Commentary on the Book of Job

by Thomas Aquinas

Though wielding an influence over philosophy that endures to this day, Thomas Aquinas did not consider himself a philosopher, but a Biblical scholar, whose expositions go right to the meaning of the texts. In his commentary on the Book of Job, he draws on Jewish philosophers to explain the meaning of this mystifying but seminal book of the Old Testament as a fable about divine providence. In a new translation and a Latin-English format, Aquinas's "lyrical" exposition of this rarely commented work will speak to anyone who desires a deeper meditation on this difficult but important work of the Bible.

430 pages, Hardcover

Published June 4, 2016

About the author

Philosophy of Saint Thomas Aquinas, a Dominican friar and theologian of Italy and the most influential thinker of the medieval period, combined doctrine of Aristotle and elements of Neoplatonism, a system that Plotinus and his successors developed and based on that of Plato, within a context of Christian thought; his works include the Summa contra gentiles (1259-1264) and the Summa theologiae or theologica (1266-1273).

Saint Albertus Magnus taught Saint Thomas Aquinas.

People ably note this priest, sometimes styled of Aquin or Aquino, as a scholastic. The Roman Catholic tradition honors him as a "doctor of the Church."

Aquinas lived at a critical juncture of western culture when the arrival of the Aristotelian corpus in Latin translation reopened the question of the relation between faith and reason, calling into question the modus vivendi that obtained for centuries. This crisis flared just as people founded universities. Thomas after early studies at Montecassino moved to the University of Naples, where he met members of the new Dominican order. At Naples too, Thomas first extended contact with the new learning. He joined the Dominican order and then went north to study with Albertus Magnus, author of a paraphrase of the Aristotelian corpus. Thomas completed his studies at the University of Paris, formed out the monastic schools on the left bank and the cathedral school at Notre Dame. In two stints as a regent master, Thomas defended the mendicant orders and of greater historical importance countered both the interpretations of Averroës of Aristotle and the Franciscan tendency to reject Greek philosophy. The result, a new modus vivendi between faith and philosophy, survived until the rise of the new physics. The Catholic Church over the centuries regularly and consistently reaffirmed the central importance of work of Thomas for understanding its teachings concerning the Christian revelation, and his close textual commentaries on Aristotle represent a cultural resource, now receiving increased recognition.

Reviews

[Dougald · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you have ever read an Aquinas commentary, you know sometimes it can be a little laborious. Firstly, he uses multiple lists. This may be for two reasons. First, he begins talking about one subject that has multiple parts and he needs to discuss another list of things.....okay you get the picture. A list within a list sometimes occurs and that can feel like reading an owner's manual sometimes.

Overall though, the commentary is worth the other nuggets of wisdom and insight that has become expected from Aquinas. His perspective on Job and his friends is that Job's friends have a rather worldly understanding of God's relation to this world. They believe that reward and punishment is only doled out in this life. Job, offers an eternal perspective, according to Aquinas.

I enjoyed this commentary, though not as much as his commentary on Matthew.

[François B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant commentary from one of our greatest and saintly doctors. The book itself is of a very high quality, I love the lay out of the biblical text in Latin, Greek and English side by side followed by commentary on each and every phrase of each verse. I learned a lot from this study. Thank you St. Thomas Aquinas.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though there were a number of distracting typographical errors, a fine edition for an ambitious project. Divine insight from The Angelic Doctor.