Church Fathers Commentary Matthew 4

Pseudo-Chrysostom: The Lord, having been baptized by John with water, is led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be baptized by the fire of temptation. "Then," meaning, when the voice of the Father had been given from heaven.

St. John Chrysostom: Whoever you are, then, who suffers grievous trials after your baptism, do not be troubled by it. You received your arms for this purpose: to fight, not to sit idle.

God does not withhold all trials from us for several reasons. First, so that we may feel that we have become stronger; second, so that we may not be puffed up by the greatness of the gifts we have received; third, so that the Devil may have proof that we have entirely renounced him; fourth, so that through trial we may be made even stronger; and fifth, so that we may receive a sign of the treasure entrusted to us. For the Devil would not come to tempt us if he did not see us advanced to greater honors.¹

St. Hilary of Poitiers: The Devil's snares are chiefly spread for the sanctified, because a victory over the saints is more desirable to him than one over others.

St. Gregory the Great: Some doubt which Spirit it was that led Jesus into the desert, because it is said later, "The Devil took him into the holy city." But the received opinion—which is true and unquestionably agrees with the context—is that it was the Holy Spirit. His own Spirit would lead Him to the place where the evil spirit would find and test Him.²

St. Augustine of Hippo: Why did He offer Himself to temptation? So that He might be our mediator in vanquishing temptation, not only by His aid but also by His example.³

Pseudo-Chrysostom: He was led by the Holy Spirit, not as an inferior at the bidding of a superior. For we use the word "led" not only for someone who is constrained by a stronger person, but also for someone who is persuaded by reason, just as Andrew "found his brother Simon, and brought him to Jesus."

St. Jerome: He was "led," not against His will or as a prisoner, but as one moved by a desire for the conflict.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: The Devil comes against men to tempt them, but since he could not come against Christ, Christ came against the Devil.

St. Gregory the Great: We should know that there are three modes of temptation: suggestion, delight, and consent. When we are tempted, we commonly fall into delight or consent because, being born of the sin of the flesh, we carry within us the very source that gives the contest its strength.

But God, who became incarnate in the Virgin's womb and came into the world without sin, carried nothing of a contrary nature within Himself. He could, therefore, be tempted by suggestion, but the delight of sin never gnawed at His soul. For this reason, all the Devil's temptation was external to Him, not internal.

St. John Chrysostom: The Devil is accustomed to be most urgent with temptation when he sees us alone. Thus, in the beginning, he tempted the woman when he found her without the man. Now, too, an opportunity is offered to the Devil by the Savior's being led into the desert.

Glossa Ordinaria: This desert is the one between Jerusalem and Jericho, where robbers used to gather. It is called Hammaim, meaning "of blood," from the bloodshed these robbers caused there. This is why the man in the parable was said to have fallen among robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, representing a figure of Adam, who was overcome by demons. It was therefore fitting that the place where Christ overcame the Devil should be the same one in which the Devil, in the parable, overcomes man.⁴

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Not only Christ is led into the desert by the Spirit, but also all the sons of God who have the Holy Spirit. For they are not content to sit idle; instead, the Holy Spirit stirs them to take up some great work—that is, to go out into the desert where they will encounter the Devil, for there is no righteousness with which the Devil is pleased.

For all that is good is outside the flesh and the world, because it is not according to the will of the flesh and the world. To such a desert, then, all the sons of God go out so that they may be tempted.

For example, if you are unmarried, the Holy Spirit has led you into the desert—that is, beyond the limits of the flesh and the world—so that you may be tempted by lust. A person who is married, however, is unmoved by such a temptation.

Let us learn from this that the sons of God are tempted only when they have gone out into the desert. In contrast, the children of the Devil, whose lives are in the flesh and the world, are overcome there and obey temptation. The good man who has a wife is content; the bad man, though he has a wife, is not content with her, and so it is in all other things.

The children of the Devil do not go out to meet the Devil to be tempted. For why should someone seek the struggle who does not desire the victory? But the sons of God, having more confidence and desiring victory, go out against him beyond the boundaries of the flesh. For this reason, Christ also went out to the Devil, so that He might be tempted by him.

St. John Chrysostom: So that you may learn how great a good fasting is, what a mighty shield it is against the Devil, and that after baptism you ought to give attention to fasting and not to self-indulgence, Christ fasted—not because He needed it Himself, but to teach us by His example.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: And to establish the measure of our Lenten fast, He fasted forty days and forty nights.

St. John Chrysostom: But He did not exceed the measure of Moses and Elijah, so that it would not bring into doubt the reality of His assumption of the flesh.

St. Gregory the Great: The Creator of all things took no food whatsoever for forty days. We also, during the season of Lent, afflict our flesh by abstinence as much as we are able. The number forty is preserved because the virtue of the Decalogue is fulfilled in the books of the holy Gospel, and ten taken four times amounts to forty.⁵

Or, it is because in this mortal body we consist of four elements, and through their delights we go against the Lord's precepts received in the Decalogue. And since we transgress the Decalogue through the desires of this flesh, it is fitting that we afflict the flesh forty-fold.

Alternatively, just as by the Law we offer a tenth of our goods, so we strive to offer a tenth of our time. From the first Sunday of Lent to the celebration of the Paschal festival is a period of six weeks, or forty-two days. If we subtract the six Sundays, which are not fast days, thirty-six days remain. Now, since the year consists of 365 days, by the affliction of these thirty-six days we give a tenth of our year to God.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Here is another way to understand it: The sum of all wisdom is to be acquainted with the Creator and the creature. The Creator is the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The creature is partly invisible, like the soul (to which we assign a threefold nature, as in the command to love God with the whole heart, mind, and soul), and partly visible, like the body, which we divide into four elements: the hot, the cold, the liquid, and the solid.

The number ten, which stands for the whole law of life, taken four times—that is, multiplied by the number we assign to the body, because the law is obeyed or disobeyed through the body—makes the number forty. Furthermore, all the aliquot parts of forty (namely: 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, and 20) add up to fifty.

Thus, the time of our sorrow and affliction is fixed at forty days, while the state of blessed joy that is to come is figured in the Quinquagesimal festival—that is, the fifty days from Easter to Pentecost.⁶

However, we should not suppose that because Christ fasted immediately after receiving baptism, He established a rule that we must fast immediately after our own baptism. Rather, when the conflict with the tempter is severe, then we ought to fast, so that the body may fulfill its warfare through discipline and the soul may obtain victory through humiliation.⁷

Pseudo-Chrysostom: The Lord knew the Devil's thoughts—that he sought to tempt Him. The Devil had heard that Christ had been born into this world, accompanied by the preaching of angels, the witness of shepherds, the inquiry of the Magi, and the testimony of John. Thus, the Lord proceeded against him not as God, but as man—or rather, as both God and man.

For to not have been hungry after forty days of fasting was not human; yet to be hungry at all was not divine. He was hungry, then, so that His divinity might not be fully revealed, which would have extinguished the Devil's hope in tempting Him and thus hindered His own victory.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: He was hungry not during the forty days, but after them. Therefore, when the Lord became hungry, it was not that the effects of abstinence first came upon Him then, but that His humanity was left to its own strength. For the Devil was to be overcome not by the God, but by the flesh.

This prefigured that after the forty days He was to remain on earth following His passion were accomplished, He would hunger for the salvation of humanity. At that time, He carried back to God the Father the expected gift: the humanity He had taken upon Himself.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: The Devil, who had begun to despair when he saw that Christ fasted for forty days, began to hope again when he saw that He was an hungred. And then the tempter came to him. If, then, you have fasted and are afterward tempted, do not say, “I have lost the fruit of my fast.” For though it may not have prevented the temptation, it will prevent you from being overcome by it.

St. Gregory the Great: If we observe the successive steps of the temptation, we can see how thoroughly we are freed from it. The ancient enemy tempted the first man through his belly when he persuaded him to eat the forbidden fruit; through ambition when he said, You shall be as gods; and through covetousness when he said, knowing good and evil. For there is a covetousness not only of money but also of greatness, which is sought when a high position beyond our measure is desired.

By the same methods with which he had overcome the first Adam, he was himself overcome when he tempted the second Adam. He tempted through the belly when he said, Command that these stones become loaves; through ambition when he said, If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down from here; and through covetousness for a high position with the words, All these things I will give you.

St. Ambrose of Milan: He begins with that which had once been the means of his victory—the appetite: If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves. What does such a beginning mean, except that he knew the Son of God was to come, yet did not believe He had come because of His physical weakness? His speech is partly that of an inquirer and partly that of a tempter; he professes to believe Him to be God, yet strives to deceive Him as a man.¹

St. Hilary of Poitiers: Therefore, in the temptation, he makes a proposal of a dual nature: one by which Christ’s divinity would be revealed through the miracle of transformation, and another by which the weakness of the man would be deceived by the delight of food.

St. Jerome: But you are caught, O Enemy, in a dilemma. If these stones can be made into bread at His word, your temptation is useless against one so mighty. If He cannot make them into bread, your suspicion that this is the Son of God must be baseless.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: But just as the Devil blinds all men, so now he is invisibly blinded by Christ. He found Him an hungred at the end of forty days and did not know that He had continued through those forty days without being hungry. In suspecting that He was not the Son of God, he failed to consider that the mighty Champion can descend to weak things, but the weak cannot ascend to high things.

We can more readily infer from His not being hungry for so many days that He is God, than we can infer from His being hungry afterward that He is man. It may be said that Moses and Elijah fasted for forty days, and they were men. But they were hungry and endured it; He, for the space of forty days, was not hungry, but only afterward.

To be hungry and yet refuse food is within human endurance, but not to be hungry at all belongs to the divine nature alone.

St. Jerome: Christ’s purpose was to conquer by humility; St. Leo the Great: therefore, He opposed the adversary with testimonies from the Law rather than with miraculous powers. This gave more honor to man and more disgrace to the adversary, since the enemy of the human race was thus overcome by man rather than by God.²

St. Gregory the Great: So the Lord, when tempted by the Devil, answered only with precepts from Holy Scripture. He who could have drowned His tempter in the abyss did not display the might of His power, giving us an example that when we suffer anything from evil men, we should be moved to learning rather than to revenge.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: He did not say, “I do not live,” but, Man does not live by bread alone, so that the Devil might still ask, If you are the Son of God. If He is God, it is as though He avoided displaying what He had the power to do; if He is a man, it is a crafty way to conceal His lack of power.

Rabanus Maurus: This verse is quoted from Deuteronomy 8:3.ⁱ Whoever, then, does not feed on the Word of God, does not live. Just as the body of a man cannot live without earthly food, so his soul cannot live without God’s word. This word is said to proceed out of the mouth of God, by which He reveals His will through scriptural testimonies.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: From Christ's first answer, the Devil could learn nothing certain about whether He was God or man. He therefore resorted to another temptation, saying to himself, "This man who does not feel hunger, if not the Son of God, is at least a holy man."

Such people attain the strength not to be overcome by hunger. But when they have subdued every necessity of the flesh, they often fall through the desire for empty glory. Therefore, he began to tempt Him with this empty glory.

St. Jerome: "Took him," not because the Lord was weak, but because the enemy was proud; he attributed to necessity what the Savior did willingly.

Rabanus Maurus: Jerusalem was called the Holy City because in it was the Temple of God, the Holy of Holies, and the worship of the one God according to the law of Moses.

Remigius of Auxerre: This shows that the Devil lies in wait for Christ's faithful people even in sacred places.

St. Gregory the Great: Consider that when it is said that God was taken by the Devil into the holy city, pious ears tremble to hear. And yet, the Devil is the head and chief of the wicked. Is it any wonder, then, that He who allowed Himself to be crucified by the Devil's agents also allowed Himself to be led up a mountain by the wicked one himself?

Glossa Ordinaria: The Devil places us on high places by exalting us with pride, so that he may dash us to the ground again.¹

Remigius of Auxerre: The "pinnacle" is the seat of the teachers. The temple did not have a pointed roof like our houses but was flat on top, as was common in the region of Palestine, and it had three stories.

It should be known that "the pinnacle" was on the floor, and on each story there was one pinnacle. Whether he placed Him on the pinnacle of the first, second, or third story, he placed Him in a location from where a fall was possible.

Glossa Ordinaria: Observe here that all these things were done physically, and by a careful comparison of the context, it seems probable that the Devil appeared in human form.²

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Perhaps you might ask, "How could the Devil place Him bodily on the temple in full view of everyone?" Perhaps the Devil took Him in a way that seemed visible to all, while Christ, without the Devil being aware, made Himself invisible.

Glossa Ordinaria: He set Him on a pinnacle of the temple when he intended to tempt Him through ambition. He did this because, in this seat of the teachers, he had previously ensnared many through the same temptation. Therefore, he thought that if Christ were set in the same seat, He might similarly be puffed up with vain pride.³

St. Jerome: In the various temptations, the Devil's single aim is to find out if He is the Son of God, but he is answered in such a way that he finally departs in doubt. He says, "Cast yourself down," because the voice of the Devil, which always calls people downward, has the power to persuade them but cannot compel them to fall.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: How does the Devil expect to discover by this proposal whether He is the Son of God? Flying through the air is not a characteristic of the Divine nature, for it serves no useful purpose. If anyone were to attempt to fly when challenged, he would be acting out of ostentation and would belong more to the Devil than to God.

If it is enough for a wise man to be what he is, with no wish to seem what he is not, how much more should the Son of God consider it unnecessary to show what He is? For no one can know Him as He truly is in Himself.

St. Ambrose of Milan: But just as Satan transforms himself into an angel of light and lays a trap for the faithful even from the divine Scriptures, so here he uses its texts not to instruct but to deceive.

St. Jerome: We read this verse in the ninetieth psalm (Psalm 91:11), but that is a prophecy not about Christ, but about any holy person; thus, the Devil misinterprets Scripture.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: For in truth, the Son of God is not carried by angels, but He Himself carries them. Or if He is carried in their arms, it is not from weakness, lest He dash His foot against a stone, but for the sake of honor. O Devil, you have read that the Son of God is borne in angels' arms; have you not also read that He shall tread upon the asp and the basilisk? But he brings forward the one text because he is proud, and he omits the other because he is crafty.

St. John Chrysostom: Observe that Scripture is quoted by the Lord only with its proper meaning, but by the Devil, it is used irreverently. For the passage where it is written, He will give his angels charge over you, is not an exhortation for Him to cast Himself headlong.

Glossa Ordinaria: We must explain it this way: Scripture says of any good person that God has commanded His angels—that is, His ministering spirits—to carry him in their hands. This means they are to guard him by their aid so that he does not dash his foot against a stone—that is, to keep his heart so that it does not stumble over the old law written on tablets of stone.⁴

Alternatively, the stone can be understood as any occasion for sin and error.

Rabanus Maurus: It should be noted that although our Savior allowed Himself to be placed by the Devil on a pinnacle of the temple, He refused to come down at his command. This gives us an example that we should obey whoever bids us to ascend the narrow way of truth. But if that same one would cast us down again from the height of truth and virtue into the depth of error, we should not listen to him.

St. Jerome: He counters the Devil's false darts of Scripture with the true shield of Scripture.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: Thus, by defeating the Devil's efforts, He declares Himself to be both God and Lord.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Yet He does not say, "You shall not tempt me, your Lord God," but rather, "You shall not tempt the Lord your God." This is something every person of God could say when tempted by the Devil, for whoever tempts a person of God, tempts God.

Rabanus Maurus: Alternatively, it was a suggestion to Him in His humanity that He should seek to know the greatness of God's power by demanding a miracle.

St. Augustine of Hippo: It is a part of sound doctrine that when a person has other options, he should not tempt the Lord his God.⁵

Theod. non occ.: And it is to tempt God to expose oneself to danger for no reason.

St. Jerome: It should be noted that the cited texts are taken only from the book of Deuteronomy, so that He might show the sacraments of the second Law.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: The Devil, left in uncertainty by this second reply, moves on to a third temptation. Christ had broken the nets of appetite and passed over those of ambition; now the Devil spreads for Him the nets of greed. He takes Him up to a very high mountain, one that, in going around the earth, he had noticed rising above the rest. The higher the mountain, the wider the view from it.

He did not show Him the kingdoms in such a way that He truly saw the actual kingdoms, cities, nations, or their silver and gold. Instead, he showed Him the regions of the earth where each kingdom and city was located. For example, if from some high ground I were to point out to you, "See, there lies Rome, and there lies Alexandria," you would not be expected to see the cities themselves, but only the direction in which they lie.

In the same way, the Devil might have pointed out the different regions with his finger and described in words the greatness and condition of each kingdom. For something is said to be "shown" if it is presented to the understanding in any way.

Origen of Alexandria: We should not suppose that when the devil showed Him the kingdoms of the world, he presented before Him the kingdom of Persia or India, for instance. Rather, he showed Him his own kingdom: how he reigns in the world, meaning how some people are governed by fornication and others by greed.¹

Remigius of Auxerre: By "their glory," he means their gold, silver, precious stones, and worldly goods.

Rabanus Maurus: The Devil shows all this to the Lord, not as if he had the power to expand His vision or show Him anything He did not already know. Instead, by describing in appealing and pleasant terms the vain, worldly pomp in which he himself delighted, he thought that by this suggestion he could create a love for it in Christ.

Glossa Ordinaria: He did not see with the eye of lust, as we do, but saw as a physician looks upon a disease without receiving any harm from it.²

St. Jerome: This was an arrogant and empty boast, for he does not have the power to bestow all kingdoms, since we know that many of the saints have been made kings by God.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: However, things that are acquired through iniquity in this world—such as riches gained by fraud or perjury—these are what the Devil bestows. Therefore, the Devil cannot give riches to whomever he wishes, but only to those who are willing to receive them from him.

Remigius of Auxerre: What wonderful foolishness in the Devil! To promise earthly kingdoms to the one who gives heavenly kingdoms to His faithful people, and to promise the glory of the earth to Him who is Lord of the glory of heaven!

St. Ambrose of Milan: Ambition has its own dangers. In order to govern, it must first be a slave to others; it bows in flattery so that it may rule in honor. While it seeks to be exalted, it is forced to stoop.³

Glossa Ordinaria: See the Devil's pride, just as it was of old. In the beginning, he sought to make himself equal with God; now he seeks to usurp the honors due to God, saying, "If you will fall down and worship me." Whoever, then, worships the Devil must first fall down.⁴

Pseudo-Chrysostom: With these words, He puts an end to the Devil's temptations, so that they should not proceed any further.

St. Jerome: The Devil and Peter are not, as many suppose, condemned with the same sentence. To Peter it is said, "Get behind me, Satan," meaning, "You who are opposed to my will, follow behind me." But here it is, "Go, Satan," and "behind me" is not added, so that we may understand it to mean, "Go into the fire prepared for you and your angels."

Remigius of Auxerre: Other copies read, "Get behind me," meaning, "Remember the glory in which you were created, and the misery into which you have fallen."

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Observe how Christ, when He Himself suffered wrong at the hands of the Devil who tempted Him, saying, "If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down," was still not moved to rebuke the Devil. But now, when the Devil usurps the honor of God, He is angry and drives him away, saying, "Go, Satan."

From His example, we learn to bear injuries to ourselves with greatness of spirit, but not even to endure hearing wrongs committed against God. For to be patient when we are wronged is praiseworthy, but to ignore it when God is wronged is impiety.

St. Jerome: When the Devil says to the Savior, "If you will fall down and worship me," he is answered with the contrary declaration: that it is more fitting for the Devil to worship Jesus as his Lord and God.

St. Augustine of Hippo: The one Lord our God is the Holy Trinity, to whom alone we justly owe the service of piety.⁵

By "service," we are to understand the honor due to God. Our version of the Scriptures renders the Greek word latria as "service" (Latin: servitus) wherever it occurs. However, the service that is due to men (as when the Apostle bids slaves be subject to their masters) is called dulia in Greek.

In contrast, latria is always—or so often that we can say always—used for the worship that belongs to God alone.⁶

Pseudo-Chrysostom: We may fairly suppose that the Devil did not depart in obedience to the command. Rather, the divine nature of Christ and the Holy Spirit who was in Him drove him away, and "then the devil left him." This also serves for our comfort, showing us that the Devil does not tempt the people of God for as long as he wishes, but only for as long as Christ allows. And though Christ may permit him to tempt for a short time, in the end He drives him away because of the weakness of our human nature.

St. Augustine of Hippo: After the temptation, the holy angels—who are to be dreaded by all unclean spirits—ministered to the Lord. By this, it was made even more clear to the demons how great His power was.⁷

Pseudo-Chrysostom: The text does not say that "angels descended from heaven," so that it might be known that they were always on earth to minister to Him. Instead, they had departed from Him by the Lord's command to give the Devil an opportunity to approach, for perhaps the Devil would not have come near if he had seen Him surrounded by angels.

We cannot know in what specific matters they ministered to Him—whether in healing diseases, purifying souls, or casting out demons. For He does all these things through the ministry of angels, so that what they do, He Himself appears to do. However, it is clear that they did not minister to Him now because His weakness required it, but for the honor of His power. For it is not said that they "helped Him," but that they "ministered to Him."

St. Gregory the Great: In these events, the twofold nature in one person is shown: it is the man whom the Devil tempts, and it is the same one who is God to whom angels minister.⁸

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Now let us briefly review the symbolic meaning of Christ's temptations. The fasting represents abstinence from evil things; the hunger is the desire for evil; and the bread is the gratification of that desire. Anyone who indulges in any evil thing turns stones into bread. Let him answer the Devil's persuasions by declaring that man does not live by indulging his desires alone, but by keeping the commands of God.

When anyone is puffed up with pride as if he were holy, he is led to the temple; and when he considers himself to have reached the summit of holiness, he is set on a pinnacle of the temple. This temptation follows the first because victory over temptation often gives birth to conceit.

But notice that Christ voluntarily undertook the fast, whereas He was led to the temple by the Devil. Therefore, you should voluntarily practice praiseworthy abstinence, but do not allow yourself to be exalted to the summit of holiness. Flee from arrogance, and you will not suffer a fall.

The ascent of the mountain represents the pursuit of great riches and the glory of this world, which springs from a proud heart. When you desire to become rich—that is, to ascend the mountain—you begin to think of ways to gain wealth and honors. It is then that the prince of this world is showing you the glory of his kingdom.

Finally, the Devil provides you with reasons why, if you seek to obtain all these things, you should serve him and neglect the righteousness of God.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: When we have overcome the Devil and bruised his head, we will see that the ministry of angels and the help of heavenly powers will not be lacking for us.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Luke did not record the temptations in the same order as Matthew, so we do not know whether the temptation on the pinnacle of the temple or the one on the mountain happened first. This is of no importance, however, as long as it is clear that all of them truly occurred.⁹

Glossa Ordinaria: Although Luke's order seems more chronological, Matthew relates the temptations in an order that corresponds to how Adam was tempted.¹⁰

Rabanus Maurus: After relating the forty days' fast, the temptation of Christ, and the ministry of Angels, Matthew continues, "Jesus having heard that John was cast into prison."

Pseudo-Chrysostom: This was doubtless by God's will, for no one can do anything against a holy man unless God delivers him up. "He withdrew into Galilee," that is, out of Judea, so that He might both reserve His passion for the proper time and set an example for us of fleeing from danger.

St. John Chrysostom: It is not blameworthy to avoid throwing oneself into peril, but when one has fallen into it, it is blameworthy not to endure it courageously. He departed from Judea both to soften the animosity of the Jews and to fulfill a prophecy, while also seeking to fish for those masters of the world who lived in Galilee.

Note also how, when He was about to depart to the Gentiles, He received a valid reason from the Jews: His forerunner was thrown into prison, which compelled Jesus to go into Galilee of the Gentiles.

Glossa Ordinaria: He came, as Luke writes, to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. There, entering the synagogue, He read and spoke many things, for which they tried to throw Him down from the cliff. From there He went to Capernaum, about which Matthew only writes, "And leaving the town of Nazareth, He came and dwelt at Capernaum."¹

Nazareth is a village in Galilee near Mount Tabor; Capernaum is a town in Galilee of the Gentiles near the Lake of Gennesaret. This is the meaning of the phrase "on the sea coast."²

He adds further, "in the borders of Zabulon and Naphtali," where the first captivity of the Jews by the Assyrians took place. Thus, where the Law was first forgotten, the Gospel was first preached; and from a place, as it were, between the two, it was spread to both Jews and Gentiles.

Remigius of Auxerre: He left one place, namely Nazareth, so that He might enlighten more people through His preaching and miracles. In this way, He left an example for all preachers: that they should preach at a time and in places where they can do good to as many people as possible. In the prophecy, the words are these: At that first time the land of Zabulon and the land of Naphtali was lightened, and at the last time was increased the way of the sea beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles (Isaiah 9:1).

St. Jerome: They are said "at the first time" to be lightened from the burden of sin because the Savior first preached the Gospel in the country of these two tribes. "At the last time" their faith "was increased," while most of the Jews remained in error.³

The "sea" here means the Lake of Gennesaret, a lake formed by the waters of the Jordan. On its shores are the towns of Capernaum, Tiberias, Bethsaida, and Chorazin, in which district Christ primarily preached.

Alternatively, according to the interpretation of those Hebrews who believe in Christ, the two tribes Zabulon and Naphtali were taken captive by the Assyrians, and Galilee was left deserted. The prophet therefore says that it was "lightened" because it had previously suffered for the sins of the people. Afterward, the remaining tribes who lived beyond the Jordan and in Samaria were led into captivity. Scripture here means that the region that was the first to suffer captivity was now the first to see the light of Christ's preaching.

The Nazarenes, in turn, interpret that this was the first part of the country that, on the coming of Christ, was freed from the errors of the Pharisees. Later, through the Gospel of the Apostle Paul, the preaching was increased or multiplied throughout all the countries of the Gentiles.

Glossa Ordinaria: But Matthew here quotes the passage in such a way as to make them all nominative cases referring to one verb: The land of Zabulon, and the land of Naphtali, which is the way of the sea, and which is beyond Jordan, namely, the people of Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who walked in darkness.⁴

Note that there are two Galilees: one of the Jews and the other of the Gentiles. This division of Galilee had existed since Solomon's time, when he gave twenty cities in Galilee to Hiram, King of Tyre. This part was afterward called Galilee of the Gentiles; the remainder, of the Jews.⁵

St. Jerome: Or we must read, "beyond Jordan, of Galilee of the Gentiles," so that the people who either sat or walked in darkness have seen a light. This is not a faint light, like the light of the Prophets, but a great light, like that of Him who says in the Gospel, I am the light of the world.⁶

Between "death" and "the shadow of death," I suppose there is this difference: "death" is said of those who have gone down to the grave with the works of death, while "the shadow of death" is said of those who live in sin but have not yet departed from this world. These may, if they wish, still turn to repentance.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Alternatively, the Gentiles who worshipped idols and demons were those who sat in the region of the shadow of death. The Jews, who performed the works of the Law, were in darkness because the righteousness of God had not yet been revealed to them.

St. John Chrysostom: So that you may learn that he is not speaking of natural day and night, he calls the light "a great light," which is called "the true light" in other places. He also adds "the shadow of death" to explain what he means by "darkness."

The words "arose" and "shone" show that the people did not find this light by their own seeking; rather, God Himself appeared to them—they did not run to the light first.

For people were in the greatest misery before Christ's coming. They did not walk but sat in darkness, which was a sign that they hoped for deliverance. Not knowing which way to go and being shut in by darkness, they sat down, having no power to stand. By "darkness" here, he means error and ungodliness.

Rabanus Maurus: In allegory, John and the rest of the prophets were the voice that went before the Word. When prophecy ceased and was fettered, the Word came, fulfilling what the Prophet had spoken of it. "He departed into Galilee" signifies a departure from figure to truth.⁷

Or, He departed into the Church, which represents a passing from vice to virtue. Nazareth is interpreted as "a flower" and Capernaum as "the beautiful village." He therefore left the flower of the Old Testament figure (in which the fruit of the Gospel was mystically intended) and came into the Church, which was beautiful with Christ's virtues.

The Church is "by the sea-coast" because, being placed near the waves of this world, it is daily beaten by the storms of persecution. It is situated between Zabulon and Naphtali—that is, common to both Jews and Gentiles. Zabulon is interpreted as "the abode of strength," because the Apostles, who were chosen from Judea, were strong. Naphtali is interpreted as "extension," because the Church of the Gentiles was extended throughout the world.

St. Augustine of Hippo: John relates in his Gospel the calling of Peter, Andrew, and Nathanael, and the miracle at Cana, before Jesus's departure into Galilee. The other Evangelists omitted all these things, carrying on the thread of their narrative with Jesus's return into Galilee. We must understand, then, that some days intervened, during which the events John relates concerning the calling of the disciples took place.⁸

Remigius of Auxerre: But this should be considered more carefully: John says that the Lord went into Galilee before John the Baptist was thrown into prison. According to John's Gospel, after the water was turned into wine, and after His going down to Capernaum and up to Jerusalem, He returned to Judea and baptized, and John was not yet cast into prison. But here, it is after John's imprisonment that He withdraws into Galilee, and Mark agrees with this.

However, we need not suppose any contradiction here. John speaks of the Lord's first coming into Galilee, which was before John's imprisonment. He speaks in another place of His second coming into Galilee (John 4:3), and the other Evangelists mention only this second coming, which was after John's imprisonment.

Eusebius of Caesarea: It is related that John preached the Gospel almost to the end of his life without setting anything down in writing, and at last came to write for this reason. When the first three written Gospels came to his knowledge, he confirmed the truth of their history with his own testimony, but some things were still wanting, especially an account of what the Lord had done at the very beginning of His preaching.⁹

And it is true that the other three Gospels seem to contain only those things that were done in the year John the Baptist was put into prison or executed. For Matthew, after the temptation, proceeds immediately with, Hearing that John was delivered up, and Mark does likewise. Luke, again, even before relating one of Christ's actions, tells that Herod had shut up John in prison. The Apostle John, then, was requested to put into writing what the preceding Evangelists had left out from the time before John's imprisonment. Hence he says in his Gospel, this beginning of miracles did Jesus.