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

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 dissolved; for divorces do not dissolve the marriage before God, but the unseemly act. 62 Mt 5, 33-37 The 'you shall not perjure yourself' and what follows. If some shameless person imposes an oath on the saints, instead of an oath, for them there will be 'yes' and 'no'. 63 Mt 5, 33-35 For this reason he forbids us to swear by heaven and earth, so that we may not give to creation the dignity that is above creation, deifying it; for those who swear, he says, "swear by the greater," as the apostle said. And he also forbids the oath by "Jerusalem," because the earthly "Jerusalem" is a type of the "Jerusalem above" and God swears only by himself, which is of his own glory. Therefore, as this likeness surpasses us, we ought not to swear by ourselves, that is, by our own glory; for we are not free as God is, but we are under the authority of God. 66 Mt 5, 42 "Be," says Christ, "not ready to receive, but to give; for the one separates us from God, but the other is of a nature to unite, and especially when he who asks happens to be worthy and the request is just. 67 Mt 5, 44 We love our enemies not inasmuch as they are adulterers or murderers, but inasmuch as they are human beings; for sinning is a matter of activity, not of essence; therefore sin is not a work of God. 68 Mt 5, 44 Perhaps someone might say, how does the blessed Paul curse Alexander the coppersmith? To whom we say he cursed him not as his own enemy, but as an enemy of the gospel, teaching that one must always fight against the enemies of God. But perhaps someone, bringing forward the blessed Paul as cursing Alexander the coppersmith, might persuade us not to love our enemies; to whom it is possible to say, that Paul curses not as his own enemy, but as an enemy of Christ and of the gospel, teaching that one must always fight against such men. 69 Mt 6, 1 He who does virtue for its own good has a supermundane boast. 70 Mt 6, 2 This is said metaphorically from the trumpet in military camps; for when they wish to gather the army together, they sound the recall, but the hypocrites do not wish to gather, but to make a show for the many. 71 Mt 6, 7-8 For this reason Christ exhorts to make prayers with brevity, since he knows the mind is easily distracted and led astray by vain thoughts and cares, especially at the time of prayer. And he commands to ask God soberly and quickly what one seeks, not announcing everything one wishes; for this is of the utmost folly; for God knows what we need even before we ask. Vain repetition is called much-speaking from a certain Battus, a Greek who composed long and many-lined hymns to idols which contained tautology. Vain repetition is that which is outside of what is good. The ancients call much-speaking vain repetition from a certain person so named who composed many-lined prayers to idols and spoke the same things through different words. 72 Mt 6, 10 Economically, as a man, Christ is called king, although being God by nature. The faithful therefore pray that it might exist also for the unfaithful, so that having believed in Christ they might call upon their own, through whom they will partake of the perfect goods, now having only the pledge and the good in part; for then the passions would not be active with impassibility present, death is gone, corruption has vanished, when life shall reign in us and incorruptibility shall have dominion. Christ, being God by nature and man by nature, is economically called king, that is, as man. For this reason the just pray that this will be for themselves, and still also for the unfaithful, so that seeing and believing in him they might have their own king. 73 Mt

61 Mt 5, 31 Ὁ τὴν σώφρονα ἐκβάλλων δίδωσιν αὐτῇ ἄδειαν ἄλλῳ γαμηθῆναι, ὅπερ ἐστὶν εἶδος μοιχείας ὡσανεὶ μὴ λυθείσης συζυγίας· οὐ γὰρ τὰ ῥεπούδια παρὰ θεῷ λύει τὸν γάμον, ἀλλ' ἡ ἄτοπος πρᾶξις. 62 Mt 5, 33-37 Τὸ οὐκ ἐπιορκήσεις καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. ἐάν τις ἀναιδὴς ἐπάγῃ τοῖς ἁγίοις ὅρκον, ἀντὶ τοῦ ὅρκου ἔσται αὐτοῖς τὸ ναὶ καὶ τὸ οὔ. 63 Mt 5, 33-35 ∆ιὰ τοῦτο κωλύει ἡμᾶς ὀμνύναι κατὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς, ἵνα μὴ δῶμεν τῇ κτίσει τὸ ὑπὲρ τὴν κτίσιν ἀξίωμα θεοποιοῦντες αὐτήν· οἱ γὰρ ὀμνύντες, φησίν, "κατὰ τοῦ μείζονος ὀμνύουσιν" ὡς ὁ ἀπόστολος ἔφη. ἀπαγορεύει δὲ καὶ τὸν κατὰ τῆς "Ἰερουσαλὴμ" ὅρκον, ἐπειδὴ ἡ ἐπίγειος "Ἰερουσαλὴμ" τῆς "ἄνω Ἰερουσαλὴμ" τύπος ἐστὶ καὶ καθ' ἑαυτοῦ μόνου ὀμνύει ὁ θεός, ὅ ἐστι τῆς ἰδίας δόξης. διὸ ὡς ὑπερ βαινούσης ἡμᾶς τῆς ὁμοιότητος οὐκ ὀφείλομεν καθ' ἑαυτῶν ἤτοι τῆς ἑαυτῶν ὀμνύειν δόξης· οὐ γὰρ ἐλεύθεροί ἐσμεν ὡς ὁ θεός, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐσμεν ἐξουσίαν. 66 Mt 5, 42 Ἔσο, φησὶν ὁ Χριστός, μὴ πρὸς τὸ λαμβάνειν ἕτοιμος, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸ διδόναι· τὸ μὲν γὰρ χωρίζει ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ θεοῦ, τὸ δὲ συνάπτειν πέφυκε καὶ μάλιστα, ὅταν ὁ αἰτῶν ἄξιος τυγχάνῃ καὶ δικαία ἡ αἴτησις. 67 Mt 5, 44 Ἀγαπῶμεν τοὺς ἐχθροὺς οὐ καθὸ μοιχοί εἰσιν ἢ φονεῖς, ἀλλὰ καθὸ ἄνθρωποι· τὸ γὰρ ἁμαρτάνειν ἐνεργείας ἐστίν, οὐκ οὐσίας· διὸ οὐδὲ ἔργον θεοῦ ἡ ἁμαρτία. 68 Mt 5, 44 Ἴσως φήσειέ τις, πῶς ὁ μακά ριος Παῦλος Ἀλέξανδρον ἀρᾶται τὸν χαλκέα; πρὸς ὅν φαμεν οὐχ ὡς ἴδιον ἐχθρόν, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐχθρὸν τοῦ εὐαγγελίου κατηράσατο αὐτὸν διδάσκων, ὅτι τοῖς τοῦ θεοῦ ἐχ θροῖς ἀεὶ χρὴ πολεμεῖν. Ἀλλ' ἴσως τις τὸν μακάριον Παῦλον ὡς καταρώμενον τὸν χαλ κέα Ἀλέξανδρον προσάγων ἡμῖν πείσειε μὴ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἀγα πᾶν· πρὸς ὅν ἐστιν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι οὐχ ὡς ἴδιον ἐχθρόν, ἀλλ' ὡς τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου κατα ρᾶται ὁ Παῦλος διδάσκων ὡς ἀεὶ τοῖς τοιούτοις χρὴ πολεμεῖν. 69 Mt 6, 1 Ὁ δι' αὐτὸ τὸ καλὸν ποιῶν ἀρετὴν ὑπερκόσμιον ἔχει τὸ καύχημα. 70 Mt 6, 2 Ἐκ μεταφορᾶς τοῦτο εἴρηται τῆς ἐν τοῖς στρατοπέδοις σάλπιγγος· ἐκεῖνοι γὰρ ἐπὰν βούλωνται ὁμοῦ συνάγειν τὸν στρατόν, ἠχοῦσι τὸ ἀνα κλητικόν, οἱ δὲ ὑποκριταὶ οὐ συνάγειν βούλονται, ἀλλὰ θεατρίζεσθαι τοῖς πολλοῖς. 71 Mt 6, 7-8 ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὁ Χριστὸς παρα κελεύεται διὰ συντόμου τὰς προσ ευχὰς ποιεῖσθαι, ἐπειδήπερ οἶδε τὸν νοῦν εὐπαράφορον ὄντα καὶ δι' ἐννοιῶν καὶ φροντίδων ματαιῶν ἀποπλανώμενον, μάλιστα ἐν τῷ τῆς προσευχῆς καιρῷ. καὶ παραγ γέλλει νηφαλέως καὶ ταχέως αἰτεῖν τὸν θεὸν ἃ ζητεῖ μὴ πάντα ὅσα θέλει ἀναγγέλλοντα· τοῦτο γὰρ τῆς ἄκρας ἐστὶ φρενοβλαβείας· οἶδε γὰρ ὁ θεὸς καὶ πρὸ τοῦ ἡμᾶς αἰτῆσαι τίνων χρῄζομεν. βαττολογία δὲ λέγεται ἡ πολυλογία ἀπὸ Βάττου τινὸς Ἕλληνος μακροὺς καὶ πο λυστίχους ὕμνους ποιήσαντος εἰς τὰ εἴδωλα καὶ ταυτολογίαν ἔχοντας. βαττολογία ἐστὶ τὸ ἔξω τοῦ καλοῦ. Τὴν πολυλογίαν καλοῦσιν οἱ παλαιοὶ βαττολογίαν ἀπό τινος οὕ τως ὀνομαζομένου πολυστίχους εὐ χὰς ποιήσαντος εἰς τὰ εἴδωλα καὶ τοὺς αὐτοὺς λόγους λέγοντος δι' ἑτέρων τε καὶ ἑτέρων λέξεων. 72 Mt 6, 10 Οἰκονομικῶς ὡς ἄνθρωπος ὁ Χριστὸς βασιλεὺς καλεῖται καίπερ ὢν φύσει θεός. ἐπεύχονται τοίνυν οἱ πιστοὶ ἐνυπάρξαι καὶ τοῖς ἀπί στοις, ἵνα εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν πιστεύ σαντες ἴδιον ἐπικαλῶνται, δι' οὗ μεθέξουσι τῶν τελείων ἀγαθῶν νῦν μόνον ἔχοντες τὸν ἀρραβῶνα καὶ τὸ ἐκ μέρους ἀγαθόν· οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἐνεργῆ τότε τὰ πάθη τῆς ἀπα θείας παρούσης, φροῦδος ὁ θάνα τος, ἀφανὴς ἡ φθορά, ὅταν ἐν ἡμῖν ἡ ζωὴ βασιλεύσῃ καὶ ἀφθαρ σία τὸ κράτος ἔχῃ. Φύσει θεὸς ὁ Χριστὸς ὑπάρ χων καὶ φύσει ἄνθρωπος οἰκονο μικῶς λέγεται βασιλεύς, τοῦτ' ἔστιν ὡς ἄνθρωπος. διὰ τοῦτο οἱ δίκαιοι ἐπεύχονται ἑαυτοῖς τοῦτο ὑπάρξειν, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἀπίστοις, ἵνα ὁρῶν τες καὶ πιστεύοντες εἰς αὐτὸν οἰκεῖ ον ἑαυτῶν ἕξωσι βασιλέα. 73 Mt