Commentaries on Matthew

 it speaks of one who is uninitiated toward it, therefore the virgin has no thought of suspicion toward any other man. 8 Mt 1, 21 If he has a people ev

 flower, this name is found among many for Daniel calls him holy of holies. And Isaiah: a rod from the root of Jesse and a flower from it and the

 he was asking for he was unrepentant, but so that he might draw Christ into vainglory. Knowing this, the Savior did not obey him. 32 Mt 4, 3-4 Wishin

 making peace with him. Blessed are such as these, as having imitated the Son of God for they will be called sons, having partaken of immortality, tha

 which Luke, clarifying, named lepton. But let us be reconciled both with the enemy and avenger, that is, the devil, while we are on this way, and wi

 61 Mt 5, 31 He who casts out the chaste woman gives her permission to be married to another, which is a form of adultery as if the union were not diss

 6, 14 Jesus is also able as God to forgive sins, but as his disciples were still imperfect he had not yet clearly delivered the teaching concerning hi

 they condemn. For they sometimes say about someone: so-and-so is harsh, inhuman, greedy for gain, a lover of money, cruel, foolish, and then, attribut

 and 'the living bird' he sent out of the city into the field. Observe, therefore, how Christ is completely portrayed for us through the things tha

 having cast down the tyranny of the devil. You have come, they say, before the time for they knew in the word, that Christ was to come and that he ha

 if a profane person approaches a holy one, he must be turned away according to the saying: You shall not abhor an Edomite or an Egyptian. But in the

 what is not his, for suddenly those who bite him will rise up, and your plotters will awake, and you will become plunder for them· for Satan gathered

 He says the cities of Israel are also the assemblies of the faithful, which exist until the consummation of the age, and the teachers and the taught d

 rather from God. John indeed was born of a woman, but those who have accepted the faith are no longer called born of women, but were born of God. An

 in all my heart. But those of a twisted mind say, Behold, he gives thanks to the Father then how is he not less than him? To this, one of those wh

 the new covenant proclaimed through Jeremiah is alongside the first covenant, it is altogether necessary to use not the ancient laws, but the new ones

 to do. But they said this as if He was not able to do any of the things befitting God, being blinded in their mind for to open the eyes of the blind

 for those who have had a spark of intelligible light, but have turned to unintelligent knowledge, even the little gleam which they have will be exting

 having a sea-faring trade, they let down the net, not distinguishing, but whatever is caught in the meshes, this they drag completely and entirely to

 spiritual and able to sow seed and to teach the rest and strong enough to measure to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. 180 Mt 14

 The Lord calls them foolish who are concerned with the body, like the Pharisees, and who have not yet passed over to the inner man. Foods, therefore,

 to fall into weaknesses and, having thought of something like this, to say: How will someone deny himself? Or how, having lost his own soul, will he f

 and it was necessary for the father of the possessed one to go away grieving, not having obtained the favor, since he did not make his approach blamel

 of painful things and they feel more of these than of the most pleasant. 211 Mt 17, 24 And they cunningly ask Peter. Since, he says, it is his custom

 of those returning who once turned away from the desire for virtue, it is necessary to fear the voices of the saints, even if those who are defining i

 a reason for condemnation, who would not hereafter hold responsible the transgression against one thing, not even one who has fled? For not even the v

 times, and that some were found virtuous, but others despised the future age because of foolishness. But at the end of life, which is evening (for the

 being by nature also the Son of the Father became man and came in the name of the Lord, being called the Lord. This one therefore, as God by nature, i

 When the Jews were cast out of the temple with the typical sacrifices, the blind and the lame are healed, who are a type of the Gentiles. However, let

 a way and the fellowship with the Spirit, through which one obtains the kingdom of the heavens. 244 Mt 21, 42 The blessed David has marveled at this c

 they came into the midst and a certain lawyer, considered very learned among them, asks what is the great commandment in the law, thinking that he was

 having become their confessors, that the prophets have become revered and honored, they adorned for them the crowns, that is, the monuments, assigning

 it has an intelligible vision through faith for when the fullness of the gentiles has come in and they believe in Christ, then the Jews who believe

 the narrative and to try to be as precise as possible in detail. But if they should wish to learn excessively something beyond their own measure, to r

 for such a one is a partaker of the master's entire kingdom for this is what is meant by he will set him over all his possessions. He does not say

 280 Mt 25, 1-13 He compares the leaders of the peoples to virgins the minister must be spotless in both soul and body, just as Paul says, that she m

 the present time is for work, but the future for reward. 281 Mt 25, 6-9 Souls that neglect virtue wither and are, as it were, extinguished and proceed

 of the blessed David he accused, saying: But you, a man of one soul, who together with me shared sweet morsels. And again: He who eats my bread has

 sending into the souls of those who worship him and distributing according to the measure of each but that we will be in spiritual joys, the divine D

 He said twelve legions: speaking instead of you, the twelve disciples, so that I do not need your assistance for I have not used my power, but I give

 foretold for one says: Woe to the lawless one evil will befall him according to his works. And another: as you have done, so it shall be to you

 to be renewed, even if the former, like one of the robbers, refused, saying we have no king but Caesar and asking for the innocent blood to be on hi

 against those who had transgressed against him. And the rending of the rocks signifies that the souls of the Gentiles were opened to receive the faith

 with proclamations, and the armies of the spirits above attend to the son as master and lord of all, and when he became flesh, that is, man. 318 Mt 28

which Luke, clarifying, named "lepton." But let us be reconciled both with the enemy and avenger, that is, the devil, while we are on this way, and with the passions of dishonor, which are our adversaries; for no one else is our adversary, unless we become adversaries to ourselves through these things, and unless our conscience condemns us as despising its reminder, lest we be handed over to God, the judge of all, having been convicted by our conscience; and he "will hand over to the officers," that is, to the punishing angels, and we will be required to pay the penalties for every transgression, both small and great. 53 Mt 5, 25 Therefore, the Lord advisedly here calls an adversary the one attempting to take something of what belongs to us. And we are well-disposed to him, if we keep the command of the Lord who said, "to the one who wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well," and likewise in every such matter. 54 Mt 5, 25-26 What he says is this: before the judgment, be reasonable. Since even if you are accused and imprisoned, you will not be released until you have paid to the last obol; for this the quadrans signifies. But what he says is this: for he advises to be reasonable and not to be confident in the judgment; for if something should happen against expectation and you are detained by the judge, you will not be released until you have paid the last obol; for this is called a quadrans. 55 Mt 5, 25-26 Let someone be supposed, he says, before one of those appointed to rule, having made some accusations against you, then having shown them to those leading you to the court he has you brought away; while therefore, he says, you are with him on the way, that is, before arriving at the judge, give diligence, which means do not hesitate to make every effort, so that you may be reconciled with him. But if this does not happen, he will hand you over to the judge. Then when you are found liable for the debts, "you will be handed over to the officer," that is, to the collectors, and they, having locked you up, will demand even "the last lepton." Therefore all of us who are on the earth are liable for transgressions. And of each one the adversary and accuser is Satan; for he is an enemy and an avenger; while therefore we are on the way, that is, while we have not yet arrived at the end of this life here, let us be reconciled with him, let us resolve the charges against ourselves, let us seize the grace through Christ which frees us from every debt and judgment, putting us outside of punishment and fear, lest perhaps, having our defilement unwashed, we be carried off to the judge and be handed over "to the officers," that is, to the punishers, from whose harshness no one could escape. And he will rather be required to pay the penalties for every transgression, small and great. Far from these things will be those who discern the time of Christ's coming and have not been ignorant of the mystery concerning him. 56 Mt 5, 28-30 Perhaps there are some who have received such a gift as not to lust. Nevertheless Christ, as one who has strengthened human nature, also commands things beyond the law as being possible now; for even if for those before Christ this was impossible, yet for believers it is easy to achieve to cut off desires. 57 Mt 5, 28 He who looks at a woman and lusts is judged then, when the flesh of the woman appears to him beautiful for desire and he sees her carnally and sinfully; for he who through pure love sees the beauty, does not consider the flesh beautiful, but the soul. 58 Mt 5, 29-30 Having said "if your eye causes you to sin" and what follows, by eye he means the thought of lust, which he says should be cut out. 59 Mt 5, 29-30 Eye and hand is understood as the friend. For if you so love someone as in the place of a right eye and you consider him useful as in the place of a right hand and he harms your soul, cut them off from you and be separated far from them; for when you do not save one another, but rather you are both destroyed in addition being together, it is better having been separated for at least one to be saved.

ὅπερ ὁ Λουκᾶς σαφηνίσας "λεπτὸν" ὠνόμασεν. ἡμεῖς δὲ ἀπαλλαγῶμεν καὶ τοῦ ἐχθροῦ καὶ ἐκδικη τοῦ, ἤγουν τοῦ διαβόλου, ἕως ἐσμὲν ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ ταύτῃ, καὶ τῶν τῆς ἀτιμίας παθῶν, ἅτινα ἀντίδικοι ἡμῶν εἰσιν· οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἡμῶν ἕτερος ἀντί δικος, ἐὰν μὴ ἡμεῖς ἑαυτῶν διὰ τούτων γενώμεθα ἀντίδικοι καὶ μὴ ἡ συνείδησις καταγινώσκῃ ἡμῶν ὡς καταφρονούντων τῆς ὑπομνήσεως αὐτῆς, μήποτε παραδοθῶμεν τῷ κριτῇ πάντων θεῷ ὑπὸ τῆς συν ειδήσεως ἐλεγχθέντες· ὁ δὲ "παραδώσει τοῖς πράκτορσιν", ἤγουν τοῖς κολασταῖς ἀγγέλοις, καὶ ἀπαιτηθησόμεθα τὰς ἐπὶ παντὶ πλημμελήματι δίκας, μικρῷ τε καὶ μεγάλῳ. 53 Mt 5, 25 Ἐπιτετηρημένως οὖν ὁ κύριος ἐνταῦθα ἀντίδικον ὀνομάζει τὸν ἀφαιρεῖσθαί τι ἐπιχειροῦντα τῶν διαφερόντων ἡμῖν. εὐνοοῦμεν δὲ αὐτῷ, ἐὰν φυλάξωμεν τὸ πρόσταγμα τοῦ κυρίου εἰπόντος "τῷ θέλοντί σοι κριθῆναι καὶ τὸν χιτῶνά σου λαβεῖν, ἄφες αὐτῷ καὶ τὸ ἱμάτιον" καὶ ἐπὶ παντὸς πράγματος τοιούτου ὁμοίως. 54 Mt 5, 25-26 Ὃ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· πρὸ δίκης εὐγνωμόνει. ἐπεὶ καὶ ἐὰν ἐγκληθῇς καὶ φυλακισθῇς, οὐκ ἀπολύῃ ἕως οὗ ἀποτίσῃς ἕως ὀβο λοῦ· τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ κοδράντης δηλοῖ. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· παραινεῖ γὰρ εὐγνωμονεῖν καὶ μὴ τῇ κρίσει θαρρεῖν· εἰ γάρ τι συμ βαίη παρ' ἐλπίδα καὶ κατασχεθῇς ὑπὸ τοῦ κριτοῦ, οὐκ ἀπολυθήσῃ ἕως οὗ ἀποτίσῃς τὸν ἔσχατον ὀβολόν· τοῦτο γὰρ λέγεται κο δράντης. 55 Mt 5, 25-26 Ὑποκείσθω τις, φησίν, ἐφ' ἑνὸς τῶν τεταγμένων εἰς ἀρχὴν αἰτιά ματά τινα ποιησάμενος κατά σου, εἶτα τοῖς ἀπάγουσιν ἐπὶ τὸ δικαστήριον ὑποδείξας ἀποφέρεσθαι ποιεῖ· ἕως τοίνυν, φησίν, μετ' αὐτοῦ εἶ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ, τοῦτ' ἔστιν πρὶν ἀφικέσθαι πρὸς τὸν κριτήν, δὸς ἐργασίαν, ἀντὶ τοῦ πᾶσαν θέσθαι μὴ ὀκνήσῃς σπουδήν, ἵνα ἀπαλλαγῇς ἀπ' αὐτοῦ. εἰ δὲ μὴ τοῦτο γένηται, παραδώσει σε τῷ κριτῇ. εἶτα ὅταν ἔνοχος τοῖς ὀφλήμασιν εὑρεθῇς, "παραδοθήσῃ τῷ πράκτορι", τοῦτ' ἔστιν τοῖς ἀπαιτηταῖς, κἀκεῖνοί σε κατακλείσαντες ἀπαιτήσουσι καὶ "τὸ ἔσχατον λεπτόν". οὐκοῦν ἔνοχοι μὲν πλημμελήμασίν ἐσμεν ἅπαντες οἱ ὄντες ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. ἑκάστου γε μὴν ἀντίδικος καὶ κατήγορος ὁ σατανᾶς· ἐχθρὸς γάρ ἐστι καὶ ἐκδικητής· ἕως τοίνυν ἐσμὲν ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ, τοῦτ' ἔστιν ἕως οὔπω πρὸς τὸ τῆς ἐνθάδε ζωῆς κατηντήσαμεν τέλος, ἀπαλλαγῶμεν αὐτοῦ, λύσωμεν τὰς καθ' ἑαυτῶν αἰτίας, τὴν διὰ Χριστοῦ χάριν ἁρπάσωμεν ἐλευθεροῦσαν ἡμᾶς παντὸς ὀφλήματός τε καὶ δίκης ἔξω τιθείσης κολά σεώς τε καὶ φόβου, μὴ ἄρα πως ἀναπόνιπτον ἐσχηκότες τὸν μολυσμὸν ἀπενεχθῶμεν πρὸς τὸν κριτὴν καὶ παραδοθῶμεν "τοῖς πράκτορσιν" ἤτοι τοῖς κολασταῖς, ὧν οὐκ ἄν τις διαφύγοι τὸ ἀπηνές. ἀπαιτηθήσεται δὲ μᾶλλον τὰς ἐπὶ παντὶ πλημμελήματι δίκας, μικρῷ καὶ μεγάλῳ. τούτων ἔσονται μακρὰν οἱ τὸν τῆς Χριστοῦ παρουσίας καιρὸν δοκιμάζοντες καὶ τὸ ἐπ' αὐτῷ μυστήριον οὐκ ἠγνοηκότες. 56 Mt 5, 28-30 Τάχα εἰσί τινες τοιοῦτον λαβόντες χάρισμα ὥστε μὴ ἐπιθυμεῖν. πλὴν ὁ Χριστὸς ὡς ἰσχυροποιήσας τὴν ἀνθρώπων φύσιν καὶ τὰ ὑπὲρ νόμον ἐπιτάσσει ὡς νῦν ἐγχωροῦντα· εἰ γὰρ καὶ τοῖς πρὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀδύνατον ἦν τοῦτο, ἀλλὰ τοῖς πιστοῖς εὐκατόρθωτον τὸ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας ἐκκόπτειν. 57 Mt 5, 28 Ὁ ἐμβλέψας γυναῖκα καὶ ἐπιθυμήσας τότε κρίνεται, ὅτε φανῇ αὐτῷ ἡ σὰρξ τῆς γυναικὸς εἰς ἐπιθυμίαν καλὴ καὶ σαρκικῶς αὐτὴν ἴδῃ καὶ ἁμαρτητικῶς· ὁ γὰρ δι' ἀγάπην τῆς ἁγνῆς ὁρῶν τὸ κάλλος, οὐ τὴν σάρκα ἡγεῖται καλήν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ψυχήν. 58 Mt 5, 29-30 Εἰπὼν ἐὰν ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου σκανδαλίζῃ σε καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, ὀφθαλ μὸν λέγει τὸν λογισμὸν τῆς ἐπιθυμίας, ὃν λέγει ἐκκόπτεσθαι. 59 Mt 5, 29-30 Ὀφθαλμὸς καὶ χεὶρ νοεῖται ὁ φίλος. ἐὰν γάρ τινα οὕτω φιλῇς ὡς ἐν τάξει ὀφθαλμοῦ δεξιοῦ καὶ χρήσιμον αὐτὸν νομίζῃς ὡς ἐν τάξει δεξιᾶς χειρὸς καὶ βλάπτῃ σου τὴν ψυχήν, ἀπότεμε τούτους ἀπό σου καὶ πόρρω χωρίσθητι ἀπ' αὐτῶν· ὅταν γὰρ μὴ ἀλλήλους σῴζητε, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ἀμφότεροι προσαπολλύησθε ὄντες ὁμοῦ, συμφέρει χω ρισθέντα κἂν τὸν ἕνα σωθῆναι.