Let my enemy be as the wicked, and he that rises up against me as the unrighteous.
Read Chapter 27
Ephrem The Syrian
AD 373
“I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go.” That means, I will not surrender, nor will the perseverance and resolution of my soul yield, but I will patiently and bravely bear my calamity. - "Commentary on Job 27.6"
Enemy, or opponent. Hebrew, "my enemy shall be "(Haydock)
In effect, those who maintained the contrary to what Job taught, favoured the cause of impiety, as they represented God never punishing his servants, (Calmet) which is contrary to experience; (Haydock) though it was not so evident at that time. (Houbigant)
Job is so far from thinking riches a proof of sanctity, that he rather would wish his enemy to have them, (Menochius) as they are too frequently an incentive to sin. (Haydock)
12. In Holy Writ, the words’ like as’ and’ as if’ are sometimes put not for a likeness, but for the reality. Whence we have that; And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father. [John 1, 14] And thus here also ‘like,’ and ‘as’ seem to be said rather for the sake of affirmation than similitude. Now between the ungodly and the wicked man there is wont to be this difference sometimes, that every ungodly man is unrighteous, but not every unrighteous man ungodly. For the’ ungodly’ is put instead of unbeliever, i.e. a stranger to the godliness of religion. But a man is called unrighteous, who by wrongness of practice is at variance with righteousness, even if he does perhaps bear the name of the Christian Faith. Therefore by the typical voice of blessed Job, Holy Church, which is subject to some gainsaying the right Faith, avouches that she has an ‘ungodly man her enemy.’ But because she has to bear others under the cloke of the faith within her pale living ...
This is what Job means, one who is full of iniquity has neither liberty to express himself nor to say what I say now. Rather, he has been taken away and stays silent. On the contrary, I did not experience that, but I speak and answer. But the same does not happen to those who are iniquitous. - "Commentary on Job 27.5b–6"
