Who changeth the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, and deceiveth them, that they wander in vain where there is no way, they shall grope in the dark without any light, and He shall make them to stagger like a drunken man.
For 'the heart of the chief of the earth was changed,' when the chief priests and elders of the people in Judaea set themselves to withstand Him by their counsels, Whom they beforehand proclaimed, that He was to come. And when they strove to put out His Name by persecuting Him, being deceived by their own wickedness they vainly essayed to 'wander where there is no way,' because it was impossible that a 'way' could be open to their cruelty directed against the Creator of all things. They saw the miracles, they were made to fear by His power, but by a righteous judgment, light itself was made dark to them, in that whilst it came to heal the sound of mind, it blinded those that were puffed up. For in proportion as the light of miracles shone upon their faces, in the same degree were they darkened by the depth of their iniquity; and they that before His Incarnation seemed to 'walk right in the way,' after the Incarnation were made to 'stagger like a drunken man.' For a drunken man walks on that he may arrive at some place, yet he knows not what place he is making for. And so, when for the killing of the Lord, Judaea busied herself with the exertion of her evil intent, she toiled on, and knew not whither; because whereas she thought to destroy Him, Whom she had put to death, she multiplied the numbers of believers without any bounds, and 'staggered' when she was minded to fix her footing in the firmest way, in that wherein by her evil intent she thought to make an end, there being confuted, she increased His glory.
[AD 604] Gregory the Dialogist on Job 12:24-25
For 'the heart of the chief of the earth was changed,' when the chief priests and elders of the people in Judaea set themselves to withstand Him by their counsels, Whom they beforehand proclaimed, that He was to come. And when they strove to put out His Name by persecuting Him, being deceived by their own wickedness they vainly essayed to 'wander where there is no way,' because it was impossible that a 'way' could be open to their cruelty directed against the Creator of all things. They saw the miracles, they were made to fear by His power, but by a righteous judgment, light itself was made dark to them, in that whilst it came to heal the sound of mind, it blinded those that were puffed up. For in proportion as the light of miracles shone upon their faces, in the same degree were they darkened by the depth of their iniquity; and they that before His Incarnation seemed to 'walk right in the way,' after the Incarnation were made to 'stagger like a drunken man.' For a drunken man walks on that he may arrive at some place, yet he knows not what place he is making for. And so, when for the killing of the Lord, Judaea busied herself with the exertion of her evil intent, she toiled on, and knew not whither; because whereas she thought to destroy Him, Whom she had put to death, she multiplied the numbers of believers without any bounds, and 'staggered' when she was minded to fix her footing in the firmest way, in that wherein by her evil intent she thought to make an end, there being confuted, she increased His glory.