But he saves the poor from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty.
All Commentaries on Job 5:15 Go To Job 5
Gregory The Dialogist
AD 604
39. And here it is properly subjoined, But he shall save the poor from the sword of their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty. For the ‘poor’ is everyone that is not set up in his own eyes. And hence ‘Truth’ saith in the Gospel, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [Matt. 5, 3] Now a person is drawn into sin in two ways. For either he is led on by pleasure, or overcome by fear. For ‘the sword of the mouth’ is the mischievousness of persuasion, but ‘the hand of the mighty’ is the opposition of power. But because he that is truly humble, who is here called ‘the poor,’ as he covets none of the good things of this world, so also undauntedly sets at nought even its adverse fortune, it is well said, But He saveth the poor from the sword of their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty. As if it were put plainly; ‘God doth so firmly establish the souls of the humble in Himself, that neither the alluring arts of persuasion can draw them, nor the pains of punishment break them in to the practice of sin. For hope rears the spirit into the eternal world, and therefore it is not sensible of any of the ills without, that it falls under. And hence it is subjoined, So the needy shall have hope. Unto the fruits of which same hope, verily, when the poor man attaineth, everyone that is exalted is struck dumb; and hence it is yet further added, And iniquity shall stop her mouth. For the wicked man detracts from the good, and the righteous ways, which he cares not to practise, he never ceases to pull in pieces by slander, but iniquity at that time stoppeth her mouth, when her eyes are opened to see how great is the glory of the recompense provided for righteous souls. For then he is not at liberty to speak against the good, in that torments hold his tongue tied by the deserved retribution of his misdeeds. Hence it is well delivered by Hannah, speaking in prophecy, He will keep the feet of his Saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness. [1 Sam. 2, 9] But that every elect soul may escape eternal woe, and the poor mount up to everlasting glory, he must be bruised here below with continual stripes, that he may be found purified in the Judgment. For we are every day borne downwards by the mere weight of our infirmity, but that by the wonderful interposition of our Maker we are relieved by succouring stripes,
