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

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 all the men on earth who were not his and made them his own worshipers, but those who plunder his goods have been raised up; for the net of the apostolic teaching hunted down all those who had been deceived and brought to God the world under heaven. 113 Mt 10, 5-6 That it is necessary to preach first to the Jews; for to them the promises had been made, that from them Christ was about to be seen according to the flesh, and when they disobeyed, then to go to the Gentiles. And he joins the Samaritans with those from the Gentiles, since they also were from the Gentiles by race, being Babylonians and having settled in Judea. For it is just for the word to be preached first to the Jews, since the promises were also to them first, and because from them Christ appeared according to the flesh. but when they disobeyed, it was necessary to go to the Gentiles. And he joins the Samaritans with those from the Gentiles, as being from the Gentiles themselves also and having settled in Judea. 114 Mt 10, 7 And by "kingdom of heaven" he means the grace through faith, the adoption as sons through the Spirit that unites man to God. 115 Mt 10, 9 Hyperbolically, the saying forbids all possession, from gold to a staff, as being the greatest hindrance to virtue and piety; but it does not forbid necessary food, so that if it were possible for us to live even without food, it would have forbidden this as well. 116 Mt 10, 11-15 He does not want them to change from place to place and from house to house, so that no grief comes to the one who first received them, nor that they receive a suspicion of gluttony and fickleness. And the dust shaken off from their feet is a sign of their fruitless journey to them and of the labors they endured for their sake. And they will be punished equally with the Sodomites, if indeed the latter dishonored the angels, but these, the apostles. 117 Mt 10, 16 He wants them to be wise, so that they may teach the doctrines of piety openly and not be ignorant of the evil deeds of the wicked, but if any should come against them, not to resist, but to depart from them and not to return thoughtlessly to suffer. And he compares them to serpents, teaching that they must be quick to flee if any should come wanting to kill them, and to doves, since this bird is harmless and always lingers in the places to which it is accustomed, returning to the same place when the pursuer stops. Therefore, the saying teaches that one must not depart completely from one's persecutors, but after yielding for a short time, to return again to admonish them, when their wrath has ceased. Thus Christ himself also did for them, being persecuted and withdrawing from Judea and returning again. 118 Mt 10, 19 But speech, he says, is given to some, when it is advantageous to make a defense, so that through the confession some may be benefited and the church may be strengthened. 119 Mt 10, 19-22 And at that very hour He promised to give the grace of speech, so that the gift of the Spirit might be shown; for if He had given it through experience before the time, the matter would have been considered a thing of human nature and skill, and they were not going to be hated by all, but by many, especially at that time. Therefore, from the majority he said 'by all,' since those who received the word loved them. 120 Mt 10, 23 For He does not want them to be cowardly, but the opposite, not to be ready, out of a desire for the things hoped for, to give themselves over to death and to harm those who are about to be benefited by the preaching. He exhorts the disciples to flee from this city to the next, and from that one to another. And he says this not teaching them to be cowardly, but not to throw themselves into dangers and die readily and harm those who are about to be benefited through the preaching. 121 Mt 10, 23

τὰ οὐκ ὄντα αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἐξαίφνης ἀναστήσονται οἱ δάκνοντες αὐτὸν καὶ ἐκνήψουσιν οἱ ἐπίβουλοί σου, καὶ ἔσῃ εἰς διαρπαγὴν αὐτοῖς"· ἅπαντας μὲν γὰρ τοὺς ἐπὶ γῆς ἀνθρώπους οὐκ ὄντας αὐτοῦ συνήγαγεν ὁ σατανᾶς καὶ ἰδίους ἀπέφηνε προσκυνητάς, ἀλλ' ἠγέρθησαν οἱ διαρπάζοντες αὐτοῦ τὰ σκεύη· ἐθήρευσε γὰρ τῆς ἀποστολικῆς διδασκαλίας τὸ δίκτυον ἅπαν τας τοὺς πεπλανημένους καὶ προσεκόμισαν τῷ θεῷ τὴν ὑπ' οὐρανόν. 113 Mt 10, 5-6 Ὅτι δεῖ πρῶτον τοῖς Ἰου δαίοις κηρύττειν· πρὸς αὐτοὺς γὰρ ἦσαν γεγονυῖαι αἱ ἐπαγγελίαι, ὅτι ἐξ αὐτῶν ἤμελλεν ὁ Χριστὸς τὸ κατὰ σάρκα ὀφθῆναι καὶ ὅταν ἠπείθησαν, τότε εἰς τὰ ἔθνη χω ρῆσαι. Σαμαρείτας δὲ συνάπτει τοῖς ἐξ ἐθνῶν, ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἐξ ἐθνῶν ἦσαν κατὰ γένος Βαβυλώνιοι ὄντες καὶ οἰκήσαντες τὴν Ἰουδαίαν. ∆ίκαιον γάρ ἐστι πρὸς Ἰου δαίους πρῶτον κηρυχθῆναι τὸν λόγον, ἐπεὶ καὶ πρὸς ἐκείνους αἱ ἐπαγγελίαι πρῶτον, καὶ ὅτι ἐξ αὐτῶν ὁ Χριστὸς τὸ κατὰ σάρκα ἐφάνη. ὅτε δὲ ἠπείθησαν, ἀναγ καῖον ἦν εἰς τὰ ἔθνη χωρῆσαι. συν άπτει δὲ τοῖς ἐξ ἐθνῶν τοὺς Σαμαρείτας ὡς ἐξ ἐθνῶν ὑπάρ χοντας καὶ αὐτοὺς καὶ τὴν Ἰου δαίαν οἰκήσαντας. 114 Mt 10, 7 Βασιλείαν δὲ οὐρανῶν λέγει τὴν διὰ πίστεως χάριν, τὴν διὰ πνεύματος υἱοθεσίαν τὴν ἑνοῦσαν θεῷ τὸν ἄνθρωπον. 115 Mt 10, 9 Καθ' ὑπερβολὴν ὁ λόγος πᾶσαν ἀπαγορεύει κτῆσιν ἀπὸ χρυσοῦ ἕως ῥάβδου ὡς μέγιστον οὖσαν κώλυμα πρὸς ἀρετὴν καὶ θεοσέβειαν· τὴν δ' ἀναγκαίαν τροφὴν οὐκ ἀπαγορεύει, ὥστε εἰ ἦν δυνατὸν καὶ χωρὶς τροφῆς ζῆν ἡμῖν καὶ ταύτην ἂν ἀπηγόρευσεν. 116 Mt 10, 11-15 Οὐ θέλει τόπον ἐκ τόπου καὶ οἰκίαν ἐξ οἰκίας ἀμείβειν αὐτούς, ἵνα μὴ λύπη γένηται τῷ πρώτῳ ὑποδεξαμένῳ μηδὲ ὑπόνοιαν δέξωνται γαστριμαργίας καὶ εὐχερείας. ὁ δὲ κονιορτὸς ἐκτινασσόμενος ἀπὸ τῶν ποδῶν αὐτῶν δεῖγμά ἐστι τῆς ἀνονήτου πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὁδοιπορίας καὶ τῶν κόπων, ὧν ὑπέμειναν δι' αὐτούς. ἴσα δὲ τοῖς Σοδομίταις τιμωρη θήσονται εἴπερ ἐκεῖνοι μὲν ἠτίμασαν τοὺς ἀγγέλους, οὗτοι δὲ τοὺς ἀποστόλους. 117 Mt 10, 16 Φρονίμους εἶναι βούλεται αὐτούς, ἵνα διδάσκωσι μὲν τὰ τῆς εὐσε βείας δόγματα ἀπαρακαλύπτως καὶ διὰ τὸ μὴ ἀγνοεῖν τὰς τῶν φαύλων κακουργίας, εἰ δέ τινες ἐπέλθοιεν μὴ ἀντιστατεῖν, ἀπελθεῖν δὲ ἐξ αὐτῶν καὶ μὴ ἀπερισκέπτως ἐπιστρέφειν πρὸς τὸ παθεῖν. ὄφεσιν δὲ παρεικάζει διδάσκων, ὅτι δεῖ αὐτοὺς ὀξεῖς εἶναι πρὸς φυγὴν εἴ γέ τινες ἐπέλθοιεν θανατῶσαι θέλοντες, περιστεραῖς δέ, ἐπειδὴ ἀμνησίκακον τὸ στρουθίον καὶ ἐμφιλοχωροῦν ἀεὶ πρὸς οἷς εἴθισεν τόποις καὶ ἐπανακάμπτον ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό, ὅταν ὁ ἐκδιώκων παύσηται. διδάσκει οὖν ὁ λόγος, ὅτι οὐ δεῖ ὁλοτελῶς τῶν διωκόντων ἀποφοιτᾶν, ἀλλ' ἐνδόντας πρὸς βραχὺ πάλιν ἐπὶ τὸ νουθετεῖν αὐτοὺς ἐπανέρχεσθαι, ὅταν τὰ τῆς ὀργῆς παύσηται. οὕτως καὶ αὐτοῖς ὁ Χριστὸς ἐποίησεν διωκόμενος μὲν καὶ ὑποχωρῶν ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰουδαίας καὶ πάλιν ἐπανερχόμενος. 118 Mt 10, 19 Τὸ δὲ δίδοται, φησίν, τισὶ λόγος, ὅτε συμφέρει ἀπολογεῖσθαι, ἵνα διὰ τῆς ὁμολογίας ὠφελῶνταί τινες καὶ ἰσχυροποιηθῇ ἡ ἐκκλησία. 119 Mt 10, 19-22 Ἐν δὲ αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ κατεπηγγείλατο τὴν διαλεκτικὴν διδόναι χάριν, ἵνα δειχθῇ τὸ τοῦ πνεύματος χάρισμα· εἰ γὰρ πρὸ καιροῦ δεδώκει τῇ πείρᾳ, ἐνομίζετο εἶναι τὸ πρᾶγμα φύσεως ἀνθρωπίνης καὶ δεξιότητος, οὐ παρὰ πάντων δὲ ἔμελλον μισεῖσθαι, ἀλλὰ παρὰ πολλῶν μάλιστα κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ. διὸ ἀπὸ τοῦ πλείονος εἶπεν τὸ παρὰ πάντων, ἐπεὶ οἱ δεξάμενοι τὸν λόγον ἠγάπων αὐτούς. 120 Mt 10, 23 Οὐ γὰρ δειλιᾶν αὐτοὺς θέλει, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἐναντίον, μὴ πόθῳ τῶν ἐλπιζομένων ἑτοίμους παραδιδόναι ἑαυτοὺς εἰς θάνατον καὶ ζημιοῦν τοὺς μέλλοντας ἐκ τοῦ κηρύγματος ὠφεληθῆναι. Παρακελεύεται τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἀπὸ τῆσδε φεύγειν τῆς πόλεως εἰς τὴν ἄλλην καὶ ἐξ ἐκείνης εἰς ἑτέραν. τοῦτο δὲ λέγει οὐ δι δάσκων αὐτοὺς δειλιᾶν, ἀλλὰ μὴ ῥίπτειν ἑαυτοὺς εἰς κινδύνους καὶ ἀποθνῄσκειν ῥᾳδίως καὶ ζημιοῦν τοὺς μέλλοντας ὠφεληθῆναι διὰ τοῦ κηρύγματος. 121 Mt 10, 23