Augustine of Hippo : Nay, can we be better men than Daniel himself, concerning whom God, speaking to the prince of Tyre, says by the prophet Ezekiel, "Art thou wiser than Daniel?" who also is placed among the three righteous men to whom alone God saith that He would grant deliverance,—pointing, doubtless, in them to three representative righteous men,—declaring that he would deliver only Noah, Daniel, and Job, and that they should save along with themselves neither son nor daughter, but only their own souls. — LETTERS 111 Augustine of Hippo : Now, I suppose it is not easy to find in God's Scripture so weighty a testimony of holiness given of any man as that which is written of His three servants, Noah, Daniel, and Job, whom the Prophet Ezekiel describes as the only men able to be delivered from God's impending wrath. In these three men he no doubt prefigures three classes of mankind to be delivered: in Noah, as I suppose, are represented righteous leaders of nations, by reason of his government of the ark as a type of the Church; in Daniel, men who are righteous in continence; in Job, those who are righteous in wedlock;—to say nothing of any other view of the passage, which it is unnecessary now to consider. It is, at any rate, clear from this testimony of the prophet, and from other inspired statements, how eminent were these worthies in righteousness. — ON THE MERITS AND FORGIVENESS OF SINS AND ON INFANT BAPTISM 2:12.10 Bede : Ezekiel the prophet mystically distinguishes them from one another when he foretells that there are only three men who will be delivered when the time of plagues comes, namely: Noah, Daniel and Job. For surely in Noah, who steered the ark over the waves, he shows those who are set over the church; in Daniel, who was zealous to live continently in the royal court, he shows the continent or virgins; in Job, who while married exhibited a wonderful example of patience to all, he shows the life of the virtuous married people. — On the Tabernacle 1:8.25:32 Cyprian : Who was more righteous than Noah, who, when the earth was replete with sins, was alone found righteous on the earth? Who more glorious than Daniel? Who stronger in firmness of faith for enduring martyrdom, happier in God's favors, who when he fought so often conquered and when he conquered survived? Who was more diligent in good works than Job, stronger in temptations, more patient in suffering, more submissive in fear, more true in faith? And yet God said that, if they should ask, he would not grant. When the prophet Ezekiel interceded for the sins of the people, God said, "Whatever land shall sin against me, so as to transgress grievously, I will stretch forth my hand on it, and will break the staff of bread thereof, and will send famine upon it and will destroy people and beast out of it. And if these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job, shall be in it, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered." Therefore, not all that is sought is in the prejudgment of the seeker but in the decision of the giver, and human opinion takes or assumes nothing to itself unless the divine pleasure also assents. — Treatise III. On the Lapsed 19 Desert Fathers : The work of the monastic life is poverty and trouble and separation.… Noah must be taken as representing the personification of self-denial, and Job as representing labors and Daniel as representing separation; if a person possess these three rules of conduct the Lord dwells in him. — SAYINGS OF THE DESERT FATHERS 193 Gregory of Nazianzus : Who will cry aloud, spare your people, O Lord, and do not give your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them: what Noah and Job and Daniel, who are reckoned together as men of prayer, will pray for us, that we may have a slight respite from warfare, and recover ourselves, and recognize one another for a while and no longer, instead of being a united Israel, be Judah and Israel, Rehoboam and Jeroboam, Jerusalem and Samaria, in turn delivered up because of our sins, and in turn lamented? — IN DEFENSE OF HIS FLIGHT TO PONTUS, ORATION 2:89 Jerome : Noah, because of the impending flood that would cleanse the earth, could not prevent or delay it as the whole earth had corrupted the ways of the Lord (Genesis 6:7). However, he had preserved his sons who might have possessed the same virtue, as a seed for the human race. Daniel also mitigated the imminent captivity of the people of Judah with no tears (Dan. 1). But Job, not because of sins, but because of testing, did not save neither his house nor his children (Job 1). — Commentary on Ezekiel John Chrysostom : That no one may despair of himself, though hitherto he have been careless, that he may set his hopes on nothing else, after God's mercy, but on his own virtue. For if these were nothing the better for such a kindred, though they were of the same house and lineage with Christ, until they gave proof of virtue; what favor can we possibly receive, when we plead righteous kinsmen and brethren, unless we be exceeding dutiful, and have lived in virtue? As the prophet too said, intimating the selfsame thing, "A brother redeemeth not, shall a man redeem?"… Yea, if it be Ezekiel who entreats, he will be told, "Though Noah stand forth, and Job, and Daniel, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters." Though the patriarch Abraham be supplicating for them that are most incurably diseased, and change not, God will leave him and go His way, that he may not receive his cry in their behalf.… For it is true, the prayers of the saints have the greatest power; on condition however of our repentance and amendment. — HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF Matthew 5:7 John Chrysostom : Considering then all these things, let us betake ourselves unto the preparation for our departure hence. For even if the common day of the consummation never overtake us, the end of each one is at the doors, whether he be old or young; and it is not possible for men after they have gone hence, either to buy oil any more, or to obtain pardon by prayers, though he that entreats be Abraham, or Noah, or Job, or Daniel. While then we have opportunity, let us store up for ourselves beforehand much confidence, let us gather oil in abundance, let us remove all into Heaven, that in the fitting time, and when we most need them, we may enjoy all: by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ. — HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF Matthew 20:6 Martin of Braga : Abbot Moses said, Separation from material things, that is, voluntary poverty, and endurance with patience and understanding are the possessions of a monk.… Noah is the personification of voluntary poverty, Job the personification of endurance with patience, Daniel the personification of understanding. Accordingly, if the deeds of these three holy men are in any person, the Lord is with him, dwelling with him, receiving him and driving away from him every temptation and every tribulation that comes from the enemy. — SAYINGS OF THE EGYPTIAN FATHERS 8 Origen of Alexandria : Those who are of Abraham are not children of Abraham; although they are of his seed, they are not his children, because they are sinners. In the same way those whose actions resemble the wonder of Daniel are of Daniel, and those who imitate the patience of Job become Job. — HOMILIES ON Ezekiel 4:4 Pseudo-Clement : Yes, if we do the will of Christ, we shall find rest, but if not, nothing will save us from eternal punishment, if we fail to heed his commands. Furthermore, the Scripture also says in Ezekiel, "Though Noah and Jacob and Daniel should rise, they shall not save their children in captivity." If even such upright men as these cannot save their children by their uprightness, what assurance have we that we shall enter God's kingdom if we fail to keep our baptism pure and undefiled? Or who will plead for us if we are not found to have holy and upright deeds? — 2 CLEMENT 6:7-9 Salvian the Presbyter : It is a crime, unbearably conceited and enormously wicked, that anyone should think himself so good that he supposes the wicked can be saved through him.God, speaking of a certain land and a sinful people, said, "If these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job, shall be in it, they shall deliver neither sons or daughters; but they only shall be delivered." I think that nobody would be so presumptuous as to dare to compare himself with such men. Though a person tries to please God in this world, it is the greatest kind of unrighteousness to boast of his own righteousness. Hope is therefore removed in that false opinion by which we believe that a countless multitude of the damned can be saved by the intercession in this world of a few good people. — THE GOVERNANCE OF GOD 3:11