He evil treats the barren that bears not: and does not good to the widow.
All Commentaries on Job 24:21 Go To Job 24
Gregory The Dialogist
AD 604
4. Who is it in this place that is denominated ‘barren’ saving the flesh, which while it goes after things present alone is not able to engender good thoughts? and who is styled ‘a widow’ but the soul, which same because the Maker was minded to unite to Himself, He came to the marriage chamber of the carnal womb, as the Psalmist testifies, who saith, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber? [Ps. 19, 5] And she is rightly called ‘a widow,’ in that her Husband underwent death in her behalf, and now in the retreats of heaven hidden from her eyes as in the tract of another region He lives. Thus the wicked man ‘feeds the barren’ and scorns to ‘do good to the widow,’ because in obeying the desires of the flesh, he makes little of the care of the soul and its life. For with the whole bent and with every effort he considers how without necessities of any kind the flesh which is to die may be made to hold on, and he is indifferent to concern himself for the life of the soul, which either in death or in bliss most surely lives for evermore. Now it is rightly done that when it is said, He fed the barren, it is directly added, and her that beareth not. For certain women we know from sacred history were found ‘barren,’ but yet in the end of their days brought forth. But the flesh is not only called barren, but also she that beareth not, in that of her own wit not even at the last is she capable of begetting good thoughts. For from her own vigour she is now already going off, and yet things transitory she still ceases not to long for, and being now spent of original force, is well nigh thrown off by that very world which she loves, yet by mischievous endeavour still strives to acquire what is temporal. She now no longer has the ability to do wicked things, yet does not a whit cease to mind in thought even the things which she does not in act. Rightly therefore is she called not only ‘barren,’ but also ‘one that beareth not,’ in that of her own wit, as we said, for the offspring of good thought, not even when she has become powerless does she conceive.
5. Which same may likewise be understood of heretical persons preaching. For every single preacher of error, while he teaches a people set without the pale of the Church’s unity, is surely ‘feeding the barren, and her that cannot bear,’ seeing that he is bestowing the serviceableness of his labour upon her, who never makes any return of spiritual fruits. ‘Neither does he do good to the widow,’ forasmuch as for that Holy Church Universal, whose Husband suffered the adverse treatment of death, he scorns to live to and to serve. For to ‘do good to the widow’ is to take much pains in the consoling of her, who by the love of her dead Husband is crushed to the ground. And hence by the voice of the Psalmist this same widow, i.e. Holy Church, makes complaint, saying, I looked for comforters, but I found none. Since then only does she ‘find a comforter,’ when from that death which her husband underwent, she beholds many within herself arise to life. Now very often the preacher of error is allied with the rich of this world, who for this reason, that they strain over earthly employments, are too blind to detect the crafty tricks of the things delivered, and whereas they go about to be powerful without, they are taken without labour by the noose of froward preaching.
