The mystery of the ant-lion (Commentary on Job, part 8)

The next surviving verse commentary is on Job 4:11. The Armenian mrjownariwtsn (մրջունառիւծն) is a calque on the Greek μυρμηκολέων (literally 'ant-lion') of the Septuagint. The Hebrew is lysh (ליש), which just means 'lion.' So where did 'ant-lion' come from? Perhaps relevant is Strabo's Geography 16.4.15, which describes a region on the Red Sea where 'elephants and lions called ants (μύρμηξιν) abound.' Is the ant-lion an ant or a lion or neither? And why did the LXX use this word here?

In any event, Stepanos interprets the compound word as a description of Satan:

“The ant-lion perished for lack of food” (4:11)
 Satan is a lion toward sinners and an ant toward the righteous. Some people read with a question ‘lion and the voice of a lioness’ (4:10).

 

Commentary on Job, part 7

We saw in the previous post that Stepanos views Job as a type of Christ, prefiguring through his suffering and restoration the passion and resurrection of Jesus. That foreshadowing is indicated by the claim that God uses Job to show Satan that he will be conquered by an "earthly human." In effect, Job serves as an early warning to Satan. The mouse has been given notice of the mouse trap that is to come.

The fragmentary nature of the commentary becomes clear now as we move ahead to chapter 2. The next comment is on Job's response to his wife's demand that he curse God and die:

“But he looked at her and said…” (2:10)

He answered in anger. The face is the servant and mirror of the heart, and it indicates anger by the movement in his look.

Commentary on Job, part 6

The commentary now turns to Job 1:12, where God grants all Job has to Satan but demands that he not touch Job himself. Stepanos cites Zechariah 3:2 and Judah 9 to support the view that God speaks to Job through an angel. The Judah verse is interesting since it alludes to the dispute between the archangel Michael and Satan concerning the burial of Moses. According to Jewish tradition, Satan, accusing Moses of being a murderer, refused to allow Moses' body to be buried (see "Moses" in the Encyclopedia Judaica). This tradition is presented in the Assumption of Moses, an apocalyptic work from the first century.  

“Behold I give you all [that he has]…” (1:12)

 ...so that I may show to Satan that he is conquered by an earthly human. It is thought that God’s demand was given through an angel, as in the prophet Zechariah, where the angel says to Satan, “May the Lord who chose Jerusalem rebuke you” (Zechariah 3:2). Likewise, in the catholic epistle concerning the body of Moses, Michael said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you!” (Jude 9) One must understand it likewise here. Now the demand and response were not spoken in the manner of a human voice, but as an incorporeal being must speak to an incorporeal, that is, through the intellect.

Commentary on Job, part 5

Stepanos tells us more about Job's place of origin. He follows the Septuagint, transliterating Greek Ausitis as Awsit, rather than the Hebrew Uz. The connection to Damascus is perhaps derived from Josephus, who claims that the eponym of Job's hometown is the founder of Damascus. Stepanos uses Josephus as a source for his commentary on the Gospels.

“There was a man in the land of Ausitis.”

There is a large country near Hamath, and there is a small village in it named Ausitis, which became the preeminent city of the Arabs, although it is called Damascus in the scriptures. But the place where he resided in his tribulations and where his grave is now is in Arabia.

Commentary on Job, part 4

The next part of the commentary on Job concerning the permission that God grants to Satan:

It is said that God gives permission or leave to the evil one, because without this it is impossible for them to do anything or to harm anyone in spirit or body. It is said that Satan comes with the angels before the Lord because there is no place either visible or invisible where he can hide from Him and the God’s providential knowledge. Now although he cannot ascend to this exalted place where the angels and the cherubim and seraphim are, wherever he is, he cannot hide from the divine vision.

He is said to come, tarry and remain “before the Lord.” Perhaps the Lord will permit Satan to inflict these trials on this man so that through these trials Satan will be able to cause him to fall and to drive him away from piety. Satan wanted to destroy the blessed man through trials but he could not because he was not allowed by God to do so. The omniscient one knew the secrets of the evil one. He allowed him to inflict trials on Job so that struggle of the champion would be shown.  And when the adversary knew that God permitted him to test Job, he tested him first through external possessions, through the perishing of his sons and daughters, and then through various and shameful bodily tortures. And you should understand all this  (the coming of the angels before the Lord, and Satan with them, and God’s speaking with Satan, and what follows) in the following way: the contriver of evil takes different forms according to our understanding.

Commentary on Job, part 3

The commentary jumps from Job 1:1 to 1:6, where the angels and Satan convene before the Lord.

“And that man Job was true,…”
 Because no deceit could be found in him.
 “pious,…”
 For it is possible to be “righteous and blameless,” as many of the pagans are, but not pious.
 “and it came to pass on this day that the angels of God came before the Lord, and Satan also came with them.” (1:6)
 God is invisible by nature, without quality or quantity, and is not enclosed in a place, but is beside all things, and is close to all the saints, as He must tend to them and to the unholy in accordance to their merit. And He commands the saints with an ineffable voice, that is, through an understanding to serve His will, as the angels and humans like the prophets and apostles did and do.  

The commentary on Job, part 2

The summer is here and so there's more time to work on the projects that give us delight. Here is the next segment of the medieval Armenian commentary on Job by Stepanos of Siunik:

That suffices concerning the numbering of generations and of times. Now concerning the composition of the account of his suffering, some say that the prophet Moses wrote the history of Job, and others that Solomon wrote it, and others say it is by Ezra, who transmitted to the people all of the Old Testament after the captivity, including Job. But it seems to me that it was Solomon, since the text is proverbial, like all of the compositions of Solomon. Others say that is was Jeremiah perhaps who wrote it, but I do not find that Moses or Jeremiah or Ezra employ this style. But it is really not important whether any of them wrote it or someone else, for divinely inspired men wrote these narratives. For if not, why did the Apostle mention his suffering when he says, “You have heard of the endurance of Job and you have seen the purpose of the Lord”? (James 5:11) And Ezekiel, in prophesying, mentioned him with Noah and Daniel: “When I inflict such evils upon a nation, even if Job and Noah and Daniel were in its midst, they would save only their own lives.” (Ezekiel 14:14) But they claim that Job’s tomb is now in Arabia, and the place where he lies suffers from tribulations.