Job 7:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Hence, he expressed, “you frighten me with visions,” stating, “at the very time of rest, when I hope to be free from my burdens, to sleep and find tranquility, I am plagued by frightful nightmares.” This phenomenon is particularly common among those who endure trials during the day, as Ecclesiastes observes, “as dreams come in the midst of many cares.” It is also conceivable that the enemy, presenting terrifying illusions, led him through nightmares into despair and confusion. Yet this saintly figure, not realizing that the adversary was opposing him, attributed both the terrors and the trials to God. In truth, it was the work of the enemy at play; God Himself did not inflict any suffering upon him, but all was orchestrated by the adversary. For me, the night is more agonizing than the day; it does not provide relief from my toils but rather compounds them with chaos and distress; reflecting on this, he remarked, “You terrify me with dreams and visions frighten me.” Overwhelmed by nightmarish visions, he experienced unspeakable dread, overwhelming frenzy, and sheer terror. Are you not exhausted from hearing of these successive trials? Yet he never wavered in his endurance of suffering.

He faced no comfort in the night either, but rather, his daytime afflictions were amplified by the fearful visions of darkness. To illustrate how profoundly he suffered even in sleep, listen to his words: “You terrify me with dreams and you terrify me with visions.”

Furthermore, He says: “unless I go away, the Comforter will not come” (John 16:7), implying that to guide us toward a comprehension of the invisible, I must first lead you away from what is visible to your bodily eyes. Therefore, the Psalmist declares regarding the righteous: “Let the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing aloud upon their beds” (Psalms 149:5). For when they retreat internally, moving away from external distractions, they find joy and safety in the secret alcoves of their hearts. Yet, true delight will not be fully realized until the struggles of the flesh cease externally. When the flesh calls, the walls of our dwelling tremble, and even the bed itself quakes. Thus, the Psalmist wisely remarked, “Thou shalt make his bed in his sickness” (Psalms 40:4). When the trials of the flesh afflict us, our frailty shakes, which in turn disrupts the peace of the soul’s resting place. But what do we deduce from this passage about ‘dreams’ and ‘visions’ if not the final Judgment? We have mere snippets of understanding it through the lens of fear, yet we do not perceive it in its true essence. Holy individuals, as previously noted, upon retreating to the secret depths of their hearts, either encounter triumphs beyond their expectations or confront challenges they feel ill-equipped to bear. Weary from external engagements, they seek solace in the intimate resting spaces of the heart. However, in their contemplation of divine judgment, they find their rest unsettled as if by a nightmarish vision. They anticipate the arrival of a strict Judge who, with Infinite Majesty, will illuminate the secret recesses of the heart, laying bare every sin. They recognize the shame of being shamed before all humanity, angels, and archangels. They grasp the torment that ensues as guilt afflicts their immortal souls, smoldering eternally, while the fires of hell assail their bodies, which continually fail yet never fall. When the mind is agitated by such a fearsome vision, it is akin to a dreadful dream conceived in sleep. Therefore, let one express: When I say, my bed calms me, I weaken when reflecting on my bed; you disturb me with dreams and terrify me with visions. This confession reveals, ‘As I turn away from external matters and seek rest in the innermost recesses of my heart, your stirring awakens me to contemplate your gravity, leaving me distressed by visions that haunt my mind.’

It is indeed significant when I say, I grow weak in pondering on my bed, for returning to the tranquility of our hearts, like lying down in physical rest, prompts us to meditate on the hidden thoughts within. However, even this return is intertwined with fear, as the more daunting our visions, the clearer we perceive the terror of Judgment.

Yet, if one endeavors to comprehend these words literally, it is of great worth to discern the myriad ways dreams may infiltrate our minds. Sometimes dreams arise from the fullness or emptiness of the body, other times from imagination alone, or from a combination of thought and imagination, or from revelation, or even from a mix of all three simultaneously. The first two categories are universally recognized through experience, while the latter four can be traced within Sacred Scripture. If dreams had not often been a conduit for our adversary to infiltrate our imagination, a wise man would not have pointedly stated: “dreams and vain imaginations of many have deceived” (Sirach 34:7), nor would it be advised: “do not practice divination, or observe dreams” (Leviticus 19:26). Such declarations illustrate how vile these practices are as they are linked to witchcraft. Additionally, if dreams did not stem from thoughts and fancies, Solomon would not have expressed, “a dream comes through much activity” (Ecclesiastes 5:2). Similarly, if dreams had not at times emerged from divine revelation, Joseph would not have seen himself designated as ruler over his brothers in a dream, nor would Mary have been instructed by an angel in a dream to take the Child and flee to Egypt. Moreover, if dreams did not occasionally arise from a blend of thought and divine revelation, the prophet Daniel would not have addressed Nebuchadnezzar’s vision by stating, “O king, did you see while on your bed what shall come to pass after this? And He who reveals secrets has made known to you what will be” (Daniel 2:29). Subsequently, he elucidates, “You, O king, saw a great image; this great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you” (Daniel 2:31). Thus, as Daniel articulates the daunting dream that is to unfold, he clarifies its origins in thought, revealing that dreams frequently combine thought and revelation.

It follows logically that as dreams originate from such varied causes, our belief in their significance ought to diminish, particularly when discerning their source proves challenging. It often transpires that for those who minimize the influence of the evil spirit during wakefulness, he may promise them good fortune even in sleep; conversely, for those in fear of misfortune, he will threaten more aggressively through dreams, striving to unsettle the careless soul by injecting hope or dredging fear to disrupt its balance. Often, he aims to exert influence over the saints during their sleep, leveraging that transient moment when their focused thoughts may falter, even as their own actions propel them away from deceitful fantasies. Our cunning adversary, unable to sway them while they are awakened, resorts to attacking them in their slumber. Yet the Most High allows this, permitting the enemy’s malevolence to manifest, so that even in the rest of the elect, their slumber is not devoid of struggle. Hence, one aptly addresses the Sovereign of all, saying: “When I say, my bed comforts me, I weaken in contemplation upon my bed; you terrify me with dreams and frighten me with visions.” Indeed, the Lord orchestrates all things in a wondrous manner, rendering the actions of the evil spirit both meaningless and unjust while allowing them to manifest within just limits. Now, since even the life of a just individual confronts temptations and is plagued by troubling dreams; and passes through corruption, wrestling with illicit thoughts; what recourse remains to extricate the heart from the entanglements of such endless barriers? O blessed one, in all your ways you have made us aware of both fear and distress; now reveal to us your strategy to confront it.