Chapter XVI.
Secondly, the punishment of the penalty of the guilty is determined.
On account of these things and things similar to them etc. After from the thirteenth chapter he treated the merit of fault with respect to the graver punishments ordained for the condemnation of the impious, here he treats of the punishment of the penalty, and first of the penalties preceding death, namely in this chapter and the seventeenth; second, of the penalties bringing death, namely in the eighteenth and nineteenth chapters.
First, two penalties preceding death are treated.
In the first, he first treats of the penalty of sense, namely of the infliction of plagues, namely in this chapter; second, of the penalty of loss, namely of the withdrawal of light, in the seventeenth chapter.
On the twofold penalty of sense.
In the first, first of the penalty inflicted through animate things; second, of the penalty inflicted through inanimate things: For they who denied you.
The first penalty of sense, inflicted through animate things.
In the first, first is touched upon the punishment of the Egyptians through vile and harmful animals; second, on the contrary, the consolation of the Hebrews through delightful animals: Instead of which things etc.; third, their liberation from harmful animals: For indeed; fourth, the reason for the aforesaid punishment and liberation: But in this.
(Vers. 1.). On account of these things, namely because most wretched people worshipped idols, or on account of the sins of idolatry, and things similar to these, that is, on account of other sins similar to the aforesaid idolatry, they suffered torments deservedly: Ephesians 5: "On account of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of unbelief"; Deuteronomy 25: "According to the measure of the sin, so also shall be the manner of the stripes." For there ought not to be the disgrace of fault without the beauty of justice or of vengeance, according to Augustine. And by a multitude of beasts, namely devastating their land, such as flies, locusts, and frogs and the like; they were destroyed, that is, grievously afflicted, and perhaps some of them were killed: above, chapter 12: "Through the things they worshipped, you gave them the utmost torments"; Deuteronomy 32: "I will send the teeth of beasts upon them."
Instead of which torments etc. Here the consolation of the Israelites is touched upon, and first the manner of consolation is set forth; second, the cause: So that those; third, the swiftness: But these; fourth, the opportuneness of the hastening: It was necessary etc.
(Vers. 2.). Instead of which torments, that is, in place of which torments, as if by contrast: you dealt well with your people, namely the Israelite people, who were his "peculiar people," as is found in Deuteronomy 7. To whom, that is, to which people, you gave the desire of their delight, that is, a desirable thing longed for: "for desire, if it is fulfilled, delights the soul," as is found in Proverbs 13. A new flavor, into food of a new flavor, preparing for them quail as food, and that bird, namely the quail, is called ortygometra, as they say from the land of Ortygia, in which it was first seen and from there brought away; or preparing foods etc.: and then according to some the plural is used here for the singular, when it says: preparing foods for them, the quail, that is, the quail, according to that verse of the Psalm: "They asked, and the quail came" etc.: Exodus 16: "It came to pass in the evening, and the quail coming up covered the camp"; likewise Numbers 11: "But a wind going out from the Lord, snatching up quails, brought them across the sea" etc. But it is not necessary that the plural be used for the singular, because it can be glossed thus: foods, that is, in place of foods.
(Vers. 3.). So that those indeed, namely the children of Israel, desiring food, namely the meats of Egypt, Exodus 16, on account of those things, namely the quails, which were shown to them, namely to be desired, and sent, namely to be eaten, even from a necessary desire, that is, a very pressing one, might be turned away, that is, so that they would no longer desire the meats of Egypt and a return to Egypt: in the Psalm: "They desired with desire in the desert"; likewise Numbers 11: "The people burned with desire for meats," although it is said in Sirach 18: "Go not after your desires, and turn away from your own will." But these, namely the children of Israel, having been made destitute in a short time, that is, for a little time, because their want lasted but briefly: for God quickly came to their aid, according to that verse of Isaiah 65: "Before they cry out, I will hear them"; destitute, that is, lacking food: had tasted a new food, that is, an unusual food, or of unusual birds.
(Vers. 4.). For it was fitting etc., as if to say: and rightly was it so done; for it was fitting, that is, it was opportune, for them, namely the Egyptians, without any excuse indeed, namely of the fault for which they were being punished: Romans 1: "So that they are without excuse"; likewise ibid. 2: "Therefore you are without excuse, O man": that destruction should come upon them, namely the torment of death-dealing punishment from the supreme Judge for their crushing; Job 18: "Let confidence be torn from his tent, and let destruction tread upon him like a king"; likewise Proverbs 29: "For a man who despises the one who corrects him with a stiff neck, sudden destruction shall come upon him." For them, I say the Egyptians, exercising tyranny, that is, cruel dominion over the children of Israel, oppressing them with harsh labors, as is clear from Exodus 1 and 5, and by drowning their boys in the river, as is clear from Exodus 1. But for these, namely the Israelites, only to show, supply: it was fitting: in what manner their enemies would be destroyed, so that thus, having seen their punishment, they might be corrected, according to that passage of Proverbs 19: "When the pestilent man is scourged, the fool will become wiser"; likewise ibid. 21: "When the pestilent man is punished, the little one will become wiser."
For indeed etc. Here is first shown the gravity of the peril: second, the swiftness of the deliverance: But not forever: third, the power of the deliverer or authority: For he who.
(Vers. 5.). He says therefore: For indeed, as if to say: I have rightly said: but for these only to show etc.; for indeed, that is, because: when upon them, namely the children of Israel, there came the fierce wrath of beasts, namely from the displeasure of the heavenly Judge, whom they had offended by murmuring against him, as is clear from Numbers 21: "The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people." By the bites of perverse serpents, because they were effective for harming, they were being destroyed, namely some of them: whence 1 Corinthians 10: "Do not murmur, as some of them murmured and perished by serpents."
(Vers. 6.). But not forever, that is, without end, such that eternal punishment would be joined to temporal punishment, as in Herod, Acts 12. Your wrath, that is, the effect of your wrath, not the emotion of your mind, according to that saying: "I am the Lord, and I am not angered"; remained, namely in the children of Israel: Habakkuk 3: "When you are angered, you will remember mercy." But for correction, not for condemnation, in a short time, that is, for a brief period, they were troubled, that is, afflicted, namely outwardly, and from that troubled, inwardly: Isaiah 54: "For a brief moment I forsook you, etc., and in a moment of indignation I hid my face briefly from you, and in everlasting mercy I have had compassion on you"; Jeremiah 30: "But I will not make a complete end of you, but I will chastise you in judgment, lest you seem innocent to yourself." Having a sign of salvation; The Gloss: "The bronze serpent set up as a sign, by the sight of which they were healed," as is clear from Numbers 21. For a remembrance of the commandment of your law, namely, to be kept, according to that saying of the Psalm: "And they are mindful of his commandments, to do them," just as a negligent boy is whipped so that he may repeat and fix his lesson.
(Vers. 7.). And I rightly said: having a sign, not a cause: for he who turned, namely either inwardly through repentance toward God, or outwardly toward the bronze serpent to look upon it: not through that which was seen, namely by the bodily eye, was healed, that is, not through the bronze serpent; but through you, the Savior of all, signified through the said serpent: John 3: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up"; just as also a dead man could not be raised by the staff of Elisha, which did not obey him in this, but through him personally, as is found in 4 Kings 4.
In this moreover you showed, etc. Here is subjoined the reason for the aforesaid punishment and liberation, namely, the manifestation of divine justice and mercy, and first, on the part of the punished Egyptians, the manifestation of divine justice; second, on the part of the liberated Hebrews, the manifestation of divine mercy and certain other causes: But your sons.
(Vers. 8.). In this moreover, namely in the affliction of the Egyptians and the easy liberation of the Israelites, you showed, that is, you willed to show, although they did not see; whence they cannot complain except about the blindness of their own eyes, just as if the shining sun were shown to someone with bleary eyes and he did not see it, according to Augustine: to our enemies, namely the Egyptians; for the wicked are enemies of the just, namely actively, not passively, because they hate the just, although they are loved by them; you showed, I say, that you are, namely the only one, who delivers from all evil: in the Psalm: "Many are the tribulations of the just, and from all these the Lord will deliver them."
On the contrary: Why are many not delivered from evil?
It must be said that this is to be understood thus: he delivers all who are delivered, just as that passage in John 1, "He enlightens every man," etc., namely, who is enlightened.
(Vers. 9.). For those, namely the Egyptians who did not worship you, the bites of locusts and flies killed: of locusts, Exodus 10, and of flies, Exodus 8: killed, literally some of them, although it is not read there expressly. And no healing was found for their life, namely of the Egyptians, as for the children of Israel from the serpents; in the Psalm: "There is no health in my flesh because of your wrath," etc.; Jeremiah 30: "Your wound is incurable, your affliction is grievous." Because they were worthy, namely as their merits demanded, by such things, namely by vile animals, to be destroyed: whence Augustine on John: "The Lord could have subdued the proud people of Pharaoh with bears and lions, but he sent flies and the vilest creatures, so that their pride might be tamed." For the same reason men are also afflicted by fleas: whence Augustine: "Why do you puff yourself up, human pride? Resist the fleas, so that you may sleep."
But your sons, etc. Here is shown the manifold reason for the deliverance of the Hebrews: but so that it may proceed in order, first he repeats their deliverance; second, the manifold reason for their deliverance: For your mercy.
(Vers. 10.). But your sons, that is, the Israelites; Exodus 4: "Israel is my firstborn" — sons, I say, your sons, by faith, according to that passage in John 1: "He gave them power to become sons of God, to those who believe in his name"; nor did the teeth of venomous serpents overcome them, that is, of fiery serpents; Deuteronomy 8: "Your guide was in the great and terrible wilderness, in which there were serpents burning with their breath, and scorpions, and the dipsas snake." He speaks here of the good, who are sons of God, not of the wicked.