He regards iron as straw, and bronze as rotten wood.
All Commentaries on Job 41:27 Go To Job 41
Gregory The Dialogist
AD 604
19. That which above He called a ‘spear,’ he mentioned again below under the appellation of ‘iron:’ and that which He spoke of as a ‘breastplate,’ He again designated by mentioning it as ‘brass.’ For iron is sharpened, that the adversary may be wounded; but brass is hardly destroyed by any rust. Whence also it is said by Moses of Holy Church under the character of Asher; His shoe is iron and brass. [Deut. 33, 25] For by ‘shoe’ is understood in Holy Scripture the defence of preaching; as it is written, Feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. [Eph. 6, 15] Because then strength is expressed by ‘iron,’ but perseverance by ‘brass;’ her shoe is said to be iron and brass, when her preaching is protected by sharpness, and firmness at the same time. For by iron she penetrates opposing evils, but by brass she patiently preserves the blessings she has set before her. Whose perseverance he there in truth more plainly points out, saying, As the days of his youth, so also shall his old age be. [Deut. 33, 25] But when this Leviathan has taken that sword, whom the Holy Scriptures call Antichrist, for the sake of practising his iniquity, he will esteem both iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood; because, unless Divine grace gives protection, he will both consume with the fire of his wickedness the strength of preachers as straw, and will reduce to dust the constancy of the patient like rotten wood. And therefore the keenness of iron and the strength of brass fail, when by the violence of his might both the understanding of preaching is blunted, and the long-suffering of patience is scattered.
20. Unless then the Divine assistance strengthens its Elect, where will the weak then be, if the strong are counted as straw? What will this Leviathan then do with the straw, if he will count the iron as straw? What is he about to do with the rotten wood, if he will break as rotten wood the strength of brass? But O! how many who think that they are in their own strength iron or brass, in that fire of tribulation then find that they are straw; and how many who from their own infirmity are afraid that they are straw, when supported by the Divine help are strengthened with the solidity of brass or iron, so as to be the stronger in God against their adversary the more they remember that they are weak in themselves. But the higher this Behemoth rises against the Elect of God by miracles, the more earnestly do the saints gird themselves for the words of preaching against him. But yet he so possesses the minds of the reprobate, as not to leave them though he is wounded by all the darts of the truth.
