THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
By stating ‘from the command of the Lord,’ it is evident that one should not attribute the events to demonic forces or human intentions; rather, it is God who administers justice, affirming that this retribution is indeed righteous.
Job 4:9Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers
Perishing by the blast of God, and consumed by the spirit of his wrath.
מִנִּשְׁמַ֣ת אֱל֣וֹהַ יֹאבֵ֑דוּ וּמֵר֖וּחַ אַפּ֣וֹ יִכְלֽוּ׃
The Church Fathers on this verse
3 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Gregory the Great
Sowing malice involves uttering falsehoods, while reaping malice leads to being engulfed in deception. Indeed, those who engage in wrongdoing are the ones who sow malice and face its repercussions through punishment, resulting in the fruit of wickedness being condemnation. It is stated that those who sow and reap evil will ultimately perish by the breath of God, vanishing in the spirit of His anger. This passage indicates that the act of sowing malice isn't immediately punitive but rather a deepening of wickedness, as the punishment for these actions arises from the wrath of God. Consequently, they continue to sow and reap evil, as all their actions are inherently sinful.
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Concerning the wicked, the Psalmist declares, "At all times his ways are ruined; Thy judgments are far off for him; at all his enemies he looks with disdain" (Psalm 9:26). Shortly after, he elaborates, "under the tongue is his torment and ruin" (Psalms 9:28). This means that evil is sown by those who act unlawfully, and it is reaped by those who for a time take root in their iniquities.
Why is it, then, that those who are doomed to perish by God's breath are often allowed to remain and even flourish more than the righteous? The Psalmist also states of them, "They are not in the work of men, neither are they subject to blows with other men" (Psalm 72:5). Similarly, Jeremiah questions, "Why is the way of the wicked prosperous, and all the treacherous prosper?" (Jer. 12:1). The answer lies in the Lord's patience; He often endures for a long time what He ultimately condemns. At times, God delivers swift judgment as He seeks to comfort the timid souls of the innocent. However, there are also instances when the Almighty allows the wicked to persist for an extended period, all to clarify the path for the righteous. He may choose to remove the wicked quickly to strengthen the hearts of the innocent through their downfall.
Ireneus (Orda)
Job's lamentations concerning his plight provoke his friends to raise objections and engage in an extensive dialogue regarding the reasons behind his afflictions. Eliphaz is the first to voice his objections. After seeking permission to speak, he expresses his astonishment that a man who had frequently given comfort to those in distress could now utter such passionate grievances, especially when his awareness of his own virtues should assure him of a hopeful future. He draws upon personal experience to assert that innocence generally shields a man from ruin, while force and cruelty cannot safeguard him from the judgment of the Almighty. This leads him to assert that if Job were genuinely upright, he would not endure such adversities.
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To bolster his argument, Eliphaz recounts a revelation he received in the night, from which he deduced that before God, who discerns faults even in angels, there exists no truly innocent being, and that mortal humanity is just as susceptible to divine wrath as a creature might be at the mercy of the wind. In the fervor of the debate, Eliphaz seems to overlook that all creation, each in its own hierarchy, is good, and that angels possess a relative degree of perfection. Therefore, his notion that angels are not free from imperfection is erroneous and does not substantiate the claim that Job is a sinner simply due to the inherent frailty of his nature. The Church Fathers, such as Athanasius and Chrysostom, provide insights regarding the fall of the angels.
Cross references
Passages read together with this verse.
- Job 15:30He shall not depart out of darkness: the flame shall dry up his branches, and he shall be taken away by the breath of his own mouth.
- Isa 11:4But he shall judge the poor with justice, and shall reprove with equity the meek of the earth: and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
- 2 Thess 2:8And then that wicked one shall be revealed: whom the Lord Jesus shall kill with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: him
- Isa 30:33For Topheth is prepared from yesterday, prepared by the king, deep, and wide. The nourishment thereof is fire and much wood: the breath of the Lord as a torrent of brimstone kindling it.
- Ps 18 (17):15
- Rev 2:16In like manner do penance. If not, I will come to thee quickly and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
- Job 1:19A violent wind came on a sudden from the side of the desert, and shook the four corners of the house, and it fell upon thy children, and they are dead: and I alone have escaped to tell thee.
- Job 40:13His bones are like pipes of brass, his gristle like plates of iron.