Moralia in Job 153

Verse 9. — But his wife said to him: Dost thou still remain in thy simplicity? Bless God, and die. 12. The devil tempts those who stand either by breaking them with tribulations or by softening them with persuasions. He seeks the woman as a ladder by which to climb into Job's heart, but in vain. — The ancient enemy is wont to tempt the human race in two ways: namely, that he may either break the hearts of them that stand with tribulations, or soften them with persuasions. In both, therefore, he exercised himself vehemently against blessed Job. For first he brought upon the father of the household the loss of his goods, bereaved the father by the death of his children, smote the unharmed man with the putrefaction of wounds. But because he beheld him, though putrefying outwardly, still standing sound within;

and grudged that he whom he had rendered outwardly naked should become inwardly richer through the praise of the Creator he displayed; craftily pondering, he weighs that against himself the athlete of God is lifted up by the very thing whereby he is pressed down, and being vanquished, he turns to subtle devices of tempting. [Old Version V.] For he repeats the snares of his ancient art; and because he knows how Adam is wont to be deceived, he has recourse to Eve. For he saw blessed Job, amid the loss of so many things, amid so many wounds of smitings, standing unconquered as in a certain citadel of virtues. For he had fixed his mind on high; and therefore the enemy's snares could not break into it. It is sought out by the adversary, therefore, by what steps this most fortified citadel may be ascended.

Now the woman is near to the man and joined to him. He therefore seized the heart of the woman, and found her, as it were, a ladder by which he might ascend to the heart of the man. He occupied the mind of the wife, the ladder of the husband. But he prevailed nothing by this art, because the holy man regarded the woman as subject to himself, and not set over him; and by speaking right things he taught her whom the serpent had incited to speak perverse things. For it was fitting that manly censure should restrain the wavering mind, since he assuredly knew, even from the very first fall of the human race, that a woman knew not how to teach right things. Whence also it is well said through Paul: But I permit not a woman to teach (1 Tim. 2:12); because assuredly, when once she taught, she separated man from the eternity of wisdom.

So the ancient enemy, who overcame Adam in paradise, was defeated by Adam on the dunghill; and while he kindled his own helper, the woman, to words of evil persuasion, he sent her to the teaching of holy instruction; and she who had been stirred up to destroy, was instructed lest she perish. Thus, thus, is the enemy smitten by our strong men, so that even his own weapons are snatched from him. For whence he thinks to heap up the pain of the wound, thence he furnishes them with arms of virtue against himself. 13. By words the devil tempts us through those who are close to us.

— From the words of the evilly persuading wife, however, we ought vigilantly to observe that the ancient adversary strives to bend the state of our mind not only through himself, but also through those who are close to us. For when he does not overthrow our heart by his own persuasion, he assuredly creeps to it through the tongues of those who cleave to us. Hence it is written: Beware of thy children, and take heed of them of thy household (Ecclus. 32:26). Hence it is said through the prophet: Let every one keep himself from his neighbor, and let him have no confidence in any brother of his (Jer. 9:4). Hence again it is written: A man's enemies are they of his own household (Matt. 10:36).

For the crafty adversary, when he sees himself repelled from the hearts of the good, seeks out those who are greatly loved by them; and through the words of those who are loved more than the rest, he speaks flatteringly, so that while the force of love pierces the heart, the sword of his persuasion may easily break into the defenses of inmost rectitude. After the loss of goods, therefore, after the deaths of children, after the wounds and rendings of members, the ancient enemy moved the tongue of the wife. 14. What arts of the enemy in the series of Job's temptations. — And it is to be noted at what time he strove to corrupt the man's mind with venomous speech. For he brought in words after wounds, so that assuredly, when the force of pain grew heavy, the perverse suggestion of persuasion might easily prevail. [Old

Version VI.] But if we ponder subtly the very order of his temptation, we find with what craftiness he rages. For first he moved the loss of substance, which was assuredly both outside nature and outside the body. He took away the sons, which indeed was not outside nature, but yet still in some measure outside his own body. Unto the extremity he smote also the body. But because he could not by the wounds of the flesh come to the wound of the mind, he sought also the tongue of the joined woman. For because he grieved that he was overcome in open contest, he hurled a dart from the mouth of the wife as though from ambush — she who assuredly would say: Dost thou still remain in thy simplicity? Bless God, and die.

Behold, by tempting he took all away; behold, by tempting he left the woman, and craftily plundered everything from the holy man; but far more craftily he reserved his own helper, the woman, that she might say: Dost thou still remain in thy simplicity? Eve repeats her own words. For what is it to say: Forsake simplicity, but: Despise obedience by eating the forbidden thing? And what is it to say: Bless God, and die, but: By transcending the commandment, live beyond what thou wast created? But our Adam, strong, lay on the dunghill, who once, weak, stood in paradise. For straightway he answered the words of her who evilly persuaded, saying: