Moralia in Job 68

The same. — 'Five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-asses.' 23. What is designated by the name of oxen. What by the name of asses. — It was already said above that in the number fifty, which is completed by seven weeks with a unit added, rest is signified; while by the number ten the height of perfection is expressed. But since to the faithful the perfection of rest is promised, one arrives as it were at five hundred by taking fifty ten times over. Now in Holy Scripture by the name of oxen sometimes the dullness of the foolish is signified, sometimes the life of those who labour well. For because by the name of the ox the senselessness of fools is figured, it is rightly said through Solomon: 'And straightway he followeth her as an ox led to the slaughter' (Prov. vii, 22).

Again, that by the name of oxen the life of each one who labours is expressed, the precepts of the Law bear witness, which He commanded through Moses, saying: 'Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn' (Deut. xxv, 4). Which is again plainly said: 'The labourer is worthy of his hire' (Luke x, 7). By the name of asses too is sometimes designated the sloth of fools, sometimes the immoderate wantonness of the lascivious, sometimes the simplicity of the Gentiles. The sloth of fools is figured by the appellation of asses, as it is said through Moses: 'Thou shalt not plough with an ox and an ass together' (Deut. xxii, 10). As if He said: Join not fools with the wise in preaching, lest through him who is unable to fulfil the task, thou hinder him who prevails.

The immoderate wantonness of the lascivious too is expressed by the appellation of asses, as the prophet testifies, who says: 'Whose flesh is as the flesh of asses' (Ezek. xxiii, 20). Again by the name of asses the simplicity of the Gentile world is shown. Whence, journeying toward Jerusalem, the Lord is recorded to have sat upon a young ass (Matt. xxi, 5). For what is it, by sitting upon the ass, to come to Jerusalem, save, by possessing the simple hearts of the Gentiles, to lead them to the vision of peace by ruling and presiding over them? And this is shown by one easy testimony: that by oxen the labourers of Judaea, and by the ass the Gentile peoples are designated, when it is said through the prophet: 'The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib' (Isa. i, 3).

For what was the ox, save the Jewish people, whose neck the yoke of the Law wore down? And what was the ass, save the Gentile world, which every seducer found like a brute animal, resisting with no reason, and laid low in whatever error he willed? The ox therefore knew its owner, and the ass its Master's crib, because the Hebrew people found the God whom it worshipped but knew not; and the Gentile world received the fodder of the Law which it had not. What therefore is said above of the sheep and camels named, this is repeated below in the oxen and asses. 24. The preachers of the Jews, oxen pressed by the yoke of the Law.

— Even before the coming of the Redeemer, Judaea had oxen, for it sent labourers to preach, to whom it is said by the voice of Truth: 'Woe unto you, hypocrites, who compass sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves' (Matt. xxiii, 15). These the heavy yoke of the Law had pressed, because they endured the outward commandments of the letter. To whom it is said by the voice of Truth: 'Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart' (Matt. xi, 28, 29). That therefore in the Gospel rest is promised to those who labour well, this is what here five hundred yoke of oxen are recorded to be:

for those who subject their necks to the Redeemer's dominion, whither do they tend, save to rest? Whence also five hundred she-asses are mentioned; because the called peoples of the Gentiles, while they long to come to rest, willingly bear all the burdens of the commandments. Whence fitly, that the Gentile people should seek this rest, Jacob, addressing his sons, took care to signify by his prophetic voice, saying: 'Issachar is a strong ass, couching between the borders; he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was excellent, and he bowed his shoulder to bear' (Gen. xlix, 14, 15). For to couch between the borders is to rest awaiting the end of the world, and to seek nothing of those things which are now transacted in the midst, but to desire the last things.

And the strong ass sees rest and the excellent land, when simple Gentiledom raises itself to the strength of good work for this reason, that it tends toward the fatherland of eternal life. It bows its shoulder to bear; because, the supernal rest being beheld, it subjects itself even to grievous precepts in action, and whatever pusillanimity asserts to be intolerable, this the hope of reward shows to be light and easy to it. Because therefore, on behalf of the portion of the elect, Judaea and Gentiledom are gathered to eternal rest, rightly are five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred she-asses recorded to be had. There follows: