1479. Here, according to Augustine, the Evangelist gives the reason why Lazarus’ two sisters did not come to Christ, and it was due to their confidence in him because of the special love he had for them; so the Evangelist remarks, now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister Mary, and Lazarus. Indeed, he who is the consoler of the sorrowful loved the sorrowing sisters, and he who was the savior of the weary loved the weary and dead Lazarus: yea, he loved his people; all those consecrated to him were in his hand (Deut 33:3).
1479. Hic, secundum Augustinum, Evangelista assignat rationem quare duae sorores non venerunt ad Christum: quae scilicet sumitur ex confidentia specialis dilectionis, unde dicit diligebat autem Iesus Martham, et Mariam sororem eius, et Lazarum. Quippe qui tristium consolator erat, sorores tristes diligebat; et qui languentium salvator erat, languidum et mortuum Lazarum diligebat; Deut. XXX, 3: dilexit populos: omnes sancti in manu illius sunt.
Lecture 2
Lectio 2
Christ remains in the same place
Christ manet in eodem loco
11:6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he remained in the same place for two days. [n. 1481]
11:6 Ut ergo audivit quia infirmabatur, tunc quidem mansit in eodem loco duobus diebus. [n. 1481]
11:7 Then after that, he said to his disciples: let us go into Judea again. [n. 1482]
11:7 Deinde post haec dicit discipulis suis: eamus in Iudaeam iterum. [n. 1482]
11:8 The disciples said to him: Rabbi, the Jews but now sought to stone you, and you would go there again? [n. 1484]
11:8 Dicunt ei discipuli: Rabbi, nunc quaerebant te Iudaei lapidare, et iterum vadis illuc? [n. 1484]
11:9 Jesus answered: are there not twelve hours of the day? If a man walk in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world: [n. 1485]
11:9 Respondit Iesus: nonne duodecim horae sunt diei? Si quis ambulaverit in die, non offendit, quia lucem huius mundi videt. [n. 1485]
11:10 But if he walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him. [n. 1489]
11:10 Si autem ambulaverit in nocte, offendit, quia lux non est in eo. [n. 1489]
1480. Here the Evangelist presents the raising of the dead Lazarus.
1480. Hic agitur de mortui resuscitatione, et
First, we see that Christ desired to do this;
primo ponitur resuscitandi propositum;
and second, the sequence of events surrounding the raising are given, at Jesus therefore came (John 11:17).
secundo subditur suscitationis ordo, ibi venit itaque Iesus etc.
We see three things related to the first.
Circa primum tria facit.
First, our Lord allows death;
Primo dat Dominus locum morti;
second, he states his intention to go to the place where Lazarus died, at then after that, he said;
secundo praenuntiat propositum de accedendo ad locum ubi mortuus erat, ibi deinde post haec dicit etc.;
and third, he reveals his intention to raise him, at these things he said, and after that he said to them (John 11:11).
tertio praenuntiat propositum suscitandi, ibi haec ait, et post haec dicit illis etc.
1481. Christ allowed this death by prolonging his stay beyond the Jordan: when he had heard therefore that he was sick, he remained in the same place for two days. One may infer from this that Lazarus died on the very day that Jesus received the message from his sisters: for when Christ went to the place where he died, it was already the fourth day. After receiving the message, Christ then remained two days in the same place, and on the day after these two days, he went to Judea.
1481. Dat autem locum morti, moram trahendo Dominus trans Iordanem: et ideo dicit ut autem audivit quia infirmabatur, mansit in eodem loco duobus diebus. Ex quo notatur quod eodem die quo Christus recepit nuntium sororum Lazari, mortuus fuit Lazarus: nam quando Christus venit ad locum ubi mortuus fuit, iam quatriduanus erat; Christus autem duobus diebus postquam recepit nuntium, remansit in eodem loco, et sequenti die ab illis duobus ivit in Iudaeam.
He delayed these few days for two reasons. First, so that the death of Lazarus would not be prevented by his presence; for where life is present, death has no entry. In the second place, in order to make the miracle more credible, and so that people would not say that Christ revived Lazarus, not from death, but only from a coma.
Dedit autem locum morti per tot dies, propter duo. Primo quidem ne ex praesentia eius mors Lazari impedita fuisset: nam ubi vita praesens est, mors locum non habet. Secundo, ut miraculum credibilius redderetur, et nullus posset dicere quoniam nondum defunctum eum suscitavit, sed potius stupefactum.
1482. Here our Lord declares his intention to go to the place where Lazarus died, at then after that, he said to his disciples: let us go into Judea again.
1482. Consequenter cum dicit deinde post haec dicit discipulis suis, Dominus manifestat propositum accessus sui ad locum, et
First, we see our Lord’s plan;
primo praenuntiat propositum;
second, we see the fear in the disciples, at the disciples said to him.
secundo subditur timor discipulorum, ibi dicunt ei discipuli etc.;
and third, we have our Lord dispelling their fear, at Jesus answered: are there not twelve hours of the day?
tertio Dominus timorem propellit, ibi respondit Iesus: nonne duodecim horae sunt diei?
1483. With respect to the first the Evangelist says, then after that, the prolonged delay, he said, Jesus did, to his disciples, let us go into Judea again.
1483. Dicit ergo quantum ad primum deinde post haec, scilicet moram contractam, dixit, scilicet Iesus, discipulis suis: eamus in Iudaeam iterum.
One might ask here why Christ made a point of mentioning to the apostles that he was about to go into Judea again, since he had not done this on other occasions.
Hic quaeritur quare hic solum praedixit apostolis se iterum iturum in Iudaeam, cum hoc alias non fecerit.
The reason for this was that the Jews had just recently persecuted Christ in Judea and had almost stoned him; indeed, that is why he had left. So it was to be expected that when Christ wanted to go there again, the disciples would become fearful. And because darts that are foreseen do not strike and foreseen evils are more easily borne, as Gregory says, our Lord mentioned his planned journey to them to calm their fears.
Sed huius quidem ratio est, quia Iudaei nuper in Iudaea persecuti fuerant Christum, ita ut pene eum lapidassent; unde et propterea inde decesserat: propter quod credendum erat quod, Christo iterato illuc ire volente, discipulorum corda timor invaderet. Et quia praevisa iacula minus feriunt, et mala quae praevidentur, facilius tolerantur, ut Gregorius dicit, ideo Dominus, ut eis timorem auferret, eis itineris sui propositum manifestat.
As to the mystical sense, we can understand by the fact that Christ is returning once again to Judea, that he will return again at the end of the world to the Jews, who will be converted to Christ: a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the gentiles come in (Rom 11:25).
Per hoc autem quod iterum revertitur in Iudaeam, mystice datur intelligi, Dominum in fine mundi iterum reversurum ad Iudaeos, qui convertentur ad Christum; Rom. XI, 25: caecitas ex parte contigit in Israel, donec plenitudo gentium intraret.
1484. The fear of the disciples is mentioned when the Evangelist says, the disciples said to him: Rabbi, the Jews but now sought to stone you, and you would go there again? This was like saying: it seems that you are deliberately going to your death. Yet their fear was unreasonable, because the disciples had God with them as their protector, and one who is with God should not fear: let us stand up together. Who is my adversary? (Isa 50:8) The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear? (Ps 26:2).
1484. Timor discipulorum ponitur cum dicitur dicunt ei discipuli: rabbi, nunc quaerebant te Iudaei lapidare, et iterum vadis illuc? Quasi dicant: videtur quod spontaneus vadas ad mortem. Sed timor iste irrationabilis est, quia secum habebant discipuli Deum protectorem, cum quo qui est, timere non debet; Is. l, 8: stemus simul: quis est adversarius meus? Ps. XXVI, 1: Dominus illuminatio mea et salus mea: quem timebo?
1485. Our Lord dispels this fear by strengthening them. The Evangelist says, Jesus answered his disciples, are there not twelve hours of the day?
1485. Hunc timorem expellit Dominus confortans eos; unde dicit respondit Iesus, scilicet discipulis, nonne duodecim horae sunt diei? Ubi
First, we see something about the time;
primo ponit conditionem temporis;
second, what time is suited for walking;
secundo ostendit quod tempus sit aptum ambulationi;
third, what time is not.
tertio quod non sit aptum.
The second, he explains at if a man walk in the day, he does not stumble; the third at but if he walks in the night, he stumbles.
Secundum ibi si quis ambulaverit in die, non offendit; tertium ibi si autem ambulaverit in nocte, offendit.
1486. To understand this passage we should note that it has been explained in three ways. The first way is that of Chrysostom, and is this. Are there not twelve hours of the day? is like saying: you hesitate to go up to Judea because the Jews recently wanted to stone me; but the day has twelve hours, and what happens at one hour does not happen in another. So, although they would have stoned me before, they would not want to do this at another hour: for everything there is a season (Eccl 3:1); every matter has its time and way (Eccl 8:6).
1486. Ad intelligentiam autem huius litterae, sciendum est, quod tripliciter exponitur. Uno modo a Chrysostomo sic. Nonne duodecim horae sunt diei? Quasi dicat: vos dubitas ascendere in Iudaeam, quia nuper Iudaeu voluerunt me lapidare; sed dies habet duodecim horas, et quod contingit in una, non contingit in alia. Unde licet tunc voluissent me lapidare, in alia hora hoc nollent; Eccle. III, 1: omnia tempus habent. Et eiusdem VIII, 6: omni negotio tempus est et opportunitas.
1487. A literal question arises because he is speaking here either of the natural or of the artificial day. If he is speaking of the natural day, then what he says is false: because the natural day does not have twelve but twenty-four hours. Again, if he is speaking of the artificial day, his statement is false: because it is true only at the equinox, for not all artificial days have twelve hours.
1487. Sed hic incidit quaestio litteralis: quia aut loquitur de die naturali, aut de die artificiali. Si quidem loquatur de die naturali, tunc falsum est quod dicit; cum non habeant duodecim, sed vigintiquatuor horas. Similiter si loquitur de die artificiali, falsum est quod dicit: quia hoc non est verum nisi in aequinoctiali, quia non omnes dies artificiales habent duodecim horas.
I answer that we should understand this to refer to the artificial day, because all artificial days have twelve hours. For the hours of such days are distinguished in two ways. Some are equal in length and some are not. Those equal in length are distinguished according to the circle of the equator: and according to this not all days have twelve hours, but some have more and some less, except at the equator. The hour not equal in length are more distinguished according to the ascensions of the zodiac on account of its obliquity: because the zodiac does not ascend equally in all its parts, but at the equator equally. Now each artificial day has twelve of these unequal hours, because every day has six signs which ascend during the day, and six at night; but those which ascend in summer have a slower motion than those which ascend in winter, and of course the ascent of each sign makes up two hours.
Sed ad hoc dicendum, quod intelligendum est de die artificiali: quia omnes dies artificiales habent duodecim horas. Nam horae huiusmodi dierum distinguuntur dupliciter. Quaedam enim sunt aequales, et quaedam sunt inaequales. Aequales autem distinguuntur secundum circulum aequinoctialis: et secundum hoc non omnes dies habent duodecim horas sed aliqui plures, aliqui pauciores; nisi tantum in aequinoctio. Inaequales autem distinguuntur secundum ascensiones zodiaci propter eius obliquitatem: quia non aequaliter ascendit zodiacus in omnibus partibus suis; aequinoctialis autem aequaliter: et de istis horis inaequalibus quilibet dies artificialis habet duodecim horas; quia quolibet die ascendunt sex signa de die, et sex de nocte; sed illa quae ascendunt in aestate, sunt tardioris motus quam illa quae ascendunt in hieme; ascensus autem cuiuslibet signi facit duas horas.
1488. If a man walks in the day, that is, honorably, and without consciousness of any evil, let us conduct ourselves becomingly as in that day (Rom 13:13), he does not stumble, that is, he does not come upon anything that might harm him. And this is because he sees the light of this world, i.e., the light of righteousness is in him: light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart (Ps 97:11). It is like our Lord were saying: we can go securely because we are walking during the day.
1488. Si quis ambulaverit in die, idest honeste, et absque conscientia alicuius mali, Rom. XIII, 13: sicut in die honeste ambulemus, non offendit, idest, non invenit quod ei noceat. Et hoc ideo quia lucem huius mundi videt; idest, lux iustitiae in eo est; Ps. XCVI, 11: lux orta est iusto, et rectis corde laetitia; quasi dicat Dominus: nos secure possumus ire, cum in die ambulemus.
1489. But if he walks in the night, that is, in the night of iniquities, he will easily find dangers. Concerning this night we read: those who sleep at night (1 Thess 5:7). But such a one, stumbles, that is, strikes against something, because the light, of righteousness, is not in him.
1489. Si autem ambulaverit in nocte, scilicet iniquitatum, de facili multa pericula inveniet: de qua nocte I Thess. V, 7: qui dormiunt, nocte dormiunt. Et talis offendit, idest impingit, quia lux, scilicet iustitiae, non est in eo.