Job 29:10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Arius perceived three Persons within the Divine Essence, believing in three gods, while in contrast, Sabellius, acknowledging one God, asserts there is a single Person. Yet, the Holy Church persistently upholds the truth, proclaiming one God while affirming the Three Persons against Sabellius, and confirming the Three Persons while declaring one God against Arius. Similarly, Mani, who recognized a commendation of innocence in sacred Revelation, condemned marriage; whereas Jovinian, aware that marriage is permitted, disdained the honor associated with virgin purity. Hence, heretics consistently oppose one another in their misguided beliefs, their mutual hostility aligning with their transgressions and creating contradictions in their erroneous views. In contrast, the Holy Church navigates the narrow path of peace amid these disputes, knowing how to exalt the highest good while respecting the worth of the humble, avoiding the mistake of equating the lofty with the lowly, and not belittling the meek while honoring the exalted.

Now, the leaders of heretical sects, acknowledging the authority of the Holy Church, fall silent; it is as though they ‘put their finger on their mouth.’ They are restrained not by persuasive argument but by the hand of authority. ‘The rulers are silent’ because those who sought to mislead others no longer venture to voice their errors, swayed by both the weight of authority and the power of reason. Their tongues are ‘stuck to their throats’ since, though they refrain from expressing their falsehoods openly, they secretly harbor untruths and contradictions against the true faith within themselves. Therefore, during times when the Church faces approaching trials, she reflects and grieves, saying, “Princes ceased to speak, and put their finger on their mouths. The rulers were silent, and their tongues stuck to their throats.” Essentially, she expresses, ‘When I was afforded the chance to proclaim the truth publicly, those who resisted the truth were filled with fear.’ And at a moment when the Holy Church encounters tribulation, the gift of speech appears to thrive among false preachers. Jeremiah foresaw this scenario, declaring, “Even the sea monsters bare their teats, and let their calves suckle them” (Lamentations 4:3). Who else can he refer to as ‘beasts’ if not heretics, possessing the outward semblance of humanity, yet housing the apprehensive hearts of vile creatures? They then ‘bare their teats’ to freely propagate their errors. They ‘let their cubs suckle’ as the young souls follow them, nourishing them with lies, fortifying them in their ungodliness.