When she lifts up herself high, she scorns the horse and his rider.
Read Chapter 39
Ephrem The Syrian
AD 373
The sort of wings described here appears to signify the synagogue of those who led Christ to the cross. Indeed, who is that mother who generated many children but whose children are not hers? It can only be the one who gave birth to the prophets and brought up the apostles, who are not hers though. Indeed both prophets and apostles, after being adopted into the church, abandoned it. - "Commentary on Job 39.13"
High. With her head erect, the ostrich is taller than a man on horseback. (Pliny x. 1.)
Its wings are used like sails, and enable it to run as fast as many birds can fly, (Calmet0 while it hurls stones at the pursuer with its feet, so as frequently to kill them. (Diodorus ii.)
Rider, as they can travel with equal speed. (Menochius) (Ver. 13.)
Adamson (Senegal) placed two negroes on one, and testified that it still went faster than any English horse. (Haydock)
In every step of the fall, the beginning is represented by the lighter faults that later, with the increase of guilt, become more and more serious. Here the evilness of this hypocrite is analyzed through his progressive iniquities. First, he presents himself as a righteous person, which he is not at all. Then, he scorns the righteous. Finally, he even insults the Creator. Indeed, the soul never stays in the place where it fell, because, after falling voluntarily, the weight of its evilness leads it to worse and worse actions. And so, by precipitating [the fall], it is submerged more and more deeply. Let the hypocrite then go now and seek for his own praises. Later he will oppress the life of his neighbor, and one day he will even scorn his own Creator. The more he devises arrogant attitudes, the more he sinks into atrocious punishments as a result. - "Morals on the Book of Job 31.28"
For he whom the grace of charity does not fall upon looks upon his neighbor as a stranger, even though he has himself begotten him to God. Doubtless all are hypocrites whose minds in truth, while ever aiming at outward objects, become insensible within. While they are ever seeking their own, in everything they do they are not softened by any compassion of charity for the feelings of the neighbor.… But hypocrites do not know these gut level feelings of charity. Because the more their mind is let loose on outward subjects by worldly concupiscence, the more it is hardened inside by its lack of affection. And it is frozen by a benumbing torpor within, because it is softened by fatal love outside. It is unable to reflect upon itself, because it does not strive to think of itself. A mind cannot think on itself which is not entirely at home in itself. It is unable to be entirely at home in itself, because by as many lusts as it is hurried away, by as many objects as it is distracted from itse...
42. The ostrich raiseth her wings on high, when the synagogue opposes its Creator, not as before by dreading, but by now openly withstanding, Him. For being changed into the limbs of the devil, and believing the man of lies to be God, it exalts itself the higher against the faithful, the more it boasts also, that it is itself the body of God. And because it despises, not only the Manhood of the Lord, but also His very Godhead, it scorns, not merely the horseman, but the rider of the horseman also. For, without violating the unity of the Person, it can be understood that the Word of God then mounted the rider, when he created for Himself a living Body within the womb of the Virgin. He then mounted the horseman, when, by creating Himself, He brought under the yoke of Divine worship a human soul, possessing power over its own flesh. For the Godhead assumed the flesh, by the intervention of the soul, and by this means He held together the whole horseman; [S. Aug. de Fid. et Symb. §. 10.] b...
27. For what do we understand by the wings of this ostrich, except the thoughts of the hypocrite, kept close at this time as if folded together? But when the time shall come, he raises them on high; because when an opportunity is found, he makes them manifest by his pride. To raise the wings on high, is to disclose his thoughts with unbridled haughtiness. But now, because he pretends that he is holy, because he confines what he thinks to himself, he folds, as it were, his wings on his body, by humility. But it must be observed, that He says not, The horse and his rider, but, The horseman and his rider. For the horse is the body which belongs to each holy soul, which it knows in truth both how to restrain from unlawful pursuits by the bit of continence, and again to let loose by the impulse of charity, in the exercise of good works. By the name, therefore, of ‘horseman’ is expressed the soul of a holy man, which keeps the body, its beast of burden [‘jumentum corporis.’], under good cont...
