Augustine of Hippo — Commentary on Scripture

(de Con. Evan. 3, 17) Luke added to this account the cause of the darkness, that is, the darkening of the sun.

(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274) Catena Aurea by Aquinas

In his most compassionate humanity and through his servant form we may now learn what is to be despised in this life and what is to be hoped for in eternity. In that very passion in which his proud enemies seemed most triumphant, he took on the speech of our infirmity, in which “our sinful nature was crucified with him” that the body of sin might be destroyed, and said: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” … Thus the Psalm begins, which was sung so long ago, in prophecy of his passion and the revelation of the grace which he brought to raise up his faithful and set them free.

LETTER 140, TO HONORATUS 5

Mark 15:34

Out of the voice of the psalmist, which our Lord then transferred to himself, in the voice of this infirmity of ours, he spoke these words: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” He is doubtless forsaken in the sense that his plea was not directly granted. Jesus appropriated the psalmist’s voice to himself, the voice of human weakness. The benefits of the old covenant had to be refused in order that we might learn to pray and hope for the benefits of the new covenant. Among those goods of the old covenant which belonged to the old Adam there is a special appetite for the prolonging of this temporal life. But this appetite itself is not interminable, for we all know that the day of death will come. Yet all of us, or nearly all, strive to postpone it, even those who believe that their life after death will be a happier one. Such force has the sweet partnership of flesh and soul.

LETTER 140, TO HONORATUS 6

Mark 15:36

Among the other things prophesied about him, it was also written, “They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” We know in the gospel how these things happened. First, they gave him gall. He took it, tasted it, and spit it out. Later while hanging on the cross, that all prophecies might be fulfilled, he said, “I thirst.” They took a sponge full of vinegar, fastened it on a reed, and offered it to him as he hung there. He took it and said, “It is finished.” What does “It is finished” mean? All that had been prophesied before my passion has been fulfilled. What then is there still for me to do?

TRACTATES ON JOHN 37.9

Mark 15:36

(ubi sup.) Matthew has not related, that the man who brought the sponge filled with vinegar, but that the others spoke about Elias; from whence we gather that both said it.

(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274) Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Mark 15:37

Those robbers crucified next to him, did they breathe their last when they wanted to? They were held fast by the chains of the flesh because they were not the creators of the flesh. Fastened by nails, they were tormented for a long time because they were not masters of their infirmity. But the Lord took on flesh in the virgin’s womb when he wished it. He came forth to humanity when he wished it. He lived in history as long as he wished it. He departed from the flesh when he wished it. This is a sign of power, not of necessity.

TRACTATES ON JOHN 37.9

Mark 15:37

He departed by his [own] power; for he had not come by necessity. And so some marveled more at his power of dying than at his power of performing miracles.

TRACTATES ON JOHN 31.6

Mark 15:39

(de Trin. 4, 13) This also he most of all wondered at, that after that voice which He sent forth as a figure of our sin, He immediately gave up His spirit. For the spirit of the Mediator showed that no penalty of sin could have had power to cause the death of His flesh; for it did not leave the flesh unwillingly, but as it willed, for it was joined to the Word of God in the unity of person.

(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274) Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Mark 15:40

As they were “looking on,” so we too gaze on his wounds as he hangs. We see his blood as he dies. We see the price offered by the redeemer, touch the scars of his resurrection. He bows his head, as if to kiss you. His heart is made bare open, as it were, in love to you. His arms are extended that he may embrace you. His whole body is displayed for your redemption. Ponder how great these things are. Let all this be rightly weighed in your mind: as he was once fixed to the cross in every part of his body for you, so he may now be fixed in every part of your soul.

ON VIRGINITY

Mark 15:40

How can we understand the same Mary Magdalene both to have stood afar off along with other women as the accounts of Matthew and Mark bear, and to have been by the cross, as John tells us? It could have been the case that these women were at such a distance as made it quite natural to say at once that they were near because they were at hand there in the sight of him, and yet afar off in comparison with the crowd of people who were standing round about in closer vicinity along with the centurion and the soldiers. It is open for us, then, to suppose that those women who were present at the scene along with the Lord’s mother, after he commended her to the disciple, began then to retire with the view of extricating themselves from the dense mass of people, and from a greater distance looking on at what remained to be done.

HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 3.21.58

Mark 15:42

Scripture again witnesses that the space of those three days did not imply whole days in their entirety. Rather the first day is counted as whole from its last part, and the third day is itself also counted as a whole from its first part; but the intervening day, i.e., the second day, was absolutely whole with its twentyfour hours, twelve of the day and twelve of the night. For he was crucified first by the voices of the Jews in the third hour, when it was the sixth day of the week. Then he hung on the cross itself at the sixth hour, and yielded up his spirit at the ninth hour.

ON THE TRINITY 4.6, 10

Mark 15:44

As the Gospel declares, those who were present particularly marveled at this: After the lament in which he expressed the figure of sin, he immediately gave up his spirit. For those who were suspended on the cross were tortured by a lingering death. Consequently, the legs of the thieves were broken, in order that they might quickly die and be taken down from the cross before the Sabbath. But that he was found to be already dead was a cause for amazement. And we read that Pilate also wondered at this, when the body of the Lord was asked of him for burial.

ON THE TRINITY 4.13.16

Mark 16:2

(Con. Evang. iii. 24) What Luke expresses by very early in the morning, and John by early when it was yet dark, Mark must be understood to mean, when he says, very early in the morning, at the rising of the sun, that is, when the sky was growing bright in the east, as is usual in places near the rising sun; for this is the light which we call the dawning. Therefore there is no discrepancy with the report which says, while it was yet dark. For when the day is dawning, the remains of darkness lessen in proportion as the light grows brighter; and we must not take the words very early in the morning, at the rising of the sun, to mean that the sun himself was seen upon the earth, but as expressing the near approach of the sun into those parts, that is, when his rising begins to light up the sky.

(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274) Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Mark 16:2

All the Gospels refer to the period when the heavens were just beginning to brighten in the east. This, of course, does not take place until the sunrise is at hand. For it is the brightness which is diffused by the rising sun that is familiarly designated by the name of the dawn. Mark does not contradict the other Evangelist who uses the phrase, "When it was yet dark." For as the day breaks, what remains of the darkness passes away just in proportion as the sun continues to rise.

HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 3.24.65

Mark 16:5

Mark tells us that the women entered the sepulcher, and there saw a young man sitting on the right side, covered with a long white garment, and that they were frightened. In Matthew's version, the stone was already rolled away from the sepulcher and the angel was sitting upon it. The explanation may be that Matthew has simply said nothing about the angel whom they saw when they entered into the sepulcher, and that Mark has said nothing about the one whom they saw sitting outside upon the stone. In this way they would have seen two angels, and have assumed two separate angelic reports.

HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS 3.24.63

Mark 16:5

(Con. Evang. iii. 24) Either let us suppose that Matthew was silent about that Angel, whom they saw on entering, whilst Mark said nothing of him, whom they saw outside sitting on the stone, so that they saw two and heard severally from two, the things which the Angels said concerning Jesus; or we must understand by entering into the sepulchre, their coming within some inclosure, by which it is probable that the place was surrounded a little space before the stone, by the cutting out of which the burial place had been made, so that they saw sitting on the right hand in that space him whom Matthew designates as sitting on the stone.

(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274) Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Mark 16:6

He died, but he vanquished death; in himself he put an end to what we feared; he took it upon himself and he vanquished it, as a mighty hunter he captured and slew the lion. Where is death? Seek it in Christ, for it exists no longer; but it did exist and now it is dead. O life, O death of death! Be of good heart; it will die in us, also. What has taken place in our head will take place in his members; death will die in us also. But when? At the end of the world, at the resurrection of the dead in which we believe and concerning which we do not doubt.

SERMON 233.3-4

Mark 16:7

(Con. Evan. iii. 25) By saying, He will go before you into Galilee, there shall ye see him, as he said unto you, he seems to imply, that Jesus would not show Himself to His disciples after His resurrection except in Galilee, which showing of Himself Mark himself has not mentioned. For that which He has related, Early the first day of the week he appeared to Mary Magdalene, and after that to two of them as they walked and went into the country, we know took place in Jerusalem, on the very day of the resurrection; then he comes to His last manifestation, which we know was on the Mount of Olives, not far from Jerusalem. Mark therefore never relates the fulfilment of that which was foretold by the Angel; but Matthew does not mention any place at all, where the disciples saw the Lord after He arose, except Galilee, according to the Angel's prophecy. But since it is not set down when this happened, whether first, before He was seen any where else, and since the very place where Matthew says that He went into Galilee to the mountain, does not explain the day, or the order of the narration…

(Con. Evan. iii. 25) By saying, He will go before you into Galilee, there shall ye see him, as he said unto you, he seems to imply, that Jesus would not show Himself to His disciples after His resurrection except in Galilee, which showing of Himself Mark himself has not mentioned. For that which He has related, Early the first day of the week he appeared to Mary Magdalene, and after that to two of them as they walked and went into the country, we know took place in Jerusalem, on the very day of the resurrection; then he comes to His last manifestation, which we know was on the Mount of Olives, not far from Jerusalem. Mark therefore never relates the fulfilment of that which was foretold by the Angel; but Matthew does not mention any place at all, where the disciples saw the Lord after He arose, except Galilee, according to the Angel's prophecy. But since it is not set down when this happened, whether first, before He was seen any where else, and since the very place where Matthew says that He went into Galilee to the mountain, does not explain the day, or the order of the narration, Matthew does not oppose the account of the others, but assists in explaining and receiving them. But nevertheless since the Lord was not first to show Himself there, but sent word that He was to be seen in Galilee, where He was seen subsequently, it makes every faithful Christian on the look out, to find out in what mysterious sense it may be understood.

It is also signified that the grace of Christ is about to pass over from the people of Israel to the Gentiles, by whom the Apostles would never have been received when they preached, if the Lord had not gone before them and prepared a way in their hearts; and this is what is meant by, He goeth before you into Galilee, there shall ye see him, that is, there shall ye find His members.

(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274) Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Mark 16:8

There follows: And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre, for they trembled and were amazed.

(de Con. Evan. iii. 24.) We may however enquire how Mark can say this, when Matthew says, they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy, and did run to bring his disciples word, (Matt. 28:8) unless we understand it to mean, that they did not dare to say a word to any of the Angels themselves, that is, to answer the words which they had spoken to them; or else to the guards whom they saw lying there; for that joy of which Matthew speaks is not inconsistent with the fear which Mark mentions. For we ought to have understood that both feelings were in their minds, even though Matthew had not mentioned the fear. But since he has also said that they came out with fear and great joy, he does not allow room for any question to be raised.

(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274) Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Mark 16:9

(de Con. Evan. iii. 25) Now we must consider how the Lord appeared after the resurrection. For Mark says, Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.

(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274) Catena Aurea by Aquinas