Job 7:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Nevertheless, the whale too is held captive, as the evil spirit, cast down into the abyss, bears the burden of its own punishment, lacking the ability to ascend to heavenly realms. The Apostle Peter affirms this, saying, God spared not the angels that sinned, but having bound them with the bonds of infernal darkness, delivered them up to be watched over in judgment for punishment. 2 Pet. 2:4. The whale remains confined as it cannot attract as many virtuous souls as it desires. The sea is 'encircled in prison' since, despite being stirred by intense desires, the carnal mind is limited and restrained by its own inadequacies. For instance, those driven by ambition may wish to dominate their peers, yet through Divine providence, they often find themselves subordinate. They seek to rise against the righteous but instead submit to their influence and seek solace from them. To satisfy the cravings of the flesh, they yearn for prolonged earthly existence, yet they exit this life rapidly. Concerning such individuals, the Psalmist rightly says, And he hath set the waters, having fenced them with a skin. Psalms 77:13. Here, 'the waters fenced in by the skin' represent their unrestrained desires, trapped within the carnal heart when they find no satisfaction through action. Thus, the whale and the sea are encircled by the weight of confinement, as far as the evil spirit or his followers are concerned. The evil one incites tumultuous thoughts among their minds but, constrained by the limits set upon them, cannot fulfill their wicked desires.

Holy individuals, however, as they contemplate the profound truths of heaven with increasing purity of heart and greater fervor of love, grow increasingly restless. They long to be abundantly filled from the Source from which they have only tasted a mere drop through contemplation. They aspire to completely conquer the inclinations of the flesh, refusing to be subject to any illicit notion arising from disarray. Yet, as it is written, For the corruptible body draws down the soul, and the earthly tabernacle draws down the mind, that is occupied with many things. Prem. 9:15, these seekers elevate their aspirations but remain vulnerable to the shifting desires of their imperfect nature, lamenting their entrapment within the prison of corruption. Am I a sea or a whale, that you have surrounded me with a prison? This conveys, in straightforward terms, that the sea or the whale—symbolizing the wicked and their primary motivator, the evil spirit—who desire freedom solely to indulge in wrongdoing, justly find themselves imprisoned by their just punishment. Yet I, having fervently desired the freedom of Your eternal realm, why am I still ensnared in the confines of my own corruption? This inquiry does not imply that the righteous are demanding due to pride. Rather, inflamed by love for the Truth, they yearn to triumph fully over the narrow path of their imperfection. It is not unjust for the Creator’s wise governance to delay the fulfillment of His elect's desires, as their suffering and purification lead to a more profound attainment of what they seek. While the elect remain devoid of inner peace, they turn inward and immerse themselves within, striving for infinite joy. Yet, even in this state, they frequently encounter temptations and succumb to fleshly impulses, revealing that they face profound trials even in the very place they expected to find perfect respite. Consequently, the holy person, having acknowledged the prison of their corrupted state, hastens back to the serene domain of the heart. Realizing that within, they encounter the same struggles they sought to evade externally, they add:

The Hebrew text here illustrates that Job was tormented by the prospect of suicide, a notion he greatly feared. Following his lamentation of terrifying visions, Job implores God for deliverance from death, explicitly seeking liberation from the thought of ending his own life.