(Vers. 8. 9.). But again, neither should these be pardoned. For simple ignorance merits pardon; whence 1 Timothy 1: "I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly"; but crass and supine ignorance does not: whence 1 Corinthians 14: "If anyone is ignorant, he shall be ignored."
For if they were able to know so much as to be able to appraise the world, that is, to know the natures of worldly things: how did they not more easily find the Lord of this, namely of the world? As if to say: they could have known God more easily.
But to the contrary: Above, chapter 9: "With difficulty do we judge the things that are on earth; and who shall search out the things that are in the heavens?"
It must be said that it does not mean to say that they could more easily know God to be the author of these things absolutely, but rather that he is God, rather than those things which they worshipped.
Their second error concerns two things.
But unhappy etc. Here is set forth the error of those who worship their own handiwork, first, their own handiwork in metallic material; second, in wooden material: Or if someone.
(Vers. 10.). He says therefore: But unhappy are they, namely through the privation of the happiness of the way, concerning which above in chapter three: "He who rejects wisdom and discipline is unhappy." And among the dead, namely by eternal death, is their hope, that is, their expectation: hope however is here taken improperly, because hope properly so called pertains only to what is good. Among the dead, I say, is their hope, through the privation of eternal happiness, according to that verse of the Psalm: "Like the wounded sleeping in the sepulchres, whom you remember no more, and they are cast off from your hand," from the hand, namely, of saving mercy, not from the hand of punishing justice. Or the first refers to the punishment of loss in the future, the second to the punishment of sense. Of those, I say, who have called gods, etc. And he rightly says called: for they are gods by name only, not by nature. The works of the hands of men, according to that verse of the Psalm: "The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the works of the hands of men"; Isaiah chapter two: "They have adored the work of their own hands, which their fingers have made"; gold and silver, that is, made of gold and silver as regards the matter, according to that verse of Hosea chapter two: "I multiplied their silver and gold, which they made unto Baal"; according to that verse of Isaiah chapter two: "The land is filled with gold and silver, and there is no end to its treasures, and its land is filled with idols." An invention of art, that is, some figure devised by art, and this as regards the form. And likenesses of animals, not the animals themselves, but their image or likeness: against which it is said in Deuteronomy chapter four: "You shall not make a likeness of any animals that are on the earth." Or a useless stone, namely as to the usefulness which idolaters believe to be in it, although it is useful as regards natural use, because there is nothing superfluous in the works of God, of which kind are creatures; Deuteronomy chapter thirty-two: "The works of God are perfect," neither superfluous nor diminished. The work of an ancient hand, that is, of the hand of an ancient craftsman, because "in the ancients is wisdom," Job chapter twelve. Against all these things it is said in Acts chapter seventeen: "Being therefore the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the divine is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, the graving of art and the device of man."
Or if anyone. Here is set forth the error of those who worship their own handiwork in wooden material: and first their error in fashioning or carpentry is touched upon; second, in worshipping: And of the substance. In the first, he first touches upon the matter; second, the form: And through knowledge; third, the placement: And let him make for it, etc.; fourth, the impotence: An image, etc.
(Vers. 11.). Or if some craftsman, a worker: worker here is taken broadly for a craftsman in whatever material, whether wooden or other, not only iron: has cut a straight piece of wood from the forest: Isaiah forty-four: "He cuts down cedars, he took the holm oak," etc. And of this, namely the wood, skillfully scrapes off all the bark, namely the outer bark; and employing his skill, diligently fashions a useful vessel: The Gloss: "Very useful," for the conduct of life, namely human life: Second Timothy two: "For in a great house there are vessels of wood and of earthenware," etc.
(Vers. 12.). But the remnants of this work, that is, of the aforesaid wood, he uses up for the preparation of food, that is, he uses them, according to that passage of Isaiah forty-four: "He took from them and was warmed, he kindled a fire and baked bread."
(Vers. 13.). And the remainder of these, namely of those things which have been put to human uses: which for no use, namely human use, avails, that is, is of any worth; I say that very crooked wood, namely in itself, and with knots, that is, nodes, full, namely on the outside; he carves diligently, namely by removing the knottiness, through his idleness, because however much he labors there, all his labor is reckoned as idleness, since he labors there uselessly. And by the knowledge of his art he shapes it, namely by external delineation, and this with respect to form: and makes it like the image of a man, namely by the representation of the limbs. And note that he does not say makes it like a man, but the image of a man, because this configuration can exist in external features and not in internal ones.
(Vers. 14. 15. 16.). Or compares it to some animal, that is, likens it: Romans 1: "Into the likeness of the image of corruptible man and of birds and of four-footed beasts," etc.; likewise in the Psalm: "They exchanged their glory for the likeness of a calf eating hay." Smearing over, that is, on the outside, with red ochre, that is, with a rule or a line drawn in red color, by which a marking is made. For rubrica is said to mean red earth and the color that is made from it, and the rule or line by which it is made, and the dye itself, and the middle syllable must always be lengthened. And making the color of it red with paint: fucus is called an unnatural and, as it were, counterfeit color. Likewise it should be noted that fucus is called an animal similar to a bee, which does not make honey but devours honey; likewise, a certain herb that dyes; likewise, any counterfeit color; likewise, falsehood or fraud and deceit, according to Papias. And smearing over every blemish that is in it, namely in the wood, with earth . — And he makes a worthy dwelling for it: whence Baruch, last chapter: "When they are set up in a house, their eyes are full of dust from the feet of those entering." And setting it in a wall, namely so that it may be more visible, and fastening it with iron, that is, with iron nails, lest perhaps it fall; Isaiah 41: "He fastened it with nails, lest it be moved"; looking out for it, that is, foreseeing and taking precaution; knowing that it cannot help itself, namely by itself: whence in the Psalm: "They have hands, and they shall not handle; they have feet, and they shall not walk," etc. Nor is this a wonder, for it is an image, that is, a likeness of a thing, not the thing itself, and it needs help, namely human help: Baruch, last chapter: "If they fall to the ground, they do not rise up by themselves," as was evident concerning Dagon, 1 Kings 5; likewise Jeremiah 10: "They must be carried and borne, because they cannot walk."
(Vers. 17.). And concerning his substance, that is, concerning his outward possession, and concerning his children, that is, concerning the welfare of his children, and concerning marriages, namely those to be contracted, making a vow, namely to it, he inquires, namely from it, so as to seek what is necessary for himself and his children, although one ought not to make vows except to God, according to that word of the Psalm, "Vow and render unto the Lord your God," etc.; likewise Isaiah 19: "They shall vow vows unto the Lord and fulfill them." He is not ashamed to speak, namely he himself having a soul, with that which, namely the false god, is without a soul: Baruch, last chapter: "When they hear that a mute cannot speak, they bring it to Bel"; in the Psalm: "They have a mouth, and they shall not speak."
(Vers. 18.). And for health, that is, his own or of his own, he entreats one who is infirm, that is, altogether powerless, indeed, that is, certainly, and for life he asks one who is dead, that is, altogether lacking life, so that dead is understood negatively, not privatively, because, if privatively, then it would be understood that he once had life, but was afterwards deprived of it: which would be false. And he calls upon one useless for help, that is, one unable to help himself or another: whence Baruch, last chapter: "He has a sword in his hand, and does not deliver himself from robbers."
(Vers. 19.). And for a journey, that is, direction on a journey, he asks of him who cannot walk, according to that of the Psalm: "They have feet, and they shall not walk," etc.; Baruch, last chapter: "Without feet they are carried on shoulders." And concerning acquiring, namely through commerce, and concerning working, namely through the mechanical arts, and concerning the outcome of all things, in general, he asks of him who is useless in all things; Isaiah forty-four: "He fashioned a god and cast a graven image, useful for nothing."
But it seems that the same objection could be raised against Christians who adore images.
But it must be said that it is not the same: because idolaters adored images as things, thinking that something living was in them; but Christians adore them only as pieces of wood, and insofar as they lead to those realities of which they are signs.