Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew
Latin Text from public domain Migne Editors, Patrologiae Cursus Completus.
Translated into English using ChatGPT.
Table of Contents
Prologue
There were many who wrote the Gospels, and Luke the evangelist testifies, saying: Indeed, many have attempted to arrange the narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning and became servants of the word. And their perseverance until the present time declares the monuments, which were published by various authors and were the beginnings of diverse heresies, such as that according to the Egyptians, and Thomas, and Matthew, and Bartholomew, and also the twelve apostles, and Basilides and Apelles, and others, whom it is a very long task to enumerate. However, it is necessary to say only this for the present, that there have been some who have attempted to arrange the narrative more as an order of events than to weave the truth of history with the spirit and grace of God. To whom can that prophetic utterance be applied: Woe to those who prophesy from their own heart, who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing. (Ezekiel 13:3) Of whom the Savior also speaks in the Gospel of John: All who came before me are thieves and robbers. (John 10:8) They came, but were not sent. For he himself says: They were coming, and I was not sending them. (Jeremiah 14:14; and 23:21) To those who come, there is a presumption of rashness; to those who are sent, there is an obligation of servitude. But the Church, which is founded on the rock of the Lord's word, which the king introduced into his chamber (Song of Songs 1 and 2), and to which he reached out his hand through the hidden opening (Song of Songs V) , is like a young doe and a little deer (Song of Songs 2:9), gushing forth four rivers like the paradise (Genesis II) , having four corners and rings, through which it is carried like the ark of the Testament and the guardian of the Law of the Lord, by immovable wood (Exodus 25:10 and following).
Matthew is the first of all, a tax collector by the name of Levi, who published the Gospel in Judea in the Hebrew language, mainly for the sake of those who believed in Jesus from among the Jews, and did not observe the shadow of the Law once the truth of the Gospel had come. Mark is the second, the interpreter of the apostle Peter, and the first bishop of the church in Alexandria. Although he himself did not see the Lord Savior, he narrated the deeds according to the faith of what he had heard the Master preach, rather than in chronological order. Lucas, the third physician, from Syria Antioch (whose praise is in the Gospel), who himself was a disciple of the apostle Paul, composed a volume in the regions of Achaia and Boeotia (2 Corinthians 8), delving into certain things deeper and, as he himself confesses in the preface, describing what he heard more than what he saw. John, the last apostle and evangelist, whom Jesus loved greatly, who reclined on the chest of the Lord (John 13 and 21), drank from the purest streams of doctrine, and alone deserved to hear from the cross: Behold, your mother (John 19:27). When he was in Asia, and the seeds of heretics Cerinthus, Ebion, and others who deny that Christ came in the flesh were already sprouting (whom he himself in his epistle calls antichrists (I John 2:18), and the apostle Paul frequently rebukes (Romans 3; 2 Corinthians 5)), he was compelled by almost all the bishops of Asia at that time, and by the embassies of many Churches, to write more deeply about the divinity of the Savior, and to break forth to Him (so to speak), the Word of God, not so much with audacity as with fortunate boldness. And the Ecclesiastical History recounts that, when he was compelled by the brothers to write, he responded that he would do so if they all prayed to God together with a declared fast. And when this was fulfilled, being filled with revelation, coming to a preface, he exclaimed from heaven: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. This was in the beginning with God (John 1). Therefore, these four Gospels were predicted long before, and it also proves the volume of Ezekiel, in which the first vision is woven as follows: And in the midst there was a likeness of four living creatures: and the appearance of their faces was like the face of a man, and the face of a lion, and the face of a calf, and the face of an eagle (Ezekiel 1:5 and 10). The first face of a man signifies Matthew, who begins to write as if from man: The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham (Matt. 1). The second [face] signifies Mark, in whom the voice of a roaring lion is heard in the wilderness: The voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths (Mark 1:3). The third signifies a calf, which signifies that the evangelist Luke took his beginning from the priest Zacharias. On the fourth, John the Evangelist, who had assumed eagle's wings and was hastening to higher things, discusses the Word of God. The rest of what follows advances in the same sense. Their legs were straight, and they had feathered feet, and wherever the spirit went, they went, and they did not turn back: and their backs were full of eyes, and sparks and torches running in between, and a wheel within a wheel, and on each of the four sides there were faces. Therefore, the Apocalypse of John, after the exposition of the twenty-four elders who were holding harps and bowls, adored the Lamb of God, introduces lightning, and thunder, and seven spirits running, and a sea of glass, and four animals full of eyes (Apoc. IV and V), saying: The first animal was like a lion, and the second was like a calf, and the third was like a man, and the fourth was like a flying eagle. And a little later: They were full, he says, in their eyes, and they did not have rest day and night, saying: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come (Rev. 4:7-8). By all these things it is clearly shown that only the four Gospels should be accepted, and all the foolishness of the apocrypha should be sung to the dead heretics rather than the living Church. And I am quite surprised, beloved Eusebius, why, suddenly setting sail for Rome, you wanted this present of mine to be given to you as a kind of provision, so that, briefly explaining Matthew, I might compress it in words and expand it in meaning. If you remember my response, you would never ask for years in a few days. First of all, it is difficult to read all those who have written on the Gospels 7-8. Then, it is much more difficult, with judgment applied, to receive the best ones. I admit that I read, many years ago, twenty-five volumes of Origen on Matthew, as well as his Homilies and his commatic interpretation. And also the Commentaries of Theophilus, bishop of the city of Antioch, of the martyr Hippolytus and of Theodore, bishop of Heraclea. And those of Apollinaris of Laodicea and Didymus of Alexandria. And of the Latin authors, Hilary, Victorinus, Fortunatianus' little works, from which, even if I were to omit some small parts, something worthy would still be written in memory. But you, within two weeks, with Easter approaching and the winds blowing, force me to dictate: when the notaries should be present, when the documents should be written, when they should be corrected, and how much time should be allowed for clarification. Especially since you know that I have been ill for three months, barely able to begin walking now; and I cannot make up for the magnitude of the work with the brevity of time. Therefore, setting aside the authority of the Ancients, whom I have neither the ability to read nor follow, I have briefly arranged the historical interpretation that you particularly demanded; and at times I have mixed in the flowers of spiritual insight, reserving the complete work for the future. But if my life should be longer, or if you fulfill your promises on your return, then I will strive to complete what remains, rather I will lay the foundations and partially construct the walls, and I will place a most beautiful pinnacle, so that you may know the difference between sudden boldness in dictation and thorough diligence in writing. Surely you know, and I would be ashamed to call you as a witness to my lies, that I have dictated this small work with such speed that you might think I am more inclined to read the works of others than to compose my own. And do not think that this is said out of arrogance and confidence in my abilities, but rather because I want to show you how much influence you have with me, as I would rather endanger myself for the sake of the learned than deny you anything you diligently ask for. Therefore, I beg you, if my speech is unpolished and my words are not flowing as smoothly as usual, attribute it to my haste, not my incompetence, and when you come to Rome, bring copies with you for the Virgin Christ the Prince, who has asked me to write on the Song of Songs. Due to a prolonged illness, I have postponed my hopes for completing this work in the future. I am imposing this condition on you, that if you are to keep the writings I send to you, she must also seal them in a small chest and write her own replies afterwards.
Book One
Book One
(Caput I.—Vers. 1.)
(Chapter I - Verse 1) The book of the generation of Jesus Christ. In Isaiah we read: Who shall declare his generation (Isaiah 53: 8)? Therefore, we cannot say that the Evangelist is contradicting the prophet, as what the prophet said was impossible to express, the Evangelist begins to narrate here: because there the generation of divinity is spoken of, while here the incarnation is spoken of. But he begins with the physical, so that we may begin to say that God is man through a human.
Sons of David, sons of Abraham. Abraham begot Isaac. Isaac, however, begot Jacob. Jacob, however, begot Judah and his brothers. A reverse order, but necessarily rearranged. For if Abraham had been placed first, and then David: Abraham would have had to be repeated, so that the series of generations would be covered. Therefore, among others being omitted, he called them sons; because the promise regarding Christ was made to them alone, to Abraham: In your seed, all nations will be blessed (Gen. XXII, 18), which is Christ. To David: I will set the fruit of your womb upon your throne. (Psalm 132:11)
1:3
(Verse 3.) But Judas begot Phares and Zaram of Thamar. Phares begot Esron. Esron begot Aram. Aram begot Aminadab. Aminadab begot Naasson. It should be noted in the genealogy of the Savior that no holy women are included; only those whom Scripture reproaches, since He came for sinners, being born of sinners, in order to erase the sins of all. Therefore, even in the following generations, Ruth the Moabitess and Bathsheba the wife of Uriah are mentioned.
1:4-11
(Vers. 4 seqq.) Naasson, however, fathered Salmon. Salmon, however, fathered Boaz by Rahab. Boaz, however, fathered Obed by Ruth. Obed, however, fathered Jesse. Jesse, however, fathered King David. David, however, king, fathered Solomon by her who had been Uriah's. Solomon, however, fathered Rehoboam. Rehoboam, however, fathered Abijah. Abijah, however, fathered Asa. Asa, however, fathered Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat, however, fathered Joram. This is Naasson, the prince of the tribe of Judah, as we read in Numbers (Num. I and II).
Joram, however, begot Oziam. Ozias, however, begot Joathan. Joathan, however, begot Achaz. Achaz, however, begot Ezechiam. Ezechias, however, begot Manassen. Manasses, however, begot Amon. Amon, however, begot Josiam. Josias, however, begot Jechoniam and his brothers in the Babylonian exile. In the fourth book of Kings (Ch. III, VIII and following), we read that Joram was begotten by Ochoziam, and after his death, Josabeth, daughter of King Joram and sister of Ochozia, took Joas, the son of her brother, and rescued him from the slaughter that was being carried out by Athalia (or Atholia). His son Amasias succeeded him to the kingdom, and after him his son Azarias, who is also called Ozias (or Ochozias). His son Joathan succeeded him. Therefore, you can see that according to the history, there were three kings in the middle whom the Evangelist omitted: for Joram did not beget Ozias, but Ochozias, and the others we mentioned. However, because it was the intent of the Evangelist to list three sets of fourteen generations in different periods of time, and Joram had married the most wicked Jezabel, his memory is removed up to the third generation, so as not to be included in the order of the holy birth.
1:12-15
(Verse 12 and following) And after the Babylonian exile, Jechonias fathered Salathiel. Salathiel fathered Zorobabel. Zorobabel fathered Abiud. Abiud fathered Eliacim. Eliacim fathered Azor. Azor fathered Sadoc. Sadoc fathered Achim. Achim fathered Eliud. Eliud fathered Eleazar. Eleazar fathered Matthan. Matthan fathered Jacob. If we were to place Jechonias at the end of the first fourteen generations, in the next there would not be fourteen but thirteen. Therefore, let us know that Jeconiah is the same person as Joachim, the former being the father and the latter being the son; the former is written with 'c' and 'm', while the latter is written with 'ch' and 'n'. This confusion arose due to errors of the scribes and the passage of time among both the Greeks and the Latins.
1:16
(Ver. 16) But Jacob begot Joseph. Here Julianus Augustus has presented to us the disagreement of the Evangelists, why the evangelist Matthew called Joseph the son of Jacob, and Luke called him the son of Heli; not understanding the custom of the Scriptures, that one is according to nature, the other according to the Law his father. For we know this by the command of God given through Moses, that if a brother or relative without children dies, another should take his wife to raise up offspring for his brother or relative (Deut. II). Both Africanus, a historian of the time, and Eusebius of Caesarea extensively debated in their books the discrepancies in the Gospels.
1:17
(Verse 17) The man of Mary, from whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. When you hear the word 'man', do not entertain the suspicion of marriage; but remember the custom of the Scriptures, that the husband is called the spouse of the bride.
1:18
(Verse 18.) And from the deportation to Babylon to Christ, fourteen generations. Count from Jechoniah to Joseph, and you will find thirteen generations. Therefore, the fourteenth generation will be reckoned to be in Christ himself.