Job 26:12

"His power has calmed the fury of the waves. He has put an end in the world to the perseverance of the persecutors against the Church. These words, "The pillars of heaven trembled at the sound of his threats," may mean: The most courageous in the Church trembled for the weakest, when God permitted the trials of the persecution. One of these columns exclaimed: "Who is weak, without being weak with him? Who is scandalized, without my burning (1)? - His clever hand hurt the whale. It is the pain that hurts the demon when the righteous have resisted it.

In His might the seas are suddenly gathered together, and His wisdom hath struck the proud one. What else is denoted by the title of the sea save the present world, wherein the hearts of men seeking after earthly things swell with the diverse billows of the thoughts? which same being stirred up by the exaltation of pride, whilst with cross sway they thwart one another, do as with confronting waters dash themselves together. But henceforth 'the seas are gathered together in His might,' because on the Lord being made Incarnate, the discordant hearts of worldly men believe in agreement. Henceforth Peter 'walks on the sea,' because to the preachers of Christ, these once swelling hearts are by lowly hearing bowed down to the earth, so that in the Gospel too it justly represented the gentleness of this world, that the stormy water of the sea, its swelling being forced down, was trodden by the feet of the Lord. Now in what manner that was done is disclosed, when it is said, His wisdom hath struck the proud one. [PROPHETICAL INTERPRETATION] Who else is here called 'proud,' saving he who said, I will ascend above the height of the clouds, I will be like the Most High; and concerning whom it is spoken by the voice of God, Who is made that he should fear none, and himself is king over all the sons of pride. With reference to whom moreover the prophet David agrees with this sentence, saying, Thou hast abased the proud man, like one wounded. But though to the simple nature of Deity it is not one thing to be, and another thing to be wise, nor one thing to be wise, and another to be strong, forasmuch as the strength is identically the same that the wisdom, and the wisdom that the essence of the Deity is, yet I consider it a thing to be regarded with lively attention, that this man being filled with the prophetic spirit, chose to describe the proud devil as stricken by 'the wisdom' rather than the power of God. For he saith not, 'His might,' but, 'His wisdom hath struck the proud one.' For, as we have said, although by right of simple Nature, the Might of God is the Wisdom of God, yet as to the appearance, the Lord overcame the devil, not by power, but by reason; for the devil himself, by overthrowing us in that root of our first parent, as it were rightfully held man under his thraldom, who whilst he was created with free will, yielded consent to him, when he prompted…