Glossa Ordinaria — Commentary on Scripture

Matthew 2:10-11

(ord.) Or, the star is the illumination of faith, which leads him to the nearest aid; while they turn aside to the Jews, the Magi lose it; so those who seek counsel of the bad, lose the true light. This service of the star is followed by the rejoicing of the Magi. (ord.) He rejoices indeed who rejoices on God's account, who is the true joy. With great joy, he says, for they had great cause. (Anselm.) In these offerings we observe their national customs, gold, frankincense, and various spices abounding among the Arabians; yet they intended thereby to signify something in mystery. (Anselm.) The three men who offer, signify the nations who come from the three quarters of the earth. They open their treasures, i. e. manifest the faith of their hearts by confession. Rightly in the house, teaching that we should not vain-gloriously display the treasure of a good conscience. They bring three (vid. sup. note g, p. 18.) gifts, i. e. the faith in the Holy Trinity. Or opening the stores of Scripture, they offer its threefold sense, historical, moral, and allegorical; or Logic, Physic, and Et…

(ord.) Or, the star is the illumination of faith, which leads him to the nearest aid; while they turn aside to the Jews, the Magi lose it; so those who seek counsel of the bad, lose the true light.

This service of the star is followed by the rejoicing of the Magi.

(ord.) He rejoices indeed who rejoices on God's account, who is the true joy. With great joy, he says, for they had great cause.

(Anselm.) In these offerings we observe their national customs, gold, frankincense, and various spices abounding among the Arabians; yet they intended thereby to signify something in mystery.

(Anselm.) The three men who offer, signify the nations who come from the three quarters of the earth. They open their treasures, i. e. manifest the faith of their hearts by confession. Rightly in the house, teaching that we should not vain-gloriously display the treasure of a good conscience. They bring three (vid. sup. note g, p. 18.) gifts, i. e. the faith in the Holy Trinity. Or opening the stores of Scripture, they offer its threefold sense, historical, moral, and allegorical; or Logic, Physic, and Ethics, making them all serve the faith.

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

Matthew 2:12

(Anselm.) The three men who offer, signify the nations who come from the three quarters of the earth. They open their treasures, i. e. manifest the faith of their hearts by confession. Rightly in the house, teaching that we should not vain-gloriously display the treasure of a good conscience. They bring three (vid. sup. note g, p. 18.) gifts, i. e. the faith in the Holy Trinity. Or opening the stores of Scripture, they offer its threefold sense, historical, moral, and allegorical; or Logic, Physic, and Ethics, making them all serve the faith.

(ord.) This warning is given by the Lord Himself; it is none other that now teaches these Magi the way they should return, but He who said, I am the way. (John 14.) Not that the Infant actually speaks to them, that His divinity may not be revealed before the time, and His human nature may be thought real. But he says, having received an answer, for as Moses prayed silently, so they with pious spirit had asked what the Divine will bade. By another way, for they were not to be mixed up with the unbelieving Jews.

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

Matthew 2:17-18

(ord.) She will not be comforted in this present life, for that they are not, but transfers all her hope and comfort to the life to come.

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

Matthew 2:21-23

Joseph was not disobedient to the angelic warning, but he arose, and took the young Child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. The Angel had not fixed the particular place, so that while Joseph hesitates, the Angel returns, and by the often visiting him confirms his obedience.

(ord.) But then we might ask, why was he not afraid to go into Galilee, seeing Archelaus ruled there also? He could be better concealed in Nazareth than in Jerusalem, which was the capital of the kingdom, and where Archelaus was constantly resident.

To this he adds the Prophet's testimony, saying, That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophets, &c.

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

Matthew 3:1-3

(ap. Anselm.) The desert typically means a life removed from the temptations of the world, such as befits the penitent.

(ord.) The Kingdom of Heaven shall come nigh you; for if it approached not, none would be able to gain it; for weak and blind they had not the way, which was Christ.

(ord.) John then is, as it were, the voice of the word crying. The word is heard by the voice, that is, Christ by John.

(interlin.) Or, faith is the way by which the word reaches the heart; when the life is amended the paths are made straight.

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

Matthew 3:4

(interlin.) Or, faith is the way by which the word reaches the heart; when the life is amended the paths are made straight.

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

Matthew 3:5-6

(interlin.) This baptism was only a forerunning of that to come, and did not forgive sinsd.

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

Matthew 3:7-10

(non occ.) It was necessary that after the teaching which he used to the common people, the Evangelist should give an example of the doctrine he delivered to the more advanced; therefore he says, Seeing many of the Pharisees, &c.

(non occ.) When John saw those who seemed to be of great consideration among the Jews come to his baptism, he said to them, O generation of vipers, &c.

If then ye would escape this wrath, Bring forth fruits meet for repentance.

(ord.) It is faith's first lesson to believe that God is able to do whatever He will.

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

Matthew 3:11-12

(non occ.) As in the preceding words John had explained more at length what he had shortly preached in the words, Repent ye, so now follows a more full enlargement of the words, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

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

Matthew 3:13-15

(non occ.) Christ having been proclaimed to the world by the preaching of His forerunner, now after long obscurity will manifest Himself to men.

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

Matthew 3:16

(non occ.) Or, so bright a glory shone round about Christ, that the blue concave seemed to be actually cloven.

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

Matthew 4:1-2

(ap. Anselm.) This desert is that between Jerusalem and Jericho, where the robbers used to resort. It is called Hammaim, i. e. 'of blood,' from the bloodshed which these robbers caused there; hence the man was said (in the parable) to have fallen among robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, bearing a figure of Adam, who was overcome by dæmons. It was therefore fit that the place where Christ overcame the Devil, should be the same in which the Devil in the parable overcomes man.

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

Matthew 4:5-7

(ord.) The Devil places us on high places by exalting with pride, that he may dash us to the ground again.

(ord.) Observe here that all these things were done with bodily sense, and by careful comparison of the context it seems probable that the Devil appeared in human form.

(ap. Anselm.) He set Him on a pinnacle of the temple when he would tempt Him through ambition, because in this seat of the doctors he had before taken many through the same temptation, and therefore thought that when set in the same seat, He might in like manner be puffed up with vain pride.

(ap. Anselm.) We must explain thus; Scripture says of any good man, that He has given it in charge to His Angels, that is to His ministering spirits, to bear him in their hands, i. e. by their aid to guard him that he dash not his foot against a stone, i. e. keep his heart that it stumble not at the old law written in tables of stone. Or by the stone may be understood every occasion of sin and error.

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

Matthew 4:8-11

(ord.) He saw not, as we see, with the eye of lust, but as a physician looks on disease without receiving any hurt.

(non occ.) See the Devil's pride as of old. In the beginning he sought to make himself equal with God, now he seeks to usurp the honours due to God, saying, If thou wilt fall down and worship me. Who then worships the Devil must first fall down.

(ap. Anselm.) Though Luke's order seems the more historical; Matthew relates the temptations as they were done to Adam.

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

Matthew 4:12-16

(ap. Anselm.) Though Luke's order seems the more historical; Matthew relates the temptations as they were done to Adam. (ap. Anselm.) He came as Luke writes to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, and there entering into the synagogue, He read and spoke many things, for which they sought to throw Him down from the rock, and thence He went to Capernaum; for which Matthew has only, And leaving the town of Nazareth, He came and dwelt at Capernaum. (ord.) Nazareth is a village in Galilee near Mount Tabor; Capernaum a town in Galilee of the Gentiles near the Lake of Gennesaret; and this is the meaning of the word, on the sea coast. He adds further in the borders of Zabulon and Naphtali, where was the first captivity of the Jews by the Assyrians. Thus where the Law was first forgotten, there the Gospel was first preached; and from a place as it were between the two it was spread both to Jews and Gentiles. (ap. Anselm.) But Matthew here so quotes the passage as to make them all nominative cases referring to one verb. The land of Zabulon, and the land of Naphtali, which is the way of t…

(ap. Anselm.) Though Luke's order seems the more historical; Matthew relates the temptations as they were done to Adam.

(ap. Anselm.) He came as Luke writes to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, and there entering into the synagogue, He read and spoke many things, for which they sought to throw Him down from the rock, and thence He went to Capernaum; for which Matthew has only, And leaving the town of Nazareth, He came and dwelt at Capernaum.

(ord.) Nazareth is a village in Galilee near Mount Tabor; Capernaum a town in Galilee of the Gentiles near the Lake of Gennesaret; and this is the meaning of the word, on the sea coast. He adds further in the borders of Zabulon and Naphtali, where was the first captivity of the Jews by the Assyrians. Thus where the Law was first forgotten, there the Gospel was first preached; and from a place as it were between the two it was spread both to Jews and Gentiles.

(ap. Anselm.) But Matthew here so quotes the passage as to make them all nominative cases referring to one verb. The land of Zabulon, and the land of Naphtali, which is the way of the sea, and which is beyond Jordan, viz. the people of Galilee of the Gentiles, the people which walked in darkness.

(ord.) Note that there are two Galilees; one of the Jews, the other of the Gentiles. This division of Galilee had existed from Solomon's time, who gave twenty cities in Galilee to Hyram, King of Tyre; this part was afterwards called Galilee of the Gentiles; the remainder, of the Jews.

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

Matthew 4:18-22

(ord.) He rightly goes to fishing places, when about to fish for fishermen.

(interlin.) Follow me, not so much with your feet as in your hearts and your life.

(ap. Anselm.) These last disciples were an example to such as leave their property for the love of Christ; now follows an example of others who postponed earthly affection to God. Observe how He calls them two and two, as He afterwards sent them two and two to preach.

(ap Anselm.) and John that he may ascribe the whole to God's grace. The calling of four only is mentioned, as those preachers by whom God will call the four quarters of the world.

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

Matthew 4:22

Ord.: He rightly goes on fishing places, when about to fish for fishermen.
interlin.: “Follow me,” not so much with your feet as in your hearts and your life.
ap. Anselm: These last disciples were an example to such as leave their property for the love of Christ; now follows an example of others who postponed earthly affection to God. Observe how He calls them two and two, and He afterwards sent them two and two to preach.
ap. Anselm: and John that he may ascribe the whole to God’s grace. The calling of four only is mentioned, as those preachers by whom God will call the four quarters of the world.

Matthew 4:23-25

(ap. Anselm.) Because preachers should have good testimony from those who are without, lest if their life is open to censure, their preaching be contemned, he adds, And the fame of him went abroad through all Syria.

'Sickness' means a lasting ailment; 'torment' is an acute pain, as pleurisy, and such like; they who had dæmons are they who were tormented by the dæmons.

(ap. Anselm.) The crowds that follow the Lord, are they of the Church, which is spiritually designated by Galilee, passing to virtuousness; Decapolis is he who keeps the Ten Commandments; Jerusalem and Judæa, he who is enlightened by the vision of peace and confession; and beyond Jordan, he who having passed the waters of Baptism enters the land of promise.

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

Matthew 5:1-3

(interlin.) The riches of Heaven are suitably promised to those who at this present are in poverty.

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

Matthew 5:4

(ord.) The meek, who have possessed themselves, shall possess hereafter the inheritance of the Father; to possess is more than to have, for we have many things which we lose immediately.

(ap Anselm.) Or, by mourning, two kinds of sorrow are intended; one for the miseries of this world, one for lack of heavenly things; so Caleb's daughter asked both the upper and the lower springs. This kind of mourning none have but the poor and the meek, who as not loving the world acknowledge themselves miserable, and therefore desire heaven. Suitably, therefore, consolation is promised to them that mourn, that he who has sorrow at this present may have joy hereafter. But the reward of the mourner is greater that that of the poor or the meek, for to rejoice in the kingdom is more than to have it, or to possess it; for many things we possess in sorrow.

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