Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and weeds instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.
Read Chapter 31
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Thorns. Protestants, "cockle. "Marginal note, "loathsome weeds. "(Haydock)
The precise import of the word is not known; but it means something "stinking. "(Calmet)
Septuagint, Batos, "a briar. "(Haydock)
Ended. Many Latin editions omit these words with St. Gregory The old Vulgate hasquieverunt verba Job, as a title. (Calmet)
Septuagint place at the beginning of the next chapter, "And Job ceased to speak. His three friends also left off contending with Job; for Job was just before them. "Grabe substitutes "himself "as they were not perhaps yet convinced. (Haydock)
Job, however, addresses his discourse no more to them, but only to God, (Calmet) acknowledging some unadvised speeches; (Worthington) or want of information. (Haydock)
55. As though he said in plain words; ‘If I have done aught unjust towards those under me, if I have exacted the debts due to me, and have not myself paid what I owed, if I have envied others the executing of good practice, for the good things which refresh for ever and ever, may evil things that sting be repaid me in the Judgment.’ Since ‘instead of the wheat there springs up the thistle, and instead of barley the thorn,’ when in the final Retribution, wherefrom the recompensing of our labour is looked for, the piercing of pain is met with. And observe, that as barley is different from wheat, though both regale, so the thorn differs from the thistle, though either be a thing that pricks, because the thistle is softer, and the thorn always the harder as to pricking. Thus he says, Let the thistle grow instead of wheat, and the thorn instead of barley. As if he said plainly and openly; ‘I know indeed that I have both done great good acts and lesser ones; and if it is not so, may lesser e...
“If my land has ever cried out against me, or if its furrows have wept together.” Therefore, neither the land cries out nor weeps. What does he mean? Certainly the land does not really groan, but inanimate beings perceive injustices. As the prophet asserts, “The earth stood up and shuddered.” Now the earth moans every time we make an unjust use of its fruits. - "Commentary on Job 31.35–40"
