Commentarium in evangelium matthaei

 Angels of god may gather up the evil doctrines attached to the soul and hand them over for consumption, overturning them with what is called burning f

 He did not speak to them», and not to the crowds when he came «into the house» does he speak, but to the disciples who came to him in it, it is clear

 They have sold their possessions, so that, by having sold and given those things away and in exchange for them having received from god a good purpose

 In the strait, not in the pinnae, which is a kind of pearl-bearing shell, but in those called mussels. and for these, i mean those of the bosphorus, t

 Of christ” one might be able to attain, having been first exercised in the, so to speak, knowledges which are surpassed by the knowledge of christ. bu

 Of bad kinds, as among fish, to the fine ones, or from the better to the worse, but among men, the just or the wicked can always be seen either reachi

 The calling from every kind of nation. and those who served the net cast into the sea are the lord of the net, jesus christ, and the angels who came a

 You will know that i the lord have poured out my wrath upon you.” 10.14 have you understood all these things? they say, yes (13, 51[52]). christ jesus

 Of the heavens is within you, and especially through the repentance from the letter to the spirit, because whenever someone turns to the lord, th

 Might make him like himself, until the disciple becomes as the teacher, imitating first the imitator of christ, and after this one, also <τὸν> chris

 He was doing greater things than those in the time of elijah and elisha, and even before, in the time of moses and joshua son of nun. but those who ma

 For they consider judea their homeland and that israel their kinsmen, and perhaps the body their house for all were dishonored in judea by the israel

 Paying attention, if on account of living very intensely and reproving those who sin he should be hated and plotted against, as one persecuted and rev

 Baptist (14, 1. 2[-11]). and thus in mark and thus in luke. the jews held different opinions concerning these matters, some false, such as the sadduce

 He passed over in silence in his histories. 10.21 the text of matthew has it thus: for herod, having seized john, bound him in prison. concerning thes

 Free among the dead.” “for though he was crucified through weakness, yet he lives by the power of god.” furthermore, behold the people among whom clea

 Into the desert, was in it, because his word and teaching were peculiar compared to what was customary and established among the gentiles. and the cro

 To give the loaves of the blessing to the disciples, so that they might set them before the crowds, he healed the sick, so that having been made wel

 The disciples say they have five loaves and the two fish in matthew and mark and luke, without noting whether they were of wheat or of barley but joh

 “all flesh is grass,” that is, to make the flesh subject and to subordinate “the mind of the flesh,” so that in this way one might be able to partake

 Of those who come to the name of jesus, those who know “the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” might be called disciples but those to whom such a th

 Jesus [compelled] the disciples to get in, or perhaps the struggle of temptations and circumstances, into which one is compelled by the word and, as i

 To lead us to the other side. for it is not possible to reach the other side without having endured the trials of waves and a contrary wind. then, whe

 Having sent them, since they were not able, on account of being very ill, to approach on their own, and they did not themselves touch the fringe, as t

 Jesus does not accuse them concerning a tradition of the jewish elders, but concerning two of the most necessary commandments of god, of which the one

 By the name of the treasury wishes to give to the poor rather than to the relatives of the givers, if they happen to be in need of necessities and the

 The hidden things. and all these words will be to you like the words of the sealed book, which if they give it to a man who knows letters, saying, ‘re

 For which things the carnal jews and the ebionites who differ little from them accuse us of breaking the law, for not thinking that the obvious meanin

 Drink” and the rest, teaching us that the things according to the letter are a shadow, but the true meanings of the law underlying these are good thin

 Guides of the blind. who then? the pharisees, whose 'minds the god of this age has blinded,' being 'unbelievers' because they had not believed in jesu

 What enters into the mouth goes into the stomach and is cast out into the latrine, and the food that is sanctified through the word of god and prayer

 And jesus went out from there and withdrew into the region of tyre and sidon, and behold a canaanite woman (15, 21. 22 [-28]). from where there? or fr

 To see the difference of those who approach, who approach him, as it were, as the one who was made “of the seed of david according to the flesh,” and

 He answered and said: it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs. one might inquire into the meaning of this saying,

 Blind in soul and not seeing the true light, and others lame and not able to walk according to reason, and others maimed and not able to work accord

 Of the loaves (jesus) went out and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion for them and healed their sick. and when it was evening, the

 To her “o woman, great is your faith let it be to you as you desire,” he healed her daughter “from that hour,” yet it is not written that he sent he

paying attention, if on account of living very intensely and reproving those who sin he should be hated and plotted against, as one persecuted and reviled "for righteousness' sake," not only will he not be grieved, but he will also rejoice and be exceedingly glad, being persuaded on account of these things to have a great reward "in the heavens" from the one who made him like the prophets from having suffered the same things. To be dishonored, therefore, in the world and among those who sin, who are burdened by the life of the righteous one, is necessary for the one emulating a prophetic life and having received the spirit in them. 10.19 Next it is possible to see the [phrase] He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. And through these things we are taught that the mighty works were done among those who believe, since "to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance," but among unbelievers not only did the mighty works not operate, but as Mark wrote, they were not even able to operate. For pay attention to "he could not do any mighty work there;" for it did not say "he would not," but "he could not," as if a cooperation from the faith of the one in whom the power was working came to the operating power, but it was prevented from operating by unbelief. See then that to those who said, "Why could we not cast it out?" He said, "Because of your little faith," and to Peter who was beginning to sink it has been said, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" But also the woman with the issue of blood, not having asked concerning the healing, but only reasoning that if she might touch "the fringe of his garment," she would be healed, "was healed immediately," and the Savior testifies to the manner of the healing, saying, "Who touched me? For I perceived power had gone out from me." And perhaps just as in the case of bodies there is for some a natural attraction towards another, as for the Magnesian stone towards iron and for what is called naphtha towards fire, so it is for such faith towards divine power; for which reason it has also been said, "if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move." And Matthew and Mark seem to me precisely, wishing to represent the superiority of the divine power, that it is able even in unbelief, but it is not able to a greater degree, as much as it is able in the faith of those who receive benefits, to have said not that he did not do mighty works because of their unbelief, but "he did not do many mighty works there." And Mark did not say that "he could not do any mighty work there" and stop at this, but he added, "except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them," the power in him thus conquering even the unbelief. And it seems to me that, just as in corporeal matters agriculture is not self-sufficient for the harvest of fruits, unless the environment cooperates for this—or rather, what contains—with whatever quality is willed by the one who orders and makes it what he wishes, nor is the environment sufficient without agriculture—or rather, the one exercising providence would not cause the things that spring up from the earth to spring up from the earth without agriculture; for he did this once in the saying, "Let the earth bring forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their kind and likeness"—so indeed, neither do the workings of the mighty powers, without the faith of those being healed, demonstrate the complete work for healing, nor does faith, of whatever kind it might be, without the divine power. And what has been written concerning wisdom you might apply also to faith and to the virtues respectively, so as to make such a statement: "For even if one is perfect" in faith "among the sons of men," "your" power "being absent, he will be regarded as nothing," or "perfect" in temperance, as "among the sons of men," "your" temperance "being absent, he will be regarded as nothing," or "perfect" in righteousness and the other virtues, "your" righteousness <being absent> and the other virtues from you, "he will be regarded as nothing." Whence, "let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the mighty man in his might;" for that which is worthy of boasting is not our own, but the wisdom from him is a gift of God, and the might from him, and so the rest. 10.20 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus, and said to his servants, This is John the

προσέχων, εἰ διὰ τὸ πάνυ εὐτόνως βιοῦν καὶ ἐλέγχειν τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας μισοῖτο καὶ ἐπι βουλεύοιτο, ὡς διωκόμενος καὶ ὀνειδιζόμενος «ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης» οὐ μόνον οὐ λυπηθήσεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ χαρήσεται καὶ ἀγαλλιάσεται, πειθόμενος διὰ ταῦτα μισθὸν ἔχειν πολὺν «ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς» ἀπὸ τοῦ ὁμοιώσαντος αὐτὸν τοῖς προφήταις ἐκ τοῦ ταὐτὰ πεπονθέναι. Ἀτιμάζεσθαι τοίνυν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ καὶ παρὰ τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσι, βαρουμένοις τῷ βίῳ τοῦ δικαίου, χρὴ τὸν ζηλοῦντα βίον προφητικὸν καὶ χωρήσαντα τὸ ἐν ἐκείνοις πνεῦμα. 10.19 Ἑξῆς ἔστιν ἰδεῖν τὸ οὐκ ἐποίησεν ἐκεῖ δυνάμεις πολλὰς διὰ τὴν ἀπιστίαν αὐτῶν. ∆ιὰ τούτων δὲ διδασκόμεθα ὅτι αἱ δυνάμεις ἐν τοῖς πιστεύουσιν ἐγίνοντο, ἐπεὶ «παντὶ τῷ ἔχοντι δοθήσεται καὶ περισσευθήσεται», ἐν ἀπίστοις δὲ οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐνήργουν αἱ δυνάμεις, ἀλλ' ὡς ὁ Μᾶρκος ἀνέγραψεν, οὐδὲ ἐδύναντο ἐνεργεῖν. Πρόσχες γὰρ τῷ «οὐκ ἠδύνατο ἐκεῖ οὐδεμίαν ποιῆσαι δύναμιν»· οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν «οὐκ ἤθελεν», ἀλλ' «οὐκ ἠδύνατο», ὡς ἐρχομένης μὲν ἐπὶ τὴν ἐνεργοῦσαν δύναμιν συμπράξεως ὑπὸ πίστεως ἐκείνου εἰς ὃν ἐνήργει ἡ δύναμις, κωλυομένης δὲ ἐνεργεῖν ὑπὸ τῆς ἀπιστίας. Ὅρα οὖν ὅτι πρὸς τοὺς εἰπόντας· «∆ιὰ τί οὐκ ἠδυνήθημεν ἐκβαλεῖν αὐτό;» εἶπε· «∆ιὰ τὴν ὀλιγοπιστίαν ὑμῶν», καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἀρξάμενον καταποντίζεσθαι Πέτρον λέλεκται· «Ὀλιγόπιστε, εἰς τί ἐδίστασας;» Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ αἱμορροοῦσα, μὴ ἀξιώσασα περὶ τῆς θεραπείας, ἀλλὰ μόνον λογισαμένη, εἰ ἅψαιτο «τοῦ κρασπέδου τοῦ ἱματίου αὐτοῦ», ὅτι ἰαθήσεται, «ἰάθη παραχρῆμα», καὶ ὁμολογεῖ τῷ τρόπῳ τῆς ἰάσεως ὁ σωτὴρ λέγων· «Τίς μου ἥψατο; Ἐγὼ γὰρ ἔγνων δύναμιν ἐξελθοῦσαν ἀπ' ἐμοῦ.» Καὶ τάχα ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τῶν σωμάτων ἐστί τισι πρός τινα φυσικὴ ὁλκή, ὡς τῇ μαγνησίᾳ λίθῳ πρὸς σίδηρον καὶ τῷ καλουμένῳ νάφθᾳ πρὸς πῦρ, οὕτως τῇ τοιᾷδε πίστει πρὸς θείαν δύναμιν· καθὸ εἴρηται καὶ τὸ «ἐὰν ἔχητε πίστιν ὡς κόκκον σινάπεως, ἐρεῖτε τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ· μετάβηθι ἔνθεν ἐκεῖ, καὶ μετα βήσεται». Ἀκριβῶς δὲ δοκοῦσί μοι ὁ Ματθαῖος καὶ ὁ Μᾶρκος τὸ ὑπερέχον τῆς θείας δυνάμεως παραστῆσαι βουλόμενοι ὅτι καὶ ἐν ἀπιστίᾳ δύναται, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐπὶ πλεῖον δύναται, ὅσον δύναται ἐν πίστει τῇ τῶν εὐεργετουμένων, εἰρηκέναι οὐχ ὅτι οὐκ ἐποίησε δυνάμεις διὰ τὴν ἀπιστίαν αὐτῶν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐποίησεν ἐκεῖ δυνάμεις πολλάς. Καὶ ὁ Μᾶρκος δὲ οὐκ εἶπεν ὅτι «οὐκ ἐδύνατο ἐκεῖ οὐδεμίαν ποιῆσαι δύναμιν» καὶ ἔστη ἐπὶ τούτῳ, ἀλλὰ προσέθηκεν· «Εἰ μὴ ὀλίγοις ἀρρώστοις ἐπιθεὶς τὰς χεῖρας ἐθεράπευσε», νικώσης τῆς ἐν αὐτῷ δυνάμεως καὶ οὕτως τὴν ἀπιστίαν. ∆οκεῖ δέ μοι ὅτι, ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τῶν σωματικῶν οὔτε αὐτάρκης γεωργία πρὸς συγκομιδὴν καρπῶν, ἐὰν μὴ τὸ περιεχόμενον εἰς τοῦτο συνεργῇ-μᾶλλον δὲ τὸ περιέχον-ποιότητι ὁποίᾳ βούλεται ὁ κοσμῶν καὶ ποιῶν αὐτὸ ὁποῖον θέλει, οὔτε τὸ περιέχον χωρὶς γεωργίας-μᾶλλον δὲ ὁ προνοῶν οὐ ποιήσαι ἂν ἀνατεῖλαι ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς τὰ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἀνατέλ λοντα χωρὶς γεωργίας· ἅπαξ γὰρ τοῦτο πεποίηκεν ἐν τῷ «βλαστησάτω ἡ γῆ βοτάνην χόρτου, σπεῖρον σπέρμα κατὰ γένος καὶ καθ' ὁμοιότητα»-, οὕτω δὴ οὔτε τὰ ἐνεργή ματα τῶν δυνάμεων χωρὶς πίστεως τῆς τῶν θεραπευομένων τὸ αὐτοτελὲς ἔργον ἐπιδείκνυται πρὸς ἴασιν οὔθ' ἡ πίστις, ὁποία ποτ' ἂν ᾖ, χωρὶς τῆς θείας δυνάμεως. Καὶ τὸ γεγραμ μένον δὲ περὶ σοφίας ἐφαρμόσεις καὶ τῇ πίστει καὶ ταῖς ἀρεταῖς κατ' εἶδος, ὥστε τοιοῦτον ποιῆσαι λόγον· «Κἂν γάρ τις ᾖ τέλειος» ἐν πίστει «ἐν υἱοῖς ἀνθρώπων, τῆς ἀπὸ σοῦ» δυνάμεως «ἀπούσης εἰς οὐδὲν λογισθήσεται», ἢ «τέλειος» τῇ σωφροσύνῃ, ὡς «ἐν υἱοῖς ἀνθρώπων, τῆς ἀπὸ σοῦ» σωφροσύνης «ἀπούσης, εἰς οὐδὲν λογισθήσεται», ἢ «τέλειος» ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ ταῖς λοιπαῖς ἀρεταῖς, «τῆς ἀπὸ σοῦ» δικαιοσύνης <ἀπούσης> καὶ τῶν ἀπὸ σοῦ λοιπῶν ἀρετῶν «εἰς οὐδὲν λογισθήσεται». Ὅθεν «μὴ καυχάσθω ὁ σοφὸς ἐν τῇ σοφίᾳ αὐτοῦ, μηδὲ ὁ ἰσχυρὸς ἐν τῇ ἰσχύϊ αὐτοῦ»· τὸ γὰρ καυχήσεως ἄξιον οὐχ ἡμέτερον, ἀλλὰ δῶρόν ἐστι τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ σοφία καὶ ἡ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ ἰσχὺς καὶ οὕτω τὰ λοιπά. 10.20 Ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ καιρῷ ἤκουσεν Ἡρώδης ὁ τετράρχης τὴν ἀκοὴν Ἰησοῦ, καὶ εἶπε τοῖς παισὶν ἑαυτοῦ· οὗτός ἐστιν Ἰωάννης ὁ