A Trial of Friends

Ζῇ Κύριος, ὅς οὕτω με ἔκρινε Ἔλαβεν ἐξουσίαν τοῦ Ἰὼβ ὁ διάβολος, καὶ ἤτασεν αὐτὸν νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμερας, πρότερον διὰ τῶν ἐκτὸς, ὕστερο δι' αὐτπῖ τοῦ σώματος, μετὰ ταῦτα καὶ διὰ τῶν φίλων. Ὅτε γὰρ αὐτὸ ἐδοκίμασε διὰ τῆς γυναικὸς, καὶ οὐ νενίκηται ὁ Ἰὼβ, τρεῖς φίλους ἤνεγκεν ὁ διάβολος, οὐκ ἐχθροὺς, οὐκ ἐπίβουλα δόγματα ἔχοντας, ἀλλ' ἀληθείας μὲν λόγους, οὐ καλῶς δὲ, οὐδὲ ἐν καιρῷ προφερομένους. Καὶ ἐβουλεύετο ὁ διάβολος διὰ τῶν φίλων τούτων ποιῆσαι τὸν Ἰὼβ φθέγξασθαι τι κατὰ τῆς Προνοίας, ἀσεβῆσαι διὰ τοὺς πόνους, ἐκκακῆσαι διὰ τὰς ἀλγηδόνας. Ὠριγένης, Εἰς Τον Ιὠβ Source: Migne PG 17.87c-d

The Lord who lives has judged me so... 1 The devil received power against Job, and he struck him day and night, first through exterior things, then through his own body, and after that even through his friends. For when he had tested him by his wife, and Job was unconquered, the devil led in the three friends, not as adversaries, not as men having cunning teachings, but certainly as men with true words, but not good, however, and not spoken at the right time. It was the devil's wish that through these friends he make Job say something against God's providence, and to commit himself, on account of his troubles, to impiety, and to evil on account of grief. Origen, On Job, Fragment 1 Job 27.2