Thomas Aquinas
Super Evangelium S. Matthaei lectura
(Commentary on Saint Matthew's Gospel)
Chapters 1-12 originally translated by R.F. Larcher, O.P. (except for portions in brackets, in 5:10-22, and Chapter 6), then revised by Claude.
Chapters 6,13-28 translated by Claude
ARGUMENT
[Said to be by Jerome, but not in Jerome's Commentary on Matthew]
Just as Matthew of Judea is placed first in order, so he first wrote a Gospel in Judea. His call to the Lord was from a publican's life. In the very beginning [of his Gospel] he mentions two principles of the generation of Christ. One of these was the first to undergo circumcision of the flesh; the other was the one chosen according to the heart. For Christ is from both these fathers. Consequently, using the number 14 three times, the first reaches from the father of believers to the time of the choice; then, stretching from the time of the choice to the day of transmigration, he passes from the day of transmigration to Christ. Thus he narrates the descending generation of the Lord's coming, satisfying both the number and the time, in order both to show that he was and, attesting to God's work in him as well as in those whose stock he presented, not deny Christ's testimony from the beginning.
Of all of which things the time, order, number, disposition, or reason which is necessary to the belief that Christ is God, that he was made from a woman, made under the law, born of a virgin, suffered in the flesh, was fixed on the cross and triumphing over them in himself, rising in the body, and restoring the name of father to the son in the fathers and the name of son to the father in the sons; without beginning and without end he shows himself one with the Father, because he is one.
In this Gospel it is useful for those desiring God to know what is first and what is midway and what is perfect, so that the call of the apostle and the work of the Gospel and the love of God born in the flesh, may be completely understood by all readers, and that they may recognize in it that in which they were rebuked, and seek to understand.
Our aim in this pursuit of the argument has been to present faithfully the real facts and not conceal from those disposed to search diligently, an understanding of God's works.
PROLOGUE
Matthew of Judea... Jerome begins with a prologue to Matthew's Gospel and in it does three things: first, he describes the author; secondly, he discloses the mysteries of the Gospel: In the very beginning ; thirdly, he indicates his intention: Our aim in this pursuit...
The author is described from four viewpoints: first, from his name, when he says, Matthew ; secondly, from his origin, of Judea ; thirdly from the order of writing, Just as he is placed first in the order of writing ; fourthly, from the calling, His call to the Lord , i.e., to Christ. On this see Matthew 9 and Luke 5.
Note that an interlinear Gloss which says "first, i.e., before whom no one," seems to imply that others after Matthew wrote in Judea. But this is not true; for Matthew alone wrote in Judea, Mark in Italy, Luke in Achaia, John in Asia.
Then he discloses the mysteries of the Gospel: first, the mysteries touching the beginning of the Gospel; secondly, that the same mysteries are sought midway and at the end, when he says, In this Gospel it is useful .
But in the beginning of the Gospel two things are touched: the first is presented as a sort of title, when it says, The Book of the Genealogy ; secondly, the sequence of a certain generation is mentioned, when he says, Abraham was the father of Jacob .
First, therefore, he presents the mysteries in the title or those touched in the title; secondly, the mysteries of the generation, and so fourteen generations .
In the title it says, The Book of the Genealogy of Jesus Christ . Here two principles are mentioned; namely, David and Abraham. And this is because the command of circumcision was given first to Abraham (Rom 4:11): "He received the circumcision as a sign or seal of the righteousness he had by faith, while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believed." But David was chosen by the Lord: "I have found a man after my own heart" (1 Sam 13:14). Hence these two are mentioned to denote that Christ drew his origin from circumcised fathers and from chosen fathers. And these are the two men or "two principles," i.e., David and Abraham.
Then he presents the mysteries mentioned in the genealogy: first, he touches on the mysteries of the Gospel or of the evangelist; secondly, of Christ himself: Of all of which things .
And it is a mystery that the evangelist distinguished Christ's genealogy into three sets of fourteen: the first of these is from Abraham to David; the second, from David to the transmigration, and the third to Christ. Thus, he shows that Christ is from the circumcised and from the elect and from the transmigrants. And this is presented three times , i.e., repeated three times in the genealogy: from the father of believers , i.e., from Abraham, who was the first example of believing, moving to the time of choice , i.e., reaching to the time of David; and from the choice , i.e., from David to the day of transmigration; and ending from the day of transmigration to Christ , he shows the descending (briefly and cursorily mentioned) generation of the Lord's coming, satisfying both the number and the time.
Of all of which things... Note that in this series of generation four things are mentioned: the time, number, order and disposition or reason, because from Abraham to David... All those show nothing, except that Christ is God. For he aims to show, according to an allegorical disposition and reason, that Christ is God. Which is necessary to the faith , namely, that Christ is God, i.e., in all nothing is more necessary to the faith than that Christ is God.
Who was made from a woman . Note and explain and mark the headings.
And he fixed [all things] on the cross , i.e., sins, in as much as he took from the midst the decree that was against us. Also and better: Christ, as God and man , who is all things, as it says in John (12:32): "When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all things to myself"; "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth" (Phil 2:10).
And the name of father to the son in the fathers . To understand this it should be noted that in the series of generations presented, some are fathers and some are sons, as is clear. Also presented was a father without a father, as Adam; and a son without a son, as Jesus. Also some were presented who were fathers and sons, as those between. By this is mystically designated that in the Trinity is a Father and a Son, just as in the genealogy some are fathers, and some, sons. Also by the fact that the first father does not have a father in this series or the last son a son, it is shown that they are eternal. Also by the fact tht the Son and Father are one and the same in respect to diverse things, it is stated that they are one, not in person but in nature. And this is what he says: An restoring the name of father to the son , i.e., that the son have a father; among the fathers , i.e., by the fact that certain fathers are mentioned there: and restoring the name of son to the father , i.e., that the father have a son; and this in the sons , i.e. by the fact that some sons without a beginning and end are mentioned, because the first father does not have a father or the last son a son.