Matthew 23:13–22

"Woe" is a voice of sorrowing. For this reason he says that they close the kingdom of heaven, because they hide in the law the consolation of his truth. They lost sight of the advent expected by the prophets. Through deceptive teachings, they do not allow others to go to heaven either. They do not adorn the way of eternity.

(Ver. 13, 14.) But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive the greater condemnation. The scribes and Pharisees have knowledge of the Law and the Prophets, and they know that Christ is the Son of God; they are not ignorant that He was born of a Virgin. But while they seek to prey on the subject people, they themselves do not enter the kingdom of heaven, nor do they allow those who could enter to do so. This is what the Prophet Hosea accuses: The priests have hidden the way, they have murdered Shechem (Hosea 6:9). And again: The priests have not said, 'Where is the Lord?' (Hosea 4). Indeed, every teacher who scandalizes his disciples with evil deeds shuts the kingdom of heaven before them.

(Ver. 13, 14.) But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive the greater condemnation. The scribes and Pharisees have knowledge of the Law and the Prophets, and they know that Christ is the Son of God; they are not ignorant that He was born of a Virgin. But while they seek to prey on the subject people, they themselves do not enter the kingdom of heaven, nor do they allow those who could enter to do so. This is what the Prophet Hosea accuses: The priests have hidden the way, they have murdered Shechem (Hosea 6:9). And again: The priests have not said, 'Where is the Lord?' (Hosea 4). Indeed, every teacher who scandalizes his disciples with evil deeds shuts the kingdom of heaven before them.

"Woe unto you, for ye shut up the kingdom against men; for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in." But if to profit no one be a charge against a man, even to hurt and hinder, what plea hath that? But what means, "them that are entering in?" Them that are fit for it. For when they were to lay injunctions on others, they used to make the burdens intolerable, but when they themselves were to do any of the things required, on the contrary, so far from doing anything, they went much beyond this in wickedness, they even used to corrupt others. These are they that are called pests, who make their employment the ruin of others, standing right contrary to teachers. For if it be the part of a teacher to save that which is perishing, to destroy that which is on the point of being saved is that of a destroyer.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut the kingdom of heaven before men; for you yourselves do not enter, nor do you allow those entering to enter.

Those who dare to call God not good on account of the curses which God set down against sinners in his law — let them hear how, as truly the Son of that God who gave the law, in likeness indeed of the blessings which are set down in the law, he too pronounces the beatitudes of those who are saved, but in likeness of the curses set down in the law he sets woe against sinners, saying: woe to you and to you. And let those who bring a charge against the God of the law, hearing these things, not understanding that those things too were spoken by a kindly God, say what we ought to understand concerning Jesus when he says: woe to you, scribes and Pharisees. Those who confess that it belongs to goodness to pronounce such things against sinners — let them understand that the purpose of God is the same in bringing forth the curses of the law within the law. But whether it be that curse or this pronounced woe — it befalls each sinner not from the pronouncement of the one pronouncing, but from the sins of the sinner himself, who offers himself worthy for the reception either of those curses or of these woes, which God pronounced for the sake of discipline against those men, that he might turn them to the good. For a father too, rebuking his son, frequently brings forth for his amendment certain words which seem to be curses, and yet he does not wish him to become worthy of those curses, but rather desires to turn him away from them.

We have said these things in order to show that the Gospels are in agreement with the law. So too now, when he says woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, because you shut the kingdom of heaven, he terrified the scribes and Pharisees, that they might not mock the kingdom of heaven before men. But the scribes and Pharisees shutting the kingdom of heaven offend in two ways at once: in one indeed that they themselves do not enter into the kingdom of heaven, and secondly that those entering they do not allow to enter. These two sins are by nature inseparable from one another. For whoever sins in one of these cannot abstain from the other. Likewise, conversely, whoever abstains from the one, it is impossible that he should not also abstain from the other; for instance, no one is found who, himself entering into the kingdom of heaven, does not permit others to enter, since for him who forbids others to enter into the kingdom this very thing — that he does not permit others to enter — suffices for his own expulsion, so that he does not enter into the kingdom of heaven; for whoever "shall scandalize one of the little ones" of the Church, forbidding anyone to enter into the kingdom of heaven, will suffer what is written in the Gospel, woe. Likewise, conversely, whoever is able to make someone enter into the kingdom of heaven — if indeed it is within his power both to permit and to forbid — much more will he himself enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Since the Lord frequently says woe to the scribes and Pharisees, we will set out the cause of each woe in its proper place. But now let us set out the cause of this present woe. The cause, then, of the present woe is that they were shutting up the kingdom of heaven before men; and in shutting it before others, they themselves did not enter, precisely because they forbade to enter those who would surely have entered, if they had not been shut out by these men. And first, indeed, the present passage is to be expounded simply, as of the scribes and Pharisees who are found among the Jews. For these men, not content that they themselves did not believe the Lord, went still further and disparaged his teaching and overthrew every prophecy written concerning him and blasphemed his every work as false and feigned by the devil, saying, "this man does not cast out demons except by Beelzebul", and showed themselves murderous toward those who had believed in Christ, and in every way forbade anyone to come to Christianity, through which one enters into the kingdom of heaven. They were shutting up that which had been openly announced and preached in the sight of all and proclaimed aloud among all men. And in shutting up the kingdom of heaven they themselves did not enter (for neither did they wish to hear him who said: "if anyone enters through me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and go out and find pasture"); and those entering (that is, those who could believe on account of the faith which "from the law and the prophets" had earlier been declared concerning Christ) they did not permit to enter. Utterly breaking up the very beginning of their assent, and with all terror and savage boldness, as far as lay in them, they themselves, by shutting the door, forbade all who wished to enter through the door.

To this simple exposition we will join also this, concerning those who sin among us. For all who by an evil manner of life urge on an example of sinning among the people, and who do injury to those who are still little ones in Christ and imperfect, disheartening and scandalizing them, seem to shut the kingdom of heaven before men, and neither do they themselves enter nor do they permit others to enter. And this sin is found indeed even among the common people, but most of all among the teachers, who indeed teach men according to the justice of the Gospel, but do not do what they teach, because they are evil shepherds and therefore do not spare the sheep nor care for their salvation, but always look to the gains coming to them from men in return for the fact that they seem to feed the people when they do not feed them, and are caught in filthy gains and in the lusts of empty glory. For these are the wages of the hirelings, who shut the kingdom of heaven before men and do not enter into it, nor do they wish to understand what is said: "strive to enter through the narrow door". And since above all contests this is the contest, that one should be doing violence and seizing the heavenly kingdom, to such teachers, then, these words are fittingly said, neither do you enter, nor do you permit those entering to enter, especially if we see them, by their evil life and pride and revilings and avarice, leading into scandal not, I will say, one of the little ones, but even, as far as lies in them, all. Woe, then, to those who shut the kingdom of heaven before men, either in this way or in another; but blessed are those who open it either by their word or by their good work, like him who said: "a great and evident door has been opened to me", or as the rest of the apostles opened it. And if anyone becomes an imitator of them, he opens the kingdom of heaven before men by his justice and virtue and chastity and wisdom. And the more one advances in piety, the more he opens the kingdom of heaven before men.

I think, therefore, that all who profess that they enter into the church, altogether either shut the kingdom of heaven before men by their evil manners of life insofar as they themselves sin, or open it by their good acts insofar as they have conducted themselves justly. Most of all do this those who seem to be more illustrious in the church, such as bishops, presbyters, deacons. For by living well and teaching well the word of truth they open the kingdom of heaven before men and, while they themselves enter, they provoke others to enter; but the evil ones, who are not shepherds but hirelings, shut the kingdom of heaven before men and do not hear what the Apostle says: "but we endure all things, that we may give no offense to the Gospel of Christ". Indeed one may see many teachers not permitting to enter into the kingdom of heaven those who desire to enter — especially when, without judgment and without reason, not on account of the sins which they commit, they excommunicate certain persons, but on account of some jealousy and contentiousness they frequently forbid to enter even those who are better than they themselves are. And they indeed are not permitted to enter, but those others, who are sober in mind and watchful in spirit, overcoming by their patience and long-suffering the tyrannies of these men, though forbidden nevertheless enter and inherit the kingdom of heaven.

Next let us see whether, beyond those we have spoken of, it is possible to see also others who shut and open the kingdom of heaven. For those who have been counted worthy and fit to expound the Gospel, and who show themselves such that they can truly say "Do you seek a proof of him who speaks in me, Christ?", open the kingdom of heaven before men, when they demonstrate, with all clarity and proof, the loftiness of the divine words — words which were not spoken about earthly things but about heaven and about the mind of the Lord, who came to men — so that, so far as it lies in them, they would lead "Gentiles and barbarians, wise and unwise" to the piety of Christ. But those who, through their unteachableness and unrighteousness, with much rashness gave themselves over to the profession of teaching before they had learned and come to know the truth, and who therefore, in imitation of vain Jewish fables, hand down the bodily narratives of the Scriptures and not their spiritual sense or intention, and who moreover disparage those "who have risen with Christ and seek the things that are above" in the Scriptures "and not upon the earth," nor reckon that the truth set forth in the Scriptures lies in earthly things: these, so far as it lies in them, shut the kingdom of heaven before men, shutting it by their unrighteousness and drawing to themselves those who were able — by hearing the more divine and greater teaching and the loftiness of the truth — to enter into the kingdom of heaven through the heavenly doctrines and through the deeds befitting them. To this exposition it is fitting what Luke writes: "Woe to you lawyers, for you have taken away the key of knowledge; you yourselves have not entered in, and you have hindered those who were entering." For those who accuse the allegorical exposition and want to teach that the divine Scripture is plain and has nothing more than the text shows, and who do not admit any more divine sense concerning circumcision or the Passover or the unleavened bread or foods and drinks or the feasts or the new moons or the sabbaths, and do not accept that the Jews then served "in the display and shadow of things to come" — these indeed are lawyers, yet they have taken away "the key of knowledge," so far as their teaching goes, that is, taking away every way of the law for understanding its ordinances; and therefore neither did they themselves enter in nor, so far as it lay in them, did they permit others to enter.

Christ is truly the Son of that God Who gave the Law; after the example of the blessings pronounced in the Law, did Himself pronounce the blessings of them that are saved; and also after the cursings of the Law, He now sets forth a woe against sinners; Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. They who allow that it is compatible with goodness to utter these denunciations against sinners, should understand that the purpose of God is the same in the cursings of the Law. Both the cursing there and the woe here fall upon the sinner not from Him who denounces, but from themselves who commit the sins which are denounced, and worthily bring upon themselves the inflictions of God's discipline, appointed for the turning of men to good. So a father rebuking a son utters words of cursing, but does not desire that he should become deserving of those curses, but rather that he should turn himself from them. He adds the cause of this woe, Ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for ye neither go in yourselves, nor suffer them that are entering to go in. These two commandments are by nature inseparable; because not to suffer others to enter in, is of itself enough to keep the hinderer out.

The Pharisees and the Scribes then would neither enter in, nor hear Him who said, By me if any man enter in he shall be saved; (John 10:9.) nor would they suffer those to enter in, who were able to have believed through the things which had been spoken before by the Law and the Prophets concerning Christ, but shut up the door with every kind of device to deter men from entering. Also they detracted from His teaching, denied all prophecy concerning Him, and blasphemed every miracle as deceitful, or wrought by the Devil. All who in their evil conversation set an example of sinning to the people, and who commit injustice, offending the weak, seem to shut up the kingdom of heaven before men. And this sin is found among the people, and chiefly among the doctors, when they teach men what the Gospel righteousness requires of them, but do not what they teach. But those who both teach and live well open to men the kingdom of heaven, and both enter in themselves, and invite others to enter in. Many also will not suffer those who are willing to enter into the kingdom of heaven, when they without reason excommunicate out of jealousy others who are better than themselves; thus they refuse them entrance, but these of sober spirit, overcoming by their patience this tyranny, although forbidden, yet enter in and inherit the kingdom. Also they who with much rashness have set themselves to the profession of teaching before they have learned, and following Jewish fables, detract from those who search out the higher things of Scripture; these do, as far as in them lies, shut out men from the kingdom of heaven.

By the kingdom of heaven is meant the Scriptures, because in them the kingdom of heaven is lodged; the understanding of these is the door. Or the kingdom of heaven is the blessedness of heaven, and the door thereof Christ, by Whom men enter in. The door-keepers are the Priests, to whom is committed the word of teaching or interpreting Scripture, by which the door of truth is opened to men. The opening of this door is right interpretation. And observe that He said not, Woe unto you, for ye open, but, for ye shut up; the Scriptures then are not shut up, though they are obscure.

Which means that every one who thinks highly of his own deserts, shall be humbled before God; and every one who humbles himself concerning his good deeds, shall be exalted with God.

Not only, He says, are you unbelievers who lead a corrupt life, but you teach others not to believe in Me and you corrupt them by your life and example. For the people are apt to become like their rulers, especially if they see them inclined towards evil. See, therefore, that "woe" is the reward of every teacher and ruler whose evil life obstructs others in progress towards good.

After he instructed the disciples and the multitudes about the caution they should have regarding the doctrine of the Jews, here he turns his discourse to the scribes, rebuking them. First, he rebukes them for the pretense of religion, when they were irreligious; secondly, for the pretense of purity, when they were impure; thirdly, for the pretense of piety, when they were impious. The second is at woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who make clean the outside of the cup, etc. The third is at woe to you who build the sepulchres of the prophets, etc. In those things that pertain to religion, certain things are owed by priests to the people, and certain things conversely. First, therefore, he sets forth their malice in those things that are owed by priests; secondly, in those things that are owed by the people, at woe to him that says: whosoever shall swear, etc. A priest owes something to one already converted, and something to one not yet converted. To one not yet converted, that he may convert him; to one converted, doctrine; Malachi 2:7: the lips of the priest teach wisdom. Likewise, he owes him prayers; Hebrews 5:1: for every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in the things that appertain to God. And they acted wickedly in both respects; hence he first rebukes them regarding the first; secondly, regarding the second, at woe to you who devour the houses of widows, etc. In all these rebukes he shows himself to be the Son of him who gave the old law. In Deuteronomy 26 and 28, curses are given to those who did not remain in the law, and afterwards blessings are given. But because he came to loose the curses of the law, therefore the blessings were given first above, where it was said, blessed are the poor, blessed are the meek, etc. But toward the end of his teaching he gives the curse. Therefore they reprove badly who reprove the old law because curses were contained in it, since just as in the old law, so also in the new. For just as in the law none were cursed except those who transgressed the law, so neither here; Proverbs 3:11: reject not the correction of the Lord. But what does it mean when he says, who shut the kingdom of heaven against men? The kingdom of heaven is called the beatitude of eternal life; above at 5:20: unless your justice abound more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Likewise, sacred Scripture is called the kingdom; above at 21:43: the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, i.e., the understanding of sacred Scripture. To both kingdoms Christ is the door; John 10:9: I am the door. By me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and he shall go in and go out, and shall find pastures. What then is it to shut the kingdom, if not that they were shutting it by bad doctrine and a bad life? Only what is open can be shut. The teachings about Christ were open, but they were shutting them, because they were making them obscure. It says in Isaiah 35:5: the Lord himself will come and will save us. Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. When the Lord was doing these miracles, this Scripture was open, but they were shutting it by saying, he casts out devils by Beelzebub the prince of devils, Luke 11:15. Likewise, they were shutting it by a bad life, when by bad example they led others to sin; Psalm 1:1: blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the chair of pestilence. He properly sits in the chair of pestilence who takes the office of teaching and corrupts the people by a bad life. Also by an unjust sentence a judge slays a man, yet he hurls the unjust sentence to no effect. For power was given for binding and loosing unto edification, not unto destruction. Hence it can be said to them, woe to you (...) because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men. Likewise, whoever impedes entrance into the kingdom, there is no doubt that he acts wickedly; hence it follows, for you yourselves do not enter in, nor do you suffer those that are going in to enter, i.e., to be converted. Hence Malachi 2:8: you have departed out of the way, and have caused many to stumble.

(interlin.) Devour widows' houses, that is, your superstitions have this only aim, namely, to make a gain of the people that is put under you.

(interlin. Luke 12:47.) Or, because the servant that knew his Lord's will and did it not, shall he beaten with many stripes.

These are the poisoners of truth. They are reluctant to undertake the salvation of others. They bolt shut the kingdom of heaven. In their ambition they "devour widows' houses and for pretense make long prayers." By this acquaintance with heaven (achieved with those long prayers), they expect they will persevere in the merits of grace quietly, just as a rich person expects to receive the treasure stored up for him. However, they will receive ample judgment and punishment for their particular sins. They will be called to account for their strange and ignorant practices.

Or, because their observance of the kingdom of heaven proceeds hence, that they may keep up their practice of going about to widows' houses, they shall therefore receive the heavier judgment, as having their own sin and the ignorance of others to answer for.

"Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers: therefore ye shall receive greater damnation."

After this, next He derides them for gluttony: and the grievous thing was, that not from rich men's goods, but from the poor they indulged their own belly, and aggravated their poverty, which they should have relieved. For neither did they merely eat, but devoured.

Moreover also the manner of their overreaching was yet more grievous, "for a pretense making long prayers."

For every one is worthy of vengeance who doeth any evil thing; but he that is deriving even the reason for so doing from godliness, and is using this cloke for his wickedness, is justly liable to a far more grievous punishment. And wherefore did He not depose them? Because the time suffered it not as yet. So therefore He lets them alone for a time, but by His sayings, He secures that the people be not deceived, lest, through the dignity of those men, they be drawn on to the same emulation.

For as He had said, "Whatsoever they bid you do, that do;" He shows how many things they do amiss, lest from thence He should be supposed amongst the unwise to commit all to them.

The Pharisees and the Scribes then would neither enter in, nor hear Him who said, By me if any man enter in he shall be saved; (John 10:9.) nor would they suffer those to enter in, who were able to have believed through the things which had been spoken before by the Law and the Prophets concerning Christ, but shut up the door with every kind of device to deter men from entering. Also they detracted from His teaching, denied all prophecy concerning Him, and blasphemed every miracle as deceitful, or wrought by the Devil. All who in their evil conversation set an example of sinning to the people, and who commit injustice, offending the weak, seem to shut up the kingdom of heaven before men. And this sin is found among the people, and chiefly among the doctors, when they teach men what the Gospel righteousness requires of them, but do not what they teach. But those who both teach and live well open to men the kingdom of heaven, and both enter in themselves, and invite others to enter in. Many also will not suffer those who are willing to enter into the kingdom of heaven, when they without reason excommunicate out of jealousy others who are better than themselves; thus they refuse them entrance, but these of sober spirit, overcoming by their patience this tyranny, although forbidden, yet enter in and inherit the kingdom. Also they who with much rashness have set themselves to the profession of teaching before they have learned, and following Jewish fables, detract from those who search out the higher things of Scripture; these do, as far as in them lies, shut out men from the kingdom of heaven.

The female sex is imprudent, as not contemplating with reason all that it sees or hears; and weak, as being easily turned either from bad to good, or from good to bad. The male sex is more prudent and hardy. And therefore pretenders to holiness practise most upon women, who are unable to see their hypocrisy, and are easily inclined to love them on the ground of religion. But widows they chiefly choose to attempt; first, because a woman who has her husband to advise her is not so readily deceived; and secondly, she has not the means of giving, being in the power of her husband. The Lord then, whilst He confounds the Jewish Priests, instructs the Christian that they should not frequent widows rather than others, for though their purpose may not be bad, it gives occasion to suspicions.

First, for that ye are wicked, and then because ye put on the cloak of sanctity. Your covetousness you dress up in the colour of religion, and use God's arms in the Devil's service, that iniquity may be loved while it is thought to be piety.

He calls them hypocrites for professing piety and doing nothing worthy of what they profess, but instead, they would make pretence of long prayer and would devour the widows' means. Indeed they were mockers who deceived the simple and like leeches sucked them dry. "Therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation" because you have devoured everything the widows have, when instead you should have provided for them and relieved their poverty. There is yet another reason why their condemnation will be greater: they prayed pretending to do good while they were in fact doing something evil, that is, devouring the widows' means. For he who lures another into harm by pretending to be good deserves the greatest punishment.

Woe to you (...) who devour the houses of widows, praying long prayers. This is the second woe, in which the pretense regarding prayer is touched upon. And first he rebukes their voracity, when he says, who devour the houses of widows, because whatever they did, they twisted entirely to gluttony, so that what is said in 2 Maccabees 6:4 applied to them, that the whole temple was full of debauchery and feasting. The houses of widows, i.e., the resources of widows. But why the houses of widows rather than of others? The reason is that they aimed more at seducing women, because men are wiser and more discreet, and are not so quickly deceived. Likewise, women have a more ready inclination toward giving; 1 Timothy 2:10: but that which becomes women professing godliness through good works. Likewise, the houses of widows, because a woman who has a husband has him as her head and counselor, and therefore is not so easily deceived. Likewise, a married woman does not have control of her house, but a widow does; therefore she can give more than a married woman, and therefore they made more profit from them than from others, when it was rather the case that they should have been giving to them; hence that passage in Psalm 93:6 applies well to them: they have slain the widow and the stranger. And this in prayer. Praying long prayers, on account of the pretense of sanctity: and so they twisted prayer toward profit, and profit toward glory. Hence they could be reproved because they were gluttonous, because they were despoilers, and likewise because they pretended sanctity; and therefore it follows, and for this you shall receive the greater judgment, i.e., you sin more greatly. And why? Because if someone robs by the weapons of the devil, he sins; and if by the weapons of God, he sins doubly, because he sins against God and against his neighbor. Or greater, etc., because you receive from those to whom you ought to be giving. Or greater, as it says in Luke 12:47: the servant who knew the will of his lord and did not do it shall be beaten with many stripes.

(cont. Faust. xvi. 29. et cf. cont. Adimant. 16.) This He said not because proselytes were circumcised, but because they imitated the lives of those from following whom He had prohibited His disciples, saying, Do ye not after their works. Two things are observable in this command; first, the honour shown to Moses' teaching, (Matt. 23:3.) that even wicked men when sitting in his seat are compelled to teach good things; and that the proselyte is made a child of hell, not by hearing the words of the Law, but by following their doings. And twofold more than they for this reason, that he neglects to fulfil what he had undertaken of his own choice, having been not born a Jew, but of free will become a Jew.

"I am becoming orthodox," I said, "because I have come, rightly or wrongly, after stretching my brain till it bursts, to the old belief that heresy is worse even than sin. An error is more menacing than a crime, for an error begets crimes. An Imperialist is worse than a pirate. For an Imperialist keeps a school for pirates; he teaches piracy disinterestedly and without an adequate salary.

(interlin. Luke 12:47.) Or, because the servant that knew his Lord's will and did it not, shall he beaten with many stripes.

(Mor. xxxi. 9.) But forasmuch as hypocrites though they do ever crooked things, yet cease not to speak right things, and thus by their good instructions beget sons, but are not able to bring them up by good life, but the more they give themselves up to worldly works, the more willingly do they suffer those whom they have begotten to work the same. And because their hearts are hardened, these very sons whom they have begotten they do not own by any sign of the affection due. Wherefore it is here said of the hypocrites, And when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

That they compass sea and land signifies that throughout the whole world they shall be enemies of Christ's Gospel, and shall bring men under the yoke of the Law against the justification of faith. There were proselytes made into the Synagogue from among the Gentiles, the small number of whom is here denoted by what is said one proselyte. For after the preaching of Christ there was no faith left in their doctrine, but whoever was gained to the faith of the Jews became a child of hell.

And he becomes the child of a twofold punishment, because he has not obtained remission of his Gentile sins, and because he has joined the society of those who persecuted Christ.

(Verse 15.) Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel over sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. We do not serve with the same zeal with which we seek. Scribes and Pharisees, while traversing the whole world for the sake of gains or different profits to be sought both by attracting disciples and by the image of holiness, they had the intention to make a proselyte, that is, a stranger and uncircumcised, mix with the people of God. But he, who before, while he was an ethnick, simply wandered, and was once the son of Gehenna, seeing the vices of the masters, and understanding to destroy them by works, what they were teaching by words, returns to his vomit: and becoming a gentile, as if a transgressor, he will be worthy of a greater punishment. But he is called the son of Gehenna, just as the son of perdition, and the son of this age. For each one is called the son of him whose works he does.

Or otherwise; The Scribes and Pharisees compassed the whole world to make proselytes of the Gentiles, that is, to mix the uncircumcised stranger with the people of God.

Or, because before while he was a Gentile he erred in ignorance, and was only a child of hell; but seeing the vices of his masters, and understanding that they destroyed in their actions what they taught in words, he returns to his vomit, and becoming a Gentile, he is worthy of greater punishment as one that has deserted his cause.

He is called a child of hell in the same way as one is said to be a child of perdition, and a child of this world; every man is called the son of him whose works he does.

After this, again another charge: "Ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves;" that is, not even the fact that hardly ye have taken him, and with endless toils, induces you to be sparing towards him, although of the things we have hardly acquired, we are more sparing, but you not even this renders more gentle.

Here He lays to their charge two things; one, that they are unprofitable for the salvation of the many, and need much toil in order to win over even one; another, that they were remiss in the preservation of him whom they had gained, or rather that they were not only careless, but even traitors, by their wickedness in their life corrupting him, and making him worse. For when the disciple sees his teachers to be such as these, he becomes worse than they. For he stops not at his teacher's wickedness; but as when his teacher is virtuous, he imitates him, so when he is bad, he even goes beyond him, by reason of our proneness to what is evil.

And He calls him "a child of hell," that is, a very hell. And He said "twofold more than you," that He might both alarm those, and make these feel the more severely, because they are teachers of wickedness. And not this only, but because they labor to instill into their disciples a greater wickedness, hardening them to a much greater depravity than they have, and this is above all a mark of a depraved soul.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who go about the sea and the dry land to make one proselyte, and when he has been made, you make him a son of gehenna twice as much as you yourselves are.

These things are fittingly said, after the coming of Christ, to the scribes and Pharisees of Jewish words, who diligently go about very many places of the world in order to persuade newcomers to Judaize. For whoever Judaize after the Savior are taught to imitate the disposition of those who said at that time: "Crucify, crucify him", and again "Away with such a one from the earth"; and they are taught also to accuse him, just as then the priests of the people used to accuse him. And it is possible to see them even now, when a robber is being judged and a Christian bears witness to the truth, wishing rather that the imitator of Barabbas be acquitted than the disciple of Christ. All of which things make the proselyte a son of gehenna not simply, but, as it is written, twofold beyond the scribes and Pharisees who made him a proselyte.

But someone will say in this place: how is the disciple, a proselyte to those who are now the wretchedly constituted scribes and Pharisees, not made a son of gehenna equally with his teachers, but twofold? For he will say that he ought to become a son of gehenna less, and, if anything, by half, than the one who made him a proselyte. Or, if one should even grant that the disciple be "as his master", the disciple ought to become a son of gehenna equally with his master. I think, therefore, that every man who from the Gentile manner of life has been made a proselyte of the Jews was a son of gehenna even before he becomes a proselyte. For a life subjected to idolatries is sufficient of itself to make a man a son of gehenna. Such a son of gehenna, therefore, the word of our Lord Jesus Christ does indeed save and set free through the "washing of baptism", giving him the power to become a son of God and showing him the way, so that he may become a son of God the Father who is in heaven. But the word of the Jews who do not believe in Christ not only does not release the Gentile from gehenna, but still adds to him a further count of damnation, so that according to Judaism too he becomes a son of gehenna. And thus the scribe or Pharisee makes another a son of gehenna more than himself, not because he himself makes him twofold, but because, when the man has been made …, he is made twofold a son of gehenna through the teaching of his teacher. And thus the one who taught becomes the cause of that man's second error, so that he becomes twofold a son of gehenna above the one who taught him ill. But another will say in another way, that those who from the beginning were nurtured in the law of Moses are already sons of gehenna, because they did not believe in Christ. But those who have left the Gentile life, once judging to abandon the idolatry in which they had been nurtured, and have taken hold of the Jewish life, are worthy of a double punishment, because they did not abandon it with inquiry, nor were they willing to examine the Jewish word and that which seems to be akin to the Jewish word, that is, the profession of Christians, nor did they investigate through those who are competent to teach both sects, so that they might understand which word was the truer and rather to be chosen. At the same time we learn from this place that among those also who are to be in gehenna there will be a difference of torments, since the one is simply a son of gehenna, while the other is twofold.

But this too we must consider: whether someone becomes a son of gehenna still more abundantly, for instance threefold or manifold according to the multitude of his sins; and whether it is generally the case that someone becomes a son of gehenna, for instance a Jew or a Gentile or the professor of any false doctrine whatsoever, or also specially, so that through the individual kinds of sins one becomes a son of gehenna: for instance, he who fornicates becomes a son of gehenna, but he who also commits adultery becomes so twofold, while he who also commits theft becomes so still threefold (according to what is written: "with what measure you have measured, with the same measure it shall be measured to you"), so that the righteous man indeed is increased in glory according to the number of his righteous deeds, but the sinner is multiplied in gehenna according to the number of his sins. But what this gehenna is, and in what place of the scriptures it was first named, let him who is able inquire, especially in the division of the inheritance of Joshua the son of Nun, where sometimes it is called the valley of the son of Hinnom, but sometimes the valley of Hinnom, which is Gehenna (for Ge is a VALLEY), and let him observe that, just as Jerusalem is the portion of the tribe of Benjamin and certain other chosen cities or villages, so also is Gehenna. And it is consequent for him who knows what Jerusalem is in the division of the true inheritance of the sons of Israel, that he should understand the discourse about gehenna. But he who reads Joshua the son of Nun diligently, let him see also which villages are there reported to neighbor the valley that is called Gehenna. It has seemed to me not to be safe to hand these things down at greater length and more openly through ink and pen and paper; would that these very things which we do say may not seem to have been said rashly and perilously!

From this place we learn that there will be a difference of torment in hell, seeing one is here said to be singly a child of hell, another twofold. And we ought to consider here whether it is possible that a man should be generally a child of hell, as a Jew, suppose, or a Gentile, or whether specially so in consequence of some particular sins; that as a righteous man is increased in glory by the abundance of his righteousnesses, so a sinner's punishment is increased manifold by the number of his sins.

And that not of compassion from desire to save him whom they taught, but either from covetousness, that the greater number of worshippers might increase the number of offerings made in sacrifice, or out of vain glory. For he who sinks himself in a slough of sins, how should he be desirous to rescue another out of them? Will a man be more merciful to another than to himself? By a man's actions therefore it may be known whether he seeks another's conversion for God's sake, or out of vain glory.

Or, because while he was a worshipper of idols, he observed righteousness even because of men; but when he became a Jew, prompted by the example of evil teachers, he became worse than his teachers.

Not only, He says, do you corrupt the Jews, but also those who come to the Jewish religion from idolatry. These were called "proselytes." You are eager to convert someone to the Jewish way of life and to circumcision; but when they Judaize, they perish, corrupted by your wickedness. A "son of gehenna" means he who deserves gehenna and stands so close to it by disposition that he is kindled by its flames.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who go round about the sea and the land to make one proselyte. And this is explained in two ways, as referring to the time after Christ, and to the time before Christ. If to the time after, then he speaks of things future and present. For he foresaw that the Jews would be scattered throughout the whole world, and that they would convert some to their law, and pervert from Christ whomever they could. And therefore it says, you go round about the sea and the land, etc. Proselytes are those who convert from the gentiles to their faith, or from Christians; and because he foresaw that they would convert some to their faith from among the Christians, therefore he says this. And he says one, because very few were converted. Therefore they entered into that curse found in Hosea 9:10: I found Israel like grapes in the desert. And when he is made, namely a Jew, you make him a child of hell twofold more than yourselves: because he is first a gentile and then a Jew, and then he has double sins, namely of gentilism and of the Jews, because as a Jew he becomes a partaker of the slaying of Christ; but if he was a Christian and afterward becomes a Jew, he becomes doubly worse, because he defiles the gift of the Holy Spirit which he had received in the sacraments. Likewise, he becomes a partaker of the sins of the Jews; John 8:44: you are of your father the devil. It can also be referred to the time before Christ, because before Christ they converted some to their faith. And this is clear, because everyone loves himself more than another; therefore if they were converting others for the salvation of souls, they ought to have cared more for their own salvation, but they did not care. But they did all this for profit, because they wanted the offerings to be increased; hence their doctrine was futile. And when he is made, you make him a child of hell twofold more than yourselves; because first he was converted to Judaism and was scandalized, and so afterward he converted again. Hence 2 Peter 2:21: it had been better for them not to have known the way of justice than, after knowing it, to turn back. Also in another way. Before he was a Jew, he abstained from evils, at least for the praise of men, but afterward, he did not; hence Romans 2:14: for when the gentiles, who have not the law, do by nature those things that are of the law, these, having not the law, are a law to themselves. Hence they took example from the wicked.

(Quæst. Ev. i. 34.) The temple and altar we may also understand of Christ Himself; the gold and the gifts, of the praise and sacrifice of prayer which we offer in Him and through Him. For not He by them, but they by Him, are sanctified.

For since Christ is come, reliance upon the Law is vain; for not Christ by the Law, but the Law by Christ, is sanctified, in whom it rests as on a seat or throne; so are they fools and blind, who, overlooking the sanctifier, pay honour to the things sanctified.

(Verse 16 onwards) Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple is nothing, but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is bound by his oath.' Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? And, 'Whoever swears by the altar is nothing, but whoever swears by the gift that is on it is obligated.' Blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? Therefore, whoever swears on the altar, swears on it and on all things that are above it. And whoever swears in the temple, swears in it and in him who dwells in it. And whoever swears in heaven, swears on the throne of God and on him who sits on it. Above, as it seemed to us, we have explained what the tradition of the Pharisees meant, saying: Whatever gift is from me will benefit you: now the double tradition of the Pharisees, enticing to one occasion of greed, is condemned, so that they may be proved to do everything for gain and not for the fear of God. For just as in the phylacteries and fringes, by enlarged expectations of holiness, it was trying to capture glory, and was seeking gains through the opportunity of glory, so another tradition found fault with the teachers of impiety. If anyone were to swear in the temple during a dispute, or in some argument, or in a doubtful case, and later be convicted of lying, they were not held accountable for the crime. But if they were to swear on gold and money, which was offered to the priests in the temple, they were immediately compelled to fulfill what they had sworn. Again: If anyone swore upon the altar, no one held him guilty of perjury; but if he swore falsely on a gift, or on offerings, that is, on victims and on fine flour and on the rest, which are offered to God upon the altar, these were most diligently sought after. Therefore, the Lord reproached them both for foolishness and deceit, because the temple is much greater than the gold that is sanctified by the temple, and the altar is greater than the offerings that are sanctified by the altar. But they did it not out of fear of God, but out of greed for riches.

As by making broad phylacteries and fringes they sought after the reputation of sanctity, and made this again a means of gain, so now He charges them with being teachers of wickedness by their fraudulent pretence of tradition. For when in any dispute or quarrel, or ambiguous cause, one swore by the temple, and was afterwards convicted of falsehood, he was not held guilty. This is what is meant by that, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing, that is, he owes nothing, But if he had sworn by the gold, or by the money which was offered to the Priests in the temple, he was immediately compelled to pay down that by which he had sworn.

Woe to you, guides of the blind, who say: whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, is bound. Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? And: whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is upon it, is bound. Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? He therefore who swears by the altar swears by it and by all things that are upon it. And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. And he who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.

By this saying too he censures the traditions of the Pharisees, as being not upright. He does this also in that passage where he reproaches the traditions of the Pharisees made against the commandment of God, which had been laid down concerning the honor of father or mother, when the Pharisees said: "whoever shall say to his father or mother: a gift, whatever from me may profit you, he shall not honor his father". After which he adds and says: "you have made void the commandment of God, that you may establish your own tradition", and he brings forward the example of Isaiah, saying: "this people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; and in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men". One, then, of the Pharisaic traditions was such, concerning those who swear, since some indeed swore by the temple, but others by the gold of the temple, likewise others by the altar, others by the gift of the altar; and they said that he was a debtor who swore by the gold of the temple or by the gift of the altar, but that he was in no respect liable who swore by the temple or by the altar.

Therefore, speaking against traditions of this kind to the Jews, and wishing to correct them from human traditions to the divine commandments, the Savior says that they are blind and foolish who hand down such things, not seeing that everything which is placed in the temple is not sanctified through itself, but through the temple. So too what is placed upon the altar is judged to be already God's gift from the fact that it has been received upon the altar. If, then, the cause of sanctifying the gold is the temple, and of sanctifying the gift the altar, how would it not seem foolish that the one who swears by that which sanctifies is not guilty, while the one who swears by that which is sanctified seems to be guilty, as though that which is sanctified were better than that which sanctifies? So, since the Jews have the custom of swearing also by heaven, to the foregoing he added this too for the reproof of those who swore more readily by heaven than by God, since he acts equally irrationally who swears by heaven, just as he who swears by the temple or by the altar; for he who swears by heaven is seen also to swear by him who sits upon it, and does not (as he supposes) escape the danger from the fact that he swears not by God himself, but by the throne of God. And these things he says to the Jews, forbidding men to give heed to the traditions of the Pharisees. For otherwise, above, he plainly forbade to swear "at all".

But if it is necessary to bring somewhat more deeply to light, at least in part, the meaning of Scripture that lies hidden as it were in such fields of the Gospel and is not comprehensible to just anyone, it must be said: every oath is a binding and a confirmation of the word about which one swears. Therefore an oath is to be understood as every testimony of the Scriptures that is brought forward for the confirmation and binding of our word which we speak, so that "all Scripture divinely inspired" is indeed the temple of the glory of God, and the meaning placed within it is the gold. Therefore, in support of all the words that we bring forward in teaching, we ought to bring forward the meaning of Scripture as though confirming the meaning that we set forth. For just as all gold that is outside the temple is not sanctified, so every meaning that is outside the divine Scripture (however admirable it may seem to some) is not holy, because it is not contained by the meaning of Scripture, which is accustomed to sanctify only that meaning which it has within itself, as the temple sanctifies its own proper gold. We ought not, therefore, in order to confirm our teaching, to swear by our own private understandings and take them as testimonies, those things which each one of us understands and reckons to be according to truth, unless he has shown them to be holy, from the fact that they are contained in the divine Scriptures as though in certain temples of God. Fools therefore and blind are all those who do not recognize that the temple, that is, the reading of the Scriptures, makes a meaning great and venerable, as it does the consecrated gold.

But consider further whether perhaps, according to the likeness of the temple and the gold placed in the temple, we ought to understand the altar and the gift which is placed upon the altar. The altar, then, which sanctifies the offering, is the heart of man, which is held to be the principal thing in man; and the offerings and gifts which are placed upon the altar are everything that is placed upon the heart. For instance, you propose to pray: you have placed the offering of prayer upon your heart, as upon a certain altar, in order to offer prayer to God. You have proposed to sing psalms: you have placed the offering of psalms upon your heart, as upon a certain altar, in order to offer to God the offering of psalms. You have proposed to give alms: you have placed the offering of almsgiving upon your heart, as upon a certain altar, in order to offer the offering of almsgiving to God. You have proposed to fast: you have placed the offering of fasting upon your heart, as upon a certain altar …. Therefore the heart of man, from which the offering is offered to God, makes every offering venerable and holy. For this reason the offering cannot be more honorable than the heart of man, from which the offering is transmitted. Blind, therefore, is every man who sees either someone's great almsgivings or psalms or great prayers or fastings, and without judgment pronounces them blessed, and does not consider from what sort of heart the almsgivings are offered, or the psalms, or the prayers, or the fastings. For the altar is the heart which sanctifies the offering of him who is pure of heart. For if the heart and conscience of a man "does not prick him, he has confidence toward God". Not on account of his gifts, nor the words of prayer or psalm, however well composed they may seem and selected from the Scriptures, but because (so to speak) he has well built the altar of his heart. He, therefore, who takes the altar, that is, the principal heart and the conscience, as witness, swears by the altar, embracing everything that is contained in it. And he who swears, according to what we have handed down, by the temple, that is by Scripture, is seen to swear by Scripture and by the word and meaning of God which is contained in it.

But there is a third point, that we may say that above the temple, that is, above all Scripture, and above the altar, that is, above every heart, there is a certain understanding above the understanding of all the Scriptures and above every heart, "which has not yet ascended into the heart of man", which morally is called heaven, a throne now not "of the glory of God", as the temple is, but of God himself. For the temple is the temple of the glory of God, in which "we see through a mirror in an enigma"; but heaven, which is above the temple of God himself, in which is the throne of God, in which it is possible to behold "with unveiled face", "when that which is perfect shall have come", the face of the mysteries of the truth that sit in a heaven of this kind.

Now an oath is in confirmation of somewhat that has been spoken. The oath here then may signify testimony of Scripture which we produce in confirmation of that word which we speak. So that Divine Scripture is the temple of God, the gold is the meaning which it contains. As the gold which is outside the Temple is not sanctified, so all thoughts which are without divine Scripture, however admirable they may seem, are not hallowed. We ought not therefore to bring any speculations of our own for the confirmation of doctrine, unless such as we can show are hallowed by being contained in divine Scripture. The altar is the human heart, which is the chief thing in man. The offerings and gifts that are hid upon the altar, are every thing which are done in the heart, as to pray, to sing, to do alms, to fast. Every offering of a man then is sanctified by his heart, by which the offering is made. There cannot therefore be a more honourable offering than the heart of man, out of which the offering proceeds. If then one's conscience does not smite him, he has confidence towards God, not by reason of his gifts, but so to speak because he has rightly ordered the altar of his heart. Thirdly, we may say that over the temple, that is over every Scripture, and over the altar, that is over every heart, there is a certain meaning which is called the Heaven, the throne of God Himself, in which we shall be able to see the things that are revealed face to face, when that which is perfect is come.

The temple pertains to God's glory, and to man's spiritual salvation, but the gold of the temple though it pertains to the glory of God, yet does it more so to the delight of man, and the profit of the Priests. The Jews then pronounced the gold which delighted them, and the gifts which fed them, to be more holy than the temple, that they might make men more disposed to offer gifts, than to pour out prayers in the temple. Whence the Lord suitably reproves them in these words. Yet have some Christians at present an equally foolish notion. See, they say, in any suit if one swear by God, it seems nought; but if one swear by the Gospel, he seems to have done some great thing. To whom we shall say in like manner, Ye fools and blind! the Scriptures were written because of God, God is not because of the Scriptures. Greater therefore is God, than what is hallowed by Him.

Jesus is saying that the gold in the temple, the gold objects dedicated in the temple to the glory of God, whether these be the gold cherubim or the gold jar containing the manna, were considered by the Jews to be worthy of much more honor than the temple. Therefore they were condemned by the Lord.… But the saying possesses a figurative meaning directed against them because they are not receiving the truth regarding Christ. Instead, they were judging Moses and the types given through him as more valuable than Christ.… They were rejecting the Christ who sanctifies Moses while simultaneously praising the law. Just as the law was praiseworthy, not because it possesses the types and the symbols but because it prefigures the true mystery of worship in Christ, in the same way the gold is precious because of the one who sanctifies the temple, and heaven is beautiful because of the God who sanctifies it and dwells within it.

He calls them blind for not wanting to teach what was right, but instead valuing what was of lesser importance, and giving second place to that which was worthy of honor. For they valued the gold in the temple, the images of the Cherubim and the golden urn, more highly than they did the temple itself. Therefore they taught the people that it was of no consequence to swear by the temple, and instead they taught them to swear by the gold which is in the temple. This gold, however, was precious precisely because it was in the temple. And the Pharisees said that the gifts placed on the altar were more valuable than the altar itself. So the Pharisees even taught that if someone swore by the golden vessel, or the ox, or the sheep brought for sacrifice, and then broke his oath, he was sentenced to pay an equal amount. The Pharisees put a higher value on the gift upon the altar because of the profit they derived from sacrifices. But if some one swore by the temple and then broke his oath, he was absolved [and owed nothing, the Pharisees would say], as it was not possible to build [and pay] anything equal to the temple. And so the oath by the temple was considered to be of lesser consequence because of the Pharisees' love of money. Under the Old Covenant, Christ does not permit the gift to be greater than the altar, but for us it is just the opposite: the altar is sanctified by the gifts, for the loaves are changed by divine grace into the very Body of the Lord Himself. Therefore the altar is sanctified by them.

Woe to you, blind guides. In this he shows how they are pretenders of sanctity in those things that are owed to prelates. And first, regarding offerings; secondly, regarding tithes, at woe to you (...) who tithe mint, etc. See: first he sets forth their tradition; secondly, he argues against it with three reasons. The first part, where the tradition is set forth with the reason, has two parts. The second is at and whosoever shall swear by the altar, etc. They were drawing all religion toward profit, in order to induce men to make offerings. In the temple there was much gold placed: hence they said that if anyone swore by the temple, he owed nothing; but he who swore by the gold obligated himself to as much as the value of what he swore by. Likewise, the second tradition was that there was an altar and many things were offered upon the altar; hence they said that he who swore by the altar paid nothing, but he who swore by the offering obligated himself to the value of the offering. And why? So that they might profit from the penalties, and so that they might elevate the sanctity of the offering, and so that men might be incited to offer more. And first he sets forth the first part; secondly, the second. Regarding the first, he does two things. First, he proposes the tradition; secondly, the refutation, at you foolish and blind, etc. He says, then, woe to you, blind guides, etc. The same is said above at 15:14: they are blind and leaders of the blind; Isaiah 56:10: his watchmen are all blind. Who say, whosoever shall swear by the temple of God, it is nothing, because it is impossible that this man should build another temple; but he that shall swear by the gold of the temple, i.e., by the gold, is a debtor, namely of that gold.

For since Christ is come, reliance upon the Law is vain; for not Christ by the Law, but the Law by Christ, is sanctified, in whom it rests as on a seat or throne; so are they fools and blind, who, overlooking the sanctifier, pay honour to the things sanctified.

Then he sets forth the refutation: you foolish and blind; for which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? It is evident that what is in the temple is holy by reason of the temple; hence he who steals anything in the temple commits sacrilege. Hence it is greater to swear by the temple than by the gold. Chrysostom says: this is against certain people who say that to swear by God is nothing. Hence those who swear by God believe they swear by nothing; but when they swear by the holy Gospels of God, they believe it to be a great thing. Hence it can be said to them: which is greater, God or the Gospel? It is evident that it is God. And this is true absolutely; it is otherwise when some circumstance is added which aggravates the sin. Because he who swears by the holy Gospels of God has sworn with a certain deliberation and solemnity, and therefore sins more gravely.

Again, if one swore by the altar, none held him guilty of perjury; but if he swore by the gift or the victims or the other things which are offered to God upon the altar, this they exacted most rigorously. And all this they did not out of fear of God, but out of covetousness. Thus the Lord charges them with both folly and fraud, inasmuch as the altar is much greater than the victims which are sanctified by the altar.

Then he sets forth the second part of the tradition: and whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, is a debtor.

For since Christ is come, reliance upon the Law is vain; for not Christ by the Law, but the Law by Christ, is sanctified, in whom it rests as on a seat or throne; so are they fools and blind, who, overlooking the sanctifier, pay honour to the things sanctified.

Then he sets forth the refutation: ye blind, which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? For the gift is not sanctified except by the altar.

(non occ.) And lest their infatuation should go so far, that they should affirm that the gold was more holy than the temple, and the gift than the altar, He argues on another ground, that in the oath which is sworn by the temple and the altar is contained the oath by the gold or by the gift.

He therefore that swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things that are upon it. Here he sets forth another reason. The temple contains the gold, and not conversely; similarly, the altar contains the gift, and not conversely. Hence he who swears by the temple swears by the gold that is in the temple; and he who swears by the altar, i.e., by the altar, swears by what is on it.

His hands, at all events, are ever unclean, eternally dyed with the blood of the prophets, and of the Lord Himself; and on that account, as being hereditary culprits from their privity to their fathers' crimes, they do not dare even to raise them unto the Lord, for fear some Isaiah should cry out, for fear Christ should utterly shudder.

Likewise, another reason follows: and whosoever shall swear by the temple, swears by it and by him that dwells in it. They said: he who swears by the temple swears by nothing. But he wishes to show that he who swears by the temple swears by God, because he does not swear by the temple except as sanctified, and it is not sanctified except by God. Therefore he who swears by the temple swears by God.

(ord.) For whoso swears by the creature that is subject, swears by the Divinity that rules over the creation.

In like manner the custom which the Jews had of swearing by the Heaven He reprobates. For they did not, as they supposed, avoid the danger of taking an oath by God, because, Whose sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

Then another reason is set forth: and he that swears by heaven, i.e., by heaven, does not swear by it except because it is the throne of God, and because the power of God is manifested there; hence he that swears by heaven swears by the throne of God, and by him that sits thereon. Psalm 10:5: God is in his holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven. And this is introduced there according to a likeness. But mystically, according to Origen, he makes mention of the temple, the gold, and the altar, in which the contemplative and glorious life is signified. By the gold the contemplative life is signified, by which is signified the subtle sense excogitated from Scripture itself: because however reasonable it may appear, it is nothing unless it is in the temple, i.e., unless it is confirmed in sacred Scripture. By the altar is signified the heart, in which there ought to be the fire of devotion; Leviticus 6:12: the fire on my altar shall not go out. By the offerings are signified the services and offerings, which, unless they proceed from a holy heart, or from a holy altar, cannot have value; above at 6:22: if your eye be single, your whole body shall be lightsome. By the throne the glorious life is signified: there God is, who surpasses all things. Or by the altar and the temple we understand Christ: for he calls himself a temple; John 2:19: destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Likewise, he is called an altar; Hebrews 13:10: we have an altar, whereof they have no power to eat who serve the tabernacle. Hence whatever good we do, unless it is sanctified in this temple, i.e., Christ, it is of no value; hence everything is contemptible unless it is referred to Christ.