Job 41:14Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The age-old adversary confronts with all his might, even though he has already been vanquished, having forfeited the bliss of his celestial state; still, he is permitted to tempt, not cast into eternal fire. As the end of the age approaches, he intensifies his assaults, becoming more ferocious in his malice as the prospect of his own judgment looms nearer. The angel's proclamation to John states: Woe to those who dwell on the earth and on the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great fury, knowing that his time is short (Rev 12:12). In this perilous state, he gathers all the powers of wickedness at his disposal, elevating the prideful arrogance of his being, perpetrating malevolence through the temporal authority he wields. Thus, the Divine voice rightly declares: In the neck shall the power remain (Job 41:14).

What could the 'neck' of this Leviathan symbolize other than the haughtiness of its pride, rising defiantly against God, elevated through a false sense of holiness and the pride of dominion? The prophet Isaiah illuminates this pride when he criticizes the daughters of Jerusalem, saying, “And they walk about, lifting up their necks” (Is 3:16). The power remaining in the ‘neck’ of Leviathan indicates the connection of secular authority accompanied by the prideful preachers, whose wicked schemes are pursued through the strength of worldly rule. As the prophet Daniel asserts: his skill shall be directed in his hand (Dan 8:25). This skill refers to the authority he holds, enabling him to execute all his vile plans by means of coercion. This skill is deemed ‘directed’ because the craftiness of his deception faces no opposition. Leviathan and his adherents habitually pursue wickedness with increasing fervor, as their desires become ever more corrupt.

When the elect find themselves inadvertently weakened and rush into immoral desires, they are often restrained by the hand of Divine Grace, resulting in their futile pursuits. When their strong wishes collide with hostility, they frequently face correction right at the brink of despair, leading to a miraculous shift in their will, not through persuasion, but through the astounding healing of their frailty. Thus, the Lord conveys His message to Judah, who walks in wickedness: “For behold, I will hedge her way with thorns, and fence her in, and she shall not find her paths; and shall pursue her lovers, but shall not overtake them; and shall seek them, but shall not find them; and shall say, ‘I will go, and return to my first husband; for it was better for me then than it is now’” (Hos 2:6-7). The paths of the elect are indeed beset with thorns, as the pain of their worldly desires pricks them. The Lord obstructs their way with challenges to facilitate reflection upon the folly of their wicked cravings. Their souls chase after the allurements of evil spirits, yet fail to grasp the pleasures they seek. Ultimately, they recall, “I will return to my first husband; for it was better for me then than it is now.” The first husband symbolizes the Lord, who has united the pure soul through the love of the Holy Spirit. Each individual’s soul inherently seeks Him amidst the disappointments encountered in worldly delights. When the adversities from the world begin to pierce the soul, she comprehends the depth of her loss in departing from her true love.

Consequently, those whom evil corrupts are often corrected by adversity. Therefore, it is especially concerning if one experiences prosperity while indulging in wicked desires, as such evil emboldened by success is corrected with great difficulty. Mastery is firmly settled within the grasp of Leviathan, who, along with his companions, is destined for eternal torment, while dominion remains in his neck, for his desires represent a malignance opposed to righteousness. Adversity cannot challenge him in this life, nor does prosperity await him in the world to come. Those who form corrupt habits yet are familiar with his camaraderie ultimately lose the true wealth of their souls: “And the needy shall go before his face” (Job 41:14).

To discern the meaning of ‘face,’ consider the statement, “And my face shall go before thee” (Ex 33:14), which signifies that knowledge of Him will serve as guidance. The term ‘need’ has varying implications in Scripture for the elect and the rejected. The elect experience need when they recall the true riches of the heavenly kingdom, reflecting upon their poverty while enduring the trials of their current life. For they long for what Paul describes: “That ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of his glorious inheritance for the saints” (Eph 1:18). This illustrates their anticipation, as they groan under the weight of their spiritual deprivation. Jeremiah poignantly expressed this struggle when he lamented, “I am a man who has experienced my poverty from the rod of his wrath” (Lamentations 3:1). The rod of God’s wrath signifies a grievous burden, felt profoundly upon being expelled from paradise and losing the true wealth of inner joy. Thus, the elect constantly perceive that they have fallen into the poverty of their current existence, compellingly echoed in the declaration, “I am a man who has experienced his poverty.” The prophet David, recognizing this lack, proclaims, “My strength is weakened in my poverty” (Psalm 31:10). Strength wanes in poverty as one’s mind, overwhelmed by its own iniquities, obstructs its vision of what has been lost.

Conversely, the rejected fail to contemplate their spiritual poverty, as they pursue visible pleasures while disregarding the profound losses obscured from sight. Hence, they are aptly termed ‘needy,’ for they are burdened by sin and lack the riches of virtue. Oftentimes, in their prideful folly, they ignore their fall as a loss, failing to recognize their own deficits in good works. Consequently, the angel admonishes the Laodicean preacher: “For you say, ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’; and do not realize that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” (Rev 3:17). One who is puffed up with the arrogance of supposed piety may claim wealth, yet remains in a state of wretchedness and poverty, blind to his plight, naked due to the loss of his initial garment, but tragically unaware that it is gone. This ‘need’ of the outcast strips them of their dignity; thus, Leviathan’s declaration that “the needy shall go before his face” resonates profoundly. No one can enter this knowledge without first being bereft of virtuous riches. He gradually seizes good thoughts and replaces them with a clearer awareness of his own wickedness. Hence, it is asserted that the needy will precede his face, as the guardianship is dismantled, enabling the knowledge of him to infiltrate the mind as if through mere acquaintance. Alternatively, he ensnares many so cunningly that they remain oblivious to their capture, meticulously orchestrating their demise without revealing his deceit, thus leading the needy to be said to go before his face. When he ambushes them, he deprives them before they are even aware, just as the prophet Ephraim remarks: “Strangers devoured his strength, and he did not recognize it” (Hos 7:9). These ‘strangers’ refer to fallen angels, who consume the strength of our minds by corrupting them. The needy thus precede Leviathan's face, as he undermines their thoughts with temptation before they are cognizant of the traps laid for them. Therefore, when it states that strength will remain in the neck, it denotes the potency of temptation. When it adds, "And the needy shall go before his face," it elucidates the extensive subtlety of possible temptations.

In addition to the concepts already introduced pertaining to ‘the needy shall go before his face,’ there exists an even more severe indictment to consider. According to the design of the Divine economy, prior to Leviathan’s manifestation through the accursed, the signs of power are withdrawn from the Holy Church. Prophetic utterances are concealed, the gift of healing is withheld, temperance wanes, doctrines are silenced, and miracles are rare. While Heavenly Providence does not entirely eradicate these phenomena, they are not revealed visibly or diversely as in bygone days. This occurs according to a wondrous design enabling the fulfillment of Divine mercy and justice. Consequently, when the Holy Church becomes less powerful and devoid of numerous signs of strength, the reward for those still aspiring for the hope of heaven becomes greater, for they do not rely on fleeting displays of greatness. Meanwhile, the minds of the unrighteous are swiftly turned away from the Church, neglecting the unseen promises she offers. Thus, when the humility of the faithful is unsupported by the many expressions of miracles, the judgment of the secret design bestows abundant grace upon the righteous, while righteous retribution descends upon the wicked. The significant reduction of these signs within the Holy Church indicates that Leviathan approaches explicitly and visibly. Hence, it is aptly stated: “The needy shall go before his face.” The miraculous riches are withdrawn from the faithful, and the ancient enemy then assails them with intensified vigor, so that he might claim triumph in his supposed miracles, only to be defeated more mightily and honorably by the faithful who disregard his pretense. Indeed, their virtue is certain to grow stronger, while the adversary will attack them with greater ferocity, fueled by his discontent at being despised, even overshadowed by his miraculous facade. In response, he consolidates his forces for their ruin, uniting all the outcasts in a collective cruelty aiming at the faithful's demise. To achieve maximum cruelty, harmony among all parts of his body is essential. Thus, it is appropriately proclaimed: