Job 19:24Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Therefore, it is fitting that under ‘plates of tin’ Judea is represented, having readily accepted God’s commandments without effort and lost them just as swiftly. Conversely, the Gentile nations are rightly symbolized by ‘stone,’ for they received the sacred words with considerable difficulty, yet held steadfastly to them after their reception. Under ‘the iron stylus,’ what could signify other than the powerful judgment of God? Thus, the prophet states, The sin of Judah is inscribed with an iron stylus on a diamond point, Jeremiah 17:1. The main point ends in a claw, and the diamond represents an exceptionally hard stone that cannot be cut with iron. Therefore, ‘the iron stylus’ represents severe punishment, whereas ‘the diamond point’ denotes eternal punishment. The sin of Judah is said to be recorded with ‘an iron stylus on a diamond point’ because the transgressions of the Jews received a grave sentence from God, with a consequence that is infinite.

Further, by ‘a plate of tin,’ we understand those burdened by the weight of greed, to whom the prophet speaks in admonition, O sons of men, how long will the weight remain in your hearts? The nature of tin, which is heavy, symbolizes the sin of greed, which weighs down the mind so heavily that it cannot rise to seek higher things. Therefore, it is written by Zechariah, Lift up your eyes and see what is coming out. And I said, What is it? He replied, It is the ephah that comes forth. And he added, It is their eye throughout the whole earth. And a talent of lead went up, with a woman sitting in the midst of the ephah. This is iniquity; and he cast her into the center of the ephah, placing a talent of lead upon her face or into her mouth, Zech. 5:5-8. After describing the ephah, the woman, and the lead, he adds more about what he has observed: And I lifted up my eyes, and saw two women appearing, with the spirit in their wings, for they had wings resembling those of a stork, and they lifted the ephah between earth and heaven. And I asked the angel who spoke with me, Where are they carrying this ephah? He responded, To build a house for her in the land of Shinar, Zech. 5:9-11. The prophet's testimony, which we have presented as evidence, points toward further explanation of what is taking place and described in these words. He states, Lift up your eyes again and see what is emerging; and I asked, What is it? And he replied, It is the ephah that emerges. God, wishing to reveal to the prophet the sin by which humanity primarily strays from Him, symbolized through the figure of the ephah, represents the wide-open mouth of greed. For greed, akin to the ephah, keeps the heart's mouth open and wide. He stated, This is their eye throughout the whole earth. We observe many individuals lacking understanding, immersed in sinful practices, which the prophet also confirms, saying, They are wise in doing evil, but do not know how to do good, Jer. 4:22. Hence, they are foolish in understanding, driven by greed in their desires, blind to recognize goodness amidst the allure of immediate rewards from wicked deeds. Therefore, aptly it is said that greed holds its eye upon the world. Furthermore, a talent of lead was raised. What is this talent of lead if not the weight of that very sin of greed? And there she was, sitting in the midst of the ephah. What does this woman represent? To clarify our concerns, the angel discloses at once: This is iniquity; and he cast her into the center of the ephah. Wickedness is ‘cast into the midst of the ephah’ because greed always carries wickedness within itself. The entirety of the lead's weight rests upon the woman’s face, as the wickedness of greed is pressed down by its own sinful weight; for if one had not sought after earthly things, he would never have been disrespectful to God and neighbor.

Then I lifted my eyes and saw: behold, two women appeared, with the spirit in their wings. What do we understand by these ‘two women’ if not the two principal vices, pride and vanity, which are undeniably intertwined in evil? They are described as having ‘a spirit in their wings’ because they act in accordance with the will of Satan; for the prophet refers to ‘the spirit’ of him whom Solomon speaks of, If the spirit of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your post, Eccl. 10:4, and of whom our Lord states in the Gospel, When an unclean spirit leaves a man, it wanders through arid regions, Matt. 12:43. They possess the spirit within their wings as pride and vanity submit to the will of Satan. ‘And they had wings like the wings of a stork.’ A stork preys upon smaller birds. Thus, these women possess ‘wings like those of a stork’ because their actions are reminiscent of the devil’s works, who constantly seeks the destruction of the least of life. They elevate an ephah between earth and heaven. The description of pride and vanity is not without reason, as it is characteristic of these vices that those who are afflicted by them see themselves loftier than others: at times in pursuit of worldly rewards, at other times yearning for dignified status, the individual who once was ensnared elevates himself to heights of esteem. The person who finds himself caught between earth and heaven may abandon lesser pursuits yet cannot fully attain that which is above.

These women, who ‘raise the ephah between earth and heaven,’ embody pride and vanity, capturing the mind and exalting it through a thirst for honors, causing men to look down upon their fellow beings and in their pride to seek lofty ambitions. Yet while they may imagine themselves taller than those around them, they are actually far from connecting with the residents of the heavenly realm. Hence, the ephah is termed ‘lifted up between earth and heaven’ because those consumed by greed, driven by pride and vanity, disdain their neighbors nearby but can never reach the higher aspirations awaiting them; thus they dwell ‘between earth and heaven’ as they fail to engage in the bond of brotherhood in this world through charity and are unable to ascend to the heavens by exalting and glorifying themselves. I asked the angel who spoke to me, Where do they take this ephah? He replied, To construct a house for her in the land of Shinar. This signifies that the ephah has ‘a house built for her in the land of Shinar,’ where Shinar translates to ‘a pungent foul smell.’ Just as there exists a pleasing aroma of virtue, as Paul affirms, who said, And manifests the fragrance of the knowledge of himself through us in every place; for we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God, 2 Cor. 2:14-15, so the contrary indicates that the stench arises from vice. Since greed is the root of all vices, 1 Tim. 6:10, and all evil stems from greed, it follows that the dwelling of greed should be in a place of ‘bad odor.’ Furthermore, it is important to recognize that ‘Shinar’ is the expansive valley where the Tower was initially erected by individuals engulfed in pride, the Tower which was ultimately demolished following the confusion of languages; and this Tower was named Babel due to this very disarray of speech and thoughts. It is appropriate that the ‘ephah’ of greed is placed in ‘Babylon,’ which denotes ‘confusion,’ for greed and wickedness serve as the origins of all wrongdoing, and these same elements are justly located in a realm of perplexity.

We have concisely expressed these ideas, aiming to clarify that the weight of sin is signified by the term ‘tin plate.’ Nevertheless, all the words of blessed Job equally pertain to the Holy Church, which, upholding the two covenants of Holy Revelation, pleads once again for the words to be inscribed, expressing, Oh, if only my words were recorded! Oh, if they were sealed in a book! As she speaks with urgency to hearts burdened by greed and at other times to ruthless hearts, she ‘writes with an iron stylus on a plate of tin or on stone.’ It is also often rightly articulated that blessed Job speaks on behalf of our Redeemer and His Church, and we frequently uncover numerous expressions that he articulates specifically regarding the Redeemer of all humanity. For how can we believe that he imparts any insights related to Him if he does not manifest His presence through his words? Now, let us hear clearly what he intends to convey explicitly regarding Him, leaving no room for doubt in our hearts.