Cassiodorus — Commentary on Scripture

Isaiah 52:7

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

We appropriately regard shoe as the gospel preaching, for just as the shoe’s protection wards off troublesome thorns and other injuries from our feet, so the authority of the gospel protects our most glorious way of life, which is often compared with advancing on foot. So fulfilled by such kind help and with the Lord’s protection we can pass through the world without suffering gashes.

Isaiah 56:6-7

Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;

As if you did not know that all human beings come from Adam and that it is written that the nations will believe in Christ, as it is said, “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” … The saints were uncircumcised before they were circumcised, and Abraham before circumcision had faith, since there is one God who justifies a circumcision of faith. And he proclaims that each nation ought to be saved through the faith of Christ, that is, by faith in him.

Isaiah 57:16

For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.

It is easier for the Lord to restrain his anger, which we know is remote from his tranquility; but we should believe that he is more inclined to mercy, which is never detached from his majesty.… So he will not restrain his mercy in anger, but rather he will refrain from anger in mercy, as long as devoted conversion is forthcoming in this world. Remember too that in the case of the Lord anger is mentioned in a loose rather than a precise sense.

James 3:14

But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

The mature faithful should not have any bitterness or jealousy in them, since such things are not given by God but are conceived by diabolical fraud. For where there is jealousy there is strife, disloyalty and every kind of evil which divine authority condemns.

Jeremiah 23:12

Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the LORD.

Let their way become dark and slippery, and let the angel of the Lord pursue them. He demanded that the situation of sinners be wholly arduous, so that their way, which seems to them clear and firm as they linger pleasurably on it, may become dark and slippery so that they cannot stand on it any longer. As the prophet Jeremiah says, “Therefore their way has become slippery in the dark. They shall be thrown down and fall on it.” But if they decide to linger further in their evil ways, he asks that the Lord’s power pursue them, so that he may not cause them to cling to their sins as they hasten to aspire after their own destruction. What a blessed proliferation of so many obstacles! How vehement is the prayer in this verse that the most salutary opposition is afforded them!

Jeremiah 33:18-25

Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually.

“But the counsel of the Lord stands forever. The thoughts of his heart are for all time.” Just as he said that the debased plans of people are to be made vain, so now he says that the dispositions of the Lord remain forever. While the sinner and the mortal person experience transient things, the eternal Lord established what will never be blameworthy. As Isaiah says, “All my counsel shall be enduring, and all that I meditated I shall achieve.” Jeremiah too says the same thing: “If my covenant were not under guard day and night, I should not have issued the laws of heaven and earth.”

Joel 2:20

But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.

Joel, the prophet, offers evidence about [the devil] with these words: “And I will remove far off from you the northern one, and I will drive him into the land thirsty and desert, and I shall expel his face into the nearest sea and his hinder parts into the utmost sea.” We thank you, Lord, for this arrangement. What would the devil do if free, when he afflicts the world when bound?

Jonah 2:1-2

Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,

The word for depth (profundum) stands for porro fundum, the far bottom, whose lowest levels are wholly submerged. From here the prophet cried to the Lord so that he could be more easily heard. It was from this depth that Peter poured forth his glorious tears and from here that the tax collector, who had fallen so deeply into sin that he could not even raise his eyes to heaven, beat his blameworthy breast. Finally from these depths Jonah, who was set in the whale’s belly and had entered hell alive, spoke to the Lord with silent vehemence. The whale was a house of prayer for the prophet, a harbor for him when shipwrecked, a home amid the waves, a happy resource at a desperate time. He was not swallowed for sustenance but to gain rest; and by a wondrous and novel precedent the beast’s belly yielded up its food unharmed, rather than consumed by the normally damaging process of digestion. Jonah bears witness to this in his book when he says, “And the Lord commanded a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights,” and the rest. In that sam…

The word for depth (profundum) stands for porro fundum, the far bottom, whose lowest levels are wholly submerged. From here the prophet cried to the Lord so that he could be more easily heard. It was from this depth that Peter poured forth his glorious tears and from here that the tax collector, who had fallen so deeply into sin that he could not even raise his eyes to heaven, beat his blameworthy breast. Finally from these depths Jonah, who was set in the whale’s belly and had entered hell alive, spoke to the Lord with silent vehemence. The whale was a house of prayer for the prophet, a harbor for him when shipwrecked, a home amid the waves, a happy resource at a desperate time. He was not swallowed for sustenance but to gain rest; and by a wondrous and novel precedent the beast’s belly yielded up its food unharmed, rather than consumed by the normally damaging process of digestion. Jonah bears witness to this in his book when he says, “And the Lord commanded a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights,” and the rest. In that same passage he recounted his prayers as well with prophetic truth. What an outstandingly and wholly glorious repentance, a humility that experiences no fall, grief that rejoices people’s hearts, tears that water the soul! Indeed this depth, which conveys us to heaven, has no inkling of hell. So observe the power of holy prayer, believing as it does that it must be heard the more quickly, the deeper the depths from which it cried to the Lord. So finally there follows, “Lord, hear my prayer,” for those who have buried themselves in the bowels of holy humility are all the closer to the Highest. Thus when he prayed from the depths he quickly gained the gifts of the highest Redeemer.

Joshua 1:5

There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

The fifth kindness follows, which is bestowed with true certainty on every really staunch Catholic. He means: “Even if I were to walk among heretics and schismatics” (they are rightly called the shadow of death since they have the form of death as they lead us to hell) “I will not fear their foul enticements, for you defend me with the protection of your presence.” In the prophet’s words: I will not leave you or forsake you; for in this world the church walks among the wicked, until he who separates the good from the evil shall come on judgment day.

Joshua 2:1-2

And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there.

Rahab was a harlot who secretly admitted the spies of Joshua when they visited Jericho and let them out by another exit so that they should not be captured. Her name means “pride.” She was converted by God’s generosity and deserved to obtain mercy. She is a type of the church, which takes in souls endangered by the vice of pride, and lets them out into life by another route, the way of humility and patience.

Joshua 6:20

So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.

The divine reading attests that the walls of Jericho at once collapsed at the din of trumpets. So there is no doubt that the sounds of music, at the Lord’s command or with his permission, have unleashed great forces.

Leviticus 14:7

And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field.

Though hyssop is a tiny plant, its roots are said to penetrate the heart of rocks. It is also known to be good for a person’s internal wounds. In Leviticus it was dipped in sacrificial blood and sprinkled seven times on the body of a leper, revealing by way of anticipation that inward stains of sins could be effectively removed by the precious blood of the Lord Savior.

Leviticus 25:10 · 2 passages

And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.

The number of this psalm is not without reason. It has reference to the year of the jubilee, which among the Jews dissolved old contracts and obligations and which in Leviticus the Lord ordered all dwellers on earth to call the year of remission. The number also refers to Pentecost, when after the Lord’s ascension the Holy Spirit came on the apostles, working miracles and imparting the gift of charisms. So too this psalm, which is given the number , if recited with a pure heart, looses sins, cancels the bond of our debt and, like the year of remission, frees us through the Lord’s kindness of the debts of our sins. Exposition of the Psalms , conclusion.

THE NUMBER OF THIS PSALM IS NOT WITHOUT REASON. IT HAS REFERENCE TO THE YEAR OF THE JUBILEE, WHICH AMONG THE JEWS DISSOLVED OLD CONTRACTS AND OBLIGATIONS AND WHICH IN LEVITICUS THE LORD ORDERED ALL DWELLERS ON EARTH TO CALL THE YEAR OF REMISSION. THE NUMBER ALSO REFERS TO PENTECOST, WHEN AFTER THE LORD’S ASCENSION THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME ON THE APOSTLES, WORKING MIRACLES AND IMPARTING THE GIFT OF CHARISMS. SO TOO THIS PSALM, WHICH IS GIVEN THE NUMBER 50, if recited with a pure heart, looses sins, cancels the bond of our debt and, like the year of remission, frees us through the Lord’s kindness of the debts of our sins.

Micah 6:3

O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me.

“For the Lord will judge his people, and he will [give] comfort among his servants.” The reason for the previous praise is stated: “For the Lord will judge his people,” that is, the Jewish people, to whom he revealed great miracles and assigned his prophets so that the people would not sin. He also sent to them his own Son, so that their accursed hardness could finally be melted. But because they persisted with accursed obstinacy, he will certainly judge them, because they were unwilling to be his, though he had chosen them from all nations as his possession. To them he says, “Hear, O people, and I will speak,” and elsewhere, “My people, what have I done to you?” So he will judge them. But hear what follows as it concerns the faithful: “He will again have compassion upon us.” He means when he will render their promised rewards to those on earth afflicted with harsh contempt on account of his name. Scripture says of them, “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted,” and in another place are the words “He that believes in me is not judged but will pass from death to life…

“For the Lord will judge his people, and he will [give] comfort among his servants.” The reason for the previous praise is stated: “For the Lord will judge his people,” that is, the Jewish people, to whom he revealed great miracles and assigned his prophets so that the people would not sin. He also sent to them his own Son, so that their accursed hardness could finally be melted. But because they persisted with accursed obstinacy, he will certainly judge them, because they were unwilling to be his, though he had chosen them from all nations as his possession. To them he says, “Hear, O people, and I will speak,” and elsewhere, “My people, what have I done to you?” So he will judge them. But hear what follows as it concerns the faithful: “He will again have compassion upon us.” He means when he will render their promised rewards to those on earth afflicted with harsh contempt on account of his name. Scripture says of them, “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted,” and in another place are the words “He that believes in me is not judged but will pass from death to life. But he that does not believe is already judged.”

Numbers 16:2

And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:

Their bellies’ fullness was followed by rebellion, which often rouses occasions of destructive danger. We say that a person is provoked when roused to anger by wicked deeds or very harsh words of others. The verse points to the incident when Dathan and Abiram roused strife and sought distinction for themselves. So their punishment ensued; for they provoked the holy men, which led to their own destruction, for they spoke through jealousy, and this is acknowledged to have displeased the Lord. This is aptly mentioned among the Lord’s praises because he is seen to have avenged his servants.As Numbers attests, it is clear that this befell the men who with the poisonous teeth of envy sought the heavenly favor bestowed on Aaron and Moses. Thus Dathan and Abiram wantonly seized for themselves the distinction which had been bestowed by the Lord’s kindness on Aaron and Moses. A similar end came on both of them because their motive in causing division was the same. They were swallowed up by the earth because they were steeped in earthly things, so that the nature of their punishment itself witn…

Their bellies’ fullness was followed by rebellion, which often rouses occasions of destructive danger. We say that a person is provoked when roused to anger by wicked deeds or very harsh words of others. The verse points to the incident when Dathan and Abiram roused strife and sought distinction for themselves. So their punishment ensued; for they provoked the holy men, which led to their own destruction, for they spoke through jealousy, and this is acknowledged to have displeased the Lord. This is aptly mentioned among the Lord’s praises because he is seen to have avenged his servants.As Numbers attests, it is clear that this befell the men who with the poisonous teeth of envy sought the heavenly favor bestowed on Aaron and Moses. Thus Dathan and Abiram wantonly seized for themselves the distinction which had been bestowed by the Lord’s kindness on Aaron and Moses. A similar end came on both of them because their motive in causing division was the same. They were swallowed up by the earth because they were steeped in earthly things, so that the nature of their punishment itself witnesses to their criminal deeds.

Numbers 20:1

Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.

Next comes “And the Lord shall shake the desert of Kadesh.” This still refers to the spirit of piety. The account in Numbers carefully explains this reference when it tells how the people of Israel came to Kadesh and were suffering from excessive thirst because of the aridity of that place. Moses struck a rock at the Lord’s command and suddenly provided an abundance of water for them. In a remarkable way the earth, which lay foul with unwatered dustiness, was irrigated. By this comparison the prophet says that the most obdurate hearts of sinners can be liquefied into waters of wisdom. The example of Kadesh must be reenacted in human hearts. The term desert is often used of places where unfaithful people are known to gather, as the Gospel says: “The voice of one crying in the desert.” John could not have preached in the desert where none could hear. Rather, “desert” is used to describe those who had not as yet apprehended the gifts of faith.

Philippians 3:21

Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

What he obviously means is that those who no longer desire sins are immortal, since they enjoy divine delights. That is the rule ordained for the blessed, of whom it is said, “They shall be as angels.”

Proverbs 1:6

To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

“He made darkness his cover, his pavilion around him: dark water in the clouds of the air.” … Remember that darkness is used also in a good sense, as in this passage from Solomon’s Proverbs: “He also understands a parable and a dark saying.” All divine matters that we do not know about are dark to us, that is, deep and obscure, though they bask in continuous light. A hiding place, namely, the secret place of his majesty, which he reveals to the just when it falls to them to gaze face to face upon the glory of his divinity. “His pavilion around him”: this expression is explained as the glorious worthiness of the blessed, that those who have persevered faithfully in his church dwell beside him. “Around him” indicates his nearness, for he encircles and penetrates all things, but he is not encircled by anyone, because he is not able to be hemmed in by any place.

Proverbs 3:12

For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

[The Lord] visits with a rod when he imposes stern punishment. In the same spirit Paul when writing to the Corinthians said, “What will you? Shall I come to you with a rod? Or in charity and in the spirit of meekness?” He also visits us with stripes when he takes lighter vengeance on us; for a rod strikes us in one way, but whips flick us in another. Clearly each of these befalls Christian people according to the nature of their sin, enabling them to make progress toward salvation. As Solomon puts it: “For whom the Lord loves, he chastises; he whips every son whom he accepts.”