27)? Therefore the Lord broke up the fountains and the torrents, when in the hearts of His apostles He opened the streams of truth. Of which it is again said through another prophet: 'You shall draw waters with joy out of the fountains of the Savior' (Isa. 12:3).

For to their teaching we go athirst, that we may carry back our hearts' little flasks full of truth. But by causing His own fountains to flow forth, He dried up the rivers of Ethan, since by showing the ray of His truth He parched the doctrine of the strong and malignant spirit. Therefore Leviathan's tongue is bound with a rope, because, the faith of the Trinity being spread abroad, the pronouncements of errors have fallen silent. But since now he is no longer able to exalt himself openly, going round here and there he bites through snares. [Old translation, ch. 14.] But with marvelous mercy the Lord watches against him for us, and overcomes him even in that which he contrives by frauds. Whence it is subjoined: