Church Fathers Commentary Matthew 26:51-54

"And behold, one of them that were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and smote the servant of the high priest, and struck off his ear. Then saith Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into its place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Or thinkest thou that I cannot beseech my Father, and he shall even now send me more than twelve legions of angels? How then should the scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be?" — Matthew 26:51-54 (ASV)

St. John Chrysostom: As Luke relates, the Lord had said to His disciples at supper, “He that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip; and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one” (Luke 22:36). The disciples then answered, “Lo, here are two swords.”¹

It was natural that swords would be there for the paschal lamb they had been eating. Hearing that pursuers were coming to apprehend Christ, the disciples took these swords when they left the supper, as if to fight in defense of their Master.

St. Jerome: In another Gospelⁱ, Peter is represented as having done this with his usual hastiness. It is also noted that the servant's name was Malchus and that it was his right ear.

In passing, we may say that Malchus—meaning one who should have been king of the Jews—was made a slave to the ungodliness and greed of the priests. He lost his right ear so that he could only hear the worthlessness of the letter with his left.

Origen of Alexandria: For although they seem even now to hear the Law, they hear only with the left ear—hearing the shadow of a tradition concerning the Law, and not the truth. The Gentile people are signified by Peter, for by believing in Christ, they become the cause of the cutting off of the Jews' right ear.

Rabanus Maurus: Alternatively, Peter does not take away the sense of understanding from those who hear. Instead, he opens to the careless what was taken from them by a divine sentence. This same right ear, however, is restored to its original function in those from this nation who came to believe.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: Alternatively, the ear of the High Priest's servant is cut off by the Apostle. That is, Christ's disciple cuts off the disobedient hearing of a people who were slaves to the priesthood. The ear that had refused to hear is cut off so that it is no longer capable of hearing.

St. Leo the Great: The Lord of the zealous Apostle would not allow his pious zeal to proceed further, saying, “Then saith Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place.” For it was contrary to the sacrament of our redemption that He, who had come to die for all, should refuse to be apprehended. He therefore gives license to their fury against Him, lest by putting off the triumph of His glorious Cross, the dominion of the Devil be prolonged and the captivity of humanity made more enduring.²

Rabanus Maurus: It was also fitting that the Author of grace should teach the faithful patience by His own example, training them to endure adversity with fortitude rather than inciting them to self-defense.

St. John Chrysostom: To persuade the disciple of this, He adds a threat, saying, “All they that take the sword shall perish by the sword.”

St. Augustine of Hippo: This means everyone who uses the sword without the command or sanction of a superior or legitimate authority, arming himself against another person’s life. For the Lord had truly commanded His disciples to take the sword, but not to smite with it.

Was it then at all unfitting for Peter to become ruler of the Church after this sin, just as Moses was made ruler and chief of the Synagogue after smiting the Egyptian? Both transgressed the rule not through hardened ferocity, but through a warmth of spirit capable of good. Both acted through a hatred of the injustice of others, and both sinned through love—one for his brother, the other for his Lord—though it was a carnal love.³

St. Hilary of Poitiers: But not all who use the sword perish by the sword. Of those who have used the sword either judicially or in self-defense against robbers, the greater part are carried off by fever or accident. However, if it were true that everyone who uses the sword shall perish by the sword, then the sword was justly drawn against those who were now using it to promote a crime.

St. Jerome: With what sword, then, shall he who takes the sword perish? By that fiery sword which waves before the gate of paradise, and by the sword of the Spirit which is described in the armor of God.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: The Lord then commands him to return his sword to its sheath, because He would destroy them not with a human weapon, but by the sword of His mouth.

Remigius of Auxerre: Alternatively, everyone who uses the sword to put a person to death perishes first by the sword of his own wickedness.

St. John Chrysostom: He not only soothed His disciples with this declaration of punishment against His enemies, but also convinced them that He suffered voluntarily, saying, “Thinkest thou that I cannot pray to my Father, etc.” Because He had shown many qualities of human infirmity, it would have seemed incredible for Him to claim He had the power to destroy them. Therefore, He says, “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father?”

St. Jerome: In other words, I do not need the help of the Apostles, even if all twelve were to fight for me, since I could have twelve legions of the angelic army. The full complement of a legion among the ancients was six thousand men, so twelve legions would be seventy-two thousand angels—a number corresponding to the divisions of the human race and its languages.ⁱ

Origen of Alexandria: This shows that the armies of heaven have divisions into legions like earthly armies, for the warfare of angels against the legions of demons. He said this not as if He needed the help of angels, but in keeping with the assumption of Peter, who was trying to help Him. Truly, the angels have more need of the help of the Only-Begotten Son of God than He has of theirs.

Remigius of Auxerre: We might also understand the “angels” to mean the Roman armies, for with Titus and Vespasian, all nations rose against Judea. In this way, the scripture was fulfilled: “The whole world shall fight for him against those foolish men” (Wisdom 5:21).

St. John Chrysostom: He quiets their fears not only in this way, but also by referring to Scripture, asking, “How then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?”

St. Jerome: This statement shows a mind willing to suffer. The prophets would have prophesied in vain unless the Lord affirmed their truth by His suffering.

1. Hom. lxxxiv
2. Serm. 22
3. cont. Faust., xxii, 70