Moralia in Job 536

Verse 27. — 'Thou hast put my foot in the stocks, and hast observed all my paths, and hast considered the traces of my feet.' 63. The severity of the divine judgment in punishing even depraved thoughts. — God has put man's foot in the stocks, because he has bound his depravity with the strong sentence of his strictness. He observes all his paths, because subtly he judges each single thing of his. For a path is wont to be narrower than a road. But because by 'roads' we understand actions, not without cause do we take the 'paths' themselves as the thoughts of actions. God therefore observes all the paths, because in each single one of our acts he weighs even the thoughts.

And he considers the traces of the feet, because he examines how rightly the intentions of our works are laid down, lest even that which is done as good be done from an intention not upright. There can also be signified by the 'traces of the feet' certain evilly-done things. For the foot in the body is the trace on the way. And often, while we do certain depraved things, when brethren behold this, we give an evil example; and, as it were with our foot bent aside off the road, we leave distorted tracks to those who follow, while through our works we provoke the hearts of others to scandal. But it is greatly laborious to guard lest a man dare to do evil things, lest in good acts he waver through intention, and lest amid right works a sinister thought delude him.

Yet all these things Almighty God subtly examines, and in judgment weighs each single one. But how can man, who is constrained by the infirmity of his flesh, rise up subtly against all these things, and hold rectitude with unshaken thought? Hence fittingly it is subjoined: