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

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 clean and unclean foods are examined, but prophecy is despised, brought forward on a platter instead of a main course. But the Jews do not have the head of prophecy, denying Christ Jesus, the chief point of all prophecy. And the prophet is beheaded on account of oaths, which it was better to break than to keep; for the crime of rash oaths and of perjury because of the rashness was not the same as the crime of prophetic murder <and because of keeping the oath>. And he is beheaded not only for this reason, but also <because of> those reclining with him, who wanted the prophet to be killed rather than to live. And those who rejoice at his birthday recline and feast with the wicked word that rules the Jews. You will someday use the saying gracefully against those who swear rashly and wish to confirm oaths taken for lawlessness, saying that not every keeping of an oath is proper, just as Herod's was not. Furthermore, pay attention that Herod does not kill John openly, but secretly and in prison; for the present people of the Jews do not deny the prophecies openly, but in effect and in secret they deny them and are convicted by them of unbelief. For just as if they believed Moses, they would have believed in Jesus, so if they believed the prophets, they would have received the one who was prophesied. But by disbelieving this one they also disbelieve those, and having shut up “the prophetic word” in prison they cut it off, and they have it dead and divided and in no way whole, since they do not understand it. But we have the whole Jesus, the prophecy spoken about him being fulfilled: “A bone <of him> shall not be broken.” 10.23 But the disciples of John came and buried his remains, and came and told Jesus. And he withdrew to a desert place, the nations; and after the murder of the prophets, crowds followed him from the cities everywhere. Seeing that it was a great crowd, he had compassion and healed their sick, and after this he feeds those who followed him with the blessed and multiplied loaves from a few. And when Jesus heard it, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself (14, 12. 13[-14]). The literal text teaches us how powerful it is to withdraw from persecutors and the expectation of being plotted against because of the word; for this would happen according to what is reasonable, but for one who is able to be outside of the circumstances to go to meet them is rash and bold. Who would still doubt about avoiding such things, when Jesus not only withdrew on account of the things concerning John, but also taught and said: “If they persecute you in this city, flee to another.” Therefore, it is necessary to endure a trial that comes upon us, not of our own making, very nobly and with courage; but when it is possible to avoid it, not to do so is audacious. But since after the literal text the passage must also be examined according to the anagogical sense, it must be said that when prophecy was plotted against among the Jews and killed, because matters of birth were honored among them and had occurred according to the acceptance of empty movements—which in the judgment of truth were unrhythmical and discordant, but as the ruler of the wicked and those feasting with him suppose, were rhythmical and pleasing to them—Jesus withdraws from the place in which prophecy was plotted against and condemned. And he withdraws to the place deserted by God among the nations, so that the word of God, when the kingdom is taken from them and given “to a nation producing its fruits,” might be among the nations, and through him “many more might be the children of the desolate one,” who has been taught neither law nor prophets, “than of her who has a husband,” the law. Therefore, when the Word was formerly among the Jews, he was not among them in the same way as among the nations; for this reason it is said that he went away in a boat, that is, in the body, to a deserted place by himself, having heard about the murder of the prophet. But by himself, having become

νεκροῖς ἐλεύθερος». «Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἐσταυρώθη ἐξ ἀσθενείας, ἀλλὰ ζῇ ἐκ δυνάμεως θεοῦ.» Ἔτι δὲ ὅρα τὸν λαὸν παρ' ᾧ καθαρὰ μὲν καὶ ἀκάθαρτα ἐξετάζεται βρώματα, καταφρονεῖται δὲ προφητεία ἐπὶ πίνακι ἀντὶ ὄψου προσαγομένη. Τὴν δὲ κεφαλὴν τῆς προ φητείας Ἰουδαῖοι οὐκ ἔχουσι, τὸ κεφάλαιον πάσης προφητείας Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀρνούμενοι. Καὶ ἀποκεφαλίζεται ὁ προφήτης δι' ὅρκους, ἐφ' οἷς μᾶλλον ἐπιορκεῖν ἢ εὐορκεῖν ἔδει· οὐ ταὐτὸν γὰρ ἦν ἔγκλημα προπετείας ὅρκων καὶ τῆς διὰ τὴν προπέτειαν ἐπιορκίας <καὶ τὸ δι' εὐορκίας> ἔγκλημα ἀναιρέσεως προφητικῆς. Καὶ οὐ διὰ τοῦτο μόνον ἀποκεφα λίζεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ <διὰ> τοὺς συνανακειμένους, βουλομένους μᾶλλον ἀναιρεθῆναι τὸν προφήτην ἢ ζῆν. Συνανάκεινται δὲ καὶ συνεστιῶνται λόγῳ μοχθηρῷ Ἰουδαίων βασιλεύοντι οἱ ἐπὶ τῇ γενέσει αὐτοῦ εὐφραινόμενοι. Χρήσῃ δέ ποτε χαριέντως τῷ ῥητῷ πρὸς τοὺς προπετῶς ὀμνύοντας καὶ θέλοντας ἐμπεδοῦν ὅρκους ἐπὶ παρανομίᾳ παραληφθέντας, λέγων ὅτι οὐ πᾶσα τήρησις ὅρκων ἐστὶ καθήκουσα, ὡς οὐδὲ ἡ τοῦ Ἡρώδου. Ἔτι δὲ πρόσχες ὅτι οὐ μετὰ παρρησίας, ἀλλὰ κρύφα καὶ ἐν φυλακῇ φονεύει τὸν Ἰωάννην ὁ Ἡρώδης· καὶ γὰρ οὐ μετὰ παρρησίας ἀρνεῖται ὁ νῦν Ἰουδαίων λαὸς τὰς προφητείας, δυνάμει δὲ καὶ ἐν κρυπτῷ αὐτὰς ἀρνεῖται καὶ ἐλέγχεται αὐταῖς ἀπιστῶν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ εἰ ἐπίστευον Μωσῇ, τῷ Ἰησοῦ ἐπίστευσαν ἄν, οὕτως εἰ ἐπίστευον τοῖς προφήταις, προσήκαντο ἂν τὸν προφητευόμενον. Ἀπιστοῦντες δὲ τούτῳ κἀκείνοις ἀπιστοῦσι καὶ ἀποτέμνουσιν ἐν φυλακῇ κατακλείσαντες «τὸν λόγον τὸν προφητικόν», καὶ ἔχουσιν αὐτὸν νεκρὸν καὶ διαιρεθέντα καὶ μηδαμοῦ ὑγιῆ, ἐπεὶ μὴ νοοῦσιν αὐτόν. Ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς ὁλόκληρον ἔχομεν τὸν Ἰησοῦν, πληρωθείσης τῆς περὶ αὐτοῦ λεγούσης προφητείας· «Ὀστοῦν <αὐτοῦ> οὐ συντριβήσεται.» 10.23 Οἱ μαθηταὶ δὲ ἐλθόντες τοῦ Ἰωάννου θάπτουσιν αὐτοῦ τὸ λείψανον, καὶ ἐλθόντες ἀπήγγειλαν τῷ Ἰησοῦ. Ὁ δὲ ἀνεχώρησεν εἰς ἔρημον τόπον, τὰ ἔθνη· καὶ μετὰ τὴν τῶν προφητῶν ἀναίρεσιν ὄχλοι αὐτῷ ἠκολούθησαν ἀπὸ τῶν παν ταχοῦ πόλεων. Ὅντινα πολὺν ὄντα θεασάμενος ἐσπλαγχνίσθη καὶ ἐθεράπευσε τοὺς ἀρρώστους αὐτῶν, καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο τρέφει τοῖς εὐλογηθεῖσι καὶ πλεονάσασιν ἐξ ὀλίγων ἄρτων τοὺς ἀκολουθήσαντας αὐτῷ. Ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀνεχώρησεν ἐκεῖθεν ἐν πλοίῳ εἰς ἔρημον τόπον κατ' ἰδίαν (14, 12. 13[-14]). Τὸ μὲν ῥητὸν διδάσκει ἡμᾶς ὅση δύναμις ἀπὸ τῶν διω κόντων καὶ τῆς προσδοκίας τοῦ διὰ τὸν λόγον ἐπιβου λεύεσθαι ἀναχωρεῖν· τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ κατὰ τὸ εὐλόγιστον γένοιτ' ἄν, τὸ δὲ δυνάμενον ἔξω εἶναι τῶν περιστατικῶν ὁμόσε χωρεῖν αὐτοῖς προπετές ἐστι καὶ θρασύ. Τίς δὲ ἔτι ἀμφιβάλοι ἂν περὶ τοῦ ἐκκλίνειν τὰ τοιαῦτα, τοῦ Ἰησοῦ οὐ μόνον ἐπὶ τοῖς κατὰ τὸν Ἰωάννην ἀναχωρήσαντος, ἀλλὰ καὶ διδάσκοντος καὶ λέγοντος· «Ἐὰν διώκωσιν ὑμᾶς ἐν τῇ πόλει ταύτῃ, φεύγετε εἰς τὴν ἑτέραν.» Ἐπελθόντα μὲν οὖν οὐ παρ' ἡμᾶς πειρασμὸν ἀναγκαῖον ὑπομένειν εὐγενῶς λίαν καὶ τεθαρρηκότως· παρὸν δὲ ἐκκλίνειν, τοῦτο μὴ ποιεῖν τολμηρόν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ μετὰ τὸ ῥητὸν καὶ κατὰ ἀναγωγὴν τὸν τόπον ἐξεταστέον, λεκτέον ὅτι ἐπιβουλευθείσης παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις τῆς προφητείας καὶ ἀναιρεθείσης, διὰ τὸ τιμᾶσθαι παρ' αὐτοῖς τὰ γενέσεως πράγματα καὶ κατὰ ἀποδοχὴν κενῶν κινήσεων γεγενημένων, ὡς μὲν παρ' ἀληθείᾳ δικαζούσῃ, ἀρρύθμων καὶ ἐκμελῶν, ὡς δ' ὑπολαμβάνει ὁ τῶν φαύλων ἄρχων καὶ οἱ συνεστιώμενοι αὐτῷ, εὐρύθμων καὶ ἀρεσκόντων ἐκείνοις, ἀναχωρεῖ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀπὸ τοῦ τόπου ἐν ᾧ προφητεία ἐπιβουλευθεῖσα κατεδικάσθη. Ἀνα χωρεῖ δὲ εἰς τὸν ἔρημον θεοῦ παρὰ τοῖς ἔθνεσι τόπον, ἵνα ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος, αἰρομένης τῆς βασιλείας ἀπ' ἐκείνων καὶ διδομένης «ἔθνει ποιοῦντι τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῆς», γένηται ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι, καὶ δι' αὐτὸν «πολλὰ» γένηται «τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐρήμου μᾶλλον» μήτε νόμον μήτε προφήτας δεδιδαγμένης «ἢ τῆς ἐχούσης τὸν ἄνδρα», τὸν νόμον. Ὅτε μὲν οὖν πάλαι ὁ λόγος παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις ἦν, οὐχ οὕτως ἦν παρ' αὐτοῖς, ὡς παρὰ τοῖς ἔθνεσι· διὸ λέλεκται ἐν πλοίῳ, τουτέστι τῷ σώματι, εἰς τὸν ἔρημον τόπον κατ' ἰδίαν γεγονέναι, ἀκούσαντα περὶ τῆς ἀναιρέσεως τοῦ προφήτου. Κατ' ἰδίαν δέ, γενόμενος