Lecture 3
Lectio 3
Judgment of the wicked generation
Iudicium generationis pessimae
12:38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying: Master, we want to see a sign from you. [n. 1047]
12:38 Tunc responderunt ei quidam de scribis et Pharisaeis dicentes: Magister, volumus a te signum videre. [n. 1047]
12:39 Answering he said to them: an evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign: and a sign will not be given to it, except the sign of Jonas the prophet. [n. 1048]
12:39 Qui respondens ait illis: generatio mala et adultera signum quaerit, et signum non dabitur ei nisi signum Ionae prophetae. [n. 1048]
12:40 For as Jonas was in the whale’s belly for three days and three nights: so will the Son of man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. [n. 1051]
12:40 Sicut enim fuit Ionas in ventre ceti tribus diebus et tribus noctibus, sic erit Filius hominis in corde terrae tribus diebus et tribus noctibus. [n. 1051]
12:41 The men of Niniveh will rise in judgment with this generation, and will condemn it: because they did penance at the preaching of Jonas. And behold one greater than Jonas is here. [n. 1053]
12:41 Viri Ninevitae surgent in iudicio cum generatione ista, et condemnabunt eam, quia poenitentiam egerunt in praedicatione Ionae. Et ecce plusquam Iona hic. [n. 1053]
12:42 The queen of the south will rise in judgment with this generation, and will condemn it: because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold one greater than Solomon is here. [n. 1058]
12:42 Regina austri surget in iudicio cum generatione ista, et condemnabit eam, quia venit a finibus terrae audire sapientiam Salomonis. Et ecce plusquam Salomon hic. [n. 1058]
12:43 And when an unclean spirit has gone out of a man he walks through dry places seeking rest, and finds none. [n. 1059]
12:43 Cum autem immundus spiritus exierit ab homine, ambulat per loca arida, quaerens requiem, et non invenit. [n. 1059]
12:44 Then he says: I will return into my house from which I came out. And coming he finds it empty, swept, and garnished. [n. 1063]
12:44 Tunc dicit: revertar in domum meam unde exivi. Et veniens invenit vacantem, scopis mundatam et ornatam. [n. 1063]
12:45 Then he goes, and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man in made worse than the first. So will it be also to this wicked generation. [n. 1065]
12:45 Tunc vadit, et assumit septem alios spiritus secum nequiores se, et intrantes habitant ibi, et fiunt novissima hominis illius peiora prioribus. Sic erit generationi huic pessimae. [n. 1065]
1046. Above, the Lord refuted those who slandered his miracles and teaching; here he convicts those who were testing him. And he does two things:
1046. Supra Dominus confutavit detrahentes suis miraculis, et doctrinae, hic arguit tentantes; et hic duo facit.
first, the questioning to test him is set down;
Primo ponitur interrogatio tentativa;
second, the refutation, at answering he said to them.
secundo reprobatio, ibi respondens ait illis.
1047. It says then, then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, and this after they had seen many miracles, and they had heard many words of wisdom, so that it was fulfilled in them, he speaks with one who is asleep, who utters wisdom to a fool (Sir 22:9). Master we want to see a sign from you.
1047. Dicitur ergo tunc responderunt; hoc est postquam multa miracula viderant, et postquam multa verba sapientiae audierant, ita quod impletum est in eo quod dicitur Eccli. XXII, 9: cum dormiente loquitur qui narrat stulto sapientiam. Magister, volumus a te signum videre.
They say, Master, testing; who speak peace with their neighbor, but evils are in their hearts (Ps 27:3). We want to see a sign from you. Had they not seen many signs? Yes, but the other evangelists explain it in this way, saying, and others tempting, asked of him a sign from heaven (Luke 11:16), as it is written, that Samuel made thunder, and that Elias made fire come down (1 Sam 12:18; 2 Kgs 1:10). For it belongs to the Jews to ask for a sign, as is said, the Jews require signs (1 Cor 1:22). But when he had given earthly signs, they did not believe; even if he were to give heavenly signs, they would not believe; if I have spoken to you earthly things, and you believe not; how will you believe, if I were to speak to you heavenly things? (John 3:12).
Magister dicunt tentando; Ps. XXVII, 3: loquuntur pacem in ore suo, mala autem in cordibus eorum. Volumus a te signum videre. Nonne multa signa viderant? Ita; sed alius evangelista sic exponit dicens, Lc. XI, v. 16: volumus signum de caelo videre, sicut legitur Lib. I Reg. XII, 18 quod Samuel fecit tonitruum: et Elias qui fecit ignem descendere, IV Reg. I, 10. Proprium enim Iudaeorum est signum petere, ut habetur I ad Cor. I, 22: Iudaei signum petunt. Sed cum signa dedisset terrena, non credebant; etiam si daret caelestia, non crederent; Io. III, 12: si terrena dixi vobis, et non creditis, quomodo si dixero caelestia, credetis?
1048. Answering he said to them. Next, he drives them back; and he does two things:
1048. Qui respondens ait illis et cetera. Consequenter repellit eos: et duo facit.
first, he denies their request;
Primo petitionem negat;
second, he shows their shamelessness, at the men of Niniveh.
secundo indignitatem ostendit, ibi viri Ninivitae et cetera.
First, he points out what they were seeking;
Primo designat quod quaerebant;
second, he refuses.
secundo denegat.
1049. It says then, answering he said to them: an evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign. He says, evil, because they were treacherous plotters. Someone is called evil who harms his neighbor. An evil generation, then, and wicked children. It is called an adulterous generation; but draw near here, you sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer, and of the harlot (Isa 57:3).
1049. Dicitur ergo qui respondens ait illis: generatio mala et adultera signum quaerit. Malos enim dicit, quia insidiatores erant. Dicitur quis malus, quia nocet proximo. Generatio ergo mala, et iniqui filii. Dicitur adultera generatio, Is. LVII, 3: vos autem accedite huc filii auguratricis, semen adulteri, et fornicariae.
1050. So then, this generation subjected to iniquity seeks a sign: and a sign will not be given to it, except the sign of Jonas the prophet. Ask a sign of the Lord your God either unto the depth of hell, or unto the height above (Isa 7:11).
1050. Ita ergo ista generatio iniquitati subiecta signum quaerit, sed non dabitur ei nisi signum Ionae prophetae. Is. VII, 11: pete tibi signum a Domino Deo tuo in profundum inferni, sive in excelsum supra et cetera.
So they were seeking a sign from heaven, but they were not worthy to see. For he gave this to the apostles, who saw him ascend, and who saw God’s glory on the mount. But none is given to these but a sign in hell, as regards the soul, and from the earth, as regards the body. Hence, a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonas the prophet. Hence the death of Christ is indicated, and God’s charity is shown, as the Apostle says, when as yet we were sinners, according to the time, Christ died for us (Rom 5:8–9). Likewise is shown the power of rising from the dead (1 Cor 15:20). And these are signs for them, which signs should be in us.
Petebat ergo signum de caelestibus, sed non erant digni videre. Hoc enim dedit apostolis suis, qui viderunt eum ascendentem, qui gloriam Dei viderunt in monte. Sed istis non dabitur nisi signum in inferno, quantum ad animam, et de terra, quantum ad corpus. Unde non dabitur ei nisi signum Ionae prophetae. Unde signatur mors Christi, et ostenditur caritas Dei, sicut dicit Apostolus ad Rom. V, 8: cum adhuc peccatores essemus, secundum tempus Christus pro nobis mortuus est et cetera. Item, ostenditur potestas resuscitantis ut habetur I ad Cor. XV, 20 ss. Et haec sunt signa eorum, quae in nobis esse debent.
The death of Christ indicates to us that we should die to sin; but the resurrection of Christ, that we should rise from sin.
Per mortem Christi significatur nobis quod nos mori debemus peccato; per resurrectionem vero, quod nos debemus a peccato resurgere.
1051. For as Jonas was in the whale’s belly for three days and three nights, that is, according to the truth, so will the Son of man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. And in this the error of Manichees is refuted, who said that he was not truly dead.
1051. Et sicut Ionas fuit in ventre ceti tribus diebus et tribus noctibus, scilicet secundum veritatem, sic Filius hominis erit in corde terrae. Et in hoc confunditur error Manichaei dicentis, quod non in veritate mortuus est.
And he says, in the heart of the earth, because just as the heart of a man is in the deep part of him, so Christ was in the deep parts of the earth. Or, in the heart of the earth, i.e., in the heart of the earthly, and of the disciples, who despaired about him, as is found, but we hoped, that it was he that should have redeemed Israel (Luke 24:21).
Et dicit in corde terrae, quia sicut cor hominis est in profundo, ita Christus in profundo terrae. Vel in corde terrae, idest in corde terrenorum et discipulorum, qui desperabant de eo, ut habetur Lc. ult., 21: nos autem sperabamus, quod ipse esset redempturus Israel.
1052. Three days and three nights. But there is a literal question here. It seems that this is false, because on the ninth hour he expired, and he was buried in the evening, and arose on the morning of the third day.
1052. Tribus diebus et tribus noctibus. Sed hic est quaestio litteralis. Videtur hoc esse falsum, quia hora nona expiravit, et sepultus est in vespere, resurrexit autem in mane tertiae diei.
Augustine says that some want to say that the hours during which he was suspended on the cross should be included in the reckoning. Hence they call the first night that darkness which appeared; the second was the night of the holy day; the third was the night of the Sabbath day.
Dicit Augustinus, quod aliqui volunt dicere, quod computanda est hora qua positus fuit in cruce. Unde primam noctem dicunt illam tenebrositatem quae apparuit, secunda fuit nox diei veneris, tertia diei Sabbati.
But according to Augustine, this does no good: yet it could have been enough for us if the Lord had been in the sepulcher the whole of the Lord’s day. Therefore one should say otherwise, that the natural day for day and night is taken instead of the space of twenty-four hours. But, as Augustine says, sometimes in Scripture the part is taken for the whole. So one should speak in this way, that Christ was in the sepulchre three days and three nights by a synecdoche, because the sixth day is taken for the whole day and even for the preceding night; about the second day there is no doubt; but the third night is taken for the night and day following.
Sed secundum Augustinum non valet: posset tamen nobis suppetere, si tota die Dominica fuisset in sepulcro. Ideo aliter dicendum, quod dies naturalis pro die et nocte, sumitur pro spatio viginti quatuor horarum. Sed, sicut dicit Augustinus, in Scriptura aliquando sumitur pars pro toto. Sic ergo dicendum, quod Christus per synecdochen fuit tribus diebus et tribus noctibus in sepulcro, quia sexta feria pro tota die et etiam pro praecedenti nocte sumitur: de die vero secunda non est dubium; tertia vero nox pro nocte et die sequenti.
Yet if we examine it according to truth, two nights and one complete day passed, to signify that his own simple sum destroyed our double. Punishment and guilt were in us, and in him only punishment, therefore.
Tamen si secundum veritatem inspicimus, fuit duabus noctibus et uno die integro, ad signandum quod suum simplum destruxit nostrum duplum. In nobis erat poena et culpa, in eo poena solum, ideo et cetera.
1053. The men of Niniveh will rise in judgment with this generation. Here he sets down the shamelessness.
1053. Viri Ninivitae surgent in iudicio cum generatione ista. Hic ponit indignitatem.
There is a literal question here. Did he not do many miracles? Did he not raise Lazarus, and many others? Why then does he say, a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonas the prophet?
Hic est quaestio litteralis. Nonne multa miracula fecit? Nonne Lazarum resuscitavit, et multa alia? Quid est ergo non dabitur ei nisi signum Ionae prophetae?
I respond. Such a sign as they were seeking will not be given; or no sign will be given for their benefit, for he knew that they would not be converted, because they were hardened. But he did signs for the sake of the faithful and the elect, of the same sort as many which happened later.
Respondeo. Non dabitur tale signum quale petebant: vel non dabitur signum ad utilitatem eorum; sciebat enim quod non reverterentur, quia indurati erant. Sed signa fecit propter fideles et electos, quales post multi fuerunt.
1054. The men of Niniveh. This is the shamelessness. And
1054. Viri Ninivitae et cetera. Haec est indignitas. Et
first, the gentiles are given preference;
primo praeferuntur gentiles;
second, the reason is set out, at and when an unclean spirit has gone out of a man.
secundo ponitur ratio, ibi cum autem immundus spiritus exierit ab homine et cetera.