18. Whereas every man that strives to deceive his neighbour is wicked, and ‘Truth’ saith to the wicked, I never knew you, depart from Me ye that work iniquity [Matt. 7, 23]; in what sense is it said here, that ‘the Lord knoweth the deceiver?’ But forasmuch as God’s ‘knowing’ sometimes means His taking cognizance, sometimes His approving, He at once knows a wicked man, in that in taking cognizance He judges him, (for He would never judge any wicked man, if He did not take cognizance of him,) and yet He does not know a wicked person, in that He does not approve his doings. And so He both knows him, in that He finds him out, and knows him not, in that He doth not acknowledge him in a likeness to His own Wisdom. As it is said of any truthful man, that he does not know falsehood, not because, when any thing false is said even by others, he is too blind to find fault with it, but this very falsehood he at once knows in the tracing out, and knows not in the affection of the heart, so as not to do that himself, which he condemns the doing of in others. And it may often happen that persons, busy in artful contrivances, spread the nets of their wickedness for another’s life, and when he, in ignorance of it, is seen to be taken by the snares, perchance it is questioned whether such things are seen from above, and men wonder, why it is, if God does see them, that He suffers them to be done. But He knoweth the deceiver and the deceived. For ‘He knoweth the deceiver,’ in that generally He sees former sins of his, and by a just judgment suffers him to fall into others also. ‘He knoweth the deceiver,’ in that, left in the hand of his own doings, He forsaketh him, that he may be precipitated into worse ones, as it is written, He that is unjust let him be unjust still, and he that is filthy let him, be filthy [Lat. grow filthy] still. [Rev. 22, 11] Moreover ‘He knoweth the deceived’ too, in that men often do evil things that they know; and therefore they are suffered to be ‘deceived,’ so as further to fall into evil things which they know not. However, this is used to be done to the deceived sometimes for their purifying, sometimes as the beginning of vengeance.
19. He bringeth counsellors also to a foolish end, when they do any thing good even, with no good purpose, but are going after the recompensing of a temporary reward. For, if the Only-begotten Son of the Most High Father, because hereby, that He was made Man, He preached eternal truths, is therefore called the Angel of great counsel, we rightly interpret ‘the counsellors,’ those preachers, who furnish the ‘counsel’ of life to their hearers. But when any preacher preaches the truths of eternity for this, that he may acquire temporal gains, assuredly he is ‘brought to a foolish end,’ in that he is aiming to reach that point by laborious effort, whence he ought to have fled in uprightness of mind.
20. And it is rightly added, And the judges to dulness. For all that are set over the examination of other men’s conduct, are rightly called ‘judges;’ but when he that has this oversight does not diligently examine the lives of those under his authority, nor acquaint himself whom he should correct, and how, ‘the judge is brought to dulness,’ in that he, who should have judged things that were ill done, never finds out those things which are to be judged.
When almighty God in the mystery of his mercy was made man, he first gave the lesson of mildness, and afterwards at the judgment he will show his strength. It is correct to say that in the place above, wisdom is mentioned before strength, as the thing is spoken of the only begotten Son of the Father, “With him is wisdom and strength.” In view of the fact that as he comes to judge, he will appear in the terribleness of his power, and the damned being cast off, he will manifest to his elect in his everlasting kingdom. How he is “the wisdom of the Father” is rightly said in the subsequent sentence, that with him is first “strength” and then “wisdom.” … Whereas everyone who strives to deceive his neighbor is wicked, “Truth” says to the wicked, “I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.” In what sense is it said here that “the Lord knows the deceiver”? But God’s “knowing” sometimes means his taking notice or acknowledging, sometimes his approving; God at once knows a wicked person, in that in taking notice of him he judges him (for he would never judge any wicked person, if he did not take notice of him), and yet he does not know a wicked person in that he does not approve of his actions. So, God both knows him, in that he finds him out, and doesn’t know him, in that he does not acknowledge him in a likeness of his own wisdom.… The only begotten Son of the most high Father, because he was made man and preached eternal truths, is therefore called the “Angel of great counsel.” We rightly interpret “the counselors” as those preachers who furnish the counsel of life to their hearers. However, when any preacher preaches the truths of eternity that he may acquire temporal gains, he is assuredly brought to a foolish end; he is aiming to reach that point by laborious effort. Hence, he ought to have fled in uprightness of mind. And it is rightly added, “And the judges to dullness.” For all that are set over the examination of other people’s conduct are rightly called “judges.” But when he who has this oversight does not diligently examine the lives of those under his authority or acquaint himself with whom he should correct, “the judge is brought to dullness,” in that he, who should have judged things that were ill, never finds out those things that are to be judged.
[AD 604] Gregory the Dialogist on Job 12:17
19. He bringeth counsellors also to a foolish end, when they do any thing good even, with no good purpose, but are going after the recompensing of a temporary reward. For, if the Only-begotten Son of the Most High Father, because hereby, that He was made Man, He preached eternal truths, is therefore called the Angel of great counsel, we rightly interpret ‘the counsellors,’ those preachers, who furnish the ‘counsel’ of life to their hearers. But when any preacher preaches the truths of eternity for this, that he may acquire temporal gains, assuredly he is ‘brought to a foolish end,’ in that he is aiming to reach that point by laborious effort, whence he ought to have fled in uprightness of mind.
20. And it is rightly added, And the judges to dulness. For all that are set over the examination of other men’s conduct, are rightly called ‘judges;’ but when he that has this oversight does not diligently examine the lives of those under his authority, nor acquaint himself whom he should correct, and how, ‘the judge is brought to dulness,’ in that he, who should have judged things that were ill done, never finds out those things which are to be judged.