Moralia in Job 528

Verse 18. — 'If I be judged, I know that I shall be found righteous.' 51. The humility of Job even in praising himself: he ascribes iniquity to himself, but his cleansing to God. — This does not disagree with the person of blessed Job himself, when he here outwardly says of himself the very thing that Truth had inwardly said of him to his enemy: 'Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him upon the earth?' (Job 1:8). And indeed the same man says of himself far less than what the Lord said of him. For it is one thing to be righteous, another to have none like oneself. Humbly therefore did he think of himself, who, though he stood righteous beyond comparison, recorded not that he was found above the rest, but only that he could be found righteous.

But this in his words seems to raise a question: that he who above said, 'I will maintain my ways in his sight' (v. 15), and below says, 'Thou wilt consume me for the sins of my youth,' and, subtly acknowledging his own sins, adds much further below, 'Thou hast sealed up my offences as in a bag,' — now says, 'If I be judged, I know that I shall be found righteous.' For sin and righteousness cannot come together at once. But the holy man, ascribing iniquity to himself and his cleansing to the almighty Lord, both knows himself a sinner of himself, and is not ignorant that he was made righteous by a gift — he who, set even in right work, out of abundant grace merited to bear the scourges.

And now he rejoices to be found righteous in judgment, who saw himself smitten before the judgment. Hence also, though he says far afterward, 'Thou hast sealed up my offences as in a bag,' he at once subjoins: The same. — 'But thou hast healed my iniquity.' He therefore who records that he shall be found righteous in judgment by no means denies that he was justly scourged; although by his scourge the Lord was concerned not to wipe away sins, but to increase merits. There follows: