Job 25:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

It is clear that the stars adhere to His command and do not violate His laws. Yet if, after all that has been articulated and substantiated, they ask, ‘What do the words, “The stars are unclean before Him,” imply?’ we respond: In their essence, the stars are pure, as their Creator designed them; nevertheless, when compared to the Creator Himself, they are as distant from Him as an ant is from the heavens or the sun, or from any other created being. Thus, it is not articulated in a literal sense of ‘unclean,’ which would imply error, but rather it is qualified with ‘before Him.’ Hence, understand that this is a comparative expression, similar to the assertion made to God, ‘Thou shalt not enter into judgment with Thy servant, for no living thing shall be justified before Thee’ (Psalm 142:2). Every righteous individual judged on their own merit will find justification; yet when contrasted with God, or evaluated in relation to Him, one cannot be justified.

The designation 'moon' is attributed to the Holy Church, as the prophet affirms, "The sun went upward, and the moon became in formation" (Abdias 3:11); for the phrase "The sun went up, and the moon became in formation" expresses that when our Lord ascended to Heaven, the Holy Church consequently gained strength in proclaiming the Gospel. Moreover, St. Paul clarifies that under the title of 'stars,' the elect are represented, stating, "For star differeth from star in glory" (1 Corinthians 15:41). Thus, “The moon does not shine, nor are the stars clean before Him," illustrates that the Holy Church does not perform miracles through its own light, but only through the gifts of the Spirit bestowed upon her. Likewise, the minds of the righteous, who live by the truth, cannot be cleansed from the blemishes of sin unless they are judged with mercy; for in the sight of the just Judge, every individual is tainted by their own corruption unless they are continually purified by the grace of His mercy. The elect's mind aims to progress toward the freedom of righteousness but remains ensnared by the chains of weakness, leading them toward transgressions. As long as they are constrained by sinful flesh, they are bound by its shackles to sin, even if they do not actively engage in it. Therefore, let one realize how heavy sins can weigh down those who fail to combat them, especially since even those who fight earnestly against evil are not entirely free from it. Hence, it is said: "Look, even the moon does not give off light; indeed, the stars are not pure in His sight," and moments later, it is added directly: