Commentaria in Exodum
Whoever would be mighty, let him subdue his fierce spirits, nor submit his conquered neck to the foul reins of lust. For though far-off India’s land tremble at thy laws, and farthest Thule serve thee: yet to be unable to drive away black cares and put to flight wretched complaints is not power.
Diogenes, to a young man complaining that he was disturbed by many: “Cease,” he said, “thou also to carry before thee the signs of disturbance.” The same, when someone said to him: Many revile thee: “It behoves,” he said, “the wise man to be struck by fools; the tongue shows him to be better whom it carps at.” Xenophon, as Seneca testifies, to one who spoke ill of him: “Thou hast learned to speak ill,” he said, “I have learned, my conscience bearing witness, to despise ill speaking.” Antisthenes used to say that “virtue was sufficient for him for happiness, and that he needed nothing except Socratic strength.” And Socrates had hardened himself to endure all things.
AND NO MAN OF HIMSELF IS INNOCENT BEFORE THEE,—as if to say: Therefore all need thy mercy, O Lord, pardon and grace. In Num. chap. 14, verse 18, our interpreter renders the same words which are here in the Hebrew thus: and leaveth no one guiltless, that is, thou who judgest all to be guilty, culpable, and liable and bound to thee by some guilt, on account of original sin, or mortal or venial, understand of themselves, or so far as it lies on the part of man: for if God by his grace preserve anyone (as the Church piously believes of the Blessed Virgin), one can be wholly innocent. So Abulensis. It could be rendered secondly from the Hebrew thus, and leaving no one innocent, that is, unpunished. For the Hebrew naka signifies both to be innocent and to be unpunished: for this follows from that.
9. I BESEECH THEE, etc., TAKE AWAY OUR INIQUITIES.—Moses foresaw that the stiffnecked Jews would thereafter more often offend God; he asks him therefore that he be
10. THE LORD ANSWERED: I WILL MAKE A COVENANT IN THE SIGHT OF ALL: I WILL DO SIGNS SUCH AS WERE NEVER SEEN.—The Hebrew is, I strike a covenant before all the people, who, namely, see thee go up into the mount for this (covenant’s) cause, and already know that thou art here with me in the mount for the same cause, and behold the cloud and other signs perhaps like those which were given in the former covenant, chap. 24:17, and shall behold thy face flashing horns of light, when thou shalt set before them the conditions of the covenant, namely these laws of mine, and the tables inscribed with my finger.
Again, “I will make a covenant in the sight of all,” namely in following times continually confirming this covenant by wonderful signs, which I will henceforth work for the people’s protection for this cause; as was especially manifest in the time of Josue, in his wars and prodigious victories.
Now the covenant of God with the people here renewed was the same as the former covenant, namely that God should be lord and protector of the people, and the people in turn should serve and obey God alone: both of which were signified by the giving and receiving, or acceptance, of the law: for God gave the tables of the law, and the people received and accepted them.
Note: On the fortieth day from his ascent into the mount, at earliest dawn, Moses saw that vision and glory of God passing, but from behind, of which here verse 6, and in the preceding chapter, verses 19 and 22; then God, again covering himself with a cloud, conversed with Moses, and sets before him the conditions of the covenant, namely his laws, from verse 11 and following, and by this very thing enters into covenant with Moses and the people, and at length gives Moses the tables of the Decalogue inscribed by himself, as a symbol and confirmation of the covenant: which being received, Moses on the same fortieth day came down from the mount to the people with the tables.
11. OBSERVE ALL THINGS WHICH I COMMAND THEE THIS DAY.—“Thee,” O my people: for God here speaks to Moses as mediator of the people and sustaining their person.
14. THE LORD HIS NAME IS JEALOUS,—“his” is redundant, and in its place “the Lord” in the genitive is to be substituted, so that you say: “The Lord’s name is Jealous,” that is, as follows: the Lord is jealous, an emulator of the honour due to him, and suffers not his people to turn aside to idols as to paramours.
Note the Hebraism: to have a name, or to be called, signifies to be, so that one can rightly be called by this name; so of Christ it is said: “And his name shall be called Emmanuel, Wonderful, Counsellor, God the Mighty.” Likewise: “Make haste to take away the spoils, make speed to take the prey,” Isaias 7 and 9; that is, Christ will be Emmanuel, that is God with us, will be counsellor, will be mighty, will quickly take away the spoils, will speedily take the prey.
15. LEST WHEN THEY HAVE COMMITTED FORNICATION WITH THEIR GODS.—“Have committed fornication,” that is, have worshipped gods or idols.
Often Scripture, especially in the Prophets, calls idolatry fornication, because men, blinded by the hope and lust of riches, pleasures and a freer life, departing from God, submitted and gave themselves to idols, as to lovers, to be corrupted. See chaps. 2 and 3 of Jeremias, and chap. 16 of Ezechiel.
On the contrary the Apostle, 2 Cor. 11:2, says to the faithful who rightly worship God: “I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”
THAT THEY MAY EAT OF THE THINGS SACRIFICED,—and so thou be enticed to sacrifice; for to eat things offered to idols is not evil of itself, unless it be done in such a way, for example amid the very sacrifices in the idol temples, that one is judged by this very act to consent to the sacrifice offered to the idol; it is however evil and unlawful by accident, namely on account of danger, or erroneous conscience, or scandal: which had especial place among the Jews. See what was said on things offered to idols at the beginning of chap. 8 of 1 Cor. The remaining laws are here summarily repeated from chap. 23, where I explained them.
21. THE SEVENTH DAY THOU SHALT CEASE TO PLOUGH AND TO REAP,—as if to say: Even though it be the time of harvest or ploughing, which is wont above others to be most laborious, yet on the sabbath thou shalt cease, and shalt neither reap nor plough on it. It is plain from the Hebrew.
22. THOU SHALT KEEP THE FEAST OF WEEKS OF THE FIRSTFRUITS,—as if to say: Thou shalt celebrate the feast of Pentecost after a week of weeks, that is, after seven weeks, namely after forty-nine days, on the fiftieth day from the Pasch, and on it thou shalt offer the firstfruits of loaves to God.
AND THE SOLEMNITY WHEN THE TIME OF THE YEAR RETURNING ALL THINGS ARE LAID UP,—namely the feast of the ingathering in the seventh month, with which the ancient and common year began, of which chap. 23, verse 16.
24. WHEN I SHALL HAVE ENLARGED THY BORDERS,—when I shall have given thee the wide borders which I promised thee: which was done presently in the time of Josue after the first rest from wars; and so, as is gathered hence, before this rest the Hebrews were not bound by this precept, of going thrice a year to the tabernacle, because the journey was dangerous, and because they were still engaged in wars with the natives.
NO MAN SHALL LIE IN WAIT AGAINST THY LAND, WHEN THOU GOEST UP, AND APPEAREST IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD THY GOD THRICE A YEAR,—in Hebrew it is, no man shall covet thy land, namely to invade it in thy absence and lie in wait for it, as if to say: Fear not enemies, when thou obeyest my law to go up, that is, to go to my Sanctuary, as though they, in thy absence, would invade thy cities left empty of males and warriors: for I will restrain and turn them aside, so that they neither covet it nor think of it. So Abulensis.
leaven. See what was said, chap. 23, verse 18.
NEITHER SHALL THERE REMAIN IN THE MORNING ANY THING OF THE VICTIM OF THE SOLEMNITY OF THE PHASE.—as if to say: Nothing of the paschal lamb shall remain till the morrow, or the next morning; but on the same day on which you immolate the lamb, you shall eat it whole. See what was said, chap. 12, verse 10.