^2:1 But it happened, when on a certain day the sons of God had come and stood before the Lord, Satan also came among them and stood in his sight,
^2:2 so that the Lord said to Satan: Where do you come from? He, answering, said: I have gone around the earth and walked through it.
^2:3 And the Lord said to Satan: Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on earth? A simple and upright man, fearing God and withdrawing from evil, and still retaining his innocence. But you have moved me against him, so that I should afflict him in vain.
^2:4 To him Satan, answering, said: Skin for skin, and all that a man has he will give for his soul;
^2:5 otherwise, put forth your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and then you will see that he blesses you to your face.
^2:6 Therefore the Lord said to Satan: Behold, he is in your hand, but nevertheless preserve his soul.

38. But it happened, when on a certain day, etc. Since the good of man is threefold, namely, of the soul, of the body, and of exterior things, they are ordered to one another in this way: that the body is for the sake of the soul, while exterior things are for the sake of both the body and the soul. Therefore, just as it is a perverse intention if someone orders the goods of the soul to the prosperity of exterior goods, so it is a perverse intention if someone orders the goods of the soul to the health of the body. And indeed, that Job abounded in acts of the virtues, which are goods of the soul, could be manifest sensibly to all; hence the Lord had also said to Satan above: Have you considered my servant Job, etc. But Satan brought a slander against him, as though Job intended the acts of the virtues for the sake of temporal goods, just as evil men, whose prince Satan is, judge perniciously concerning the intention of the good. But this slander had been repelled by the fact that, after the loss of exterior goods, he still remained stable in virtue, from which it was sufficiently shown that his intention was not bent toward exterior goods. Therefore it remained to be shown, for the perfect demonstration of Job’s virtue, that his intention was not even bent toward the health of his own body, and therefore the divine judgment is again introduced, by which this is manifested. This, then, is what is said: But it happened, when on a certain day the sons of God had come and stood before the Lord, Satan also came among them and stood in his sight, so that the Lord said to Satan: Where do you come from? Since these words have been explained above, there is no need to dwell on them longer, except that this should be noted: that because of another event, another day is introduced here, just as at the beginning of Genesis different days are described according to the different kinds of things that were being established. What Satan, when examined, answered is then shown when it is said: He, answering, said: I have gone around the earth and walked through it. And this is as above.

39. And again the Lord proposes Job’s virtue to him as something conspicuous, as above; hence there follows: And the Lord said to Satan: Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on earth? A simple and upright man, fearing God and withdrawing from evil. But because a certain virtue of blessed Job had now been manifested which had not been manifest before, namely, constancy in adversity, therefore he now adds: and still, namely, after the loss of temporal goods, retaining his innocence. From this the Lord further shows that Satan’s suspicion had been slanderous and his intention frustrated; hence there follows: But you have moved me against him, so that I should afflict him in vain. But from the fact that it is said, you have moved me against him, it is not to be understood that God is provoked by anyone to will what he did not will before, as is customary among men; for it is said in Numbers 23:19: God is not like man, that he should lie, nor like a son of man, that he should be changed,

but here Scripture speaks of God figuratively, in human fashion: for when men will to do something on account of someone, they are said to be moved by him. But God indeed wills to do, as he also does, this on account of that, yet without any movement of mind, because from eternity he had in mind what he would do and for what reason. Therefore the Lord had disposed from eternity to afflict Job temporally in order to demonstrate the truth of his virtue, so that every slander of the wicked might be excluded; hence, to signify this, it is said here: But you have moved me against him. But what is said, so that I should afflict him in vain, must be understood with respect to the intention of Satan, not with respect to the intention of God: for Satan had sought Job’s adversity, intending from this to lead him into impatience and blasphemy, which he had not obtained; but God had permitted this to declare his virtue, and this had been accomplished. Thus, therefore, Job was afflicted in vain with respect to the intention of Satan, but not with respect to the intention of God.

40. But Satan, having been repulsed, does not rest, but still constructs a slander, wishing to show that all the good things Job had done, and even this very thing, that he had patiently endured adversities, he had done not for the love of God but for the health of his own body; hence there follows: To him Satan, answering, said: Skin for skin, and all that a man has he will give for his soul. Now it must be considered that Job had been afflicted in two ways, namely, in the loss of possessions and in the loss of children. Therefore Satan intends to say that Job had patiently endured both afflictions for the sake of the health of his body, and that this was not a matter of great virtue but was human and customary among men. And this is what he says: a man, as though anyone, even one not virtuous, will easily give skin for skin, that is, another’s flesh for his own flesh; for a man who is not virtuous endures that any others, even those very closely joined to him, should be afflicted in body rather than he himself. And likewise any man will give all exterior things that he possesses for his soul, that is, for preserving his life; for exterior goods are sought for the preservation of life, so that they may serve as a support for food and clothing and other things of this kind by which the life of man is suitably preserved.

41. And because someone could say to Satan: How can it be proved that Job patiently endured the loss of his children and possessions because he feared for his skin and his life? As though answering this question, he adds: otherwise, namely, if a simple word is not believed, put forth your hand, that is, exercise your power, and touch his bone and his flesh, that is, afflict him in the body, not only on the surface, which could be signified by the touch of the flesh, but also in depth, which is signified by the touch of the bone, so that, namely, the touch may reach even to the innermost parts; and then you will see, that is, it will be able to be plainly beheld by all, that he will bless you to your face, which must be explained as above.

42. Therefore the Lord willed to show that Job had not served God for the health of his body, just as above he had shown that he had not served him for exterior goods; hence there is added: Therefore the Lord said to Satan: Behold, he is in your hand, that is, I hand over to you the power of afflicting him in the body, but nevertheless preserve his soul, that is, do not take away his life. For God does not totally expose his servants to the will of Satan, but according to a fitting measure, according to that saying of the Apostle in 1 Corinthians 10:13: God is faithful, who will not permit you to be tempted beyond what you are able.