Moralia in Job 277

Same verse. 'And the thirsty shall drink up his riches.' 12. Often the dull-witted man, by studying, understands in the learning of the divine law that which the clever man, through negligence, knows not. Often the fool has the fountain of the inward liquor, but does not drink, because he indeed receives the talent of understanding, yet by reading disdains to come to know the sentences of the truth; he knows that he could prevail in understanding by studying, but, disdainful, ceases from all pursuit of doctrine. The riches of the mind, moreover, are the words of the sacred discourse; but the fool looks upon these riches with his eyes, and by no means takes them up for the use of his adornment, because, hearing the words of the Law, he considers them indeed to be great, but with no zeal of love labors to comprehend them.

But on the contrary, another has thirst, but has no talent; love draws him to meditate, dullness of sense contradicts; and often, by studying, he sometimes understands in the learning of the divine law that which the clever man through negligence knows not. The thirsty, therefore, drink up the riches of this fool, while the dull who love attain the precepts of God which the clever who disdain know not. In these, indeed, the eye of love illumines the darkness of dullness; for thirst opens to the slower that which loathing closes to the swifter. And they for this reason come through to the heights of understanding, because they hold in no contempt, even the least of, the doing of the things they have understood; and while they aid the sense with their hands, they lift themselves beyond the height of the clever.

Hence it is well said by Solomon: 'The lizard supports itself on its hands, and dwells in kings' palaces' (Proverbs xxx, 28). For very often the birds, which the feather lifts up to flight, roost in the brambles; and the lizard, which has no feathers for flight, supporting itself on its hands, holds the building of the kingdom, because assuredly the clever, while they grow torpid through negligence, remain in depraved actions, and the simple, whom no feather of talent aids, the virtue of action lifts to obtaining the ramparts of the eternal kingdom. The lizard, therefore, while it supports itself on its hands, dwells in the king's palace, because thither the simple man comes through the intention of right action, whither the clever man by no means ascends.

But when these things have been heard, a question arises in our heart: why is the gift of understanding bestowed even on the negligent, or why is any diligent man hindered by the slowness of his own sense? To which it is answered very quickly, while it is immediately subjoined: