Lecture 3
Lectio 3
Persecution of the prophets
Persecutio prophetarum
23:34 Therefore I say to you: behold I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes, and some of them you will put to death and crucify, and some you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, [n. 1890]
23:34 Ideo dico vobis: ecce ego mitto ad vos prophetas, et sapientes, et scribas, ex illis occidetis, et crucifigetis, et ex eis flagellabitis in synagogis vestris, et persequemini de civitate in civitatem, [n. 1890]
23:35 that upon you may come all the just blood that has been shed upon the earth, from the blood of Abel the just, even to the blood of Zacharias the son of Barachias, whom you killed between the temple and the altar. [n. 1894]
23:35 ut veniat super vos omnis sanguis iustus, qui effusus est super terram, a sanguine Abel iusti usque ad sanguinem Zacchariae filii Barachiae, quem occidistis inter templum et altare. [n. 1894]
23:36 Amen I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. [n. 1896]
23:36 Amen dico vobis, venient haec omnia super generationem istam. [n. 1896]
23:37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you, how often would I have gathered together your children, as the hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not? [n. 1897]
23:37 Ierusalem, Ierusalem, quae occidis prophetas, et lapidas eos qui ad te missi sunt, quotiens volui congregare filios tuos, quemadmodum gallina congregat pullos suos sub alas, et noluisti? [n. 1897]
23:38 Behold, your house will be left to you, desolate. [n. 1901]
23:38 Ecce relinquitur vobis domus vestra deserta. [n. 1901]
23:39 For I say to you, you will not see me from now on till you say: blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. [n. 1901]
23:39 Dico enim vobis, non me videbitis amodo, donec dicatis: benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. [n. 1901]
1890. Therefore behold I send to you. In this part he sets out their cruelty, and adds a temporal punishment. And
1890. Ecce ego. In parte ista ponit crudelitatem eorum, et addit poenam temporalem. Et
first, he does the first;
primo primum facit;
second, he adds the punishment.
secundo poenam addit.
And
Et
first, he sets out a benefit;
primo ponit beneficium;
second, a fault;
secundo culpam;
third, the greatness of the punishment.
tertio magnitudinem poenae.
1891. Hence he says, therefore behold I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes. And it can be referred to what immediately follows, or to the whole of what follows. If to the whole, then it has a clearer meaning. I say thus that you will fill up your father’s measure, and that you are serpents, etc. Hence, therefore behold I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them you will put to death, because you are the sort of men who are accustomed to kill.
1891. Unde dicit ecce ego mitto ad vos prophetas, et sapientes et scribas et cetera. Et potest referri ad illud quod immediate sequitur, vel ad illud totum quod sequitur. Si ad totum, sic planiorem habet sensum. Ita dico quod estis impleturi, et quod estis serpentes et cetera. Unde mitto ad vos prophetas, et sapientes, et scribas, et ex illis occidetis, quia tales estis qui occidere consuevistis.
Or in another way, such that it is referred to the whole. The Lord not only wills that judgment is just, but also that it appear just, that others may take example. Hence if someone has a good intention, the Lord rewards him for the good intention, and from there gives the will to execute the good work; thus on the other hand when someone has a bad intention, and is full of bad will, in accord with what it is written, I will hedge up your way with thorns (Hos 2:6), he arouses God’s anger, and out of God’s anger his malice is made manifest. Therefore behold I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and you will kill. And he says, behold, because it is close at hand, because he sent the apostles; hence, and you will be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8).
Vel aliter, ita quod ad totum referatur. Dominus vult quod iudicium non solum sit iustum, sed quod appareat iustum, ut exempla alii accipiant. Unde si aliquis habeat bonum propositum, Dominus remunerat eum de bono proposito, et inde dat voluntatem exercendi opus bonum; sic e contrario cum aliquis habeat propositum malum, et sit plenus mala voluntate, secundum quod dicitur Osee II, 6: sepiam viam spinis, excitat iram Dei, et ex ira Dei est ut manifestetur malitia sua. Ideo mitto ad vos prophetas, et sapientes, et scribas; et vos occidetis. Et dicit ecce, quia in promptu est, quia misit apostolos; unde Act. I, 8: et eritis mihi testes in Ierusalem, et in omni Iudaea et Samaria, et usque ad ultimum terrae.
1892. But note that when he says, I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes, he indicates different gifts of the Holy Spirit. To some the gift of wisdom is given, to others, various kinds of tongues (1 Cor 12:10). The apostles had all these gifts. They had the gift of prophecy in speaking the future; I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters will prophesy (Joel 2:28). Likewise, the gift of wisdom, for they knew all things; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries will not be able to resist and gainsay (Luke 21:15). Likewise, they were scribes, because they had understanding of Scripture; he opened their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures (Luke 24:45).
1892. Sed notate quod in hoc quod dicit mitto ad vos prophetas, et sapientes, et scribas, diversa dona Spiritus Sancti significat. Alii datur donum sapientiae, alii genera linguarum et cetera. I Cor. XII, 10. Omnia ista dona habuerunt apostoli. Habuerunt donum prophetiae in dicendo futura; Ioel II, v. 28: effundam de Spiritu meo super omnes gentes, et prophetabunt filii vestri et filiae vestrae. Item sapientiae, quia omnia cognoscebant; Lc. XXI, 15: dabo vobis os et sapientiam, cui non poterunt resistere et contradicere omnes adversarii vestri. Item fuerunt Scribae, quia intellectum Scripturae habuerunt; Lc. ult., 45: aperuit eis sensum ut intelligerent Scripturas.
1893. And why did he predict this? That the disciples, thinking over what they had heard, might more easily bear it. Likewise, to establish their malice, because just as their fathers killed the prophets, so these men the apostles; hence, some of them you will put to death, as it is said, that Herod killed James the brother of John with the sword, seeing that it would please the Jews (Acts 12:2). Others were crucified; hence, and crucify. For this was the most vile death; this is why they killed Christ with this death, in accordance with, let us condemn him to a most shameful death (Wis 2:20). And some you will scourge. Acts says that after they had scourged them, they charged them that they should not speak at all in the name of Jesus (Acts 5:40). And persecute. This is clear, how they persecuted Paul. And above, and when they will persecute you in this city, flee into another (Matt 10:23).
1893. Et quare hoc praedicit? Ut discipuli cogitantes quod audierunt, facilius sustineant. Item ad convincendam malitiam eorum, quia sicut patres eorum prophetas occiderunt, sic isti apostolos; unde ex illis occidetis, ut habetur Act. XII, 2, quia Herodes occidit Iacobum fratrem Ioannis gladio, videns quia placeret Iudaeis. Alii fuerunt crucifixi; unde et crucifigetis. Haec enim erat mors vilissima, ideo hac morte occiderunt Christum, secundum illud Sap. II, 20: morte turpissima condemnemus eum. Et flagellabitis. Act. V, 40 dicitur quod caesis denuntiaverunt ne omnino loquerentur in nomine Iesu. Et persequemini. Istud manifestum est quomodo Paulum persecuti sunt. Et supra c. X, 23: si persecuti fuerint vos in una civitate, fugite in aliam.
1894. Last, the punishment is set out, which, since it seemed heavy, he confirms: amen I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.
1894. Ulterius ponitur poena, quae, quia videbatur gravis, ideo confirmat: amen dico vobis, venient haec omnia super generationem istam.
He says, that upon you may come all the just blood that has been shed upon the earth, from the blood of Abel the just, even to the blood of Zacharias the son of Barachias. It is known who this man Abel is, that he was killed by his brother Cain. But who this man Zacharias was is not known. It is written that there were three Zachariases.
Dicit ut veniat super vos omnis sanguis iustus, a sanguine Abel iusti usque ad sanguinem Zachariae filium Barachiae. Quis sit iste Abel notum est, quia iste occisus est a Cain fratre suo. Sed iste Zacharias, quis fuerit, non habetur. Legitur quod tres fuerint Zachariae.
One was the son of Barachias, who was the eleventh among the prophets. But it cannot be understood as about this man, because there was no altar at that time.
Quidam filius Barachiae, qui fuit undecimus inter prophetas. Sed de isto non potest intelligi, quia non erat adhuc altare.
Another was the father of John, and whose son he was is unknown; but Chrysostom says that he was killed for the sake of Christ, because there was in the temple a place for virgins, and when the Virgin Mary sat in the virgins’ place, the Jews wanted to expel her from the place, which Zacharias forbade, defending her, and he was killed because of this.
Alius pater Ioannis, et cuius fuerit filius non invenitur; sed dicit Chrysostomus quod fuit occisus propter Christum, quia in templo erat locus virginum, et cum sederet Virgo Maria in loco virginum, expellere voluerunt eam Iudaei a loco; quod prohibuit Zacharias eam defendens, et propter hoc occisus fuit.
Another Zacharias is called the son of Joiada, whom Joas killed in the court of the temple (2 Chr 24:20–22), and therefore between the temple and the altar; hence the place agrees, but the name disagrees. But Jerome says that the name Barachias means ‘blessed by the Lord,’ and indicates the holiness of his father Joiada the priest. And he says that he saw the Gospel of the Nazarenes, and it has there, the son of Joiada.
Alius dicitur filius Ioiadae, quem occidit Ioas in atrio templi, ideo inter templum et altare; unde concordat locus, sed nomen dissonat. Sed tamen dicit Hieronymus quod interpretatur ‘benedictus Domini,’ et designatur sanctitas patris eius Ioiadae sacerdotis. Et dicit quod ipse vidit Evangelium Nazarenorum, et ibi continebatur, filius Ioiadae.
1895. But why he begins under this Zacharias can be a literal question. And the reason seems to be that, although the foregoing things were more frequent, yet these two men are found in Scripture. Or otherwise, because Abel was a shepherd and Joiada a priest, so these two signify laymen and clerics. Hence every punishment for the killing of men will come upon you. Or otherwise, because some are active and others contemplative; hence both are signified by these two men.
1895. Sed quare sub isto Zacharia incipit, potest esse quaestio litteralis. Ratio autem videtur esse, quia etsi praecedentia magis frequentia, ista tamen inveniebantur in Scriptura. Vel aliter, quod Abel pastor, Ioiades sacerdos; ideo per istos duos significantur laici et clerici. Unde omnis poena pro occisione hominum veniet super vos. Vel aliter, quia quidam activi, quidam contemplativi; unde utrique signantur per istos.
1896. But amen I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. But how can it be that everything should come on that generation? Is one man punished for another? The son will not bear the iniquity of the father (Ezek 18:20). How then can all this come on this generation?
1896. Sed amen dico vobis, quod omnia venient super generationem istam. Sed quomodo potest esse quod omnia veniant super generationem istam? Punitur ne unus pro alio? Ez. XVIII, 20: filius non portabit iniquitatem patris. Quomodo ergo super generationem istam?
Jerome solves it, saying that it is a custom in Scripture that the whole generation of the good is taken for one generation, of which it says, the generation of the righteous will be blessed (Ps 111:2). About the generation of the bad, it says above, an evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign (Matt 12:39). Chrysostom speaks this way: some men sin, but God does not immediately punish them; hence, is he angry every day? (Ps 7:12). But some are never corrected when they sin, but grow worse and worse; but evil men and seducers will grow worse and worse (2 Tim 3:13); and then the Lord waits until their malice is complete. Hence these men, in whom malice will be completed, carry the weight of the whole as regards temporal punishment, yet as regards eternal punishment each man bears his own. Hence, what will be seen will be so great because it is suffered for all; hence Exodus says that this sin will be kept until the day of retribution (Exod 32:34). As there was a fullness of goods for those who believe in Christ, so a fullness of evils for those who killed Christ; so he says, all these things will come upon this generation.
Hieronymus solvit, quod consuetum est in Scriptura quod tota generatio bonorum pro una generatione sumitur, de qua in Ps. CXI, v. 2: generatio rectorum benedicetur. De generatione malorum supra XII, 39: generatio mala signum quaerit. Chrysostomus dicit sic: aliqui peccant, sed Deus non statim vindicat; unde in Ps. VII, 12: numquid irascitur per singulos dies? Aliqui vero numquam cum peccant corriguntur, sed in peius mutantur; II ad Tim. III, 13: mali autem homines et seductores in peius proficient; et tunc expectat Dominus donec compleatur malitia eorum. Unde isti, in quibus complebitur malitia, portant pondus totius quantum ad temporalem poenam, tamen quantum ad aeternam quilibet suam. Unde tanta erit quod videbitur quod pro omnibus patiantur; unde Ex. XXXII, 34, dicitur quod istud peccatum servetur usque in diem ultionis. Sicut fuit plenitudo bonorum his qui credunt in Christum, sic plenitudo malorum his qui occiderunt Christum; ideo dicit venient omnia super generationem istam.
1897. But what is this punishment? The destruction of the city of Jerusalem. And because he meant to speak about the overthrow of the city, he turned himself toward the city, saying, Jerusalem, Jerusalem. And
1897. Sed quae est ista poena? Destructio civitatis Ierusalem. Et quoniam intendit loqui de excidio civitatis, ideo convertit se ad civitatem, dicens Ierusalem, Ierusalem. Et
first, he sets out the crime;
primo ponit delictum;
second, he remembers benefits;
secundo commemorat beneficia;
third, he foretells the punishment.
tertio praenuntiat poenam.
The second is at how often would I have gathered together your children . . . and you would not? The third, at behold, your house will be left to you, desolate.
Secunda ibi quoties volui congregare filios tuos . . . et noluisti? Tertia ibi ecce relinquetur vobis domus vestra deserta.
1898. He says therefore, Jerusalem, Jerusalem; and this repetition indicates the affection of one who feels compassion; hence Luke says that seeing the city, he wept over it (Luke 19:41). You which kill the prophets; which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? (Acts 7:52). And he says, you which kill, not you who have killed, because they were still persisting in malice. This is that Jerusalem of which it says, this is Jerusalem, I have set her in the midst of the nations, and the countries round about her. And she has despised my judgments (Ezek 5:5–6). They could excuse themselves: we did not have anyone who spoke to us; so he says, and stones those who are sent to you. Hence I sent prophets and many aids, and you did not acknowledge them.
1898. Dicit ergo Ierusalem, Ierusalem; et designat ista geminatio affectum miserantis; unde dicitur Lc. XIX, 41, quod videns civitatem flevit super eam. Quae occidis prophetas; Act. VII, 52: quem prophetarum non sunt persecuti patres vestri? Et dicit, quae occidis, non quae occidisti, ideo adhuc in malitia perseverabant. Haec est illa Ierusalem, de qua habetur Ez. V, 6: ista est Ierusalem, in medio gentium posui eam, et in circuitu eius terras, et contempsit iudicia mea. Possent se excusare: non habuimus qui diceret nobis; ideo dicit et lapidas eos qui ad te missi sunt; unde misi prophetas et multa auxilia, et non cognovistis.
1899. How often would I have gathered together your children, as the hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not? In this is indicated the perpetuity of his divinity, in accordance with what he himself says, before Abraham was made, I am (John 8:58). Hence Christ himself sent the prophets, the patriarchs, and the angels. Whenever he sent someone, he would have gathered together. Those who are converted to the Lord are gathered together, for in him sinners are united; those who are separated from unity are dispersed. Hence, I have gathered together your children, as the hen gathers her chickens under her wings. It is said that there is no animal so compassionate to chicks as the hen. The hen defends them from the kite, and exposes her life for them, and gathers them under her wings. In the same way, Christ has pity on us: surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our sorrows (Isa 53:4). Likewise, he exposed himself to the kite, i.e., to the devil; while I am yet living, and going in with you, you have always been rebellious against the Lord (Deut 31:27).
1899. Quoties volui congregare filios tuos, quemadmodum gallina congregat pullos suos sub alas, et noluisti? Designatur in hoc perpetuitas divinitatis eius, secundum quod ipse dicit, Io. VIII, 58: antequam Abraham fieret, ego sum. Unde ipse Christus misit prophetas, patriarchas et angelos. Quandocumque misit, voluit congregare et cetera. Illi congregantur qui ad dominum convertuntur, quia in eo uniuntur peccatores; disperguntur qui ab unitate separantur. Unde volui congregare quemadmodum gallina congregat pullos suos sub alas. Dicitur quod non est animal aliquod ita compatiens pullis sicut gallina. Gallina defendit a milvo, et vitam exponit pro eis, et congregat sub alas. Sic Christus compatitur nobis, vere languores nostros ipse tulit, Is. LIII, 4. Item milvo, idest Diabolo, se exposuit; Deut. XXXI, 27: adhuc vivente me et ingrediente vobiscum, semper contentiose egistis contra dominum.
1900. On the contrary. The Lord willed, and these men did not will: therefore their evil will was more powerful than God’s will.
1900. Sed contra. Dominus voluit, et isti noluerunt: ergo praevaluit mala voluntas eorum voluntati Dei.
Hence it must be said: as often as I willed, I have done; but with you unwilling, I did as I did; hence your will set up an impediment so that I did not do it. Or, that he sent the prophets was a sign that he willed to gather together and you would not.
Unde dicendum: quoties volui, feci, sed te invito, feci cum feci; unde tua voluntas impedivit quod non facerem. Vel quod misit prophetas signum fuit quod voluit congregare et noluisti.