Even fools despised me, and when I was gone from them, they spoke against me.
גַּם־עֲ֭וִילִים מָ֣אֲסוּ בִ֑י אָ֝ק֗וּמָה וַיְדַבְּרוּ־בִֽי׃
2 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Cultivate a passionate desire for this, dear ones, strive to emulate it, and having grasped this profound truth, engrave it upon your hearts. When others unjustly mistreat those who do not deserve such treatment, reflect on the suffering he endured at the hands of his oppressors, and you will find great comfort.
The foolish even despise me Job 19:18. Those who are wise yet have strayed from genuine belief may rightly be regarded as ‘fools.’ When the Pharisees and the scholars scorned the Lord, many of the ordinary folk mimicked their skepticism, seeing Him merely as a man and neglecting the teachings of the world's Redeemer. Often, the term fools refers to those who are humble among the populace; hence, Jeremiah stated, "Therefore I said, Perhaps they are poor and foolish, that know not the way of the Lord, nor the law of their God" Jeremiah 5:4. However, our Redeemer chose to seek out the humble and the foolish rather than the wealthy and the wise, which is why it is expressed here, in a tone of deep sorrow: The foolish even despise me.
This reflects an unspoken sentiment, as if He were saying, ‘Even those I considered to be of little understanding have turned against me, even though I assumed a humble stance to save them through my message.’ As it is written, "For when the world by its own wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of preaching to save those who believed" 1 Cor. 1:21. The ‘Word’ embodies the ‘Wisdom of God,’ yet this ‘wisdom’ is perceived as folly; the flesh of the Word cannot grasp the full wisdom of God, but through the simplicity of preaching—through the Incarnation of the Word—it can find healing. Thus, it is said, The foolish even despise me. It could be paraphrased as ‘Even those whom I deemed unwise have scorned me for whom I willingly appeared as foolish.’ When the Jewish people beheld the miracles performed by our Redeemer, they exclaimed, "This is the Christ" Jn. 7:41. However, upon witnessing His human frailties, they contemptuously declared, "Nay, he deceiveth the people," which is why it is rightly remarked, "And when I went out from them, they spoke against me" Job 19:18. The Lord approached the hearts of the people through His miracles, and it seemed He ‘withdrew’ when no signs were shown; yet they criticized Him by withholding their faith, even in the face of miracles. What is even more astonishing is that this resistance came not from the common people, but from the very individuals who were supposed to be the keepers of the Law, those who had foretold His coming and prophesied His Incarnation. Yet when they encountered Him in human form, they distanced themselves due to their disbelief. Concerning these individuals, it is further noted:
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS