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

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 crowds among the Gentiles, hearing that a word had come to their desert and that this one was unique, as we have previously shown, followed him from their own cities by each one having left behind the ancestral customs of superstition and having come to the law of Christ. And they followed him on foot and not in a boat, since they had followed the image of God not with the body, but with a bare soul and a will persuaded by the word. And to these indeed Jesus goes out, as they were unable to approach him, so that by being with those outside, he might bring those who are outside, inside. And the crowd outside was large, to which the word of God goes out, and pouring the light of his visitation upon it, he saw it, and seeing that they were worthy of being pitied rather because they were in such conditions, the impassible one, as a lover of mankind, suffered by being moved with compassion, and not only was he moved with compassion but he also healed their sick, who had various and manifold sicknesses from vice. 10.24 But if you wish to see what the sicknesses of the soul are, consider for me the lovers of money and the lovers of glory and the lovers of children and if there is anyone who is a lover of women; for seeing these also in the crowds and being moved with compassion for them, he healed them. But not every sin should be considered a sickness, but that which has lodged itself in the whole soul. For thus it is possible to see the lovers of money wholly intent upon money and its guarding and collection, and the lovers of glory upon vainglory, for they gape after the praise from the many and more vulgar. And you will understand the analogous thing in the case of the others we have named, and if there is anything else similar to these. Since, then, in explaining 'he healed their sick' we said that not every sin is a sickness, it is worthwhile to be instructed from scripture concerning the difference between these. Indeed the apostle says, writing to the Corinthians who have various sins: 'For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number have fallen asleep.' For hear in these words the conjunction 'and,' which weaves and makes a composite out of different sins, according to which some are weak, others are sick more than weak, and still others, beyond both, are those who sleep. For those who are prone to sin in any way on account of the soul's powerlessness, even if they are not wholly given to some type of sin like the sick, are only weak. But those who with their whole soul and whole heart and whole mind, instead of loving God, love money or vainglories or women or children, these have suffered more than a weakness and are sick. And those who sleep are they who, when it is necessary to pay attention and be watchful in the soul, not only do not do this, but from much inattentiveness are drowsy in their will and are sleepy in their thoughts; who 'in their dreamings defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones.' And these, because they are asleep, are in empty fantasies and misleading dreams concerning things, not accepting what is real and true, but being deceived by what is in the empty fantasies. Concerning whom it is also said in Isaiah: 'as a thirsty man dreams that he is drinking, and when he arises he is still thirsty, and his soul has hoped in vain, so shall be the wealth of all the nations that have made war on Jerusalem.' Therefore, even if we seemed to have digressed, explaining the difference between the weak and the sick and those who sleep, because the apostle said in the letter to the Corinthians what we have set forth, we have made the digression because we wished to show what is signified intelligibly by 'and he healed their sick.' 10.25 After this, the account says that when evening had come, his disciples approached him, saying: The place is deserted and the hour has now passed; send the crowds away, therefore, so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves (14, 15[-21]). And first, indeed, observe that being about to

εἰς τὴν ἔρημον, ἦν ἐν αὐτῇ, τῷ ἰδιάζοντα εἶναι τὸν λόγον καὶ τὴν διδασκαλίαν αὐτοῦ παρὰ τὰ εἰθισμένα ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι γίνεσθαι καὶ νενομισμένα. Καὶ οἱ ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ὄχλοι ἀκούσαντες λόγον ἐπιδεδημηκέναι τῇ ἐρήμῳ αὐτῶν καὶ τοῦτον κατ' ἰδίαν τυγχάνειν, ὡς προα ποδεδώκαμεν, ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ ἀπὸ τῶν ἰδίων πόλεων τῷ ἕκαστον καταλελοιπέναι τὰ πάτρια τῆς δεισιδαιμονίας ἔθη καὶ τῷ τοῦ Χριστοῦ προσεληλυθέναι νόμῳ. Πεζῇ δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ οὐκ ἐν πλοίῳ ἠκολούθησαν, ἅτε μὴ τῷ σώματι, ἀλλὰ γυμνῇ τῇ ψυχῇ καὶ τῇ ἀπὸ τοῦ λόγου πεισθείσῃ προαιρέσει ἠκολουθηκότες τῇ εἰκόνι τοῦ θεοῦ. Καὶ πρὸς τούτους γε ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐξέρχεται μὴ χωροῦντας προσιέναι πρὸς αὐτόν, ἵνα τοῖς ἔξω γενόμενος, ἔσω τοὺς ἔξω εἰσαγάγῃ. Πολὺς δὲ ὁ ἔξω ὄχλος, εἰς ὃν ἐξέρχεται ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος, καὶ ἐκχέας τὸ φῶς τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς αὐτοῦ εἰς αὐτὸν εἶδεν αὐτόν, καὶ ἰδὼν τοῦ ἐλεεῖσθαι μᾶλλον αὐτοὺς ἀξίους διὰ τὸ ἐν τοιοῖσδέ τισιν εἶναι, ὡς φιλάνθρωπος πέπονθεν ὁ ἀπαθὴς τῷ σπλαγχνισθῆναι, καὶ οὐ μόνον ἐσπλαγχνίσθη ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἀρρώστους αὐτῶν ἐθεράπευσεν ἔχοντας ποικίλα καὶ παντοδαπὰ ἀπὸ τῆς κακίας ἀρρωστήματα. 10.24 Εἰ δὲ θέλεις ἰδεῖν ποῖά ἐστι τὰ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀρρωστή ματα, κατανόει μοι τοὺς φιλαργύρους καὶ τοὺς φιλοδόξους καὶ τοὺς φιλόπαιδας καὶ εἴ τίς ἐστι φιλόγυνος· καὶ τούτους γὰρ ἐν τοῖς ὄχλοις ἰδὼν καὶ σπλαγχνισθεὶς ἐπ' αὐτοῖς ἐθεράπευσεν. Οὐ πᾶν δὲ ἁμάρτημα νομιστέον ἀρρωστίαν εἶναι, ἀλλ' ὅπερ ἐναπέσκηψεν ὅλῃ τῇ ψυχῇ. Οὕτω γὰρ ἔστιν ἰδεῖν τοὺς μὲν φιλαργύρους ὅλους τεταμένους ἐπὶ τὸ ἀργύριον καὶ τὴν τούτου φρουρὰν καὶ συναγωγήν, τοὺς δὲ φιλοδόξους ἐπὶ τὸ δοξάριον, κεχήνασι γὰρ περὶ τὸν ἀπὸ τῶν πολλῶν καὶ χυδαιοτέρων ἔπαινον. Καὶ τὸ ἀνάλογον νοήσεις ἐπὶ ὧν ὠνομάσαμεν λοιπῶν, καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο τούτοις ἐστὶ παραπλήσιον. Ἐπεὶ οὖν διηγούμενοι τὸ ἐθεράπευσε τοὺς ἀρρώστους αὐτῶν εἴπομεν μὴ πᾶν ἁμάρτημα εἶναι ἀρρώσ τημα, ἄξιον ἀπὸ τῆς γραφῆς καὶ περὶ τῆς διαφορᾶς τούτων παραμυθήσασθαι. Φησὶ δὴ ὁ ἀπόστολος Κορινθίοις ποικίλα ἔχουσιν ἁμαρτήματα γράφων· «∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐν ὑμῖν πολλοὶ ἀσθενεῖς καὶ ἄρρωστοι καὶ κοιμῶνται ἱκανοί.» Ἄκουε γὰρ ἐν τούτοις τοῦ «καὶ» συνδέσμου, πλέκοντος καὶ συμπε πλεγμένον ποιοῦντος ἐκ διαφόρων ἁμαρτημάτων, καθὸ οἱ μέν εἰσιν ἀσθενεῖς, ἕτεροι δὲ ἄρρωστοι πλέον ἢ ἀσθενεῖς, καὶ ἄλλοι παρ' ἀμφοτέρους οἱ κοιμώμενοι. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ὀλισθηρῶς διὰ τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς ἀδυναμίαν πρὸς τὸ ὁτιποτοῦν ἁμαρτάνειν ἔχοντες, κἂν μὴ ὅλοι ὦσιν εἴδους τινὸς ἁμαρτίας ὡς οἱ ἄρρωστοι, ἀσθενεῖς εἰσι μόνον. Οἱ δὲ ὅλῃ ψυχῇ καὶ ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ καὶ ὅλῃ διανοίᾳ, ἀντὶ τοῦ τὸν θεὸν ἀγαπᾶν, ἀγαπῶντες ἀργύρια ἢ δοξάρια ἢ γύναια ἢ παῖδας, οὗτοι πλέον ἢ ἀσθενείας πεπόνθασιν καί εἰσιν ἄρρωστοι. Κοιμῶνται δὲ οἱ, δέον προσέχειν καὶ ἐγρηγορέναι τῇ ψυχῇ, τοῦτο μὲν οὐ ποιοῦντες, ἀπὸ δὲ πολλῆς ἀπροσεξίας νυστάζοντες τὴν προαίρεσιν καὶ ὑπνώττοντες τοῖς λογισμοῖς· οἵτινες «ἐνυ πνιαζόμενοι σάρκα μὲν μιαίνουσι, κυριότητα δὲ ἀθετοῦσι, δόξας δὲ βλασφημοῦσιν». Οὗτοι δὲ διὰ τὸ κοιμᾶσθαι ἐν κεναῖς εἰσι φαντασίαις καὶ παραβαλλομέναις ἐνυπνίοις, ταῖς περὶ τῶν πραγμάτων, τὰ μὲν ὕπαρ καὶ ἀληθῆ οὐκ ἀποδεχόμενοι, ὑπὸ δὲ τῶν ἐν ταῖς κεναῖς φαντασίαις ἀπατώ μενοι. Περὶ ὧν καὶ ἐν τῷ Ἡσαΐᾳ λέγεται τὸ «ὃν τρόπον ἐνυπνιάζεται ὁ διψῶν ὡς ὁ πίνων, καὶ ἐξαναστὰς ἔτι διψᾷ, ἡ δὲ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ εἰς κενὸν ἤλπισεν, οὕτως ἔσται ὁ πλοῦτος πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν ὅσοι ἐπεστράτευσαν ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ». Εἰ καὶ ἐδόξαμεν οὖν παρεκβεβηκέναι, διηγούμενοι διαφορὰν ἀσθενῶν καὶ ἀρρώστων καὶ κοιμωμένων, διὰ τὸ τὸν ἀπόσ τολον ἐν τῇ πρὸς Κορινθίους εἰρηκέναι ἃ ἐξεθέμεθα, τὴν παρέκβασιν πεποιήμεθα βουληθέντες παραστῆσαι τί σημαίνε ται νοητὸν ἐκ τοῦ καὶ ἐθεράπευσε τοὺς ἀρρώστους αὐτῶν. 10.25 Μετὰ τοῦτό φησιν ὁ λόγος ὅτι ὀψίας δὲ γενομένης προσῆλθον αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ λέγοντες· ἔρημός ἐστιν ὁ τόπος καὶ ἡ ὥρα παρῆλθεν ἤδη· ἀπόλυσον οὖν τοὺς ὄχλους, ἵνα ἀπελθόντες εἰς τὰς κώμας ἀγοράσωσιν ἑαυτοῖς βρώματα (14, 15[-21]). Καὶ πρῶτόν γε τήρησον ὅτι μέλλων τοὺς