Primasius of Hadrumetum — Commentary on Scripture

Daniel 9:26

This is what [Daniel] says when he talks about the seventy weeks: “Seventy weeks will be for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and sixty-two weeks until Christ the prince. After the sixty-two weeks the Christ will be killed, and he will have nothing. And a people with their leader will come and destroy the city and the sanctuary.” A little later: “He will confirm a covenant with many for a week, and in the middle of the week the offering and sacrifice will fail, and there will be an abomination of desolation.” Since these things must be understood to refer to Christ’s first coming, in which those things were done and also received their outcome, nonetheless that portion after the division of the weeks (which he had distributed in a rather secret manner of heavenly inspiration, first making mention of seven, then sixty-two, finally one, which he also divided into two parts), that is, the final week is aptly applied to the end of the first coming of Christ and to the beginning of his second coming. To state it more clearly, I think that it necessarily must apply to both comings in an interpr…

This is what [Daniel] says when he talks about the seventy weeks: “Seventy weeks will be for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and sixty-two weeks until Christ the prince. After the sixty-two weeks the Christ will be killed, and he will have nothing. And a people with their leader will come and destroy the city and the sanctuary.” A little later: “He will confirm a covenant with many for a week, and in the middle of the week the offering and sacrifice will fail, and there will be an abomination of desolation.” Since these things must be understood to refer to Christ’s first coming, in which those things were done and also received their outcome, nonetheless that portion after the division of the weeks (which he had distributed in a rather secret manner of heavenly inspiration, first making mention of seven, then sixty-two, finally one, which he also divided into two parts), that is, the final week is aptly applied to the end of the first coming of Christ and to the beginning of his second coming. To state it more clearly, I think that it necessarily must apply to both comings in an interpretation that applies harmoniously to both. For after seven and sixty-two weeks the Christ would come and be killed, and he would reprove those who killed him, just as it was said that the same people will not be his. And as for his confirming a covenant with many during one week, one would rightly understand that all the words of the Old Testament and the actions that foretold by type the Christ’s coming have been fulfilled by the truth of his presence, who is the end of the law. Nonetheless, I think that the intention of this week most aptly pertains to the end of the world, since I hear soon thereafter, “And in half a week offering and sacrifice will come to an end.”

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 3:11

Isaiah 9:14-15

Remember what is written in Isaiah: “The elder and honored man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail, and there will be some who delight my people while deceiving them, and those who are delighted will be cast headlong.” Thus it is clear that some desire to master those domains which all the saints and teachers of the truth are zealous to avoid, namely, worldly glory and the deception of harmful preaching. The power in their tails, therefore, extends back into this life for five months, where the lie is able to marshal the wicked or temporarily to torture the spiritual.

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 3:9

Isaiah 24:15

“And God remembered Babylon the great, who came into his sight.” This designates the confused multitude of all the lost. “That he might give it to drink from the wine of his wrath.” The retribution of due punishment to be returned to the wicked is here recorded. “And all the islands fled, and no mountains could be found.” I believe that these islands and mountains are literary figures for the church on account of the prominence of its stability, concerning which it is also said through Isaiah: “Glorify the Lord in doctrine, the name of the Lord God of Israel in the islands of the sea.”

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 4:16

Isaiah 24:16

“The Spirit of the Lord filled the world.” But that will be done with the broken horns of sinners. The horns of the righteous one are said to be exalted, concerning which Isaiah prophesied: “From the ends of the earth we heard praises announcing the glory of the righteous one.” The church is understood to have seven horns, as does every world in which the sevenfold grace of the Spirit rules on account of his remarkable sevenfold operation. And eyes are mentioned here because of illumination. It is in relation to this, I believe, that Zechariah said, “These seven are the eyes of the Lord, which run through all the earth.”

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 2:5

Isaiah 25:6

They will not hunger because they will feed upon living bread, for he said, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven.” Neither will they thirst, because they will drink from a cup so splendid as to enact in them the truth he spoke: “Whoever believes in me will never thirst”; and again: “Whoever drinks from the water I give him will receive in himself a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.” Neither will the sun strike them, nor will they be burned by the deadly fire of its heat. God made a similar promise to his church through Isaiah, saying that he would be “a shelter from the storm, a shade from the heat.” Here he declares the purity of his sacraments to thrive in his own and that none of them will be oppressed by the heat of temptation. “For the Lamb in the midst of the throne governs them.” Previously it had said that the Lamb seated on the throne received the scroll, but now it says that the Lamb in the midst of the throne governs them. It does so to teach that there is one throne for the Father and for the Son, since the Father is in the Son and the Son is i…

They will not hunger because they will feed upon living bread, for he said, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven.” Neither will they thirst, because they will drink from a cup so splendid as to enact in them the truth he spoke: “Whoever believes in me will never thirst”; and again: “Whoever drinks from the water I give him will receive in himself a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.” Neither will the sun strike them, nor will they be burned by the deadly fire of its heat. God made a similar promise to his church through Isaiah, saying that he would be “a shelter from the storm, a shade from the heat.” Here he declares the purity of his sacraments to thrive in his own and that none of them will be oppressed by the heat of temptation. “For the Lamb in the midst of the throne governs them.” Previously it had said that the Lamb seated on the throne received the scroll, but now it says that the Lamb in the midst of the throne governs them. It does so to teach that there is one throne for the Father and for the Son, since the Father is in the Son and the Son is in the Father, that is, in the midst of the church, which the one, whole, triune God inhabits through faith.

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 2:7

Isaiah 29:11

This is also why Isaiah would say to the Jews: “Behold, all of these words will be to you like the words of a sealed book.” The skilled reader and the illiterate are equally said to be deprived of fruit, since one is prevented by the seal from penetrating what lies hidden within and the other is shackled by ignorance.

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 2:5

Isaiah 35:10

“The one who endures to the end will be saved.” By still referring to this the text goes on reading: “On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Nothing accursed will be found there anymore.” In the twelve months he suggests the idea of all times and designates eternity. Therefore where there is eternal greenness, no aridity will ever be allowed to exist. Where there is perfect and sound health, no infirmity is ever admitted, and also the prophet promises this by saying, “They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” “The tree” is the one that we read to be “planted by streams of water,” about which also Jeremiah says “that it sends out its roots by the stream,” that is, places its hope and confidence in the Lord. In another sense the river of the water of life is recognized to signify rightly the fountain itself of life, that is, the Lord Jesus Christ, about whom we read, “For with you is the fountain of life; in your ligh…

“The one who endures to the end will be saved.” By still referring to this the text goes on reading: “On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Nothing accursed will be found there anymore.” In the twelve months he suggests the idea of all times and designates eternity. Therefore where there is eternal greenness, no aridity will ever be allowed to exist. Where there is perfect and sound health, no infirmity is ever admitted, and also the prophet promises this by saying, “They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” “The tree” is the one that we read to be “planted by streams of water,” about which also Jeremiah says “that it sends out its roots by the stream,” that is, places its hope and confidence in the Lord. In another sense the river of the water of life is recognized to signify rightly the fountain itself of life, that is, the Lord Jesus Christ, about whom we read, “For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.”

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 5:22

Revelation 1:13

“And I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands was one like a son of man.” He saw Christ who rather often desires to be called by this name. He who is the enclothed Christ is the seven lampstands themselves. Whether the seven lampstands or the seven stars, both refer to the church.… On account of the exalted nature of the divine discourse, on occasion the genus cannot be described clearly, because it is more easily seen than expressed.… So also in this passage, among the seven lampstands he is describing the church in the Son of man. “For,” the apostle says, “the two shall become one flesh, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.” As I said above, the genus is clarified through various species.

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 1:12

Revelation 2:10

These words pertain to the entire church. For also the apostle teaches this when he speaks of Adam and says, “Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.” And thereupon he indicated the church by moving to figurative speech, saying, “She will be saved through the bearing of sons, if she continues in faith and love and holiness with modesty.” No one believes that this is spoken of a woman who is dead, and not rather of the church of Christ.

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 2:10

Revelation 2:10

“Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation.” These words are fitting for the universal church, against whom the devil is always waging war with unavoidable hostilities. And for this reason the course of the present life is signified by the ten days, since in the Decalogue there exists in brief form a summary of the law. For here are the required divine commandments where there is need for continence. For this reason also the Lord said, “Agree with your accuser,” that is, the law, “while you are with him in the way of this age.” In this way he indicates the entire time when, with the law instructing you, there is conflict against the manifold allurements of desire, so that when the five physical senses are subdued through the grace of God, victory is achieved. And when duplicated on account of the twofold sexes, the five senses become ten.I also think that the ten days may be interpreted as the total course of this life in which there will never fail to be a threefold temptation for the faithful. For…

“Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation.” These words are fitting for the universal church, against whom the devil is always waging war with unavoidable hostilities. And for this reason the course of the present life is signified by the ten days, since in the Decalogue there exists in brief form a summary of the law. For here are the required divine commandments where there is need for continence. For this reason also the Lord said, “Agree with your accuser,” that is, the law, “while you are with him in the way of this age.” In this way he indicates the entire time when, with the law instructing you, there is conflict against the manifold allurements of desire, so that when the five physical senses are subdued through the grace of God, victory is achieved. And when duplicated on account of the twofold sexes, the five senses become ten.I also think that the ten days may be interpreted as the total course of this life in which there will never fail to be a threefold temptation for the faithful. For “the life of man upon the earth is a trial,” and this is so as the seven days pass by and continue to pass by until the whole time of the present life is unfolded. The devil was permitted to bring this temptation even upon our Lord Jesus Christ as the head of the church. This spiritual battle of the church of Christ is further indicated in the figure of a woman who is in struggle. For the Lord said to the serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman. She will watch your head, and you will lie in wait for her heel.” It is, therefore, clearly recognized that in this age, which is completed in the course of seven days, the church of Christ is subjected to various trials. These receive their most powerful and principal expression in the three sins, in the passion of fleshly desire and the unrestrained gluttony of forbidden excesses.
The enemy attempted to deceive the Lord by way of bread, as though he were a second Adam, since he had given the first Adam a draught of death when he persuaded him to taste what was forbidden to humankind. And so by rendering the first Adam a captive to the belly, he intended to bind him in addiction also to other desires of the flesh. And the enemy was also allowed to attack the Lord with the temptation to vainglory when he exhorted him to throw himself headlong from the pinnacle of the temple, adding the witness of the psalm which says, “He has given his angels charge over you” and the following. And just as the enemy had deceived the first man with the suggestion, “You shall be like gods knowing good and evil,” so he exhorted the Lord to throw himself down incautiously out of the desire to display the deity which he had laid aside. And the enemy tempts also a third time through which it is indicated that greed for the glory of earthly kingdoms and the pomp of worldly wealth must be condemned. When this threefold temptation is added to the times of this life, which are indicated by the seven days, the number ten is fulfilled, and for this reason it is said, “for ten days you will have tribulation.”

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 2:10

Revelation 2:11

“He who conquers shall not be hurt by the second death.” Having eaten of the forbidden tree, [Adam] procured this [death] for posterity. However, watering the tree of the cross by the water and blood which flowed from the holy place of his side, Christ caused the firstfruits of salvation to sprout up where he knew the original evil had arisen, saying, “Rejoice, I have overcome the world.” Thus, if anyone conquers, he will conquer in him.

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 2:11

Revelation 2:16

“You also have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent then. If not, I will come to you soon and war against you with the sword of my mouth.” He speaks of a sword. … The sword is the commandments of both Testaments by which the contemptuous are spiritually overcome. “For those who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.”

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 2:16

Revelation 2:17

“And I will give him a white stone,” that is, the adoption of the sons of God. This stone is a precious gem and may be understood as similar to that pearl that the merchant found and valued as equal to all his possessions which he sold. Another translation renders this as “pearl.” “And upon the stone is a new name,” that is, the name of Christian, for which reason we read, “And you shall be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord will give.” And besides baptism I mention also martyrdom, “which no one knows except him who receives it.” Although hypocrites seem to bear the name superficially, they are unable to enter the power of its meaning, “having the form of religion but denying the power of it.” Therefore, the same John says, “He who says that he knows him but disobeys his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 2:17

Revelation 2:21

The bed here is to be understood as that security which sinners often promise to themselves when they have committed disgraceful crimes with impunity. That is, sinners at times do not experience the vengeance of present wrath and so neglect penance until sudden destruction comes upon them like the pain of childbirth and they are not able to escape. They are said to be given over by God to this neglectfulness that this security produces, for they are abandoned to a hidden, although not unjust, judgment. We read of such security also elsewhere: “The little ones are killed by their turning away, and the prosperity of the foolish will destroy them.” Another translation renders “mourning” for “bed,” whereby is designated the eternal misery that awaits those who do not repent from their works.

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 2:22

Revelation 3:7

The secrets of the divine law are disclosed to the faithful by the power of Christ alone, and they are closed to the unbelievers. However, when he loosens, no one shuts, and when he binds, no one loosens.

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 3:7

Revelation 3:8

He shows the reason why the church has merited these gifts: because she does not have confidence in her own powers but in the power of Christ the king. And confessing that she has but little power, she is glorified, having been redeemed not in herself but in the Lord.

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 3:8

Revelation 3:14

“He who is the Amen says these words, the faithful and true witness.” We must consider the meaning here of “is” and “Amen.” The term amen is certainly said to mean “true” or “faithful.” And so, in this passage without question it refers to that essence of the divinity of which God spoke when he said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘He who is has sent me to you.’ ” For he truly is, who is always the same.

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 3:14

Revelation 3:14

Since in the person of the one Christ humanity is said to have been assumed, he says, “who is the beginning of the creation of God.” It is appropriate to regard the Lord Christ as the beginning of God’s creation because of the mystery of the incarnation. From his person we read, “The Lord created me as a beginning of his ways.” And the apostle said, “Since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest,” and following. For he himself is the Way, who is the fatherland, he himself the Author of faith, who is also its fulfiller, he himself both alpha and omega, he himself the beginning whom no ones precedes, he himself the end whom no one succeeds as ruler.

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 3:14

Revelation 3:15-16

In this passage we recognize persons of nobility in the world, whom he says are neither hot nor cold but lukewarm, because, although they possess an abundance of wealth, they are empty of works of piety, nor are they inflamed by any feeling of compassion toward good works. They are therefore [considered] as poor, said to be neither cold nor hot, for they abound in riches which they use tepidly and so become sluggish, and by not sharing those riches with the needy are rightly regarded as lacking in the desire for good works. But this passage may also refer to those persons who interpret the Scriptures in private while outside it is not known whether they are faithful and being confident in their literary knowledge, they are found to be empty of works.… Now they may purchase gold for themselves, of which he says, “Receive wisdom as gold and knowledge like chosen silver.” And, should they be able to derive something from the sources of the divine Scriptures, as though illumined by the light of wisdom; they might perfect it by works themselves, either the former enkindled by the depths o…

In this passage we recognize persons of nobility in the world, whom he says are neither hot nor cold but lukewarm, because, although they possess an abundance of wealth, they are empty of works of piety, nor are they inflamed by any feeling of compassion toward good works. They are therefore [considered] as poor, said to be neither cold nor hot, for they abound in riches which they use tepidly and so become sluggish, and by not sharing those riches with the needy are rightly regarded as lacking in the desire for good works. But this passage may also refer to those persons who interpret the Scriptures in private while outside it is not known whether they are faithful and being confident in their literary knowledge, they are found to be empty of works.… Now they may purchase gold for themselves, of which he says, “Receive wisdom as gold and knowledge like chosen silver.” And, should they be able to derive something from the sources of the divine Scriptures, as though illumined by the light of wisdom; they might perfect it by works themselves, either the former enkindled by the depths of piety through the largess of their wealth, or the latter informed spiritually through their knowledge of the Scriptures.

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 3:15-16

Revelation 3:17-18

He regards those as “naked” who are destitute of the works of righteousness, whom he also regards as “blind.” However, he is clothed with white garments who is vested with the baptism of Christ, and he enjoys that faith “working through love,” for “as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” When he says that the eyes must be anointed with salve, he advises that the heart be directed toward the divine testimonies. For “the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes.”

COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 3:18