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

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 those who sell both the gifts of the spirit and the priesthood learn that the Lord, having scourged them, cast out of the temple those who were selling the doves, and let them cease gathering for themselves revenues from ordinations. 236 Mt 21, 17 Because of the godlessness of the Jews He withdraws. 237 Mt 21, 23 If you knew the "God-breathed" "scriptures," O foolish Pharisee, and the voices of the holy prophets, you would have remembered the blessed David saying to Christ, the savior of all: "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: you are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." Tell me then, who of the scribes or Pharisees has ministered to God "according to the order of Melchizedek"? Surely no one. But also the forefather Abraham, the root of the generation of those from Israel, was blessed by the priesthood of Melchizedek; and Melchizedek and his priesthood were a type of Christ the savior of all, who has become our high priest, bringing to God the Father all who have believed in him through the worship beyond the law, perfecting them unto sanctification. Why then are you vexed, O Pharisee? Do you accuse, tell me, the lawgiver of the law's dissolution, and that he has not followed his own commandments? But God is surely beyond law; for he who established the laws not for himself but rather for us, transfers at the proper time the established ordinances to whatever he chooses and raises them to something better. It was therefore time for the things in types to cease, and for better things to be revealed; wherefore he said somewhere through the voice of Isaiah: "the ordinances of the people will disappear"; for it became inactive when the new commandment was revealed, which the Son has spoken to us through himself. 238 Mt 21, 25 Christ asked what opinion they held concerning the Baptist, since it was a custom for the Jews to call the saints false speakers and to say that they invent prophecy from their own mind, not being sent from God. But the Pharisees were afraid to speak the truth, lest they should hear: why did you not believe? 239 Mt 21, 33-41 And the vineyard is Israel, as the psalmist says: "You brought a vine out of Egypt," and Isaiah: "A vineyard," he says, "belonged to my beloved." And God planted it and went away for a long time, that is, he was longsuffering. Nevertheless he is seen to have cared for the place and to have it in mind; for there has been no intervening time in which prophets and righteous men were not sent from God to admonish. But they became disobedient and, having dishonored those who were sent, sent them away empty, that is, having nothing good to say about them to God who had sent them. 241 Mt 21, 37 Are you also sons of God the Father? Does the inheritance naturally descend to you, if you do away with the heir? How will you become masters of what you desire? And how is that not worthy of laughter? For Christ, as son and having become essentially the heir of the dignities of God the Father, as a man called those who believed in him into the fellowship of his kingdom, but the Hebrews alone wanted to have the kingdom, which was both impossible and ignorant. But observe in these things that after the servants the son is sent, as not being counted among the servants, but as a true son and for this reason lord; for even if he wore the form of a servant according to the economy, yet he was still God and true son of God the Father and possessing lordship by nature. 242 Mt 21, 41 And who might these be? The choir of the holy apostles, the ministers and teachers of the new covenant. 243 Mt 21, 42-43 Here he calls Christ the stone, and the corner is the joining and union of these two peoples, the one saved from Israel and the one from the Gentiles. For this reason the kingdom of heaven will be taken from you, that is, the knowledge of salvation and that toward whatever is praiseworthy

Ἰουδαίων ἐκβληθέντων ἐκ τοῦ ναοῦ σὺν ταῖς τυπικαῖς θυσίαις οἱ τυφλοὶ καὶ χωλοὶ θεραπεύονται οἱ τύπον ἔχοντες τῶν ἐθνῶν. μαθέτωσαν μέντοι καὶ οἱ πωλοῦντες καὶ τὰ τοῦ πνεύματος χαρίσματα καὶ τὴν ἱερωσύνην, ὅτι τοὺς πωλοῦντας τὰς περιστερὰς ἐξέβαλεν ἀπὸ τοῦ ναοῦ μαστίξας ὁ κύριος καὶ παυσά σθωσαν πόρους ἑαυτοῖς ἀπὸ χειροτονιῶν ἀθροίζοντες. 236 Mt 21, 17 ∆ιὰ τὸ ἀφιλόθεον τῶν Ἰουδαίων ὑπαναχωρεῖ. 237 Mt 21, 23 Εἰ τὰς "θεοπνεύστους" ᾔδεις "γραφάς", ὦ ἀσύνετε Φαρισαῖε, καὶ τὰς τῶν ἁγίων προφητῶν φωνάς, ἐμνήσθης ἂν λέγοντος τοῦ μακαρίου ∆αβὶδ πρὸς τὸν τῶν ὅλων σωτῆρα Χριστόν· "ὤμοσεν κύριος καὶ οὐ μεταμεληθήσεται· σὺ ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδέκ". φράζε δὴ οὖν, τίς ἐκ τῶν γραμματέων ἢ Φαρισαίων λελειτούργηκε τῷ θεῷ "κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδέκ"; ἢ πάντως οὐδείς. ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ προ πάτωρ Ἀβραάμ, ἡ ῥίζα τῆς γενέσεως τῶν ἐξ Ἰσραήλ, ὑπὸ τῆς Μελχισεδὲκ ἱερωσύνης ηὐλόγηται· τύπος δὲ ἦν ὁ Μελχισεδὲκ καὶ ἡ κατ' αὐτὸν ἱερωσύνη τοῦ πάντων σωτῆρος Χριστοῦ, ὃς γέγονεν ἡμῶν ἀρχ ιερεὺς προσάγων τῷ θεῷ καὶ πατρὶ πάντας τοὺς πεπιστευκότας εἰς αὐτὸν διὰ τῆς ὑπὲρ νόμον λατρείας τελειῶν εἰς ἁγιασμόν. τί οὖν ἀσχάλλεις, ὦ Φαρισαῖε; ἐγκαλεῖς, εἰπέ μοι, τῷ νομοθέτῃ τοῦ νόμου τὴν λύσιν, καὶ ὅτι μὴ ταῖς ἰδίαις ἠκολούθησεν ἐντολαῖς; ἀλλὰ νόμου πάντως ἐπέκεινα θεός· ὁ γὰρ τοὺς νόμους οὐχ ἑαυτῷ μᾶλλον, ἀλλ' ἡμῖν ὁρισάμενος μεθ ίστησι κατὰ καιρὸν ἐφ' ὅπερ ἂν ἕλοιτο τὰ διατεταγμένα καὶ ἀναφέρει εἰς βελτίονα. ἦν οὖν καιρὸς τοῦ παύσασθαι τὰ ἐν τύποις, ἀναδειχθῆναι δὲ τὰ κρείττονα· διὸ ἔφη που διὰ φωνῆς Ἠσαίου· "ἀφανισθήσεται νόμιμα λαοῦ"· ἤργησε γὰρ τῆς νέας ἐντολῆς ἀναδεδειγμένης, ἣν δι' ἑαυτοῦ λελάληκεν ἡμῖν ὁ υἱός. 238 Mt 21, 25 Ἤρετο ὁ Χριστός, ὁποίαν περὶ τοῦ βαπτιστοῦ τὴν δόξαν ἐσχήκασιν, ἐπειδὴ ἔθος ἦν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ψευδηγόρους ἀποκαλεῖν τοὺς ἁγίους καὶ λέγειν, ὅτι ἀπὸ γνώμης ἰδίας τὴν προφητείαν ὑποπλάττονται οὐκ ἀπε σταλμένοι παρὰ θεοῦ. οἱ δὲ Φαρισαῖοι δεδίασι μὲν εἰπεῖν τὸ ἀληθές, ἵνα μὴ ἀκούσωσιν· διὰ τί μὴ ἐπιστεύσατε; 239 Mt 21, 33-41 Καὶ ἔστιν ἀμπελὼν μὲν ὁ Ἰσραήλ, ὥς φησιν ὁ ψαλμῳδός· "ἄμ πελον ἐξ Αἰγύπτου μετῆρας" καὶ ὁ Ἠσαίας· "ἀμπελών", φησίν, "ἐγε νήθη τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ". ἐφύτευσεν δὲ αὐτὸν ὁ θεὸς καὶ ἀπεδήμησε χρόνον μακρὸν ἤγουν ἐμακροθύμησεν. πλὴν ὁρᾶται πεφροντικὼς τοῦ χω ρίου καὶ εἰς νοῦν ἔχων αὐτό· οὐδεὶς γὰρ γέγονεν διὰ μέσου καιρός, καθ' ὃν οὐκ ἀπεστέλλοντο παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ προφῆται καὶ δίκαιοι νουθετοῦντες. οἱ δὲ γεγόνασιν ἀπειθεῖς καὶ ἀτιμάσαντες τοὺς ἀπεσταλμένους ἀπέστειλαν κενούς, τοῦτ' ἔστιν οὐδὲν ἔχοντας εἰπεῖν περὶ αὐτῶν ἀγαθὸν τῷ πεπομ φότι θεῷ. 241 Mt 21, 37 Ἆρα καὶ ὑμεῖς υἱοὶ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ πατρός; ἆρα φυσικῶς ὁ κλῆρος εἰς ὑμᾶς καταβαίνει, ἂν ἐκ μέσου ποιήσητε τὸν κληρονόμον; πῶς γε νήσεσθε κύριοι ὧν ἐρᾶτε; κἀκεῖνο πῶς οὐ γέλωτος ἄξιον; ὁ μὲν γὰρ Χριστὸς ὡς υἱὸς καὶ τῶν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ πατρὸς ἀξιωμάτων οὐσιωδῶς κληρονόμος γενόμενος ἄνθρωπος εἰς κοινωνίαν τῆς ἑαυτοῦ βασιλείας ἐκάλει τοὺς πιστεύοντας εἰς αὐτόν, οἱ δὲ Ἑβραῖοι μόνοι τὴν βασιλείαν ἔχειν ἤθελον, ὅπερ ἦν ἀμήχανόν τε καὶ ἀμαθές. ἐπιτήρησον δὲ ἐν τού τοις, ὅτι μετὰ τοὺς οἰκέτας ὁ υἱὸς πέμπεται ὡς οὐ τελῶν ἐν οἰκέταις, ἀλλ' ὡς υἱὸς ἀληθινὸς καὶ διὰ τοῦτο κύριος· εἰ καὶ ἐφόρεσε γὰρ δούλου μορφὴν οἰκονομικῶς, ἀλλ' ἦν καὶ οὕτω θεὸς καὶ υἱὸς ἀληθινὸς τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ πατρὸς καὶ φυσικὴν ἔχων τὴν κυριότητα. 242 Mt 21, 41 Καὶ τίνες ἂν εἶεν οὗτοι; τῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων ὁ χορός, οἱ τῆς καινῆς διαθήκης ἱερουργοὶ καὶ διδάσκαλοι. 243 Mt 21, 42-43 Λίθον ἐνταῦθα τὸν Χριστόν φησιν, γωνία δὲ ἡ συνάφειά τε καὶ συνήθεια τῶν δύο λαῶν τούτων, τοῦ ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ ἀνασεσωσμένου καὶ τοῦ ἐξ ἐθνῶν. διὰ τοῦτο ἀρθήσεται ἀφ' ὑμῶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρα νῶν, τοῦτ' ἔστιν ἡ τῆς σωτηρίας εἴδησις καὶ ἡ πρὸς πᾶν ὅ τι οὖν τῶν ἐπαινουμένων