Lecture 1
Lectio 1
Hypocrisy of the Pharisees
Hypocrisis Pharisaeorum
15:1 Then scribes and Pharisees came to him from Jerusalem, saying: [n. 1283]
15:1 Tunc accesserunt ad eum ab Ierosolymis scribae et Pharisaei, dicentes: [n. 1283]
15:2 Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread. [n. 1284]
15:2 quare discipuli tui transgrediuntur traditiones seniorum? Non enim lavant manus suas, cum panem manducant. [n. 1284]
15:3 But he answered and said to them: why do you also transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? [n. 1286]
15:3 Ipse autem respondens ait illis: quare et vos transgredimini mandatum Dei propter traditionem vestram? [n. 1286]
15:4 For God said: honor your father and mother: And: he who will curse father or mother, let him die the death. [n. 1288]
15:4 Nam Deus dixit: honora patrem et matrem, et: qui maledixerit patri vel matri, morte moriatur. [n. 1288]
15:5 But you say: whoever will say to father or mother: whatever gift proceeds from me, will profit you, [n. 1291]
15:5 Vos autem dicitis: quicumque dixerit patri vel matri: munus quodcumque est ex me, tibi proderit, [n. 1291]
15:6 and he will not honor his father or his mother, then you have made void the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition. [n. 1293]
15:6 et non honorificabit patrem suum, aut matrem suam; et irritum fecistis mandatum Dei propter traditionem vestram. [n. 1293]
15:7 Hypocrites, well has Isaiah prophesied of you, saying: [n. 1294]
15:7 Hypocritae, bene prophetavit de vobis Isaias dicens: [n. 1294]
15:8 this people honors me with their lips: but their heart is far from me. [n. 1295]
15:8 populus hic labiis me honorat, cor autem eorum longe est a me. [n. 1295]
15:9 And in vain do they worship me, teaching doctrines and commandments of men. [n. 1296]
15:9 Sine causa autem colunt me docentes doctrinas mandata hominum. [n. 1296]
15:10 And having called the multitudes to himself, he said to them: hear and understand. [n. 1297]
15:10 Et convocatis ad se turbis, dixit eis: audite et intelligite. [n. 1297]
15:11 It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man. [n. 1300]
15:11 Non quod intrat in os, coinquinat hominem, sed quod procedit ex ore, hoc coinquinat hominem. [n. 1300]
15:12 Then his disciples came, and said to him: do you know that the Pharisees, when they heard this saying, were scandalized? [n. 1303]
15:12 Tunc accedentes discipuli eius dixerunt ei: scis quia Pharisaei audito verbo scandalizati sunt? [n. 1303]
15:13 But he answered and said: every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted, will be rooted up. [n. 1306]
15:13 At ille respondens ait: omnis plantatio quam non plantavit Pater meus caelestis, eradicabitur. [n. 1306]
15:14 Leave them alone; they are blind and leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the pit. [n. 1308]
15:14 Sinite illos, caeci sunt, et duces caecorum. Caecus autem si caeco ducatum praestet, ambo in foveam cadunt. [n. 1308]
15:15 And Peter answering, said to him: explain this parable to us. [n. 1310]
15:15 Respondens autem Petrus, dixit ei: edissere nobis parabolam istam. [n. 1310]
15:16 But he said: are you also still without understanding? [n. 1312]
15:16 At ille dixit: adhuc et vos sine intellectu estis? [n. 1312]
15:17 Do you not understand, that whatever enters the mouth, goes into the belly, and is cast out in private? [n. 1314]
15:17 Non intelligitis, quia omne quod in os intrat, in ventrem vadit, et in secessum emittitur? [n. 1314]
15:18 But the things which proceed forth from the mouth, come forth from the heart, and those things defile a man. [n. 1317]
15:18 Quae autem procedunt de ore, de corde exeunt, et ea coinquinant hominem. [n. 1317]
15:19 For from the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies. [n. 1317]
15:19 De corde enim exeunt cogitationes malae, homicidia, adulteria, fornicationes, furta, falsa testimonia, blasphemiae. [n. 1317]
15:20 These are the things that defile a man. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man. [n. 1317]
15:20 Haec sunt quae coinquinant hominem; non lotis autem manibus manducare, non coinquinat hominem. [n. 1317]
1282. Above, the Lord showed the power of his teaching under figures; now he shows its sufficiency.
1282. Supra Dominus sub figuris virtutem suae doctrinae ostendit, nunc ostendit sufficientiam eius.
And he shows it in two ways:
Ostenditur autem dupliciter.
first, because it does not require the observance of the laws;
Primo, quod non requirit observantias legis;
second, because it is given not only to the one nation of the Jews, but also to the gentiles, at and Jesus went from there and retired to the coasts of Tyre and Sidon (Matt 15:21).
secundo quod non solum uni genti Iudaeorum data sit, sed et gentilibus, ibi egressus inde Iesus secessit in partes Tyri et Sidonis.
Concerning the first, he does three things:
Circa primum tria facit.
first, the circumstances of the accusation are touched upon;
Primo tanguntur circumstantiae accusationis;
second, the accusation;
secundo accusatio;
third, the explanation.
tertio expositio.
The second is at why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? The third is at for they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.
Secunda ibi quare discipuli transgrediuntur traditiones seniorum? Tertia ibi: non enim lavant manus suas cum panem manducant.
1283. Now, their malice is made worse by three things. First, by the time, because while he was working signs and miracles, these men were working signs of iniquity; hence they were slandering him. Above, you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent (Matt 11:25). It is also made worse by the place, because while the Jews were scattered throughout Israel, yet those who were in Jerusalem were wise, and yet were worse. In the land of the saints he has done wicked things, and he shall not see the glory of the Lord (Isa 26:10). It is also made worse by the condition of the persons, because the scribes, who were more learned, and the Pharisees, who were reputed to be holier, came from among the great. I will go therefore to the great men, and I will speak to them: for they have known the way of the Lord (Jer 5:5).
1283. Aggravatur autem malitia eorum ex tribus. Primo ex tempore, quia tunc quando haec signa faciebat et miracula, ipsi faciebant signa iniquitatis, unde malignabantur. Supra XI, 25: abscondisti haec a sapientibus et prudentibus et cetera. Item redditur aggravatio ex loco, quia cum Iudaei essent diffusi per Iudaeam, illi tamen qui erant in Ierusalem, erant sapientes, et tamen erant deteriores. Is. XXVI, 10: in terra sanctorum iniqua gessit, non videbit gloriam Domini. Item aggravatur ex conditione personarum, quia de magnis venerunt scribae, qui erant magis litterati, et Pharisaei, qui reputabantur magis sancti. Ier. V, 5: ibo ad optimates, et loquar eis; ipsi enim cognoverunt viam Domini.
1284. Then the thing about which they were accusing them is set down: why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? It had been commanded, you shall not add to the word that I speak to you, neither shall you take away from it (Deut 4:2). Hence when they added traditions, they acted against the law; not because it was unlawful to establish something, but because they commanded that it be observed just as the law of the Lord.
1284. Deinde ponitur id in quo accusabant eos: quare discipuli tui transgrediuntur traditiones seniorum? Praeceptum erat, ut habetur Deut. IV, 2: non addetis ad verbum, quod vobis loquor, nec auferetis ex eo. Unde addentes traditiones, contra legem faciebant; non quod non liceret constituere aliquid, sed quod ita praecipiebant observari sicut legem Domini.
1285. For they do not wash their hands. Here is explained what their traditions are. Yet this is explained more in Mark, for it says there that when they had seen certain of his disciples with common hands, i.e., unwashed, eating bread, they reproached them (Mark 7:2).
1285. Non enim lavant manus suas et cetera. Hic exponitur, quae sunt eorum traditiones. Hoc tamen exponitur magis Mc. VII, v. 2: ibi enim dicitur, quod cum vidissent quosdam de discipulis eius communibus manibus, idest non lotis, manducare panes, vituperaverunt.
And this can be literal, that they did not wash their hands. Why? Because they were so anxious for the word of God that they did not even have time to wash their hands. Hence out of concern for spiritual things, they did not wash themselves in the same way as the Jews, as it is written in Mark, that all the Jews would not eat unless they washed their hands frequently (Mark 7:4). So the disciples did not wash according to their ritual. Hence they understood carnally what is said: wash yourselves, and be clean (Isa 1:16). Hence they understood it literally, washing what was exterior, and not what was interior.
Et potest hoc esse ad litteram, quia non lavabant manus. Quare? Quia ita solliciti erant verbo Dei, quod etiam tempus non habebant: unde ex sollicitudine circa spiritualia non se lavabant eo modo sicut Iudaei, sicut habetur Marci VII, 4 quod omnes Iudaei nisi crebro lavent manus, non manducant: ideo discipuli non lavabant secundum ritum eorum. Unde carnaliter intelligebant quod dicitur Is. I, 16: lavamini, mundi estote. Unde ipsi ad litteram intelligebant, lavantes quod erat exterius, et non quod interius.
1286. But he answered and said to them. The Lord does two things, for he does not respond by excusing the disciples but by showing that those who would reproach them are unworthy. Above, you hypocrite, first cast the beam out of your own eye (Matt 7:5). It is agreed that to transgress God’s commandment is more grave than to transgress the traditions of men; and therefore, those who transgressed God’s commandments committed a greater offense.
1286. Ipse autem respondens ait illis. Dominus duo facit: quia non respondet excusando discipulos, sed ostendit quod ipsi non sunt digni, qui reprehenderent eos. Supra VII, 5: hypocrita, eiice primum trabem de oculo tuo. Constat, quod transgredi mandatum Dei est gravius quam traditiones hominum: et ideo qui transgrediebantur mandata Dei, in maioribus delinquebant.