THEOSISGregory the Great
His bones are filled with the sins of youth, and I will sleep with him in the dust, Job 20:11. A moral understanding reveals that a poor beginning, if indulged, leads to a multiplication of sinful behaviors later on. When an individual initiates wrongdoing, they tend to develop an increased inclination towards that sin. What then constitutes the ‘youth’ of this deceiver if not the onset of vice? Youthful desires, once embraced, only intensify over time. During his formative years, the hypocrite is drawn towards the desire for glory, and the flattering words of others amplify this ambition, solidifying it like bone. The wrongs he engages in become more entrenched through habit, deteriorating his state further.
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Thus, it is stated that His bones are filled with the sins of youth, as the deep-seated patterns of wicked behavior are established from an early transgression. As Proverbs asserts, Instruct a young man at the beginning of his way: he shall not depart from it when he is old, Proverbs 22:6, and these 'bones' will indeed ‘sleep with him in the dust,’ since the consequences of his evil habits will persist until they lead him to the grave. His ‘bones,’ representing those entrenched habits, will ‘sleep with him in the dust,’ illustrating that sin will persist with him even unto death. Consequently, the negative habits once initiated are retained within him and become increasingly rigid. They ‘sleep with him in the dust,’ indicating that they will conclude only with his life. This notion can also be interpreted in another way. The hypocrite may occasionally perform some good deeds, yet through a misguided perception of his virtues, he may ultimately forfeit even those capable traits. Indeed, it is aptly stated, His bones are filled with the sins of youth. In his thoughtlessness and changeability, he resembles an impulsive youth, ultimately exhausting even the potential strength of his virtues through sin. His bones will sleep with him in the dust, as his hypocrisy renders his true strength ineffective, overshadowed by the weight of his false pretense. Therefore, although there may exist some goodness within him, it becomes nullified alongside his wrongful actions. As the passage continues: