Chapter XIV.
Second, it treats of the detestation of idols in a fourfold manner.
Again another thinking to sail etc. After he described the manifold errors of idol-worshippers, here he touches upon the detestation of idols, and first, from the uselessness of the idols themselves; second, from the offense to the Creator: But in like manner they are hateful: third, from the novelty and manner of their invention: For they were not etc.; fourth, from the effect of human corruption: And it was not enough to have erred.
First, he detests idols on account of their uselessness.
He shows the uselessness of idols in the first part by the example of those sailing on the sea, whom the idols, when invoked, cannot help. He shows that this impotence is to be detested, first from the fragility of the idol that has no power; second, from the power of God who saves even without a ship: But thy etc.; third, from the usefulness of the ship itself: But that they might not be: fourth, by the example of Noah's ark preserving the human race: But also from the beginning.
(Vers. 1.). He says therefore: Again another etc., as if to say: not only do men uselessly seek help from idols on land, but again, on water, because another, namely a man, thinking to sail, namely by intention, and through fierce waves, that is, dangerous ones: whence in the Psalm: "Wonderful are the surges of the sea"; likewise Sirach forty-three: "They that sail the sea tell of the dangers thereof." Beginning to make a journey, namely by the execution of his intention, calls upon a wood more fragile than the wood that carries him: he calls upon, namely for help, a wood, namely an idol, more fragile than the wood carrying him, that is, the ship.
(Vers. 2.). For that, namely the wood of the idol, the desire of acquiring devised: whence in Ephesians five it is said "covetousness is the service of idols." And the craftsman fashioned it by his wisdom: his own, he says, as if to say: not divine, "but earthly, sensual, devilish," James three; Isaiah forty-five: "The makers of errors have gone into confusion"; and Job thirteen: "Showing you to be makers of lies"; the Gloss: "Since the maker is greater than what is made, to adore one's own handiwork is madness."
(Vers. 3.). But thy, O Father, as if to say: there they invoke the idol in the governance of their journey: but, meaning however; thy, O Father, by creation; Isaiah sixty-four: "And now, O Lord, thou art our father, and we indeed are clay" etc.; likewise by provision; whence Matthew six: "Our Father etc., our bread" etc. Thou governest, namely all things, by providence, which, according to Damascene, "is the care of God for things"; concerning which Judith nine: "Thou hast placed thy judgments in thy providence."
From what has been said, it is clear that nothing in the world happens by chance and fortune, because, as Plato says, "nothing exists whose origin was not preceded by a legitimate cause." That the world is administered by providence, Cicero proves in the Rhetoric thus: "Things done by providence are better administered than those done by chance; but the world is administered in the best way; therefore," etc.
For etc., as if to say: this is clear, that you govern all things by providence; for you have given, namely to the children of Israel, a way in the sea, leading them out of Egypt through the midst of the dry sea, as is clear from Exodus fourteen: and among the waves, namely of the river Jordan, a most firm path, Joshua three. Of both it is said in the Psalm: "Your way is in the sea, and your paths in many waters"; the Gloss: "Divine power led the Israelites through the Red Sea with dry footstep and divided the waters of the Jordan."
(Vers. 4.). Showing, namely by this, that you are powerful from all things, namely perils and misfortunes, to heal, or better according to another reading, to save, even if without a raft, that is, a ship, someone should go to sea: Isaiah forty-three: "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and the rivers shall not cover you"; whence "He raised up Peter walking on the waves, lest he be submerged," as is clear from Matthew fourteen: "He freed Paul, shipwrecked for the third time, from the depth of the sea," as is clear from Second Corinthians eleven.
(Vers. 5.). But that they might not be empty, but rather necessary for human use, the works of your wisdom, that is, devised through your wisdom; in the Psalm: "You have made all things in wisdom." For this reason also to a small piece of wood, namely a small ship, men entrust their souls, that is, their bodily life: and crossing the sea, in which nevertheless there are innumerable perils, they have been delivered by a raft: the Gloss: "The Creator gave to his creature knowledge by which it might provide for itself in the present and serve his will."
Allegorically, the small piece of wood can be called the cross of Christ on account of its abjection and lowliness; First Corinthians one: "We preach Christ crucified, to the Jews indeed a stumbling block, and to the Gentiles foolishness." To this men entrust their souls, namely by believing in Christ crucified and adoring him in whom they have believed. And thus crossing the sea of this world, namely by the power and imitation of the cross, by the raft they are delivered and arrive at the port of eternal salvation. Whence Damascene: "The cross is the resurrection of those who sleep, the staff of the infirm, the rod of pastors, the aid of those being converted, the perfection of those advancing, the salvation of soul and body, the aversion of all evils, the teacher of all good things, the destruction of sin, the tree of resurrection, the wood of eternal life." In these words, however, To a small piece of wood, etc., the humility of the cross is first intimated,
when it says: By a small piece of wood: second, its veneration and dignity, when it says: Men trust their souls, rational men, that is, as blessed Andrew said: "Receive me from men"; third, necessity, when it says: And those crossing the sea, namely of this world, concerning which the Psalm says: "This great sea" etc.; fourth, its power and usefulness, when it says: They were delivered by a raft: First Corinthians 1: "We preach Christ" etc.; likewise: "The word of the cross to those who are perishing etc., but to us" etc.
But also from the beginning. Here the usefulness of Noah's ark is first shown: second, it is praised, at: For blessed is the wood etc.; third, the idol and its maker are condemned: But by the hands etc.
(Vers. 6.). But also from the beginning etc., as if to say: it not only delivers from the peril of the sea, but also from the flood, and this is what it says: But also from the beginning, namely in the beginning of the second age, namely in the time of Noah, Genesis 6. When there perished, namely in the flood, the proud giants, concerning whom it is found in Genesis 6: the hope of the world, namely of the future world: the Gloss says: "The seedbed of the human race," namely the eight persons, concerning whom it is said in First Peter 3: "In which a few souls were saved through water"; fleeing to a raft, that is, an ark made in the manner of a raft, because its length was greater than its width, Genesis 6, bequeathed to the age, namely the future age after the flood, the seed of birth, namely of both men and animals, as is evident in Genesis 6. Which, namely the ark, by your hand: the Gloss says: "By power, or by the Son," according to that verse of the Psalm: "Send forth your hand from on high" etc.; was governed, because it had no helmsman except God or his Angel, since all men existing outside were dead, and those existing within were enclosed.
(Vers. 7.). For blessed is the wood, namely of Noah's ark, through which justice is wrought, namely the deliverance of the just, while the wicked were drowned, which was just. Concerning this wood, above in chapter 10: "When water destroyed the earth, wisdom healed it again, governing the just man by a contemptible piece of wood."
Now this wood allegorically can be called the wood of the cross, of which it is said in First Peter, chapter two: "He bore our sins in His own body upon the tree." Through that wood justice was accomplished, because "to each was rendered what was his own." For through that wood sin was destroyed, according to that which the Church sings: "Death then died, when life died upon the wood"; Hosea, chapter thirteen: "O death, I will be your death," etc. Likewise, through it the devil was conquered, according to that saying of Gregory: "He who conquered through wood would also be conquered through wood." Likewise, through it man was reconciled; Colossians, chapter two: "Blotting out the handwriting of the decree that was against us, nailing it to the cross"; likewise Colossians, chapter one: "Making peace through the blood of the cross." Likewise, hell was despoiled; Colossians, chapter two: "Despoiling principalities and powers," etc. Likewise, heaven was opened: whence it was said to the thief: "Today you shall be with Me in paradise," Luke, chapter twenty-three; Isaiah, chapter twenty-two: "I will give the key of the house of David." Likewise, Christ was exalted: whence Philippians, chapter two: "Wherefore God also exalted Him," etc. This was the scepter of Ahasuerus shown or extended to man as a sign of clemency, Esther, chapter fifteen.
(Vers. 8.). And rightly I said that blessed is the wood by which justice is done: now, standing for "but": the idol, which is made by hands, namely of craftsmen, is accursed, both it, namely the idol, and he who made it, namely the craftsman.
But the idol, since it is an inanimate thing, how is it accursed? Because this curse is understood either by reason of fault, which does not befall the idol, or by reason of punishment, which is to be inflicted by reason of fault.
It must be said that in the idol two things are to be considered, namely the presiding spirit and the figure of the wood. The malign spirit itself is accursed with the curse of fault and punishment; but the wood, with the curse of detestation and infamy, as a kind of punishment — not because it is a subject of fault, by reason of which punishment is to be inflicted, but because it is the matter or occasion of fault. Whence the Gloss: "For the devil will be punished because he usurps divine honor for himself; and man, who honors a creature in place of the Creator."
Because he indeed fashioned it, namely the idol, whence he is rightly accursed: Isaiah, chapter forty-four: "Behold, all its partakers shall be confounded." But that thing, namely the idol, since it was fragile, because made of fragile material, was named a god, namely by appellation alone, not by the truth of the thing: on account of which it is rightly accursed.
Secondly, he detests idols on account of the offense to the Creator
But likewise etc. Here he touches on the second cause of the detestation of idols, taken from the offense against the Creator: and first he touches on the sign of the offense, namely the idol, and the punishment of the idolater; second, the irremissibility of the punishment: For this reason etc.; third, the cause on the part of the idol: Because creatures; fourth, the cause on the part of the idolater: For the beginning etc.
(Vers. 9.). I have rightly said that both are accursed etc.: but, meaning because: likewise hateful to God is the ungodly one, namely the idolater, because he denies the piety of divine worship, and his ungodliness, that is, the matter of his ungodliness, namely the idol, that is, the demon presiding over the idol; Sirach 12: "The Most High hates sinners." And it should be noted that the hatred of God does not denote or signify an affection in Him, but an effect in the one whom He hates.