832. Secundo promittit poenarum commutationem, ut scilicet alios loco ipsius puniat; et ponit commutationem: dedi propitiationem, id est ut propitier tibi, quasi poenis eorum qui te ad peccandum sui auxilii spe provocabant: Saba, civitas Aethiopiae, Prov. xi justus de angustia etc.; et assignat rationem, scilicet ipsam Dei dilectionem: ex quo honorabilis, id est feci et reputavi te honorabilem, pro te, pro liberatione tua, Jer. xxxprimo si filius honorabilis mihi etc. 832. Second, he promises the commutation of their punishments, namely, that he would punish others in their place; and he sets out the commutation: I have given Egypt for your atonement, that is, that I may be propitiated toward you, as though by the punishments of those who provoked you to sin by hoping in their help: Saba, a city of Ethiopia: the just is delivered out of distress: and the wicked shall be given up for him (Prov 11:8). And he assigns the reason, namely, the love of God itself: since you became honorable, that is, I made and reckoned you honorable; I will give men for you, for your liberation: surely Ephraim is an honorable son to me (Jer 31:20). 833. Tertio promittit eis a tribulationibus omnimodam liberationem; et circa hoc tria: primo promittit liberationis beneficium: noli timere; ab oriente, quia undique dispersi erant, supra xi congregabit profugos etc., Jer. xxxprimo ecce ego adducam eos etc.; 833. Third, he promises them every kind of liberation from tribulation; and concerning this, he does three things: first, he promises the benefit of liberation: fear not; from the east, for they had been dispersed in every direction, above: he shall assemble the fugitives of Israel (Isa 11:12); behold I will bring them from the north country (Jer 31:8); secundo ponit liberationis meritum: et omnem qui invocat adducam in gloriam meam, ut glorificet me et in ipso gloriosus appaream, Joelis secundo omnis quicumque invocaverit etc.; second, he sets out their fitness for liberation: and every one that calls upon my name, I will lead into my glory, that he might glorify me, and that I might appear glorious in him: every one that shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved (Joel 2:32); tertio promulgat liberationis praeceptum: educ, o Cyre, foras, extra terram captivitatis, populum, scilicet Judaeorum, Jer. v audi popule stulte etc. third, he promulgates the command of liberation: bring, O Cyrus, forth, out of the land of their captivity, the people, namely, of the Jews: hear, O foolish people, and without understanding: who have eyes, and see not: and ears, and hear not (Jer 5:21). 834. Omnes gentes. Hic excludit divinitatis consortium. 834. All the nations. Here he excludes the sharing of divinity. Et primo ostendit aliorum deorum falsitatem per modum judicii, ponens gentium ad idolatriam consensum: congregatae sunt in unum errorem, Ps. omnes declinaverunt etc., petens divinitatis signum: quis ex vobis, id est quis deorum vestrorum; vel loquitur ad idola et petit testimonium: dent testes, et justificentur, id est juste dicantur dii, et testes audiant ab eis futura, et dicant pro vobis testimonium, supra xlprimo non est annuntians neque praedicens etc. And first, he shows the falsehood of other gods by the manner of a judgment, setting out the consensus of the nations in idolatry: assembled together, in one error: they are all gone aside (Ps 13:3); seeking a sign of divinity: who among you, that is, which of your gods; or this is said to the idols; and he seeks testimony: let them bring forth their witnesses, let them be justified, that is, let them justly be called gods; and let the witnesses hear, future things from them, and say, testimony for you, above: there is none that shows, nor that foretells (Isa 41:26). Secundo ostendit suae divinitatis veritatem, Second, he shows the truth of his own divinity, et primo quantum ad scientiam, and first, as to knowledge, secundo quantum ad potentiam: vos testes etc. second, as to power: you are my witnesses (Isa 43:12). 835. Circa primum duo. 835. Concerning the first, he does two things. Primo dat testimonium, assignans homines in testimonium: vere vos testes etc., servus, populus Jacob, vel Christus, Ac. primo eritis mihi testes etc.; ponens cognoscendi modum: ut sciatis, quantum ad ea quae per naturales rationes de Deo sciri possunt, et credatis, quantum ad ea quae supra rationem sunt, et sic intelligatis, quia nisi credideritis non intelligetis, supra viii secundum aliam litteram; ponens etiam testium dictum quod ipse sit solus Deus: quia ego solus sum Deus, formator, vel formatus, scilicet idolum, Deut. xxxii videte quod ego sim solus etc., et quod sit solus Dominus: ego sum, singulariter, ego sum excellenter etc., Ac. iv salus non est in aliquo alio etc. First, he gives testimony, assigning men to give testimony: you are my witnesses, my servant, the people of Jacob, or Christ: you shall be witnesses (Acts 1:8); setting out the manner of knowing: that you may know, as to those things which can be known about God by natural reason, and believe, as to those things which are above reason, and thus, understand, for unless you believe, you will not understand, above (Isa 7:9), according to another reading; and setting out what is said by the witnesses, that he alone is God: that I, alone, am, God; there was no God who forms, or formed, namely, no idol: see that I alone am, and there is no other God besides me (Deut 32:39). And that he alone is Lord: I am, singularly, I am, preeminently: neither is there salvation in any other (Acts 4:12). Secundo dat divinitatis signum: ego annuntiavi etc., non fuit a quo scire possetis, Ps. Israel si me audieris etc. Second, he gives a sign of his divinity: I have declared, there was no strange one among you, by which you could know: O Israel, if you will hearken to me, there shall be no new god in you: neither shall you adore a strange god (Ps 80:9–10[81:8–9]). 836. Vos testes etc. Hic ostendit veritatem divinitatis quantum ad potentiam. 836. You are my witnesses. Here he shows the truth of his divinity as to power. Et primo dat testimonium: vos testes etc., Jo. viv ego principium etc.; And first, he gives the testimony: you are my witnesses: I am the beginning (John 8:25); secundo dat potentiae signum in puniendo: et non est qui de manu, ut Deut. xxxii, Job x, et in operando: operabor etc., supra xiv Dominus exercituum decrevit etc. second, he gives a sign of his power in punishing: and there is none that can deliver out of my hand, as in Deuteronomy 32:39 and Job 10:7; and in working: I will work, above: the Lord of hosts has decreed, and who can disannul it? (Isa 14:27). 837. Haec dicit Dominus etc. Hic ponit dilectionis signum, quia pro eis Babylonios in navibus gloriantes propter multitudinem aquarum destruxit: emisi, scilicet iram, Jer. lprimo cogitavit Dominus et fecit etc. 837. Thus says the Lord. Here he sets out the sign of his love, that he destroyed for them the Babylonians, who gloried in their ships because of the multitude of their waters: I sent, namely, my wrath: the Lord has both purposed, and done all that he spoke against the inhabitants of Babylon (Jer 51:12). 838. Haec dicit Dominus qui dedit etc. Hic commemorat praeterita beneficia ad confirmandam spem de futuris. Et circa hoc duo facit. 838. Thus says the Lord, who made a way in the sea. Here he recalls his past benefits to confirm their hope for future benefits. And concerning this, he does two things. Primo commemorat praeterita beneficia quando egressi sunt de Aegypto, in eorum gubernatione: in mari rubro, Exo. xiv, in aquis torrentibus, in Arnon, Numeri xxprimo, in Jordane, Josue iii; et quantum ad hostium destructionem: qui eduxit quadrigam, currus Pharaonis etc., Exo. xv electi principes ejus etc.; quasi linum, in momento succisum. First, he recalls his past benefits in directing them when they came out of Egypt: in the Red sea (Exod 14); in the mighty waters, in the Arnon (Num 21), in the Jordan (Josh 3). And as to the destruction of their enemies, who brought forth the chariot, the chariots of Pharaoh: his chosen captains are drowned in the Red Sea (Exod 15:4); as flax, cut down in a moment. 839. Secundo promittit futura multo majora; et circa hoc tria facit. 839. Second, he promises much greater future benefits; and concerning this, he does three things. Primo ostendit futurorum beneficiorum magnitudinem ex priorum comparatione: ne memineris, quasi: non sunt digna ut in memoria habeantur comparatione futurorum, Phil. iii ea quidem quae retro sunt obliviscens etc.; ex eorum novitate: ecce facio nova, inaudita, Apoc. xxj ecce nova facio omnia, et ex eorum determinatione: ponam in deserto, id est in terra Judaeorum quae prius deserta, viam euntium ad festivitates, flumina consolationis, Ps. posuit desertum in stagna etc. Et si exponantur haec ad litteram de liberatione de captivitate Babilonis, dicuntur majora quam liberatio de Aegypto, non propter majora miracula, sed quia reges de quorum potestate liberavit potentiores Pharaone fuerunt, vel quia de loco magis distanti venerunt; si autem referantur ad liberationem factam per Christum, constat quod nihil ita admirabile praecesserat in saeculis praeteritis. First, he shows the greatness of his future benefits by comparison to the former ones: remember not former things, as if to say: they are not worthy to be kept in memory in comparison with future things: forgetting the things that are behind (Phil 3:13). Because of the newness of these things: behold I do new things, unheard of: behold, I make all things new (Rev 21:5); and because of their determination: I will make a way, for those going to the feasts, in the wilderness, that is, the land of the Jews, which was formerly a desert; rivers, of consolation: he has turned a wilderness into pools of waters (Ps 106[107]:35). And if these things are explained literally of the liberation from captivity in Babylon, they are called greater than the liberation from Egypt, not because of greater miracles, but because the kings from whose power he liberated them were more powerful than Pharaoh, or because they came from a more distant place; if, however, they are referred to the liberation carried out by Christ, it is evident that nothing so admirable had preceded it in past ages. Secundo ostendit beneficiorum utilitatem in gentibus: et glorificabit, bestia agri, id est gentilis bestialiter vivens, conversi ad Christum, vel videntes quomodo Judaeos libero, Ps. bestiae et universa pecora etc.; et in Judaeis: ut darem potum doctrinae et consolationis, Deut. vii te elegit Dominus etc. Second, he shows the usefulness of these benefits for the gentiles: the beast of the field shall glorify me, that is, the gentile, living like a beast, converted to Christ, or seeing how I liberated the Jews: beasts and all cattle: serpents and feathered fowls (Ps 148:10); and for the Jews: to give drink, of teaching and consolation: the Lord your God has chosen you (Deut 7:6). Tertio assignat rationem: populum istum, mihi, in laudem meam, Prov. xvj universa propter seipsum etc. Third, he assigns the reason: this people have I formed for myself, namely, for my praise: the Lord has made all things for himself (Prov 16:4). 840. Non me invocasti. Hic excludit merita Judaeorum ad consequenda tanta beneficia. Et circa hoc tria: 840. But you have not called upon me. Here he excludes the merits of the Jews for attaining such benefits. And concerning this, he does three things: primo excludit meritum, first, he excludes their merit; secundo dat responsioni locum: reduc me etc., second, he gives a place for a response: put me in remembrance (Isa 43:26); tertio removet quemdam respondendi modum: pater tuus etc. third, he removes a certain way of responding: your first father (Isa 43:27). Circa primum tria. Concerning the first, he does three things. Primo excludit meritum: non me invocasti; et haec omnia dicuntur quia non toto corde haec Deo offerebant, sed partim Deo partim idolis, vel quia Deo nihil conferebant, vel quia spe temporalis retributionis faciebant, vel quia post adventum Christi accepta non fuerunt, Mal. iii quis est in vobis qui claudat ostia etc., Ps. numquid manducabo etc. First, he excludes their merit: you have not called upon me, and all this is said because they did not offer these things to God with their whole heart, but partly to God, partly to idols, or because they offered nothing to God, or because they did so in hope of temporal repayment, or because, after the coming of Christ, they were not accepted: who is there among you, that will shut the doors, and will kindle the fire on my altar gratis (Mal 1:10); shall I eat the flesh of bullocks? Or shall I drink the blood of goats? (Ps 49[50]:13). Secundo ostendit ipsorum reatum: verumtamen servire, quasi: servilem me ostendistis, dum me offendentes non puniebam, supra primo facta sunt mihi molesta etc.; loquitur more humano. Second, he shows their guilt: but you have made me to serve with your sins, as if to say: you showed me to be servile when you offended me and I did not punish you, above: they are become troublesome to me, I am weary of bearing them (Isa 1:14); he speaks in a human manner. Tertio ostendit datum gratis beneficium: ego sum etc., Ps. propter nomen tuum propitiaberis etc., Ez. xxxvj non propter vos ego faciam etc. Third, he shows that the benefit is given freely: I am: for your name’s sake, O Lord, you will pardon my sin (Ps 24[25]:11); it is not for your sake that I will do this (Ezek 36:22). 841. Reduc me etc. Hic dat responsioni locum: reduc, quasi: recogita quae tibi fecerim, narra si quid habes ad te excusandum vel me incusandum, ut justificeris, id est ut judiceris justus, Iob xxxiii si habes quid loquaris etc. 841. Put me in remembrance. Here he gives a place for a response: put me in remembrance, as if to say: consider what I have done for you, tell if you have any thing, to excuse yourself, or to accuse me, to justify yourself, that is, that you should be judged to be just: if you have any thing to say, answer me, speak: for I would have you to appear just (Job 33:32). 842. Pater tuus. Hic removet quamdam viam respondendi. Possent enim allegare patrum innocentiam; sed contra haec dicit: pater, Adam, Gen. iii, Abraham petens signum de promissione Dei quasi dubitans, Gen. xv; interpretes, Moyses et Aaron ad aquas contradictionis, Numeri xxj; contaminavi, id est contaminari permisi, ad internecionem, quia omnes in deserto mortui sunt excepto Caleb et Josue, Ps. peccavimus cum patribus nostris etc. 842. Your first father sinned. Here he removes a certain way of responding. For they could allege the innocence of their fathers; but against this, he says, your first father, Adam (Gen 3), Abraham, asking for a sign of the promise of God, as though doubting (Gen 15:8); your teachers, Moses and Aaron at the waters of contradiction (Num 20). And I have profaned the holy princes, that is, I have allowed them to be profaned; I have given Jacob to slaughter, for they all died in the desert, except for Caleb and Joshua: we have sinned with our fathers (Ps 105[106]:6). 843. Dominus liberat sanctos ab igne 843. The Lord liberates his saints from the fire (see 43:2), carnalis temptationis, Iob xxxprimo ignis est usque ad consumptionem etc., of carnal temptation: it is a fire that devours even to consumption (Job 31:12); temporalis tribulationis, Ps. igne me examinasti, of temporal tribulation: you have tried me by fire (Ps 16[17]:3); aeternae damnationis, Mt. xxv ite maledicti, of eternal damnation: go, you cursed, into everlasting fire (Matt 25:4);