Job 42:8
Take unto you therefore seven oxen, and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer for yourselves a holocaust: and my servant Job shall pray for you: his face I will accept, that folly be not imputed to you: for you have not spoken right things before me, as my servant Job hath.
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The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Sumite ergo vobis septem tauros et septem arietes, et ite ad servum meum Job, et offerte holocaustum pro vobis : Job autem servus meus orabit pro vobis. Faciem ejus suscipiam, ut non vobis imputetur stultitia : neque enim locuti estis ad me recta, sicut servus meus Job.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- νῦν δὲ λάβετε ἑπτὰ μόσχους καὶ ἑπτὰ κριούς, καὶ πορεύθητε πρὸς τὸν θεράποντά μου Ἰώβ, καὶ ποιήσει καρπώσεις περὶ ὑμῶν. Ἰὼβ δὲ ὁ θεράπων μου εὔξεται περὶ ὑμῶν, ὅτι εἰ μὴ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ λήμψομαι· εἰ μὴ γὰρ δι᾽ αὐτόν, ἀπώλεσα ἂν ὑμᾶς· οὐ γὰρ ἐλαλήσατε κατὰ τοῦ θεράποντός μου Ἰὼβ ἀληθές.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וְעַתָּ֡ה קְחֽוּ לָכֶ֣ם שִׁבְעָֽה פָרִים֩ וְשִׁבְעָ֨ה אֵילִ֜ים וּלְכ֣וּ אֶל עַבְדִּ֣י אִיּ֗וֹב וְהַעֲלִיתֶ֤ם עוֹלָה֙ בַּֽעַדְכֶ֔ם וְאִיּ֣וֹב עַבְדִּ֔י יִתְפַּלֵּ֖ל עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם כִּ֧י אִם פָּנָ֣יו אֶשָּׂ֗א לְבִלְתִּ֞י עֲשׂ֤וֹת עִמָּכֶם֙ נְבָלָ֔ה כִּ֠י לֹ֣א דִבַּרְתֶּ֥ם אֵלַ֛י נְכוֹנָ֖ה כְּעַבְדִּ֥י אִיּֽוֹב
Haydock's commentary
Offer. Septuagint, "Thou shalt make an oblation, karpoma, for you." (Haydock)
Yet holocausts seem to have been the only species of sacrifice before Moses. The number seven, has always been in a manner sacred; (Calmet) being doubled, it shews the greatness of the offence. (St. Gregory) (Worthington)
Job was to present these victims to God, (Calmet) as the priest and mediator, (Du Hamel) of whom God approved. He officiated for his family, (Calmet) and was the most honourable person there. (Haydock)
It seems Job was not present when God gave this injunction; perhaps some time after their debates. (Calmet)
Pray. Behold the efficacy of the prayers of the saints, even while upon earth. How much greater will it be, when their charity is greater and unfailing! (Haydock)
The many sacrifices would not have sufficed, if Job had not joined his prayer, as St. Chrysostom (or 5 con. Judœos) observes. His mediation did not derogate from God's mercy, under the law of nature; not does that of other men injure Christ's, under the law of grace, 2 Corinthians i. 11. We have here also a proof that both sacrifice and the devotion of the offerer, have their distinct effects; opus operatum, and opus operantis, as the schoolmen speak. Thus Job was honourably acquitted, while his friends were justly rebuked. Eliu needed no express condemnation; as what God says to one, must be applied to another in the same circumstances, chap. xxxiii. 14. Protestants are therefore inexcusable, who preach a doctrine not only condemned in their fellows, Luther, &c., but long before in ancient heretics: as the justification by faith alone was in the apostles' time, the rejection of ceremonies in baptism, of confirmation and penance, in the Novatians, &c. See St. Cyprian iv. ep. 2. (Worthington)
Read on
Face. Septuagint, "For I would not accept his face, and if it were not on his account, I had surely destroyed you. For you have not said to me any thing good (Roman Septuagint, true,) against (or concerning, kata,) my servant Job." They acted both against charity and truth. (Haydock)
Before. Protestants, "of me the thing which is right." The words underlined were not so in the earlier edition by Barker, printer to James I, (1613) where some of the margin translations are also omitted, ver. 14, &c. The matter is of no farther consequence, than to shew that alterations have taken place since the days of James I, whose Bible is supposed to be the standard of the English Church. The marginal version is also frequently neglected altogether, (the year of our Lord 1706) though the authors seem to have looked upon it as equally probable with that in the text. (Pref.) (Haydock)
Haydock wrote amid the controversies of his day. The Church teaches that those born into communities separated from her cannot be charged with the sin of separation, and embraces them as brothers (CCC 818).
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
The Shepherd of Hermas Book First. Visions, Vision First. Against Filthy and Proud Thoughts, and the Carelessness of Hermas in Chastising His Sons
He who had brought me up, sold me to one Rhode in Rome. Many years after this I recognised her, and I began to love her as a sister. Some time after, I saw her bathe in the river Tiber; and I gave her my hand, and drew her out of the river. The sight of her beauty made me think with myself, “I should be a happy man if I could but get a wife as handsome and good as she is.” This was the only thought that passed through me: this and nothing more. A short time after this, as I was walking on my road to the villages, and magnifying the creatures of God, and thinking how magnificent, and beautiful, and powerful they are, I fell asleep. And the Spirit carried me away, and took me through a pathless place, through which a man could not travel, for it was situated in the midst of rocks; it was rugged and impassible on account of water. Having passed over this river, I came to a plain. …
St John Chrysostom The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-3
Would you learn how much prayers have profited? consider, I pray, Cornelius, Tabitha. ( Acts x. 3 and ix. 36 .) Hear also Jacob saying to Laban, “Except the Fear of my father had been with me, surely thou hadst now sent me away empty.” ( Gen. xxxi. 42 .) Hear also God again, saying, “I will defend this city for Mine own sake, and for My servant David’s sake.” ( 2 Kings ix. 34 .) But when? In the time of Hezekiah, who was righteous. Since if prayers availed even for the extremely wicked, why did not God say this also when Nebuchadnezzar came, and why did He give up the city? Because wickedness availed more. Again, Samuel himself also prayed for the Israelites, and prevailed. But when? When they also pleased God, then they put their enemies to flight. And what need, you say, of prayer from another, when I myself please God? Never, O man, say this. …
St Ambrose On the Duties of the Clergy, Chapter XXII. Virtue must never be given up for the sake of a friend. If, however, one has to bear witness against a friend, it must be done with caution. Between friends what candour is needed in opening the heart, what magnanimity in suffering, what freedom in finding fault! Friendship is the guardian of virtues, which are not to be found but in men of like character. It must be mild in rebuking and averse to seeking its own advantage; whence it happens that true friends are scarce among the rich. What is the dignity of friendship? The treachery of a friend, as it is worse, so it is also more hateful than another's, as is recognized from the example of Judas and of Job's friends
137. The Lord Himself, when He was displeased with the three princes who had not deferred to holy Job, wished to pardon them through their friend, so that the prayer of friendship might win remission of sins. Therefore Job asked and God pardoned. Friendship helped them whom arrogance had harmed.