Who has given him charge over the earth? or who has laid on him the whole world?
All Commentaries on Job 34:13 Go To Job 34
Gregory The Dialogist
AD 604
The Lord said to the devil, “You have moved me against him to afflict him without cause.” But Elihu says, “That the Lord will not condemn without cause.” A statement that is believed to be at variance with the words of Truth, unless weighed with careful consideration. To condemn is one thing, to afflict another. He afflicts therefore in some respect without cause but does not condemn without cause. Had he not afflicted Job in some respect without cause; since sin was not blotted out, how could his merit be increased by it? For he cannot condemn without reason, inasmuch as condemnation cannot partly take place for a certain purpose, since it punishes at the end all the ungodliness that anyone has here committed. Nor does almighty God subvert judgment, because, although our sufferings seem to be unjust, yet they are rightly inflicted in his secret judgment. It follows, “Whom else has he appointed over the earth, or whom has he placed over the world which he has made?” In order, namely, that you may understand, “No one.” For he governs indeed by himself the world that he created by himself, nor does he need the aid of others in governing, who needed it not for creating. These points are brought together in order that he might plainly point out that if almighty God does not neglect to govern by himself the world which he created, he most certainly governs correctly that which he created correctly. He does not order in heartlessness that which he fashioned in mercy. And he who provided for their being before they were made does not forsake them after their creation. He who was the first cause at their creation is present to rule. He, therefore, does not omit to take care of us.
