A path shall shine after him, he shall esteem the deep as growing old.
יַרְתִּ֣יחַ כַּסִּ֣יר מְצוּלָ֑ה יָ֝֗ם יָשִׂ֥ים כַּמֶּרְקָחָֽה׃
3 Church Fathers comment on this verse
We should reflect on the idea that the sea, when viewed allegorically, represents the present age, characterized by the obscurity resulting from its ignorance and folly. The adversary stirs this sea with sinful desires, causing it to surge with a passion for worldly delights.
He stirs the depths of the sea as if it were a cauldron (Job 41:23). The term 'the sea' refers to worldly existence, while 'the depths' signify concealed and profound thoughts. This Leviathan brings forth these hidden thoughts to an intense boil, igniting the minds of the forsaken against the lives of the chosen with the flames of malice during the final persecution. The sea's depths are set ablaze like a cooking pot as the hearts of those enamored with the world are fueled with fierce passion. Those who might have previously tempered their ire now let loose their frustrations and unleash their fury in the most savage persecutions and the unrestrained displays of open cruelty, exhaling the hatred and age-old envy they had been holding back.
Misled by a fatal illusion, they may believe they are serving Christ while they actually serve Antichrist. Following the assertion that He stirs the depths of the sea like a cauldron, it further states that He boils it like ointment (Job 41:23). The boiling ointments emit a sweet fragrance—this signifies that the Leviathan will so delude the hearts of the forsaken that, in committing sinful acts born from disbelief, they will convince themselves they are fighting for the sake of righteous faith, striving with fervor for religion while inhaling the pleasant scent of the boiling ointment. Thus, the Truth instructs His disciples saying, “Every one that killeth you shall think that he thereby serves God” (Jn 16:2). Therefore, to boil like a cauldron means to persecute with cruelty, yet, to the persecutors, it will seem as if they are achieving something noble, as their thoughts, blinded by delusion, lead them to believe they are serving God. In Scripture, the sweet aroma of ointment typically represents a high regard for merit; for instance, in the Song of Songs, the Bride, yearning for her Bridegroom, expresses, “Let us run after Thee in the halo of the fragrance of Thy ointment” (Song 1:3). Likewise, the Apostle Paul, recognizing the fragrance of virtue, declares, “We to God are Christ’s fragrance” (2 Cor 2:15). As this Leviathan entices individuals to commit acts of cruelty under the guise of so-called good deeds, it is noted that he stirs the sea's depths akin to a cauldron, which is further described as boiling like ointment. The sea, boiling with the flames of cruelty, is disguised as ointment, leading those who perpetrate evil to do so under the pretense of fictitious virtue. The more their cruelty intensifies, the stronger their conviction becomes that they are deserving of reward for their fervent dedication to religion. By Divine Providence, it occurs that those who fail to safeguard and embody true piety will fall prey to the sweet scent of their own illusions. Moreover, signs and wonders will accompany them to reinforce the deception born of their cruelty, fittingly attuned to their misguided nature.
Though Job acknowledges his lack of understanding, the Lord again calls him to reflect on a depiction of divine power and authority. To illustrate the insignificance of humanity, God challenges Job to don his utmost grandeur and measure himself against a creature of the earth, crafted by God's hands. God highlights the hippopotamus, or more appropriately, the elephant, which stands as a colossal representative among terrestrial beings, notable for its immense size, formidable strength, and boldness, yet paradoxically capable of gentleness and vulnerability to hunters.
In stark contrast, the aquatic giant Leviathan, or crocodile, embodies a different nature; it cannot fall prey to fishermen and is fearsome in battle. Its mouth’s design, the toughness and thickness of its scaly armor, its powerful muscles, and its agile movements all combine to affirm its status as the most formidable creature and sovereign of the waters.
THEOSIS