Chapter 1
Chapter I.
Prologue of the Evangelist.
1. Since indeed many
etc. This is the second prologue, namely that of the author, blessed Luke, which he sets before his Gospel, in which he makes known his intention with respect to four things, namely with respect to the motive, the promotive, the directive,
and the consummative,
in which the principal intent is sufficiently made known.
2. (Verse 1.). First, therefore, he makes known his intention with respect to the motive,
which indeed was the example of others:
and he indicates this when he says: Since many have undertaken to set in order a narration.
Among these, some were good, such as Matthew and Mark, who wrote before him, as was stated in the prologue of Jerome; but others were bad, as the Gloss of Bede says, "such as Basilides and Apelles, and those who wrote false things under the name of Thomas and Matthias and other Apostles"; because, as it is said in Second Corinthians eleven, "such ones are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into Apostles of Christ." The first undertook and brought their work to completion; the second undertook and fell short. The first were moved by the example of the good and the true; the second were moved by hatred of evil. To set in order a narration,
namely of those things which have been accomplished among us,
that is, in our midst and for our sake, such as the mystery of the incarnation, the passion, and the resurrection. Whence John one: "And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us: and we saw his glory," etc.
3. (Verse 2.). Second, with respect to the promotive,
which indeed was the testimony of the Apostles:
and he indicates this when he says: Even as they delivered them to us who from the beginning were themselves eyewitnesses,
namely the Apostles: whence First John one: "That which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled," etc.; and John nineteen: "He who saw it has borne witness, and his testimony is true. And he knows that he speaks the truth, so that you also may believe." And because they had seen, therefore they bore witness; whence he adds: And were ministers of the word:
Acts one: "Therefore it is necessary that of these men who have been with us during all the time in which the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day on which he was taken up from us, one of these should be made a witness with us of his resurrection." And such were the Apostles: whence First Corinthians four: "Let a man so regard us as ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God; here now it is required," etc.
4. (Vers. 3.). Third, as to the directive element, which was an ordered, sufficient and diligent process: and this he indicates when he adds: It seemed good to me also, namely, the Holy Spirit instigating; as Jerome says, "instigated by the Holy Spirit, he wrote this Gospel." Having followed closely, that is, having followed perfectly, because from the beginning to the end: whence he also adds: To write to you all things diligently in order, most excellent Theophilus: where simultaneously sufficiency, order and diligence are indicated: and these indeed befit a historical narrator. Whence 2 Maccabees 2: "To collect the understanding and to arrange the discourse and to inquire more carefully into each and every individual part belongs to the author of a history."
5. (Vers. 4.). Fourth, as to the consummative element, which was the understanding of truth, he adds: That you may know the truth of those words in which you have been instructed, know, namely, more fully. And this was that in which the intention of the Evangelist in writing came to rest: whence 2 Timothy 3: "All Scripture divinely inspired is useful for teaching, for arguing, for correcting, for instructing in justice, that the man of God may be perfect, equipped for every good work"; and this end Luke sets forth with respect to all whom he understands in the person of Theophilus, to whom he writes. "Theophilus is interpreted as 'one who loves God' or 'one loved by God,'" and to such the truth is manifested: whence John 14: "He who loves me will be loved by my Father: and I will love him and will manifest myself to him"; and [John] 15: "But I have called you friends, because all things whatsoever I have heard from my Father I have made known to you." - And thus it is clear how fully and plainly the Evangelist discloses his intention.
6. And that Luke the Evangelist prefixes a prologue to his Gospel, which none of the other Evangelists did, this was on account of the special person to whom he writes, since all the others write generally without regard to a special cause; and there are three causes for this, the first of which is that his book could seem superfluous, since two Evangelists had already written, and "in the mouth of two witnesses every word shall stand." Hence, to remove this objection, he first assigns the first cause: that it is not superfluous, since it serves to cut away the vain, false, and superfluous things that had been written by pseudo-evangelists. - The second is that his book could seem less authoritative, as being the work of one who was not an Apostle: and therefore he shows that he wrote according to the instruction and testimony of the Apostles and of others who saw. - The third cause is that his book, since it is historical and narrative of various parables, could seem disordered and as though written haphazardly: and therefore, to remove this objection, he shows in the prologue that its procedure is sufficient, diligent, and ordered. - And thus it is clear that it is not idle curiosity to inquire into and examine the order, distinction, and sufficiency in the treatment of those things which are written in this Gospel; and by equal reasoning, neither in the others. If order attests to wisdom and goodness, it ought most of all to belong to that Scripture which proceeds from the font of wisdom and leads to the end of complete goodness. And this is the evangelical Scripture: and therefore it is not curiosity but utility if in what follows the division, order, and sufficiency are described, because this is intended by the Evangelist.
General Division
7. There was in the days of King Herod,
etc. This Gospel of Luke, as was said above, has four principal parts, in the first of which the mystery of the incarnation
is treated, up to the third chapter; in the second, the magisterium of instruction,
up to the twenty-second; in the third, the medicine or remedy of the passion,
up to the twenty-fourth; in the fourth, the trophy of the resurrection,
up to the end of the book.
Part I. The mystery of the incarnation is treated in three ways.
The first part, which pursues the mystery of the incarnation, has three parts. For it unfolds the temporal nativity of Christ, which was threefold, namely: in the womb
with respect to conception, from the womb
with respect to birth, and outside the womb
with respect to baptism. The first it unfolds in the first chapter, the second in the second, and the third in the third.
First, concerning the nativity in the womb, in two ways.
He intends therefore in the first chapter to treat of the conception
of the Savior: but because the conception of the barren woman preceded the conception of the Virgin, and before the conception of the King came the beginning of the Precursor, and both are divine, and God is to be praised for both: therefore the present chapter has two parts, in the first of which the fecundation
of the barren woman and the Virgin is treated; in the second, the giving of thanks,
at: Rising up, Mary went into the hill country.
First, concerning the twofold conception.
The first part has two sections, in the first of which the conception of the Precursor is treated;
in the second, the conception of the Savior,
at the passage: In the sixth month the angel was sent,
etc.
Three things are said concerning the conception of the Precursor.
Now the Evangelist, describing the conception of the Precursor,
in order to show that it was wondrous, first shows the condition of the parents;
second, he explains the angelic announcement,
at the passage: It came to pass, while he was serving in the priesthood,
etc.; third, the ministerial confirmation of the announcement,
at the passage: And Zacharias said to the Angel: How shall I know this?
fourth, the wondrous fulfillment of the promise,
at the passage: And it came to pass, when the days of his office were fulfilled,
etc.
First, the condition of the parents is described in a fourfold manner.
Now describing the condition
of his parents,
he explains four things: first, their office of dignity;
second, their honorable marriage;
third, their merit
or privilege of holiness; fourth, their reproach of barrenness.
8. (Verse 5). First, therefore, he shows the office of dignity, when he says: There was in the days of Herod, king of Judea, a certain priest named Zechariah. He sets forth the priestly office, adding royal dominion, to intimate that John was to foreannounce Christ, who was a priest according to the order of Melchizedek, that is, simultaneously king and priest: Hebrews 7: "Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God," etc. — Or he sets forth the kingdom to show that in the time of the Law, royal power preceded the priesthood, but now it is the reverse. Whence 1 Peter 2: "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood," etc.; but in Exodus 19 it is said: "You shall be to me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation." — Or he sets forth the kingdom of Herod the foreigner, who was the first among foreigners to rule over the Jews, to show that the time of Christ's coming had arrived, and that the prophecy of the penultimate chapter of Genesis had been fulfilled: "The scepter shall not be taken away from Judah, nor a ruler," etc. — Or he names Herod to show that he was notorious in wickedness. For there was a threefold Herod, namely father, son, and grandson: the first was the Ascalonite, who slew the children, Matthew 2; the second was Antipas, who beheaded John, Matthew 14; the third was Agrippa, who killed James, enclosing Peter in prison, Acts 12; but the first was the most infamous and the cruelest of all. Therefore, because "against evil, good," conversely there is named the priest Zechariah, to show that he was renowned in goodness and a friend of God, according to that passage of Exodus 33: "You have found grace before me, and I have known you by name"; nor does he show him to be a priest only by name, but also by lineage; whence he says: Of the course of Abijah, that is, of the lineage, according to the exposition of Bede in the Gloss, saying: "When David enlarged the worship of God, as is said in 1 Chronicles 24, he divided the ministries of the priests into twenty-four lots; among which the eighth lot fell to the family of Abijah, from which Zechariah descended, so that the herald of the New Testament might be born in the course of the eighth lot, because by the number eight the New Testament is understood, just as the Old is understood by the number seven."
9. Second, he sets forth the honorable marriage in that he says: And his wife was of the daughters of Aaron; and thus both were of the priestly lineage, and by this were suited for marriage according to the commandment of the Lord; Numbers 36: "Let all men take wives from the same tribe and kindred, and likewise let all women take husbands." He sets forth her name, because he was thus going to speak of her frequently: And her name was Elizabeth, both in the conception and the salutation and the birth; whence: "the time of Elizabeth was fulfilled," etc. Moreover, he sets forth the honorable marriage alongside the office of dignity, so that from both the conception might be rendered more commendable; Wisdom 4: "O how beautiful is the chaste generation with glory," etc.
10. (Verse 6). Third, he describes the privilege of holiness in that he says: And they were both just before God, that is, inwardly, in the eyes of God: Wisdom 5: "The just shall live forever"; and it follows: "Their thought is with the Most High." They were not of the kind of those about whom it is said below in chapter 16: "You are they who justify yourselves," etc.; but like Noah, of whom Genesis 6 says: "Noah was a just and perfect man in his generations; he walked with God," and Hezekiah, of whom 4 Kings 20 says: "Remember, O Lord, how I have walked before you in truth and with a perfect heart." For as it is said in 1 Kings 16: "God looks upon the heart." — They were also just outwardly, in the sight of men; and therefore he says: Walking in all the commandments and justifications of the Lord without blame: Philippians 2: "Do all things without murmurings and hesitations, that you may be without blame and simple children of God, without reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation." And rightly he says in all, because, as it is said in James 2, "whoever shall keep the whole Law yet offend in one point is become guilty of all." And therefore the Prophet said: "I was directed toward all your commandments"; and in the same place: "May my ways be directed to keep your justifications."
11. (Verse 7). Fourth, he adds the reproach of barrenness in that he says: And they had no son; and in this there was a great deficiency; whence in Genesis 15 Abraham said: "Lord God, what will you give me? Behold, I go without children." And the reason for this deficiency is given in the mother, when it is said: Because Elizabeth was barren, which was a reproach in Israel; whence she could say that word of Isaiah 49: "I am barren and have not borne." And so that a greater miracle might be shown, a deficiency in both parents is added: And they were both advanced in their days, just as Abraham and Sarah: Genesis 18: "After I have grown old, and my lord is an old man, shall I give myself to pleasure?" — as if to say: this is not natural but miraculous. Whence Genesis 21: "Who would believe that Abraham should hear that Sarah would nurse a son, whom she bore to him now in his old age?" Now this reproach of barrenness was not as a punishment for sin, but for the manifestation of God's glory, as is said in John 9 concerning the man born blind.
Second, the angelic announcement is described.
12. Now it came to pass etc. After the condition of the parents has been described, there is described here second the angelic announcement, and first, as regards the circumstances attending the angelic announcement; second, as regards the circumstances attending the announced offspring, at the words: For he shall be great before the Lord etc.
Now three things were attendant upon the promise, namely the execution of the priestly office, the apparition of the heavenly messenger, the announcement of the future conception.
Concerning the first, there: It came to pass, while he executed the priesthood
etc.; concerning the second, there: And there appeared to him an Angel of the Lord;
concerning the third, there: And the Angel said to him.
First therefore is described the execution of the priestly office
in the due manner, because according to the congruence of order, the requirement of custom,
and the attendance of the devout multitude.
13. (Verse 8). Therefore, indicating the due execution according to the congruence of order,
he says: It came to pass, while he executed the priesthood
etc.; whence that which is said of Aaron in Ecclesiasticus forty-five applies to him: "The Lord gave him to exercise the priesthood and to have praise, and to glorify the people in his name" etc. And he says: In order,
because that ought especially to be done in an orderly manner; First Corinthians fourteen: "Let all things be done honestly and according to order among you." Now order is rightly preserved when the mind of the priest worthily attends the divine presence; and therefore he says: In order,
according to what is said of Christ in Hebrews nine, that "he entered into heaven, that he might now appear before the face of God for us."
14. (Verse 9). He also indicates it as due according to the requirement of custom,
when he says: According to the custom of the priesthood, his lot was to offer incense.
For this custom, that the priest should enter not by usurpation but by lot or election, is right; because it is said in Hebrews five: "Neither does anyone take the honor to himself" etc. Against which it is said of Uzziah in Second Chronicles twenty-six, that wishing to offer incense, he was struck with leprosy; and the sons of Korah were consumed by fire, Numbers sixteen. But this one went forth by lot;
whence that of Wisdom three: "For there shall be given to him a chosen gift of faith and a most acceptable lot in the temple of God." He went forth,
I say, to offer incense, having entered into the temple of the Lord;
Leviticus sixteen: "Taking the censer, drawing incense with his hand, he shall enter beyond the veil into the holy place, so that, the aromatics being placed upon the fire, the vapor may cover the oracle which is over the testimony, and he shall not die."
15. (Verse 10). Thirdly, he indicates it was done in the due manner on account of the attendance of the multitude,
when he says: And the whole multitude of the people was outside, praying at the hour of incense.
All were obliged to attend and pray together, according to what is said in Acts one: "All were persevering unanimously in prayer." And they stood outside
out of reverence, as that publican in Luke eighteen: "The publican, standing afar off, did not dare" etc. And this at the hour of incense,
because that was the fitting hour; Second Maccabees one: "All the priests were making prayer while the sacrifice was being consumed"; in which is signified that all our prayer ought to be offered through Christ, who "is heard in all things for his reverence," Hebrews five.
16. (Vers. 11.). And there appeared to him an Angel etc. Here is touched upon secondly the apparition of the heavenly messenger, and this as venerable, as admirable, and as terrible. - Now it is shown to be venerable in its setting: on account of which he says: And there appeared to him an Angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense, which was indeed a place of great reverence: whence, in Leviticus 10, Nadab and Abihu were slain on account of irreverence toward the place; and immediately it is added: "I will be sanctified in those who draw near to me." And he was standing at the right, to signify that he was of the heavenly citizens: Proverbs 3: "Length of days is in her right hand"; and in the Psalm: "The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand." And therefore he was standing, not sitting, to show that he was a messenger: whence below he says: "I am Gabriel, who stand before God."
17. (Vers. 12.). It is shown to be admirable in appearance: and therefore he says: And Zacharias was troubled upon seeing him, namely from wonder: Esther 15: "I saw you, lord, as an Angel of God, and my heart was troubled from fear of your glory. For you are exceedingly wonderful, lord, and your face is full of graces." For the angelic appearance is wondrous to those in the flesh, because it is unusual: whence the Angel said to Manoah, Judges 13: "Why do you ask my name, which is wonderful?"
18. It is shown to be terrible from the encounter: and therefore he says: And fear fell upon him, in which is signified the vehemence of fear, as in Daniel 10: "But I, Daniel alone, saw the vision. Moreover the men who were with me did not see it, but an exceeding great terror fell upon them, and they fled into hiding. But I, being left alone, saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me." Furthermore, the Angels appeared terrible because they were not yet reconciled to us; whence they were superior to us and appeared as superiors, and therefore they struck fear: Ambrose: "We are accustomed to be troubled and alienated from our senses when we are overwhelmed by the encounter of a superior power."
19. (Vers. 13.). And the Angel said to him. Here is touched upon thirdly the announcement of the future conception, as strengthening the irascible power, as instructive of the rational power, and as consoling the concupiscible power. - It is shown to be strengthening in that he says: Fear not, Zacharias, for your prayer has been heard. If God hears men, then one must hope in him, and therefore give thanks, not be afraid; Genesis 15: "Fear not, Abram: I am your protector." And that it has been fully heard, the sign is the sending of a messenger: Tobit 3: "At that time the prayers of both were heard. And the Angel Raphael was sent" etc. Similarly the Angel said in Daniel 10: "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, that you might afflict yourself in the sight of your God, your words have been heard."
20. The announcement is described as instructive,
whereby he foretells the offspring
and predicts the name. And your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John: she shall bear,
I say, to you,
because from you and for your consolation, according to what was promised to Abraham in Genesis 15: "He who shall come forth from your body, him you shall have as heir." And he adds the name
of the same, according to that passage in Isaiah 49, which is spoken in the person of John himself: "The Lord called me from the womb, from the bowels of my mother he was mindful of my name."
21. (Verse 14). It is described lastly as consoling
in the words: And you shall have joy and exultation:
Proverbs 23: "The father of the just exults with joy," that is, Zacharias, the father of John; and "he who has begotten a wise son shall rejoice in him," because Proverbs 10: "A wise son makes the father glad." - Nor shall that joy be singular, but common.
And therefore he says: Many shall rejoice at his birth:
Proverbs 29: "In the multitude of the just the people shall rejoice"; Jeremiah 33: "It shall be to me a name and a joy and a praise and an exultation to all the nations of the earth." Ambrose: "The birth of the saints brings joy to many, because it is a common good. For justice is a common virtue." "Rejoice therefore, you just, in the Lord; praise befits the upright."
22. (Verse 15). For he shall be great before the Lord.
Above, the angelic announcement was described with respect to the attendant circumstances on its own part; here it is described with respect to the circumstances on the part of what is promised.
For the son to be born is commended in three respects, namely in life, grace
and doctrine.
And the first regards action,
the second regards affection,
the third regards intellect;
the first, at: He shall be great before the Lord;
the second, at: And he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit:
the third, at: And many of the children of Israel
etc.
23. Therefore the son to be born, whom he declared to be the father's joy, he first commends in life
with respect to the existence of virtue
and with respect to the evidence of holiness. --The existence of virtue
he touches upon when he says: He shall be great before the Lord,
as in Job 1: "That man was great among all the people of the East," not among sinners, who are great in the sight of men, but among the just, so that at his birth that passage below in chapter 7 could be said: "A great prophet has risen among us," etc. Truly a great Prophet,
because according to the praise of the Savior in Matthew 11, he is a Prophet, "and more than a Prophet," and so great that the Savior says in the same place: "Among those born of women," etc.
24. The evidence of holiness
he touches upon in what he says: And he shall drink neither wine nor strong drink:
in which is designated the austerity of life, which is a sign of interior holiness, according to that passage in Galatians 5: "Those who are Christ's have crucified their flesh," etc. By these two things he excludes every drink that can intoxicate. "For it is fitting that a vessel consecrated to heavenly grace abstain from the enticements of the world"; whence it is said to Aaron and his sons in Leviticus 10: "Wine and everything that can intoxicate you shall not drink when you enter the tabernacle of the testimony, lest you die." This was also prohibited to the Nazirites from the time of their consecration, Numbers 6. This was a great thing in blessed John, that with such great innocence there was such great abstinence.
25. Secondly, he is commended in grace
with respect to its consummation
and acceleration.
On account of the consummation
he says: He shall be filled with the Holy Spirit,
so that of him can be said that passage from Ecclesiasticus 15:
"And he shall fill him with the Spirit of wisdom and understanding," etc. For only the Holy Spirit fills the capacity of the soul, according to that passage in Wisdom 1: "The Spirit of the Lord has filled the whole world." And this is what the Apostle prayed for, in Ephesians 3: "That you may be filled unto all the fullness of God."
26. On account of the acceleration
he says: Even from his mother's womb.
In testimony of which it is said below in the same chapter: "The infant leaped for joy in my womb." Whence Ambrose says: "Not yet was there in him the spirit of life, and already there was the spirit of grace"; not, I say, was it there according to appearance, yet the vital spirit was there according to existence. A similar thing preceded in Jeremiah 1: "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you came forth from the womb, I sanctified you."
27. (Verse 16). Thirdly, he commends him in doctrine
with respect to the efficacy of usefulness
and with respect to the eminence of authority.
On account of the efficacy of usefulness
he says: And he shall convert many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.
And this is the greatest usefulness: James, last chapter: "He who causes a sinner to be converted from the error of his way shall save his soul from death and shall cover a multitude of sins." This is what the Lord especially seeks, that they be converted to him; Zechariah 1: "Be converted to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will be converted to you, says the Lord of hosts." Be converted to me, namely through penance, and I will be converted to you, through pardon: Jeremiah 3: "Be converted, O returning children, and I will heal your backslidings."
28. (Verse 17). On account of the excellence of authority, he adds: And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah. The spirit and power of Elijah is described in Sirach forty-eight: "Elijah arose like fire, and his word burned like a torch"; and of John it is said in John five: "He was a burning and shining lamp"; and therefore, on account of the great conformity, he is called Elijah: Matthew eleven: "And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah"; and also seventeen: "Elijah has already come," etc. And the execution of authority is added in what is said: To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, that is, the understanding of the Patriarchs to their imitators. Bede: "He turns the hearts of the fathers to the children when he pours into the people by preaching the spiritual understanding of the Saints." This had been foretold concerning Elijah in the last chapter of Malachi: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet, before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes. And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest perhaps I come and strike the earth with anathema." And so that he may be shown in all things conformed to Elijah, he adds: And the unbelieving to the prudence of the just, that is, to faith, which is their prudence, through which they believe themselves to be justified; Romans three: "We reckon that a man is justified by faith without the works of the Law"; whence Habakkuk two: "He who is unbelieving, his soul shall not be right in himself, but the just shall live by his faith." — And because this conversion was preparing for the reception of Christ's coming, therefore he adds: To prepare for the Lord a perfect people. For thus it had been foretold concerning him in Isaiah forty: "The voice of one crying in the desert: Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the wilderness the paths of our God." When the path is straight, then it makes one perfect: Proverbs four: "But the path of the just, like a shining light, proceeds and increases even to the perfect day"; John, however, was shining like a lamp and was leading the people by the hand to see the true and perfect light. The authority, therefore, and office of John was to run before and to foretell Christ: whence concerning him is understood that passage in Malachi three: "Behold, I send my Angel, and he shall prepare the way before my face." Whence his preaching was prefigured in the preaching of Moses in Exodus nineteen: "Be prepared for the third day," so that we take day for year, because in the third year after the preaching of John, Christ preached openly. Thus Samuel began in 1 Kings seven: "Prepare your hearts for the Lord," etc.; thus also every preacher: whence Bede: "He who preaches faith and works, what else does he do but prepare the way for the coming Lord to the hearts of his hearers?"
Third, the confirmation of the promise is described in four ways.
29. And Zacharias said
etc. The Evangelist described above the conception of the precursor with respect to the condition of the parents and the angelic promise; here he describes with respect to the confirmation of the promise,
which he describes in this order. For first is introduced the doubt of the priest;
second, the authority of the messenger,
at the place: And the Angel answering;
third, the sign of authority,
at the place: And behold, you shall be silent;
fourth, the evidence of the sign,
at the place: And the people were waiting.
30. (Verse 18.). He therefore introduces the doubt of the priest,
when he says: And Zacharias said to the Angel: How shall I know this?
that is, by what sign shall I be made certain? First Corinthians chapter one: "The Jews require signs." — Indeed note that some seek signs for the sake of the publication of the divine promise,
as Abraham: Genesis chapter fifteen: "Lord God, how can I know that I shall possess the land?" — Some refuse on account of the obstinacy of their own sin,
as Ahaz: Isaiah chapter seven: "Ask for yourself a sign from the Lord your God." — But some seek on account of hesitation of mind,
as Zacharias; whence he adds the reason for doubting: For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in her days;
and so there is incapacity on the part of both parents, and so it is no longer the time for begetting, but rather, according to that passage of Ecclesiastes chapter three, "it is a time to be far from embraces"; and therefore he doubted and hesitated. But not so Abraham, of whom it is said in Romans chapter four: "He was not weakened in faith, nor did he consider his own body as dead, when he was nearly a hundred years old, and the dead womb of Sarah. In the promise also of God he did not hesitate through distrust, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, knowing most fully that whatever He promised, God is able also to do." Whence Abraham believed, because he considered the divine power; but Zacharias hesitated, because he considered human incapacity. In this we are instructed that in miracles one must look to the higher causes.
31. (Verse 19.). And the Angel answering
etc. Here is noted the authority of the messenger
with respect to the contemplative
power and with respect to the administrative.
With respect to the contemplative
he says: I am Gabriel, who stand before God:
Daniel 7: "Ten thousand times a hundred thousand stood before him"; and among these was Gabriel. And therefore in 3 Kings 10 the queen of Sheba said in a figure to Solomon: "Blessed are your men, and blessed are these your servants, who stand before you and hear your wisdom." This Micaiah saw, in the last chapter of 3 Kings: "I saw," he said, "the Lord sitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on the right hand and on the left." Therefore dignity is noted in standing before God, and authority in announcing is also noted in this. - With respect to the ministry of mission
he says: And I was sent to speak to you and to announce these good tidings to you.
Hence he was of the number of those about whom it is said in Hebrews 1: "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth for ministry" etc.; sent,
I say, both to speak
and to evangelize.
For in speaking
the expression of truth is to be understood: Daniel 9: "Behold, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, flying swiftly, touched me at the time of the evening sacrifice and instructed me and spoke to me." But in evangelization
the announcement of goodness is to be understood. For the Gospel
is a good announcement: Zechariah 1: "And the Lord answered the Angel who spoke in me good words, consoling words." Hence one ought to say to him that word from 3 Kings 1: "Come in, for you are a mighty man and bring good tidings." For Gabriel
is interpreted as the strength of God, and therefore he was sent to strengthen the fearful priest.
32. (Vers. 20.). And behold, you shall be silent etc. Here is touched upon the sign of authority, and he gives a sign of penalty on account of the vice of unbelief. He therefore sets forth the sign of silence up to the appointed time, until the day when these things shall come to pass: so that thus he might say that word of the Psalm: "But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and as a mute man not opening" etc. Nor is it a wonder if he was made mute on account of his own unbelief, since the unbelief of others made Ezekiel mute: Ezekiel 3: "You shall be mute and not as a man who rebukes, because they are a provoking house." — And therefore he adds the reason for the silence, namely the vice of unbelief: Because you did not believe my words, which shall be fulfilled in their time. Conversely, it is said below in the same chapter concerning Mary: "Blessed are you who believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to you by the Lord." Before the punishment he did not believe, but afterward, because, as is said in Isaiah 28, "affliction alone shall give understanding to the hearing." Therefore the words of God's messengers are not to be despised, because God punishes the unbelieving: Exodus 23: "Behold, I send my Angel"; and it follows: "Observe him and hear his voice, and do not think him one to be despised, for he will not forgive when you have sinned"; Hebrews 2: "For if the word spoken through Angels was made steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward, how shall we escape if we have neglected so great a salvation? Which, having at first begun to be declared by the Lord, was confirmed unto us by those who heard him, God also bearing witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and distributions of the Holy Spirit according to his will." And therefore there is no place for unbelief.
33. (Vers. 21.). And the people were etc. Here is touched upon fourthly the evidence of the sign on account of the presence of the multitude and the absence of speech. He touches upon the presence of the multitude waiting and wondering, saying: And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they wondered that he tarried in the temple. For it pertains to the people to wait: whence Moses, when he ascended the mountain, said to the elders, Exodus 24: "Wait here until we return to you," because, according to what is said in Lamentations 3, "it is good to wait in silence for the salvation of God." It also belongs to the people to wonder at divine secrets, not to scrutinize them: in Sirach 11 it is said of the just man, and it can be expounded concerning Zechariah: "The eye of God looked upon him for good and raised him up from his lowliness, and exalted his head, and many wondered at him."
34. (Vers. 22.). As for the absence of speech, he adds: And coming out, he could not speak to them. For this is wont to happen to those who are elevated to the summit of contemplation; Exodus 4: "Since you have spoken to your servant, I am of more impeded and slower tongue"; and Daniel 10: "My Lord, in your vision my joints were dissolved, and nothing of strength remained in me: and how shall the servant of my Lord speak with my Lord? For nothing of strength remained in me, and even my breath is cut off." And therefore from this, as from a sign, they came to knowledge of the truth. — On account of which there follows: And they recognized that he had seen a vision in the temple, and thus, that he was a true Prophet, like Samuel, of whom 1 Kings 3: "All Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was a faithful Prophet of the Lord." — But for the perfect evidence of the sign, the impossibility and duration of speaking are noted, in that he adds: And he was making signs to them and remained mute. Ambrose: "Attempting bodily actions without voice and not expressing his will," he remained mute, as a sign that at the coming of Christ silence was to be imposed on the legal priesthood: Matthew 11: "The Law and the Prophets prophesied until John." Therefore Chrysostom says of John that he is "the voice of the Apostles, the silence of the Prophets."
Fourthly, the fulfillment of the promise is described in a fourfold manner.
35. And it came to pass, when the days were fulfilled, etc. He described above the conception of the precursor as regards the condition of the parents, the angelic announcement, and the confirmation of the announcement; here lastly he describes as regards the consummation or fulfillment of the announcement. Concerning which four things are briefly explained to us, namely mutual cohabitation, fruitful conception, modest concealment, and joyful exultation. The first regards the law of marriage; the second, the power of the miracle; the third, the remembrance of the preceding reproach; the fourth, the recognition of the present benefit.
36. (Vers. 23.). Therefore first mutual cohabitation is indicated, when he says: And it came to pass, when the days of his office were fulfilled, he went to his house, namely to cohabit and to render the debt to his wife; whence Chrysostom says that on the same night he begot a son. But he did this by the law of marriage: 1 Corinthians 7: "Do not defraud one another except by consent for a time, that you may be free for prayer; and return again to the same." And therefore, as long as Zechariah was fulfilling the days of his office, he did not approach his wife: Exodus 19: "Let the priests who approach me be sanctified, lest I strike them"; and for this reason the Hebrews say that Uzzah was struck, 2 Kings 6, because he had known his wife by night when he touched the ark. For it was not permitted to pass immediately from the embrace of Leah to Rachel, as in Genesis 29 it is said to Jacob: "Complete the week of days of this union."
37. (Vers. 24.). Secondly, a fruitful conception is intimated, when he says: But after these days Elizabeth conceived: as is said in 1 Kings 1: "After the cycle of days Anna conceived." After the days of his office: in which it is shown that carnal things are to be set after spiritual things; and therefore below in chapter ten: "Mary has chosen the best part."
38. Thirdly, a modest concealment is described, when it is said: And she hid herself for five months. For this was a sign of humility and modesty: not like Hagar the handmaid, of whom it is said in Genesis 16 that "seeing that she had conceived, she despised her mistress." The reason for this is well given in the Gloss of Ambrose. — But spiritually we are instructed that the conception of a holy purpose is to be hidden at the beginning, as is said in Matthew 13: "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field"; where Gregory says: "The found treasure is hidden, so that it may be preserved, because he who does not hide it from human praise does not suffice to guard the zeal of heavenly desire from malign spirits."
39. (Vers. 25.). Fourthly, a joyful exultation is touched upon in recognition of the benefit, at: Saying, Because the Lord has done thus for me. Similarly Genesis 21: "The Lord has made laughter for me: whoever hears of it will laugh with me." — In the days in which he looked upon me to take away my reproach among men, the reproach, namely, of barrenness: Genesis 30: "Rachel conceived and bore a son, saying: God has taken away my reproach." This was a reproach among men, on account of that passage in Deuteronomy 7: "There shall not be one barren among you of either sex." Whence it is said in 1 Kings 1 that "her rival afflicted Anna so greatly as to reproach her that the Lord had closed her womb." And on account of this she rejoiced, according to that passage of the Psalm: "Who makes the barren woman to dwell in a house, a joyful mother of children."
Three things are also said concerning the conception of the Savior.
40. In the sixth month etc. The author treated above of the conception of the precursor, which was in the fecundation of a barren woman: in this part he treats of the conception of the Savior, which was in the fecundation of the Virgin. Now this fecundation was accomplished by God effecting, by the Angel announcing, and by the Virgin consenting, so that the restoration might correspond to the fall, as Bernard says: "It pleased God to reconcile man to himself in the same manner and order in which he knew him to have fallen." Therefore this part has three parts: in the first is intimated the dispatch of the messenger by God; in the second, the execution of the ministry by the Angel, at: And the Angel having entered to her; in the third, the attainment of the purpose, through the virginal consent, at: But Mary said to the Angel: Behold the handmaid etc.
First, the dispatch of the messenger is described with respect to four things.
The dispatch of the messenger is described as duly made with respect to time, legate, place, and person to whom the messenger of God is sent.
41. (Vers. 26.). He indicates the congruence of the time
when he says: In the sixth month,
namely from the conception of John, which was March, in which month man and the world had been created, in which also through Christ's incarnation it was to be renewed, so that the restoration might correspond to the first creation, so that what is said in Isaiah sixty-six might be seen to be fulfilled: "As the new heavens and the new earth, which I make to stand before me, says the Lord: so shall your seed and your name stand. And it shall be month after month, and Sabbath after Sabbath." Nor is the number six devoid of mystery: for since it is perfect, therefore man, perfect among the other works of God, was created on the sixth day. And so Christ came in the sixth age and in the sixth millennium of years and was conceived in the sixth month and suffered on the sixth day of the week and was suspended on the cross at the sixth hour, so that it might be signified that he who was conceived in the sixth month comes in the fullness of times
and perfection; Galatians four: "But when the fullness of time came, God sent his Son," etc.
42. He notes the congruence of the legate
when he says: The Angel Gabriel was sent by God,
so that the restoration might correspond to the fall, and, just as man fell through the suggestion of an evil angel, so he might rise again through the ministry of a good one; Proverbs thirteen: "The messenger of the wicked shall fall into evil: a faithful ambassador is health"; and also that the fulfillment might correspond to the promise, so that, just as through Gabriel that mystery was foretold to Daniel, so it was revealed to the Virgin; Daniel nine: "Behold, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, flying swiftly, touched me at the time of the evening sacrifice and instructed me"; and afterward: "Seventy weeks are shortened upon your people and upon your holy city, that transgression may be consummated, and sin may have an end, and iniquity may be blotted out, and everlasting justice may be brought in, and vision and prophecy may be fulfilled, and the Holy of Holies may be anointed." And note that he is said to be sent
by God.
Bernard: "He is declared to be sent by God himself"; in which it is noted that "to none of the blessed spirits is he thought to have revealed his counsel before the Virgin, except only the Archangel Gabriel"; and because he was from God, he was fitting for the announcement of the divine mystery.
43. He notes the fittingness of the place
in that he says: To a city of Galilee, whose name was Nazareth,
according to what the Lord had foretold through Isaiah, chapter nine: "The way of the sea beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, was made glorious; the people who walked in darkness saw a great light." Therefore, in that he was sent to a city of Galilee,
which was on the border of the Jews and the Gentiles, it is signified that he came to announce the one who had been promised to Abraham in Genesis twenty-two: "In your seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed"; and that word of Jacob, in the penultimate chapter of Genesis: "He shall be the expectation of the nations." In that the city is called Nazareth,
which is interpreted as flower,
it is signified that he came to foretell the one who is "the flower of the field and the lily of the valleys," Song of Songs two; and Isaiah eleven: "A rod shall come forth from the root of Jesse, and a flower shall ascend from his root"; where Jerome says that according to the Hebrew truth it reads: "A Nazarene shall ascend from the root of Jesse." Therefore, from Nazareth something good can come — indeed, the flower of all good. For it was fitting that the flower be conceived in a flower, nourished in a flower, and announced in the season of flowers, that is, in spring and in March. Whence Bernard says: "The flower from the root of Jesse loves a flower-bearing homeland." And therefore he could already sing: "The flowers have appeared in our land," Song of Songs two.
44. (Vers. 27.). He indicates the fittingness of the person
in what he says: To a virgin espoused:
whose fittingness is shown as chaste,
when he says: A virgin:
First Corinthians seven: "The unmarried woman and the virgin thinks about the things of God, how she may be holy in body and spirit." Bernard: "He was sent to a Virgin, a virgin in flesh, a virgin in mind, a virgin by profession, a virgin such as the Apostle describes, holy in mind and body." - She is also shown to be approved,
when he says: Espoused to a man whose name was Joseph
etc., so that "Joseph, a just man," according to what is said in Matthew one, might be a witness of her chastity, according to that saying of Proverbs last: "And her husband shall praise her." Bernard: "He names a man, not because he was a husband, but because he was a man of virtue and was just"; and therefore he was a legitimate witness. Bernard: "By this one plan, a witness is admitted to the heavenly secrets, and the enemy is excluded, and the reputation of the Virgin Mother is preserved intact: otherwise, how would the just man have spared an adulteress?" "Because jealousy and the fury of a man will not spare," Proverbs six. - She is also shown to be promised
in what he says: Of the house of David:
which refers to the Virgin and to Joseph, because both were of the seed of David, to whom the promise had been made in the Psalm: "The Lord swore truth to David and will not frustrate it: of the fruit of your womb" etc. Bernard: "Both were of the house and family of David; but in the one the truth was fulfilled which the Lord swore to David, with the other serving only as witness and confidant," namely Joseph himself. - She is also shown to be forenamed
in what he says: And the name of the Virgin was Mary. Mary
is interpreted as star of the sea, and thus is shown to be fulfilled that prophecy of Balaam, Numbers twenty-four: "A star shall rise out of Jacob, and a rod shall rise out of Israel"; Ecclesiasticus fifty: "As the morning star in the midst of a cloud"; Revelation last: "I am the root and offspring of David, the bright and morning star."
45. Therefore he names the Virgin, to show that she was prepared, not found by chance. Bernard: "She was not newly or accidentally found, but chosen from eternity, foreknown by the Most High, prepared for Himself, preserved for Himself, prefigured by the Patriarchs, promised by the Prophets." For what was shown to Moses in the bush and fire, to Aaron in the rod and flower, to Gideon in the fleece and dew—this Solomon foresaw in the valiant woman and her worth, Jeremiah foretold concerning the woman and the man, Isaiah most clearly declares concerning the virgin and the house, and Gabriel at last presented the Virgin herself by greeting her. — Or he names the Virgin to teach us to invoke her name in our necessities; whence Bernard in a Homily: "O whoever you are who understands yourself in the flood of this world to be tossed about among storms and tempests rather than walking upon solid ground: look to the star, call upon Mary! If you are cast about by the waves of pride, of ambition, of detraction, of rivalry: look to the star, call upon Mary. If anger, or avarice, or the allurement of the flesh has shaken the little ship of your mind: look to the star, call upon Mary. If troubled by the enormity of your crimes, if confused by the foulness of your conscience, you begin to be swallowed up by the abyss of desperation: look to Mary." Whence he also says: "With her holding you, you do not fall; with her protecting you, you do not fear; with her leading, you do not grow weary; with her favorable, you arrive." — Or he names her to intimate that her name is full of mystery according to a threefold interpretation, through which we understand the threefold state of those to be saved: the active through "bitter sea," the contemplative through "star," prelates through "dominion."
Second, the execution of the ministry is described with respect to three things.
46. And the Angel entering, etc. After the sending of the messenger has been described, here the execution of the ministry is described, which indeed consisted in the announcement of the future conception, in which the Angel proceeds, like a good rhetorician, in very orderly fashion, and the Evangelist explains perfectly. For first the entrance of the salutation is set forth; second, the progress of the narration is added, at the words: And the Angel said to her: Fear not; third, the ending of the conclusion is subjoined, at the words: And therefore the Holy One that shall be born of you. For these are the more principal parts of a rhetorical speech, namely the exordium, narration, and conclusion, according to Tully.
First, therefore, the entrance of the salutation is set forth, and second, the progression of the narration is added, in which first the Angel greeting is introduced, and then the Virgin listening, at the words: When she had heard, etc. —The Evangelist therefore introduces the Angel as having taken his beginning from a salutation upon his entrance: in which salutation he captures her goodwill, raises her confidence, and shows her reverence. For he shows her to be commendable by the fullness of goodness, and therefore lovable; by the loftiness of dignity, and therefore venerable; by the breadth of praise, and therefore worthy of proclamation. And on account of these three things she was prefigured by the Ark of the Covenant, of which it is said in Hebrews nine that it contained three things, namely "the rod of Aaron, the tablets of the Law, and manna"; so that it might thus be shown that she was sweet and lovable through the manna, venerable through the rod, and worthy of proclamation and commendation through the divine law. And accordingly there was in her a threefold excellence, namely of dignity, of virtue, and of charity: Sirach twenty-four: "I am the mother of fair love and of fear and of knowledge and of holy hope."
47. (Verse 28.). Therefore, to show her lovable in graciousness, he says: The Angel, having entered to her, said: Hail, full of grace. And therefore she was fittingly prefigured by Esther, of whom it is said in Esther two that she was exceedingly beautiful and of incredible loveliness, and appeared gracious and lovable in the eyes of all. Whence of her can be said that word from Sirach twenty-four: "In me is all grace of life and of truth, in me is all hope of life and of virtue." Nor is this a wonder, because she was to conceive him of whom it is said in John one: "We have seen his glory, the glory as of the Only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth"; and therefore afterwards it is added: "Of his fullness we have all received."
48. But to show her venerable by reason of dignity, he adds: The Lord is with you: this is said in a distinctive sense, because in an excellent and singular manner, as in his own tabernacle: Sirach twenty-four: "He who created me rested in my tabernacle"; the Psalm: "The Lord is in his holy temple," that is, in the womb of the Virgin; and again: "The Most High has sanctified his tabernacle; God is in the midst of it, it shall not be moved." Bernard: "The Lord is with you: you will be the mother of him whose Father is God: the Son of the Father's love will be the crown of your chastity"; from which you obtain an inestimable dignity above all, and for this reason she is called queen in the Psalm: "The queen stood at your right hand."
49. That he might also show her praiseworthy by reason of blessing,
he adds: Blessed art thou among women,
on account of the universal remedy: 1 Kings 25: "David said to Abigail: Blessed art thou, who hast kept me from avenging myself with my own hand." Blessed,
I say, among women,
that is, among women;
Judges 5: "Blessed among women is Jael, blessed shall she be in her tent." Or: blessed among women,
that is, above all women: Judith 13: "Blessed art thou, daughter, by the Lord the most high God, above all women upon the earth"; and again in chapter 15: "They all blessed her with one voice, saying: Thou art the glory of Jerusalem, thou the joy of Israel, thou the honor of our people, because thou hast acted manfully, and thy heart has been strengthened, because thou hast loved chastity, and after thy husband hast not known another; therefore also the hand of the Lord has strengthened thee, and therefore thou shalt be blessed." Or: blessed by women:
Song of Songs 6: "The daughters of Sion saw her and declared her most blessed, and the queens and concubines praised her."
50. (Verse 29.). When she had heard
etc. He first introduced the Angel greeting; here he introduces the Virgin listening,
in which listening he shows the Virgin to be commendable in three ways: in hearing,
namely, affection,
and thought.
- In hearing,
modesty is commended, when it is said: When she had heard,
that is, had listened in silence and taciturnity, according to that passage of Ecclesiasticus 32 ;"Listen in silence, and for thy reverence good grace shall come to thee". Thus she was ready to hear, though not to speak, according to that passage of James 1: "Let every man be swift to hear, but slow to speak." And therefore it says: had heard,
that is, she had given her attention perfectly: "for a good ear will hear wisdom with all desire," Ecclesiasticus 3.
51. In affection,
bashfulness is commended, when it is said: She was troubled at his saying,
namely from bashfulness. Bede: "It is proper to virgins to tremble and to fear at every man's approach, to be wary of every man's gaze"; Habakkuk 3: "I heard, and my belly was troubled; at the voice my lips trembled"; so that her spirit might say that passage of Job 23: "At his face I am troubled, and considering him, I am seized with fear." An example of this is in Esther, in the penultimate chapter: "I saw thee, lord, as an Angel of God, and my heart was troubled for fear of thy glory."
52. In thought,
prudence is praised,
when it is said: And she was thinking what manner of salutation this might be;
and this was great prudence. For it contained the depth of wisdom, concerning which Wisdom 6 says: "To think upon her is the perfection of understanding"; whence Daniel 4: "Daniel, whose name was Balthassar, began to think silently within himself for about one hour, and his thoughts troubled him." But the thoughts of the Virgin, although they disturbed her on account of the modesty of innocence, did not nevertheless throw her into confusion on account of the splendor of understanding. Bernard: "She was troubled, but not thrown into confusion; indeed, according to that word of the Psalm: I was troubled and I did not speak, but I thought upon the days of old," etc.
53. And the Angel said to her,
etc. After the entrance of the salutation has been set forth, here in second place follows the treatment or development of the narration,
in which the Evangelist first introduces the Angel narrating,
and second, the Virgin questioning,
at the place: But Mary said to the Angel: How shall this be done,
etc.
The Angel, then, narrating,
announces that for which he had come, and he does this in the following order. First, he expresses the good pleasure of divine acceptance;
second, the benefit of salvation-bearing fecundation: Behold, you shall conceive;
third, the eminence of the offspring to be born: He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Most High,
etc.
54. (Verse 30). Therefore the Angel, expressing the good pleasure of divine acceptance,
strengthens and addresses the Virgin by name: Fear not, Mary. Fear not,
I say, but rejoice, because your name is written in heaven, according to what is said below to the Apostles, in chapter ten: "Rejoice that your names are written in the heavens." And he gives the reason: For you have found grace with God,
the grace, namely, of election,
as Moses: Exodus 33: "You have found grace before me, and I have known you by name"; so it is said to the Virgin Mary. Also the grace of perfection,
as Noah: Genesis 6: "Noah found grace before God"; and shortly after: "Noah was a just and perfect man, and he walked with God." The grace of espousal,
that she might become the spouse of God and the mother of the Son of God; Esther 2: "Esther found grace and mercy before Ahasuerus above all women, and he set the royal crown upon her head." Moreover, she found grace on account of her exceeding humility and meekness: James 4: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble"; and Sirach 3: "The greater you are, humble yourself in all things, and you shall find grace before God."
55. (Vers. 31.). Expressing also the benefit of the salvific conception or fecundation, he shows that it is at hand, when he says: Behold, you shall conceive in your womb and shall bear a son; so that thus may be fulfilled in you that word of Isaiah 7: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and shall bear a son." And he says pointedly: Behold, you shall conceive in your womb, to show that this very thing is great and wondrous and new, that she should conceive within, receiving nothing from without: Jeremiah 31: "The Lord has created a new thing upon the earth: a woman shall encompass a man." And because conception without lust is followed by birth without travail and pain, therefore he adds: And you shall bear a son, according to that word of the last chapter of Isaiah: "Before she travailed, she brought forth. Who has ever heard such a thing, or who has seen the like?" And because birth without pain is followed by the fruit of the womb with salvation, therefore he adds: You shall call his name Jesus: because, as is said in Acts 4, "neither is there any other name under heaven given to men, by which we must be saved." The prefiguration of this name preceded in Jesus, son of Nave: Ecclesiasticus 46: "Mighty in war was Jesus of Nave, who was great according to his name, very great for the salvation of God's elect." The prefiguration of this also preceded in Joseph, of whom it is said in Genesis 41 that "Pharaoh changed his name and called him in the Egyptian tongue Savior of the world."
56. (Vers. 32.). Lastly, expressing the eminence of the offspring to be born, he shows him to be great, when he says: He shall be great. He shows, moreover, that his greatness is most excellent on account of singular grace, on account of royal excellence, on account of eternal power. — He touches upon singular grace when he says: And he shall be called the Son of the Most High, namely through the grace of union: the Son, I say, the Only-begotten, according to that word of John 1: "We saw his glory, the glory as of the Only-begotten of the Father." And thus he shall be equal to the Most High, according to that word of the Psalm: "You, Lord, are most high over all the earth." Who is this but Christ the Lord? of whom it is said in Philippians 2: "He gave him a name which is above every name, that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow," etc. This, however, he gave to no other, because in the Son of the Virgin alone is the grace of union.
57. He intimates royal excellence when he says: And the Lord God shall give him the throne of David, his father, that is, the royal seat, according to what was promised to David: "Of the fruit of your body I will set upon your throne"; and according to what was promised through Jeremiah the Prophet, Jeremiah 23: "Behold, the days come, says the Lord. And I will raise up to David a righteous branch, and a king shall reign and shall be wise." This also was first shown in Daniel 7, concerning the Son of man, of whom he says that "the Ancient of Days gave him power and honor and a kingdom, and all peoples and tribes and tongues shall serve him."
58. Eternal power
he notes, when he says: And he shall reign in the house of Jacob forever,
according to what was promised to David, according to that passage of 2 Kings 7: "I will raise up your seed, which shall come forth from your womb, and I will establish his kingdom: and I will make firm the throne of his kingdom forever." Daniel 7 says this same thing: "His power is an everlasting power, which shall not be taken away, and his kingdom, which shall not be destroyed."
59. (Verse 33.) But to show that this eternity is properly spoken of through the absence of an end, he adds: And of his kingdom there shall be no end:
so that that passage of Isaiah 9 might be fulfilled: "He shall sit upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom, to confirm it and strengthen it in judgment and justice, from henceforth and forever." And therefore the Psalmist rightly says: "Your kingdom is a kingdom of all ages, and your dominion endures throughout every generation."
60. (Verse 34.) But Mary said to the Angel.
The Evangelist first introduced the Angel narrating; here he adds the most prudent Virgin inquiring:
in which inquiry three things are explained to us, namely, a fitting doubt, a moving reason,
and a satisfying solution.
— A fitting doubt
is noted, when it is said: How shall this be done?
For since there is a threefold mode of conceiving — one carnal, another spiritual, and a third wondrous and singular — I ask, by which of these modes shall it come about? Nicodemus asked the Lord in this way, when he heard that he must be born again, in John 3: "How, he said, can these things come to pass?" And note that she does not ask for the mode of knowing
or a sign to produce faith, as Zacharias did, who was punished, above in the same chapter: "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in her days"; but she asks for the mode of its coming to be,
so that she might consent, according to that passage of Proverbs 4: "Let your eyelids go before your steps."
61. He touches upon the moving reason
when he says: Because I know not a man,
that is, I propose not to know one, and thus I am a virgin in mind and flesh and purpose, so that that passage concerning Rebecca, Genesis 24, rightly applies to her, that she was "a maiden exceedingly fair and a most beautiful virgin and unknown to man." And according to the Apostle, 1 Corinthians 7, she was no longer thinking of the things of the flesh, but "of the things of the Lord, how she might be holy both in body and in spirit"; and therefore she not unreasonably asked how she ought to conceive offspring, she who did not propose to know a man, so that, if it could be that she might have both virginity and fruitfulness at once, then she would give her consent.
62. (Verse 35.) And because her doubt had a reason rightly prompting it, she therefore merited a satisfying response, which is noted there: And the Angel answering said to her: The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow you: as if the Angel were saying: you ask how you will conceive? To this I respond that you will be made fruitful without corruption, you will conceive without lust, you will give birth without pain, because not from virile seed but from the power of the Holy Spirit. Thus it is said in Matthew 1: "That which is born in her is of the Holy Spirit." And rightly he says: The Holy Spirit shall come upon, that is, shall come from above: James 1: "Every best gift and every perfect gift is from above, descending from the Father of lights." On account of this it is said in Acts 1: "You shall receive the power of the Holy Spirit coming upon you"; and thus there will be no corruption, because it is of the Holy Spirit. Nor will there be lust, because the power of the Most High shall overshadow you, namely so that you may not feel the heat of concupiscence, according to that passage in Song of Songs 2: "I sat under the shadow of him whom I had desired."
63. And note that a threefold figure preceded the three foregoing points: because without virile seed is prefigured in the rod of Aaron, which blossomed, Numbers 17; Isaiah 11: "A flower shall ascend from his root," etc.; because without lust is prefigured in the bush and fire, Exodus 3, because the bush burned and was not consumed; because birth without pain is signified in the dew and the fleece of Gideon, Judges 6. "For the fleece, as Jerome says, although it is from the body, nevertheless does not know the body's suffering"; and therefore in the Psalm: "He shall descend like rain upon the fleece."
64. And therefore that which shall be born of you, the Holy One, etc. After the entrance of the salutation and the progression of the narration have been described, there is set down here lastly the terminus of the conclusion: and the conclusion is that the Virgin Mary would conceive, and from her the Son of God would be born. In this inference, the Angel first sets forth his conclusion, and then the confirmation, and lastly he subjoins the reason for both.
The conclusion
he draws when he says: And therefore that which shall be born of you, the Holy One, shall be called the Son of God.
For because, being made fruitful by the power of the Holy Spirit, you will not bear the offspring of a man but the offspring of God, not a sinner but a holy one: Daniel 9: "That vision and prophecy may be fulfilled, and the Holy of Holies may be anointed." For if, as it is said in John 3, "that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit," then it necessarily follows that what is born of the Holy Spirit is holy. Bernard: "If he had said 'holy flesh' or 'holy man,' he would seem to have said too little: therefore he put indefinitely the Holy One,
because whatever it was that the Virgin bore was without doubt holy and singularly holy." And because the sons of men are born defiled, Ephesians 2: "We are all born by nature children of wrath"; therefore he is now not a son of man, but shall be called the Son of God:
Isaiah 9: "And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, God, the Mighty," etc. He shall be called
by God himself:
Mark 9: "This is my most beloved Son"; and Matthew 17: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear him." He shall be called by the believers themselves:
Matthew 16: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God"; and Romans 1: "Who was predestined the Son of God in power." He shall be called by all:
in the penultimate chapter of Matthew, the centurion said: "Truly this was the Son of God."
65. (Verse 36). He adds the proof
or confirmation when he says: Behold, Elizabeth, your kinswoman, she also has conceived a son in her old age.
If therefore God gave conception to an aged woman, he can also give it to a young woman, although the latter is new while the former had already occurred: Genesis 21: "Sarah conceived and bore a son in her old age." — So that the Virgin may be more firmly assured, it is added: And this is the sixth month for her who is called barren.
And thus, since her barrenness was manifest, her fruitfulness is now manifest. Now therefore signs and wonders begin to be wrought on earth, according to Sirach 36: "Renew signs and work new wonders." And therefore it is firm and certain that you also, O Virgin, shall now conceive above nature; and this is what Bede says in the Gloss: "Lest the Virgin despair of giving birth, she receives the example of a barren and aged woman about to bear, so that she may learn that all things are possible to God which seem contrary to the order of nature." And therefore the Lord sent beforehand so many conceptions of barren women, so that they might prefigure this conception, and by prefiguring, foretell it, and by foretelling, give testimony to it and make it credible.
66. (Vers. 37.). The reason for this he adds when he says: For no word shall be impossible with God. Ecclesiastes 8: "Whatever he has willed, he shall do, and his word is full of power"; Matthew 19: "With God all things are possible," as was said to Sarah, Genesis 18: "Is anything difficult for God?" Bernard: "With the Lord, to do is the same as to speak, and to speak is the same as to will. Rightly therefore you should know that no word is impossible"; and therefore, when God promises something, it must be believed without doubt, because, since he can do all things and cannot lie, it is necessary that it come to pass just as he promises. Numbers 23: "God is not as a man, that he should lie, nor as the son of man, that he should change. Has he said then, and will he not do it? Has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?" — And thus the Angel shows his conclusion to be necessary, so that the Virgin can now neither doubt nor be able to dissent.
Third, the attainment of the purpose is described with respect to three things.
67. (Vers. 38.). And Mary said etc. Here lastly is set forth the attainment of the purpose, which consisted in the consent of the Virgin, through which she immediately conceived the Son of God. This consent he describes as duly and orderly made: because it proceeded from humility predisposing and charity perfecting and belief pronouncing.
Therefore first is introduced the pronouncement from belief, when it is said: And Mary said to the Angel. For because she believed the Angel's word to be true, she therefore gives an express and consonant response. Romans 10: "With the heart one believes unto justice, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation"; and in the Psalm: "I believed, therefore I spoke." She said: concerning this word of faith it is said in Romans 10: "The word is near in your mouth and in your heart; this is the word of faith which we preach." Because therefore she conceived the word of faith in her heart, she conceived the Son of God in her womb. Below in the same chapter: "Blessed is she who believed" etc.; and chapter 11: "Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that nursed you."
68. Then follows the preparation from humility, when it is said: Behold, the handmaid of the Lord. A similar response was given by Abigail, a prudent woman, when David wished to take her as his wife. 1 Kings 25: "Behold, let your servant be a handmaid to wash the feet of the servants of my lord"; and that Ruth, who prefigures the blessed Virgin, Ruth 2: "How is it that I have found grace before your eyes?" since "you have spoken to the heart of your handmaid, who am not like one of your maidens." And because the Virgin Mary humbled herself, she prepared herself for grace. Bernard: "The response is given humbly, so that a seat may be prepared." And because her humility was singular, therefore her grace was also singular. Whence Bernard: "It is no great thing to be humble in abjection; a truly great and rare virtue is humility when honored"; this "is the luminary that diminishes at its fullness," Ecclesiasticus 43.
69. Finally there is added the perfect consent from charity, when it is said: Let it be done to me according to your word. "Let it be done, as Bernard says, is a sign of desire, not an indication of doubt"; it is also a sign of assertion, as it is said in the Psalm: "Let all the people say: So be it, so be it"; and again of affection, as in the Psalm: "Let your hand be present, that it may save me" — for the Word and the hand of the Father are the same — and it can be a word of prayer, so that thus it may be: desiderative, because from charity; precatory, because from humility; assertory, because from faith. — This is the sweetest voice to men, to Angels, and to the Spouse himself. He sought this in the second chapter of the Song of Songs: "Let your voice sound in my ears: for your voice is sweet, and your face is comely"; which she does when she said to the Angel: Let it be done to me according to your word. "The Word, which was in the beginning with God, let it be made flesh from my flesh, according to your word." Whence Bernard: "Let there be done to me, I beseech, a Word not uttered so as to pass away, but conceived so as to remain. Let the Word be not only audible to the ears, but also visible to the eyes, palpable to the hands, able to be carried on the shoulders," so that by the word of his power he may carry me. "Furthermore, in many ways and in many modes God spoke of old to the Fathers through the Prophets, and to some in the heart, to others in the ear, to others in the mouth, to others in a vision, to others in the hand: to me, I pray, let it be done according to your word; nor do I wish that it be done to me either proclaimed in declamatory fashion, or signified figuratively, or dreamed in images, but silently inspired, personally incarnated, corporeally embedded within my womb." "The Word was made flesh." And if it shall be done thus, then I shall be able to say to you what the woman of Zarephath said to Elijah in 3 Kings 17: "Now I know that you are a man of God, and the word of God is true in your mouth."
70. And since in such consent the Son of God was conceived, and the Angel achieved his purpose, therefore there follows: And the Angel departed from her.
For he was showing by deed what Raphael said to Tobias in word, Tobit 12: "It is time that I return to him who sent me"; and concerning Peter it is said in Acts 12 that when he had been led out of prison, "immediately the Angel departed from him." The Angel withdrew from her, but the Son of God remained with her: he departed as to appearance, but many remained as to guardianship: Song of Songs 3: "Behold, the bed of Solomon: sixty mighty men surround it, from the mightiest of Israel." These are the most blessed Angels, who guarded her as the most chosen "place of divine habitation": whence even though they bestowed upon her the service of guardianship on account of the weakness of the flesh, they nevertheless displayed the worship of reverence on account of the dignity of the Mother, and therefore in a certain manner they ascended and descended through her. Whence she was designated by that ladder,
upon which the Lord was leaning, and the Angels ascended through it, which Jacob saw, Genesis 28: and afterward follows: "This is nothing other than the house of God and the gate of heaven," because no one can now enter heaven unless he passes through Mary as through a gate.
For just as God came to us through her, so through her we must return to God. And therefore she is called house, gate
and ladder: house
on account of the conception of Christ, gate
on account of the birth of Christ, and ladder on account of the ascent to God. — Let us therefore not depart from her, but prostrate at her feet, let us always greet her: Hail, full of grace,
so that through her who found grace and mercy above all women in the sight of that great Ahasuerus, we may "find grace and obtain mercy for timely help."
Second, concerning the thanksgiving for both conceptions.
71. But Mary rising up
etc. Having concluded that part in which he treated of the fruitfulness of the barren woman and the Virgin, here follows the second part, in which he treats of thanksgiving.
And according to this twofold manner this part has two sections, in the first of which thanksgiving is offered and a song of praise is sung on account of the conception of the Savior:
in the second, on account of the conception and birth of the Precursor,
at the place: The time of Elisabeth was fulfilled
etc.
Concerning the first thanksgiving, three things are said.
Now in order that the singing of praise may proceed from a complete and perfect disposition, there is required certification of truth
in the intellect and display of charity
in disposition and in deed, the one as antecedent,
the other as consequent.
Therefore the first part has three sections, in the first of which the testimony of prophecy is set forth;
in the second is added the canticle of joy,
at the place: And Mary said: My soul magnifies
etc.; in the third is appended the service of beneficence,
at the place: And Mary remained with her
etc. The first establishes faith, the second raises hope, the third shows charity.
First, the testimony of prophecy is set forth.
In the description of the testimony of prophecy,
the Evangelist proceeds in this order. For first he introduces the opportunity of testifying;
second, the truth of the testimony,
at: And whence is this to me,
etc. — For the opportunity of testifying,
three things concur, namely the encounter of the Virgin greeting,
and the effect of the virginal greeting,
and the affection of Elisabeth greeting in return:
the first, at: Mary arising,
etc.; the second, at: It came to pass, when she heard,
etc.; the third, at: And she was filled with the Holy Spirit,
etc.
72. (Verse 39.) First, therefore, the encounter of the Virgin greeting
is introduced as eager
and familiar.
— On account of the haste,
he says: And Mary arising in those days, went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah:
as if to say: she did not delay, but arose at dawn, according to that passage in Song of Songs 2: "Arise, make haste, my love, my dove, my beautiful one, and come." Whence that passage in Proverbs 31, which is said of the valiant woman, who "rose up while it was still night and gave prey to her household and food to her handmaids," is fitting for her; for she arose to minister to Elisabeth, who was aged and weak. Whence "neither did the roughness of the journey
delay her," according to what is said in the Gloss, and the text indicates, because she went into the hill country,
namely with haste,
to ascertain the truth, like those spies, Joshua 2: "Go up into the hill country"; or even with the Bridegroom himself, Song of Songs 2: "Behold, he comes leaping upon the mountains and bounding over the hills." Nor did the length of the way
delay her, which is noted there: Into a city of Judah,
that is, Jerusalem, so that she might now cry out with Isaiah 2: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob." Nor did she delay on the journey, because with haste,
like Rachel, Genesis 29, who, when she saw Jacob, "hastened to tell her father."
73. Spiritually,
moreover, we are given to understand from this that haste is necessary for one who wishes to attain perfection; Hebrews 4: "Let us hasten to enter into that rest"; therefore 1 Corinthians 9: "So run, that you may obtain." Against which it is said of the foolish virgins, Matthew 25, that "they came last"; and Sirach 5: "Do not delay to turn to the Lord, and do not defer from day to day."
74. (Vers. 40.). The encounter of the Virgin was eager, and it was also familiar;
on account of which he says: And she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elisabeth. She entered,
I say, so that she might dwell together familiarly; Wisdom 8: "Entering into my house, I shall find rest with her." She entered,
she did not stand outside, like that "wandering woman, impatient of rest and unable to stay in her house with her feet," Proverbs 7. She also entered,
not to quarrel, but to greet,
according to what is customary among the Saints: Romans 16: "Greet one another with a holy kiss." She greeted,
I say, not only by wishing well, but also by bringing salvation to Jerusalem, so that that word of Isaiah 62 might be fulfilled: "For the sake of Zion I will not be silent, and for the sake of Jerusalem I will not rest, until her just one goes forth as brightness, and her Savior is kindled as a lamp"; and afterward: "Say to the daughter of Zion: Behold, your Savior comes; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him." - And note that the Virgin first entered the house and afterward greeted, because the Virgin was already beginning to comply with the evangelical precepts: for below in the tenth chapter it is said: "Greet no one along the way"; and afterward it is added: "Into whatever house you enter, first say: Peace to this house." Which the blessed Virgin also did.
75. (Vers. 41.). Second, the effect of the virginal greeting
is introduced, which was the stirring of the mother
and the gladdening of the child.
- On account of the stirring of the mother
it is said: And it came to pass that when Elisabeth heard the greeting of Mary.
For Elisabeth had heard the greeting of the Virgin, because she loved her: Song of Songs 8: "You who dwell in the gardens, friends listen for you; make me hear your voice"; and John 8: "He who is of God hears the words of God"; whence First Thessalonians 2: "When you had received from us the word of the hearing of God, you received it not as the word of men, but, as it truly is, the word of God." She heard indeed the word of salvation from her who had conceived the incarnate Word, in whom alone is salvation, according to that word of James 1: "In meekness receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls."
76. Therefore the mother was stirred by the word of the Virgin, and the offspring too was gladdened:
whence it says: He leaped,
with joy, the infant in her womb.
In this it is shown that John was the preeminent friend of the Bridegroom, according to what is written of him in John 3: "The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears his voice, rejoices with joy because of the bridegroom's voice." He leaped,
I say, with desire, as did the Fathers; John 8: "Abraham rejoiced to see my day: he saw it and was glad." He leaped
at the presence of the Lord and Savior, as if eager to greet and rise before his Lord, whose forerunner he was. Whence it is said in the Gloss of Bede, "because he could not with his tongue, he greets with an exulting spirit and begins the office of his forerunning. Behold, what the Angel had said is made manifest: 'He shall be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb.'" - From this it is given to understand spiritually
that a holy purpose cannot remain hidden without manifesting itself, and that interior love bursts forth into action: whence Gregory says: "The love of God is never idle."
77. (Verse 42.). Third, there is subjoined the great affection of Elizabeth in her greeting
and kindly.
- On account of its greatness
it is said: And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and cried out with a loud voice.
For the greatness of the voice is a sign of great affection, because "words are signs of the passions"; Sirach 15: "The Lord will fill him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding"; and: "He himself will send forth the words of his wisdom like showers, and in prayer he will give thanks to the Lord." But therefore she cried out with a loud voice,
because she contained in her womb him who was the voice of the Word,
according to what is said of him in Isaiah 40: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord." To whom it is also said in the same place: "Get up onto a high mountain, you who bring good tidings to Zion; lift up your voice with strength, you who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift it up, do not be afraid. Say to the cities of Judah: Behold, your God, behold, the Lord God will come with strength."
78. Nor was her voice so much loud as it was devout; whence, to express the kindness of her affection, she adds, saying: Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Elizabeth blesses the Virgin together with her offspring, so as to complete the angelic salutation. She wishes blessing upon her and announces her already blessed with that blessing which the Lord had promised to Abraham in Genesis 12: "I will bless you and magnify your name, and you shall be blessed. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you, and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed." This blessing Isaac foretold under the figure of a field, in Genesis 27: "Behold, the smell of my son is like the smell of a full field, which the Lord has blessed." This Jacob confirmed, in the penultimate chapter of Genesis: "The Almighty shall bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep lying beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb; the blessings of your father are strengthened by the blessings of his fathers, until the desire of the everlasting hills should come."
This Moses desired and this he invoked, in Deuteronomy 28: "Blessed is the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land." And therefore let us sing with David: "You have blessed, O Lord, your land."
79. Fulfilled also in Mary is that word of Ecclesiasticus 24: "Among the multitude of the elect she shall have praise, and among the blessed she shall be blessed." Blessed indeed was Jael, in Judges 5: "Blessed among women is Jael." Blessed was Ruth, in Ruth 3: "Blessed are you by the Lord, daughter." Blessed was Abigail, in 1 Kings 25: "Blessed are you, who have kept me this day from avenging myself by my own hand." Blessed was Judith, in chapter 13: "Blessed are you, daughter, by the Lord God most high above all women upon the earth." Among these women and above these women, blessed is the Virgin Mary, because those blessings were fulfilled in her.
80. And whence is this to me, that there should come, etc. Having set forth the occasion for testifying, there follows here the truth of the testimony, for the explanation of which the Evangelist introduces three things. The first is an exclamation of wonder; the second is a sign of approbation; and the third, a testimony of affirmation. The first holds the place of the proposition, the second of the assumption, and the third of the conclusion.
81. (Vers. 43.). He therefore introduces an admirative proclamation
when Elizabeth says: And whence is this to me, that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?
For this is greatly praiseworthy and also wonderful, that a woman should be the Mother of God, and that the Mother of God should visit the handmaid of God. Whence she could say, as Araunah said to King David in the last chapter of 2 Kings: "What is the reason that my lord the king comes to his servant?" For it is a greater thing to be the Mother of God; whence it was a condescension of the Mother of the Lord of all to visit on her own feet another's dwelling. Whence the Virgin glories in Ecclesiasticus twenty-four: "I am the mother of fair love and of fear and of holy hope"; because on account of her maternal dignity the Virgin Mary is to be loved, to be venerated
and to be approached
with all confidence
as the mother of supreme mercy.
82. (Vers. 44.). Secondly she adds an approbative indication, when she says: For behold, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leapt for joy:
and this is a sign that "grace is poured forth upon your lips"; and therefore it is certain that "God has blessed you forever," in the Psalm. And since the infant leapt beyond nature, it is certain that the Lord of nature came to meet him. And since the little infant responds from the womb, it is certain that you have conceived him who calls from the womb, according to that passage of Isaiah forty-nine: "The Lord has called me from the womb, from the bowels of my mother he has remembered my name," etc. And again, since the child leapt for joy, it is certain that what is said in Isaiah has now been truly fulfilled: "Exult and give praise, O habitation of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel"; and that passage of Zechariah nine: "Exult greatly, O daughter of Zion, shout for joy, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, your king comes to you, just and a savior."
83. (Vers. 45.). Since therefore the precursor leapt wondrously, she now had a certain indication that the Savior had come; and since she now had a certain indication, therefore thirdly there is added to the truth a testimony,
or an affirmative
oracle, when it is said: Blessed are you who believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to you by the Lord.
For faith makes one blessed: Matthew sixteen: "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, because flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven"; and John twenty: "Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." — Moreover faith makes the blessed, because by beginning in merit
it disposes toward consummation in reward:
Philippians one: "Being confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in you will perfect it," and this by the merit of faith; whence Matthew eight: "Go, and as you have believed, let it be done for you"; and so it was done for Mary.
84. Note that in Scripture not only believers are called blessed, but also those who hope: Psalm: "Blessed is the man whose hope is the name of the Lord." Likewise, those who love: Ecclesiasticus forty-eight: "Blessed are they who saw you and were adorned with your friendship." Likewise, those who fear: Ecclesiasticus twenty-five: "Blessed is he to whom it has been given to have the fear of God"; again, Psalm: "Blessed is the man who fears the Lord." Likewise, those who act: John thirteen: "If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them"; and below in the eleventh chapter: "Blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it." Likewise, those who endure: First Peter three: "But even if you suffer something for the sake of righteousness, blessed are you"; and Matthew five: "Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you, lying, for my sake." Likewise, those who contemplate: Third Kings ten: "Blessed are your men, and blessed are your servants, these who stand before you always and hear your wisdom."
85. For all these reasons the Virgin Mary was blessed, and for a singular reason she was most blessed, because she conceived the Son of God: below in the eleventh chapter: "Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that you sucked." And for this reason she herself says below in the same chapter: "For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed." Blessed therefore are you who believed, because by believing you conceived, and by conceiving you brought forth blessedness for all nations as regards its sufficiency. As a figure of this, Genesis thirty: "Leah said: This is for my blessedness, for all women shall call me blessed."
Second, the canticle of joy is added.
86. And Mary said, etc. After the testimony of prophecy follows the song of joy, in which the most blessed Virgin Mary praises divine mercy for the most excellent grace conferred upon her. In this canticle three things are noted. The first is the affection of the one praising, which he notes there: My soul magnifies, etc. The second is the reason for praising, which he notes when he adds: Because he has regarded, etc. The third is the amplification of divine praise, which he notes there: And his mercy is from generation to generation. For praise is not perfect unless there is present a fitting affection, a fitting cause, and a fitting manner.
87. (Vers. 46.). There is therefore first intimated the affection of the one praising, as grateful, by magnifying the divine power, when she says: Mary said: My soul magnifies the Lord, that is, the divine power. "For great is our Lord, and great is his power"; and therefore he ought to be praised with great affection, because he works great things; Daniel 4: "I praise and magnify and glorify the King of heaven, because all his works are true"; and to this the devout soul invites in the Psalm: "Magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together." Then our soul truly magnifies the Lord, when under him it captivates and humbles itself: Sirach 3: "How great is the power of God alone, and he is honored by the humble alone." Whence the Virgin Mary, because she humbled herself beyond all others, magnified the Lord more highly than all others. And therefore she began from magnification, because this was fitting to the humility of the Virgin singing. - It was also fitting to the dignity of God, whose supreme condescension is not known unless his dignity is first known; whence the Apostle: "Who, though he was in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal to God, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant." - It was also fitting to the intention of the canticle, which is to praise God perfectly: Sirach 43: "Glorifying the Lord as much as you can, he will still surpass, and admirable is his magnificence." - It was also fitting to Mary's canticle, because it was about great, indeed about the greatest benefits; whence Proverbs 8: "Listen, for I am about to speak of great things"; and below: "Because he has done great things for me," etc. - It was also fitting to an orderly progression, which is by beginning from fear: whence the Psalm: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." But the fear of reverence magnifies the Lord.
88. (Vers. 47.). There is also intimated the affection of the one praising not only as grateful, but as joyful, by exulting in the divine salvation, when it is added: And my spirit has exulted in God my savior, that is, in God the savior, so that she could say that word of the Psalm: "My soul shall exult in the Lord and shall delight in his salvation"; and again: "My heart and my flesh have exulted in the living God." Truly she could now say that word of Song of Songs 1: "The king has brought me into his storerooms: we shall exult and rejoice in you," etc. Now there was verified in Mary what the Psalmist desired: "Let all who seek you exult and rejoice in you, and let those who love your salvation always say: Let the Lord be magnified." Since therefore the Virgin Mary sought the Lord and loved his salvation, therefore her soul magnified the Lord, and her spirit exulted in the salvation of God. Therefore that word of Anna is fitting for her, 1 Kings 2: "My heart has exulted in the Lord, and my horn is exalted in my God, because I have rejoiced in your salvation."
89. And note that spirit is taken for the substance of the soul: Ecclesiastes 3: "Who knows if the spirit," etc.; for the higher part: Malachi 2: "Guard your spirit"; and Romans 8: "The Spirit intercedes for us with unutterable groanings"; for the imagination: First Corinthians 14: "For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays," etc. Here, however, it is taken for the soul according to its highest part, and soul is taken in relation to the body, as in First Thessalonians 5: "That your spirit and soul and body may be preserved whole and without complaint at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." For because the spirit had inwardly exulted, therefore the soul magnified with her voice — and therefore she places the exultation in the past tense and the magnification in the present tense, because exultation is prior by nature.
90. (Verse 48). Because He has regarded the lowliness, etc. After the affection or devotion of the one praising has been described, there is here added the reason for praising, which is drawn from a twofold cause. The first is the benefit of grace, which made her lovable to God and praiseworthy to men. Because lovable to God, she says: Because He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaid. In Genesis 29, a figure of this preceded in Leah, who, having conceived offspring, said: "The Lord has seen my lowliness; now my husband will love me." And humility was the disposition for the regard of grace: Isaiah, last chapter: "To whom shall I look except to the poor and contrite in spirit and the one who trembles at my words?" Because, as it is said in the Psalm, "the Lord is exalted and regards the lowly, and knows the lofty from afar." Hence concerning the just man, Sirach 11: "The eye of God regarded him for good and raised him from his lowliness"; and therefore the Prophet prayed in the Psalm: "Look upon me and have mercy on me, for I am alone and poor."
91. That benefit of grace also made her praiseworthy to men, and therefore she adds: For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed, both men and women: Proverbs, last chapter: "Her children rose up and proclaimed her most blessed; her husband also praised her." Now the Virgin Mary was blessed on account of the merit of chastity: Psalm: "Blessed are the undefiled in the way"; and Apocalypse 16: "Blessed is he who keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame"; and Wisdom 3: "Happy is the barren and undefiled woman, who has not known the bed in transgression." — She was also more blessed on account of the counsel of virginity: First Corinthians 7: "But she will be more blessed if she so remains, according to my counsel." — She was also most blessed on account of the privilege of fruitfulness, on account of which the other women proclaim her most blessed, Song of Songs 6: "The daughters of Sion saw her and proclaimed her most blessed."
92. (Verse 49). The second reason for praising is the miracle of power,
which was great
and devout. Because it was great,
she says: Because he who is mighty has done great things for me.
This refers to the mystery of the incarnation, as Bede says in the Gloss; and concerning this, Job 5: "Who does great and unsearchable and wonderful things without number." The mystery of the incarnation is great and inscrutable, and therefore wondrous: and this he who is mighty has done,
because "in miraculous things, as Augustine says, the entire reason for the deed is the power of the one doing it"; Ecclesiastes 8: "Whatever he wills, he shall do, because his word is full of power, nor can anyone say to him: Why do you act thus"?
93. It was also devout,
and therefore she says: Holy is his name.
Whence he does holy and devout things, to show the holiness of his name; Daniel 3: "Blessed be the name of your glory, which is holy"; and the Psalm: "Holy and terrible is his name." And the reason for this is premised: "He sent redemption to his people." And because holiness befits his name, therefore we pray: "Hallowed be your name," Matthew 6; and again the Psalm: "Holiness befits your house, O Lord, for length of days." Concerning these two, namely greatness
and devotion,
1 Timothy 3: "And manifestly great is the sacrament of devotion, which was manifested in the flesh, justified in the spirit, appeared to angels, was preached to the nations, was believed in the world, was taken up in glory"; great
indeed by reason of the Divinity, holy
by reason of the assumed humanity: above in the same chapter: "That which shall be born of you, the Holy One, shall be called the Son of God." And therefore the Virgin in the conception was magnified and sanctified: the Psalm: "The Most High has sanctified his tabernacle." And these two correspond to the two things stated above, because she was magnified and sanctified, therefore she magnified and exulted: thus she renders the reason most fittingly.
94. And his mercy
etc. After the affection of the one praising and the reason for praising have been described, here is added thirdly the amplification of divine praise.
And this consists in the commendation of divine mercy with respect to the work of human redemption, already begun in the conception of the Virgin. Now the work of our redemption is declarative of mercy
and power,
and is manifestative of generosity
and truth: mercy
in the raising up of fallen man; power,
in the overthrow of the devil; generosity,
in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit; and truth,
in the fulfillment of the promise.
95. (Vers. 50.). First, therefore, she praises her Lord in the work of redemption, insofar as it is manifestative of mercy,
where she says: And his mercy is from generation to generation upon those who fear him:
Ephesians 2: "God, who is rich in mercy, on account of his exceeding great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, quickened us together with Christ"; and in the Psalm: "But the mercy of the Lord is from eternity and unto eternity upon those who fear him." For this extends to all
with respect to the benefit of conservation,
according to that saying of Sirach 18: "The compassion of man is toward his neighbor, but the mercy of God is upon all flesh." Yet mercy that liberates
and saves
extends only to those who fear
him, as it is written in the Psalm: "How great is the multitude of your sweetness, O Lord, which you have hidden for those who fear you!" Therefore Sirach 2: "You who fear the Lord, hope in him."
96. (Vers. 51.). Second, she praises him in this work, insofar as it is manifestative of power
in the casting down of proud demons
and wicked rich.
On account of the first she says: He has shown might in his arm, he has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
In this is the special praise of God: Job 40: "Scatter the proud in your fury, and looking upon every arrogant one, bring him low." And thus was fulfilled that saying of Sirach 10: "God has destroyed the thrones of proud rulers and has made the meek to sit in their place." And he is said to have done this in his arm,
that is, in the Son; Isaiah 40: "Behold, the Lord God shall come with strength, and his arm shall rule." The proud
however in the conceit of their heart
he calls those who are proud in intellect through presumption
and in affection through ambition,
as Lucifer and his followers: Job 41: "He beholds every high thing, and he is king over all the children of pride." And thus the sense is: he has scattered
those who are proud in the conceit of their heart.
— Or otherwise: He has scattered the proud in the conceit of his heart,
according to what is said, that the proud by the just judgment of God have a scattered heart: Wisdom 17: "While they thought to lie hidden in their obscure sins, they were scattered under a dark veil of oblivion." — Or: He has scattered the proud in the conceit of his heart,
that is, by the determination of his counsel: Job 40: "If you have an arm like God, and if you thunder with a similar voice? Scatter the proud in your fury, and looking upon every arrogant one, bring him low."
97. (Vers. 52.). The proud demons He cast down definitively, but not so with men; whence Lamentations 3: "For He did not humble from His heart nor cast away the sons of men." Therefore His power is praised in the casting down of proud demons and also of powerful tyrants,
when she continues: He has put down the mighty from their seat and exalted the humble.
In Daniel 5 it is said of Nebuchadnezzar: "Whom he wished he slew, and whom he wished he struck down, and whom he wished he exalted, and whom he wished he humbled. But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened unto pride, he was deposed from the throne of his kingdom, and his glory was taken away"; and Sirach 10: "God has made the roots of proud nations to wither and planted the humble from among those nations." And the reason
for this is given below in chapter 18: "Because everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted." And in this is the praise of divine power; 1 Kings 2: "The Lord makes poor and enriches, He humbles and He lifts up. He raises the needy from the dust and lifts the poor from the dunghill, that he may sit with princes and hold the throne of glory." An example is found in Saul and David, Vashti and Esther.
98. (Vers. 53.). Third, she praises the Lord in the aforesaid work, insofar as it is a manifestation of generosity,
when she says: He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty;
because true generosity is to give to the poor, not to the rich. Proverbs 13: "The just man eats and fills his soul, but the belly of the wicked is insatiable"; and again in the Psalm: "The rich have wanted and have been hungry, but those who seek the Lord shall not be deprived of any good"; and Isaiah 65: "Behold, my servants shall eat, and you shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, and you shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice, and you shall be confounded"; because, as it is said in 1 Corinthians 1, "not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but the foolish things of the world God has chosen, that He may confound the wise; and the weak things of the world God has chosen, that He may confound the strong; and the ignoble things of the world and the contemptible God has chosen, and the things that are not, that He might destroy the things that are, so that no flesh should glory in His sight"; and the Psalm: "The king is not saved by great power, and the giant shall not be saved by the abundance of his strength."
99. (Vers. 54.). Fourth, she praises God in the aforesaid work, insofar as it is manifestative of the truth of the promise,
when she says: He has received Israel his servant, being mindful of his mercy:
where first is set forth the fulfillment of the promise,
which promise divine benignity made and divine truth fulfilled: whence the Psalm: "Mercy and truth have met each other, justice and peace have kissed." And this was done when he assumed our flesh: Hebrews 2: "For nowhere does he take hold of angels, but of the seed of Abraham"; Isaiah 42: "Behold my servant, I will uphold him: my elect, my soul is well pleased in him"; and Hosea 11: "Israel was a child, and I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son." — And this: Being mindful of his mercy,
which he cannot forget: the Psalm: "Or will God forget to show mercy? Or will he in his anger shut up his mercies?"; and Isaiah 49: "Can a woman forget her infant, so as not to have pity on the son of her womb? And if she should forget, yet I will not forget you."
100. (Vers. 55.). Then is added the true promise,
when it is said: As he spoke to our Fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever.
And this text should be construed thus: As he spoke to the Fathers,
and as he spoke to Abraham
in particular, and to his seed,
where it touches upon the state of nature and of the written law. — Or otherwise, so that it is construed with the preceding: He has received Israel, being mindful of his mercy,
and this, I say, to Abraham and to his seed, as he spoke to the Fathers.
A similar passage is found in the Psalm: "He has remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel." Among the Fathers
she specially names Abraham, because to him the promise was first made; Genesis 12 and 22: "I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you, and in you shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed"; "I will bless you and multiply your seed as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore: your seed shall possess the gates of their enemies, and in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice"; and Galatians 3: "To Abraham were the promises spoken and to his seed." But the seed
of Abraham are believers: Romans 9: "Not those who are children of the flesh are children of God, but those who are children of the promise are reckoned as seed"; whence below, chapter 3: "God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham." Forever,
that is, for eternity: the Psalm: "From age to age you are God." — Whence the Blessed Virgin begins the canticle from the greatness of the supreme principle and ends the canticle in the eternity of the end; for she praises him who "is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end," Apocalypse 1: and indeed rightly so, because in this canticle she shows that the consummation of all the promised benefits has been accomplished, and therefore it is the consummation of all praises and canticles and even of the Scriptures.
Third, the service of benevolence is added.
101. (Vers. 56.). But Mary remained, etc.
After the testimony of prophecy and the canticle of joy, the service of benevolence is added,
which the Virgin Mary showed to Elizabeth, her kinswoman: in which she is commended for three things, namely for the diligence of her service,
the perseverance of her purpose,
and the propriety of her companionship.
- On account of the diligence of her service,
he says: But Mary remained with her,
namely with her pregnant kinswoman. She did not depart immediately, but acted according to what the Lord commands his disciples in Matthew 10: "But remain in the same house until you depart." Mary remained;
she did not go out like Dinah, of whom Genesis 34 says: "She went out to see the women of that region"; and it follows afterward that she was violated. She remained
like a diligent attendant; she did not go about like a curious busybody; 1 Timothy 5, concerning younger widows: "Being idle, they learn to go about from house to house, and not only idle, but also gossips and busybodies, speaking things they ought not." Against which Seneca says: "It is a sign of a well-ordered mind to be able to tarry with oneself and to remain with oneself."
102. On account of the perseverance of her purpose,
he adds: About three months,
that is, until the time of the birth, according to what Bede says in the Gloss: "Mary remained so long until, when the time of Elizabeth's delivery was completed, she might see the birth of the forerunner of her Lord, for whose sake she had especially come"; and this was signified in 2 Kings 6, where it is said that "the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom for three months." - Mystically,
however, by the three months is designated the progress of the three virtues, according to what is said in the Gloss. For "it is necessary that the chaste soul, which conceives the desire of the spiritual word, ascend the lofty heights of the heavenly host and, having remained there as it were for the days of three months, not cease to persevere until it is irradiated with the light of faith, hope, and charity."
103. On account of the propriety of her companionship,
it is added: And she returned to her own home,
to dwell with her spouse, the guardian of her virginity; whence she could say that passage from Genesis 30: "The Lord has blessed you at my coming. It is just, therefore, that I should at some time also provide for my own household." She returned to her own home,
because her spouse and her household desired her return, according to that passage from Song of Songs 6: "Return, return, O Shulamite, return." Thus therefore the Virgin Mary gives an example to be imitated by all, according to what Ambrose says: "Learn," he says, "from Mary devotion, perseverance, and propriety."
Concerning the thanksgiving for the birth of the forerunner, three things are said.
104. For Elizabeth the time was fulfilled
etc. After the thanksgiving for the conception of the Savior, there follows here the thanksgiving for the birth of the precursor.
Now praise is given to God for the precursor's birth
rather than for his conception, because he was conceived in sin, but was born full of the Holy Spirit; Christ, however, was most holy both in conception and in birth, and therefore praises were sung both before and after his birth. — This section has three parts, in the first of which is described the precursor's origin;
in the second there is added for it praise and thanksgiving,
at the place: And Zechariah, his father, was filled with the Holy
Spirit, where the canticle of Zechariah is set forth; in the third, as matter for greater praise, there is added the precursor's upbringing,
at the place: And the child grew,
etc.
Three things are said concerning the precursor's origin.
Now three things concur in describing the birth of the precursor,
which were foretold by the Angel. The first is the birth from a barren woman;
the second is the circumcision of the infant,
which is described at the place: And it came to pass on the eighth day;
the third is the opening of the priestly mouth,
at the place: And immediately his mouth was opened.
— The birth
is shown to have been timely in the mother, perfect in the offspring, joyful in the neighborhood.
105. (Verse 57). The birth, I say, was timely
in the mother
by reason of the time; on account of which he says: For Elizabeth the time of her delivery was fulfilled,
and thus it was timely that she should give birth, because, Ecclesiastes three, "all things have their season, and in their times all things pass under heaven." It was fulfilled,
I say, according to the fulfillment of the angelic word, as was said above in the same chapter: "Behold, you shall be silent until the day in which these things shall come to pass, because you did not believe my words, which shall be fulfilled in their time." Truly fulfilled,
because the fullness of time had already come, in which Christ was to come; Galatians four: "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son," etc.
106. The birth was also perfect
in the offspring
by reason of the male sex;
on account of which he says: And she brought forth a son,
not a daughter. Such offspring Anna sought in First Kings one: "Lord, if you will remember me and give your handmaid a male child, I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life." — She also brought forth with perfect strength,
with no impediment hindering her; against which is said in Isaiah thirty-seven: "The children have come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth." — She also brought forth a son perfected by heavenly grace,
so that what is said in Wisdom four would apply to him: "Being made perfect in a short time, he fulfilled a long time."
107. (Vers. 58.). Joyful
also was it in the neighborhood
by reason of the celebrated and common report; on account of which it says: And her neighbors and kinsfolk heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy with her, and they congratulated her.
And thus was fulfilled what the Angel had foretold: "And many shall rejoice at his birth," namely the neighbors and kinsfolk, because it belongs especially to such people to rejoice together; below in the fifteenth chapter: "The woman who found the lost drachma calls together her friends and neighbors, saying: Rejoice with me, for I have found the drachma which I had lost." And they congratulated her:
for she herself likewise rejoiced, according to that passage of John 16: "But when a woman has brought forth a child, she no longer remembers the anguish, on account of the joy that a man has been born into the world"; and therefore they congratulated her. - Because the Lord magnified his mercy with her,
that is, he wrought a great mercy; whence she could say that word of the Psalm: "I will praise you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever, for your mercy is great upon me." For the Lord magnifies those whom he loves; Wisdom, last chapter: "In all things you magnified your people, O Lord, and did not despise them."
108. (Vers. 59.). And it came to pass on the eighth day.
After the birth from the aged one follows the circumcision of the infant,
in which according to custom was made the imposition of the name,
first according to the human designation from blood-relationship;
second, according to the prophetic revelation from the mother;
third, according to the authoritative affirmation from the father himself.
- The circumcision is therefore introduced with the human designation,
when it is said: On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child,
namely so that they might fulfill the precept of the Law; Genesis 17: "An infant of eight days shall be circumcised among you," because "the male whose flesh of the foreskin shall not have been circumcised shall perish from his people." - And they called him by the name of his father, Zechariah,
according to the customary manner, because sons were accustomed to be called by the name of their fathers; Tobit 1: "Tobias begot a son, bestowing his own name upon him," so that by this he might signify that the father lives on in so noble a son, according to that passage of Sirach 30: "His father died and it is as though he did not die, for he left behind one like himself. In his life he saw and rejoiced in him."
109. (Verse 60.) But since in John there was no place for a name according to human designation, therefore there follows the naming according to prophetic revelation in Elizabeth, when it is said: And his mother answering said: Not so, but he shall be called John. And this indeed she said, having been taught by the Holy Spirit: whence Ambrose says: "By the spirit of prophecy she learned what she had not learned from her husband." For since he had not been conceived by the power of nature but by the power of grace, he ought not to be called Zacharias after his father, but "John" from the gift of grace, so that one born in a new manner might be called by a new name: Isaiah sixty-two: "You shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord has named."
110. (Verse 61.) And because the relatives were thinking carnally, they did not accept the name of grace: therefore it is added: And they said to her: There is none among your kindred who is called by this name. But their objection was of no account, because, as Ambrose says, "this name is not of family but of a prophet. For the merits of the Saints have this, that they receive their name from God, just as Jacob was called Israel, Genesis thirty-two, because he saw God"; so also of Solomon, 2 Kings twelve: "He called his name beloved of the Lord." And since there was here a contention between grace and nature, between human designation and prophetic revelation, therefore they sought the paternal opinion, so that he himself might pronounce the authoritative declaration.
111. (Verse 62.) For this reason there follows: And they made signs to his father, what he would have him called: they made signs, I say, to one deaf and mute, because, as Ambrose says, "incredulity had stolen from him both speech and hearing"; and yet they sought from him, because the authority of naming resided with him, both because he was the father, and because he was a priest, and because he had foreknown the birth of his son by divine revelation.
112. (Verse 63.). And because he could not respond with his voice, he spoke by hand and by letters; and therefore it is added: And asking for a writing tablet, he wrote, saying: John is his name:
as if to say: I do not impose a name, but I declare one already imposed; above in the same chapter: "You shall call his name John," according to that passage of Isaiah forty-nine: "The Lord called me from the womb, from the bowels of my mother he remembered my name." And rightly it is said written
on account of its indelible firmness, to show that his name is written in the book of life, just as those of Christ's disciples; below in the tenth chapter: "Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven." Concerning this writing it is said in Apocalypse three: "He who overcomes, I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem"; and again in the second chapter: "I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a name written, which no one knows except he who receives it." - And because they did not know the reason for this naming, therefore it follows: And all marveled:
the Gloss says: "On account of the agreement between the father and the mother," so that now "by the mouth of two witnesses that word might stand." Or also they marveled
at so great a prerogative in the child"; Ecclesiasticus eleven says of the just man: "God exalted him, and many marveled at him and honored God." Whence he himself could say that passage from Wisdom eight: "The faces of princes shall wonder at me." In this we are taught that the prerogatives of divine privileges are to be humbly and soberly admired rather than boldly scrutinized.
113. Spiritually
note that by Zachariah
is understood the old priesthood, and by John
the new; and because the old and the new differ as the memorial of a gift and the gift itself, therefore the former is rightly named from the memorial,
but the latter from the gift of grace;
and this indeed quite rightly, because the memory of God in us generates the affections of virtue and grace. For whoever wishes to be John
through grace must first be Zachariah
through divine remembrance. For Zachariah is interpreted as mindful of God;
the Psalm: "He has made a memorial of his wonders"; Exodus twenty: "You shall make an altar of earth for me, and you shall offer upon it your holocausts and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen, in every place in which the memorial of my name shall be; I will come to you and bless you."
114. Moreover, everyone ought to be mindful of the sacraments of God for believing and confessing: In Exodus thirteen it is said of the paschal lamb: "It shall be as a sign in your hand and as a memorial before your eyes"; it follows: "You shall keep this manner of worship at the appointed time from day to day." - Of benefits for giving thanks: Deuteronomy sixteen: "Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread of affliction, because in fear you went out of Egypt, that you may remember the day of your departure from Egypt all the days of your life"; Psalm: "He has made a memorial" etc. - Of judgments for fearing: Sirach eighteen: "Remember wrath in the day of consummation, and the time of retribution in the turning of the face"; Psalm: "I have been mindful of your judgments from of old, O Lord." - Of promises for hoping: Sirach eleven: "In the day of evil things, be not unmindful of good things." - Of commandments for doing: Psalm: "His justice unto the children of children, to those who keep his covenant and are mindful of his commandments to do them." - Of examples for imitating : John fifteen: "Remember my word, which I said to you: The disciple is not above the master." - Of sufferings for having compassion; Lamentations three: "Remember poverty and transgression"; and it follows: "Remembering I shall remember, and my soul shall waste away within me." - Of consolations for rejoicing together; Song of Songs one: "We shall exult and rejoice in you, mindful of your breasts more than wine." - Of works for praising; Psalm: "I have been mindful of the works of God, for I shall remember from the beginning your wonders, and I shall meditate on all your works and shall be exercised in your designs"; likewise: "Remember his wonderful works which he has done." - Of charisms for petitioning; Isaiah twenty-six: "O Lord, we have waited for you; your name and your memorial are in the desire of the soul. My soul has desired you in the night": and sixty-two: "You who are mindful of the Lord, be not silent, and give him no silence, until he establishes and until he makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth."
115. And immediately his mouth was opened etc. After the birth from the barren woman and the circumcision and the naming of the infant, there follows the opening of the priestly mouth, according to the word of the heavenly messenger. This miracle was demonstrative of the prerogative and excellent magnificence in John, so that it might deservedly be shown that he is called by this name. In the description of this miracle, three things are intimated, namely, the evidence of the miracle and its"; reverence and the understanding of the same. For the appearance of a miracle begets admiration, and admiration begets knowledge or inquiry.
116. (Vers. 64.). He therefore first sets forth the evidence of the miracle,
when he says: And immediately the mouth of Zechariah was opened and his tongue, and he spoke blessing God: opened,
I say, not by the power of nature, but of heavenly power: Wisdom 10: "Wisdom opened the mouth of the mute and made the tongues of infants eloquent." He, I say, did this, at whom the crowds marveled, saying: "He has done all things well, and has made the deaf to hear and the mute to speak," namely Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God, Mark 7. And so that the miracle may be shown to be true,
it says immediately;
for as Ambrose says: "The grace of the Holy Spirit knows no slow endeavors." — So that it may be shown to be full
and perfect,
there is added: And he spoke blessing God,
acknowledging the benefit, as in Tobit 13: "And the elder Tobias, opening his mouth, blessed God." In this we are instructed that we ought to have our mouth open for divine praise, which we pray in the Psalm: "O Lord, you will open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise"; and especially after the benefit of our redemption: Isaiah 35: "Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute shall be opened." But on the contrary, it is said of the wicked in Job 16: "They have opened their mouths against me, reviling"; because, according to what is said in the Psalm, "their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they acted deceitfully."
117. (Vers. 65.). Second, he adds the reverence of the miracle,
when he says: And fear came upon all their neighbors, and throughout all the hill country of Judea all these words were spread abroad:
the Psalm: "All who dwell at the borders shall fear at your signs"; whence they could sing that of Exodus 15: "Who is like you among the mighty, O Lord? Who is like you, magnificent in holiness?" And because the magnificence of proclamation follows upon the reverence of the miracle, therefore he says: Throughout all the hill country of Judea they were spread abroad,
etc. And rightly so, because, Tobit 12, "it is good to hide the secret of a king, but to reveal and confess the works of God is honorable"; and therefore the Psalm: "Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his name"; and afterwards: "Declare all his wondrous works."
118. (Verse 66.). Thirdly, he subjoins the understanding of the miracle, when he says: And all who heard laid them up in their heart, saying: What manner of child, think you, shall this be? Ecclesiasticus fifty: "Blessed is he who occupies himself with these good things"; "he who lays them up in his heart shall always be wise"; and Proverbs twenty-four: "I passed through the field of a slothful man and through the vineyard of a foolish man: and behold, nettles had filled the whole of it, thorns had covered its surface, and its stone wall was broken down. When I had seen this, I laid it up in my heart and learned the lesson." They laid them up, namely through attention, understanding, and memory; and through the greatness of the miracle they recognized the greatness of the child: whence they said: What manner of child, think you, shall this be? As if to say: he shall be great, according to that word of the Angel, above in the same chapter: "For he shall be great before the Lord." Thus they spoke of Christ: Mark four: "Who, think you, is this?" Rightly of Christ it is said is, as of the Creator, whose nature is to abide; but of John shall be, as of the forerunner, whose role was to pass on. — And they give the reason: For the hand of the Lord was with him: Ezekiel three: "The hand of the Lord was with me, strengthening me"; so also with John the right hand of the Lord was preserving and strengthening him: Psalm: "Let your hand be upon the man of your right hand and upon the son of man whom you have confirmed for yourself." And thus they understood him, of whom it is written in Isaiah forty-nine: "He made my mouth like a sharp sword; under the covering of his hand he protected me."
Concerning praise and thanksgiving, two things are set forth.
119. (Verse 67.). And Zacharias his father etc. After the origin of John has been described, here is subjoined the thanksgiving for the benefit of redemption already begun in the birth of the forerunner and to be consummated in the birth of the Savior. This thanksgiving, therefore, he describes in two ways: first, on the part of the motive; second, on the part of the manner, at: Blessed be the Lord.
Concerning the motive,
note that what moved Zechariah to praise was the divine Spirit, not his own; for which reason he premises that he was breathed upon and filled with the Holy Spirit. And here is touched upon: who
is filled? Namely Zechariah,
who was a just man, of whom above in the same chapter, that he was "walking in all the commandments and justifications of the Lord without blame," and in this it is intimated that the memory of God
is filled; Tobit 1: "Because he was mindful of the Lord with his whole heart, God gave him grace in the sight of King Shalmaneser." - Why
is he filled? Because he is the father of him,
namely of John; whence just as the mother had the spirit of prophecy on account of the son, above in the same chapter, so also the father; Proverbs 23: "The father of the just exults with gladness; he who has begotten a wise son shall rejoice in him." In which is understood allegorically
that the old law and the priesthood did not have the Spirit except by reason of the new testament, which it prefigured. - How is he filled? For which reason it says: And he was filled with the Holy Spirit;
Genesis 41: "Can we find such a man, who is full of the spirit of God?" And Sirach 15: "He filled him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding." In which we are instructed with what
we ought to be filled; Ephesians 5: "Be filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns," etc. - To what end
is he filled? And he prophesied,
by praising and preaching: Acts 2: "They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in various tongues, as the Holy Spirit gave them to speak"; and Amos 3: "The Lord has spoken, who shall not prophesy?"; and 2 Peter 1: "For prophecy was not brought at any time by human will, but holy men of God spoke, inspired by the Holy Spirit."
120. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
etc. Here is described the thanksgiving
as regards its manner
in this canticle, of which there are four parts. In the first of these there is a thanksgiving and singing of praise for the benefit of our redemption, according as the remedial dispensation was to be consummated through Christ.
Second, inasmuch as it was already promised through the Prophets
by the prophecy of the Holy Spirit, there at As He spoke through the mouth of His holy ones.
Third, inasmuch as it was promised to the Patriarchs,
armed with the oath of truth, there at: To perform mercy with our Fathers,
etc. Fourth, according as it was already begun in the precursor
by prophetic proclamation, there at: And you, child, shall be called the Prophet of the Most High.
Now giving thanks for the benefit of the redemption to be consummated in Christ,
he puts the past tense for the future, in the prophetic manner: in which is touched upon the mystery of the incarnation, the price of redemption, the trophy of the resurrection:
in which lies the remedy of our salvation.
121. (Vers. 68.). He therefore first introduces Zacharias prophesying through the Holy Spirit in thanksgiving, because he gives thanks for a future benefit, when he says: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel.
Similarly it is said in Tobit 8: "We bless you, Lord God of Israel, because you have shown us your mercy"; and in 1 Chronicles, last chapter: "Blessed are you, Lord God of Israel, our father, from eternity to eternity."
And note that Lord
names the majesty
to be blessed with fear:
Malachi 1: "If I am the Lord, where is my fear?" And therefore it is said in Deuteronomy 10: "You shall fear the Lord your God"; and the Psalm: "O Lord our Lord, how admirable is your name in all the earth" — God of Israel
names the benignity
to be blessed with love; Isaiah 45: "I am the Lord, who call you by your name, the God of Israel, for the sake of Jacob my servant and Israel my chosen one"; and Exodus 3: "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. This is my name, and this is my memorial." Moreover, Israel
is named here rather than another, because it is the name of election and grace.
122. Now the first motive of this blessing is the mystery of the incarnation,
which he indicates when he says: Because he has visited,
namely through the incarnation; Exodus 3: "Visiting, the Lord has visited us and has seen all the evils that have befallen us in Egypt, and he will lead us out of the affliction of Egypt," etc. The Prophet was asking for this in the Psalm: "Remember us, O Lord, in the good pleasure of your people; visit us with your salvation." This moreover came to pass when he took flesh from the Virgin; the Psalm: "You have visited the earth and made it drunk; you have multiplied its enrichment."
123. The second motive is the price of redemption,
which he touches upon when he says: And he has wrought the redemption of his people:
so that what is said in the Psalm may be fulfilled: "The Lord has sent redemption to his people"; and truly, "because with the Lord there is mercy, and with him plentiful redemption"; and 1 Peter 1: "You were not redeemed with corruptible gold or silver from your vain manner of life received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood as of a Lamb unspotted and undefiled," etc. And this is what is said in Isaiah 52: "You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money"; the Psalm: "You have redeemed your people with your arm."
124. (Vers. 69.). The third motive is the trophy of the resurrection,
which he touches upon when he says: And he raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David, his servant:
in which is understood the power of Christ rising: 1 Kings 2: "The Lord will give dominion to his king and will exalt the horn of his Christ." And this was in the resurrection: Matthew, last chapter: "All power has been given to me in heaven and on earth." And because that power was enduring, therefore it is signified by a horn;
as a figure of this, the vessel with which Solomon was anointed was a horn,
3 Kings 1; the vessel with which Saul was anointed was a flask,
that is, a fragile vessel, 1 Kings 10. And it is said: Horn of salvation,
because through it "Israel was saved with an eternal salvation," Isaiah 45. — And he adds: In the house of David, his servant:
according to that of the Psalm: "There I will make a horn spring forth for David; I have prepared a lamp for my Christ"; and 2 Kings 22: "My shield and the horn of my salvation, my lifter and my protector; from my iniquity you will free me." This, however, is said on account of the incarnation; below in chapter 2 it is said that Joseph and Mary were "of the family of David."
125. (Vers. 70.). As he spoke by the mouth of his holy ones.
Here he offers praises and thanks for our restoration, inasmuch as it was promised through the Prophets
by the prophecy of the Holy Spirit. And first he sets forth the prophetic oracle;
second, he subjoins the prophesied benefit;
and third, the fulfillment of the benefit.
For these three things stir one to bless God.
First, therefore, he sets forth the oracle
in that he says: As he spoke by the mouth of his holy Prophets who have been from of old.
And it should be repeated: "Blessed be the Lord God, because he raised up," etc. As he spoke:
1 Chronicles 17: "Now, Lord, let the word which you have spoken be confirmed forever, and do as you have spoken." This the Saints preceding Christ's advent desired: Ecclesiasticus 36: "Raise up the prayers which your former Prophets spoke in your name, and give reward to those who wait for you, that your Prophets may be found faithful." Which also came to pass: below, chapter 18: "Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that were spoken by the Prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished"; Amos 3: "For the Lord will not do a thing unless he has revealed his secret to his servants the Prophets."
126. (Vers. 71.). Second, he subjoins the benefit
which the Prophets promised, when he says: Salvation from our enemies:
and the word he wrought
or he raised up
should be repeated. For the Prophets spoke of this: 1 Peter 1: "Concerning which salvation the Prophets inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace to come in you." This salvation, moreover, consists in liberation from enemies,
that is, from demons: Psalm: "Deliver me from my enemies"; Colossians 1: "He has rescued us from the power of darkness."
127. And he adds thirdly the completion of the benefit,
when he says: And from the hand of all who hated us,
that is, from the hand or power of all persecutors, whether demons or men: Isaiah nineteen: "They shall cry out to the Lord because of the oppressor, and he shall send them a savior and a champion, who shall deliver them"; Job five: "He dissipates the plans of the malicious, so that their hands cannot accomplish what they had begun." And for so great a benefit God is to be praised: Second Maccabees one: "Having been delivered from great dangers by God, we give him magnificent thanks"; and in the Psalm: "He delivered me from my most powerful enemies, and from those who hated me."
128. (Verse 72). To perform mercy
etc. This is the third principal part of the canticle, in which he gives thanks for our restoration, inasmuch as it was promised to the Fathers
under oath. And in this part he first sets forth the principle moving to the promise;
second, the oath establishing it;
and third, the remedy following upon it.
The principle
now moving to the promise
was the divine mercy, from which promise arose the testimony of the Fathers: and he touches on this when he says: To perform mercy with our Fathers.
And the word previously stated must be repeated, namely that of blessing and raising up: blessed, that is, be God, who raised up a horn, so that he might perform mercy: Exodus twenty: "He performs mercy unto thousands for those who love him"; and Tobit three: "Blessed are you, Lord God of our fathers, who, when you have been angry, show mercy"; the Psalm: "Magnifying the salvations of his king and showing mercy to his anointed, to David and to his seed forever." And because by promising mercy he as it were made it a debt through a covenant, he therefore adds: And to remember his holy testament:
the Psalm: "He has been mindful forever of his testament, of the word which he commanded for a thousand generations."
129. And note that the old testament was holy through prefiguration,
but the new through containment
and fulfillment: whence he calls the new testament a holy
testament, which he sanctified with his blood: Zechariah nine: "You also, in the blood of your testament, have sent forth your prisoners from the pit"; and Hebrews nine: "If the blood of goats and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled upon the defiled sanctifies unto the cleansing of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the Holy Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And therefore he is the mediator of the new testament, so that, with death intervening, for the redemption of those transgressions which were under the former testament, those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance." And this is what he had promised beforehand, as is said in Hebrews eight: "I will consummate upon the house of Israel and the house of Judah a new testament."
130. (Vers. 73.). Secondly, he adds the establishing oath, when he says: The oath which he swore to Abraham our father: and the preceding word must always be repeated, namely performed: Genesis twenty-two: "By myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not spared your only-begotten son for my sake, blessing I will bless you." Introducing this, the Apostle in Hebrews six says: "For God, promising to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom he might swear, swore by himself"; and thus, so that "he might show more abundantly to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, he interposed an oath, so that through two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have the strongest consolation." To Abraham, he promised, namely that he would give to us, his children, that is through the promise, his Only-begotten; John three: "God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son"; and: "He who did not spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how has he not also given us all things with him?" Romans eight. Moreover, the figure of this is in Genesis fifteen: "To your seed I will give this land from the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates."
131. (Vers. 74.). Then he adds the benefit or subsequent remedy, when he says: That without fear, delivered from the hand of our enemies, we may serve him. For this is the remedy which we have obtained through Christ given to us: Romans six: "But now being freed from sin and made servants of God, you have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end, life everlasting"; Wisdom sixteen: "You showed our enemies that it is you who deliver from all evil," namely those who hear you by believing and obeying: Proverbs one: "But he who hears me shall be without terror and shall enjoy abundance, the fear of evils being removed." And these are those who serve the Lord: 1 Kings seven: "Prepare your hearts unto the Lord and serve him alone"; and he will deliver us from the hands of our enemies.
132. (Vers. 75.). And because not every manner of serving is acceptable to God, therefore he adds the manner, namely holily with respect to oneself, justly with respect to one's neighbor, simply with respect to God, perseveringly with respect to all the aforesaid. — On account of holiness he says: In holiness indeed let us serve him, because, as it is said in the Psalm, "he who walks in the immaculate way, he ministered to me"; therefore Exodus twenty-eight: "You shall sanctify Aaron and his sons, that they may exercise the priesthood to me," and "let them minister in the sanctuary, lest they die guilty of iniquity"; 1 Peter one: "According to him who called you, the Holy One, that you also may be holy in all your conduct, because it is written: You shall be holy, because I am holy."
133. On account of justice
with regard to one's neighbor, he says: And justice:
Romans 6: "As you have yielded your members to serve iniquity unto iniquity, so now yield your members to serve justice unto sanctification"; so that you may be able to say that word of the Psalm: "But I in justice shall appear before your sight."
134. On account of simplicity
he says: Before him,
namely God: which is done through simple intention, as Hezekiah, 4 Kings 20: "I beseech you, Lord, remember how I have walked before you in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done what is pleasing before you." Thus "the boy Samuel ministered in the sight of the Lord before the face of Eli," 1 Kings 3; and 1 Chronicles, last chapter: "I know, Lord, that you test hearts and love simplicity."
135. On account of perseverance
he adds: All our days,
as the Apostle, Acts 20: "You know how through all the time I was with you, serving the Lord with all humility and tears and trials"; and Joshua 22: "Cleave to God and serve him with all your heart and with all your soul."
136. (Verse 76). And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
etc. This is the fourth part of the canticle, in which he recounts the benefit of our redemption, inasmuch as it was already begun in the precursor;
and this by a prophetic proclamation,
which he commends in three ways, namely from the authority of prophecy,
from the utility of doctrine,
and from the proximity of the divine presence.
He commends therefore the proclamation of John, initiatory of our restoration, from the authority of prophecy,
turning his discourse to the child. And you, child, prophet of the Most High: you, child
both in age and in purity: 1 Corinthians 14: "In malice be children, but in understanding be perfect." You shall be called a prophet;
Matthew 11: "Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet"; and prophet of the Most High,
that is, of Christ, by reason of his Divinity:
the Psalm: "A man is born in her, and the Most High himself has founded her." — For you shall go before the face of the Lord,
by reason of his humanity:
the Psalm: "Show your face, and we shall be saved"; and Malachi 3: "Behold, I send my angel, and he shall prepare the way before my face." — To prepare his ways,
he says ways
in the plural, that is, the way of knowledge in faith
and of affection in charity.
Concerning the first,
Job 17: "The just man shall hold to his way, and with clean hands shall add strength"; Romans 1: "The just man lives by faith." Concerning the way of charity:
1 Corinthians 12: "I show you a still more excellent way." John prepared the way of faith
inasmuch as he was a voice:
below in chapter 3: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord"; the way of charity,
inasmuch as he was a lamp:
John 5: "He was a burning and shining lamp."
137. (Vers. 77.). He commends it also secondly from the utility of the doctrine, when he says: To give knowledge of salvation to his people: to give, namely freely: Matthew 10: "Freely you have received, freely give"; and Proverbs 2: "The Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come prudence and knowledge." To give, I say, knowledge, not just any, but of salvation: because without knowledge there is no salvation; Isaiah 5: "Therefore my people has been led captive, because it did not have knowledge." This every ruler of the people ought to have; Hosea 4: "Because you have rejected knowledge, I will reject you, so that you shall not serve me as priest"; Isaiah 33: "The riches of salvation, wisdom and knowledge," of salvation, I say, not of just any kind, but spiritual: on account of which he adds: In the remission of their sins. Bede: "Lest you think that temporal salvation was being promised, he adds 'in the remission of their sins.'" For of the Savior it is said in Matthew 1: "He shall save his people from their sins"; and Mark 1: "John was preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins."
138. (Vers. 78.). He commends also John's proclamation from the proximity of the divine presence, when he says: Through the bowels of mercy of our God. And he describes this in three ways: first, as visiting to console the affection; second, as illuminating to teach the intellect, at: To illuminate those, etc.; third, as directing to rectify the action, at: To direct the feet, etc.
He therefore first describes the divine presence joined to the prophecy of the precursor, when he says: Through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the Dayspring from on high has visited us:
and it should be continued from the preceding thus: You shall go before to give knowledge of salvation to his people unto the remission of sins, which indeed was through the tender mercy of God,
which hastens the divine presence in the flesh, in which he visited us. The tender mercy
is exceeding love and exceeding compassion: Ephesians 2: "But God, who is rich in mercy, on account of his exceeding charity with which he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, made us alive together in Christ, by whose grace you are saved"; and Isaiah 63: "Where is the multitude of your tender mercies and your compassions? They have restrained themselves over me." But after the Son of God was incarnate, that word of Genesis 43 concerning Joseph was verified: "His bowels were moved for his brother." Following this example, Colossians 3: "Put on, as the elect of God, tender mercy, kindness, humility, modesty, patience." Through this tender mercy the Dayspring from on high has visited us:
Malachi 4: "For you who fear my name, the sun of justice shall arise, and healing in his wings"; and Zechariah 6: "Behold a man, the Dayspring
is his name." From on high,
according to that word of John 3: "He who comes from above is above all." In this there was a wondrous condescension: the Psalm: "What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you visit him?"
139. (Verse 79). Now this visitation of the heavenly sun was not only a cause of consolation,
but also of illumination:
and therefore he adds: To illuminate those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death:
and it should be construed: he visited to illuminate, that is, for the purpose of illuminating, those who sit in darkness, that is, the erring nations: Isaiah 9: "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; for those dwelling in the region of the shadow of death, a light has risen for them"; and again, [Isaiah] 42: "I have given you as a light to the nations, that you might open the eyes of the blind and lead forth the bound from confinement, those sitting in darkness from the prison house." And therefore John 9: "For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind."
140. And because through illumination we are led to direction,
therefore there follows: To direct our feet into the way of peace:
Proverbs 16: "The heart of man disposeth his way, but it is the Lord's to direct his steps." And therefore Proverbs 3: "In all thy ways think upon him, and he shall direct thy steps"; and the Psalm: "Thy good Spirit shall lead me into the right land," where there is the kingdom of peace without toil; Wisdom 10: "The Lord conducted the just one through right ways and showed him the kingdom of God"; of which kingdom it is said in the Psalm: "Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem, who hath placed peace in thy borders." For Jerusalem
is interpreted as "vision of peace," to which we are led through the guidance of Christ and through the way of the commandments, which leads to peace: the Psalm: "Much peace have they that love thy law"; and Isaiah 48: "Would that thou hadst attended to my commandments: thy peace would have been as a river."
141. Note that the Lord visits to correct offenders,
as a legate a province; Obadiah 1: "He hath sent a legate to the nations. Arise, and let us rise up against him in battle"; the Psalm: "I will visit their iniquities with a rod." — To justify the penitent,
as a physician the sick: Mark 2: "They that are well have no need of the physician, but they that are ill." — To teach the ignorant,
as a master a disciple, as here: He hath visited us, to enlighten,
etc.; the Psalm: "Thou hast visited the earth and plentifully watered it"; there follows: "The river of God is filled with waters."
— To rouse the negligent,
as a prince his people; 1 Kings 17: "Visit thy brethren, whether they fare well, and learn with whom they have been stationed"; Acts 15: "Let us return and visit the brethren throughout all the cities." — To advance those who labor,
as a vinedresser his vineyard; the Psalm: "Look down from heaven and see, and visit this vineyard"; Isaiah 5: "For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel." — To preserve the obedient,
as a shepherd his flock; Ezekiel 34: "I will visit my sheep, as a shepherd visits his flock."
To make fruitful those who contemplate,
as a bridegroom his bride; Genesis twenty-one: "The Lord visited Sarah, and she conceived"; Judith fifteen: "Joachim, the high priest, came from Jerusalem to Bethulia with all his priests, to see Judith." — To aid those who fight,
as a king his army; Genesis, the last chapter: "After my death God will visit you"; and Luke, the last chapter: "Stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high." To console those who suffer,
as a healthy person the sick; Job ten: "Your visitation has preserved my spirit"; and Job two and James one: "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their tribulations"; Ecclesiasticus seven: "Let it not weary you to visit the sick." — To reward those who persevere,
as a householder; Matthew twenty: "Call the workers and pay them their wages"; and Isaiah sixty: "I will make your visitation peace and your overseers justice."
On the upbringing of the child and the amplification of praise, three points.
142. (Verse 80.). But the child grew,
etc. After the origin of the precursor has been described and the thanksgiving for his origin, here thirdly is added his upbringing,
in which there is an amplification of divine praise. The upbringing is described with respect to the progress of age in the flesh
and virtue in the mind
and religiosity in manner of life.
With respect to the progress of age
he says: But the child grew,
namely, in body, according to what is said of Samuel in 1 Kings two: "The child Samuel grew and was pleasing both to God and to men." For he had found blessing, like Joseph, of whom Genesis, the penultimate chapter says: "Joseph is a growing son, a growing son and comely to behold"; but contrarily it is said of Reuben in Genesis, the penultimate chapter: "You were poured out like water; may you not grow." Whence also that passage of Genesis twenty-six applies to him: "Isaac advancing and growing, until he became exceedingly great."
143. With respect to the progress of virtue in the mind
he says: And he was strengthened in spirit,
namely, of divine power, of which Ezekiel three says: "The hand of the Lord was with me, strengthening me"; whence he could say that word of the Apostle in Philippians, the last chapter: "I can do all things in him who strengthens me." Now this is the Holy Spirit, who gives power to the other Saints; the Psalm: "By the word of the Lord the heavens were established, and by the breath of his mouth all their power."
144. With respect to the progress of religiosity in manner of life
he adds: And he was in the deserts,
namely, so that there he might lead a religious life, according to what is sung of him:
The caves of the desert in your tender years, fleeing the throngs of citizens, you sought, lest you might stain your life with even a slight utterance; because, "if anyone considers himself to be religious, not bridling his tongue but deceiving his own heart, his religion is vain." And therefore he cast forth that prophetic word in the Psalm: "I went far off fleeing and remained in solitude." For whoever wishes to live perfectly ought, having left the cities, to seek the desert places: First Maccabees, chapter two: "Many went down with Mattathias, seeking judgment and justice in the desert, and they settled there." — And because religious devotion is not praiseworthy unless it is persevering, therefore he adds: Until the day of his manifestation to Israel,
when, namely, he showed himself in virtuous preaching: according to what the Apostle says in First Corinthians, chapter two: "My speech and my preaching was not in the persuasive words of human wisdom, but in the demonstration of the spirit and of power." Whence he first lived hidden to himself for a long time, so that afterward through his manifestation he might live for the salvation of others, according to that saying in James, chapter three: "Who is wise and learned among you? Let him show from his good conduct his works in the meekness of wisdom." — In this all preachers are instructed, that they should first devote themselves to their own perfection and then to the edification of others, because "he whose life is despised, it remains that his preaching be condemned." A figure of this preceded in Elijah, in Third Kings, chapter nineteen, who first went away into the desert and arrived at the mountain of God, where he was instructed: and afterward it follows that he anointed kings and prophets for the governance of the people of God.