Who pick mallows by the bushes, and juniper roots for their food.
All Commentaries on Job 30:4 Go To Job 30
Gregory The Dialogist
AD 604
21. For the juniper tree has prickles instead of leaves, for so bristly is that which they put forth, that like to thorns it is able to prick the person handling it. Now a thorn is all sorts of sin; because whilst it draws into self-gratification, as it were by pricking it wounds the soul. Whence it is spoken by the voice of one righteous and penitent, I was turned in my calamity, while the thorn is broken, [Ps. 32, 4] surely because the mind is turned to lamenting, that the prick of sin may be broken by repenting. But in another translation, the thorn is described not as ‘broken’ [‘confringi’],’ but ‘fixed,’ [‘configi’] which same is not at variance with the same sense, because the mind of the penitent is brought to sorrow when the sin that has been committed is retained fixed fast in the recollection. What then is there denoted by the ‘root of the juniper’ saving avarice, from which the thorns of all the sins are produced? Concerning which it is said by Paul, For the love of money is the root of all evil. [1 Tim. 6, 10] For that springs up covertly in the mind, and brings forth openly the prickles of all sin in the practice. Which same prickles arising from this root the great preacher immediately implies, when he subjoins, Which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. For he who spoke of ‘many sorrows’ made known as it were the prickles arising from this root. So by ‘junipers’ we understand sins, but by ‘the root of junipers’ what else do we understand, but avarice, i.e. the material of sins? So then because heretics in their words generally go after external gains alone, yet are not ignorant that they make up what is wrong, but do not abandon the preachings of error, whilst they wish to receive their emoluments as teachers, it is well said of them now by the voice of the holy man, and juniper roots for their meat, because whilst they think of avarice with all the faculties of their minds, they are as it were fed by that nourishment, wherefrom assuredly the prickles of sins ensuing are used to be produced. Which persons if ever in sacred Revelation they seemingly discover things with sagacity, which while they do not understand, they fancy make for their statements, they directly scatter these vociferating them to their wretched hearers, whom they covet not the souls of but the substance.
