So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot unto the crown of his head.
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George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Ulcer; the leprosy: and even with that species which is called the venereal disease, which may be contracted without any crime. Job was afflicted with a complication of the most painful and disgraceful disorders. (Pineda) (Calmet)
32. No one entereth into this life of the Elect, that has not undergone the contradictions of this enemy. And they all have proved themselves the members of our Redeemer, who, from the first beginning of the world, whilst living righteously, have suffered wrongs. Did not Abel prove himself His member, who not only in propitiating God by his sacrifice, but also by dying without a word, was a figure of Him, of whom it is written, He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth. [Is. 53, 7] Thus from the very beginning of the world he strove to vanquish the Body of our Redeemer; and thus He inflicted wounds ‘from the sole of the foot to His crown,’ in that beginning with mere men, he came to the very Head of the Church in his raging efforts.
How ‘Satan goes forth from the presence of the Lord,’ is shewn by the remarks which have been already [some Mss. add ‘often’] made above. It goes on;
"And smote Job with sore boils, from the sole of his foot unto his crown."
8. Strokes are to be estimated in two ways, viz. to consider either of what kind, or how great. For being many they are often made right by their quality, and being heavy by their quantity, i.e. when, if they be many, they be not heavy, and if they be heavy, they be not many; in order to shew, then, how by the sharpness of the stroke the adversary flamed against the holy man, not only in the badness of the kind, but also in the heaviness of the amount: to prove the quality, it is said, And smote Job with sore boils; and to teach the quantity, from the sole of his foot unto his crown. Plainly, that nothing might be void of glory in his soul, in whose body there is no part void of pain.
