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13 Mar 2020

Harmful Physicians



Ὑμεῖς δὲ ἐστε ἰατροὶ ἄδικοι, καὶ ἰαταὶ κακῶν πάντες.

Ἄδικος δὲ ἰατρός ἐστι, κατὰ τὸ πρόχειρον, ὁ ἄλλα βοηθήματα παρὰ τὰ συμφέροντα προσάγων τοῖς κάμνουσι· διττῶς δὲ τοῦτο γίνεται, ἤ ἐξ ἀπειρίας τοῦ ἰατροῦ, ἤ ἐκ κακοηθείας. Οὗτοι δὲ οἱ ἐλεγχόμενοι, ἐξ ἀμαθίας μὰλλον ἤ ἐκ κακουργίας, ἔλε
γον τῷ Ἰὼβ, ὅτι δι' ἁμαρτήματα πάσχεις, οἰόμενοι παρακλήσεως προσάγειν λόγους. Ἄδικοι οὖν κατὰ τὸ ἀγνοεῖν τὴν αἰτίαν. Τὸ δὲ, Ἰαταὶ κακῶν πάντες, εἴη ἄν λέγων, κατὰ τῶν οἰομένων μεγάλα περὶ ἑαυτῶν, ὡς δυναμένων ἰάσασθαι τὰ περιστατικῶς ἑτέροις συμβαίνοντα.

Δίδυμος Αλεξανδρεύς, Εκλογαι Εἰς Τον Ιὠβ, Κεφ ΙΓ'

Source: Migne PG 39.1148c-d



You are harmful physicians, and all practitioners of evil... 1
 

Wicked is the physician who for aid to the afflicted brings things which do not benefit, and this may come about by two ways, either due to the lack of skill of the physician, or by his inclination to wickedness. The first of these who are reproved are more ignorant than malicious, who tell Job that he suffers  because of sin, thinking these words would be comforting. Thus they were harmful because they were ignorant of the cause. But as for the 'all practitioners of evil,' it may be he speaks of those who because of the greatness of their thoughts concerning themselves think that they are capable of healing the blows that have come upon others.

Didymus the Blind, On Job, fragment

1 Job 13.4
 

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