Job 1:18Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Different trials are directed at various individuals: the affluent suffer loss, the father grieves for his children, the afflicted endure pain, and the body is covered with sores. How many arrows have been shot! Yet the Lord did not seek what was transient, entering the world in a state of poverty (cf. 2 Cor. 8:9), rendering the enemy unable to seize anything from Him. Need proof of this assertion? Hear the words of the Lord Himself, “The prince of this world cometh, and shall find nothing in Me” (John 14:30). He did not desire to be the father of a few (cf. Job 29:16) but wished to be the Father of all. It would be futile to test Him who dismissed all physical pain with mere bodily afflictions! In doing so, He also aimed to reveal that the ultimate victory belongs to Him, for He had overcome the adversary of the flesh. Job experienced temptation through his possessions, while Jesus was tempted with dominion over worldly treasures; one man lost everything, while the other was presented with kingship over creation. The devil employed cunning tactics, fearing the anger of the Son of God; he tempted Job with provocation, while he lured Jesus with promises of reward. The calamities came one after the other (see Job 1:14-17), worsening the wounds, yet the steadfast warrior remained undeterred.

In contrast, we observe Job, besieged by devastating news that hits him in relentless succession, like crashing waves. Before one messenger finishes recounting a calamity that has befallen him, another arrives with yet another sorrow. The severity of the disasters that assail him is calculated and merciless; the terrifying intensity of their assault heightens with each report. The first herald informs him of the theft of his oxen and donkeys, accompanied by the slaughter of the servants tending them. The next brings word of the destruction wrought by divine fire upon his sheep, along with their shepherds. Following this, a third messenger announces the robbery of his camels, together with the death of their keepers. Finally, the fourth delivers the most grievous tidings: A great wind from the wilderness has suddenly arisen, striking the four corners of the house where his children were feasting with their elder brother, causing it to collapse upon them, resulting in their tragic demise.

Through this abrupt loss of all his children, the enemy wrenched from Job’s tender heart the chance to gradually express and ease his sorrow. Faced with the devastating news of their death beneath the ruins, Job found himself at a loss about whom to mourn first or whose remains he would uncover as the debris was removed. The weight of his grief confined within him, causing unbearable anguish that led him to question the Almighty. Job’s children were cruelly slain by the wrathful devil, much like the sons of our Lord, the Prophets, who suffered at the hands of the frenzied Pharisees (Luke 13:34; Acts 7:52).

Yet, in this foolishness, there is also a wise instruction for the heart: what may initially lead one to act thoughtlessly can later illuminate one's understanding, fostering humility and enhancing wisdom. Thus, that wisdom which appears to be lost is ultimately fortified.

In the presence of God, both the faithful angels and the accuser, Satan, gathered. The compassionate God, who desires the salvation of every soul, demonstrated by allowing the devil's access that He would welcome the repentance of even the original perpetrator of sin should he ever choose to turn back to righteousness. By standing before the Almighty among His divine assembly, the devil was reminded of his fallen state and his original closeness to his Creator, a moment intended to evoke a sense of remorse while simultaneously stripping him of grounds to defend his obstinacy. The Lord employs all means for salvation, yet the adversary persists in leading others astray and opposing God.

His intention was to weigh Job down progressively with accumulating misfortunes. He understood that if the loss of his children had occurred before the other tribulations, those hardships would not have felt particularly burdensome; Job would have regarded the loss of his wealth with indifference, as he had amassed it not for his own sake but for his children. Thus, the devil seizes Job's children coinciding with the loss of his possessions, presenting him with a chalice brimming with grief to endure.