Job 8:21Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Referring to this joy of the Holy Church, Solomon remarks, "and she shall rejoice at the last day" (Proverbs 31:25). He also states, "He that fears the Lord, all shall be well with him at the last day" (Sirach 1:13). This indicates that the laughter implied here is not of the body, but a heartfelt joy. The laughter of the body might arise from the disorder of decay, but ultimately, the laughter of the heart springs from the joy of salvation. Thus, when all the chosen are filled with joy as they behold Him, this generates laughter within them. We describe this as exclamation when our hearts feel such joy that words cannot contain it, yet the triumph of the heart finds expression through our voice, even if we struggle to articulate it.

It is rightly stated that the mouth will be filled with laughter and the lips with exclamation since, in the eternal realm, the thoughts of the righteous are carried away, causing their tongues to rise in songs of praise. Seeing so much that is beyond expression, they cry out in joy, reflecting the immense love they experience without fully grasping their surroundings.

The term "until" is not to imply that Almighty God delays in addressing evil until His elect are gathered to the joys of their feast, as if He might later consider saving those initially forsaken in sin. Rather, it emphasizes that He does not act against the wicked even until the Final Judgment. After the feast of His chosen ones, He does not reach out to the wicked, a fact evident from the severity of their judgment. As the Psalmist states, “The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, while I make thy enemies thy footstool” (Psalms 109:1). This implies that the Lord did not sit at the right hand of the Lord only after punishing His adversaries, but rather, He presided over all in eternal joy even before subduing the hearts of those who oppose Him.

Those who oppose Him are assured of their defeat, and His rule extends endlessly, both prior to and after this reality. This principle is echoed in the Gospel of Mary: "and he knew her not till she had borne her firstborn" (Matthew 1:25). This does not suggest that he came to recognize her after the Lord's birth; rather, he never approached her, even while unaware that she was the mother of the Creator. It is clear that he could not have approached her after knowing the truth about the Mystery of our redemption arising from her womb, and thus, it was necessary for the Evangelist to clarify this moment, given Joseph's uncertainty.

Therefore, it is expressed similarly: “Behold, God has not cast out the pure, nor does He extend His hand towards the wicked; Until He fills your mouth with laughter and your lips with exclamations." In simpler terms, this expresses that even before the Final Judgment occurs, He does not abandon the lives of believers, and even before He reveals Himself, He forsakes the minds burdened by evil. For it is the children of perdition whom He punishes eternally, while His elect will reign forever and ever, of this there can be no doubt.

Just as papyrus, which flourishes during the Nile flood, withers almost instantly when the waters recede, so too do the wicked, who seem to attain the pinnacle of worldly happiness, meet their end abruptly. Therefore, Job will not be forsaken by the Lord. Baldad contends that Job bears culpability both for his own actions and those of his children. This assertion undermines Job's last source of comfort—the belief that he had been a good father, having raised his children with care, and they deserved a better destiny.