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Chapter XV.—Matthew XI. 25 Discussed.; original source section: Chapter 15
Complete historical editorial footnotes. These notes retain the original edition’s wording; individual note authors are unspecified.
English translation and editorial credits: Thomas Smith (original Homilies books I-V credit; record allocation unreviewed), Peter Peterson (original Homilies books VI-XII credit; record allocation unreviewed), James Donaldson (original Homilies books XIII-XX credit; record allocation unreviewed), Alexander Roberts (Edinburgh series editor), James Donaldson (Edinburgh series editor), Arthur Cleveland Coxe (American revision with prefaces and notes), Matthew Brown Riddle (American volume collaborator; individual note authorship unspecified).
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The passage does not occur in Isaiah, but in Ps. lxxviii. 2. The words are quoted not from the LXX., but from the Gospel of Matthew (xiii. 35), where in somemss. they are attributed to Isaiah. See Uhlhorn, p. 119.
Editorial footnote · The Clementine Homilies, Chapter XV.—Matthew XI. 25 Discussed.; original source section: Chapter 15, editorial note cite_note-2 · Original source
And Simon, being vexed at this, said: “Blame your own teacher, who said, ‘I thank Thee, Lord of heaven and earth, that what was concealed from the wise, Thou hast revealed to suckling babes.’” And Peter said: “This is not the way in which the statement was made; but I shall speak of it as if it had been made in the way that has seemed good to you. Our Lord, even if He had made this statement, ‘What was concealed from the wise, the Father revealed to babes,’ could not even thus be thought to point out another God and Father in addition to Him who created the world. For it is possible that the concealed things of which He spoke may be those of the Creator (Demiurge) himself; because Isaiah says, ‘I will open my mouth in parables, and I will belch forth things concealed from the foundation of the world.’ Do you allow, then, that the prophet was not ignorant of the things concealed, which Jesus says were concealed from the wise, but revealed to babes? And how was the Creator (Demiurge) ignorant of them, if his prophet Isaiah was not ignorant of them? But our Jesus did not in reality say ‘what was concealed,’ but He said what seems a harsher statement; for He said, ‘Thou hast concealed these things from the wise, and hast revealed them to sucking babes.’ Now the word ‘Thou hast concealed’ implies that they had once been known to them; for the key of the kingdom of heaven, that is, the knowledge of the secrets, lay with them.
The words in italics are omitted in the mss.; but the context leaves no doubt that they were once in the text.
Editorial footnote · The Clementine Homilies, Chapter XV.—Matthew XI. 25 Discussed.; original source section: Chapter 15, editorial note cite_note-3 · Original source
And Simon, being vexed at this, said: “Blame your own teacher, who said, ‘I thank Thee, Lord of heaven and earth, that what was concealed from the wise, Thou hast revealed to suckling babes.’” And Peter said: “This is not the way in which the statement was made; but I shall speak of it as if it had been made in the way that has seemed good to you. Our Lord, even if He had made this statement, ‘What was concealed from the wise, the Father revealed to babes,’ could not even thus be thought to point out another God and Father in addition to Him who created the world. For it is possible that the concealed things of which He spoke may be those of the Creator (Demiurge) himself; because Isaiah says, ‘I will open my mouth in parables, and I will belch forth things concealed from the foundation of the world.’ Do you allow, then, that the prophet was not ignorant of the things concealed, which Jesus says were concealed from the wise, but revealed to babes? And how was the Creator (Demiurge) ignorant of them, if his prophet Isaiah was not ignorant of them? But our Jesus did not in reality say ‘what was concealed,’ but He said what seems a harsher statement; for He said, ‘Thou hast concealed these things from the wise, and hast revealed them to sucking babes.’ Now the word ‘Thou hast concealed’ implies that they had once been known to them; for the key of the kingdom of heaven, that is, the knowledge of the secrets, lay with them.