約伯倫理 第 379 章

Chap. viii, verses 1, 2. But Bildad the Shuhite answering said: How long wilt thou speak such things, and how long shall the spirit of the words of thy mouth be manifold? 58. The words of the just are grievous to the unjust. The power of speaking is fourfold. Only one is subject to blame. To the unjust the words of the just are always grievous; and the things which they hear uttered for edification, these they bear as it were an imposed burden. This Bildad the Shuhite openly indicates of himself, saying: How long wilt thou speak such things? For he who says 'how long' shows that he can no longer bear words of edification. But when the wicked despise to be corrected, they make an accusation of things well uttered. Whence he also presently adds: And the spirit of the words of thy mouth is manifold.

When manifoldness in speech is reproved, without doubt a weightiness of understanding in the sense is denied. For the highest power of those who speak is distinguished by a fourfold quality. For there are some whom breadth both of perceiving and of speaking at once enlarges; and there are some whom poverty both of perceiving and of speaking at once straitens. There are some who have efficacy of speaking, but have not acuteness of perceiving; and there are some who are supported by acuteness of perceiving, but from poverty of expression fall dumb. For this we discern in men which we often see in things without sense. For very often abundant water is drawn from the depths and is diverted by broad channels to the surface.

Very often a narrow stream lies hidden in the depths, and, finding with difficulty crevices to advance, oozes out the more narrowly outside. Very often a tiny spring rises in hidden places; and when it finds an open way whereby it may issue forth, it proceeds thin from a broad opening, and great channels widen themselves, but there is nothing which they may pour out. Very often, however, an ample stream rises in hidden places, but, pressed by narrow channels, flows forth most scantily. So then in some men an open mouth pours forth what a broad fountain of talent supplies. In others neither does the sense reach out understanding, nor the tongue pour it forth. In others the mouth indeed lies open to speak, but the tongue, ready to render, receives nothing from the sense.

But in others a broad fountain of perceiving overflows from the heart, yet the tongue, unequal as a narrow channel, straitens it. Among which four qualities of speaking, the third alone is subject to blame, which seizes for itself by utterance that to which by talent it does not rise. For the first is to be praised, which prevails powerfully in both. The second is to be pitied, which humbly lacks both. The fourth is to be helped, which is not able to accomplish what it perceives. But the third is to be despised and repressed, which, while it lifts itself up in speech, lies low in sense; which, like limbs swollen with inflammation, comes forth vast but empty to the ears of hearers. This Bildad now hurls against the guilt of blessed Job, saying:

The spirit of the words of thy mouth is manifold. For he who attributes manifoldness of speech to the mouth, assuredly reproves poverty of heart. As if he plainly said: In the abundance of spirit in the speech of thy mouth thou art lifted up, but by the want of sense thou art straitened. But the wicked, when they reprove right things, lest they themselves seem to be ignorant of what is just, utter, as though unknown, good things known to all, which they have learned by hearing. Whence also Bildad presently adds: