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

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 and to raise the dead and to rebuke the sea and the winds belongs only to an authority befitting God. 161 Mt 12, 39 But wicked, as spending the excellence of their mind not on the love of God, but on doing and saying something against God. And He called it adulterous, signifying both their former and their present unbelief; for they neither believed in the Father and they fell away from Christ Himself who had wedded humanity and had betrothed it according to humanity because of what was said: "And I will betroth you to myself forever," but they clung to Satan, revealing the way of spiritual fornication. He shows Himself again on a par with the Father—the sign of Jonah the prophet. 162 Mt 12, 41 Therefore, <if> Jonah is taken as a type of Christ, he is not taken so in all respects, for instance, he was sent to preach to the Ninevites, but he sought to flee from the presence of God and is seen hesitating towards his mission. The Son was also sent from God the Father, preaching to the nations, but He was not reluctant for the ministry. The prophet begged those sailing with him to cast him into the sea, and he was swallowed by a great fish, then he was cast out on the third day, and after this he went to Nineveh and fulfilled his ministry, but he was greatly grieved when God had mercy on the Ninevites. Christ also willingly underwent death, remained in the heart of the earth, and would have risen again, and after this He went to Galilee and commanded that the preaching to the nations should begin, except He is not grieved seeing those who are called to knowledge being saved. Therefore, just as bees, flying around meadows and flowers, always gather what is useful for the construction of their honeycombs, so also must we, searching the God-inspired Scripture, always collect and arrange what contributes to the clarification of the mysteries of Christ and complete the word without reproach. 163 Mt 12, 43-45 And very fittingly; for whenever someone, once freed from evils, is not brought to his senses, he will suffer things much harsher than the former; for because of this He said: "it finds no rest," to show that the plot of the demons will entirely and of necessity seize such a person; for such a one ought to have been brought to his senses by these two things: both from having suffered before, and from having been delivered. Rather, a third thing is also added, the threat of suffering worse things, but nevertheless they became better by none of these things. The evil spirit was indeed dwelling in them also when they served in Egypt and, living among the Egyptians with their customs and laws, were full of all uncleanness. Since they were redeemed through Moses and have received the law as a tutor calling them to the light of the true knowledge of God, the profane and unclean spirit was driven out. But since they have not believed in Christ, the demon has again come to dwell among them; for it found their heart naked and empty of all piety and, as it were, swept clean, and it dwelt in them. For just as the Holy Spirit, whenever it sees a person's heart empty of all uncleanness, both lodges and dwells and rests in it, so also the unclean spirit loves to live in the souls of the lawless. 164 Mt 13, 3 For this reason Christ speaks in parables, that through these He might also show that He is the one prophesied, about whom David said: "I will open my mouth in parables" and again: "and the man will be hiding his words and will be hidden as from flowing water." 165 Mt 13, 12-13 For the reasonable and studious who have knowledge, the divine light will dwell more richly than of old, but for the...

ποιῆσαι. τοῦτο δὲ ἔλεγον ὡς μὴ δυναμένου αὐτοῦ ποιῆσαί τι τῶν θεοπρεπῶν τυφλώττοντες τῇ διανοίᾳ· τὸ γὰρ ἀνοῖξαι ὀφθαλμοὺς τυφλῶν καὶ νε κροὺς ἐγεῖραι καὶ θαλάσσῃ καὶ ἀνέμοις ἐπιτιμᾶν μόνης ἐξουσίας θεο πρεποῦς. 161 Mt 12, 39 Πονηροὶ δὲ ὡς τὸ ἐξαίρετον τῆς διανοίας δαπανῶντες οὐ περὶ φιλοθεΐαν, ἀλλὰ περὶ τὸ δρᾶν τι καὶ λέγειν κατὰ θεοῦ. μοιχαλίδα δὲ ἐκάλεσε καὶ τὴν προτέραν καὶ τὴν παροῦσαν ἀπιστίαν δηλῶν· οὔτε γὰρ τῷ πατρὶ ἐπίστευσαν καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀπέστησαν τοῦ νυμφευσαμέ νου τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα καὶ μνηστευσαμένου κατὰ τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα διὰ τὸ εἰρημένον· "καὶ μνηστεύσομαί σε ἐμαυτῷ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα", προσεκολ λήθησαν δὲ τῷ σατανᾷ τὸν τῆς νοητῆς πορνείας τρόπον ἀποκαλοῦντες. δείκνυσιν ἑαυτὸν πάλιν τῷ πατρὶ-τὸ σημεῖον Ἰωνᾶ τοῦ προφήτου. 162 Mt 12, 41 Ὥστε <εἰ> ὡς τύπος Χριστοῦ Ἰωνᾶς λαμβάνεται, οὐ κατὰ πάντα λαμβάνεται, οἷον ἀπεστάλη τοῖς Νινευίταις κηρῦξαι, ἀλλ' ἐζήτησε φυ γεῖν ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ κατοκνήσας ὁρᾶται πρὸς ἀποστολήν. ἀπέσταλται καὶ παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ πατρὸς ὁ υἱὸς κηρύσσων τοῖς ἔθνε σιν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀπρόθυμος ἦν εἰς διακονίαν. παρεκάλει τοὺς συμπλέον τας ὁ προφήτης βαλεῖν αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν, κατεπόθη δὲ καὶ ὑπὸ κήτους, εἶτα καὶ ἐξεδόθη τριήμερος καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο ἀπῆλθεν εἰς Νινευὶ καὶ πεπλήρωκε τὴν διακονίαν, λελύπηται δὲ οὐ μετρίως κατοικτείραντος τοῦ θεοῦ τοὺς Νινευίτας. ὑπέστη καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἑκὼν τὸν θάνατον, ἔμεινεν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ τῆς γῆς, ἀνεβίω τε ἂν καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν καὶ τοῦ πρὸς τὰ ἔθνη κηρύγματος ἐκέλευε ποιεῖσθαι τὴν ἀρχήν, πλὴν οὐ λελύπηται σῳζομένους ὁρῶν τοὺς κεκλημένους εἰς ἐπί γνωσιν. οὐκοῦν ὥσπερ αἱ μέλιτται λειμῶνας καὶ ἄνθη περιπτάμεναι τὸ χρήσιμον ἀεὶ συναγείρουσιν πρὸς τὴν τῶν κηρίων κατασκευήν, οὕτω χρὴ καὶ ἡμᾶς τὴν θεόπνευστον ἀνερευνωμένους γραφὴν τὸ τελοῦν εἰς διασάφησιν τῶν Χριστοῦ μυστηρίων ἀεὶ συλλέγειν καὶ συνδιατιθέναι καὶ τὸν λόγον ἐπιτελεῖν ἀνεπίπληκτον. 163 Mt 12, 43-45 Καὶ μάλα εἰκότως· ὅταν γὰρ ἅπαξ τις ἐλευθερωθεὶς τῶν κακῶν μὴ σωφρονισθῇ, πολλῷ χαλεπώτερα πείσεται τῶν προτέρων· διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο εἶπεν· οὐχ εὑρίσκει ἀνάπαυσιν, ἵνα δείξῃ, ὅτι πάντως καὶ ἐξ ἀνάγκης λήψεται τὸν τοιοῦτον ἡ τῶν δαιμόνων ἐπιβουλή· καὶ γὰρ ἀπὸ δύο τούτων τὸν τοιοῦτον σωφρονισθῆναι ἔδει, ἀπό τε τοῦ παθεῖν πρό τερον, ἀπό τε τοῦ ἀπαλλαγῆναι. μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ τρίτον πρόσεστιν ἡ τοῦ χείρονα πείσεσθαι ἀπειλή, ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδενὶ τούτων ἐγένοντο βελτίους. ἦν μὲν αὐτοῖς ἔνοικον τὸ πονηρὸν πνεῦμα καὶ ὅτε ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ ἐθήτευον καὶ τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις διαζῶντες ἔθεσί τε καὶ νόμοις μεστοὶ ἦσαν πάσης ἀκα θαρσίας. ἐπειδὴ διὰ Μωσέως λελύτρωνται καὶ νόμον ἐσχήκασι παιδα γωγὸν πρὸς τὸ τῆς ἀληθοῦς θεογνωσίας καλοῦντα φῶς, ἀπελήλατο τὸ βέβηλον καὶ ἀκάθαρτον πνεῦμα. ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐ πεπιστεύκασιν εἰς Χριστόν, πάλιν αὐτοῖς ἐπεδήμησε τὸ δαιμόνιον· εὗρε γὰρ αὐτῶν τὴν καρδίαν γυμνὴν καὶ σχολάζουσαν ἀπὸ πάσης εὐσεβείας καὶ οἱονεὶ σεσαρω μένην καὶ κατῴκησεν ἐν αὐτοῖς· ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ὅταν ἴδῃ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου σχολάζουσαν ἀπὸ πάσης ἀκαθαρσίας καὶ ἐναυ λίζεται καὶ κατοικεῖ καὶ ἐπαναπαύεται ἐν αὐτῷ, οὕτω καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἀκάθαρτον ψυχαῖς ἀνόμων ἐνδιαιτᾶσθαι φιλεῖ. 164 Mt 13, 3 ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐν παραβολαῖς λαλεῖ ὁ Χριστός, ἵνα καὶ διὰ τούτων δείξῃ, ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ προφητευθείς, περὶ οὗ εἶπεν ∆αυίδ· "ἀνοίξω ἐν παραβολαῖς τὸ στόμα μου" καὶ πάλιν· "καὶ ἔσται ὁ ἄνθρωπος κρύ πτων τοὺς λόγους αὐτοῦ καὶ κρυβήσεται ὡς ἀφ' ὕδατος φερομένου". 165 Mt 13, 12-13 Τοῖς ἐπιεικέσι καὶ φιλομαθέ σιν ἔχουσι γνῶσιν ἐνοικισθήσεται τὸ θεῖον φῶς πλουσιώτερον ἢ πά λαι, τοῖς δὲ