Predictions concerning Christ's second coming

St Matthew Chapter XXIV : Verses 29-36

Contents

• Matt. xxiv. 29-36.  Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
• Notes on the text.
• Additional Notes: Figurative meanings of “sleep” in Holy Scripture.

Matt. xxiv. 29-36

The Second Coming. 1447-8. Fra Angelico.
Gardner Museum, Boston.  

29 And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be moved:

Statim autem post tribulationem dierum illorum sol obscurabitur, et luna non dabit lumen suum, et stellæ cadent de cælo, et virtutes cælorum commovebuntur :

30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all tribes of the earth mourn: and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with much power and majesty.

et tunc parebit signum Filii hominis in cælo : et tunc plangent omnes tribus terræ : et videbunt Filium hominis venientem in nubibus cæli cum virtute multa et majestate.

31 And he shall send his angels with a trumpet, and a great voice: and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the farthest parts of the heavens to the utmost bounds of them.

Et mittet angelos suos cum tuba, et voce magna : et congregabunt electos ejus a quatuor ventis, a summis cælorum usque ad terminos eorum.

32 And from the fig tree learn a parable: When the branch thereof is now tender, and the leaves come forth, you know that summer is nigh.

Ab arbore autem fici discite parabolam : cum jam ramus ejus tener fuerit, et folia nata, scitis quia prope est æstas :

33 So you also, when you shall see all these things, know ye that it is nigh, even at the doors.

ita et vos cum videritis hæc omnia, scitote quia prope est, in januis.

34 Amen I say to you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.

Amen dico vobis, quia non præteribit generatio hæc, donec omnia hæc fiant.

35 Heaven and earth shall pass, but my words shall not pass.

Cælum et terra transibunt, verba autem mea non præteribunt.

36 But of that day and hour no one knoweth, not the angels of heaven, but the Father alone.

De die autem illa et hora nemo scit, neque angeli cælorum, nisi solus Pater.

Notes

    Note. — Jesus now answers the disciples’ question. What shall he the sign of thy coming and of the consummation of the world ? , but in such a way as not to defeat His end in foretelling these signs, viz. to inculcate the necessity of watchfulness.

    29. And immediately. Better, “ but immediately ” (Εὐθέως δὲ). As the fall of Jerusalem has taken place and the second coming of Christ has yet to come, how are we to understand these words ? The explanation is, that one day with the Lord is as a thousand years., and a thousand years as one day (2 St Pet. iii. 8). St Peter goes on to explain, the Lord delayeth not his promise as some imagine, hut dealeth patiently for your sake. Evidently he is speaking to those who interpreted too literally Christ’s words concerning the end of the world.

    the tribulation, — i.e. that which preceded and accompanied the destruction of Jerusalem.

    the sun shall he darkened, etc. Note the Hebrew parallelism conspicuous in this verse — be darkened .... not give her light. This is to be the commencement of terrible convulsions of Nature. A few writers see a figure of decadence on the part of spiritual authorities, but this does not seem so probable, since apostasy and tepidity are distinctly predicted elsewhere in this discourse, when the charity of many shall wax cold, and many shall he scandalized and shall betray one another.

    Two of those who had questioned our Lord apart, viz. St Peter and St John, speak clearly of the physical phenomena which are to occur before the end of “all things.” Thus we read that the heavens and earth are reserved unto fire against the day of judgment .... The day of the Lord shall come as a thief, in which the heavens shall pass away with great violence, and the elements shall he melted with heat, and the earth and the works which are in it shall be burnt up. Seeing then that all these things are to be dissolved, etc. (2 St Pet. iii. 7, 10, 11). And there came down fire .... out of heaven, etc. (Apoc. xx. 9).

    the moon shall not give her light. As the result of the sun being darkened. St Luke adds. And there shall he signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars : and upon the earth distress of nations, by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea and of the waves (xxi. 25). These phenomena would naturally result from the disturbances in the solar system.

    the powers of heaven shall he moved. This is generally supposed to mean the stars, which in Scriptural language are often styled the hosts of heaven. And God turned, and gave them up to serve the host of heaven, etc. (Acts vii. 42). And they shall spread them abroad to the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, etc. (Jer. viii. 2),

    30. then shall appear. After all these convulsions of nature have taken place.

    the sign of the son of man. It is not possible to determine what this sign will be, but the general interpretation of the patristic authorities is that the cross shall be seen in the heavens as the ensign and standard of Christ, when He comes as Judge, appointed by the Father to do judgment, because he is the son of man (St John v. 27).

    then shall all tribes, etc. Lit. “ shall strike their breasts ” (κόψονται). These words refer to the wicked, since the elect are to lift up their heads because their redemption is at hand (St Luke xxi. 28).

    coming in the clouds of heaven. So the angels spoke to the disciples on Ascension-day. Ye men of Galilee, why stand you looking up to heaven ? This Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven shall so come, as you have seen him going into heaven (Acts i. 11). Thus Daniel saw in prophetic vision, I beheld therefore in the vision of the night, and lo, one like the Son of man, came with the clouds of heaven, etc. (Dan. vii. 13, 14). Other allusions to Christ coming with clouds are 1 Thes. iv. 15 ; Apoc. i. 7 ; Isaias xix.1.

    with much power. With the splendour of His Omnipotence, and the glory of the Divinity.

    31. he shall send his Angels. Here the “Son of man” proclaims that He is also the “ Son of God,” since the angels are “ His.” The angels are God’s messengers who are all ministering spirits, sent to minister for them, who shall receive the inheritance of salvation (Heb. i. 14).

    they shall gather together. “ The angels will infallibly select these from the mass of men, either by spiritual insight, or Divine direction. The elect are not Israelites alone, but true believers of all nations (see ver. 14 and St John xvii. 20, 21). These are first collected, and then the reprobate are summoned, according to ch. xxv. 41 ” (Pulp. Comm., p. 440.)

    from the four winds. From the different points of the compass whence the winds blow, used to signify the whole earth.

    farthest parts of the heavens. Formerly the world was considered as one flat surface, enclosed on all sides by the vault of heaven. The idea expressed by farthest or uttermost parts, is that no part of the earth’s surface will be unvisited by the angels. In Holy Scripture natural phenomena are spoken of as men conceived them, and not as they are in reality. Thus we read of Josue commanding the sun to stand still, not the earth. [Cf. Galileo was wrong. Robert Sungenis.]

    32. from the fig-tree. This is the third time Jesus draws a lesson from the fig-tree —

    1. The parable of the barren fig-tree.

    2. The withered fig-tree,

    3. The fig-tree putting forth its buds in due season. Our Lord would have us learn that there is a certain analogy between the natural development in the inanimate creation and the development in the world’s history.

    a parable, — i.e. a similitude.

    is now tender. Better, “ has become tender ” (ἤδη . . . . γένηται ἁπαλὸς), i.e. when the soft young shoots appear.

    come forth. Some MSS. read “are put forth” (ἐκφυῇ) instead of “come forth” (ἐκφύῃ). The Vulgate takes it as passive.

    33. when you shall see all these things. When Christ’s disciples see the predicted signs, then they may know that the harvest of the world, the day of judgment, is even at the doors, and also their redemption.

    34. this generation. Three different meanings are given to this expression, which are not incompatible with each other —

    (a) Those who heard our Lord speak, and who lived to see the destruction of Jerusalem forty years later.

    (b) The Jewish race should exist till the end of time.

    (c) The human race should last as long as the world existed.

    35. Heaven and earth shall pass, etc. Jesus claims immortality for His words, which no human teacher has ever dared to claim.

    my word shall not pass. Therefore we must remember His promises in our hours of tribulation. What He has promised, He will perform.

    36. of that day and hour, etc. This is God’s secret. He wills that we should watch, therefore He does not tell us the exact time, lest security should induce sloth and negligence. In the parallel passage we find added here “ nor the Son ” (St Mark).

    As the Son of God He knew, and in virtue of the hypostatic union He must have known as the “Son of man” also, but He was not charged to reveal it to men. St Augustine writes, “ In Patre Filius scit.” The Son knows in the Father, but he is not charged to reveal it “a Patre,” from the Father.

Additional Notes

Figurative meanings of “sleep” in Holy Scripture.

[See too: Adam's Deep Sleep: The Passion of Jesus Christ Prefigured in the Old Testament by Fr James Mawdsley (New Old, 2022)]

    (a) Natural death. “ Many of those that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,” etc. (Dan. xii. 2). “ . . . . and many bodies of the saints that had slept arose ” (St. Matt., xxvii. 52). “ . . . . even so them who have slept through Jesus, will God bring with him ” (1 Thes. iv. 13).

    (b) Spiritual death. “ Arise, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead : and Christ shall enlighten thee” (Ephes. v. 14) “Therefore are there many infirm and weak among you, and many sleep” (1 Cor. xi. 30). “ Therefore let us not sleep as others do,” etc. (1 Thes. v. 6).

    In the last three verses the sleep of the soul must be understood, i.e. the state of mortal sin. This state, in the case of “ a dead soul,” is aptly described as “ a sleep,” because there is a possibility of the soul arising from this spiritual lethargy to the life of grace. This spiritual resurrection is effected —

    (1) by the worthy reception of the Sacrament of Penance ;

    (2) by making an act of perfect contrition (which presupposes perfect charity).

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

On the destruction of Jerusalem

 St Matthew Chapter XXIV : Verses 15-28

Contents

• Matt. xxiv. 15-28.  Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
• Notes on the text.

Matt. xxiv. 15-28

Behold I have told it to you, beforehand. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

15 When therefore you shall see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place: he that readeth let him understand.

Cum ergo videritis abominationem desolationis, quae dicta est a Daniele propheta, stantem in loco sancto, qui legit, intelligat :

16 Then they that are in Judea, let them flee to the mountains:

tunc qui in Judæa sunt, fugiant ad montes :

 17 And he that is on the housetop, let him not come down to take any thing out of his house:

et qui in tecto, non descendat tollere aliquid de domo sua :

18 And he that is in the field, let him not go back to take his coat.

et qui in agro, non revertatur tollere tunicam suam.

19 And woe to them that are with child, and that give suck in those days.

Væ autem praegnantibus et nutrientibus in illis diebus!

20 But pray that your flight be not in the winter, or on the sabbath.

Orate autem ut non fiat fuga vestra in hieme, vel sabbato :

21 For there shall be then great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, neither shall be.

erit enim tunc tribulatio magna, qualis non fuit ab initio mundi usque modo, neque fiet.

22 And unless those days had been shortened, no flesh should be saved: but for the sake of the elect those days shall be shortened.

Et nisi breviati fuissent dies illi, non fieret salva omnis caro : sed propter electos breviabuntur dies illi.

23 Then if any man shall say to you: Lo here is Christ, or there, do not believe him.

Tunc si quis vobis dixerit : Ecce hic est Christus, aut illic : nolite credere.

24 For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders, insomuch as to deceive (if possible) even the elect.

Surgent enim pseudochristi, et pseudoprophetæ : et dabunt signa magna, et prodigia, ita ut in errorem inducantur ( si fieri potest) etiam electi.

25 Behold I have told it to you, beforehand.

Ecce prædixi vobis.

26 If therefore they shall say to you: Behold he is in the desert, go ye not out: Behold he is in the closets, believe it not.

Si ergo dixerint vobis : Ecce in deserto est, nolite exire; Ecce in penetralibus, nolite credere.

27 For as lightning cometh out of the east, and appeareth even into the west: so shall the coming of the Son of man be.

Sicut enim fulgur exit ab oriente, et paret usque in occidentem : ita erit et adventus Filii hominis.

28 Wheresoever the body shall be, there shall the eagles also be gathered together.

Ubicumque fuerit corpus, illic congregabuntur et aquilæ

Notes

    15. When therefore you shall see. This must be understood to mean, “ when you shall see the signs that shall be the precursors of the abomination.” Jesus now replies vaguely to His disciples’ question, When shall these things be ? by pointing out certain “ signs.”

    abomination of desolation. This is a reference to Dan. ix. 27 : The victim and the sacrifice shall fail; and there shall he in the temple the abomination of desolation; and the desolation shall continue even to the consummation and to the end. Most commentators agree that these words apply —

    (а) To the Roman eagles, which were set up on the very site of the Temple.

    (b) To the horrible immoralities, murders, and sacrileges perpetrated by the Zealots (see Zealots, Bk. 11.),

    St Luke really connects the abomination of desolation with the armies of Rome, since he says. And when you shall see Jerusalem compassed about with an army ; then know that the desolation thereof is at hand (xxi. 20).

    he that readeth, let him understand. Some writers consider these words as inserted parenthetically by the Evangelist, others take them as the words of Christ, exhorting His disciples to meditate on the prophecy of Daniel. Our Lord often introduced such parenthetical clauses, e.g. He that hath ears to hear, etc., and again in this chapter, verse 24 (if possible).

    16. Then. When they see the predicted signs,

    they that are in Judea. Eusebius relates that the Christians received supernatural warnings when they were to flee, and that St Simeon, Bishop of Jerusalem, with many Christians, fled to the territories of King Agrippa, particularly to Pella beyond the Jordan. This warning probably refers to the time when Gallus besieged the city in Oct, A.D. 69, since, when Titus encompassed it, there was no means of escape. It may refer, however, to the time when the Christians should hear that Titus’ army was near at hand, and the abomination was likely to be set up in the holy city. St Luke develops this counsel further : Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains : and those who are in the midst thereof depart out ; and those who are in the countries, not enter into it (xxi. 21). The horrors of the siege of Jerusalem were greatly increased by the thousands who fled into the city for refuge before it was blockaded.

    to the mountains. Where the numerous caves would afford them shelter.

    17. not come down to take, etc. Those on the tops of the houses could escape by passing over the roofs, but as each housetop was marked off by a fence, this would have impeded their flight ; they could descend by the exterior staircase. They were not to flee laden with goods, but to leave all, as men whose lives were at stake.

    18. he that is in the field. The labourer would put off his “abba” or outer cloak while working in the fields. This he was to leave behind and escape as he was. Both verses 17 and 18 express the extreme haste of the flight.

    19. wo to them that, etc. These tribulations would be terrible for women and children, because the former could not escape so quickly from the dangers, and also because, whereas in most wars the women and children are protected, in the destruction of Jerusalem they would be treated most barbarously. Our Lord may also be referring to the awful famine that was experienced at the time of the siege, when mothers devoured their own children.

    20. not in the winter. When the streams inundated the land, and would thus hinder their flight, while the cold of winter would add to their sufferings. The first siege of Jerusalem, under Gallus, was in October, in a fine season. This siege was raised, and the Romans effectually renewed their attack the following April. Hence these things happened not in the winter.

    or on the sabbath. Probably on account of the prohibition to go further than 2000 cubits on the Sabbath-day.

    Though the Jewish converts were not bound by this law, still in the earliest ages of Christianity it was necessary to make some concession to Jewish customs and prejudices, and things which were lawful were not always expedient for Christians. The law concerning a “ Sabbath-day’s journey ” did not hold good when life was at stake, but the more rigid Jews refused to accept this relaxation of the traditional precept.

    Note. — Verses 21-28. This passage has excited much controversy, and commentators are not at all agreed as to the meaning. Three opinions are put forward —

    (a) It refers, like the preceding six verses, to the destruction of Jerusalem.

    (b) It refers exclusively to the end of the world.

    (c) It concerns both, inasmuch as the destruction of Jerusalem and its awful tribulations are typical of the greater tribulations which must precede the last day. Therefore these verses have a double signification.

    21. great tribulation, such as, etc. Josephus uses almost these very words. “ The misfortunes of all men from the beginning of the world, if they be compared to those of the Jews, are not so terrible as theirs were .... nor did any age ever produce a generation more fruitful in wickedness from the beginning of the world .... nor did it on any account so much deserve condemnation, as by producing such a generation of men as were the occasion of this its overthrow.”

    St Luke gives the development of this passage : For there shall he great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword: and shall he led away captives into all nations: and Jerusalem shall he trodden down by the gentiles : till the times of the nations he fulfilled.

    22. had been shortened. These words are generally understood to refer to the number of the days, though a few interpret this to mean that the days should be diminished in length.

    no flesh should he saved. Two meanings are assigned to these words. Some writers understand them to refer to the total extermination of the Jews, unless the Lord had shortened the days : others apply the words no flesh to all men, and conclude that if God had not determined to shorten the duration of the tribulations which must precede the last judgment, even the elect would not be able to persevere.

    for the sake of the elect. For the sake of those who love and serve God. The elect has been variously interpreted —

    (1) The Jewish and Gentile converts to Christianity.

    (2) Those Jews who should be converted to Christianity after the fall of Jerusalem.

    (3) Those descendants of the Jews who should embrace Christianity.

    (4) The whole body of the Church militant that shall live to witness Christ’s Second Coming.

    those days shall he shortened, — i.e. writers see the fulfilment of these words (as applied to Jerusalem) in the fact that —

    (1) The Zealots by their folly hastened the downfall of the doomed city, since they burnt the provisions which would have enabled them to withstand the siege.

    (2) They killed those who could have ably conducted the defence of the city.

    (3) They abandoned their impregnable towers.

    (4) They consumed their energies in intestine feuds and wars.

    (5) The Romans for their part “ shortened ” the days of the siege by their rapid movements and energetic measures. Thus Titus enclosed the city by a wall live miles in length and built thirteen fortified garrisons in the brief space of three days. The final siege did not last quite five months.

    Note. — Those writers who see in verse 22 only a reference to the last day argue that the events mentioned above merely hastened the doom of the unfortunate Jews, and that the “elect” (the Christians) were not thereby relieved, since they fled to the mountains and were not in Jerusalem during those days of bloodshed, and that the “converted Jews” could not, by the smallness of their numbers, be considered to constitute the elect.

    23. Then, — i.e. this refers to the time which was to intervene between the destruction of Jerusalem and the consummation of the age, the former event being the type, and the latter the antitype. The parallelism between the two events is given as follows in the Cambridge Greek Testament : —

The Fall of Jerusalem (ver. 5-22).                                                 The Second Advent (ver. 23-31).

(1) False Christs and false prophets (ver. 5-11).                                 (1) False Christs and false prophets (ver. 23, 24).

(2) Persecution and apostasy (ver, 9, 10-12).                                     (2) Danger even to the elect (ver. 24).

(3) Wars, famine, pestilence '(ver. 6, 7).                                             (3) Distress of nations (ver. 29).

(4) Great tribulation (ver. 21).                                                            (4) The sun and the moon darkened (ver. 29).

(5) The abomination of desola¬ tion (ver. 15).                                   (5) The sign of the Son of man (ver. 30).

(6) The escape of the Christians (ver. 16-18).                                     (6) The salvation of the elect (ver. 31).

    Lo, here is Christ, etc. These impostors will endeavour to seduce men from their allegiance to Christ, and the final assault will be made when antichrist comes at the end of time, of whom St Paul says his coming is according to the working of Satan, in all power, and signs, and lying wonders (2 Thes. ii. 9).

    Note. — Catholics are not allowed to believe in those predictions which determine the time and place of Christ's second coming. As regards the time, we have our Lord’s words that of that day or hour no man knoweth : as regards the place, we know that it will not be in any particular country, but universal : as a snare shall it come upon all that sit upon the face of the whole earth (St Luke xxi. 35).

    24. insomuch as to deceive, etc. In prophetic vision St John saw that All that dwell uponthe earth adored him (i.e. antichrist) whose names are not written in the book of life (Apoc. xiii. 8). The elect, i.e. the faithful children of the Church, are preserved from error, as long as they remain in the One Fold and obey their chief Pastor and other spiritual superiors.

    25. Behold I have told, etc. As the disciples were prepared for these tribulations, their faith would not waver. By His timely warnings, Jesus had marked out their line of conduct in the hour of danger and consoled them by His promises. The apostles, except St John (who was not in Judea then), did not live to see the destruction of Jerusalem, and the words take you heed were written for those who should witness the beginnings of sorrows that were to fall upon the doomed city and for those who shall live till the end of the world.

    26. he is in the desert. “ Christ speaks of two opposite places, the desert, and the closet, the most secret and private part of the house, to shew that in whatever manner, in whatever garb, in whatever place, another Christ may come, they are not to believe him” (Maldonatus, vol, ii. p. 283).

    in the closets. Better, “secret chambers” (ἐν τοῖς ταμείοις).

    27. For as lightning cometh. As the lightning flashes forth unexpectedly and is seen by all, so Christ will manifest Himself at His second coming when men least expect Him, and then every eye shall see Him in the splendour of His Majesty. Men and angels announced His first coming, but at His second Advent no forerunners will be needed.

    28. Wheresoever the body, etc. Three meanings have been suggested : —

    1. Wheresoever corrupted humanity shall live, there shall the angels of heaven be employed in separating the just from the sinners.

    2. Wheresoever the glorious body of the Son of man shall appear at His Second Coming, there shall the eagles, i.e. the just souls, gather around Him and cling unto His standard (Origen, SS. Ambrose, Hilary, Jerome).

    3. Wheresoever the body of the Son of man shall be under the Eucharistic species, there shall the eagles, i.e. the holy souls of the Church, gather to nourish their souls by it (St Ambrose).

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

On the destruction of the Temple and the trials to come

St Matthew Chapter XXIV : Verses 1-14

Contents

• Matt. xxiv. 1-14.  Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
• Notes on the text.
• Additional Notes : Christ’s promises to His disciples.

Matt. xxiv. 1-14

On the destruction of the Temple. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

1 And Jesus being come out of the temple, went away. And his disciples came to shew him the buildings of the temple.

Et egressus Jesus de templo, ibat. Et accesserunt discipuli ejus, ut ostenderent ei ædificationes templi.

2 And he answering, said to them: Do you see all these things? Amen I say to you there shall not be left here a stone upon a stone that shall not be destroyed.

Ipse autem respondens dixit illis : Videtis hæc omnia? amen dico vobis, non relinquetur hic lapis super lapidem, qui non destruatur.

3 And when he was sitting on mount Olivet, the disciples came to him privately, saying: Tell us when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the consummation of the world?

Sedente autem eo super montem Oliveti, accesserunt ad eum discipuli secreto, dicentes : Dic nobis, quando hæc erunt? et quod signum adventus tui, et consummationis sæculi?

4 And Jesus answering, said to them: Take heed that no man seduce you:

Et respondens Jesus, dixit eis : Videte ne quis vos seducat :

5 For many will come in my name saying, I am Christ: and they will seduce many.

multi enim venient in nomine meo, dicentes : Ego sum Christus : et multos seducent.

6 And you shall hear of wars and rumours of wars. See that ye be not troubled. For these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

Audituri enim estis prælia, et opiniones præliorum. Videte ne turbemini : oportet enim haec fieri, sed nondum est finis :

7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be pestilences, and famines, and earthquakes in places:

consurget enim gens in gentem, et regnum in regnum, et erunt pestilentiæ, et fames, et terræmotus per loca :

8 Now all these are the beginnings of sorrows.

hæc autem omnia initia sunt dolorum.

9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall put you to death: and you shall be hated by all nations for my name's sake.

Tunc tradent vos in tribulationem, et occident vos : et eritis odio omnibus gentibus propter nomen meum.

10 And then shall many be scandalized: and shall betray one another: and shall hate one another.

Et tunc scandalizabuntur multi, et invicem tradent, et odio habebunt invicem.

11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall seduce many.

Et multi pseudoprophetæ surgent, et seducent multos.

12 And because iniquity hath abounded, the charity of many shall grow cold.

Et quoniam abundavit iniquitas, refrigescet caritas multorum :

13 But he that shall persevere to the end, he shall be saved.

qui autem perseveraverit usque in finem, hic salvus erit.

14 And this gospel of the kingdom, shall be preached in the whole world, for a testimony to all nations, and then shall the consummation come.

Et prædicabitur hoc Evangelium regni in universo orbe, in testimonium omnibus gentibus : et tunc veniet consummatio.

Notes

    1. Jesus being come out of the temple. He never entered it again. In a manner, when Jesus left the Temple, He fulfilled the prophecy, your house shall be left to you desolate (supra, xxiii. 38). He evidently left Jerusalem and went with the apostles towards the valley of Cedron, thence up the slopes of Olivet, towards Bethania. This great prophecy was uttered on the evening of the Tuesday in Holy Week.

    his disciples came to shew him. St Mark gives the actual words : One of his disciples saith to him : Master, behold what manner of stones, and what buildings are here. Possibly the disciples had spoken of its beauty and magnificence as they gazed upon it from Mount Olivet, when the rays of the setting sun were reflected from the splendid golden roof and pinnacles, and from its colonnade of purest white marble. Then one, as spokesman, called our Lord’s attention to its beauty.

    the buildings of the temple. The Jews were naturally proud of their Temple. Josephus tells us that some of the stones were 45 feet in length (most of them 37½ feet, 12 feet high, and 18 feet broad), (Josephus, Antiq., xv. 11. 3). The apostles had heard our Lord say, your house shall be left to you desolate, and were deeply moved. Their remark seems to imply a petition that the doom foretold might be revoked. They could not realize that Jerusalem, so full of life and activity, that the Temple, so full of worshippers, should ever be ruined and desolate.

    The Temple of Zorobabel “ was rebuilt by Herod ; and, viewed either in regard of its strength of structure, its magnificence, its costly materials, its rare beauty and ornamentation, it was an object of wonder and admiration.” Princes and private individuals had enriched the Temple with munificent gifts, e.g. Herod’s golden vine, of which the cluster's equalled a man’s height. There is a reference to the generosity of royal donors in 2 Mach. iii. 2 : it came to pass that even the kings themselves and the princes esteemed the place worthy of the highest honour, and glorified the temple with very great gifts.

    2. Do you see all these things ? In plain worlds, Jesus solemnly foretells its utter destruction. Strong as that mighty Temple seemed, it was to be destroyed, and some of those who listened to our Lord’s prophetic utterances lived to witness this awful catastrophe, when our Lord’s prediction and an older prophecy were simultaneously fulfilled : Sion shall be ploughed as a field, and Jerusalem shall be as a heap of stones (Micheas iii. 12).

    The temple was destroyed by fire, A.D. 70, in spite of the desire of Titus, the general in command, to save it. He himself, when he saw the massive foundations and its mighty stones, attributed his victory to the hand of God. The Tenth Legion, under Terentius Rufus, carried out the work of destruction. Only the towers of Phasael, Hippicus, and Marianne were spared, as a proof to posterity of the glorious victory won by the Romans over a people who possessed such massive fortifications. The few ruins of the Temple now visible are merely fragments of the foundations and its enclosure walls. The Temple proper was utterly destroyed.

    The prophecy recorded in this chapter was uttered just thirty-eight years before its fulfilment.

    3. when he was sitting on mount Olivet. “ On his way to Bethany towards the close of this day, he rested for a while and communed with the disciples, uttering the wonderful eschatological discourse which follows in this and the next chapter. It is noted that the siege of Jerusalem by the Romans, began on the very spot where this prophecy of its destruction was delivered, strategical reasons compelling them to make their attack from this quarter.”

    the disciples came to him privately. From St Mark we learn who asked the question. Cf. as he sat on the mount of Olivet, over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him apart (xiii. 3). By the question being asked apart, some commentators understand that these four disciples questioned Jesus apart from the other disciples. Others take it to mean that they questioned Him apart from the multitude, but in the hearing of the other disciples.

    The disciples, wishing to have further particulars on such an important question, would naturally, from love of their Master, have refrained from questioning Him on a subject which would have exasperated the Pharisees and Scribes more than ever. St Stephen died a martyr's death because a false accusation of speaking words against the holy place and the law (Acts vi. 13) was brought against him.

    Tell us when, etc. ? They asked three questions, of which the third is peculiar to St Matthew’s gospel.

    1. When shall these things be ?

    2. What shall be the sign of thy coming ?

    3. What shall be the sign of the consummation of the world ?

    The disciples would have remembered the words of our Lord : For the son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then will he render to every man according to his works. Amen I say to you, there are some of them that stand here that shall not taste death till they see the son of man coming in his kingdom (supra, xvi. 27, 28). The connection between the three events in St Matthew’s mind is so close and inseparable that they are described as following each other in rapid succession.

    what shall he the sign, etc. ? The disciples evidently expected these signs to come to pass during their lifetime. Jesus answers this question, whereas He leaves the previous one unanswered. For other examples of Jesus leaving questions without a direct reply, see St Luke xiii. 23, 24, xvii. 20.

    4. Take heed that no man seduce you. Lit. “ lead you astray ” (πλανήσῃ). These are words of warning against those who would try to turn Christ’s disciples from their allegiance to Him. “ The four moral keynotes of the discourse on the ‘last things’ are Beware, Watch, Endure, Pray.”

    5. many will come. History records the names of various impostors who arose at different times, the majority of whom lived after the destruction of Jerusalem.

    False prophets were far more numerous than false Christs. The prophecy is also understood to refer to those who shall arise before Christ’s second Advent.

    6. wars, and rumours of wars. Josephus and Philo both describe the disturbed state of Judea about forty years before the fall of Jerusalem. The Jews were massacred at Cæsarea and at Alexandria, in Babylonia and in Syria. The reigns of Caligula, Claudius, and Nero were terrible times of bloodshed, tyranny, and revolt. On one occasion 50,000 were massacred at Seleucia. It was during this period that the Germans, Britons, and Gauls rose in rebellion against Rome, while at the same time the Roman nation was torn with intestine struggles between the various adherents of Vitellius, Galba, Otho, and Vespasian. Tacitus describes this period as one “ rich in calamities, horrible with battles, rent with seditions, savage even in peace itself. Four princes were cut off with the sword ; there were three civil wars, and, often at the same time, war was being waged with other nations” (Hist., i. 12).

    See that ye he not troubled. The apostles were to have confidence in God, in spite of all these exterior trials.

    these things must come to pass. “ Not from absolute necessity, but as a matter of consequent necessity, like scandals, heresies, etc. on the one hand, and on the other hand the decrees of God, drawing good out of evil, which He permits.”

    the end is not yet,—i.e. of the evils which are to overtake Jerusalem. Greater ones will follow. Perhaps these words refer to the wars of antichrist, which are to precede the end of the world. The word “ end ” most likely refers to —

    1. the destruction of Jerusalem,

    2. the end of the world.

    7. nation shall rise against nation. This is apparently a development of wars and rumours of wars. History relates many such facts ; there were terrible rebellions at Scythopolis, Joppa, etc. (Cf. Jos., Wars, bk. ii., xviii.)

    pestilences. This word is missing in some MSS., but it is found in the parallel passage in St Luke. Cf. There shall be pestilences and terrors in heaven, and great signs. Pestilence often results from famine. Suetonius relates how in the time of Nero 30,000 people died of the plague.

    famines. There was a famine in the reign of Claudius, which is mentioned in Acts xi. 28.

    earthquakes in places. Many remarkable examples of this awful scourge are recorded during the forty years in question and after that time, thus showing the double allusion in our Lord’s prediction.

    Josephus speaks of “ a prodigious storm in the night, with the utmost violence and very strong winds, with the largest showers and continued lightnings, terrible thunderings, and amazing concussions and bellowings of the earth, that was called an earthquake.”

    He concludes that “ anyone would guess that these wonders foreshewed some grand calamities that were coming.” This happened when the Zealots were in open revolt, just before the destruction of Jerusalem.

    Tacitus mentioned that earthquakes took place in Crete, Rome, Apamea, Phrygia, and Campania.

    Seneca relates that in A.D. 58 earthquakes occurred in Achaia, Syria, and Macedonia.

    8. the beginnings of sorrows. Lit. “the beginning of birth pangs” (ἀρχὴ ὠδίνων), which must precede the regeneration of all things. The words express intense pain. The signs are summed up under six headings —

1. False Christs shall arise.

2. Wars and rumours of wars (seditions, St Luke xxi. 9).

3. Earthquakes.

4. Famines.

5. Pestilences (St Matt, and St Luke).

6. Terrors from heaven and great signs (St Luke).

    9. Then shall they deliver you, etc. This is to happen before all these things (St Luke), i.e. before these signs predicted come to pass.

    to be afflicted. Lit. “ unto affliction or sorrow” (εἰς θλῖψιν).

    put you to death .... hated, etc. See Annot. on x. 17-28.

    you shall be hated. Jesus again referred to this at the Last Supper. Cf. The servant is not greater than his master. If they have persecuted me they will also persecute you (St John xv. 20).

    for my namds sake. That they might bear witness to Christ and the Gospel.

    10. then shall many be scandalized. Jesus here repeats what He had previously said in the parable of the Sower. (See supra, xiii. 21)

OCR not available. Text reproduced from source. 

Additional Notes

    Christ’s promises to His disciples. Jesus comforted and strengthened them to endure these tribulations by the following promises : —

    (1) “And when they shall lead you and deliver you up, be not thoughtful beforehand what you shall speak ; but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye. For it is not you that speak, but the Holy Ghost” (St Mark xiii. 11).

    (2) “ For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to resist and gainsay ” (St Luke xxi. 15).

    (3) “ But a hair of your head shall not perish” (ver. 18).

    (4) “ In your patience you shall possess your souls ” (ver. 19).

    (5) “ But he that shall persevere to the end, he shall be saved ” (St Matt. xxiv. 13).

    14. This gospel of the kingdom shall he preached in the whole world, for a testimony to oil nations, and then shall the consummation come. Our Lord does not promise that as soon as the Gospel has been preached throughout the world, the consummation of all things is at hand ; He merely asserts that His second Advent will not take place until all men have heard the glad tidings of salvation.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Christ's lamentation over Jerusalem

St Matthew Chapter XXIII : Verses 37-39

Contents

• Matt. xxiii. 37-39.  Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
• Notes on the text.

Matt. xxiii. 37-39

Jerusalem, Jerusalem. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered together thy children, as the hen doth gather her chickens under her wings, and thou wouldest not?

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, quae occidis prophetas, et lapidas eos, qui ad te missi sunt, quoties volui congregare filios tuos, quemadmodum gallina congregat pullos suos sub alas, et noluisti?

38 Behold, your house shall be left to you, desolate.

Ecce relinquetur vobis domus vestra deserta.

39 For I say to you, you shall not see me henceforth till you say: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Dico enim vobis, non me videbitis amodo, donec dicatis : Benedictus, qui venit in nomine Domini.

Notes

    37. Jerusalem, Jerusalem. This beautiful lamentation over Jerusalem was probably uttered twice (see St Luke xiii. 34-35). Note the tenderness in our Saviour’s words.

    that killest the prophets. Cf. Because it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem (St Luke xiii. 33). It was a moral impossibility, judging from the past, that a prophet could perish elsewhere, for “ Jerusalem had made the slaughter of the prophets a special prerogative, a monopoly, as has been said, of which none might rob her.”

    how often would I have gathered. Jesus had Himself preached in Judea, and St John relates our Lord’s Ministry there more fully than the other Evangelists.

    It was in Jerusalem that on the last and great day of the festivity (i.e. of Tabernacles) Jesus stood and cried, saying : If any man thirst. Let him come to me and drink (St John vii. 37). By His preaching and by His miracles. He had revealed Himself to His own people.

    as the hen doth gather, etc. In the Old Testament the eagle is given as a type of God’s loving solicitude. As the eagle enticing her young to fly, and hovering over them, he spread his wings, and hath taken him and carried him on his shoulders (Deut, xxxii. 11).

thou wouldest not. God respects man’s free will, by which the creature can frustrate the loving-kindness and even the will of his Creator.

    38. Behold. Here the word signifies certainty.

    your house. These words were said on Palm Sunday. It was to be no longer God’s house, but theirs.

    left to you desolate. Two meanings have been given to this text : —

    1. The city of Jerusalem shall be deserted by the Jews, and laid waste by the Romans.

    2. The spiritual advantages of the Jews shall be transferred to the Gentiles.

    39. till you say. These words may refer to the gradual conversion of the Jews in the course of time, or to the second coming of Christ. The second is the more commonly accepted opinion.

    Blessed is he that, etc. See Annot. on xxi. 9.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Christ's denunciation of the Pharisees

St Matthew Chapter XXIII : Verses 13-36

Contents

• Matt. xxiii. 13-36.  Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
• Notes on the text.
• Additional Notes: Jewish literature on rabbis; Fulvia.

Matt. xxiii. 13-36

Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites:  J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

13 But woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men, for you yourselves do not enter in; and those that are going in, you suffer not to enter.

Væ autem vobis scribæ et pharisæi hypocritæ, quia clauditis regnum cælorum ante homines! vos enim non intratis, nec introeuntes sinitis intrare.

14 Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: because you devour the houses of widows, praying long prayers. For this you shall receive the greater judgment.

Væ vobis scribæ et pharisæi hypocritæ, quia comeditis domos viduarum, orationes longas orantes! propter hoc amplius accipietis judicium.

15 Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you go round about the sea and the land to make one proselyte; and when he is made, you make him the child of hell twofold more than yourselves.

Væ vobis scribæ et pharisæi hypocritæ, quia circuitis mare, et aridam, ut faciatis unum proselytum, et cum fuerit factus, facitis eum filium gehennæ duplo quam vos.

16 Woe to you blind guides, that say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but he that shall swear by the gold of the temple, is a debtor.

Væ vobis duces cæci, qui dicitis : Quicumque juraverit per templum, nihil est : qui autem juraverit in auro templo, debet.

17 Ye foolish and blind; for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?

Stulti et cæci : quid enim majus est? aurum, an templum, quod sanctificat aurum?

18 And whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, is a debtor.

Et quicumque juraverit in altari, nihil est : quicumque autem juraverit in dono, quod est super illud, debet.

19 Ye blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?

Cæci : quid enim majus est, donum, an altare, quod sanctificat donum?

20 He therefore that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things that are upon it:

Qui ergo jurat in altari, jurat in eo, et in omnibus quæ super illud sunt.

21 And whosoever shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth in it:

Et quicumque juraverit in templo, jurat in illo, et in eo qui habitat in ipso :

22 And he that sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

et qui jurat in cælo, jurat in throno Dei, et in eo qui sedet super eum.

23 Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you tithe mint, and anise, and cummin, and have left the weightier things of the law; judgment, and mercy, and faith. These things you ought to have done, and not to leave those undone.

Væ vobis scribæ et pharisæi hypocritæ, qui decimatis mentham, et anethum, et cyminum, et reliquistis quæ graviora sunt legis, judicium, et misericordiam, et fidem! haec oportuit facere, et illa non omittere.

24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel.

Duces cæci, excolantes culicem, camelum autem glutientes.

25 Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you make clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but within you are full of rapine and uncleanness.

Væ vobis scribæ et pharisæi hypocritæ, quia mundatis quod deforis est calicis et paropsidis; intus autem pleni estis rapina et immunditia!

26 Thou blind Pharisee, first make clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, that the outside may become clean.

Pharisæe cæce, munda prius quod intus est calicis, et paropsidis, ut fiat id, quod deforis est, mundum.

27 Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you are like to whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear to men beautiful, but within are full of dead men's bones, and of all filthiness.

Væ vobis scribæ et pharisæi hypocritæ, quia similes estis sepulchris dealbatis, quæ a foris parent hominibus speciosa, intus vero pleni sunt ossibus mortuorum, et omni spurcitia!

28 So you also outwardly indeed appear to men just; but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

Sic et vos a foris quidem paretis hominibus justi : intus autem pleni estis hypocrisi et iniquitate.

29 Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; that build the sepulchres of the prophets, and adorn the monuments of the just,

Væ vobis scribæ et pharisæi hypocritæ, qui ædificatis sepulchra prophetarum, et ornatis monumenta justorum,

30 And say: If we had been in the days of our Fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.

et dicitis : Si fuissemus in diebus patrum nostrorum, non essemus socii eorum in sanguine prophetarum!

31 Wherefore you are witnesses against yourselves, that you are the sons of them that killed the prophets.

itaque testimonio estis vobismetipsis, quia filii estis eorum, qui prophetas occiderunt.

32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

Et vos implete mensuram patrum vestrorum.

33 You serpents, generation of vipers, how will you flee from the judgment of hell?

Serpentes genimina viperarum, quomodo fugietis a judicio gehennæ?

34 Therefore behold I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them you will put to death and crucify, and some you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city:

Ideo ecce ego mitto ad vos prophetas, et sapientes, et scribas, et ex illis occidetis, et crucifigetis, et ex eis flagellabitis in synagogis vestris, et persequemini de civitate in civitatem :

35 That upon you may come all the just blood that hath been shed upon the earth, from the blood of Abel the just, even unto the blood of Zacharias the son of Barachias, whom you killed between the temple and the altar.

ut veniat super vos omnis sanguis justus, qui effusus est super terram, a sanguine Abel justi usque ad sanguinem Zachariæ, filii Barachiæ, quem occidistis inter templum et altare.

36 Amen I say to you, all these things shall come upon this generation.

Amen dico vobis, venient haec omnia super generationem istam.

Notes

    Note. — Jesus inaugurated His public life by promulgating the eight Beatitudes ; He closed it by denouncing the Pharisees, and prophesying that eight “Woes” should overtake them. “Christ speaks with great anger of the Scribes and Pharisees to the end of the chapter, especially accusing them of hypocrisy, not in any sudden outbreak of powerless anger or slander, but with the fixed plan and determination of warning the unhappy people before His approaching death not to be deluded by the false pretences of these men ” (Maldonatus, vol. ii. p. 249). In some Codices and Versions the first and second woe are transposed. The order given here, following that of the Vulgate, is preferable, and is accepted in the Revised Version.

    First Woe, against spiritual selfishness.

13. wo to you .... because you shut, etc. By discrediting our Lord, by excommunicating His adherents and repressing the enthusiasm of the people. The Pharisees, as it were, stood at the door of the Messianic Church and prevented men from entering.

    The prophets had also accused the Jews of this. Cf. But you have departed out of the way, and have caused many to stumble at the law : you have made void the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts (Mal. ii. 8).

    The Scribes’ knowledge of the Law is compared to a key which opens the door of the Church. They have this key in their possession, but neither used it themselves nor allowed others to profit by it.

    against men. Better, “before men” (ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων), i.e. they kept it closed in the face of men desirous of entering. Thus on another occasion Jesus accuses the lawyers : Wo to you lawyers, for you have taken away the key of knowledge : you yourselves have not entered in, and those that were entering in you have hindered (St Luke xi. 52).

    Second Woe, against covetousness under pretence of religion.

    Note. — As this verse is missing in many Codices א B, D, L, Z) and some copies of the Vulgate and other ancient Versions, the Revised Version rejects it. This “ woe,” however, is found in some good Uncials (E, F, G, H, K, M) and in the Syriac and the accepted Vulgate Versions. Even if critics be correct in rejecting this passage here, it is undoubtedly genuine in St Mark xii. 40 and St Luke xx. 47.

    14. Wo to you .... because you devour, etc. They may have devoured widows’ houses in various ways, e.g. —

    (a) By obtaining gifts under a false pretence of devotion and piety.

    (b) By embezzling the property when they were the guardians of widows’ estates. The Scribes were the lawyers of the nation, and were employed to draw up wills ; hence they had many opportunities of being dishonest.

    There are many recommendations in the Holy Scriptures concerning the merciful treatment of widows and orphans, — e.g. Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, of the fatherless and the widow (Deut. xxvii, 19). Learn to do well: seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge for the fatherless, defend the widow (Is. i. 17)

    praying long prayers. Some of the prayers which the Pharisees said were very long, e.g. the twenty-six prayers at ablutions, the eighteen benedictions, etc.

    you shall receive, etc. These words shew our Lord’s strong indignation. The hypocritical Scribes, by their apparent piety and multiplied practices of devotion, won the confidence of their clients (the widows to whom Christ refers), and they profited by this ascendency, so basely obtained, to advance their own interests.

Third Woe, against indiscreet proselytism.

    15. Wo to you .... because you go round, “ To compass sea and land ” is a proverbial expression signifying “ to take all possible means ” to attain some end.

    proselyte. In the Septuagint this word is used of “a stranger” or “ sojourner,” but later it was applied to converts from Judaism to Christianity.

    the child of hell, — i.e. worthy of hell. Compare this with such expressions as a child of death (2 Kings xii. 5), the son of perdition (St John xvii. 12). These proselytes added to their own vices those of their teachers, for “ they were more inclined by nature to copy vice than virtue, and thus the masters were easily surpassed in wickedness by their disciples ” (Euthymius, quoted by Maldonatus).

    Fourth Woe, against wilful blindness.

    16. Wo to you blind guides that say, etc. The Pharisees and Scribes made arbitrary distinctions as regards oaths, according to which some were binding, while others were not. Our Lord charges them three times in this discourse with spiritual blindness (verses 17, 19, 26).

    the gold of the temple. This may mean the decorations of the Temple, the gold in the Temple treasuries, or the golden vessels used in the Temple.

    is a debtor, i.e. is bound by his oath.

    Verses 17-22. In these verses our Lord points out that, since the Temple sanctifies the

gold, and the altar the gift, therefore the Temple and the altar are greatev than the gold and the gift, and He goes on to explain that whoever swears by the Temple, the altar, or by heaven, swears by God Himself, who is present in all creatures. The question of oaths is also treated in the Sermon on the Mount, where it is more fully explained (see supra, v. 33-36).

    18. it is nothing. St Jerome, Theophylact, and St Thomas (quoted by Maldonatus) explain these words thus: “If any man, in any suit or doubtful question, swore by the Temple, and was afterwards convicted of falsehood, he was not held guilty ; but if he swore by the gold and money which were offered by the priests in the Temple, he was at once compelled to make good that which he had sworn to do. Again, if a man swore by the altar, no one thought him guilty of perjury ; but if he swore by the oblations, that is, the victims or .sacrifices or other offerings to God on the altar, the vow was required to be most strictly performed. The above authors think that avarice was the original cause of the tradition” (Maldonatus, vol. ii. p. 254).

    Fifth Woe, against attachment to trifles and neglect of essential duties.

    23. you tithe, — i.e. you pay as tithes the tenth portion of certain things.

    mint. An aromatic herb used as a condiment. It was one of the ingredients of the sauce of bitter herbs served at the Paschal Supper. Bunches of mint were also hung up in the synagogues to perfume the air with its fragrance.

    anise. The plant known as “ dill.” It bears brown flowers, and small, flat, oval seeds, which have medicinal properties, and are also used for seasoning.

    cummin. An umbelliferous plant, the seeds of which resemble caraways and are somewhat pungent. They are used medicinally and as a condiment. The Pharisees gave tithes of these herbs in obedience to the precept of the Law. Cf. Every year thou shalt set aside the tithes of all thy fruits that the earth bringeth forth (Deut. xiv. 22). Jesus does not condemn this practice, though the Law did not exact tithes of such small herbs, but He blames the Pharisees for substituting these insignificant practices in place of judgment and charity.

    the weightier things, etc. Christ contrasts the three essential duties of judgment (i.e. justice, mercy, and faith) with the tithes of mint, anise, and cummin.

    judgment. Injustice, i.e. sins against judgment, is frequently denounced in the Old Testament. St John the Baptist also reproved men for it. Cf. Do violence to no man, neither calumniate any man : and be content with your pay (St Luke iii. 14).

    mercy. By judgment we give every man his due, but mercy goes beyond this and prompts us to give that which our neighbour cannot strictly claim.

    faith. Not the theological virtue of faith, but the moral virtue of fidelity which makes us true and honest in our dealings with our fellows and faithful to our engagements.

    24. Blind guides, who strain out, etc. A Jewish proverb, expressing inconsistency of conduct. The strict Jews were accustomed to filter their wine lest they should swallow any unclean insects or animalcula.

    Cf. But of flying things whatsoever hath four feet only, shall he an abomination to you (Lev. xi. 23). The Buddhists of Hindostan and Ceylon observe a similar custom, partly from fear of pollution, and partly to avoid killing any insect, which is against their tenets.

    camel. The largest of the unclean animals, as the gnat was one of the smallest. Jesus chooses two extremes, as when He contrasted the mote and the beam (ch. vii. 3-5) in order to bring home the lesson more forcibly. “ It was a very elastic conscience which tithed a potherb and neglected judgment.”

    Seventh Woe, against attachment to mere exterior purity.

    25. Woe to you . . . because you make clean, etc. They were very particular about the washing of cups, and of pots, and of brazen vessels, and of beds (St Mark). The inner surface of vessels was also purified.

    According to the tradition of the ancients, hollow earthen vessels could only be purified by destruction, flat earthen vessels were not susceptible of defilement (I a plate). Hollow earthen vessels could only be defiled on the inner surface. If the utensil was of bone, glass, or leather, it could be polluted both inside and outside, irrespective of shape. When such a vessel was broken, the fragments were “ clean.”

    Triclinia or couches were sprinkled with rain or spring water. If a heathen reclined on one of these couches it was defiled.

    within you are full of rapine. While they were extremely scrupulous about accomplishing all the ceremonies prescribed by the rabbis, they were utterly indifferent as regards contracting the moral defilement of sin. Further, even those actions which appeared good were prompted by unworthy or sinful motives.

    26. first make clean the inside, etc. Our Lord points out that the exterior impurity of the cup or the dish cannot defile the contents, as the Pharisees taught ; but, on the contrary, the cup will be defiled by the impurity of the contents.

    27. whited sepulchres. Jesus goes on to illustrate what He has just said by comparing the Pharisees to whited sepulchres which no Jews could touch without being legally polluted, so those who held intercourse with the Pharisees were corrupted by them, not perceiving their wickedness.

    The Jews used to whitewash all tombs on the fifteenth of Adar, i.e. a month before the Pasch.

    This was done lest the pilgrims should inadvertently be defiled, and thus prevented from celebrating the Pasch. Cf. If any man .... touch the corpse . ... or his grave, he shall be unclean seven days (Numb. xix. 16).

    Eighth Woe, against hypocritical piety.

    29. Woe to you . . . that build, etc. It is praiseworthy to shew respect to the dead, and particularly to those who died with a reputation of holiness, but the Pharisees erected these stately monuments in a proud spirit of self-righteousness and as a protest against the crimes which their fathers had committed in murdering the prophets. There still exist near Jerusalem certain sepulchres called “The Tombs of the Prophets.”

    “ The Tombs of the Prophets are here, near the southern summit of Olivet. I have never examined them with much care, but they are regarded as very mysterious excavations by antiquarians . Through a long gallery, first serpentine and then direct, but winding as you advance, one passes into a circular hall, rising into a conical dome about twenty-four feet in diameter. From this hall run three passages, communicating with two semicircular galleries connected with the hall, the outer one of which contains in its back wall numerous recesses for the corpses, radiating toward the centre hall. No inscriptions or remains of any kind have been discovered to elucidate the mysteries of these mansions for the dead ” (Thomson, The Land and the Book, pp. 637-8).

    30. If we had been, etc. Yet in spite of their proud boast of superiority, they had rejected St John the Baptist, and were plotting to kill our Lord. Thus they bore witness against themselves that they consented to the doings of their fathers.

    32. Fill ye up then the measure, etc. The metaphor is taken from a cup filled to the brim, so that a few drops more will cause it to overflow. Jesus here speaks ironically, and His words are virtually a prophecy. The measure would be filled to overflowing when they compassed His death.

    Conclusion of the Denunciation of the Pharisees.

        The Judgment that would fall upon them.

    33. You serpents, generation of vipers. The Baptist also denounced them as “ serpents ” and “ vipers ” (see supra, iii. 7).

    the judgment of hell, — i.e. condemnation to eternal punishment.

    34. I send to you prophets. Jesus thus teaches that those who persecute the apostles and their successors are guilty of as great a crime as those who persecuted the prophets. Hence the Pharisees of that generation were no better than their forefathers.

    35. That upon you may come, etc. These words do not set forth a simple consequence, nor are they a prediction of what will happen, but they express “real purpose both on the part of the offenders, who willingly and knowingly commit their misdeeds in spite of the predicted punishment, and on the part of God, who provides for the wicked an occasion of practically manifesting their evil dispositions” (cf. Pasch, St Thom.).

    from the blood of Abel, etc. This seems to have been a proverbial Jewish expression signifying all the prophets. Abel was the first just man who was put to death, and Zacharias the last prophet but one whom the Jews killed. Urias, whose death is related in Jeremias (xxvi. 23), was put to death after Zacharias, but the latter stands as the last, because the books of Paralipomenon, in which the martyrdom of Zacharias is recorded, close the canon of the Hebrew Scriptures (see 2 Paral. xxiv. 20-22).

    Although the father of the prophet is given as Joiada, and not as Barachias, it is generally held that Jesus refers to him.

    Commentators have suggested that as the incident was so well known to the Jews, St Matthew, when writing his Hebrew gospel, did not give the name of Zacharias’ father, but that the Greek translator erroneously inserted “ Barachias” for “Joiada” in his version.

Additional Notes

    Jewish literature endorses our Lord’s judgments on them and bids men fear, “not true Pharisees, but greatly painted Pharisees.” Rabbi Nachamau says : ‘‘The supreme tribunal will duly punish hypocrites who wrap their talliths around them to appear what they are not, true Pharisees.” “ The Talmud also satirizes those Pharisees who are not sincere in their professions of piety. There is the ‘ shechemite ’ Pharisee, who obeys the law from self-interest (cf. Gen. xxxiv. 19) ; the tumbling Pharisee, who is so humble that he is always stumbling because he will not lift his feet from the ground ; the bleeding Pharisee, who is always hurting himself against walls, because he is so modest as to be unable to walk about with his eyes open, lest he should see a woman ; the mortar Pharisee, who covers his eyes as with a mortar for the same reason ; the tell-me-anothe -duty-and-I-will-do-it Pharisee, several of whom occur in our Lord’s ministry ; and the timid Pharisee, who is actuated by fear alone. The seventh class only is the class of ‘ Pharisees from love,’ who obey God because they love Him from the heart ” (Farrar).

    Josephus frequently refers to the avarice and hypocrisy of the Pharisees, of which the subjoined quotation is an example. 

“ There was a man who was a Pharisee, but had been driven away from his own country by an accusation laid against him for transgressing their laws, and by the fear he was under of punishment for the same ; but in all respects a wicked man : — he then living at Rome, professed to instruct men in the wisdom of the law of Moses. He procured also three other men, entirely of the same character with himself, to be his partners. These men persuaded Fulvia, a woman of great dignity, and one that had embraced the Jewish religion, to send purple and gold to the temple at Jerusalem ; and, when they had gotten them, they employed them for their own uses, and spent the money themselves ; on which account it was that they at first required it of her. Whereupon Tiberius, who had been informed of the thing by Saturninus, the husband of Fulvia, who desired inquiry might be made about it, ordered all the Jews to be banished out of Rome ; at which time the consuls listed four thousand men out of them, and sent them to the island of Sardinia ; but punished a greater number of them, who were unwilling to become soldiers on account of keeping the laws of the forefathers. Thus were these Jews banished out of the city by the wickedness of four men ” (Josephus, Antiq., xviii. 3. 5).

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.