But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty gives him understanding.
All Commentaries on Job 32:8 Go To Job 32
Gregory The Dialogist
AD 604
13. He would be right in saying this, did he not arrogate to himself this same wisdom above all others. For it is no slight [Ben. ‘prava,’ a misprint for ‘parva.’] condemnation for a man to boast within himself of that advantage which is given to him in common with others, to know whence he has received a good gift, and to know not how to use the good he has received. For there are four marks by which every kind of pride of the arrogant is pointed out, either when they think that they possess any good quality from themselves, or if they believe that it is given them from above, yet that they have received it in consequence of their own merits, or unquestionably when they boast of possessing that which they have not, or when they despise others, and wish to appear the sole possessors of what they have. For he boasted that he possessed his good qualities from himself, to whom it is said by the Apostle, But what hast thou which thou didst not receive? why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? [1 Cor. 4, 7] Again, the same Apostle warns us not to believe that any gift of grace is given us for our precedent deserts, when he says, By grace ye are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, but it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any one should boast. [Eph. 2, 8. 9.] Who says also of himself, Who before was a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and contumelious: but I obtained mercy. [l Tim.1, 13] For in these words he plainly declares, that grace is not given according to desert, when he taught us both what he deserved of himself for his evil deeds, and what he obtained by God’s benevolence. But again, some persons boast that they have that which they really have not, as the Divine Voice speaks of Moab by the Prophet; I know his pride and his arrogance, and that his virtue is not according to it. [Jer. 48, 30] And as is said to the Angel of the Church of Laodicea, Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. [Rev. 3, 17] Some again wish, in contempt of others, to appear to be the sole possessors of the good qualities which they have. Whence also the Pharisee went down from the temple without being justified, because by ascribing to himself as if in a singular manner the merit of good works, he preferred himself to the suppliant publican. [Luke 18, 9-14] The holy Apostles also are warned against this sin of pride; for on returning from their preaching, and saying with pride, Lord, even the devils are subject to us through Thy name, [Luke 10, 17] to keep them from rejoicing in this singular gift of miracles, the Lord at once replied to them, saying, I beheld Satan as lightning falling from heaven. For he had himself said with special pride, I will exalt my throne above the stars of heaven, I will sit in the mount of the covenant, in the sides of the north; I will be like the Most High. [Is. 14, 13. 14.] And the Lord, in order to bring down pride in the hearts of His disciples, related with wondrous wisdom the judgment of downfal, which the prince of pride himself underwent, that they might learn, from the author of pride, what they had to apprehend from the sin of haughtiness. In the fourth kind of pride then, namely, the boasting of the sole possession of any thing it possesses, the mind of man equally suffers a fall. But it is in this that it approaches more closely to a resemblance of Satan, because whoever rejoices at the singular possession of any good thing, whoever wishes to appear more exalted than others, plainly imitates him who in despising the blessing of the society of Angels, and placing his seat at the north, and proudly desiring to be like the Most High, endeavoured by his evil longing to shoot up to some singular preeminence. Eliu then, though confessing that wisdom is given by God, yet falls in this species of pride, so as to rejoice that he is wiser than others, and foolishly to pride himself on possessing, as it were, a singular advantage. Which he points out in the words which follow.
