Search a Bible verse · Source library · Sources and text rights
Homily 51
Complete historical editorial footnotes. These notes retain the original edition’s wording; individual note authors are unspecified.
English translation and editorial credits: Sir George Prevost, M. B. Riddle.
Read the original source · Text reuse terms
[R.V., “from Jerusalem Pharisees and Scribes.” But Chrysostom’s text is as above, agreeing with the received. The omission of the article affects the sense, as indicated in the R.V.—R.]
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 51, editorial note cite_note-2 · Original source
But what means, “The Scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem?” In every one of the tribes were they scattered abroad, and divided into twelve parts; but they who occupied the chief city were worse than the others, as both enjoying more honor, and having contracted much haughtiness.
[Chrysostom read κα, with the rec. text, thus making the sentence break off. The A.V. supplies “he shall be free.” R.V., omitting “and,” with the best authorities, makes this clause the conclusion: “he shall not honor,” etc.—R.]
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 51, editorial note cite_note-5 · Original source
“Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God byyour tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honor thy father and thy mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me, andhonor not his father or his mother—And ye have made void the commandmentof God by your tradition.
[τκτεται; the Oxford edition has “bad,” which is probably a misprint for “bred.”—R.]
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 51, editorial note cite_note-27 · Original source
And one may remark, that because of this the lawgiver allows just so much time, as it may be remaining within one, but when it is gone forth, no longer. For instance, at evening He bids you wash yourself, and so be clean; measuring the time of the digestion, and of the excretion. But the things of the heart, He saith, abide within, and when they are gone forth they defile, and not when abiding only. And first He puts our evil thoughts, a kind of thing which belonged to the Jews; and not as yet doth He make His refutation from the nature of the things, but from the manner of production from the belly and the heart respectively, and from the fact that the one sort remains, the other not; the one entering in from without, and departing again outwards, while the others are bredwithin, and having gone forth they defile, and then more so, when they are gone forth. Because they were not yet able, as I said, to be taught these things with all due strictness.
[ππτωμεν π γνατα, “fall on our knees” seems to be the more probable sense, as the context indicates. Compare the last sentence in the paragraph.—R.]
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 51, editorial note cite_note-38 · Original source
Having thus adorned ourselves, let us come to our King, and fall at His knees,not with the body only, but also with the mind. Let us consider whom we are approaching, and on whose behalf, and what we would accomplish. We are drawing nigh unto God, whom the seraphim behold and turn away their faces, not bearing His brightness; at sight of whom the earth trembles. We draw nigh unto God, “who dwelleth in the light, which no man can approach unto.” And we draw nigh unto Him for deliverance from hell, for remission of sins, for escape from those in
[R.V., “because of.”]
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 51, editorial note cite_note-4 · Original source
“Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God byyour tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honor thy father and thy mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me, andhonor not his father or his mother—And ye have made void the commandmentof God by your tradition.
[R.V. text omits “and his mother.”]
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 51, editorial note cite_note-6 · Original source
“Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God byyour tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honor thy father and thy mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me, andhonor not his father or his mother—And ye have made void the commandmentof God by your tradition.
[So rec. text, but R.V. reads “word” in the text, with “law” in the margin.—R.]
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 51, editorial note cite_note-7 · Original source
“Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God byyour tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honor thy father and thy mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me, andhonor not his father or his mother—And ye have made void the commandmentof God by your tradition.
Exod. xx. 12. See also Ephes. vi. 1, 2.
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 51, editorial note cite_note-9 · Original source
saith is like this. “They taught the young, under the garb of piety, to despise their fathers.” How, and in what way? “If one of their parents said to his child, Give me this sheep that thou hast, or this calf, or any such thing, they used to say, ‘This is a gift to God, whereby thou wouldest be profited by me, and thou canst not have it.’ And two evils hence arose: on the one hand they did not bring them to God, on the other they defrauded their parents under the name of the offering, alike insulting their parents for God’s sake, and God for their parents’ sake.” But He doth not say this at once, but first rehearses the law, by which He signifies His earnest desire that parents should be honored. For, “honor,” saith He, “thy father and thy mother, that thou mayest live long upon the earth.” And again, “He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.”
ἀφρονστερον opposed to σωφροσνη.
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 51, editorial note cite_note-40 · Original source
Yea, nothing, nothing is more foolishthan the slave of wealth. He thinks he overcomes when he is overcome. He thinks he is master, when he is a slave, and putting bonds on himself, he rejoices; making the wild beast fiercer, he is pleased; and becoming a captive, he prides himself, and leaps for joy; and seeing a dog rabid and flying at his soul, when he ought to bind him and weaken him by hunger, he actually supplies him with abundance of food, that he may leap upon him more fiercely, and be more formidable.