And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it?
All Commentaries on Job 17:15 Go To Job 17
Gregory The Dialogist
AD 604
51. What could be the ‘expectation’ of the righteous, but God who justifieth the righteous, Who should freely go down to (what was) the punishment of mankind, and by the efficacy of His righteousness set free the captives of death? For they never ceased to expect His appearing with intent expectation; they knew that it was to come, but they sought for it to come quickly. Wherefore he does not say, ‘Where, then, is my expectation?’ but, where then is now my expectation? For in that he adds, now, he shewed that what was to come one day, he desired might come without delay. It goes on,
And who considereth my patience?
52. He expressed the longing desire, wherewith whilst set in the flesh he hastes to be redeemed, and brought back from hell to the regions above. And indeed it belonged to but few men to enter into the consideration of these things, that they, should learn to think of the labours of the present life, or of the subsequent delay after death. Both of which the just grieved to be subject to before the coming of our Redeemer. And hence it is rightly said, And who considereth my patience? Verily, there is not lacking One, to ‘consider patience.’ But when God does not hear quickly, He is said, as it were, not ‘to consider.’ For the Redemption of mankind itself, which came at the beginning of the world, by those who came before from the beginning of the world was accounted slow, in that during a long period of time they were severed from the recompensing of the heavenly things, as Truth testifies, Which saith, Many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them. [Luke 10, 24] And so as to that which is now said, Who considereth my patience? the breathings of fervent desire are laid open. For neither, as we said before, does God forbear to consider the patience of the righteous; but not ‘to have regard,’ in a manner, means to appear less quickly answering to the aspirations of longing desire, and by lengthened periods of time to delay the grace of His Dispensation. Therefore let him say, Who considereth my patience? in that what is short to Him that ordereth, is long to him that loves. Hence, still reflecting on the privations of his delay, he repeats that which he had already said before; and being destined to descend below, he redoubles the voice of his grief.
